https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zkd1ZOj324
This is not your father’s baseball league. . . . The Valley Cats of Troy and the Hudson River Valley is a member of the Minor League Baseball League. What is that, you might ask? It is none the less a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in America where young players compete at levels A, AA, or AAA levels. Our “Cats” are A level. These hopeful future Major League players have opportunities for development and preparation to join a ML team.
These Minor League teams have learned the secret to lure the fans in on a lovely summer night and it is not old boring baseball! Last night, kids were free as guests of GE. Everyone received a glow stick and kids got free tee-shirts. There were car races, chanting, clapping, games, and free prizes thrown into the stands. So much fun the woman and children can forget where they are. My daughter, granddaughters, and I are fans only of the fun! We used to root for “outs”, to shorten the game, but now we are happy to see what comes next. Last night’s game went from 7- 10 PM which is LONG, I admit, but we knew fireworks were next. And the score was Valley Cats 8 – Lowell Spinners 4, so there was lots of scoring including several home runs.
If you live near a Minor League Team, do some research. Some teams have had 5 cent beer which turned ugly and one team had to forfeit the game because the fans were throwing the cups, movie theme nights, and Popsicle night to honor Ted Williams. The team in South Carolina has the record of the fewest fans – “Nobody Night” where the employees and players were in the park and there was a huge party in the parking lot for the fans with hot dogs and beer for the first half of the game!
Valley Cat Mascot holding last year’s champion trophy!
Husband’s arm, Henry, Alice, Katie, Grace and Scott!
Autographs! Who knows , maybe someday this kid will be famous !
Spectacular sunset. . . .
Tennis ball tossed from the stands for some wonderful prizes immediately after the game.
Lights off, crack the glow sticks. . . . let the fireworks begin !
Great fun for a whole evening at the price of a movie, a sold out crowd of 5000 people. . . . . . . check it out !
Do you go to baseball games? What teams do you follow? It is known as the “National Pastime”, do you agree? Do you think football ( soccer) will surpass baseball or even make a splash in the US?
TalesAlongTheWay 
Interesting Anne. I didn’t realize you were a baseball fan. It’s actually the only game I can understand, since we played it while I was growing up. Two of my young cousins have played Minor League, one might still be playing, but the other retired last month at the ripe old age of 28, or maybe 32. The retiree is Chris Swauger, who will begin coaching somewhere in the fall. Can’t remember where, and the one I’m not sure of is Keith Blandford. He has probably washed out, or retired by now. My cousins are in several age groupings, with me in the oldest and Chris and Keith in the next to youngest, and several generations in between. I’ve been blogging about my mom’s family for about a week now, and we are just leaving the Depression period and getting to the weddings. 13 kids in her family, so there are a lot of memories there.
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Great story as usual. I am answering comments and then will go back and will read your family stories. Love them !
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Minor league baseball games can be a lot of fun. It’s a rough go for most of the players, however. It’s just so difficult to move up through the system. Glad you enjoyed the night at the yard.
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We go several time a summer. . . just enough baseball and lots of fun !
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In my world it’s all about the football 🙂 that’s the UK for you! X
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It is gaining some popularity here too !
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That’s the David Beckham effect…!!
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Shauny told me in Scotland that “whatever spice” he is married to is hated! In England 2?
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I don’t know about hated…that’s a bit strong…
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Well, you know those Scots !
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Baseball! While I love most sports, and while my best sport was football, my favorite was and still is, baseball, in person, on TV, and on the radio. Growing up ‘town ball’ games was big time in the small farming towns. Actually still is. And while the Twin Cities have major league baseball, the St. Paul Saints is a team in an Independent league and it draws sell out crowds in it’s small stadium. Often the game is secondary to the other things that go on, like a trained pig that brings the bucket of balls to the umps and a nun that gives massages during the game.
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What a wonderful story! Men in my fam are off to Baltimore for weekend games against the Yankees! Women are looking forward to Lavender Festival and shopping . . . .
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Loved this post…especially as I have been traveling and completely missed out on the 4th of July (couldn’t even call home…). Nothing quite like the baseball of summer, and minor league baseball is so great as the players truly love the game (and are pushing forward on their dreams…). Beautiful post.
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Thank you so much. Am glad it brought a bit of home to you from far away!
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It did bring a piece of home to me. Now that I am back, I’m ready to watch the Mariners play ~ they have such a great ball park.
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You know all my traveling and I have never been to Oregon or Washington State. I would love to see the underground city in Seattle. I saw it on a travel show once and always remembered it. Have you see it ?
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Funny you mentioned the Underground Tour… Yes, and it was nice ~ but the underground tour of Pendleton Oregon is even better (home town bias warning) 🙂
The Olympic Mnts. are definitely worth a visit, and their beauty is only rivaled by the incredible Oregon Coast. You really need to visit…a great place to enjoy and relax.
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Thanks so much for the information. Not sure when I will be there but will add it to the list. Have you ever been to Jackson Hole Wyoming? It is spectacular. . . .if you don’t know it , google it for info! Smiles. . . .
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Jackson…I was just talking with my sister this morning about wanting to visit there again. Start in Jackson and end up in Yellowstone and then drive through the Palouse country (Eastern Washington farmland). I think I could easily live in Wyoming…I actually want to visit Cody because my parents went there when they were young and loved it.
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Yes, we went to Yellowstone but not the drive through the Palouse. Great camping , tubbing, skiing in the winter…..also great shopping….destination place. KNow lots of people who go there from VA. Great for teens and outdoor types. . . .watch out for the bears!
We were on the way east from AZ we loved it as one of the great places in the US. Haven’t seen Cody.. . .
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Admiring the commitment you put into your site and detailed information you present.
It’s great to come across a blog every once in a
while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Fantastic read!
I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my
Google account.
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Many thanks for you kind words. I just try to write posts that I would be interested in reading. Ciao !
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