How was your day?

[W. Gray]

The game was four hours and forty-five minutes long and did not end until after midnight on the east coast. I thought sure the Padres had won it with those two runs at the top of the 13th inning.

The Rockies swept the Phillies just this past month in their own stadium so one might think there might not be much of a contest.

However, the Rockies throughout their short history have bungled things when it mattered most--much like my football team the Kansas City Chiefs.

[Roma Jean Turner]

When I lived in KC, I used to like to go to some of the games, but it would get so frustrating watching the shoe drop out of nowhere at the very worst time.  Haven't paid much attention to them in the last few years.

[Bonnie M.]

I really do like to attendi the professional football and baseball games, but, it does cost an arm and a leg to attend anymore, and it's such a hassle getting into the stadium.  The last time I went to the Padres game, at the new "Petco" stadium, we had to park about a mile away, and walk, and the parking wasn't inexpensive, either.   I've come to grips with the fact that it is something the younger people can do, much easier than those "my age!"  But, it's fun!

We couldn't understand why the Padres wore those ugly brown uniforms in last night's game!!!!  In fact, when I first started watching it, I kept thinking that the Padres were in the uniforms worn by the Rockies, as that's the type of uniforms we see them in most of the time.  (They really should "run those things by me!")

[W. Gray]

Last night's parking at Coors Stadium was $40.

That is a far cry from the 50 cents we paid to park and see the Triple A Kansas City Blues play baseball in the early 1950s. The stadium was in a black neighborhood and we would park on the street. A little kid would run up and ask for 50 cents to watch your car while you were at the game. If you said no, it was hard telling what might happen to your vehicle. If you gave him the 50 cents he guarded it (and others) with his life.

When the Athletics moved from Philadelphia to Kansas City in 1955, the Kansas City Blues moved to Denver. That team was in Denver until 1993 when the Rockies were formed. There has been one other Colorado Rockies team. The Colorado Rockies played for a short time in the National Hockey League in the late 70s and early 80s.

The Athletics in Philadelphia were an empire like none ever. They were owned by Connie Mack. He not only owned the Athletics, he was their manager for many years. He also owned the ball park they played in. Further, he rented the ball park to the Philadelphia Phillies to play their home games. Anyone in Philadelphia seeing a National or an American League game went to the same stadium.

It was not until after Mack died that the team took on new owners who moved to Kansas City. The team eventually wound up in Oakland.

[Bonnie M.]

And, that's why I don't have any idea about where most teams are located these days!  I know the name of the team, but which City they're in is something I just don't know!  (I'd probably know, if I really was that interested, don't you think?)

[W. Gray]

Did you know Boston slugger Ted Williams, the last man to hit over .400 in a season, once played for and led the Padres to the league pennant?

That was in 1937 when the San Diego Padres were a Pacific Coast League team and Williams was eighteen years old.

It used to be in baseball that the home team always wore all white and the visiting team always wore all gray. The Yankees were the only team in pin stripes.

I think San Diego was observing the old tradition. However, it did look like those uniforms were a little drab.

Uniform tradition changed somewhat when Charley Finley purchased the Kansas City Athletics in the sixties and tried to liven the game by introducing the A's in kelley green and gold uniforms with white shoes for all games. Those uniforms were outlandish but helped draw fans.

Nowadays I have seen visitors wear half white uniforms.

Finley also tried to introduce orange baseballs claiming hitters could see the ball better at night.

I could not tell you what the NFL uniform policy is but I have seen the Kansas City Chiefs wear all white while on the road.

[Diane Amberg]

Now Waldo, that was very mean of you to remind me what the Rockies did to the Phillies here at home. I was hoping it was just a bad dream! Our guys have been up and down all season, so it really depends on how bad they want it.  I used to know Dave Raymond, The Phillie Phanatic. He started out as our U. of Del. Blue Hen. I also knew "Rocky Bluewinkle," the moose mascot of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. They  are associated with the Kansas City Royals.  We are both really good friends with one of the owners of the White Sox, so I guess I should be even more of a sports fan than I am.  Aaron was just impossible when the White Sox won the World Series two years ago.  Bonnie, I know what you mean, I still have to remind myself that the Colts aren't in Baltimore any longer.
Has anyone heard from Judy Harder?

[Bonnie M.]

This may be the week-end that Judy was going to K. C. for her check-up with her Doctor, then to Topeka to visit with her family. 

[W. Gray]

I never would have thought the Rockies would sweep the Phillies.

The Rockies have this silly dinosaur as their mascot. When construction started on Coors stadium in the early 90s, construction workers doing the digging and foundation work had to stop work because they found a number of fossils and a huge intact dinosaur egg. "Scientists" took the egg to a safe warm place and a few months later lo and behold the egg began to crack open and out popped Dinger the dinosaur. He is a specific type of dinosaur but I cant recall which at the moment.

I had to chuckle concerning the University of Delaware Blue Hen comment.

That immediately reminded me of the Toledo Mud Hens which were an AAA team in the American Association when the Kansas City Blues were playing.

There use to be three or four AAA leagues and a whole bunch of AA, A, B, C, and D leagues. Now I think there is only one AAA league and a smattering of AA leagues. They sorted the leagues kinda like eggs.

Joplin, Missouri, had a D league  baseball team in the 1950s and Mickey Mantle got his start there.

Howard had a baseball team that played where the pool is now. It might have been semi-pro. I recall going to several games.

[Bonnie M.]

My cousin, Darrell Hare, lived in Denver for years (he moved to Amarillo about a year ago)  he was completely "caught up" in sports, and I had never heard the story about the dinosaur mascot!  But, I don't get to see him often, and I guess the subject just never came up.

At Lake Elsinore (California) there is a California League (Class A Advanced) team, called "The Storm," and they are a Class A team for the Padres.  Lake Elsinore is a little more than an hour north of us, up Highway 15, and our Church Group goes to a "Storm" baseball game each summer.  They have a wonderful stadium, family friendly, and we all really do enjoy watching a good baseball game up there.  Those boys play for very little money, and they're "trying out" for the big leagues, so they really put their heart and soul into the games.  Parking is free, and we have a picnic supper catered, they set up a bunch of tables under a tent right there by the side of the stadium, that cost us each about $6.00 or $7.00.  Now, THAT's the way to go to a good baseball game!  We go on the night they have great Fireworks followng the game, so, we have no complaints about anything!