March 10, 2004
SPRING TRAINING TOUR STOP NO. 4
DOWN BLUE JAY WAY
Side Salad's Spring Training correspondant, The Rev. Joe Kendall, enjoyed a wonderful time following the spring baseball trail in the Tampa Bay area. After documenting action at Al Land field in downtown St. Pete on Saturday, it was a trek to Dunedin about 15 miles north of St. Pete to catch the Blue Jays in a small city stadium tucked in a residential neighborhood a walk away from Dunedin's business district.
The Blue Jays, which have a new logo, are called just the "Jays." You will see their logo in the upcoming photos. Their stadium was named after another communications company called Knology, with a silent "K" like Knotts.
This was a concession table at the stadium. Pennants for a buck. Such a deal.
The Jays' stadium is simple -- no berms, or fancy architecture, or wide concourse. It had a very relaxed atmosphere, almost like a local college game. There was not much a buzz about baseball -- but it was a nice laid-back ambiance.
The Rev. Joe says he's amazed at the array of activities available in Florida in March. During a morning bike ride before heading for Dunedin, the Rev. Joe passed a University of South Florida-Illinois baseball game and a Renaissance Fair along the way. The route, by the way, also included passing Busch Gardens, a gem in Tampa.
The day before on Saturday, the Rev. Joe returned from the Devil Rays game back to the Tropicana Dome, where he had parked his car, and on a whim bought a ticket to an amazing Cirque de Soleil show that was all about ballet, acrobatics, theater, music, humor and gymnastics. March is truly a month to behold, with temperatures that can range from beach-going 80s to bone-chilling 40s.
This is usher Jack Welch. He joked he didn't want his photo to be taken because his ex-wives might find him in Dunedin. Sorry Jack -- the Rev. Joe never misses a photo op.
The Rev. Joe tells me he's always amazed at how easy it is to walk around and get an up-close feel for the ballgame while schmoozing with the fans.
"Well, Joe,'' I tell him, "Beer is a conversational accelerant.''
(For a larger version of the above photo, click here.)
The Rev. Joe met his buddy Mary Ellen again. Mary Ellen is from Pasco County and sells credit cards by luring customers with trinkets at local sports venues. The last time Rev. Joe saw her, she was hawking beach towels at the New York Yankees' Legends Field in Tampa. In Dunedin, she was working the booth again -- this time pushing Jays T-shirts.
New logo or not, here is a fella who enjoys kicking it old school in his outdated Blue Jays cap and won't give in to the new style.
Keep on rockin' in the free world, brutha.
Now this usher was with the program. Here he is, sporting is new Jays lojo. His cooperation was appreciated, but he'd better let go of the material or it will stick that way. You don't want people thinking you have a third nipple, for crissakes.
Rev. Joe said he enjoyed listening to this fan named John, who was saying
scalpers wanted $150 for tickets to an upcoming Yankees-Astros game when Andy Petitte and Roger Clemens will see their old mates.
The reverend said the man used many a curse word. So bad were they that Rev. Joe will not repeat these quotes. Let's just say he was mighty peeved.
The usher on the right looks enthralled, doesn't he?
This is a photo often shot from a similar angle outside great venues like Wrigley Field. Alas, this is not Wrigley. This guy also has failed to make the conversion from the old Blue Jays jersey. He's just keepin' it real.
The Rev. Joe said he was amazed at how current events made their way into the game. This is Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld" fame talking on CNN about how he's leading a movement for moderates on the Israel and Palenstinian sides on a TV in the Blue Jays office.
I do hope this doesn't interfere with his great work selling chicken for KFC.
Oh, wait. He got fired from that job for siding with the chickens. Nevermind.
The Rev. Joe will end his visit to the Blue Jays' stadium with the story of
sad Big Frank, who the Holy Reverend of Baseball met while heading out.
Here's Big Frank's story: He says was a White Sox catcher in the minors from 1956-64 and roomed for four years with a White Sox prospect named Norm Cash in the late 1950s before Cash was traded to the Tigers, where he hit .363 to win a batting championship with his sweet left-handed swing, bat cleanup behind HOFer Al Kaline and played on the '68 Detroit club that won the World Series. Frank said his catch and peg to second was .6 of a second and that the White Sox wanted him to play first after they traded Cash to the Tigers, but that he wanted to play catcher and he refused. The White Sox never gave him a chance after that.
Frank said he went to Cash's funeral a few years ago. Frank said he was told by Cash's wife at the funeral that Norm Cash was drunk when he died in a foot-and-a-half of water at his boat in the Detroit area. Now Frank is in town to watch the Phillies at their new Clearwater digs for a week. Monday, the Red Sox come to town and Frank will be there.
This Rev. Joe guy is better than ESPN!
Posted by: al at March 11, 2004 04:44 PM