The DisFort's Chit Chat Cafe

[bama_ed]

Big changes this year, just the wife and I, first visit without any offspring tagging along!

PS - On a different topic, I need to post an update on my RR.

 

[bama_ed]

My Cleveland Indians didn't make the World Series in 2024 but they did receive a number of significant awards.

First, the rookie manager, Steven Vogt, who I saw coach his 1st pro baseball game at Spring Training Opening in Goodyear in February 2024 (Cleveland lost), was named AL Manager of the Year almost a month ago. He did a great job IMO (the team hit MUCH better which was a YUGE improvement over last year).

https://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/stephen-vogt-wins-2024-al-manager-of-the-year-award

Now recently, the radio announcer, Tom Hamilton (nearly 30 years of play-by-play) won the Ford Frick Award from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown (for active or retired MLB broadcast services of at least 10 years or more). His name will be listed in the "Scribe and Mikesmen" Exhibit in the Library of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (the Hall itself is for players and coaches after all ).

https://www.mlb.com/guardians/news/tom-hamilton-named-2025-ford-c-frick-award-winner

I listen to Tom Hamilton and his current radio sidekick of many years, Jim Rosenhaus (Rosie), at home via my MLB At Bat (radio) app and they're like part of my family. They're in my kitchen with me and the missus many nights a week. Ah to be a small market team fan. He'll give a speech on HoF weekend in July.

Go Tribe! Let's get better in 2025!

Bama Ed

PS - I got spring training email and season ticket offers from Goodyear AZ in the last few weeks and I regret I had to RSVP that I will not attend this season. But if I win the lottery, you betcha.

PPS - here is a 30 second clip of Hammy (Tom Hamilton) from the 2024 season when Cleveland made the post-season:

PPPS - Tom replace Herb Score who did Cleveland radio baseball from 1964 through the 1997 season. Herb had been AL Rookie of the Year in 1955 (pitcher) but suffered a career-ending line drive and retired in 1962. I listened nightly to Herb growing up so Tom had big shoes to fill and did (and IS doing) a great job for us on radio.

PPPPS - Cleveland has had other Ford Frick Award winners but they worked their craft in the 1940s and 1950s. I wish Herb Score could get in.

PPPPPS - Bob Eucker (for those of us old enough) got the Ford Frick award in 2003 (Milwaukee radio/tv). His acceptance speech (during MLB HoF weekend in July that year) is a joy to listen to. So funny. Worth 18 minutes.

Tom will play it straight (Euck's way is not Tom's way)

 

[Teamubr]

My Cleveland Indians didn't make the World Series in 2024 but they did receive a number of significant awards.

PS - I got spring training email and season ticket offers from Goodyear AZ in the last few weeks and I regret I had to RSVP that I will not attend this season. But if I win the lottery, you betcha.

Ed,

Your Guar/Indians had a great season. You should be proud. I remember early in the year, you were still calling them the "mistake by the lake".

The Cards, on the other hand, did better than last year, but still well below what our town expects. We did finish in a tie for 2nd place in the division, but the NL Central has been a punching bag for the coastal divisions for a while. And we tied the Cubs, of all teams.

I'm also taking a pass on Spring Training next season, but I did bite the bullet on season tickets. Not the full season, but a "Series Package". This is roughly 1/3rd of the season and guarantees at least 1 game for each home series. It also came with some nice discounts on concessions and merch. We are moving back down to where we were last year, in far left field. We have 5th row next season. Had the seats right behind last year. Here were our seats in 2023.



People at work asked why I bought even more games since the Cards have announced they will be rebuilding for a the next couple of years and are going to suck, but I like to watch "the game" and not just a win. Sure, it's nice to see the big names, but I like watching the new "kids" develop and have those break out games and seasons as much.

Two other fun perks. My pack did not include opening day, but my account rep called before single game tickets went on sale and said he held my seats for opening day, if I wanted them. Opening day in StL can be 70 degrees and sunny or it can be (usually is) 30s, windy and snowing. Either way, I'll be there March 27th. At least it is a day game.

The other fun part is the Savannah Bananas are coming to StL for the 1st time. Donna and I had jumped in the lottery for tickets, but part of being a 'real' season ticket holder is I can get 4 Bananas tickets without getting lucky in the lottery. There is a certain Tigger92662 and his Cubs rooting DW that will be joining us for that one.

PS: I was going to offer you Donna's seat if I had a game with the Guardians, but it looks like our only games with them are in Cleveland.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Your Guar/Indians had a great season. You should be proud. I remember early in the year, you were still calling them the "mistake by the lake".

Well, I myself have never called them that. I have, however, quoted/referred to other people (older than me at the time) who DID call them that.

But I've never hated on my Tribe.

Your Cards may be technically be in a "small" tv market but they have had the most success over the decades for such a town/team. I've daydreamed "what if I lived close to Cleveland to go to games"? and I would want DAYTIME games (weekends, business man's weekday games, mostly etc.). So since I can't do that, I go to the college games (SEC baseball is like high AA-baseball play).

Your season ticket seats should yield you a home run ball or two during the season. Don't be afraid to push the kids out of the way, step on an old lady while climbing over nearby rows, or spill your beer on the drunk in front of you as that fly ball curls into the stands in your direction (beware, they often have more 'spin' on the ball than it appears to have). Your only goal is to end up (after the scrum on the cement) with the ball and hold it over your head for the tv cameras.

I'll be cheering for you from my 'cheap seats' at home.

Bama Ed

PS - since I bought tickets for spring training games in Goodyear (Phoenix) AZ last year, I'm on their mailing list now and got 'advance' buying opportunities but can't use them since I won't be going this year (kinda far, would need a 7-10 days there minimum plus drive time each way). But I could have been one of the regulars, the old timers, the face that the hot dog guys saw every game (for spring training). Oh what could have been .....

 

[garneska]

On Monday after work, Mommy and I , took Daddy to the Marta station as he had a dinner planned. It was not raining but started to. Then Daddy left me, and I was very unhappy and wanted to keep going back to the Marta station. Then it started to pour. We finally got back to the building but i was a wet, unhappy dog.



Eventually Daddy came back home and I rubbed my damp fur all over him.

 

[jbrostek]

She looks almost as if she blames you.....

 

[garneska]

She looks almost as if she blames you.....

I know.

 

[FtW Mike]

She looks almost as if she blames you.....

Bad MOMMY. BAD ,BAD MOMMY!!!

 

[jbrostek]

Whelp intersting change of plans for us. We were booked to visit the fort again in June 2025 with another family. That family decided this past weekend they wanted to bow out and instead go to Wilmington, NC for their vacation. We don't fault them one bit, they had very valid reasons. My biggest annoyance was their insistance on planning early and then changing their mind with little to no inkling it was going to happen.

So we do what we do best, we sat down and discussed still making in an RV trip since the main reason we go is with that family. And while discussing I looked at DVC availibility to see what we could book the same week. Turns out Copper Creek had a delux studio availible for the full week availible!!! So we decided to do Wilderness Lodge and fly down instead of taking the RV.

FW will just have to be a different trip at a later date. We did right after that book a RV site for a week in Cape Charles, VA in July. So its not like we wont get an RV trip or 3 in over the season.

 

[bama_ed]

Turns out Copper Creek had a delux studio availible for the full week availible!!! So we decided to do Wilderness Lodge and fly down instead of taking the RV.

Understand the economics of the situation, James.

IMO (only), a June visit could be warm, moist, and rainy (depends on early June or late June) so an indoor visit at CCR is probably a wise choice.

Ed

PS - my signature indicates we've N-E-V-E-R been to the Fort in June, July, August, and September (for a very good weather reason). So I'm with ya'll.

 

[team bradfield]

Totally understand, but I could never do WDW without the fort, so addicted.

When the kids were in school we did June several times, thank God we got through that, hot, wet, ponchos, but we survived and loved it, never again, February now!

EDIT: DW and I were much younger then, lol!

EDIT #2 when it was cloudy and raining the MK fireworks were twice as loud

 

[jbrostek]

@bama_ed Well even with my big rig, the two15k ACs I have no problem keeping the RV at a cool 70F even without shade. FW having solid power and shade it makes it easy for them. Having decided to buy in to DVC with the idea of having enough points to make a resort trip every year meant we have the option for trips where the 4 days of RV travel are not needed. Instead its just a 2 hour flight....

As for the June timing, this is what I signed up for when I chose to marry a teacher. As mentioned at the DisMeet, getting Melissa down with me during the school year takes a LOT of logistics and me taveling ahead with the RV. So Mid June to early August are when we can take our longer then a weekend trips.

What we have learned is June is the most bearable. July is hit or miss between hot or hot and swampy, and after the August 2016 trip with my ex that taught me that August is miserable and I will never go during that time again.

We still take multiple RV trips, just happens that Disney 2025 will be a resort trip.

 

[tiggerdad]

 

[jbrostek]

As the only RV owner in the family.....it's me...

So this morning had a dermotologist appointment. The running joke is that I had a autocowreck in the family calendar calling it my demonologist appointment. Well the latter may have been true has this morning they biopsied the spot I had made the appointment to check.



Be a week or 2 till I get results. Nothing says the holidays like having a chunk of your face removed....

 

[Teamubr]

Well, James. You're in good company. Most people at the DIS Meet knew I had the top of my head sewed up. (Thanks Bert for removing the stitches) I also had a pin hole spot on my nose that also turned out to be basal cell. The pin hole turned into a pencil eraser size crater, almost full through. It required a skin graft from my forehead to fill in.

Spoiler: For the squeemish, don't look.

Hopefully yours isn't anything significant.

j

 

[garneska]

@Teamubr i did look. Wow. Hope that heals up soon.

 

[Teamubr]

@Teamubr Hope that heals up soon.

As long as the skin graft takes (still too early to tell), it should take about 8 weeks. At 12 weeks, I'll probably have to go back for some remodeling to smooth it out.

The joys of living outside, camping, racing, cycling when I was young and sun screen wasn't a thing.

j

 

[tiggerdad]

Skin can no joke. I see dermatology every 2 years for a look over.

 

[4077]

I had my first hits with liquid nitrogen (I think) to hit pre-cancerous areas on my face last June... was my first full body look over (the new annual tradition starting)...

 

[team bradfield]

Meg says move these decorations, I need my space