June 2010
When the team is on the Road
Hello PawSox Fans,
Often we are asked, “What do you guys do when the team is on the road?” Of course the term “guys” is used as the generic Rhode Island slang ‘Youse Guys” that includes both males and females.
Although there is no action on the field and the main gate secured, the staff inside the stadium are busy.
Being that the PawSox travled to Scranton, Pennsyvania and Syracuse, New York they tarvel by bus and the equipment is loaded onto the bus. A short drive in comparission to lets say Gwinnett County, Georgia.
While the team is on the road, the staff here stays busy. We all have our jobs to do. There are tickets to be printed and sent, scheduling of workers for the upcoming homestand, tickets to be sold, BBQ tents and suites to be coordinated for the groups who will be occupying them.
Our media relations person Bill Wanless updates all the players stats, transactions, team notes and roster. He is reposible for keeping all the other teams in the International League informed.
The media creation guy Kevin Galligan keeps up with the PawSox website adding all the upcoming promotions and special events. The Boston Pops with conductor Keith Lockhart and featuring Kenny Loggins is one of the special events put up on the PawSox website making it easy for everyone to get the inforamtion and seating chart and order the tickets.
Jim, the director of concessions has to schedule more then 130 concession works, clean and re-stock all the frsh food that gets delivered to the warehouse. The group sales department makes calls to invite company groups of 25 people or more to a game. Here Shaun takes a phone order.
The team store needs to be restocked with all the latest PawSox apparel and fashion as well as the novelty items.
Kelly always has a smile and a “pep in her step” to assist you with any ticket purchase and/or problem.
The field of course is quiet with only the sprinkler system keeping the grass flourishing. It is much better with fans in the stands!
The bleachers and berm look forward to having cheering fans on them once again.
The concourse is empty.
The hallways to the suites are vacant.
There is plenty of parking.
The turnstiles are placed against the wall ready to spring into action once the gates are opened.
It certainly is a different atmosphere from the hustle and bustle of a game day. The days are shorter, we get to leave at 5:00pm.
All the quietness will end on Tuesday, June 29th as the PawSox return home. There are still tickets left for all the games including the fireworks nights.
We look forward to all of you bringing life to McCoy Stadium as you cheer on the PawSox! Bring the whole family, a friend, a date, a client or customer or even come yourself to experience what has often been called “The Jewel of Bsaseball!” Big league fun at family prices! You will also see we are……..”Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball,
Rick Medeiros
Take25 Numbered Ball
The Lucky Take25 numbered ball is #11 Please call Rick at 401-724-7300 or email rickm@pawsox.com Congrats!
Official Scorer
Hello PawSox Fans,
Each baseball game at the professional level has an “Official Scorer.” The question is asked who is the official scorer for your hometown team?
The PawSox have an official scorer like every other team. In the case of the PawSox the official scorer is a male. He never goes on the field and watches the game from the confines of the press box located high above home plate. His decisions do not impact the outcome of the game and fans rarely know his identity. In an effort to protect the identity of the PawSox official scorer, I will not show any full face shots. I will refer to him only as “Bruce.”
Bruce was appointed by the league to record the events on the field, and after the completion of the game send the official record back to the league offices. Bruce is charged with making judgement calls that do not affect the progress or the outcome of the game, such as errors, the advancement of base runners and defensive indifference. (I looked all this stuff up)
Bruce records each plate appearance which will be later used to compile the stats of each player. Players, coaches, broadcasters and fans see a play on the field and all have an opinion as to what the call should be. However, most people’s decision is biased in favor of their team. Bruce must provide an unbiased look at each play to determine what that play was and how it will be recorded. When you look at the scoreboard to see if a H (hit) or E (error) is lit, that is the decision of Bruce.
A lot of the decisions are not black or white and Bruce must decide. After some thought and going through the play again, he may change his mind, he can change his decision within a 24 hour time period. Bruce is truly one of the best, and active as an official in a lot of sports.
I was able to learn a lot about the duties of Bruce by reading an article by David Vincent from the “Designated Hitter” column dated August 18th 2005. One quality an official scorer must have is integrity. Bruce will often be the target of yelling and name calling. Everyone has an opinion on what the correct call should be. Fans yell, players and coaching staff yell at Bruce about a decision he may have made. Bruce must make a decision, regardless of the consequences.
Having gotten to know Bruce over the years, I fire questions at him about plays and he quickly responds with the decision. Thus far, with all the questions I have peppered him with he is 100% correct. One of these days I will get to argue with him.
It sure is a tough job. You have to know exactly who is on the field, watch the ball when hit, watch the runner(s) and be aware of everything that has happened on any given play.
Lets take a look at Bruce from his seat in the press box. (Look at the melon on this guy!)
Bruce must be prepared for everything and has pencil in hand.
Bruce sits amongst the sports writers and must block them out when a play is happening. He gets there early to prepare.
Bruce is a great guy who truly knows his job. Next time you see that a decision has to made on a play, look up to press box and give Bruce a thumbs up! If you wave to him, please wave with all your fingers!
Don’t forget that the PawSox return home on June 29th and we all hope to see you there! We are……..”Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball,
Rick Medeiros
Billets to Bats
Hello PawSox Fans!
Earlier today, Sunday, the PawSox finished up their homestand with a rain delay and subsequently suspended game that will resume in Columbus. The PawSox begin a 8 day road trip taking them to play the Scranton Yankees and then the Syracuse Chiefs before returning to McCoy on June 29th.
This past Friday was bat night at McCoy an always popular promotion. The bats are made by my driving partner Lou who makes all the bats for Nokona. Often on the drives he teaches me about the different type of wood and the difference in old wood and new wood. He gets most wood for the bats from Bill “Spaceman” Lee former Red Sox pitcher from the trees in Vermont.
I spent some time with Lou learning how to make a bat. The baseball players are very fussy about the bats they like to use. Some like the end cupped and others don’t. Some like very slender handles and others a fatter one.
Once a players chooses the bat that best suits him, it is saved in the computer and other bats can be made exactly the same. David “Big Papi” Ortiz uses a Nokona bat and his specifications are stored in the computer with all the others.
The billets are on pallets…
The billets are loaded into the lathe.
Using the computer you chose the dimensions of the bat.
The lathe carves the bat from what was entered into the computer.
Once the bat comes out of the lathe it gets sanded. I load the bats into the sander.The bat spins against these pieces of sandpaper coming out nice and smooth. Some times the bats have to go through twice to get rid on the rough feeling. Please notice the hand print on my back. Must have been someone saying, “Nice job!”
The end of the bat (nub) gets sawed off and goes to the engraver to engrave the players name. Some of the Bat Night giveaway bats are engraved with the PawSox logo and the sponsors name. Some of the bats also have the colorful labels. Lou’s wife Lee works to apply the labels.
The bats are placed in piles to be put back on the pallets to be transported to McCoy Stadium.
These giveaway bats will not be painted. Players can chose ash or maple bats. They choose the color they like best and the bats are dipped into the tubes and hung to dry. The paint dipping area…
One thing there is a whole ton of, is sawdust!
The bat is a very important “Tool of the Trade” for the baseball player. They like certain weight and length and feel of the handle and swing.
Be sure to head to a PawSox game with the whole family to watch those bats swing! As always, we are…………..”Here For You!”
Yours in baseball,
Rick Medeiros
Bowling for a Great Cause!
Hello PawSox Fans!
Its said that in life its important to learn something new every day. On Wednesday I learned that I can not bowl!
The PawSox teamed up with the Tomorrow Fund to have a bowling event fundraiser at East Providence Lanes. The Tomorrow Fund is a non-profit organization that provides financial and emotional help to children with cancer and their families. Truly a great cause!
Baseball Players very rarely has a day/night off. Yet, many of the PawSox players chose to take part in the bowling event. Many of the PawSox staff were also present and took part in the bowling.
Those who wanted to take part in the event signed up, paid a fee and had the opportunity to bowl with a PawSox player on their team. Pizza, water, raffles, auctions were all part of the fun.
The last time that I bowled I believe I was in 5th grade, and I didn’t improve much since. I am assigned to the team of season ticket holders, Linda, Melissa and Katie. We are told that later we would be joined by a player.
Bowling shoes are required, so I go to the counter, the guy asks me what size and plops on the counter these multi-colored bowling shoes. As I check the rack, they are all that color scheme!
I also tell the guy I have very, very wide feet and he plops down another pair saying, “Try these.”I go to our team lane, lane 2 and put the shoes on. They have a Velcro closure and I am just able to catch the edge and the Velcro keeps coming undone.
Its now time for practice so I try and hunt down a ball. There are none that I can jam my sausage type fingers in. I find a 15 pound ball with big holes. I have my weapon. I head over to our lane and watch everyone practice trying to figure out who the ringer is here.
To the left of us is PawSox Team President Mike Tamburro. I watch closely as they appear to be very adequate bowlers. To the right I hear PawSox pitcher Michael Bowden start talking smack about having a bowler on his team who is an accomplished bowler and has a 300 game to her credit!
I toss my first ball down the alley and knock down a few pins. Bowling doesn’t feel natural to me at all and I struggle to keep the ball from ending up in the gutter. Of course some balls do find their way to the gutter and you hear it from your team mates.
Now the game is for real. The rest of my team is doing well. Its my turn, I grab my 15 pounder and knock down 8 pins. I do not even come close to whacking the other pins on my second ball.
My second turn I knock down 1 pin in the corner, and with the second ball I scatter all the pins for a spare! Aside from one strike in the 4 frame, the rest of my game is a bust.
As the first game comes to a close, PawSox player Aaron Bates arrives and takes my spot. He is a far better bowler than I am and freely admit that. I grab my camera and take some shots. After the first game ended, the lights went out, the music got a bit louder and alleys lit up with track type lighting. I couldn’t bowl when I could see the lanes brightly lit!
Everyone was having a great time. There were a lot of yucks and a lot of trash talking all in fun. It truly was a great event. They thank the players, their wives/girlfriends and also Augusto “Cookie” Rojas who arranged the event.
I do hope this becomes an annual event. Everyone was having a great time.
Bubba Bell shares some laughs with some bowlers.
Michael Bowden shows a little pitching form and each ball he tosses touches the lane more than halfway down the lane.
PawSox Manager Torey Lovullo bowls in the dark.
Manager Lovullo and players take a few moments to sign autographs.
Team President shows his pro-like form. (yes, he did crush that last pin standing)
Becky shows the “This is Fun and Goofy” Form.
Check out these two different forms of Cookie (left) and PawSox Staff, Tom.
The smiling “Loose and Lanky” form of Evan!
Team Bates.
A great time was had by all! See you at McCoy………We are………”Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball,
Rick Medeiros
Back to McCoy
Hello PawSox Fans!
It’s great to be back home! Although the weather has been a bit uncooperative, the PawSox fan base still showed up to cheer on their team. We can all rest assured that warmer, drier days are coming!
In Indy, my driving partner Lou and I head to game at about the 6th inning. We know we had to get some rest before making the journey back to McCoy to have all the equipment ready to go for a 6:00pm game the following evening. There really isn’t much of a window, but we are confident we can do it. This is the first time the PawSox have attempted to try and truck the stuff to Louisville and back from Indianapolis. We have one half completed with success with the trip to Louisville, now the second half, getting it back from Indianapolis must have the same results.
Jeremy Martins the visiting clubhouse manager and his crew assure me they will get the equipment loaded quickly. The trunks that contain all the supplies for the team trainer are essential to a healthy ball club. The balls, under garments, uniforms and a bunch of new bats from the Louisville bat factory must all be loaded in the truck to deliver swiftly and safely back to the confines of McCoy.
In checking MapQuest we learn the trip is approximately 15 hours and 37 minutes. That’s too long! All our fuel stops must be done with pit crew type precision. Lou and I agree that our fuel stops must be swift and without delay. We must have at it!
While waiting we see that its fireworks night in Indy. They cover the outfield with this huge thick plastic cover to protect it. They drive out these cage likes wagons connected together like a train onto the plastic in the outfield.
The wagons contain all the fireworks. They are all wired up as they are brought onto the field and in a very short while they are ready to go. Lou and I watch the fireworks a bit and check on the progress of the equipment to be loaded. Jeremy already has some bags packed and its a great sight to see the progress being made so quickly. We also see the “train” that contained the fireworks are brought back into the loading dock area.
The truck gets filled little by little. Every time a player packs his bag it get tossed onto the truck. Bag by bag the truck gets fuller. The trainer trunks are plopped on and just a few more equipment bags and the dirty laundry and we are ready for departure.
The weather is a bit overcast and there is a threat of severe storms. We say our thank you’s and good-byes jump in the truck and off we go. I take the first leg of the trip. I maneuver through the one ways and soon we are on the highway heading home. After calculating the miles, we set an arrival time for 2:30-3:00 as our goal.
About 20 minutes into the trip we hit some nasty traffic. Once again we watch the minutes tick on the GPS as we hopelessly watch. You always get that uneasy feeling as the time creeps by and your moving at a snails pace.
After a while the traffic loosens up and we continue our trek. Lou and I chat about his bat making business and how he gets his wood from Bill “Spaceman” Lee way up in Vermont. I learn about the different kind of wood to make bats. Ash and Maple bats. Some players like Ash while other prefer Maple.
We discuss the bat making at Louisville Slugger and the bats they produce every year. The difference in old wood and new wood. The reason a lot of bats break now as opposed to the days gone by is the players like the handles much thinner now.
Suddenly I find myself chatting with myself as Lou is snoring and sound asleep, head bobbing with every bump on the road. I look at the chatter strip and think, should I? Nah, I’ll let him rest.
There is very little traffic and the weather has cleared a bit. Every now and then we hit some rain but for the most part the weather is ok. As the miles go by and the gas tank empties its time to take on fuel. We make a stop in London, Ohio to fill up. We grab a couple of coffees, a few snacks and in minutes we are on the road again with Lou now at the wheel.
Before long Lou is talking to himself as I fall into a deep sleep. The seats don’t look very comfortable but after a few hundred miles they become the best bed in the world!
Many miles later I wake up and sip on my now cold coffee. I see that Lou has this look of concern on his face. The gas tank is very close to being empty and there isn’t a gas station in sight. The light comes on advising that we are almost out of gas. We are surrounded by miles of woods with no sign of any gas station. We keep our fingers crossed. I think to myself, “how do we explain this one?” We have no idea what state we are in.
Up in the distance is a sign we were wishing to see. Gas 4 miles. Does the truck have 4 miles left in it? We take the exit and locate the gas station as the truck starts bucking gasping for fuel! We made it! We are in Falls Creek, Pennsylvania.
The truck gets filled, and our bladders get emptied. Another coffee and more snacks, its now my turn at the wheel once again. Some of that wee hour morning fog starts to roll in and we hit another traffic jam. More of that middle of the night construction that brings a highway down to 1 lane. However, being this time of the morning, traffic is light and the jam isn’t that bad.
It’s always a beautiful sight as dawn breaks on the country roads. The fog is hanging in the open fields and the sun is rising. Its postcard like and if we didn’t have such a tight schedule I would have loved to stop and take some photos. I do my best to take a couple of photos on the fly.
As the sun comes up we have a straight empty road that goes through the cliffs and hills.That makes the drive a bit easier.
Again, the gas tank is near empty and we stop again in a place called Suffern, New York. We go through our same routine and head back out hoping that our next stop will be in Connecticut. We would be back in New England at least and closer to home.
I again try to get some rest knowing that we have a game scheduled for 6:00 pm. I doze on an off for a bit but the anxiety of making it on time is ever present.
We breeze through New York and soon we are in Connecticut. We are ahead of schedule. Lou and I chat again about all the current events. We talk baseball, football, basketball and hockey. We look ahead and traffic is heavy somewhere near exit 65 in Connecticut. We are now in the nightmare of a full blown traffic jam. So close, but yet so far.
I had been in contact with the PawSox clubhouse manager to tell him our location and estimated time of arrival via the Nextel. I call him again to let him know of our dilemma. We are only a couple of hours away and feel that sense of frustration at not being able to do a thing about it.
We listen to the CB radio and learn there is an accident in the area of exit 73. This may take a while. We lose about 50 minutes in traffic before it clears. Again its great to see the Welcome to Rhode Island sign. Barring any more traffic issues, we should still be on schedule. Lou figures this would be a great time to grab some shut eye!
In the area of the 195/95 split I contact our clubhouse guy and tell him we are almost there. He tells me the crew is waiting. We pull in the McCoy lot about 2:20 pm. The clubhouse crew goes to work. The team arrives from the airport about 10-15 minutes after our arrival. Lou and I exchange high fives and a hug. He takes the truck with him to load with bats for Bat Night.
I head to the office and get things prepared for the gates to open at 4:00pm. I head to the hotel up the road, check in and take a shower and a 30 minute power nap. At 6:00 the game starts as scheduled with all the players and staff clad in garments and using equipment that a short while ago was stuck in traffic!
As the game goes on, I do feel the wear and tear of the trip. But it does feel good to be home. It does feel good to be at McCoy and see the fans and the great season ticket holders!
It will be a fun homestand! Its always great at McCoy knowing we are all………..”Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball,
Rick Medeiros
Time to head home!
Hello PawSox fans!
Its the PawSox last evening in Indianapolis, Indiana and last game with the Indians before heading back home to begin an eight game home stand. Once again it will be a fun and exciting homestand.
Starting on Saturday the 12th the PawSox along with the American Lung Association to give everyone a chance for a walk around the oval track next to McCoy Stadium and for those weekend warriors who want to test their endurance, a race around the inside of McCoy Stadium. All proceeds will benefit the American Lung Association.
On Sunday its a great time to take the field and let the kids run the bases. Great time to take some photos of the kids hustling around the same field as some players that are in the Hall of Fame!
Tuesday is Kraft Singles Night. You bring in a Kraft Singles Wrapper and get a BOGO! Buy One Get One! Its also Red Sox Legends Night. Former Sox players will be available at the Cox Fan Center to sign autographs.
On Wednesday although the PawSox have an off day, join some of the players at East Providence Lanes, about 5 minutes from McCoy as the PawSox host a fundraiser for the Tomorrow Fund to Strike out Cancer. Please visit pawsox.com for all the details. Don’t miss this event!
On the 18th its the always popular Armed Forces night. Its always an awesome sight to see all the men and women of our military take part in this very special event.
On the following night, its Nokona Bat Night. The first 4,000 kids 14 and under, entering McCoy Stadium will get a free Nokona bat. These are not mini-bats!
On the 19th, its another Free Youth Clinic. The kids get a chance to go on the field and get tips from some PawSox players and get autographs after. Its always a fun and exciting times for the kids. The next day Kids Run the Bases once again.
Get your tickets now. Its never been easier. You can even order and print tickets from the comfort of your own home! You can order buy phone buy speaking with any PawSox Staff or of course tickets can be purchased at the box office. Its a great affordable night for the whole family.
Its just about game time now, and time to check out of this beautiful hotel. The rooms were awesome and look at this lobby.
Individual work areas with your own TV.
A lounge area.
And something a bit different. Its what I called “Lawn in a Box” in the middle of a table. Its real grass! I wonder if they have a little lawn mower?
After the game, the truck will be loaded up for the long 15.5 hour drive back to McCoy! Come cheer on your hometown team! It truly is a very affordable time for the family. See you there and like always……….we are, “Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball
Rick Medeiros
Indy 500
Hello PawSox Fans!
In an effort to bring different sports to the blog I learn that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is very close by. I am not a race fan but as with Churchill Downs it sounds interesting to see a place live. The debate will always continue if racecar driving is a sport. Is golf a sport? Billiards a sport? Poker a sport?
I guess everyone has their own opinion on what is a sport and what they consider not a sport. Race car drivers must be in top shape to endure all that time and stress of high speeds and driving. The debate of what is and what is not a sport will continue for all time.
Its a great day and the sun is shining bright. Across from the hotel they have these Segway Tours. I consider taking one but I recall those YouTube videos that show people getting faces mashed into the pavement by not being able to control them. The Mall Cop was very skilled in his use of the Segway.
I ask the hotel staff what they know about the Indy 500. One of the staff who has been here since the place opened about 4 months ago told me that they draw a crowd of about 300,000 people. Hotels raise their prices from about $129 a night to as high as $700 at some places! The hotels sell out quickly.
I take the short drive over and every business in the area has some type of Indy Speedway logo displayed. Each business, bars, eateries, shops all try to lure customers to their place of business with hype of the Indy Speedway. I see the main gate:
After going through the main gate, they have a fountain with the Indy 500 museum in the background. I talk to some people who work there and ask where is the best place to take a photo of the whole track. The guy tells me the track is 2.5 miles long and in order to take picture of the whole track you need to be in a plane!
The guy tells me they have tours of the place that takes about 3 hours. 3 hours? He tells me you can ride a bus on the track for $5. A ticket to the museum also cost $5. I choose the bus ride.
The bus is waiting for passengers and I head in to purchase my ticket.
I go to the counter and plunk down a fin and tell the women its for the bus ride. The bus is still waiting so I jump on. The driver is ready to hit the track. He explains that the Indy cars travel at about 230 mph heading into the turns. He tells us we will be traveling about 200 mph less.
While in my seat a woman ask about my Pawtucket Red Sox shirt. She tells me she was curious because they live in Rhode Island and go to PawSox games and love it. Again, PawSox fans are all over the world! You never know when you’ll bump into one or a family like the Kushners from Westerly, Rhode Island. Look forward to seeing you folks back in RI at a game.
We head out onto the track. The bus driver explains about the SAFER walls. Its an acronym for Steel And Foam Energy Reduction. The SAFER barriers make it “safer” if a driver should crash into the wall.
We pass by the stands and its hard to imagine 300,000 people filling this huge place.
We pass the suites.
We approach the finish line with the tall tower known as the “Pagoda”
The finish line is a line of bricks and a very tall numbers board.
The bus driver points out the winners circle. The winners name will stay up all year.
After a lap around the track, you wonder how it must be to be in a vehicle roaring around the track at over 200 mph. Truly amazing.
The tour is over and I check out all the vending stands that are open on race dates. I’m sure it must be some sight to see the place full on race days.
I cant wait to get back home to McCoy where we will all see crowds of our own. We are……………..”Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball,
Rick Medeiros
Brazilian Steakhouse Dinner
Hello Fans,
At times when there is a day game on the road, team owner Ben Mondor will treat the team and staff to dinner. Mr. Mondor already treated us to a great dinner in Charlotte after a day game. It’s always great fun and a “yuckfest!”
Last evening Mr. Mondor did it again and I was lucky enough to get an invite. We all went to Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian Steak House. It was great!
We had a private room and one of the staff came in and gave us a speech on how it works. She explained that the Gauchos (servers) come to the table with 14 different kinds of meat on skewers and serve you at your place. You have a round card like a coaster with a red side and a green card. If the card is face up with green, the food keeps coming, red side, they stop serving you.
When she was done explaining how it works, and the salad bar with imported cheeses and veggies she received a great round of applause. It was now PawSox pitcher Chad Paronto’s turn to give a speech. He spoke about being part of the pack and now he finds himself surrounded by many friends in the “wolf pack.” He used lines from the movie Hangover and it was hilarious!
We hit the salad bar. I had some cheeses, some fresh roasted red peppers and other assorted items I could not identify. It was all good.
Most all the servers spoke Portuguese and were all very good at what they did. Each table has fresh cheese bread, garlic mashed potatoes and fried bananas. It was my first at eating fried bananas. They were very tasty. The gauchos arrive in force each with a skewer. Filet Mignon, Sirloin, Lamb, Chicken and many other type of beef cuts. They even had Linguica. All of it was delicious. Fresh and juicy.
They give you these little tongs and as they slice the meat you grab the piece and put it in your plate. It was truly a feast that everyone really enjoyed.
Steve Hyder had the skill of a surgeon:
I had some strawberry cheesecake for desert with a cup of coffee. I flipped my card to red. I had enough! Thanks Ben for a great feast.
Come feast your eyes on McCoy Stadium. You won’t be disappointed. We are “Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball,
Rick Medeiros
On Enemy Ground
Hello Fans,
I rise early this morning, grab the free breakfast downstairs and head outside to see what kind of day we have. Once again its a bit overcast, and there are a lot of people checking in. Business type people dressed in suits and the ladies dressed very professional. All are either yapping on the cell phone or working their fingers texting. What did we ever do before cell phones?
Some guy pulls up in a BMW and starts arguing with the valet guy about the $25 fee per night to valet his car. The driver is telling the guy that he will be a guest at the hotel, and the valet tries to explain it doesn’t matter. The price for the valet parking is $25 a night, or $20 if you park the vehicle yourself.
The guy goes off on a tangent about how ridiculous it is to have to pay to park. I just sit back thinking I am so happy I’m not involved with this. I have to meet Kelly at Lucas Oil Field at 9:30 and I cant wait.
At about 9:00am I head over to the stadium. It spans for a couple of blocks. I stand outside and call Kelly to let her know I’m here. She tells me she will be with me in a few minutes. I see the Colts sign flashing and see that big picture of Peyton on the side of the stadium and I yell to him, “What are you looking at?”
I see a couple who were waiting for the pro-shop to open at 10:00. I see the guy is dressed in Colt gear. We chat a bit and I learn the couple is from Toronto and drove here to see the stadium and pick up a few things.
A short while later I meet with Kelly. She leads me inside and its absolutely incredible! The concourse is spotless and shiny.
They have a stage where bands play on game days to keep the fans entertained before opening kick-off. (Those are two dragster cars on each side of the front of the stage)
There are cars, boats, race cars and other motorized things all bearing the name of Lucas Oil.
I get my first look at the inside of the stadium and is magnificent. It has a retractable roof so on sunny days they can open it. They have different levels of suites and the whole place is spotless:
Kelly leads me down the staircase to the front row of the end zone and you can just picture the place with screaming fans. You can picture Tom Brady leading a charge to the end zone and the fans yelling.
Kelly takes me down to the field where I have a chance to actually stand on enemy territory. As you stand on the field and look around, you wonder what it must be like to have the place full of screaming fans. You cant help but think of the Patriots last year playing the Colts. It has indeed become a great rivalry!
My new friend Kelly takes me to the locker room. First to the trainers room:
Then the visiting team locker room. I see where the players run out onto the field. Its an amazing venue.
I know Kelly is busy and I thank her very much for taking time out of her day to give me this tour. Kelly told me that during the off-season the stadium is used for conferences and other type of business events. This morning there is a Funeral Directors Conference. As I walk pass, I keep my eyes pointed downward. No need to meet any of these people just yet. Like Kenny Chesney sings about, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now!”
As we pass one of the large conference rooms I see many of those in attendance are in the room and they have caskets and hearses on display. I walk quickly pass.
Thank You Kelly for taking the time to show me around. It was indeed fun and exciting. If ever in Rhode Island, stop by McCoy and see a game. You will see that we are…..”Here For You!”
Yours in Baseball,
Rick Medeiros
Rick
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