West Virgina Power News List

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Change, changes... and more BBQ.

Something funny happens on the road.  As I have mentioned in the past, the players and staff get meal money for these trips.  It is a set amount per day for each day of the trip.  Players use this to cover food costs and clubhouse dues usually.  As seen on this blog, I use it to stay well fed and up to date on the movies my wife won't want to see when the opportunity and time allows for it (Example... the night we were rained out in Asheville, I went to see the latest Captain America- rewatch the first one and you will enjoy the second more).

What never fails on any long trip, though, is the massive amount of change that I collect.  Everything I buy seems to be x-number of dollars and 20 cents... or 5 cents... or 14 cents.  And I don't take this leftover change with me anywhere, so it builds up.

This is at the end of the first seven day road trip.  $6.42 in coins.  And somehow still, I got two parking tickets during the next homestand.

While in Asheville, I tried a new-to-me place for lunch on the last day in town.  Chestnut is right along the main drag heading towards downtown about a half mile from the ballpark.

This is a barbecue brisket on a pretzel roll with tobacco onions and bleu cheese with a side of sweet potato salad.  Unlike the BBQ in Lexington, this was a sweet tasting sauce that worked well with the pungent cheese.  If 2013 was the search for the perfect sandwich (I'm looking at you Zunzi's of Savannah), 2014 might just shape up to be a quest for BBQ.  Willie's Locally Famous still holds the top spot, the Kannapolis may have a few contenders coming soon.


Lastly for tonight... During the past off-season, one of our most valuable employees left the Power for a new job with another team in baseball.  I asked for the chance to replace her.  I have taken on some new responsibilities in addition to my old ones.  This has made my life somewhat stressful, but again... I asked for and wanted this chance.

Here is the breakdown of my Opening Day at Appalachian Power Park.
4:15 am- Bus arrives home from Asheville
4:30 am- Home and in bed
8:10 am- Wake up for first radio interview (8:15) about the opener
8:40 am- Wake up again for the next interview (8:45) (if I actually fell asleep again)
8:50 am- Accidentally checked email before trying to go back to sleep until 10:44 am
9:05 am- Out of bed and into the shower.
10:00 am until 4:30 pm-  It is a blur.  I know I ate lunch though
4:30-6:30 pm- Interviews with three TV stations, two radio stations, a feature reporter, accommodating all the media as best possible, and occasionally jotting down some things on my scorecard.
6:45 pm- Radio pregame begins
11:30 pm- Home to bed.

I am not complaining.  I just know that is the most work I have done in one single day since getting in to this industry. I give my predecessor all the credit in the world now that I have had a glimpse into this life.

I'm ready to go and do it all again.  I'll never have another bad day.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Burnt Ends and Baseball

After plenty of rain, the 2014 season got underway late on Thursday night... and we played for a half an hour.  Teams across the country put so much effort in to preparing for the season and especially Opening Day.  I feel for the Legends front office staff, though we have all been through it.


Altoona, for example, was not only rained out on Opening Day, but on Friday as well and did not start their season until 4:30 Saturday afternoon.  That reminds me of 2011 when we "started" at home against Savannah.  We played in a near monsoon on Opening Night and did not play again until a Sunday doubleheader.  Along the way, we had a game canceled...  canceled... during the first weekend of the year.

On Friday, baseball resumed in the top of the third inning and the Power evened a 2-1 deficit at twos in the top of the fifth inning, only to fall on a debatable ground ball down the third base line that was fair and allowed the Legends to win in a walk-off.  If there wasn't a seven inning game to follow, third bagger Wyatt Mathisen might still be standing at the base with an incredulous look about a foul ball called fair to end the game.  No harm though as the Power won the nightcap 6-4.



For lunch Friday, I walked 0.3 miles down North Broadway to Willie's Locally Known.  It's a BBQ (and live music joint), but it was also a Friday during Lent, so I went with the vegetarian platter: a baked potato with sea salt, sour cream and butter, and three fried sides (pickle spears, green tomatoes and their truffle oil fries).  The potato was good, but if you happen to go, get the truffle fries.  It was almost sacrilege to dip these Parmesan-garlic fries in ketchup.

I went back for lunch before the early game on Saturday.  UK was playing that night, so the Legends moved the baseball game to 4:05 so that they at least had the chance of getting a crowd.  Saturday's treat was the Burnt Ends; a specialty at Willie's made from their brisket.  With a smokey barbecue sauce and some shoestring fries, this was a great choice and got my culinary quests this season off on the right foot.

On a side note, if you do find yourself in Lexington and at Willie's, sit at the bar and have a chat with Ray.  He is one of the bartenders, a musician and a big baseball fan.

After a 2-0 shutout win for our team, the staff congregated in the manager's room for pizza and Final Four basketball.  Five of the nine people in the room were a part of every trip last year and this allowed for some great stories and reminiscing.  I can see this group being very close knit in the dugout and off the field.

It is a pleasure and honor to be invited in behind closed doors to hear the stories, the venting and the insight that moments like this can provide.  I may never be able to tell those stories, but at least I can enjoy every second of hearing them.

I'll never have another bad day.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The Kerouac is back.

The clock has just ticked away a few more seconds of the final moments of the off-season.  The 2014 season begins at 7:05 pm today- April 3- at Lexington.  Between now and then, the club will jump on the bus, ride two-and-a-half hours west on I-64, grab some lunch, check in to the hotel, leave for the park, take some batting practice, and be ready to go.

I'll once again be on this journey.  The 2013 season was extremely rewarding.  Watching nearly every game, calling the action, and becoming a part of that team were all tremendous memories.

My plan for this blog this season is to continue some of the themes from last summer.  Meaning...  I'm still going to eat!  I will, however, write shorter posts more frequently added in to the food and movie reviews.  I have added some responsibilities within the Power's front office this season and I also plan on giving some behind-the-scenes thoughts on how-we-do-what-we-do and why we do it.

I'll leave you for now with this picture taken by our club's general manager.  The calm before the storm that is Minor League Baseball.

 
I'll never have another bad day.  Baseball is back.