I'm out in West Texas visiting Big Bend and had a chance to see some Pecos League ball watching the Alpine Cowboys play the Roswell Invaders.
I was very excited to get to see just the most basic grass roots of "professional" baseball in a really cool old school minor league Kokernot stadium built around 1948 and modeled after Wrigley Field. This is what it's all about: $6 tickets, $2 hot dogs & $3 beer. I got to sit anywhere I wanted except the dusty folding chairs that were the box seats down in front.
I had to go to the bathroom and quickly realized it's the locker room/dugout bathroom standing next to and talking with a player as you take a whizz shoulder to shoulder. My daughter said a player walked into her bathroom quickly apologizing and said the women's is much nicer than the mens so that's why he uses it. The whole experience reminded me of something out of Bull Durham.
Then the game started. OMG I've seen 2A high school baseball better than this. The starting Roswell pitcher is 28 and this is the 5th Indy league team he's played on but he acted like he was in AAA ball working on a shot at the majors. He was bringing the heat with his fastest pitch registering 71 mph on the ole radar gun with most of his pitches ranging from 60-67. He finally got pulled in the 6th inning when Alpine scored their 17th run. Yep, it takes a lot to get yanked in the Pecos League. BTW, the fastest pitch of the night was registered by the Alpine reliever who brought it at 83mph. Most of these guys have no chance of making a MLB affiliated team.
The fans were great but it takes on a whole other meaning in a small town old school stadium like this. There were the ranchers in the box seats. The 20 something girls scantily clad trying to make their impressions on the players, families with their kids dressed in ball unis, the drunk heckler that can be heard from the main road.
The announcer sounded like he was reading from a script over the scratchy PA system. The dizzy bat race, tennis ball throw, looking for an autographed page in the program to win prizes. It just all felt real and hometown.
The home fans were oblivious to the quality of play being treated to a victory as we left in the 8th inning & the score 20-7 Alpine.
I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat and if you end up in a town with independent baseball I suggest you do the same. Its refreshing.
I was very excited to get to see just the most basic grass roots of "professional" baseball in a really cool old school minor league Kokernot stadium built around 1948 and modeled after Wrigley Field. This is what it's all about: $6 tickets, $2 hot dogs & $3 beer. I got to sit anywhere I wanted except the dusty folding chairs that were the box seats down in front.
I had to go to the bathroom and quickly realized it's the locker room/dugout bathroom standing next to and talking with a player as you take a whizz shoulder to shoulder. My daughter said a player walked into her bathroom quickly apologizing and said the women's is much nicer than the mens so that's why he uses it. The whole experience reminded me of something out of Bull Durham.
Then the game started. OMG I've seen 2A high school baseball better than this. The starting Roswell pitcher is 28 and this is the 5th Indy league team he's played on but he acted like he was in AAA ball working on a shot at the majors. He was bringing the heat with his fastest pitch registering 71 mph on the ole radar gun with most of his pitches ranging from 60-67. He finally got pulled in the 6th inning when Alpine scored their 17th run. Yep, it takes a lot to get yanked in the Pecos League. BTW, the fastest pitch of the night was registered by the Alpine reliever who brought it at 83mph. Most of these guys have no chance of making a MLB affiliated team.
The fans were great but it takes on a whole other meaning in a small town old school stadium like this. There were the ranchers in the box seats. The 20 something girls scantily clad trying to make their impressions on the players, families with their kids dressed in ball unis, the drunk heckler that can be heard from the main road.
The announcer sounded like he was reading from a script over the scratchy PA system. The dizzy bat race, tennis ball throw, looking for an autographed page in the program to win prizes. It just all felt real and hometown.
The home fans were oblivious to the quality of play being treated to a victory as we left in the 8th inning & the score 20-7 Alpine.
I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat and if you end up in a town with independent baseball I suggest you do the same. Its refreshing.
