Oklahoma City Barons 3 at Toronto Marlies 5 (AHL Western Conference Final, Game 3) - May 21, 2012

There's nothing like playoff hockey on the unofficial first day of summer. In Toronto no less. Yes, although the Leafs and the post-season are not words that have been used in the same sentence since 2004 (unless said sentence includes the word "missed"), their minor league team is playing in the AHL's semi-finals. My visit to Toronto had been planned months ago and I didn't expect it to include a hockey game, but the AHL schedule maker was kind to me, slotting Game 3 on Monday afternoon, the Victoria Day holiday in Canada.



I bought a pair of tickets online as soon as they went on sale and invited my friend Sharpy who was in Toronto for the weekend as well. We showed up an hour before the game, only to be forced into a surprisingly large will-call queue. When I saw two games here a couple of years ago, the attendance was around 2,500 but there were nearly triple the number of fans and the Marlies didn't have the infrastructure to handle them. It took about 15 minutes till I had my tickets in hand, but it didn't bother me as I ended up with great seats, right at centre ice in the first row above an entry gate, so there was nobody in front of me.



The visitors were the Oklahoma City Barons who finished first in the west (the Marlies were a close second) and the two teams had split the first two games in Oklahoma. The Barons came out strong and dominated the first 10 minutes but Ben Scrivens (below), likely the future Leaf keeper, maintained his poise and kept the game scoreless.



Oklahoma City took the first penalty of the game against the run of play and Toronto capitalized when Phil Dupuis scored on a sharp-angled shot that Yann Danis should have stopped. The game remained as such until there were just 5 minutes left in the second. The Marlies added to their lead with another power play marker, this one by captain Ryan Hamilton who tipped home a perfect pass from Jake Gardiner (#19 below in the celebration).



As is typical in Toronto hockey games though, the two-goal lead was quickly erased as the Barons scored on a power-play shortly after Hamilton's goal and then tied the game just a minute later when Chris VandeVelde banged home a rebound. Unlike a typical Toronto game, the team didn't fold. Just 48 seconds after being tied, Matt Frattin intercepted a pass in the slot and beat Danis with a sniper's shot to again give the Marlies the lead heading into the third period.

The Marlies managed to maintain that lead through the first half of the frame, but with just eight minutes left, Magnus Paajarvi beat Scrivens with a wrist shot that again knotted things up. It looked like overtime might be needed which caused us some concern as we had to leave by 7 p.m. which meant we could probably only manage one OT period.



Fortunately, Frattin rendered our concerns mute when, with 2:02 left, he broke in alone and used a defenceman to screen Danis, beating him low to the stick side and sending the 7,327 fans into a wild celebration. Shortly thereafter, Mark Fraser was given a totally bogus tripping penalty and the fans held their collective breath, but Jerry D'Amigo (shooting above earlier in the game) added an empty net shorthanded goal to clinch it as the Marlies won 5-3 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.




A great afternoon that was completely unexpected just a few days ago. It is always fun having new games scheduled when I'm on a sports road trip, but when it is a playoff game featuring the future stars of my favourite team, it brings a new level of excitement that will be hard to duplicate. If the Marlies advance to the finals, they will take on Norfolk. I'm hoping for a game in Toronto on June 7th, when I am stopping over on my way to Atlanta for the Florida State League trip. It will be unlikely, but if it happens, I'll see you there.

Notes

Nazem Kadri started but was hurt in the first period and did not return. He is a key part of the team and the Leafs' future so hoping it is nothing serious.

Oklahoma City is Edmonton's affiliate. Earlier this season I saw the Leafs and Oilers in Edmonton, but since the AHL maintains the "home team wears white" rule, the uniforms in this game were quite similar. The result was similar too, with Toronto winning on a late goal (although the previous one was in overtime). Both Gardiner and Paajarvi played in that game as well.

Best,

Sean

Read More

Indianapolis Indians 6 at Buffalo Bisons 11 - May 19, 2012

With the Blue Jays playing an afternoon game, Saturday night was left wide open. Of course, with sports roadtrippers Gary and the King in attendance along with Andrew of the USRT, open meant we had to find another sporting event to attend. Fortunately, the AAA Buffalo Bisons were hosting a game against the Indianapolis Indians and so we all made the two-hour drive to Coca-Cola Field to complete the two-country doubleheader.

Coca-Cola Field



Built in 1988 in those heady days when Buffalo thought they might get an MLB expansion team, Coca-Cola Field is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season. With the MLB dream dead, the park has been reconfigured with a number of seats being removed and it is now a fairly typical AAA park with two levels of seating and lots of room for fans.



Located right in downtown just a few blocks from the First Niagara Center, the ballpark is easily reached from I-190, just a couple of miles from the Peace Bridge. Parking in the neighbourhood is $5 although you can find free parking a block or two away. General admission tickets are $9.50 and the seating bowl is large enough that you can sit anywhere.



The signature food item here is the Beef on Weck for $7.25 and of course Buffalo Wings are also available. There is also a designated driver program so you can get your free pop.



As I was part of a larger group, I didn't do my usual tour, instead sitting above home plate with the rest of the sports travellers. Andrew was kind enough to point out that the scoreboard in centre field was new and it was quite nice as you can see below. I took this picture early in the game, note Vinny Rottino's home run total during his first at-bat.



Coca-Cola Field is a nice venue that suits its purpose well. There are no bells and whistles to distract you from the game (although I could have used some on this occasion, more on that below) and with capacity just over 18,000, it gives you plenty of room to sit back and relax.

The Game

After the wonderful game in Toronto, it would stand to reason that the nightcap would be less than ideal. Turns out it was one of the worst games I have seen. Jeurys Familia (below) got the start for Buffalo and gave up an unearned run in the first when Oswaldo Navarro misplayed a 2-out grounder that allowed Matt Hague to score. It was the first of 4 Buffalo errors on the evening but their offense made up for it.



In the bottom of the second, Michael Fisher doubled home Josh Satin (below) and Navarro to give the Bisons the lead. Rottino and Val Pascucci (who played for the Expos in their last season in 2004) hit back-to-back homers in the third to extend the lead but Indianapolis tied it in the fourth with Chase D'Arnaud's double the key.



Neither starter lasted 4 innings but the Bisons's bullpen was better as reliever Justin Hampson pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. Meanwhile, his teammates added three runs in the 6th including a 2-run homer from Rottino and then four more in the 8th as Rottino hit another 2-run shot, his 3rd homer on the night totalling 5 RBI.

Indianapolis managed a couple of runs in the top of the ninth to extend the game to 3:50 but they fell well short, losing 11-6. Despite giving up 8 walks and committing 4 errors, the Bisons won in a rout with six total home runs which proves that good offense makes up for poor defense.


Indy's Anderson Hernandez fouls one off

Notes

The 2012 AAA All-Star Game will be held in Buffalo on July 11, making for a great chance to see the ballpark and the best players not yet in the majors.

The Bisons hold a mascot race every game, with a chicken wing, blue cheese, and a stalk of celery the usual competitors. Celery has never won, apparently the aerodynamics of the costume make it too difficult to overcome the shorter entrants. Sure enough on this night, chicken wing won as blue cheese was ambushed by the two regular mascots who don't participate.



Thanks

Thanks to Sharpy for the drive to and from Buffalo. With the game taking nearly 4 hours, the return trip was a tough one and my jet lag saw me nodding off on occasion, so well done Sharpy!

Thanks to Andrew for arranging to have our names in lights!



Thanks to the King for his signature strikeout call, performed 9 times on the evening, which had fans in our section both bemused and amused. That's him below with his arm outstretched as he yells "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" for about 20 seconds before finishing with a "Struck. Him. Out!!!!!" By the end of the evening, much of the crowd was joining in.



Next Up

I'm on my way back to Singapore tomorrow. No games planned during my two weeks there but June will see me in Florida to do the entire Florida State League as well as seeing the Jays in that new ballpark in Miami. Check back for more then.

Best,

Sean

Read More

New York Mets at Toronto Blue Jays - May 18-20, 2012

The Victoria Day long weekend is the unofficial start of summer in Canada and Toronto celebrated by hosting three separate sporting events. Most prominent among these was a 3-game interleague series with the Blue Jays hosting the New York Mets at Rogers Centre.

Rogers Centre



Built in 1989 as the first retractable roof stadium in the world, the SkyDome was a beautiful facility back then. I remember going about a month after it opened and being so impressed with its size and modern feel. When the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Championships in 1992-93, the Dome hosted 50,000 rabid fans every night, but as time passed and the retro park boom took over, the SkyDome quickly became a dinosaur in the stadium world. Even a name change to Rogers Centre doesn’t change the fact that the ballpark has not aged particularly well and is now one of the oldest venues in MLB.



The stadium is located right next to the iconic CN Tower along Toronto's lakefront. When the roof is open, it is a great sight both during the afternoon and evening.



Getting to Rogers Centre is best accomplished by public transit as Union Station is connected to the stadium by an indoor SkyWalk. There is reasonably cheap parking nearby as well, although streets get crowded with fans after the game and it can take a while to escape downtown.



Tickets range from $11 for the upper deck (500 level) to $62 for Premium Dugout seats, with club seats in the second level going for $75. These prices are for “regular” games but weekend games and those with high-profile opponents are deemed “premium” and cost a bit more. As well, the Jays add a $2 "convenience fee" at their own box office so you will not pay the listed price. I have never seen a club add such fees before; those are usually the realm of TicketMaster and other brokers. I don't understand why they don't just list the price at $13. Scalpers are plentiful and worth talking to if you want to see what is available. My advice is to try to sit in the first row of the upper deck, it is the best value for money in the ballpark.



It is easy to get into the stadium with 15 gates, although only half of these are used by most fans. Once inside, you will find yourself on the main concourse. There are three seating levels, labelled 100, 200, and 500. The 100 level is much more crowded and has the most food options. However, I never eat inside here as it is generally overpriced ($4.75 for a bottle of water?!) and you can get a very good hot dog from one of many carts outside the stadium before the game. There is a designated driver program that is worth signing up for as you get a large soft drink for free.



The 200 level is mostly used for club seats, but there are seats in the outfield as well (picture from there above) here but again, I would rather sit in the 500 level between the bases. Each row in this level has a bar in front of it which encourages leaning forward, hence the first row is the best.

Above center-field is Windows, a restaurant that gives a good view of the action while you enjoy a meal. You will also notice the Renaissance Hotel here with 70 rooms facing the field, a unique touch. Those are some of the rooms below the Jays' collection of pennants.

Overall, Rogers Centre is a great spot to watch a game when the roof is open, but when it is closed, it becomes a typical dome. Regardless, it will always have a special place in my heart after the Jays 1993 World Series was won here and I love coming home to watch them. I only hope I can return in October one year to see them in the playoffs after a nearly 20-year drought.

Game 1 - Toronto 14, New York 5

I had left Singapore on Wednesday and spent Thursday in Tokyo finishing off some personal affairs before an early Friday flight to Toronto. As such, I was still suffering a bit from jet lag when the game got underway just after 7 p.m., but with the roof open and the Jays bats on fire, the mental fog quickly dissipated. J.P. Arencibia blasted a 3-run shot in the first, Yan Gomes hit his first major league dinger in the 2nd, Arencibia added a solo shot in the 3rd, and Rajai Davis added two homers as Toronto destroyed the Mets 14-5.

It was a great game for Toronto fans, but not for fans of good pitching, with 15 walks being issued on the evening. Perhaps the most interesting stat was that Toronto only grounded out once, with 12 air outs and 11 strikeouts. The Jays are one team you want to avoid giving up too many fly balls to, they are so strong that many of them end up being homers.



With Gomes (above) being the first Brazilian to play in the majors, his home run was obviously the first for a Brazilian. As it was hit in Canada, we must respond by scoring our first World Cup goal in Brazil. I therefore predict that the Canadian men’s soccer team will advance to the 2014 World Cup and score at least one goal in group play. Check back in two years to see how that forecast fares.

Game 2 - Toronto 2, New York 0

The story here was Toronto starter Brandon Morrow (below), who pitched a complete game, 3-hit shutout. Toronto scored two in the fifth off reliever Jeremy Hefner, who was brought in to relieve Miguel Batista who had lasted just two frames before leaving with an injury. The Mets threatened in the ninth as Mike Baxter singled into the corner with one out and a man on first. Baxter tried for second but was gunned down by Jose Bautista, although it turned out the umpire blew the call and Baxter should have been safe. Instead of having the tying run on second, the Mets were down to their last out and David Murphy lined out to short to finish things off.



Gary and the King from Royalty Tours were here and Gary was kind enough to let me use his ticket three rows from the field for which I thank him profusely. With the game taking just 2:12 though, I only spent about 90 minutes there as I had to rejoin everyone for our trip to Buffalo for a AAA game, but I'll post separately about that experience.

Game 3 - New York 6, Toronto 5

It was Brandon Morrow bobblehead day and a huge crowd of 41,867 (an attendance figure more suitable for Canada Day) was on hand on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to see if the Jays could sweep all of New York (they took a small 2-game set from the Yankees earlier in the week).

Henderson Alvarez started for Toronto and was roughed up early as the Mets scored 3 in the first and another in the second for an early 4-0 lead. The Blue Jays responded with a Gomes RBI single in their half of the second and a Bautista homer in the third, but the Mets got those two back in the fifth.
Alvarez was replaced and the Jays' bullpen kept the Mets scoreless the rest of the way, and when the offence added three runs late in the game, it was 6-5 entering the bottom of the ninth.



Ex-Jay Frank Francisco came on to close things out and promptly walked Yunel Escobar and gave up a single to Bautista (above). At this point, I would have accepted some sort of small ball strategy to get both runners into scoring position, but the Jays middle of the order are all power hitters so that was not going to happen. Instead, Edwin Encarnacion, Arencibia, and Eric Thames all struck out swinging and the Mets avoided being swept. Baxter (below) was the star for the visitors with a single, double, and triple to go along with two runs and an RBI. He had two chances for the cycle but grounded out and was walked.

Next Up

The Marlies are in the AHL semi-finals and I'll be going to that game this afternoon, which is the Victoria Day holiday in Canada. I'm then returning to Singapore on Wednesday and will spend two weeks there before returning to North America to do my Florida State League road trip in June. As usual, keep checking back for updates.

Best,

Sean

Read More