The California League...Without The Penal...

When most folks associated with the HQ think of the California League, as Brother Phil confirmed, we think about Rick Vaughn's last stop before hooking up with the Cleveland Indians.

But there is a single-a league that goes from Bakersfield to Rancho Cucamonga- ten teams filled with guys trying to figure out whether or not they can make a career out of this thing called baseball or go into the realization that the real world is your end destination...

TBH ((pictured thanks to me, styling as always)) was dragged to a game between the Inland Empire 66'ers- who are not very good for the Dodgers organization- and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes- who are very good for the Angels organization.

The 66'ers play in a ballpark in downtown San Bernardino ((pictured again, thanks to me)). It's another case of a city trying to build something to stir business activity in an area that really needs it. If you exit I-215 at 5th Street, you've overshot Arrowhead CU park, but it gives you an idea of how bad off the town is.

Not just stores, but entire malls, are on life support in the area and its balanced with the road construction that doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon.

The park seems to be something of one of those stereotypic oases that we hear about- an area of solace and optimism in an area that looks lost.

The 66'ers aren't helping out this year, though...

Going in to Sunday's contest with the Quakes ((who, by the way, have the best name for a ballpark ever- "The Epicenter")), the visitors were nine games over .500 while the home team was 17 games under.

It's only the first half of the season... and the 66'ers are 23-40...

Back-to-back homers gave the 66'ers a 2-0 and a 3-1 lead, but starter JonMichael Redding got a case of the walkies ((four out of five in a sequence)) and the game was tied at 3. The 66'ers took a 4-3 lead, but the Quakes put two across in the 7th for a quick lead. It went away with one in the bottom half for a tie at 5.

And its games like this that tell you why one team is one way, and the team they're playing is in a far better place. Tyson Auer's single in the 10th was the game winner in a three-for-five performance and a 6-5 win for Rancho Cuc.

The audio guy gets a lot of props as he threaded the line of getting killed when the Quakes were heading to the plate. If Alexi Amarista, Quakes 2B, was heading to the plate, it would either be "One Is The Loneliest Number" or the "Oompa Loompa" song since Amarista is listed as 5-8...

The HQ says "listed..."

The beauty of minor league games is, well, they're cheap. TBH and I dropped $12 bucks and sat in the fourth row near the Quakes bullpen ((pictured, thanks to me a third time as we eavesdrop on their reindeer games)). And you see just how they're forced to entertain themselves- they throw cups filled with dirt at each other, they draw pictures with sticks, and they sing to the music off the PA.

Naturally, pitching coach Daniel Ricabal saw none of this when he watched guys warm-up for a chance to get in the game. And since there was no such thing as a bullpen phone, the Quakes used one of those direct-connect features on a cell phone to talk from the dugout to the foul line.

What is it that they say about necessity...???

Steven Geltz was the most active in the "Bullpen Idol" dynamic...
This is what 14 was channeling...
Skee-Low in all his glory...
((HT: pacmankingoftime))


But, as you all know, that's why minor league ball is what it is and is enjoyed by everyone to the level it is...

Now, if I could only figure out how every part of my left leg was sunburned with the exception of my kneecap and my right leg is only sunburned on my quad, we'll be up to speed...

Carry on...