Sunday with the Lansing Lugnuts

They say that in any baseball game, you will see something that you have never ever seen before. This is so true.

Sunday, Computer Boy, Skate Kid and I saw our local Class A team, the Lansing Lugnuts take on the dreaded Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Oldsmobile Park.

Here are four things that happened in that game that I have never seen before in a professional baseball game:

1. The first batter of the game gets on base. The field umpire then takes his position on the infield grass which is the correct positioning for him with a runner on first base. The next batter hits a very hard shot which hits the field umpire in the......let's go with groin.....and is lying on the ground in, I am assuming, excruciating pain for about 10 minutes. I told Computer Boy that we were likely to see a one umpire game which in itself would be a first for us. In defiance of my prediction, the umpire miraculously arose and umped the rest of the game. Never saw that before. Never.

2. A Lugnut player hits a very long high fly to left field which easily clears the fence but it is foul by about 3 or 4 feet. Kind of close but not really if you were watching it. The home plate umpire calls it a home run. Of course, there is then an argument but the call stands. Nobody in the park, with the exception of the home plate umpire, thought it was fair. A mind-bending weird call. Never saw that before. Never.

3. The Timber Rattlers have a runner on third base. I forget how many outs but it is not really important. The Lugnuts pitcher and the catcher get their signs crossed up and the pitcher throws a high slow lob for an intentional walk but the catcher never leaves his crouch so the ball went to the wall and the runner on third easily scores. Never saw that before. Never.

4. One of 7 year old Skate Kid's goals at any minor league game (he knows this is not possible at a major league game) is to come home with an on-field ball. One of his strategies is to sit in the first row behind the Lugnuts bullpen and when a batted ball winds up in the pen, the players will flip it to him. Today, the first row was occupied by quite a few kids who had the same idea. I suggested that he go to the Timber Rattlers bullpen and sit there. In the row behind the Timber Rattlers pen, there were a few teenagers who were insulting the players and then asking for baseballs. In my opinion, this is not a good strategy to get a ball but that is just me. I accompanied Skate Kid over there and advised him that we would sit in the first row but a good ways away from the teenagers. After a while, a young lady approached the bullpen and asked one of the players for a ball and he gave her one. She then gave it to Skate Kid and advised that she had a "special connection" to this player (I will keep him nameless) and she wanted Skate Kid to have a ball. Of course, we thanked her. I should further clarify that Skate Kid does not beg for baseballs. He just sits there with his mitt and observes the game keeping an eye out for any ball. Well anyway, someone noticed him and wanted him to have a ball and made sure that he got one. Thank you, Wisconsin Timber Rattler special fan! Never saw that before. Never.

Did you know that some people leave baseball games in the second inning when the temperature is only in the low 70's complaining that it is too hot? It happened.