In an effort to get out of the press box, I decided during Friday’s 5-1 Hawks loss to the Eugene Em’s that I would go for a walk. As you can see from the picture, my space in the box is pretty limited.

My walk started out pretty simple, but took me to a strange and frightening place just outside the wall of Civic Stadium.

With the stadium being so very old, they still have a manual scoreboard in right-center field. I had asked for the ability to go up there for a few innings and check out what it’s like to have to operate such a magnificent piece of baseball history.

Once past humanity and the gate in right field, I came across what looked to be the flashback of a painter in
Vietnam. With old paint cans, and pieces of wood strewn about, I hesitated just a moment and reconsidered my desire to proceed.

But I did, and I’m glad.  

I ended up sitting with Nick Robertson and Jeff Oliver, the operators of the scoreboard.

They had a pretty sweet setup. With a boombox (which was reportedly on later in the game, and bothered certain outfielders and members of the Hawks organization. It also had a fridge with “refreshments” and room for the numbers and two grown men to move around, although the thin wood floor bowed just a little.

I learned that in such a scoreboard, the capabilities of the operators is limited. There’s only one “10”, so if more than one is needed, it will take some ingenuity by Nick and Jeff.

Also, the score cards only go up to 19.

Apparently if the Em’s ever score more than 19, they have to count up from there themselves.

The guys are allowed a small view in between numbers, and a small box that I took a picture of. It’s an interesting way to view the game. The guys talked with me about baseball and the Northwest League while we sat together.

They made every attempt to make me comfortable.

It wasn’t easy considering how frightened I was for my way back.

I ended up making it back up to the pressbox and continued doing color with Safford for the rest of the night.

I had to wonder if Tarlandus Mitchell’s performance would have looked any better from their seats.

Now I just hope that with so many moves in the San Diego Padres system after the events in their AAA team, the guys that do all the work to keep the score are going to be much more active on the Boise side.

Like the symbol for the Oregon Lottery, I’ll just cross my fingers.

 

 

It’s kind of funny to me that my “Day One” blog comes halfway through the season.

But then again, if I had foot-raced the players to Eugene, I’d definitely be getting there a month later than everyone.

Last night was my first night doing color for the broadcast with Mike Safford, and if you heard me, you probably heard constant remarks on how different it is to cover a team on the road.

As you can see in the picture to the right, the first thing we saw at the stadium was a giant Em’s symbol.

I had to stop and take a picture, because I don’t know that I’ve ever had the pleasure of covering a team in a volatile environment.

Throughout the game there were “Boise Sucks” chants, and worse slurs that made Safford and I laugh in the press box.

Laughter covering for fear, I’m sure.

But in the end, the Hawks walked away victorious, with a 6-2 win.

The mood was light in the clubhouse afterward, as I was greeted with watermelon when I stepped in, and more conversation on Mark Buerhle than the game that had just happened.

(PS: Yes, the rumors are true, Safford and I saw the perfect game live at a local joint called “Sizzler”. You may have heard of it.)

The players all changed clothes and piled onto the bus and Korean interpreter Choi passed out cookies to all that walked past him on the bus.

I didn’t get one. It looks like it takes more than a bus ride to earn my stripes here.

The stadium here is gorgeous, and the Eugene staff has been quite kind to me. But then again, today is the day where I branch out.

Stay tuned for stories from their clubhouse, scoreboard, and even from the mouth of their fans.

I might accidentally forget my Boise hat that day.

The smallest things have come as big differences to me. Gray jersies on the Hawks players, fans booing a simple Rosario/Pitcher meeting on the mound.

Everything that happens every game in Boise, but goes unnoticed because I’m so desensitized.

Being without those senses is a terrible thing for a writer. And I don’t plan on waiting this long again before I stop and smell the roses.

Even if they aren’t all that sweet.

 

I sat at Wednesday’s loss to the Volcanoes, watching them blow away would could have been a series win.

But I had a different perspective.

I’ve never watched the final game of a homestand and known that I’ll be watching the first game on the road.

Earlier this season, whe the team had just been put together, I asked Hawks GM Todd Rahr how long the team had gray jerseys.

Obviously the radio gig keeps me home.

But last night I had the unique opportunity of riding on the bus with the staff, Play-By-Play guy Mike Safford and see what it’s all about.

I had the struggle of the inability to sleep on the bus, but a movie called “Push” that seemed determined to help my eyes clsoe

I didn’t get the chance to talk to the guys, but for the first time I got a sliver of understanding of what these guys go through.

Sure, it’s only a sliver. But I don’t plan on it being the last one.

When we reached Eugene, the guys piled off the bus and Jae-Hoon Ha teased Brett Jackson about the look on his face.

Then, as I was pathetically standing with my pillow like an eight year old kid waiting for Christmas, it hit me that among a crew of athletes I stand out. I’m like Lou Costello trying out for the St. Louis Wolves.

We’ll see if as this series goes on, if I’m able to reconcile the difference in every athletic category, and find out how these guys survive this for a full season.

Who knows, the Wolves had Who on 1st, What on 2nd, I Don’t Know on 3rd, etc. But I’m fairly certain they needed a right fielder. 

Tom Trebelhorn is no stranger to the game of baseball.

He knows how to win.

That fact is not just evident in the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. It’s obvious in his major league managing career.

He wore the manager jersey for the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, and as a third base and bench coach for the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s no surprise he has a different attitude toward the way he runs his team.

“I don’t think you can develop a true major league player until you can get them to win as a team,” he said of the oft-different management style from that of the Cubs organization.

“This sport is individual enough already. Without a desire to win and pull for your teammates, you’re done. This is already the most individualistic team sport there is. Nobody helps on the field, running, hitting, To get the total complete player it takes a desire to support teammates. That comes from winning.”

If one man I’ve talked to can sum up the Hawks, it’s this guy.

He’s pounded them, and now sits 2-2 in the series at Memorial Stadium.

“They’re a much better team, pure and simple. They got some big guys at first base, centerfield and catcher now. Big guys help, and they’re a better team.”

It made me want to know how three players, as he put it, can come in and immediately make a team that was so bad, its own blogger was critical.

“There’s a formula for chemistry, and that formula is W-I-N. That’s the same as us.”

Say what you will Trebelhorn, I think it’s all about the shaving cream to the faces of the player of the game.

Plus…the Hawks have never looked cleaner-shaved.

Baseball has grown beyond what’s on the field.

It’s easy to sit in the press box and write a game-story on each pitch.

But the media has shifted to writing more and more about what’s happening off the field, and less about the actual action on it.

One of the benefits of my job is my ability to view the game from assorted parts of the stadium, with assorted fans, without having a gaudy orange sweater that would interrupt the view of the fans I sit with.

Last night I was lucky enough to sit with Emmet Herndon and his wife of 64 years, Janet.

Emmet is 86 years old. But he’s more active than me, easily. He rides his bike to the games, and to work at Peasley Transfer every day.

During the game he keeps score, and updates those that sit near him of the recent at-bats.

Nothing on the field was past his understanding, and he pointed things out to me that I wouldn’t have picked up on otherwise.

When the Hawks were leading 2-1 in their 3-2 loss to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes on Sunday, he noticed the Hawks infield move in.

“Look at that,” he said. “They’re moving in the infield to cut off the runner on third.”

The next pitch went over second base by little more than a foot.

“Looks like they should have left the infield back. He woulda got him.”

He goes to each game with Janet, and remembers going to Boise games in the 40s and 50s with her as well.

“This game has changed a lot less than a lot of sports,” he said. “It’s nice. You get used to certain traditions and practices.”

I had to laugh when he mocked my use of my cell phone to update my facebook, twitter, email, texts and story while I was sitting with him.

“You have to focus on the game at some point, don’t you?”

For a moment he got me to put my phone away and just enjoy the game with a man and his wife that have forgotten more about baseball than I hope to learn.

The Hawks may not have won, but the four innings I watched with him were the closest to relaxation I’ve had in a while. It’s easy to forget how to watch a game as a fan, when you always have a job to do.

In the wise words of Herndon:

“It’s a pleasant way to spend a summer evening, don’t you think?”

The Boise Hawks are rolling along right now.

No better time than after a four-game winning streak to have them available for a meet-and-greet with the fans in Boise. They hit Applebee’s after their 3-2 win over the powerful Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, and fans and personnel mingled.

I had to seize the opportunity to talk to the guys and get some positive feedback. You never know how much longer the success will last.

But I got to sit the majority of the time with first baseman Greg Rohan.

Rohan has seen his struggles at the plate, and more power success than any other player.

Sitting with him was his girlfriend from back home at Kent State. I’ll just call her “Abby”.

Abby told me about how nervous Rohan was during the MLB draft. He had heard from many different teams that they had interest, but each made their picks, and he continued to wait.

Eventually his name was read in the 21st round when the Cubs picked him up. It was a sigh of relief for him, and a moment of realization for the young couple.

This blog isn’t supposed to be about relationships, and I don’t plan for it to start now.

I’m just saying that sitting at a table with a couple that sees each other for the first time in a month makes me remember, as I have a few times this season, that I’m not just writing about baseball players.

I’m writing about people.

Many are far from home and the ones they love. They’re trying to build their careers, and in their chosen field, it may be a short window that they have that chance.

Maybe the .196 batting average is fodder for sports conversation, but there’s much more behind a number on a jersey than more numbers.

I’m sure I’ll be back to writing about the numbers in the game tomorrow. But for one day it was nice to get a player away from the dugout, and near someone he felt comfortable with. 

He’ll be back on the field today. The temperatures will be flirting with triple digits, and his jersey will separate him from the fans in the stands.

His mind will be back on baseball, and trying to get a hit to continue the Hawks’ winning ways.

But, it’s always interesting to find out what lies in a players head, when the bats, jerseys, gloves and mits are put away.  

 

It had to happen at some point, right?

Well, not technically.

But after the progress the Hawks have made since starting the year 1-7, getting three wins in a row to sit at 11-16 overall, the change from the composure of the 1962 Mets (see: 2009 Mets) to the agility and confidence of a team that knows it can win, it deserves a mention.

It’s the first time they’ve been this close to .500 since they sat at 0-5 to open the season.

Their first win? Against the same team they’ll be facing tonight, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

The Hawks have not become the top team in the Northwest League, but they have started to beat teams that a good team SHOULD beat.

That’s the first step.

But now they get a five-game set with Salem-Keizer, which is 20-7 on the season, and not showing many signs of letting up.

A few wins in this series will make me a believer.

And that’s the beautiful thing. It doesn’t matter what I believe, what I see, or what talent and flaws I can pinpoint.

For the first time this season, the HAWKS believe they can win. And isn’t that the only thing that will effect them on the field?

Balls are starting to leave the park, and the fans in the stadium have become rowdier, and more fired up about the team they’re watching.

It’s not very comfortable to have to talk to a group of players and coaches as a team struggles to find its identity.

Somewhere, they found it.

Even Hak-Ju “E” Lee has become not only crisp, but at some points worthy of “Ooohs” and “Ahhs” in the press box.

Of course, those are all coming from me.

If the recent success is a sign of progress, the next series with the Volcanoes is the actual measurement. And I’m excited to see what the benchmark says.

This is a league about development, not wins. But seemingly for the Hawks, they work hand-in-hand.

 

 

I’m not going to lie.

I enjoyed the view the Yakima Bears staff gave me last night.

I mean, literally. They sat in the diamond club seats at Memorial Stadium and I fully enjoyed getting to see the game from their view.

But even better was getting to hear all about the similarities and the differences.

One of their employees expressed how fun it was to watch two teams battle it out.

In the Hawks 9-8 win, there were five lead changes. The teams seemed to want the other one to win it.

I give the edge to the Hawks, who had just got back from a grueling road trip to Canada.

But…I might be a homer.

But overall, the people I sat with from Yakima (their GM and front office staff) gave me a unique perspective.

Apparently other teams are having struggles this season. Who knew?

The Hawks pulled into second place at 9-16. The Bears sit at 8-17. They’re evenly matched, it seems.

But let me shed some light on some other stats.

The Hawks are 6-6 at home. They’re 6-5 overall since Brett Jackson “5” joined the squad, and there seems to be a fire and a will to win that wasn’t there before.

If they’re truly better at home, we’re about to find out, on this eight-game homestand.

Think the roadtrip to Canada was grueling? How about the trip from Yakima? Try eight days of 24-hour effort for the Hawks staff.

Front office and dugout……good luck. Here we go!

I didn’t have to see the Hawks play this weekend to notice them break a few chains.

Recently they had lost seven consecutive games on the road.

In case you don’t follow sports often, that’s not a good streak to have.

But more importantly to the team winning more down the road, they rebounded from an embarassing loss on Saturday to win the game, something they have not been able to do recently.

It seems it took three humiliating performances in a row to get their heads in the game before.

This team is coming around, I truly believe that. Their record is still falling, but is falling at a slower pace.

At the very least, that’s a positive step.

And positive steps are the types of things that makes you stop sliding down a sand dune, and start making progress at getting up.

Enough Bruneau metaphors for me.

If the Hawks have one general positive point coming, it’s a long stretch at home, with one roadtrip mixed in. That gives them a real shot at gaining ground.

Or…possibly the exact opposite.

That’s the beauty of baseball. It’s not over until that final pitch. Let’s just hope the Hawks get together in time to make that last pitch in September, and not mathematically in August.

Depending on who you ask, Boise is a special place.

The Boise Hawks sure seem to like it. After beating the Eugene Emeralds 6-3 on Wednesday, they moved to 5-6 on the year at home.

That may not seem like something to brag about, but considering the 1-7 record on the road, two wins would be boast-worthy.

But, after talking to Casey Kopitzke last night, it seems that it may have less to do with playing at home, and more that home just happened to be where they played when they started winning.

“I don’t know if it’s different at home,” he said.

In fact, he explained that it may have more to do with the fact that pitching usually puts them out of games early in losses, and the three games they won this week were games they were never out of.

The team seems to go without hits completely until they’re needed.

They haven’t hit a home run at home since August 28th of 2008. That’s 104 consecutive innings at Memorial Stadium that has gone without the home crowd seeing what pleases them most.

Yet, Wednesday’s 3,802 crowd was a season high.

Who knows. Maybe there is something special about Boise. It may have nothing to do with what the players are seeing, it may have to do with what the crowd is becoming.

Is Boise suddenly a small-ball city? Has the home run left the park for good?

Garden Citi-Field, as I’ve begun to call the suddenly cavernous stadium, seems to have some sort of effect on the Hawks, whether they notice it or not.

Kopitzke was certain the team has had the same fire they have now, when they were losing.

But I didn’t see it. I saw players giving up.

Now I see players making good decisions on the basepaths. I see Jose Valdez at first and then running for third in the time it takes for me to look up.

I’m not suggesting they’re on a tear, but they are 5-3 in their last eight games at home. Clutch hits are beginning to come, and Hak-Ju Lee is starting to show more brilliance at shortstop than Keystone Cop.

So I guess we’ll see. Now they head to Canada and try to keep their solid playing.

Consistency has been a problem.

But if Kopitzke is right, it won’t take the friendly confines of home to keep the winning happening. 

If he’s right, it’s going to follow them. 

And as the GM of the Hawks, Todd Rahr, says, “They’re only two games out of second place.”