A night at the ballpark

Last night was a company event at the Albuquerque Isotopes.  For the unfamiliar, Albuquerque has long had a farm club for the LA Dodgers (with a short hiatus when they were the farm club for the Seattle Mariners).  Originally, our local team was the Albuquerque Dukes, named after the Duke of Alburquerque who held the original land grant.  (Yes, the Duke's version is the correct spelling of Alburquerque.  The current correct spelling of the city of Albuquerque is, in fact, incorrect.)

I don't remember the dates, but Albuquerque was without a baseball team for a number of years after I moved here when the team was sold to (I think) Portland. 

Then efforts were made to get another team in town.  When those efforts were successful, the new owners needed a new name since the name 'Dukes' went to the Northwest location.  The TV show, The Simpsons, had run a storyline where the fictional Springfield is worried that their minor league team, the Isotopes, is going to be sold to Albuquerque.  So our team has been called the Isotopes since, life imitating art.  They even put up some life-sized statues of the Simpson family (with permission of the show, of course).

July was the fourth wettest July on record.  This made it worrisome that the game would be rained out, especially because the morning looked really threatening.  Very dark clouds loomed over the Sandia mountains.  However, they cleared off as the day went on.  There were a few clouds in the area during the game, but nothing remotely like a rain cloud.

Here's one of the Isotopes batting at last night's game.

The weather was nicer than in years past.  The past few times I've gone to one of these annual events, the temperatures have been really warm, 90 degrees and thereabouts.

Last night started out at 81 degrees.  The temperature slowly dropped as the night/game went on and a stiff breeze popped up.

By the end of the eighth inning, the temperature and breeze made me wish I'd brought a lightweight jacket.  It was 71 degrees at 9 PM.  The 'Topes were also down - the Tacoma Rainiers won by a score of 5-2.  I suppose I could have stayed on to the end, but I headed on home. 

It was a nice enough evening. 

Papillon

A Night at the 'Topes

Albuquerque has had a Triple A baseball team for decades.  When I moved here, the team was the Dukes, so named because this area was originally a land grant from the king of Spain to the Duke of Alburquerque.  (Note:  the correct Spanish spelling includes the 'extra' R.  This means the 'correct' spelling of the city of Albuquerque is 'incorrect'.)

The team was sold to a group in Seattle and moved there.  After a few years, the decision was made to see about getting another team to move to Albuquerque.  The team arrived and was named the Isotopes, nicknamed the 'Topes.

A friend and I went to last night's game (July 20, 2013).

 

We had a good time.  Unfortunately, the 'Topes did not have a good time and lost 4-2 to the Omaha Storm Chasers.  Here the 'Topes are on the field - probably in the top of the first or second inning.  They're not wearing their regular uniforms, since this was Dukes Retro Night.

 

 

You may be able to notice some storm clouds behind the stands.  We didn't get any rain at the stadium, but when I drove my friend home, we could see there'd been rain at her house.

 

After the game, there was a fireworks show.  Very pretty.  I got a couple of shots, but the multiple 'blooms' rather confused my camera as to what to focus on.

 

 

 

All in all, we had a nice time.

 

Papillon

 

Play Ball!

For decades Albuquerque had a semi-pro baseball team called the Albuquerque Dukes.  So named because this area was originally part of a Spanish land grant involving the Duke of Alburquerque.  (Yes, the extra 'r' is correct in the Spanish spelling of the word.)  The Dukes were a farm team for the LA Dodgers.

About 10 years ago (or more), the franchise was sold to a group up in the Northwest (Oregon, I think) and subsequently was moved there.  Albuquerque went without semi-pro baseball for a few years.  Then another group formed a team which was named (with a distinct nod towards The Simpsons TV show) the Isotopes.  As before, they are a farm team for the LA Dodgers.

Back when they were still the Dukes I went to a couple of games over the years.  I remember the old stadium had the concessions on a lower level that always seemed dark and closed in.

After an extended period of unemployment, I have signed on with a new employer.  I started my employment just in time to take advantage of a group night at the Isotopes.  This happened last night (8/27).

When I got to the stadium, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with the renovations done to the stadium for the Isotopes.  The walk-up to the stadium is lovely.  The concessions are up on an open-air mid-level concourse that is user-friendly.  I found my seat and then went to got a beer and some popcorn and finally settled in to watch the game.

My seat was located way down the first base line.  Here's a photo of my section taken from behind third base.  Locate the long white sign on the left side of the photo.  You'll notice a large blue circular logo on the right side of the sign.  My section was under that circular logo.

The Isotopes were playing the Round Rock (TX) Express and the evening went well for the 'Topes who won by a score of 8 to 3.

It was a fun evening.  It was rather hot when I first got to the stadium - in the mid 90's and initially my section was in the sun.  It was better when the sun went behind a cloud and then eventually set.  After it got dark, the temperature dropped into the upper 80's and a nice breeze sprang up so it was quite nice.

Here's a photo of what the game looked like from where I was sitting.

See that expanse of nighttime sky on the right side of the photo?  We kept seeing lightning off in the distance (the northwest section of the Albuquerque metro area).  Not a lot.  Plus, it was far enough away that we never heard any thunder.  Still. it made me nervous to be sitting near large light poles knowing there was lightning in the area.  I don't know if the lightning meant somebody was getting rain.  While driving home, I didn't see any spots that looked like they'd gotten rain.

I took a closeup shot of the game.  This is while Round Rock was at bat in the top of the 8th.  They're in the gray uniforms.  The 'Topes players were in blue shirts.

All in all, I'm glad I went.

Papillon