I hate Rickwood, I really do. It’s not the stadium itself, or the atmosphere or the history. I love the nostalgia of Baseball’s past. It’s the Rickwood Classic itself that I despise. Why? Well for starters, the Barons moved out to Hoover back in 1988 because Rickwood was in a bad neighborhood then. Over the past three years, Birmingham has been ranked in the top ten of the most dangerous cities in the United States. That’s why I live in Pelham. Plus, Rickwood is in a neighborhood, so trying to filter 9,500 people in cars into that small of an area is a nightmare. The game is in the daytime, because it would be unwise to hold it at night. The game itself always drags, lasting over 3 and a 1/2 hours yesterday. I could go on and on, but those are the main reasons. It’s hard to enjoy something that’s so much of a hassle.
The Bad News Barons welcomed in another player of ill
repute, receiving Miguel Negron, who had just finished up his 50 game
suspension for testing positive for a “drug of abuse.” Don’t get me
wrong, I like Miguel. How can you not like a player who swings a piece
of rebar while warming
up in the on deck circle, who has naturally orange hair even though he’s
Puerto Rican, who calls his shot and then hits a homerun and who makes
bold claims before a playoff series. Who doesn’t want to party with
that guy? Justin Cassel does, it’s good to know that the Larry
Wilson and Richard
Parker of the Barons are back together again, here to prop up the
Barons’ version of Bernie
Lomax, Ever Magallanes. Or, for my younger readers, the DJ
Pauly D and The
Situation of the Barons. Negron was the Barons 2008 MVP, batting
leadoff all season and hitting close to .300. He has given the offense a
reliable spark, resuming his role at the top of the order after the
promotion of Buck Coats.
Speaking of guys you’d want to party with, I’m starting to
think Justin Fuller is a gangbanger from Juneau, Alaska. I think he
has prison tattoos. I said he was pugnacious and that he was built like
a skateboarder before. But, I’m starting to think he truly is a
hooligan, according to his walk up music.
Maybe the White Sox did get something for Jim Thome after all, the guy
is cool as s**t.
Unfortunately, Brent Morel has been promoted as we all
know. I’m more disappointed that I won’t be able to get his autograph
on his Barons card when it comes out than the fact that he’s gone. I said back
in April on my Twitter that the
White Sox should just go ahead and promote him to Charlotte and not
waste his time in Birmingham. The good news for those of us in
Birmingham though is that C.J. Retherford is coming back. He should
take over as the everyday third basemen in place of Morel…whenever he
shows up. If I remember correctly, players have up to 72 hours to
report. So far, it’s been 48. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t in the
lineup tonight. Hopefully he can regain the success he had last year
and help the Barons right the ship in the second half, which is
approaching rapidly.
Things overall are looking up. All the players are hitting
better, except for John Shelby III, who is scuffling badly. Maybe the
new aggressive approach Ever Magallanes has taken has injected some life
into the team. He was way too conservative in the first 6 weeks of the
season. We’re all still in shock everytime he sends a runner home
from second base on a single. Tonight’s “Big Lebowski” night! Until
next time…
Cheers,
JPN