I Got Fitted for a Bee Stinger to Complement the Halo

Post date: May 5, 2013 5:09:32 AM

Although this website is designed as a forum to discuss my beloved Angels, from time to time I will post an entry that is not directly about the Angels however it is somehow related to the Angels. This is one such entry, on Sunday, April 28th I attended my first minor league game. I never thought that I would ever see a minor-league game in my lifetime, since I grew up in very close proximity to Angel Stadium, I always thought that my exposure would be limited to Major League Baseball.

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My move to Sacramento changed that however, I was able to go see the minor-league Angels, also known as. The Salt Lake Bees, for the Salt Lake Bees versus The Sacramento River Cats at Raley Field. I must say that Triple-A baseball feels different, yet it feels the same. One gets the feel that one is in a major league ballpark environment while at the same time it takes place in a very intimate setting.

This park has very unique features, one of which is Homerun Hill, one can purchase tickets to sit in this area beyond the right-field wall. What makes this very unique is that there are no bleachers in right field like you would find in a major league ballpark., The fans bring blankets and enjoy the game as if they were having a picnic. An individual who calls himself “Mike on the Mic” entertains the fans in Homerun Hill by using T-shirt cannons and holding contests on the field between innings.

The entertainment also has a major league feel to it. The two things that are most memorable were “The Heads of State” and “Cats’ Cab. The Heads of State is similar to the United States Presidents used by the Washington Nationals and like the Nationals the heads of state or composed of former Governors of California. The Governors include: Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Gray Davis. Similar to the Nationals, one Governor never wins, Gray Davis, known to the fans as “wrong Way Gray” because he always starts the race by going the wrong way.. I can appreciate the political satire. You see, California is primarily a blue state with a few exceptions, however California’s Governors are primarily Republican with the exception of Governor Jerry Brown and Governor Gray Davis; referring to Governor Davis as “Wrong Way Gray” is funny because it probably refers to the only Governor in California history to be recalled; as a blue voter myself, I can appreciate the satire. This is just my theory of course, but it makes total sense given California’s history and legacy.

“The Cats’ Cab” is a parody of the Discovery Channel’s “Cash Cab” where a River Cats’ fan is asked a trivia question about the River Cats, in this particular instance the fan got the question right, garnering the approval of the crowd.

This Triple-A game was a lot of fun. Even though the Bees lost 7-2 to the River Cats. Although it was disappointing I can’t say it wasn’t fun. Yes indeed, I was fitted for a Bee Stinger to complement my Halo. I definitely plan to make another appearance supporting the Salt Lake Bees.

-ICE