Memories of Elkland
Some memories of Elkland, although some are a tad fuzzy:
- The atmosphere at the stadium is really something. The grandstand with the ageing bleachers, the scoreboard, the squawking annoucer, fans chugging beer in the stands, eating hamburgers with nacho cheese sauce. Three well kept fields with old time advertiser boards in the outfield. Every complex should be like this.
- Great crowds at the main diamond. Lots of locals look forward to the weekend.
- The chicken BBQ pit is a sight to behold. I'm pretty sure they are breaking several health codes, but my god the chicken is good eatin'.
- The local beer, Genessee ($1.50 a can), is cheaper than water ($2.00 a bottle). I think that says something about local priorities. And you can't really argue with them.
- For a while they were taking Canadian at par at the bar. Give them a Canadian $20 bill, get a beer and $18 US in change. As Rebz said, "that's like paying me to drink".
- The skill level of teams is quite varied. Amongst the 16 there, you see teams with elite level senior players, good intermediate teams, and squads that would have to be classified as thumber squads.
- The Shaggy Dog from Erie, PA or Fuzzy Poodle as some were referring to them, had a star studded line up with players like Frankie Perez, Nottie Perez, Steve Price, Tom Berube, and Jeremy Manley. They won the whole thing.
- Some of the thumber squads were interesting to watch, with their cut off shorts, muscle shirts and mix matched jerseys. Lots of them don't wear batting helmets, as apparently it is optional down there - yikes. I give them credit, they were giving it their best. And hey, if I had a thumber team (no comments please) and lived close the Elkland, I'd probably enter too.
- The draw schedule was probably the most disappointing thing. Five Ontario teams there, and four of us played each other in the first draw. Then, for our third game, WC Electric played I4C Victory - all that way to play a team in your league. BOOOOO to that. Though there was lots of time allotted between games to enjoy the atmosphere.
- The Elkland Moose Lodge lived up to expectations. Think Legion, but only in a time warp. $2 ryes, available in pitcher format, smoking allowed inside, and plenty of local beauties looking for a ball player to dance with.
- We stayed across the NY state line in Erwin about 25 minutes north. Cheap rooms and the lovely "Erwinna Tavern" next door. Overheard the next morning, local babe on a cell phone: "Sorry honey, I've made a mistake and I seem to have lost the car. Can you come and pick me up?" (100% true, no exaggeration.) Combine that with the 8.5 month pregnant bartender who was smoking a Camel, and you have an indication of the sophistification of the locals.
- Some of the guys camped on site at the ball park in a 1977 camper van. That's a good way to go, unless the campers next door have a dog that won't stop barking. Thankfully JR didn't have a hammer with him or he'd likely be up on cruelty to animal charges.
- The umpiring was interesting at times. One crew had a guy named Butch that had to be 6'7" with a little partner that was about 5'3". We had another guy that was using the old time pad that the umps used to hold on to outside their chest. "Hello, 1960 called. They want their chest protector back". And there was the one ump that when he heard we were from Canada said "Oh, well, must be getting too cold to play ball up there at this time of year." Yeah, that's right, we took our skidoos to the border, and took time off from ice-fishing to come play ball at this tourney.
All in all a great way to spend a weekend. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and relatively cheap road trip.
If you have any comments / questions about Elkland, send them on.
- The atmosphere at the stadium is really something. The grandstand with the ageing bleachers, the scoreboard, the squawking annoucer, fans chugging beer in the stands, eating hamburgers with nacho cheese sauce. Three well kept fields with old time advertiser boards in the outfield. Every complex should be like this.
- Great crowds at the main diamond. Lots of locals look forward to the weekend.
- The chicken BBQ pit is a sight to behold. I'm pretty sure they are breaking several health codes, but my god the chicken is good eatin'.
- The local beer, Genessee ($1.50 a can), is cheaper than water ($2.00 a bottle). I think that says something about local priorities. And you can't really argue with them.
- For a while they were taking Canadian at par at the bar. Give them a Canadian $20 bill, get a beer and $18 US in change. As Rebz said, "that's like paying me to drink".
- The skill level of teams is quite varied. Amongst the 16 there, you see teams with elite level senior players, good intermediate teams, and squads that would have to be classified as thumber squads.
- The Shaggy Dog from Erie, PA or Fuzzy Poodle as some were referring to them, had a star studded line up with players like Frankie Perez, Nottie Perez, Steve Price, Tom Berube, and Jeremy Manley. They won the whole thing.
- Some of the thumber squads were interesting to watch, with their cut off shorts, muscle shirts and mix matched jerseys. Lots of them don't wear batting helmets, as apparently it is optional down there - yikes. I give them credit, they were giving it their best. And hey, if I had a thumber team (no comments please) and lived close the Elkland, I'd probably enter too.
- The draw schedule was probably the most disappointing thing. Five Ontario teams there, and four of us played each other in the first draw. Then, for our third game, WC Electric played I4C Victory - all that way to play a team in your league. BOOOOO to that. Though there was lots of time allotted between games to enjoy the atmosphere.
- The Elkland Moose Lodge lived up to expectations. Think Legion, but only in a time warp. $2 ryes, available in pitcher format, smoking allowed inside, and plenty of local beauties looking for a ball player to dance with.
- We stayed across the NY state line in Erwin about 25 minutes north. Cheap rooms and the lovely "Erwinna Tavern" next door. Overheard the next morning, local babe on a cell phone: "Sorry honey, I've made a mistake and I seem to have lost the car. Can you come and pick me up?" (100% true, no exaggeration.) Combine that with the 8.5 month pregnant bartender who was smoking a Camel, and you have an indication of the sophistification of the locals.
- Some of the guys camped on site at the ball park in a 1977 camper van. That's a good way to go, unless the campers next door have a dog that won't stop barking. Thankfully JR didn't have a hammer with him or he'd likely be up on cruelty to animal charges.
- The umpiring was interesting at times. One crew had a guy named Butch that had to be 6'7" with a little partner that was about 5'3". We had another guy that was using the old time pad that the umps used to hold on to outside their chest. "Hello, 1960 called. They want their chest protector back". And there was the one ump that when he heard we were from Canada said "Oh, well, must be getting too cold to play ball up there at this time of year." Yeah, that's right, we took our skidoos to the border, and took time off from ice-fishing to come play ball at this tourney.
All in all a great way to spend a weekend. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and relatively cheap road trip.
If you have any comments / questions about Elkland, send them on.
Labels: Elkland, Tournament
posted by fitzroyfastball | 9/04/2007 10:14:00 pm
1 Comments:
Butch's partner's name was Ricky. Picture Pinball Clemons only shorter and slightly harder to understand. He came around after and asked me and some other guys to autogrpah a ball. I can tell you that in 18 years of umpiring, other than having fellow blue at a Canadian Championship to autograph a ball, I never asked players and coaches to sign a softball. A little different. And given the fact that he couldn't call a rise ball or high drop a strike to save his soul made it even worse. His partner, big Butch really kicked a call on Saturday night that may have cost us the game. The umpiring is typically American. Nothing above the belt and everyone at first is out on a close play. You have to earn your way on with these guys.
Just before our game agianst the Rise, I had an interesting conversation with one of the players from the multi-jersied Beverage Barn team. This guy looked like he might be a lawyer or doctor from Monday to Friday (yes they need doctors in Elkland to look after the Camel smoking pregnanat women) and he is loaded out of his tree. I'm having a pre-game discussion with the umpires and other coach he tells me that his three-year old daughter that he's carrying on his shoulders wants to tell me something. I try to be the polite Canadian and appear interested until he tells me that she wants to say to me that they could have won the game in the morning that they lost to us 9-3. Then dad coaxes her to say it and the kid says nothing and is petrified because a 350 lb man is looking at her and he is probably making a face since the large Canadian man feels just a little awkward. Uhhhh sure, whatever you say big guy and nice example for your kid. Please try not to drop her on her head and turn her into just another Elkland regular.
I will say this about the Beverage Barn boys and the Jersey Shores "shorts attired teams" (we played one of these types of teams a couple of years ago in Elkland with a woman playing first and she was one of the best players on the team) and Buck and his Yeungling team....they swing the bats. They don't stand and complain to the umpire that the pitch was two inches outside like some Canadian guys do. They just get their rips in. Somewhere there is a lesson to be learned there.
Some scores along the way that could have changed things for teams too in terms of who they played and that might have led too more favourable outcomes. Mike Smith was not there for The Rise and Art Devoe hurt his hip against us and Tom Vogel is just comimg off an injury to his catching hand (it was still in a cast at the ToC a couple of weeks ago) so his timimg was off since he had not thrown in some time and he had trouble hitting spots. Saturday night vs. The Rise.....if only, if only, if only....
Oh well, it was a fun time and teams from this area should consider going. A nice drive down (5 1/2-6 hours with stops along the way) through New York State. TC, I did talk to Bob Hoffman from The Rise about the Blitz tourney for next year. It may conflict with their travel league tourney but I put the bug in his ear as you requested.
Shawn "Pugger" Williams
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