Spring training, day sixteen

Day 16, Spring Training. Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee. Home of the Houston Astros.

This was the longest and farthest drive of my spring training tour. Mercifully, there were no traffic or parking problems around the stadium, although I did have to endure a series of short, expensive toll roads to get there. The Disney area has a lot of them.

Since the Astros train in the middle of the state, some of the east coast Florida teams play here, including the Nats. I wish I had planned the away teams better so that I could have seen an east coast team play rather than see the Indians again. This was the Astros’ last spring training home game and the Indians are a “premium” ticket in both Bradenton and Sarasota. So this all added up to – tons of empty seats. I get the feeling that the Astros are not the best supported of the spring training teams. A fair number of Indian fans attended the game, but not any more than any other of the away teams that I’ve seen.

There was an Astros pre-sale for spring training tickets. The pre-sale was limited to their preferred customers who needed to enter the proper password to buy their tickets ahead of the availability to the general public. I did a web search and found that the password was “Oswalt”. So my seat was in the second row behind home plate right behind the left hand batter’s box.

According to the program, the stadium is 22 years old and was renovated four years ago. There is a vague attempt at a Spanish look, but at least it’s not an ugly mound of concrete. There are modest overhangs on the first and third base sides that provide some shade, especially on the first base side. Another spacious outfield at 390’ in the power alleys and 410’ in center. Overall, it’s an average spring training venue. Luckily for me, there was a high overcast, so I was able to stay in my close-in seat the whole game.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a seat so close to the field in any professional sport. I could call the balls and strikes and see what kind of stuff the pitcher had. I could tell fastballs from off-speed pitches from other seats I’ve had, but from here I could watch the curves. In spring training, they throw mainly fastballs, though. My seat was at ground level, so I had a problem with depth perception. It was hard to tell how hard and how far fly balls were hit.

It was also the buggiest stadium I’ve attended. Swarms of these little flies were buzzing the whole game. Apparently it’s a chronic problem, since a guy in the front row brought a fly swatter with him and was active in using it. They should sell them in the souvenir store – Official Astros Flyswatters. Something to put next to your “South of the Border” mementos.

All the Astros’ regulars played, but Victor Martinez was the only marquee player from the Indians who was on the field. Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner took the day off.

The Astros regulars took a 5-1 lead, with Morgan Ensberg homering in the 1^st combined with a 4-run fourth inning against Indians’ starter Paul Byrd. But then came the parade of mediocre spring training relievers. The Indians eventually tied it in the 9^th thanks to a lead-off walk and took the lead in the top of the 10^th on a walk and two run homer by sub Luis Rivas. Then it was the Indians relievers’ turn to play give-away in the bottom of the 10^th. A walk and a couple of singles loaded the bases for reserve catcher Humberto Quintero, who hit a walk-off bases clearing double to win the game. The Indians’ center fielder, minor leaguer Jason Michaels, took a couple of steps in on the ball only to see it fly over his head for the game winning “hit”.

The final two games on my schedule are close to home. Thursday, it’s the Pirates in Bradenton and I finish up in Sarasota on Friday with the Reds.

Dad