Dear dimwit on the phone

Here's a voicemail left by a senior citizen a couple months ago who was extremely upset and disturbed (he actually said "disturbed" in a follow up voicemail) that we weren't treating a Spring Training game like they had just won the pennant:

He called back a couple more times and left longer messages saying the exact same thing. He even called other departments to make his complaints. At first I thought maybe he was confused about it being Spring Training, but in other voicemails he makes it clear that he does know.

 

"Supernatural" play? Like an 'Angels in the Outfield' type of situation? You could be sitting on a huge story here.

 

I think the decision is made well in advance of the game. At least a day or two, based on the forecast. Generally, if there's even a chance of rain they'll close it because those stadiums have little drainage on the field to handle a storm. So even if they open the roof just before the kickoff, both teams know whether it'll be open or closed. I'd assume they do it before warm-ups, too, so the kickers can gauge their range.

 

Someone forgot to inform the guys doing the radio pre-game.

 

"Angels are real dicks." -- Dean Winchester

 

Wow, parents are really sensitive about senior night. Got several calls this morning from baseball parents who couldn't believe I put a picture of the other team's pitcher (who threw a complete game in a win the team needed to make the playoffs) instead of the seniors. Sorry? I guess it's a bigger deal than I realized.

 

It's an even bigger deal to the players/parents who don't get much game action.

One year as a HS football beat writer, I did a nice feature on a senior on the team (was an all-district stud, so certainly deserved), but also ran a list of all the seniors who were on the roster for Podunk for their last game. Yes, I know they can get their names in the game program, but some parents seemed to appreciate the gesture.

 

For some, it's the only game they'll start all season -- which also makes it one where the home team will often get their brains kicked in. They let the seniors have their moment, which is nice, but there's a reason some of them haven't played in four years.

 

True. Although with this team they had to win the game to have a shot at the playoffs so they played the regular team. I already did a story on the seniors at the start of the season, so I didn't feel that I necessarily had to get a photo of them again. Whatever. Next time maybe.

 

That's bad planning by the coaches to make senior night a district game. Most ones I know will try to do it as a non-district game, or at least that's the way it typically works out.

 

Always been the last home game of the regular season in places I work.

Depends on what size paper you work at too. If you're in a one- or two-horse town, yeah, make a fuss. But for every sport at every school? Can't be done.

 

Guy called me this morning to complain about the high school's twitter account not giving his son credit for two straight shutouts. OK, yeah?