The Nuthouse

The Wingnuts are in the middle of something like 12 straight days without a home game. Come to think of it, I probably just should’ve made the bus trip with them to Pensacola. I mean, it’s Pensacola. But it’s still Florida, right? Allegedly.

When the team is on the road, especially for an extended period of time, there’s not a lot for me to do. I’ve loved covering this team and when it’s gone I fall into a rut. Even the blog gets pretty unintersting when there’s not much to write about and comments from my good friend mfpatton are deleted. What’s up with that.

Just a side note to mfpatton — I voted for your distant cousin, Josh Patton, to represent the American Association North as the all-star second baseman. You’re welcome to all of the Patton family.

Since the first-half of the season just ended, why not discuss a few of the highlights:

The Brawl — This put the Wingnuts on the map in the American Association and gave the team an identity. You never want to be classified as a dirty team, and despite the opinions of St. Paul manager George Tsamis, I think Wichita has avoided that stigma. The Wingnuts play hard, but not dirty.

The St. Paul radio guy* — Just for fun.

Kevin Hooper — By far the best player in the league and a joy to watch every day.

The crowds — It started on opening night with a sellout, and attendance has averaged about 3,500 — far better than what the Wranglers drew. A crowd of 8,300 last month was the highlight.

Pennant race — Who knew that the Wingnuts would be so good, so fast? They never could catch Sioux Falls, but they gave the Canaries a run and finished in second place in the North Division, five games over .500, in the first half. A strong second half will put the Wingnuts in the playoffs.