Night Owl Cards

I went to the Syracuse Chiefs game yesterday. It was a "for old-time's-sake" type of game as my daughter came along and it's the last game she will go to before moving out and heading off for college. We've gone together to several Chiefs games over the last 10 years and for all 10 of those years, they have been the Triple A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Next year, the Chiefs -- if they will even be called that -- will be the Mets' Triple A affiliate. The Mets bought the Syracuse franchise last year and announced it will play its Triple A home games in Syracuse next season. What happens after that is anyone's guess. I welcome the Mets connection. Although I'm not a Mets fan, there are some teams that have character and a history and are easy to follow. The Mets are one of those teams. Most of the teams that have been around for at least 50 or 60 years are one of those teams. The Nationals are not one of those teams. Although I lik...

Stephen Strasburg is pitching for the Syracuse Chiefs tonight on a rehab assignment on his way back to the Nationals. The stands are expected to be packed at NBT Bank Stadium (love those modern stadium names), which means I'm glad I attended last night's Chiefs game. Although I wouldn't mind seeing Strasburg pitch, I abhor crowds, and really star-gazing is not why I go to baseball games. I go to games, it's apparent to me now, to forget. Forget everyday concerns and problems, yes, but also to forget baseball. Yup, that's what I said. I watch baseball to forget baseball. This is what I mean: as you know the trade deadline is very close. This has always been a pretty exciting time, but most years you didn't think much about it until the very day of the deadline. That's no longer possible. Because of the internet and the fantasy baseball influence, the trade deadline is now a week-long holiday and people are mentioning scenarios and insider informati...

I wasn't going to do a breakdown of the game I went to last night. Everyone reading this has been to a baseball game before -- multiple times -- including myself. But, no matter how many times I go, I always find something interesting -- usually something I've never seen before -- and that was the case again Friday night. So here is a top 10 on what was Interesting To Me at last night's Norfolk Tides-Syracuse Chiefs baseball game: 10. Jamie Hoffmann: Hoffmann was one of two former Dodgers to play in last night's game. You'll read about the other one later. Hoffmann had some enjoyable moments for the Dodgers in 2009, but now he's kicking around on the Orioles' Triple A team. He started in right field and went 2-for-4 with a triple. My daughter only knows him as "The Former Dodger." 9. Pink batters boxes: It was Breast Cancer Awareness Night at Alliance Bank Stadium. The Chiefs wore uniforms with pink accents on the jersey. Some of...

I'm at the ballpark tonight, taking in my annual Syracuse Chiefs game. Tonight, they're playing the Norfolk Tides, the Triple A team of the Orioles. Former Dodger prospect Jamie Hoffmann is with Norfolk. Other Tides of interest are former Dodger Dana Eveland, collector favorite Pat Neshek, and Nate McLouth. (Brian Matusz is due to get the start for Norfolk against the dreaded TBA). If I happen to bump into one of them at the concession stand, I'll try to get their autograph. But I don't expect that to happen. And I won't hunt them down either. I like to relax at the game. Sit in my seat, keep score for 3 innings before deciding I'm bored with it, grab a hot dog, and bask in the glory of the best sensory experience on the planet. But what are you poor folks going to do while I'm out enjoying the game? I was nice and found some cards for you to view. These are from Cards on Cards . They were part of a cards-for-cards and periodical-for-periodical...

I believe that Reggie Jefferson is taking his fielding stance at first base in a major league stadium. But the lighting in the photo on this card gives me the impression that he's in a minor league park. That's appropriate because right about now I should be taking in another Syracuse Chiefs game. No, it's not a night game, but the tickets were FREE, so I'm willing to suspend the night owl act for a day. The Chiefs, still the Triple A affiliate of your beloved Washington Nationals (still no Strasburg, still no Harper), are taking on the Lehigh Valley IronPIGS today. When I told the female members of the family that the Chiefs were playing the IronPigs, they both scrunched up their nose in that "ewwwwwww, yuuuuuuckk" way. But they'll get over it. I don't know what else to expect. I'm hoping for a game as interesting as last year . But I know I don't have a lot of time, so here is a quick look at who I am most interested in seeing: ...

I sure do write about this guy a lot, don't I? Hopefully, this is the last time. While everyone is talking about Strasburg on the Million Card site or in a complete 2010 Topps set or in Topps U&H or whatever, I went the simple route and bought the Syracuse Chiefs team set for a rather inflated 10 bucks. That's 33 cents per card. Or maybe it's 5 dollars for the Strasburg card ... ... another $2.50 for the Drew Storen card, and 9 cents each for 28 scrubs. This Strasburg card is staying with me. Not that it's rare or anything. There were more than a few being sold at the Syracuse Chiefs' game last night. And here was the vendor's chant as he walked up and down the aisles: "Get your scorecards and baseball cards. Strasburg right on top." And Strasburg is. They've got all the other cards in alphabetical order, except for Strasburg, who is conveniently out front. That was the highlight of my pregame purchasing. Once the pla...

(Today is "National Milk Chocolate Day." The order of those two words in the middle is important. I detest "chocolate milk." Always have since the time I was little. But "milk chocolate" is the most wonderful invention ever and much appreciated. This is the 74th in a series): If it doesn't rain, I will be attending a minor league baseball game tonight. It's already rained twice here today, but the game is an hour away, so who knows what it will be doing down there. The Syracuse Chiefs are facing the Indianapolis Indians, which doesn't mean much in major league terms, since those are the Triple A affiliates of the Nationals and the Pirates (I bet they pack the house for that series). But, as usual, we will be going merely for the spectacle of a relatively well-played game in my favorite kind of environment, one surrounded by baseball. Jason Marquis is scheduled to make the start for Syracuse. He's on a rehab assignment with the Natio...