After our visit to the Twins Triple A club in St. Paul it was time for a drive down to Cedar Rapids Iowa to take in a game at the lower "A" level of ball. This has become our favorite destination on these road trips.
On the drive down the car thermometer hit 101 degrees. Frivolous side trips should have been curtailed but were not, so we arrived parched and a bit loopy. A thunderstorm brushed the edge of town cooling things off a bit and giving the sky a nice color as the sun finally stopped blasting UV for the day.
They must be used to this sort of thing. Here's something I'd not seen before...a jumbo sunscreen dispenser!
We had not been to a ballgame in several years. Heck, as the pandemic wanes I can look back and say I have not been anywhere really for 16 months. So perhaps I was tuned in a bit more to how different it is being out in the world. More things struck me as unusual.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels play at Veteran's Memorial Stadium. It is a nice, well kept up stadium. Parking is free. And the lot is under the watchful security of a couple of decommissioned tanks.
The National Anthem was played by a high school brass ensemble called Heavy Metal Tubas. It was appropriate. Somber, majestic, respectful. My only minor quibble is that I prefer to sing along and this was a rendition that made you stand a little straighter, think of traditions and just listen.
At the higher level AAA club the fans were into party mode. That's fine, it has been a long lockdown and minor league ball had just gone from 40% capacity to full. At Cedar Rapids people were also having a good time but these are serious fans. When the umpire called a Kernels player out on a dubious 3rd strike there were howls of indignation and boos. This for the first batter of the first inning!
Having driven through triple digit heat we arrived plenty thirsty. This is not what you want as your first view of the concessions....
A number of the food and drink outlets were not open for our Thursday night game. Regards the latter they seem to have significant extra capacity. I assume this is because every Friday night game is two for one beer night. Plenty of options were available at the stands that were open. I got a large, sprawling barbeque sandwich from a vendor with a pig tattooed on his arm. And a beer from a wild looking character whose name tag simply had BEER GUY scribbled on in black Sharpie.
It was a good game. The home team faltered early, steadied themselves and then rallied for 9 unanswered runs late.
I would not be doing my job as a roving observer of the American scene if I did not check in on an old friend....Mr. Shucks. Since we first met 8 years ago I assume that the person in the suit has changed. But were they up to the high standards of Shucks? Did they fill those gigantic red shoes well?
Yes. Yes indeed. The current Shucks was a worthy successor. He or she was stuck inside a suit with minimal visibility and which must be a portable kiln even on temperate days. But as ever, Shucks worked the crowd, hugged small children (or kept a distance from the frightened ones), participated with enthusiasm in various small between innings antics, stood atop the dugout to cheer on a Kernels rally....and so forth.
And even posed for fan pics with slightly deranged elderly patrons.
Cedar Rapids was a fun stop. I suggest you take in a Kernels game if you find yourself within reasonable proximity. The team is OK, currently about .500. But the food and drink are excellent. And Mr. Shucks remains - unchallenged as I see it - the Best Mascot in Baseball.
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