Monthly Archives: September 2013

Beyond

Ravens and Broncos Kick Off Season and I am Bowled Away

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Last Night the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos played the first it really counts game of the NFL season in the shadow of the Rockies.

The game was originally going to be in the home stadium of the Super Bowl winning Ravens but, as they share a few parking lots with the also playing at home Baltimore Orioles, it was determined that having the game in Colorado would be best to avoid hoards of roaming Orioles and Ravens fans battling for the same parking real estate.

Having been born in Maryland the Ravens are a team that I follow very closely so the idea of seeing them play the first game of the NFL season as they begin their quest to repeat as Super Bowl Champions had me rather excited.

Now, it should be noted that while I have been a fan of the Baltimore Ravens for as long as there have been Baltimore Ravens, I am also a fan of the Denver Broncos.

While I follow both the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos whenever they play each other I cheer for the Ravens. Photo R. Anderson
While I follow both the Baltimore Ravens and the Denver Broncos whenever they play each other I cheer for the Ravens.
Photo R. Anderson

While it is easy to understand my fandom for most of the NFL teams that I follow based on having lived in the areas near the teams (Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars) it is a mystery as to why I first started following the Broncos.

Even though I have never lived in Colorado I have followed the Broncos since the late 80

Ballparks

Bad Year to be an Astro Especially for Catchers

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The other day The Houston Astros added another catcher to their roster.

Normally this would not really be news worthy since teams often add a third catcher in September when the rosters are expanded.

What makes the latest Astros addition of a catcher newsworthy is the fact that it is the third catcher the Astros have added to the roster since August 20th due to injuries.

Carlos Corporan was injured August 19 when he took a foul ball off of his facemask. Max Stassi was called up to replace Coporan and he was hit in the head by a pitch two days later and hasn’t played since. Both Corporan and Max Stassi remain on the seven-day concussion disabled list.

The latest injury to an Astros catcher occurred Monday when Jason

Ballparks

One Down, Two to Go

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With a Labor Day matinee day game today between the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins I inched one team closer to seeing all 30 Major League Baseball teams at Minute Maid Park.

I had seen the Twins in Florida many times for Spring Training but until today I had never had the chance to see them play a regular season game.

Later in the month I will see games against the Angels and the Yankees to complete the 30 teams in a single Ballpark quest.

Of course a larger goal of mine is seeing all 30 teams in their home Ballparks but having them all come to me is certainly a good first step.

The journey to see all 30 teams at Minute Maid Park started modestly enough with a 2001 game against the San Francisco Giants on October 4, 2001. It was also the only game at the Ballpark while it was called Enron Field.

With the Minnesota Twins officially crossed off of the list only the Los Angels Angels of Anneheim and the New York Yankees stand between me and my goal of seeing all 30 teams at Minute Maid Park. Photo R. Anderson
With the Minnesota Twins officially crossed off of the list only the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the New York Yankees stand between me and my goal of seeing all 30 teams at Minute Maid Park.
Photo R. Anderson

But, for any purists out there who say that it shouldn’t count for seeing all 30 teams at Minute Maid Park rest assured I have seen the Giants play during the Minute Maid era.

The game had originally been scheduled for September but was moved to October after a week of games was cancelled following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

For those who may have forgotten October 4, 2001 was the day that Barry Bonds tied Mark McGwire