SARATOGA REPORT

Read this enjoyable piece by Saratoga Springs Resident Pat Cannon about a very nice Saratoga experience he had this past weekend that you might want to try yourself

“People ask me what I do in the Winter when there’s no baseball. I stare out the window and wait for Spring, that’s what I do”
-Ty Cobb
It was a gorgeous Spring day in Saratoga Springs on Saturday April 18th (a rarity for sure) when the Skidmore College nine took to the baseball field. Such was the weather that Ernie Banks himself might say “Let’s play two” and they did. While our local Skidmore lads dropped both games to Vassar College they were two close and terrific affairs. There was notably excellent fielding from both teams, many nifty double plays. Skidmore pulled off a very clever play. When Vassar loaded the bases with two outs it was noticed that the runner who had just arrived at first was drifting a little far off the bag. He was picked off, bang, out of the inning. Great stuff.

 

Before the games, Skidmore honored its seven graduating seniors: Landon Schwartzman, Nate Vandersea, Sam Dalsimer, Eddie Galvao, Grayden Harris, Zach Dines, and Quinn Hocom. Photo from Skidmore Athletics website

 

So if you hadn’t seen a college game in a while some things have changed, some remain the same. Here’s the new.
  1. Aluminum bats. Not new, I know but that ping. Not the classic crack of wood.
  2. Turf field all around. There’s no dirt. They slide on the stuff and easily pop right up. How’s a pitcher supposed to throw a mud ball?
  3. Pitch clock. They have 20 seconds to deliver the next pitch. Nothing wrong with that.
  4. Walk up music. Not the worst thing I suppose.
Here’s the glorious old stuff.
  1. Real extra innings. First game went twelve innings and it was thrilling. None of this runner starts on second base business. What’s the rush?
  2. Catcher flashed real signs with even a few fake shake offs.
  3. The Vassar pitcher second game (Will Darrell) was a real throw back. Crafty lefty, moved guys off the plate then something outside on the black. You half expected to see him bum a cigarette between innings but obviously there was none of that.
  4. The fundamentals. The proper backing up, that sort of thing. All the same.
Skidmore plays on the new Ferrari Field on Daniels Road not far from campus. It’s a nice setting carved out of the woods, not a corn field but the next best thing. A few more home games remain. Parking and admission are free but don’t park too close, there’s not much netting. A windshield might just catch a foul ball. Check it out. It beats watching the Mets these days but, well, that’s another story.
Patrick Cannon is a retired lawyer. His hard ball career ended in 1977. While playing for Holy Family HS on Long Island he grounded into a double play against Chaminade HS ending a playoff game. Nevertheless, his girlfriend Marcia stayed with him and they married and now live a retired life near the race track in Saratoga Springs.