Just FYI, a personal note from Vic (stolen from another board to share here for those who are interested, I think it sounds like he's in really good place in life right now, congrats)
I haven't shared much racing opinion with you guys this summer. While I have kept a very close eye on Santa Anita and will at Del Mar for tournaments. ( there's a very big one this weekend). My attention has mostly been on Pittsburgh baseball.
Wait. Before you Pirates fans ban me. I'm speaking of the PITTSBURG DIAMONDS of the Pacific Association here in the Bay Area. Did you notice the different spelling? We don't need no stinkin H!
The Pacific Association is an independent professional baseball league made up of 4 teams.
San Rafael Pacifics
Sonoma Stompers
Vallejo Admirals
Pittsburg Diamonds
We play a 78 game season. Two 39 game halves. If two different teams win a half there's a one game Championship to decide it all.
We've just started the second half of the season. We're 1-2. Sonoma won the 1st half with a record of 23-16.
We'd be 2-1 except for a lovely game on Saturday night. We were up 11-2 going to the top of the 8th and somehow found a way to lose 12-11 in extras.
We are WAY good enough to win the 2nd half and the Championship. In my only slightly biased opinion we have the best starting pitching. All very solid. 5 deep. Our bullpen is excellent. Our day to day line up explosive. Just one VERY big problem. WE CAN'T CATCH THE DAMM BALL.
In the 39 games of the 1st half we committed 50 ERRORS Including one game where we had 9. Five from our third baseman. He now plays outfield.
I became involved by sending an email to all 4 teams asking if they ever needed someone to fill in with PA for a game or two I was available..
Pittsburg got back to me that very day saying last season they had nobody. Players who weren't playing that day or out of the game were forced to volunteer . Didn't go real well.
I was offered the job on the spot. $50 bucks a game for 39 home games. Righteous Bucks Dude! I accepted.
Two days before we opened the owner called and said he had no funds left in the budget for PA. But would I still be willing to come?
I of course said what any profession announcer would say.
Who's pitching opening night?
Since then my duties have expanded to Director of Broadcast Operations. I'm in charge of PA, radio (webcast) and TV (local access). Needless to say I no longer expected this job to be pro-bono. And it's not!
My salary package now includes all the Hot Dogs I can eat. Still no $$$. But little did they know it would have been cheaper to pay me the $50 bucks rather than a free roll at the weenie stand.
Since I feel I've deprived a select few of my closest PA friends the opportunity to rip my calls since Hollywood closed. Here's a new chance. Better yet. This, baseball play by play, I really do suck at.
Consider it a late Independence Day present.
We have a game tonight at Vallejo. 1st pitch 6:35pst.
The broadcast website is
www.mixlr.com/pittsburgdiamondsWe have messaging during the games. If you would like to log in and let me know you're listening. Reference PA and I'll give you a shout out.
Here's the team website.
www.pittsburgdiamonds.comBTW we've signed Jose Canseco to play the entire month of August. He'll mostly DH. With some games in the field and the occasional relief appearance. That should be way cool.
Go Diamonds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc__________________
"Just because she's a hitter and a thief doesn't mean she's not a good woman in all the other places" May Rose Prizzi
