NCFC

The NASL Soccer Ball

The guy on the right just spent 5 minutes telling the linesman about himself because said linesman didn't call a mugging that resulted in NY Cosmos scoring their second goal.

The NASL's recap of the game.

1. Nice stadium that looks like it might seat 10k+ and probably had somewhere near 4k in attendance.

2. If you go, spend the extra money for the on the field seating. It is a great way to watch a match (and they bring your concessions to you - always a plus).

3. Yet another soccer game I went to or watched ended in a tie (I'm American; we say tie not draw). No matter how good the game is this is one of the flaws that only a soccer fanatic can claim to love.

4. I will say, however, that scoring the tying goal at 90 minutes made this most exciting tie I've seen.

5.  What does it say about soccer in the USA when the kids outside tailgating with their parents were throwing footballs around and nary a soccer ball was in sight? This is North Carlina. They aren't even good enough to get into the SEC, so you wouldn't expect as many football zombies. And, for those of you who would point to the Panthers, I stand by my statement.

6. The worst part was getting out. For some reason the local police directing traffic would not let me turn right coming out of the stadium. It got me lost because I didn't know where that led to, my phone app kept calming repeating that I needed to do a U-turn, and the idiot kids behind me screamed and honked because I was driving slow while I tried to figure out things like the speed limit and where the heck I was. I eventually got far enough away that my phone app gave up trying to turn me around and sent me through back roads to get to my hotel. There was no obvious reason for forcing cars leaving to take a left turn other than arbitrary choice and convenience for the guy directing traffic. I watched traffic get waved past going from my left to my right in a lane that was clearly open for traffic before being forced to drive across that lane to go left. It left a slightly bitter taste at the end of an otherwise excellent experience. 

7. Okay, now that I've got that off my chest, I have to admit that if NCFC was closer than 6 hours away they'd probably be getting a fair amount of my money. I recommend the experience to anyone who even slightly enjoys the sport. Friendly staff, a good stadium, and a fun game is a hard combination to beat.

Burlington Royals

Pregame

Baseball fans know what fish feel like.

You want me to throw what?

The bang you hear is the Princeton left fielder running out of field and into the fence (at full speed) as the ball hit it over his head.

Rounding third and heading for home.

Good game. Good stadium. Friendly people everywhere. May be my favorite of all the Appalachian League experiences. Which, of course, is why it's five hours from my doorstep to the stadium.

Back to Bristol

The Bunt

Out

Reaching for it.

Princeton Rays

Maybe, but the pews look a little empty.

I think the runner aspires to be an ump.

Pitcher: Uniform Clean.

Shortstop: Uniform Not So Clean.

What do the umps do between every inning?

1. The day after the Yankees played a wonderful game, the Rays stomped them 10-2.

2. Nice older stadium, but I think the bleachers might actually be better than the elevated reserved seats behind the plate.

3. How do I get seated in the area underneath the reserved seats with picnic tables? It's probably the best place to watch the game in the stadium.

4. Before you buy the typical stadium fare, ask about the special because they have actual real food meals for decent prices (too late for me, I'd already bought a hot dog and fries before I learned better).

5. They have kids walking the entire stadium taking your specific order (even in the bleachers).

6. Strikes were sponsored by the local bowling alley.

7. It was enjoyable, but I doubt there were 300 people in the stadium and that's a shame.

Pulaski Yankees

The MonsterWall in Right.

Not sure what the Jays coach is selling, but the Yankees coach ain't buying.

"This is a baseball."

Yankees score the go ahead run.

1. Pulaski is one of my favorite fields. It's hard to describe, but the owner took an old municipal field where people brought their own lawn chairs to sit in into a really nice little stadium and had to get pretty dang creative to get there.
2. The Yankees and Jays were tied for first in the East when this game began and both teams played like they knew it.
3. I want to see a home run over that right field fence.
4. The Blue Jays' catcher has a cannon for an arm and an accurate one at that. If he can bat we'll be seeing more of this guy at higher levels.
5. The game went down to the wire and when the top of the 9th ended the Jays had men on second and third.
6. This was the fastest game I've been to this year and I'm not sure why. It was well played, hard fought, and ended at about 2:20.
7. The Yankees won 3-1.

Mexico v. USA: Most Exciting Game I've Seen This Year

The U-12 WBSC tournament is taking place and this morning the most exciting game I've seen this year took place. The kids were fired up on both sides and played their hearts out. The Mexican team was better defensively (their shortstop may already be too good for the White Sox, Phillies, or Reds) and the USA had big bats.

You can find the full game here, but here the highlights: