Election Day

You may believe that Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th. You would be correct. Please take advantage of your right as an American to vote for our leadership.

You’re also invited to participate in Election Day next Tuesday, October 21st. That’s when the Harrisburg Senators Fan Club will elect its leadership for the upcoming season.

Please join us to exercise your right as a voting member in good standing. We will accept nominations from the floor. Each of the current officers has accepted a nomination as well.

Following the democratic process, we plan to celebrate our affection for the National Pastime with a special classic baseball surprise. In addition, Senators General Manager Randy Whitaker will provide an update of off-season goings-on at Metro Bank Park.

Don’t forget: vote on Election Day before Election Day, Tuesday, October 21st at the New Cumberland American Legion on Market Street. We’ll come to order at 6:30 PM.

 

Brian Williams
President

No-No History

Sunday, September 28, 2014

The Fan Club's traditional final Sunday home game trip to Nationals Park resulted in an extra-special historical treat this year: the Nats' very first no-hitter! The proof is in the MASN broadcast: during Adeiny Hecchavarria's 3rd inning at-bat, the centerfield camera panned down the left field line. Pause the broadcast and you'll see all of us cheering on Jordan Zimmermann from Section 110.

What a thrill to be on hand for such a historical occasion! Only two of us on the trip had ever experienced a Major League no-hitter prior to this date: Bill Given attended one in the 90s while I was fortunate enough to be invited to witness Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter versus Cincinnati.

Nats Park was electric as the innings ticked by. Ian Desmond's line drive homer into the Marlins pen accounted for the only scoring, so the game was always in doubt.

Nationals starters would exit to standing ovations as more recent Senators took the field. Ryan Zimmerman, trying to work in some ABs following his DL stint, would be the last to depart as Steven Souza, Jr. trotted out to left field for the 9th inning.

None of us sat through the final two innings as Jordan put away Marlin after Marlin. His only perfect game blemish was a mid-inning walk to rookie Justin Bour.

After 26 outs, Christian Yelich battled and laced what appeared to be a gapper, splitting between Souza and Michael Taylor to snuff the drama. As Steven laid out, he snagged the liner and rolled over to preserve the victory and the team's very first no-hitter.

The aftermath was as much fun as the very efficiently played game. None of the 35,085 left or even wanted to leave. This is the last day of the regular season. Nationals baseball would take on a very different feel from this point forward.

Even the 8-year-old sitting next to me, attending his first ever MLB game, seemed to grasp the magnitude of what we'd just witnessed. Our bus was abuzz the entire way home.

The moral of this story? Don't miss another Senators Fan Club event. You never know what you're going to experience.

Fan Club Meeting Tuesday

The Harrisburg Senators Fan Club gathers this Tuesday at the New Cumberland American Legion on Market Street. Please join us for this All*Star event featuring some very special guests.

Our meeting begins at 6:30. All are welcome to join our organization. Please enter through the banquet room doors.

We promise you'll be home in plenty of time to enjoy the Major League All*Star Game festivities.

Congratulations, 2014 MOSELF Champions!

As part of our mission to promote baseball in the area, the Harrisburg Senators Fan Club has been sponsoring a little league team for a number of years. Since our affiliation began, the Harrisburg Senators Fan Club team has now won the championship three times.

We tip our caps to this year's squad, who recently brought home that third ring. Congratulations to these young men as 2014 M.O.S.E.L.F. Champs!

We also wish to recognize Aaron Johnson and his colleagues for continuing to teach these young men teamwork, hard work and the finer points of the game. We've been treated to many examples of how they retain these values well past their playing years. We celebrate your dedication, Aaron!

We hope the team and coaches can join us at an upcoming Fan Club meeting. Revel in your success!

Happy Father's Day & Two Fan Club Updates

*** Introduction ***

First, a personal note: in memory of Mindy’s father, who joined us in Section 5 for many Senators games, our daughter Abby, her fiancé Matt, and Adam and Brittany (our nephew and his wife) planned a miniature golf marathon for yesterday. Ten of us (including Adam’s parents and two of Mindy’s other sisters) played three courses. Another niece and her boyfriend joined us for the first leg at Adventure Sports; Mindy’s younger sister and her husband met us for the last one at Water’s Edge in Bird in Hand.

In between, I won a free game at Boulders Miniature Golf in Mountville. However, Adam and his mother tied for best overall score during this first annual event. They will share the new traveling trophy until next year.

Beforehand, all of us were presented with tourney t-shirts, which garnered attention from others much like on my annual baseball trips. We completed our day with a late lunch at Bird in Hand Family Restaurant.

Happy Father’s Day, Pop! We think you may have had a hand in convincing the Creator to provide yesterday’s fantastic weather so your family could enjoy so much fun together.

*** Update #1 ***

 
Our June meeting will be held one week later than usual to accommodate this week’s Senators home game. The Senators have been on quite a roll, haven’t they? We want to be able to support them on their weeklong home stand.

Set your calendar for Tuesday, June 24th for that next meeting, when we can celebrate the Senators’ current win streak and hot June play. Our guest speaker will be Ray Klein, who will share “Tales of a Major League Vendor”.

Join us at the New Cumberland American Legion on Market Street. We come to order at 6:30 PM.

*** Update #2 ***

Vice-President Jeanne Jacobs has finalized details for a weekend bus trip to see the Senators play in New Britain, CT. We’ll leave from the Radisson Hotel parking lot on Saturday morning, August 16th, enjoy that evening’s game, stay at the Holiday Inn Express, take in Sunday afternoon’s game, and return home Sunday evening.

$175 per person includes your transportation, tickets to both games and your hotel stay. Please call Jeanne at 717-774-2730 if you have any questions.

*** Epilog ***

After church today, Abby and I plan to spend time together; and then, I plan to call my dad. All of us look forward to celebrating his 80th birthday early next month.

He’s taught me so much over the years. I’m thankful for his experience. I’m also grateful to have such a terrific role model. (Did you ever wonder where I get my sense of humor?)

Here’s hoping your Father’s Day will enrich you today, either by spending time with a special male in your life or by recalling special memories. As PA announcer Chris Andree states before every game, “Or both!”

 

Brian Williams
President

 

Lots to Celebrate

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Let's begin by looking backward. This week marks the one-year anniversary of our Ultimate "Ultimate" Baseball Trip. Mitch Mansfield and I trek 2,500 miles to witness nine baseball games (all in different parks) in eight days. If you have a few minutes and care to read about our adventure, start here.

Secondly, we welcomed my friend, fellow baseball aficionado and former umpire, John Ingiosi to Metro Bank Park to last night's Senators game. John worked in this area for many years and is now enjoying retirement with his wife near Hustontown, PA.

I look forward to next time John visits for a game. So should the Senators.

Last night's game began like so many recent games: a 1st inning rally puts our team in an early hole. However, Omar Poveda settles in and holds the Fightins. The Senators battle against the Phils' pen, finally pushing across the eventual game winner on an 8th inning wild pitch with two outs. The Sens relief corps closes the door in the 9th by pounding the strike zone following a couple of bloop singles and an intentional pass.

5-4 final in a steady, light drizzle. It's a crisply played game, too, as the special Wednesday evening fireworks start to light up the cloudy sky before 10 PM.

Rewinding a bit, the evening at the ballpark begins with another celebration. The Fan Club recognized AJ Cole for winning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week a few weeks ago. Long-time Fan Club member Mitch Grafton presented AJ with his award.

Managerial Loss

I usually give managers a pass when it comes to in-game strategy. Most field generals go by the book, but I appreciate those who play on-field chess by gut feeling.

Today, I'm still steamed over last night's 14-inning debacle at Citizens Bank Park. Not because the Phillies are going anywhere this season, but because of a managerial decision that can only be described as nonsensical.

In the bottom of the 13th inning, the Phillies have the winning run at 3rd base with two outs. Granted, they'd already stranded that winning runner at 3rd numerous times during the game.

This time, facing an exhausted pen (from the previous night/morning's extra inning affair), the Phils' manager decides to stick with his only fresh arm -- at least it was fresh before tossing an incredible four innings of 3-up 3-down baseball. (When's the last time we could say that about any Phillies reliever?)

Instead of allowing Jeff Manship to take a seat and bask in the glory of a potential win as a reward for his perfect outing, John Mayberry, Jr. is called back from the on-deck circle. Manship is summoned to take a few cuts. He'd already struck out earlier in the game during a typical Phillies rally: 1-2-3, out-out-out.

This time, he battles. Manship fouls a couple of pitches straight back before grounding a ball up the middle. In his quest for a walk-off infield single, Manship comes up lame as Ruben Tejada rifles a throw to beat him and continue to the 14th inning.

Except Manship can't pitch any longer. In fact, his reward for four perfect innings and a better at-bat than we see from many Phillies who are overpaid to hit, most likely will include a stint on the DL.

With Antonio Bastardo warming in the pen, the rest is purely predictable. A leadoff four-pitch walk to a .200 hitter (Tejada) who never walks. A two-out RBI single from David Wright one pitch after Tom McCarthy mentions how poor he's been in those situations.

Then the Phils leave the tying run in scoring position in the bottom half. Another L. Another reliever asked to go above and beyond, succeed, and then suffer the consequences. Another hitter thinking, "My manager has that little confidence in my abilities?"

A confidence builder? Pfffft.

On a positive note, MLB finally welcomes young Oscar Taveras and he delivers a game-winning homer in his second AB for the Cardinals. Oscar's barely old enough to order a drink and he's already making an impact on a Major League field.

Remember when the Phillies had prospects?