Last night we went to the Eugene Emeralds vs. Hillsboro Hops game (high A league). It was Wicked night. The game itself was boring until the 7th inning. The Emeralds scored five runs, including two homers. The Emeralds won 6-5. As is typical, the entertainment was okay. The drone show was my first seeing in person. On the plus side, they wouldn’t frighten dogs or cause PTSD. Maybe it was the limited budget that A teams probably have; not spectacular. The weather was perfect, though.

The stadium itself is about the size of the old Bill Meyer stadium in Knoxville. I remember dollar nights on Wednesdays. I’d take Ben and he’d find the gang of kids running around to join. It was great for being able to keep eyes on the kids. Plus the regular attendees would help keep them in line. The kids would collect all those plastic baseball caps that held ice cream. I think I had a cabinet full by the time that phase of boyhood ended.

Interesting how the 3 baseball games I have attended this summer all have ties to Knoxville. Tony Vitello was the Vols head coach before he joined the San Francisco Giants as their head coach. The Vols won the 2024 championship under him. In Denver I was thinking of Todd Helton who played for the Rockies after his Vols career. And, the Eugene Emeralds are one of the farm teams for the SF Giants, so that’s only one degree of separation.

On Thursday, Randi and I went to the Scandia Fest in Junction City. Small, and full of food trucks. I really wanted to see crafts. Most of the vendors were those that make the festival rounds – soaps, flowers, jewelry, etc., without them being Scandinavian. We watched the kids dancing for a few minutes.