Archive 2008 - 2019

Mudville Baseball Club Travels to Cleveland

by John "Choo-Choo" Shannahan
6/27/2013

Two planes, two games, and two Halls of Fame might best describe the Mudville Base Ball Club’s visit to Cleveland last weekend.

This trip (called the “Boys”  trip), was some six months in the making, and the first of two excursions that Boss Damigella’s Band of Bleary Ballists will make this year; the next (called the “Wives and Significant Others” trip) to Portland, Maine in July.

Two planes describes the fact that most of the team flew in on Thursday, with the remainder arriving around noon on Friday.  Some team members celebrated the first day of summer by retiring to a local establishment that featured locally produced malt based beverages, one named the Edmund Fitzgerald, which like the ship of the same name, went down rather easily.

(Greg "The Needle" Ferrick slams a single for Mudville)


Two games describes the true purpose of the trip.  Played at Lakewood Park outside Cleveland, the first game featured a 15-4 drubbing of our local heroes by the Cleveland Blues; the second game a similarly disturbing 18-11 thrashing by the Forest City Base Ball Club.  Both games were played by rules in force during the 1860’s, and by the end of the second game, the beaten, bruised and battered Mudvillians limped off the field like the Confederate Army after Pickett’s Charge.  Fortunately, no man was left behind.

The teams later retired to the Blue’s Clubhouse; no Spanky and Our Gang hideout, but a city sanctuary that provided the hosts an opportunity to demonstrate honest hospitality in a relaxing environment.  The winners on the field were equally gifted as ambassadors of the game, and the Mudville team was grateful for a wonderful experience.

(Members of the Mudville BBC examine a Major Award)

Two Halls of Fame refer to the team’s stops at the Rock and Roll and Football Hall of Fames.  Another stop featured “the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.” No, it was not a brief red light district interlude, but a trip to the house from the movie A Christmas Story, where team members cozied up to the “Leg Lamp”, obviously aware of its “major award” status.

On Sunday the team flew home, delighted with the time they had spent in Oil Can’s City on the Ocean.

(The Mudville BBC ride a rocket at Lakewood Park)
 

Comments (2)

Jim, looks like you and your team had a great time and what a wonderful example of team sportsmanship for the younger generation.

Christine | 2013-07-01 06:50:06

nice job John. Even better job organizing this great trip!

Jim Cormier | 2013-06-30 09:57:50