April 9 - This Week In Baseball

This Week In Baseball (TWIB)

One of my fondest memories of my youth was watching Mel Allen do This Week In Baseball. It preceded the Game of the Week on NBC. Many people don’t remember there used to be only one televised game per week. Curt Gowdy, Joe Garagiola, and Tony Kubek were the announcers. It was sweet. My lifelong love of baseball was born.

Now it could have been because our TV only received one channel and there was nothing else to watch. But how do you explain my ambivalence toward country music when that same TV picked up Hee Haw as well. I still remember that mind numbing song “Where, where were you tonight….” But I digress.

So here it is, My Week in Baseball.


Monday, April 3 – Opening Day Cincinnati Reds vs. Chicago Cubs

I attended the game courtesy of my old friend Chuck. Chuck was one of the original members of the annual Myrtle Beach Golf Tour. Chuck introduced several of us to the Beer Golf game. It’s where you get to take one stroke off of your score on a hole for every beer you drink on that hole. It works well on the front nine. However there is the law of diminishing returns on the back nine.

The Reds lost 16-7; it was quite cold and windy. But it was the beginning of a new season.

Wednesday, April 5 – Kettering Fairmont at Northmont High School

A day turned from bad to worse or worser. (I know that isn’t a word.) Northmont is 105 miles form my house. It was below 50 degrees and Zack’s team only managed one hit against Northmont. Zack was the starting pitcher and took the loss.

Thursday, April 6 – Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Inclement weather could not keep Zack and me from attending the third game of the season. Less than 5,000 fans showed up top watch a 6-5 Reds’ victory.

Friday, April 7 – Kettering Fairmont at Centerville High School

With Fairmont up 8-0 in the second inning the game was called because a Centerville parent saw lightning. I thought it was the sun’s reflection shining off of another parent’s bald dome. It did storm about an hour later.

Saturday, April 7 – Triple Header


The day started at 9:00 with the annual Opening Day parade for Anderson Little League. The normal 2.5-hour affair was cut short to an hour because of cold, windy weather. The Blue Sharks, Jack’s T-Ball team, had their first game of the season cancelled.

Zack’s Fairmont team had better luck. They pushed back the starting times of their games. Fairmont swept Milton Union, 6-2 and 21-1. Zack pitched a complete game in the nightcap, striking out 10 and allowing only 2 hits and one run.

Sunday, April 9 – Anderson Dodgers vs. Anderson Tigers

Jay’s senior baseball (men over 40) team ran its record to 1-1- with a 10-3 victory over the Tigers. Jay came out the bullpen due to a pitching shortage to throw one inning of relief.


If you are keeping score at home (and I know you are): I saw 7 games in 7 days.