The Nuthouse

I’ve been here at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium the last two nights and I’ve done something I previously swore I’d never do — leave the press box window closed.

Well, that ends today. I’m done deferring to other people and I’m done letting the wind win. The window opens and it will stay that way for all 14-or-so hours I’m scheduled to be here today. By the way, the wind is blowing from the East, straight into the press box. Does that happen a lot? I just learned my directions a few years ago, so I don’t know. But it doesn’t seem like I’ve dealt with a lot of East winds before.

The next question is — Who can be OK with himself or herself if he or she watches live baseball from behind a window? I’ve done it the last two nights and have been ashamed to call myself a baseball fan. There’s absolutely no atmosphere and it’s tough to pay attention to the game. Might as well just be listening to the game on the radio. Except it’s less exciting than even my broadcasts.

I feel like I’m an authority to talk about such pressing baseball issues now, because according the the blog “Douglas and Main,” I’ve made a baseball fan out of somebody. Me! Just check out this post he made:

http://douglasandmain.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/nuthouse-news/

He even has a “Jeff Lutz” tag. I feel like that guy deserves a lot more readers, so maybe the nine or so (up from the other day’s six) who read this can check his out, too. But only when he writes about me. I’ll keep you alert as to when that happens.

After wins at the National Baseball Congress World Series by Kenai and the Park City Rangers, the game between Santa Barbara and the Plaza Tire Capahas has gotten underway. And only about an hour and a half late, too.

This is an important game for Santa Barbara because they played a late-entry men’s league team, the overmatched Wichita Wild Wings, in the first round and won 20-2. The Wild Wings were essentially that “Bye” team you would use if you have an odd-number in your fantasy football league. So it’ll be interesting to see how the Forresters respond to playing a team that not only was supposed to be in the tournament, but has also won a game in it.

The game of the day, though — and I’m not just saying that because I’ll be doing P.A. — is the 12:30 a.m. tilt between the defending champion Havasu Heat and the Derby Twins. It’s an unlikely loser’s bracket game because both teams have had a lot of success here in the last few seasons. So that’ll be one to keep an eye on. And so will Liberal’s game tonight, after which I’ll be heading back to the Hyatt for another DVD and pizza party with Mike Hargrove.