This is the scoreboard just after 18 year old Daniel Corcino induced the 8th batter in the 9th inning to line out hard to the first baseman Nurre for the final out.

The other youngster from the Caribbean was 16 year old Yorman  Rodriguez, the under age beer batter for the game. I wonder, do they have any child labor laws in Venezuela? He was just picked up a few games ago and seems to have a big bat. He had a double and a home run tonight, the second since he came to Billings.

The pitchers did well until the ninth. Snowden threw 6 scoreless innings. Then a couple of relievers put them down until the ninth when the first four batters singled and two runs had ruined the possible shutout.  Then young Corcino came on to get the double play with another run scoring and emptying the bases.

We all breathed a sigh of relief and held our breaths while the next batter singled and the next is walked. Can this be a repeat of something we’ve seen earlier in the season?  It turns out to be a ploy to heighten the tension, finally broken by the line drive into Nurre’s trusty glove. Whew!

I wonder if it is reasonable to hope for a .500 season this year? Not hopeless but possibly out of reach already.

Four hits together with some walks and timely errors by our friends from Ogden led to 7 runs featuring a 3 run homer by first baseman Nurre, and a double with an error and heads up running by catcher Fleury led to the winning run in the 5th inning with the bullpen providing the necessary outs on some big hitters.

The Mustangs take a day off tomorrow and then play Missoula four games in a row up there. By the way, the Wikipedia entry on the Mustangs has a nice list of former players who played in the majors. The only thing needing a bit of editing is the sentence on the “beer batter.” Beer drinkers do not stand on the steps ready to run down them anymore. That was a Cobb Field phenomenon.

The four pennants in a column on the left indicate that Great Falls is on top and Billings is on the bottom in the northern division of the Pioneer League I think.

Sorry friends, it is taking me longer than usual to get caught up with what is new at Dehler Park. Chalk that up to age and being away for three weeks.The picture to the lower right was taken from left field trying to give you an impression of the vastness of the outfield, something we don’t always appreciate from the grandstand behind home plate.

I mentioned the 329 Club earlier but forgot to include a picture of the serving girls and to remark on the presence of these very nice young ladies in scattered places around the park, in addition to their presence out in the left field corner, almost like the stewardesses on airplanes in the olden days.Well, now wait a minute, now that I think about it the stewardesses I remember never dressed in red tank tops.

Perhaps the management is trying to make up for the awkwardness and forced cosiness of most of the seats. The young ladies take your orders for drinks etc and bring them back to you with a smile. See below left for a picture of the one serving Sec 111.

The Fourth of July featured an early game with the home team wearing the funny striped socks and short trousers we all wore back in the 50s, when we were playing baseball that is.

The Mustangs continued their losing streak, 3-2, to Missoula this time. Our batters completely fell asleep in the latter half of the game. At this level if the pitchers hold the opponents down to say less than 6 runs then it should be up to the offense to get 7 runs. A few errors and a few walks are to be expected.

Fleury switched to catching and Sosa switched to first base and both did well if I remember correctly though nobody made much of a dent in the Missoula pitching.

I’m not sure if these LazE Boys are permanent seats here or not. The colors seem to go with the Cincinnati red color. As you can see everybody needs to bring their own protection from the elements. Today it was the sun.

Bottom of 7th Brewers v Mustangs 3 July 09

It’s more than a little surprising to find the Mustangs having won only two games this far into the season. We didn’t get back early enough on 1 July to make it to the game. Listening to the last few innings on KBUL persuaded us that it was just as well. They lost 10-0. Apparently the defense is averaging about 4 errors per game, adding perhaps a few other disappointing plays that don’t get recorded as errors but neither are they good plays. I’m anxious to see this guy Corcino as he sounded pretty good on the radio.

I did get a chance to see the 2nd game of the three with Helena on 2 July. There were a few good things and many bad things.  Hitting was not one of the good things except for catcher Humberto Sosa. Infield errors,  one critical walk and wild pitches didn’t help matters, expecially in the top of the 9th when the aggressive-running Brewers took advantage of these to score a couple of runs without a hit.

I surprised myself and stayed for the whole game on Friday night, 3 July, the third in as many days with the Brewers. Our Mustangs started looking better with the bat in the middle innings after spotting the Brewers 2 runs in the 2nd and 2 more in the 3rd. The last had some odd things happen as a pop fly to the 2nd baseman doesn’t usually result in a run. I think the runner just surprised Pimental. All of the Brewers’ hits, mostly dinks over the infield, were given up by Astorga in the first 3 innings. The bullpen did well after that, no hits, except for the 6th when Serrano hit a guy and walked another, the catcher Sosa allowed a double steal by fumbling a fast ball strike, and then suffered a passed ball, though it may have been called a wild pitch by the official scorer, after which a sacrifice fly to left scored the ultimate winning run: another one of those 2 run innings without a hit.

The Brewers almost managed to throw the game the Mustangs’ way with errors of their own, a wild throw from the right fielder in the 5th; and very high pop fly the funny-looking 2nd baseman managed to muff in the bottom of the 9th, allowing a running Olivares to get to 2nd with no outs. He was sacrificed to 3rd and then, correctly, tried to score when a ball got past the catcher. It required quick action by the catcher, a perfect throw and a fearless pitcher covering home: all of these were present and a chance at a tie score slipped away, quieting the crowd quickly.

Even though it was a loss things are looking better. When our base-running gets more confident, and maybe the 3rd base coach gets more practice, and the batters get used to the wooden bats and continue to improve, and the pitchers learn how to pitch inside without hitting anyone, and the fielding starts to look like it should, then the Mustangs will start to win regularly.

[Former Billings native] Calamity Jane dies from the effects of years of hard living and alcoholism at Camp Terry, South Dakota. She is about fifty-two years old, give or take a year or two. She is buried next to Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood according to her wishes.

August 1, 1994

Billings Mustangs right hander Jason Robbins pitches the first perfect game in Pioneer League history as the Mustangs defeat the Medicine Hat Blue Jays 5-0 before three thousand fans at Cobb Field in Billings.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

Luther “Yellowstone” Kelly, scout for the military, is born in Geneva, New York. Following service late in the Civil War, Kelly comes west, eventually becoming chief of scouts for Colonel Nelson Miles. As chief scout, Kelly’s extensive knowledge about the Yellowstone and upper Missouri River basins proves to be invaluable to the military which is bringing the Sioux and Cheyenne under control. Following his service in Montana, Kelly spends time in western Colorado, Alaska, the Philippine Islands, and Arizona. Upon his death in California in 1928, Kelly’s remains are returned to Montana, where he is buried atop of the rimrocks above Billings.

July 27, 1941-

Chan Romero, rock-and-roll recording artist, is born in Billings. Romero is the author of “The Hippy Hippy Shake.” Romero originally records his song in 1959, hitting the national charts in the early part of 1960. A group called the Swinging Blue Jeans has a hit with the song during the British Invasion Year of 1964. The Beatles also record Romero’s song on two different occasions. In 1988, “The Hippy Hippy Shake,” performed by the Georgia Satellites, is featured in the Tom Cruise motion picture, Cocktail. Chan Romero is still active with his singing family, recording gospel music in the Billings area.

July 27, 1987

The Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League defeat the Salt Lake Trappers 7 to 5 at Cobb Field in Billings. The Mustang victory ends the Trappers’ twenty-nine game winning streak, the longest streak in professional baseball history.

From Montana Dateline by Ellis Roberts Parry.

So far I have heard mixed reviews on the new park. Some are nostalgic for the old Cobb Field. The seating is cramped in Dehler Park but the restrooms are a definite improvement. Concessions are now of a big league caliber (I still haven’t discerned whether this means quality or price) and most of the seating is closer to the field of play, which is a definite plus. Overall, the majority seem to be pleased with the new ballpark (pdf).

If you have been to Dehler Park what is your impression? Do you like it, love it or hate it? Weigh in and let us know what you think.