I and the Bird #103 – Take Me Out to the Ballgame
June 25, 2009
Article in: Birding
The days are long, the weather is hot, and the sights, sounds, and smells of summer are in the air. What better way to spend the day than at Birdfreak Stadium for a game of birding baseball. Today’s game is the visiting Rancho Cucamonga Falcons and the home favorite, Seven State Cardinals.
Pre-game
Parking at the stadium is at a premium so it is best to get there early. Nature Remains arrived as the gates opened, and was ready for some tailgating.
Before long, more fans arrived, including Greg Laden who was decked out in body paint from head to toe and Greentangle, sporting a foam finger falcon.
Batting practice was just getting underway and Cardinal players were signing autographs. Rosyfinch Ramblings was ecstatic to get ace pitcher Mary Lou’s autograph.
After infield practice it was time for the National Anthem, sung by the artistic Tara Young. Then it was ready to start the game. Play Ball!!
1st Inning
The Falcons jumped out to an early lead, thanks to Ben Cruachan’s two-run double.
The Cardinals threatened with back-to-back base knocks but a swift double play from Space Coast Beach Buzz ended the rally.
Falcons 2, Cardinals 0
2nd Inning
The Falcons went down 1-2-3 thanks to the excellent pitching of YC Wee from the Bird Ecology Study Group.
Fear of a pitching battle quickly subsided as the Cardinals put up three runs including a two-run dinger from The Greenbelt.
Cardinals 3, Falcons 2
3rd Inning
An otherwise uneventful 1/2 inning was interrupted by a streaker who made it to centerfield before getting tackled by Chicago Bird Watching and escorted off the field.
With two outs and a runner on third, Seabrooke Leckie from The Marvelous in Nature tripled off the wall and scored on a wild pitch.
Cardinals 5, Falcons 2
4th Inning
Those wanting to take a break from the heat were invited to the Birder’s Lounge to sample Dryocopus pileatus martinis.
The Falcons scored one but were robbed of a game-tying homer when Wren made a leaping catch at the wall.
The Cardinals failed to score but the fans were entertained by the dancing styles of the Qarsauq at the end of the inning.
Cardinals 5, Falcons 3
5th Inning
The Cardinals turned an unassisted triple play thanks to IDEALS.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Cardinals left the bases loaded, but the details are sketchy on how it happened.
Out in right field, many fans were enjoying the newly installed “Wanderin’ Weeta Duck Pond“, which of course is full of ducks.
Cardinals 5, Falcons 3
6th Inning
The sun began to set and the lights were turned on. The Falcons proceeded to light up the scoreboard with an RBI triple by Vickie Henderson and a three-run double by DaveA’s Birding Blog.
Falcons 7, Cardinals 5
7th Inning
The concession stands were hopping as the fans couldn’t get enough of the Nuttall’s Woodpecker Homemade Sappy-Insect Ice Cream.
7th Inning Stretch
While “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” blared on the P.A. system, team sponsors gave away free hot dogs to celebrate Bird Photography Weekly.
The Cardinals filled the bases and eventually scored after a long at-bat that led to a walk.
Falcons 7, Cardinals 6
8th Inning
Rick Wright hit a pinch hit double and then reached third on a wild pitch. While the Cardinal’s pitcher was distracted by a large flock of Greater Flamingoes, he stole home!!
Falcons 8, Cardinals 6
9th Inning
In the top of the ninth a commotion broke out at the world-famous Birdfreak Sushi Bar when a Great Blue Heron went fishing without paying.
In the bottom of the ninth with two outs (go figure!) Mighty Corey came to bat and tied the game with a massive home run that nearly made it to Kazakhstan.
Cardinals 8, Falcons 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Falcons 2 0 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 8 16 0
Cardinals 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 8 14 1
Extra Innings!!
Well, it looks like this game is going into extra innings. Keep on playing and watching in the next edition of I and the Bird hosted by A birding blog by Gunnar Engblom.
If for whatever reason I missed your submission for this week’s I and the Bird (most likely if the email went into the SPAM dungeon), feel free to email me a link and I’ll put it up on the sidebar.
