Baseball Review // East Hartford Jets @ Record Journal Expos [June 4th, 2019] @ Ceppa Field

https://hartfordtwilight.sportngin.com/game/show/25513816?subseason=564508&referrer=4591727 //


Photos on Facebook :::

https://www.facebook.com/pg/raisedbycassettes/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2843591575682398


This was my second GHTBL game with the RJ Expos in as many days.  It was also their second game this season, which is kind of nice because it means with this win they went from 1-0 to 2-0.    For this game, I arrived slightly earlier than the night before and this helped me to get to my seat and ready for the game before the first pitch. 

During this game, I tried to keep score myself just by thinking about how many runs each team scored per inning and then being able to add up on the notes app in my phone what inning we were in.  Yes, I have blank score card books at home, but sometimes taking pictures or answering texts can distract me and so I don't feel like I'm as strict with this following along as I should be.

When this game hit the last inning- which was the top of the 7th- by my count we were only in the 6th and I apparently did not count the scoreless second inning, as I'd find out looking at the box score at home the next day.   This is important because it means that the Expos somehow put up one run, then none, then three and then repeated this pattern - 103103- which is one of those baseball number things I enjoy so much.

One of those things which makes the GHTBL different than other leagues is not only the players in it, but what these players contribute to the team.    I didn't think this was possible and didn't confirm it until home to read the official score the next day, but all seven innings of this game were pitched by A.J. Hendrickson.   He wears the number five and while I thought people were cheering and calling for "AJ" as the catcher, as he was the night before, I realized he was pitching.   When have you seen someone player catcher one night then pitch a full game the next and get the win?

Interestingly enough, the only other time before this season I saw the GHTBL (that one odd game in 2016) also had James Kukucka pitching only instead of being on the East Haven Jets, he was on the Ulbrich Clippers, who are now the Ulbrich Steel.   In some weird way, this nicely ties together the first three games I've seen of the GHTBL overall with these two games from this week. 

At one point during this game, a sprinkler on the field (along the third base side but closer to home plate) came on and eventually the players pushed it back down so as to stop it.  If I was going to be more clever about writing about each game this season, I'd say the first game would be called "The One With Two Booms" and this one would be called "The One With The Sprinkler"  Perhaps one day I can officially name my reviews as such, but for right now I will at least think of them like that.