Yes, thank you Steven T, my dear wife Karen and I would love to join you for the last Syracuse Chiefs game of the season.
And a lovely way it turned out to spend our Labor Day afternoon, indeed.
Click on any gallery photo for a description. Click on the bottom right photo in any gallery for an enlarged slide show.
We got there before Steven T, so I grabbed my iPhone 6 and scouted for an outside NBT Bank Stadium angle I hadn’t captured and shared already our five times here this 2015 season.
What is that decorated horse statue doing over that ledge, anyway?
Steven T explained that because they’d heard that parking was free on this Customer Appreciation Day, Jen decided to drive herself. She’d join us a few minutes late. And take off a few early, too, so she could go enjoy an hour or so of the holiday at Green Lakes State Park. Smart woman, Steven T’s wife is.
Even though our Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals fell from last season’s first-place finish in the division to last place, the organization led by second-year General Manager Jason Smorol still worked hard to put out a professional and fun product. It’s obvious that attitude reached the clubhouse and field, too. The players perform and act as if they’re happy to be spending the summer with this stadium and city as their home base.
According to my friend Lindsay Kramer’s story on syracuse.com, the Chiefs drew more fans than last season, but still finished last in the minor leagues in attendance, trailing Gwinnet by 5 fans per game.
The crack of the bat.
In our general admission seats — thank you, Steven T, for using the rest of your book plan up by including us, by the way — in the second deck, I focused my iPHone 6 at home plate, zoomed, when Chiefs third baseman Matt Skole came to the plate in the bottom of the second inning. Home run. Really. Skole pulled the ball over the right-field fence to give the Chiefs the lead.
I also followed Skole around the bases on his home run trot.
Home at last.
Nice way to get the Chiefs rolling.
Here’s a video I shot during the seventh-inning stretch.
Alas, extra innings were needed as the RailRiders, the top team that feeds the New York Yankees, tied things up 3-3 after nine.
The Chiefs won it with two in the bottom of the 11th.
Now Karen and I are back to TV and rooting for our first-place New York Mets.
When you go to baseball game, do you pay attention to the between-innings antics of the mascots, and if so, which are your favorites?
Mark Bialczak 
Great photos Mark! Yes, I’m a little behind on my reading but hope to have caught up by the weekend. I really enjoy your posts.
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I am too far behind at your place, Christy. I will make up for it. Promise. I really miss appreciating your work, and our correspondence about art and life.
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I like the different animals that some teams hsve, Mark. Was it the Mudhens that had a mascot who looked like a big chicken? That was cute, thanks to Beth. I could easily head up the road to BGSU and really enjoy the Falcons. The mascots don’t look noble, like hawks, but cute again, like big chickens! Ha ha! The Clippers have a sailing ship on their programs but some kind of cute animal. Is it a dog? I am silly and a little “slap happy,” Mark.
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You are funny when you are slap happy, Robin. I’m not chicken of you when you’re in this mood!
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Whenever I go to a baseball game, I pay attention to all the antics on and off the field, Mark. I’m going to my first and only Red Sox game at Fenway this year on September 24 and I wonder what antics I’ll see then. Sorry you haven’t been seeing my usual level of antics here, lately. Thanks for this post!
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That’s OK, Ann. I have been seeing your usual level of fun there. 🙂
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Looks like you had a great time Mark. I enjoy a day out at the ball game. In all honesty since we lost our triple A team to Allentown in 2008 there hasn’t been any pro ball here in Ottawa. Apparently, we now have a Can-Am team called the Champions (wishful thinking?). I didn’t even realize this until about two weeks ago when I happened to be passing the stadium and saw an audience. I inquired but few knew the story. I just googled it when I read your post. Huh, the things you learn. Ha! I had heard zippo about the new arrivals. I hope they do good. We used to take the kids out for a game a few times a season – the price was good and the kids enjoyed the day in the sun.
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I hope your new squads sticks around, and you can enjoy a day in the sun https://willowdot21.wordpress.com season, Paul. It’s very restorative. 🙂
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The Mets beat us up pretty badly, but I’ll root for them in the end anyway, Mark. Please don’t tell my family. ☺
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I won’t tell, Van. Your Phils beat us up enough years, that’s for sure. 😮
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🙂 I appreciate the music MBM! 🙂
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They do play good music at the Chiefs games, yes they do, MBC. 🙂
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I always keep an eye on the mascot in case it tries to steal my wallet. I do not trust those things!
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But they have no pockets to hide it, Austin!
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They eat it and poop it out later…
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Gee, lovely Sunday morning vision, Austin.
Congrats on Notre Dame. What-the on the Yanks, though.
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You should’ve read my comment last night then. 🙂
The Yankees did not look good at all…
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Not been to a baseball game so I can’t really comment on that. But….I do really like that painted horse on the ledge, and I loved the video. Looks like everyone was having a great time.
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I find something for everyone, SD, not just the sports lovers. That dance by my friends on the video, with Jen’s laugh, was a favorite of mine, too, thanks. Pure joy there. 🙂
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Nice to see!!!
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My Ron would have enjoyed this game with you for sure, Mark. 😀
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And what a good time I’d have with a former pro pitcher for company, Colleen. Someday the four of us will take in a game. 🙂
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That would be a blast, Mark! 😊💗
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I guess it just hasn’t been a good year to be in any way affiliated with the Washington Nationals.
I had also noticed the umpire following the runner from second to third. Do they use a full slate of umps at Triple A games? My only non-Major league pro ball experience was with our independent league Gateway Grizzlies, and they get by with just a pair of men in blue…
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Three umps in Triple-A, Bill. They bump their way up the ladder until the full four in the bigs, I guess. Good eye on the photos!
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I just realized my good eye failed to tell my typing fingers to note that I did pick out and enjoy the horse of a different color. Is he also a horse with no name?
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No name, no explanation, but a very striking presence. Here’s what I think: Years ago they had a charity event where businesses bought white horses and painted them up any way they wished. They were all displayed in one place in the city for a big event. Maybe they gave them to the organizations afterward to do with what they wish, and this guy turns up around town?
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aw, well at least they had you and karen as avid and loyal fans, better luck next season, chiefs. ) i love mascots, especially the mud hens’ family – kitty holmes, jim flealand, muddy and his mate –
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I love the Mud Hens’ mascot family, too, Beth. Your squad did better than mine this season. Next year, we shall see and have fun no matter. 🙂
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I must I positively must get to a ball game next year! We have the Diamond Dawgs in Little Falls, a mere six miles from Herkimer, but I bet I could get my sister in Liverpool and her family to join us for the Chiefs. It is an excellent subject for a blog post.
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You positively must, Cynthia. So much fun at the ballpark, and a great subject for your blog, indeed. Have a great Saturday! We’re off to the Carrier Dome. So busy.
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I haven’t been to the Carrier Dome since I was a senior in high school, roughly a hundred years ago. Something else to put on my list of things to do when I’m not in a play!
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But you’re always in a play, Cynthia, because you love drama in your life. Wait, that didn’t come out exactly the way I meant it … You know, play drama!
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No, no, I’m not doing any more plays for a while. Well, I am going to stage manage the next one, because I said I would. And I might direct the spring production. Oh, and I’ll audition for the one in between if the director wants me to. Do you suppose I have an addiction that should be addressed?
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I think you have an addiction that you will always feed, Cynthia.
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You mean there’s not a 12-step program for this?
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Oh. A business idea. The traveling over-actors. One week with us and you’re cured!
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