Had I attended the Cardinals' game with the Minnesota Twins, I would have seen a significant event in the career of an FL alum. Former River City Rascal pitcher Josh Kinney, who has come back from Tommy John surgery, earned his first win as a Big Leaguer. He picked up the victory in relief, helped by two 2-run blasts from teammate Albert Pujols. Josh is in his third season with the Cardinals - congrats to him for this milestone.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the River City Rascals and T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Missouri. The team joined the Frontier League in 1999 as the first club in the FL to be located in an MLB market. For those of us who had followed the League, walking the fields of Pikeville, Kentucky and negotiating the waters of Portsmouth, Ohio (although I am fond of both places), it was a huge step forward to have this sparkling new stadium in a "Major" metropolitan area. I remember being in O'Fallon in 1999 and watching the fans sprint, with their lawn chairs and blankets, from the gate to the grass berm on the left field line to grab a first-come, first-served spot to follow their new team. I knew then that it was a big day in the FL's development. The berm is still a popular place to watch the Rascals play.
There is a definite youth movement in
the River City front office, led by General Manager Chris Franklin. Chris is in his third year with the Rascals, his first as the GM and, guided by his mentor and team president, Steve Malliet, he has helped in the development of a ton of fun things to do around the ballpark. You can get a Custom Cuts' haircut down the left field line, enjoy a relaxing view of the game from the right field hot tub, or, most important for me, suck down a root beer float at the O'Fallon Brewery stand. The root beer was developed for the Rascals and is only available at T.R. Hughes. The big news coming out of Saturday night, however, was the gauntlet Chris threw down: he saw my item yesterday about Gateway's Steve Gomric and challenged his crosstown opposite number to a dance-off when the teams get together for a day-night doubleheader later in the season. Cancel anything else I'm doing then - I've got to be in St. Louis to see this.One of the people that makes River City special is "roaming" P.A. announcer Ra
ndy Moehlman. There was a story on the FL web site this week about his exploits - I got to see him in action, clipboard in hand, pumping up the level of excitement for Rascals' fans who braved the hottest day of the season. His frenetic style was infectious. I also got to meet "Bubblegum" Bob Griffith, who sits right behind the first base dugout. He was pointed out to me by his daughter, Dawn Gerard, who sang the National Anthem Saturday. Bob earned his nickname by bringing a bucket of bubblegum to every game and tossing individually-wrapped pieces to Rascals' players as they come off the field. He had to be the happiest guy in the ballpa
rk.It was a terrific night and a fitting end to my seven-day sojourn. I can tell you that the state of the Frontier League is strong, and fun. Everywhere I went, I saw folks enjoying the game of baseball and the chance to create memories with their families. When I get home, I'll take a deep breath and then offer some reflections on the week. I can say now that I can't wait to plan the next trip.
Thanks to everyone across the Frontier League who made the 7-7-7 extravaganza the blast that it was. I'd love to hear from anyone who has a comment on or question about the trip - send your e-mail to "theflscout@gmail.com". More later!
