Bowling Green Hot Rods

The last time I was in Bowling Green it was for an afternoon game that started 15 minutes after a driving storm ended. Consequently, there were about 50 people there. This time it was a clear Saturday night and the crowd was quite a bit larger.

As I described to my friends back home, this was probably the most red-neck crowd I've seen at a baseball game and they were great. Walking around the stadium, you'd have sworn the team's colors were woodland, hunting camouflage by the number of people wearing Hot Rods logoed merchandise in camo pattern. The park didn't engage in any of the security theater that you see at most parks nowadays and I figure that was because if any idiot drew his concealed pistol he'd probably have faced down 20 other guys in his section who had there own constitutionally guaranteed firearms on their persons. I love these kind of people who are just there to drink a few beers and have a fun time.

Since I've been there last, the Hot Rods have revamped their logos. Most of the new stuff really isn't much better or worse than the old although I think the new batmobile(ish) car is cool. The presentation put on by the team was about mediocre. Typical between innings games were rushed and didn't seem all that fun. Despite "Hot Rods" lending itself to all sorts of tailored sounds from the PA system, all they used were sounds from generic baseball package number 1. Worse, they botched "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and then played - much to the crowd's confusion and disinterest - "Sweet Caroline." If not in the Carolina League or in one of the Carolinas this often falls flat and it offers absolutely no connection with Western Kentuckyians.

Worse, the PA system in the stadium was being destroyed by the incredibly loud speakers at an outdoor concert going on at the "Farmer's Market" on the other side of the street from right field. Really, really bad bar-band music was slamming into the field throughout the game. That made it hard to hear anything, much less the PA system. I'm sure the people running the park have no control over this because if they did they would surely shut it down in a hot second. Did I mention that the music was really, really bad? The bands over there obviously subscribed to the "the louder it is the better it is" philosophy of music and they were wrong.

Lucius Fox

In the end, the game itself was enjoyable. The Hot Rods lost to the Lansing Lugnuts 2-3, but it was a tight enough game to keep things interesting. The Lugnuts worried a lot whenever Lucius Fox (SS) came to bat. I saw Fox play last year in the Rookie Leagues and he looked impressive. He didn't really get tested at short that night, but he gave the Lugnuts fits when he came to the plate. The defensive star of the night for the Hot Rods was the second baseman, Robbie Tenerowicz, who ran around snatching up anything that came near him and made a couple sharp plays.

Lugnuts change pitchers