Rockhounds Opening Day

It's been long time coming. After 20 months of not having a minor league baseball played at the stadium it came back to life last week on Tuesday. Midland Rockhounds had their first homestand of the season last week. I went to their opening day game despite being windy cold. Things have changed with new stadium name (From Security Bank Ballpark to Momentum Bank Ballpark because the banks merged) to going cashless with all concession stand purchases require credit/debit card. 2021 Rockhounds team now managed by former A's infielder "Bullet" Bobby Crosby who played here in 2002 as well coached in 2019. Kevin Kouzmanoff and Juan Dilone serves as hitting coach and Steve Connelly remains as pitching coach.

They took on returning San Antonio Missions who spent 2019 in AAA ball. San Diego Padres return as their AA affiliate. Crowd still coming in as the game started. Long line at the gates and still trying buy tickets. Brady Fiegl (Rockhounds) and Adrian Martinez (Missions) started the game. Rockhounds scored first with Tyler Ramirez doubling to score Nick Allen in the first. Nick Allen had a sac fly to score Jhonny Santos in the third. Kyle Overstreet would get Missions on the board with a solo shot. It turned out to be only run for Missions despite 10 hits in the game. Rockhounds would tack on 4 more runs in the game as they won 6-1 to a crowd of 3230. Not bad for a week day night game.

In "It happens in the minors" Missions trot out a pitcher name Henry Henry in relief.

After missing a year going to a ballgame its feels great to be back at the stadium. This going be first of plenty of games I will go to this season.

In Memory of the Infamous One

I was out of town spending few days in Fort Worth. It was late Saturday night when I logged on and heard the news I didn't want to hear. Shontez Montgomery known to Texas indy wrestling fans as Shawn Vexx passed Saturday morning. His passing left wrestling colleagues and fans in deep sadness. Next few days fellow wrestlers and fans talked about their memories of him. From the stories he would believe in wrestlers giving out advice to be a good soul all around along with funny stories.

I have so many memories of shooting photos and watching him go out and wrestle in the ring. When I started going to Anarchy Championship Wrestling shows I would buy DVDs of their past shows to catch up the storyline on how they get to point A to point B. Few months before December 2011 show (my first ever ACW show) Vexx, while as a face, would cut promo foreshadowing his heel turn which he completed at Lone Star Classic becoming leader of The Children of Pain 2.0 with Jason Silver, Sky de LaCrimosa, Jeff Gant, and Killah Kash (now known as Remedy). My first match I saw of him was opening card match of Dec 2011 show when he beat Gregory James (now known as Isiah/Izzy James). Later in the show he would take out Donnie Davis with a vicious chair shot. He spent 2012 feuding with A.C.H. and Davey Vega. It's this feud with Vega I got invested in booing at him for making moves and seeking affection of Athena (now known as WWE wrestler Ember Moon). It was "You homewrecker!" type wrestling storyline. He would win TV title from Vega at Beyond Good and Evil. The feud came with end at Guilty by Association 7 with both fighting for affections of Athena. Athena joined the match and beat both to win to show she's not property to anyone and is her own person. I love good wrestling storytelling. After spending a year getting booed he would hear cheer from the fans completing a face turn when he chose to fight Evan Gelistico for ACW Heavyweight title instead being given to him. This would lead to a match at Guilty by Association 8 which he would beat Gelistico for ACW Heavyweight title inside steel cage. He would hold it for six months before losing it to Masada and call it career after the match. He would return back to the ring four more times with his final known match against Jeff Gant in a last man standing match.

Thank you Shontez for the many memories and moments I witness throughout the years. You killed it in the ring every time.

Shontez Montgomery is a fighter battling adversary in and outside the ring. He survived and bounced back from it. He's a kind person willing lend a helping hand to everyone around him. He will be missed by everyone.

In honor of him his wrestling theme

RIP Shontez Montgomery. 2/17/79-5/1/21