Friday, March 10 2000

Good morning and welcome to Day 7 of the 7th Annual Spring Training Trek 2000!

It's hard to believe it is already Friday. Today, the temperature is expected to rise to a sunny 83 degrees; I hope the weather is somewhat tolerable in your neck of the woods. We will start the day with a return to the Animal Kingdom. After picking up a FastPass for the Countdown to Extinction attraction, I walked over to Animal Kingdom's Theater in the Wild for the show Tarzan Rocks!, a rock'n'roll concert based on the Disney movie with music and dance performances that will make you swing from a vine. More than one adult came out of the show humming to themselves, "Two Hearts, One World."

I tried to pop into Asia and go on the Kali Rapids River Ride in Anandapur, but both the standby and fastpass lines were too long. So I made my way back to Dinoland USA and executed my fastpass to my Countdown to Extinction. In hindsight and for others planning their visit, I would have obtained the fastpass for Anandapur, and visited Dinoland on standby. But even I learn from one visit to another. In Countdown to Extinction, you are invited to partake in a top secret mission to go back 65 million years to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period to study the early dinosaurs. But my time travel vehicle is hijacked by a mad scientist with the crazy idea of retrieving a baby dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period, just before a meteor shower destroys all life on earth. I just barely made it back alive, and somewhere in Disney's Animal Kingdom is a baby dinosaur on the loose.

Now safe back in the present, I made my way from the kingdom of animals to the wide world of sports for this afternoon's Braves game against the New York Mets. Pre-game injury report: I have a blister on my left foot, and yes, I am peeling. There is a little bit different lineup today, Ozzie Guillen (SS), Reggie Sanders (LF), Andruw Jones (CF), Andres Galarraga (1B), Trenidad Hubbard (RF), Wes Helms (3B), Javy Lopez (C), Keith Lockhart (2B), and on the mound with his first start and second appearance, Bruce Chen (P). Just before game time, Sanders is replaced by Bobby Bonilla for his first non-DH appearance.

Top of the first and Chen gets a fly out to left, a fly out to right, a walk, and a fly to left and Chen gets through the first inning. In the Braves half of the inning, Guillen grounds out, Bonilla draws a walk, Andruw Jones grounds into a double play and that is all she wrote. In the 2nd inning, Chen gets a ground to short, fly to center, and a strikeout. In the bottom half, Galarraga grounds to short, Lopez strikes out, and Lockhart strikes out and the Braves can not seem to muster much at the plate.

In the Third inning, Chen caps a strong appearance with three straight ground outs. In the bottom of the 3rd, Trenidad Hubbard singles to center but is caught stealing 2nd. Wes Helms flies out to center and Chen flies out to right and the inning is over. In the 4th, Kevin McGlinchy takes over, giving up a lead-off error to put a runner on 1st. A fly out to center is followed by a stolen base on a strikeout.

A single to left scores a run and the Mets draw first blood. A check swing, Javy throws to Galarraga for the third out. But the Mets take a 1-0 lead.

Ozzie Guillen leads off the bottom of the 4th with a fly out to right. Bobby Bonilla gets both cheers and jeers from the Mets fans. When the change to the line-up was announced, the DWWS public address announcer initially called him the New York left fielder. A cry (more of a wale) from the crowed led to a correction. But I am not sure it was an accident... Bonilla pops up to the catcher. Jones walks on four pitches, and Galarraga sends one deep to the center field wall for a noisy third out.

Rudy Seanez gets a chance in the top of the 5th with a lead-off walk and a fly out to Jones in center. A bunt by the pitcher, the only play is to first, and the runner moves to 2nd. Seanez gets 3 strikes to end the inning in a strong performance. Half way through the game, and the first "We want Rocker" chants begin. Lopez leads off the bottom of the 5th with a pop-up foul on the 3rd base side.  Lockhart flies to right, and Hubbard grounds to 3rd to end the inning.

Today's Rocker Report: There is no sign of John Rocker, which is probably a good thing considering all the New York fans... This has been the Rocker Report.

In the 6th, Damian Moss pitches, and Steve Sisco takes over at 2nd, George Lombard in RF, and Toby Rummfield takes over behind the plate.

A single to left gives the Mets a lead-off base runner. A home run to left field scores two for the Mets. A walk is followed by a fly out to center for the first out. The runner moves to 3rd on a wild pitch. A line drive to center scores a run and the throw to 2nd gets past Guillen giving the batter a double. A ground to short barely reaches 1st in time for the second out; the runner moves to 3rd. A ground ball up the first base line; the Braves claim the throw hit the runner for an automatic out (he was running inside the base line), but the umpire disagreed, allowing the run to score. A strikeout of the pitcher gets Moss out of the inning, but not before the Mets get 4 more to extend their lead to 5-0.

In the bottom of the 6th, Wes Helms grounds to 3rd, Lombard flies to center, and Guillen lines to 1st to end the inning. Top of the 7th, and #63 Jason Baker is pitching, and Mark DeRosa is in at short.

DeRosa gets a ground to 2nd. A Mets bat goes flying into the stands, and the batter decides to let the fan keep it. Baker gets a strikeout, and a fly to left to end the inning. In the bottom of the 7th, Bonilla pops up to 1st, Jones grounds to short, and the Big Cat launches one again to deep center but not far enough to evade the fielder.

In the 8th Brian Hunter takes over at 1st, Junior Brignac at Center. Moss gets a ground to 3rd and former Brave Curtis Pride draws a walk.

A home run to center scores two more, and the Mets have a commanding 7-0 lead. Baker gives up another walk, gets a fly out to center, and a fly out to right to end the inning. But the Braves have a deep hole to dig out of.

Today's food report: A buffalo chicken sandwich, a large coke and a frozen lemonade ($11.00).

Toby Rummfield leads off the bottom of the 8th with a fly to right.

Sisco grounds out, and DeRosa grounds to 2nd to end the inning. Top of the 9th and Everett Stuhl pitches for the Braves. A lead-off single, a pop-up to the infield, strikeout, and pop-up to 2nd brings the Braves to their last 3 outs. Down 7 runs, the Braves have to be thinking of the 7 runs given up to the Dodgers to tie the game a day earlier. Wes Helms leads off with a strikeout. Lombard draws a walk, and Marcus Giles pinch hits with a walk. Bobby Bonilla finally answers the cat calls with a line drive to right, scoring to runs, sliding safe into 3rd for a triple. Bonilla is replaced with Tim Unroe as a pinch runner, and receives a round of applause, this time from the Braves fans and his peers in the dugout. Junior Brignac strikes out, and Brian Hunter is the last hope. Hunter pops out to 1st base foul territory to end the game.

Final line: Mets 7 runs, 7 hits, no errors; Braves 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error. The Braves avoid the shutout on a Bobby Bonilla triple. And while there was no magic at the ballpark, perhaps there will be magic at the Magic Kingdom.

After a quick trip back to Aruba for a quick refreshing, I have arrived at the park that started it all - the Magic Kingdom.

Tonight's mission - to experience all of the Magic Kingdom between 5:30pm and 1am. A walk down Main Street USA through Cinderella's Castle and we are in Fantasy Land. I have only been able to get through 2 rides in Fantasy Land in the last two years (It's a Small World & Snow White) because the lines are so long, and full of kids who are tired and cranky, and parents who have lost their patience.

So I quickly made my way through Liberty Square to Frontier Land, for the Country Bear Jamboree, full of pick'n and Grin'n and Pawin' and Guitar'n. Next I crossed into Adventure Land where I collected a fastpass for the Jungle Cruise. While I waited for my ship to sail, I stopped by the Tikki Lounge to catch the bird show, with the beaks snapping and the feathers flapping, this Caw Caw was Hot Hot Hot.

The Jungle Cruise, a 2 week journey through 4 rivers of the world, took about 10 minutes and was notable more for the pun-filled oratory of the boat captain than the staged scenes along the river banks.

Having returned safely, I quick footed it back to Main Street to Tony's Town Square Restaurant. Tony's, you will remember, is where Lady first met Tramp. Actually, it was the alley behind the restaurant. Dinner was a 6 oz filet toped with a slice of ham and 5 cheeses. Total cost for dinner: $26.50.

I returned to Fantasy Land to stand in line for the new Winnie the Pooh ride, where I helped Pooh Bear look for honey, pinned the tail on the donkey, and bounced with Tigger, because he's the only one.

Good morning, if it is, which I seriously doubt. As I made my way over to Peter Pan's Flight, the clock reached 10pm, and the park began to close. As parents with kids sound asleep, and kids with parents sound asleep made their way for the exit, this intrepid explorer was just getting revved up. As a Disney resort guest, I purchased an e-Ride ticket that allowed me and a few thousand other friends to stay at the park an extra 3 hours to ride the rides with no lines.

Our e-Ride schedule started back in Adventure Land with the Thunder Mountain Railroad, a quick and dirty little rail ride through the mines and mountains of the Southwest. Next, I made my way to Splash Mountain, a log chute ride based on the Uncle Remus tales of Brer Rabbit and his Brer Friends, culminating in a near vertical drop that literally lifts you out of your seat. Back to Liberty Square where I stopped by the Haunted Mansion for directions. There I was invited to stay for the ghost and ghoul gathering that features Disney's Imagineering at it's classic best.

Tomorrow Land was the final destination, or launch point, for the evening. A trip to Space Mountain, where you leave space dock in a coaster rocket that spins and twists in the glow-in-the-dark vacuum of space. Next it was the Astro Orbiter, a variation of the traditional carnival ride where you ride in an astro-rocket that spins and rides up and down. After that, it was time for an ExtraTERRORestrial Encounter from the XS Tech company in which an unknown acid-breathing life form escapes a force shield and takes it's pick snacking on unsuspecting visitors. Finally, as the clock nears 1am, I take a trip into the past and future with the Time Keeper (an animatronics Robin Williams) and his trusty navigator nine-eye (which represents the 9 screen circle vision).

I do not know if you are tired, but I sure am. You are probably noticing that this diary page was posted after my return home. That is because the last three days were so packed and exhausting that I did not have the time or strength to spend the 2 hours it takes to type and send each day's activities. The remaining days will be posted subsequently.

Tomorrow, we go to the movies, so don't be late - the show will go on!

Fuskie