a new summer Sunday tradition...

As you readers know, or not, I've recently become a fan of the minor league baseball team the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Every morning I check their standing and stats from the night before. I subscribe to and actually read their newsletter. I'm going to go see one of their games when I go to the States in September.

On Sundays, when they play at 2pm Wisconsin time which is doable-listening-time in Italy, I listen. I fire up my high speed internet connected computer and pull up WNAM-AM out of Appleton, Wisconsin while humming the National Anthem in anticipation.

Game day: hot dog for dinner (with pasta salad instead of chips or fries or kraut - I'm in Italy).

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers vs the Peoria Chiefs

Scarpetta is pitching for the Rattlers. He's my favorite. He sucks but I like his name. I can't wait.

Sold out crowd in Maberga for the game.




top of the first inning.... I cast on second sock of a pair, counting stitches and listening to the game, I manage to miss the Timber Rattlers' home run.

bottom of the 1st... change color in the sock, begin ribbing (the sock, not the Chiefs), still listening and manage to miss Peoria's two run homer.




second inning (top and bottom)...notice that the sky is pink, go outside to enjoy the evening, miss...apparently nothing.

top of the 3rd...come back inside, play a couple games of mahjong on the computer while listening to the game, and still some how miss the Rattlers' batting completely. Scoreboard says that I didn't miss much.

bottom of the 3rd...working down the leg of the sock and happen to hear that Peoria hit a grand slam.



top of the 4th...hear an announcement for the Fang soap dispenser give away (I missed the date when that game will be, make mental note to check the newsletter to see when this is and see if I'm eligible in absentia. Fang is, of course the mascot of the Rattlers), missed everything else that happened in this half of the inning.

bottom of the 4th... still knitting straight, no sock color change, but caught a Rattlers' pitching change. Rigoberto Almonte. Another great name (that's the name of the pitcher, not the color of the yarn with which I'm knitting. However, truth be told, I'd buy some Rigoberto Almonte yarn, sight unseen, just because it's a good name. As it goes, I feel the same about this pitcher). 6 Peoria runs score, and I get really far on the leg of my sock. Poor Rigoberto. Perhaps they should have stuck it out with Scarpetta.



top of the 5th...homer for the Rattlers! Yippee they're only losing 12 - 2 now. Oh, now it's time for Timber Rattler trivia in the 5th, I love this.

ooops, I forgot that I turned the water on to fill the vasca about 7 hours ago. The vasca would be full and over flowing by now (over flow happening probably even before the opening pitch)...time out Maberga as I go close the tap.

Shit. I missed the trivia question while tending to the water overflow. Back in time, however, for a another Rattler pitching change to some guy with such an uninteresting name that I've just heard it and have already forgotten it.

top of the 6th...At home listening to baseball via radio, I am missing the popcorn vendor and Scooter-the-BeerMan from Coors field in Denver. Thinking about Scooter, and Denver and popcorn and listening to the whole of the inning, I missed it all. It seems that neither team scored....nor did anything interesting happen.

top of the 7th...

7th inning stretch...

bottom of the 7th...

top of the 8th...I get an email invitation to dinner on Tuesday night, I write back, I miss the Rattlers loading the bases, and a run scored. Ok, now I'm listening...2 more Rattler runs score.

bottom of the 8th...Another pitching change, now the Timber Rattlers' shortstop Marseco is pitching, I love minor league baseball. 3 up, 3 down. Way to go Marseco.

top of the 9th...I don't mean to be pessimistic but the Rattlers are down 12 -5, it doesn't look good for the good guys. BUT, stranger things have happened in the minors.

Not tonight. Game over.