Game 37 - Tuesday Night, May 13th in Philadelphia
Record - 17-20, 5th Place, 4 1/2 games behind the Braves
One Sentence Summary: Cody Asche's three costly errors led to the Angels 4-3 victory as the town of Millville, New Jersey took over Citizens Bank Park.
What It Means: It's not going well for the Local 9.
What Happened: Asche had just an awful night and all four of the Angels runs were unearned. Cliff Lee was saddled with the loss, despite pitching seven strong innings and striking out seven.
 |
| My Mom and my oldest son Doug cheering on Mike Trout |
I've mentioned this here a few times before, but I was born in Vineland and grew up in Millville, New Jersey, just like the Angels' Mike Trout. All similarities between myself and Trout end there. (Other than the fact that we're both pretty nice guys, in my humble opinion.) I was one of the 8,000-plus Millvillians in attendance at the game on Tuesday night and I was one of the 8,000-plus in attendance who felt an overwhelming sense of hometown pride each time Trout came to bat. His story has been told and re-told in numerous national and local publications, and I don't have anything much to add here that hasn't already been printed.
 |
| 1985 TCMA Orlando Twins #12 |
He's a small town kid with an unbelievable gift and he's been able to showcase that gift on a national stage all while staying true to his Thunderbolt-supporting, Jim's Lunch burg-eating roots. His stardom has unified the Millville community, and it's converted lifelong Phillies fans to Angels fans. It still seems surreal to visit Millville and see more Angels hats on heads than Phillies hats, and I'll admit it was more than a little odd on Tuesday night to see my Mom and my sister decked out in Angels gear.
My family knows his family personally, which isn't really saying much since pretty much every family in Millville knows one another. It seems everyone in Millville has a Mike Trout story, and I'm no different. My Dad was one of Mike's Dad's guidance counselors in junior high, and it was with a great sense of pride in the summer of 1985 that my Dad brought home Jeff Trout’s minor league card featuring him as a Twins prospect. I don't remember the exact circumstances of how he obtained this card, but I'll never forget how cool it was when my Dad told me to flip the elder Trout's card over to see "Hometown: Millville, NJ" printed on the back. My Dad followed Jeff's son's progression through high school and we both excitedly watched the MLB Network the night Mikey was drafted in 2009.
So you can imagine how proud we all were - my family, my friends, my former school mates - when Trout took the field on Tuesday night as a nationally recognized Major League baseball All-Star. It seemed only right, and pretty cool, to give him his own Chachi card for this post.
Hopefully I can give him a Phillies card in the official 2021 Chachi set.
As far as I'm concerned, you can feature Mike Trout every year, regardless of what team he's on. You can call the set "Chachi Special Dispensation".
ReplyDeleteI hope your dad advised him to pursue a career in baseball... :->
ReplyDeleteThat must have been a fun night, especially for a Millvillian! I know I enjoyed watching it on TV and my only connection to Millville is seeing the exit on the way to the shore a couple times each summer. The fans were very classy that night and the next day.
It would be a great day if he were to sign with the Phils for the 2021 season! He walks a bit too much for our current GM, who prefers production. But maybe we'll have someone new running the show by then.
I like the Chachi Special Dispensation set!
ReplyDeleteAnd Steve - I'd be shocked (and upset) if Ruben is back next year, let alone 2021.