Monday , March 11 2002

Good morning and welcome to Day 3 of the 9th Annual Spring Training Trek 2002!

Kungaloosh (that's Good Morning to those uninitiated to the Adventurer's Club), and welcome to Day Three of the 2002 Spring Training Trek - A New Beginning.  If today is nicer than yesterday it is only because there is not a cloud in the sky.  Temperatures in the high 70's, it is a perfect Spring day, a perfect time for the Braves to turn around their 7 game losing skid.  So here I am, sitting on the Group W  bench at bus stop 4 in the Cabana's villa at the Coronado Springs Resort, waiting for the bus to Disney MGM Studios with connection to the Wide World of Sports complex.

Today I made it to the ball game in time to catch the first inning.  As I was picking up my Italian sausage sub and making my way to my seat, a ground to short and a broken bat single are the first out and hit of the game.  A double play erases the runner and that is the inning.  Jesse Garcia leads off the bottom of the 1st for the Braves by flying out to left.  Julio Franco, starting at first base, takes two called strikes and then grounds out weakly to 3rd.  Chipper singles up the middle for the Braves' first hit of the game.  Gary Sheffield has a .500 average entering the game but can only draw a 4 pitch walk.  After brushing Vinnie Castilla back, the Cardinals pitcher finally throws a strike. Castilla flies out to right, stranding two.

Albie Lopez starts the 2nd inning by inducing a ground out to 1st, followed by a walk and a home run to give the Cardinals a 2 run lead.  A single to right, a fly deep to the right field corner and the inning is over.

Now you know: In 1958, American League players were first required to wear batting helmets.

Paul Bako leads off the bottom of the 2nd, bouncing off the pitcher to the 2nd baseman for an easy out.  Travis Wilson, playing 2nd base, lines to right.  Center fielder Ryan Langerhans flies out to shallow center, chasing the runner back to 1st.  Lopez, hitting .190, grounds to 2nd, throw to 1st, and the inning is over.

Albie Lopez starts his 3rd and final inning with a fly ball deep to the warning track in left.  Franco boots a ground ball for the error, then Langerhans misses a diving catch at the wall, scoring one on the triple.  A home run adds 2 with only 1 out in the inning.  A fair ball into the corner puts a runner at 2nd.  A ground to short, throw to 1st moves the runner to 3rd with 2 outs.  A come backer off the pitchers glove rolls into center field, scoring a run.  Lopez gets a strike out to end the inning, but gives up 4 and the Braves trail by 6 early in the game.  Jesse Garcia leads off the bottom of the 3rd with a fly to center.  Franco, hitting .261, singles to left.  Chipper, hitting only .211, grounds into a double play to end the inning.

Tim Spoonybarger takes the mound for the 4th inning with a strike out. A broken bat grounder leads to a put-out at 1st, 2 outs.  A bookend strike out ends the inning.  In the bottom of the inning, Sheffield pops up on the infield.  Castilla strikes out looking bad, and Paul Bako singles to center.  But a broken bat grounder to 2nd ends the inning. In the top of the 5th, Wes Helms checks in at 3rd and Ozzie Timmons in right.  A grounder to 2nd, throw to first, and Spoony gets a quick start to the 5th.  After a walk, Bako gives up a stolen base with a late throw.  After a strike-em-out throw-em out throw to 3rd, the inning is over.  The Braves have held the Cards scoreless for 2 innings; the Cards have returned the favor for 4.

Langerhans leads off the bottom of the 5th with a single to right. Pinch hitting for the pitcher, Keith Lockhart pops up.  Jesse Garcia singles past the 3rd baseman to reach on an error.  With runners at 1st and 2nd and one out.  The Cardinals' Matt Morris leaves the game after four and a third innings.  With runners in scoring positions, the Braves hope that new meat on the mound will improve their fortunes.  Franco lines right to the 1st baseman who steps on the bag for the double play.

The Braves get nothing out of the inning, and their luck continues to scrape rock bottom.  Eddie Perez takes over behind the plate, Matt Franco at 1st, and John Foster takes over pitching.  The first batter thought he drew a walk, and had already thrown his bat and started toward 1st when the ump called a delayed strike.  He then grounds to 3rd for the out.  A line drive to 2nd is caught for out number two unassisted.  Foster gets a strike out to end the inning.  Chopper leads off the bottom of the 5th grounding to 3rd.  Ozzie Timmons grounds to 3rd, and Wes Helms strikes out and the Braves go quietly.

Charles Thomas takes over in left field.  A ground ball short for the first out, a grounder to 2nd, a walk, and another grounder gets Foster out of the inning.  It is time for the 7th inning stretch, so everyone stand up at their keyboards and sing along.

Eddie Perez pops up to start the bottom of the 7th, followed Travis Wilson.  Langerhans grounds to short, and the 7th inning is history.

Now you know: Before 1859, baseball umpires sat in padded chairs behind home plate.

Now pitching for Braves, Mike Remlinger.  Remmy gets a strike out to start the 8th.   A ground to short and a fly ball to center right gets Mike through the inning.  In the bottom half, Matt Franco leads off grounds to 2nd.  Jesse Garcia, hitting .267, strikes out.  Mark DeRosa pinch hits grounding to 3rd and the inning is over.

One gentleman sitting in the row in front said that Rafael Furcal had been traded to Seattle 2 days ago for John Wetland.  While this may or may not be so (I do not have the opportunity to check these things out while at the ballpark), it would surprise me unless there was a problem with Smoltz requiring a new closer, or a problem with Marquis, requiring Smoltz to resume a starter's role.  I will trust the list to keep me informed with full editorial.

Today's attendance was 8,938.  Pitching the top of the 9th, Jake Robbins gets a ground ball to short for the first out.  A ground ball is followed by a 2 out walk, a single to right and the Cardinals have runners on 1st and 2nd.  A pop out to 2nd and the inning is over.  In the bottom of the 9th, the Braves are again in a deep hole.  Charles Thomas leads off with a ground ball up the first base line that reaches the bag a little before he did.  Timmons doubles off the left field wall.  Wes Helms hits it fair down the left field line, scoring Timmons to give the Braves their first run of the game.  Eddie Perez pops up, however, but Travis Wilson drives one up the middle to score Helms sliding.  Langerhans tries to keep the rally going, but flies to left to end the game.

The Cardinals earn 6 runs on 8 hits with 1 error.  The Braves 2 runs, 8 hits, and 1 error. 

I wish, after 3 games, I could provide a feel for who this team is.  Unfortunately, they do not seem to know themselves. While they are getting hits, they are unable to score runs while at the same time being helpless to prevent the other side from doing the same. It seems Bobby is playing a larger than normal number of minor leaguers, but that is to be expected in the Spring.  Things are not looking good, but there is always hope they will get better.

Not to let the game get me down, I made a pit stop back at the resort and then made my way to Downtown Disney's West Side.  At DisneyQuest, I popped in and build a roller coaster in space.  It rated a 3 on the scare-o-meter (I can not seem to break that barrier), then took a video of my reactions as I rode a full motion simulation of my ride.  $12 for 3 minutes.  What a deal.  Next it was dinner at Bongos, Gloria Estefan's Cuban cuisine restaurant.  And then it was time for Cirque du Soleil.

When I first attended La Nouba in 1999, I had a hard time explaining Cirque due Soleil, describing it simply as a visual and auditory assault on your senses.  Four years later, enough people have experienced a Cirque performance that I do not feel as bad for being at a loss for words.  The show was as incredible as the first two times I have seen it, and I hope you all have a chance to enjoy this unique artistic and acrobatic experience.

So was that it for today?  You all know me well enough by know.  When others cry Mercy, I look for the next thing to do and I found it nearby at Pleasure Island where I joined a reunion of honorary members of the 1937 Adventurer's Club.  After a musical (and extremely suggestive) review, we inducted new members with the motto, salute, and club song. Then it was time for the New Years countdown followed by fireworks and live music.

Thus ended my third day, and I can't tell you how excited I am about what is coming up next.  It's really radical, something never before accomplished in my 9 years of Spring Training treks.  Tomorrow we leave the World behind and do something truly Universal.  Oh shoot, now I've given it away!

Kungaloosh!

Fuskie