The Day After

It's all over national news now. A guy randomly shot and killed 7 people and injuring 21 in Odessa, TX. I was at work the news broke. I live about 15-20 minute drive where it occurred. It was so much crazy stuff happening. People are edge and giving whatever word of "updates" circulating around. What was circulating around was a shooting at Home Depot/Music City Mall and there was word two shooters, one in a gold Toyota and the other hijacked a postal truck and was on the way to Midland. Every business around Loop 250 in Midland shutdown for safety concerns. Then it ended in Odessa on the highway that is across from Cinergy (Dave and Busters or Main Event like place). Turns out it was one guy doing the random shooting and attempted to breakthrough a road block that was set up.

What was setup to be a Labor Day weekend turned tragic around here. The week long Permian Basin Fair opened up Friday night. Yesterday afternoon everything just stopped. It was very surreal day and more soul searching around Midland-Odessa area on this random senseless act. I drive on 191 get to Odessa. Going be eerily rough for a while when I drive past Cynergy to Loop 338.

Prayers goes to everyone affected and let the cities heal.

Midland Rockhounds August 19, 2019 Scorecard

Battle of cross division leaders as Midland Rockhounds take on Northwest Arkansas Naturals. This was last regular season game I attended that year.

I noticed they listed Mitch Moreland as Mitchell. Looking top 10 batters and pitchers half of them made it to the majors. It wasn't Drew Locke, Chad Tracy or Trevor Reckling.

Rockhounds final 20 games of the regular season starts with NO days off. It's the playoff spot grind for them. Graham "G" Godfrey and Blake Johnson starts the game.

What's changed from the last visit? Kyle Farnsworth on the team for rehab assignment. Jeff Bianch, David Lough, and Jarrod Dyson on the team as they would go on play in the majors. Dyson still playing to this day as he's with Diamondbacks. He was part of Royals World Series run in 2014 and 2015. Did you know he was drafted in 50th round? He worked hard get to the Show.

Almost same team. Mike Benacka called up to AAA Sacramento. Rocky Roquet and Angel Garcia off the DL.

Rockhounds shutout Naturals 8-0. Frisco won so 'Hounds are still 3 games up on 'Riders

Reuse, Recycle

My brother was going to comic con in Lubbock with appearance of former WWE wrestler Lita. I was pulling out two of her cards for him to get signed when I notice this.

This is from 2016 Topps WWE Heritage set. The second card I pull of her from 2017 Women set and its.....

the same picture from 2016 set except cropped and bit zoomed. Another case of Topps reusing and recycling a picture for a set. My brother did get the cards signed and it looks like this

She used silver for one and black for the other. Another autograph to my collection.

Midland Rockhounds August 5 2009 Scorecard

It was almost a month til I made to another Rockhounds game that season. Stretch run for Rockhounds as they battle for Texas League playoff spot that year. This is first of last three regular season homestand games. Chris Carter on the cover as he lead the league in homeruns and was second in RBIs to Drew Locke.

On top of the division going a game ahead of Frisco Roughriders

Important series against Frisco. They won the previous night to get top spot in south division. Kyle Middleton goes against Omar Poveda on the mound

Near identical team from last visit (see here) with few new additions of Steve Murphy, John Bannister, Zach Phillips, and Corey Young. Phillips made it to the majors playing 27 games in four season bouncing between majors and Triple A. Bannister got released days later after the series only to be claimed by Royals and stuck on Double-A Northwest Arkansas for remainder of the season. He spent 2010 playing in Golden League final season which happen to be his final year of playing.

Kyle Middleton, Travis Banwart, Tyson Ross, Jermile Weeks, and Shane Peterson are now on the team. Middleton and Banwart peaked in AAA. Banwart spent 6 years in Triple A along trips in independent ball and overseas. Still playing to this day for Fubon Guardians of Chinese Pro Baseball League. Ty Ross (as I call him) still currently playing but is shut down this season for ulnar nerve issues. J-Weeks played 6 seasons in the majors last playing in 2017. Primetime Peterson joined the team when A's traded Matt Holliday for him, Brett Wallace, and Clayton Mortensen at trade deadline. He played 125 games in three seasons and still playing to this day for Dodgers Triple-A team Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Rockhounds lost a tough one to Roughriders 8-7. Both tied on top of south division going to August 6 game.

New York New York

It's been a week since I got back from a trip to New York City. I was up there with my parents for a week. First time any of us gone. Different experience after living in Texas all my life. Didn't bother with rental car and used the subway station get through places. The few times we got in a vehicle when a family friend picked us up on Saturday. During the week we took overhead bus tour around parts of the city and cruise tour going through Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Governor Island, and three bridges connecting to NYC from Brooklyn. Saw the 9-11 Memorial and the new World Trade Center built around. Various places we gone to is the heavily crowded Times Square, Rockefeller Center (NBC Studios, Nintendo NY, and re-opened FAO Schwartz), Chinatown, Little Italy, Empire State Building, online retailer BH Photo store, NBA Store (overpriced and disappointing), Dylan's Candy Shop, and shops around Flushing. Funny thing while on overhead tour bus it stopped in front of Trump International Hotel and Tower that everyone got out their cameras and start taking photos. Ventured to Coney Island getting on one ride and saw the original Nathan's Hot Dog stand. Raided Brooklyn Cyclones team shop plunking down money on team sets (they didn't have this year's out at time), shirts, and various items. Went to Mets game on Saturday (Hawaiian Shirt Night and unadvertised pride night) to near sellout loud crowd beating Nationals 4-3 which included two homeruns from Juan Soto, back-to-back shots from J.D. Davis and Wilson Ramos and Luis Guillimore first career homerun. Found out going from Queens/Flushing/Corona to Brooklyn takes about hour and half on subway. Good thing family friend took us in their vehicle to Brooklyn that Saturday. Going from Queens to NYC takes about half hour at most while riding on the 7. It was fun trip. Would like go back again soon and go through places and museums I miss like Yankees Stadium as the team were on the road that time. Must go and experience NYC at least once in your life.

Midland Rockhounds July 13, 2009 Program

Very late with this as I been very busy. I'm here with July 13, 2009 program. It's a Monday night game as Rockhounds took on Cardinals affiliate Springfield Cardinals. Cardinals already in the playoffs clinching first half of the season.

The future AL MVP Josh Donaldson on the cover.

Currently last in the standings at the moment, but only four games back. Cardinals duo of Trey Hearne and Lance Lynn are 1-2 in Texas League wins. Hearne got his 10th win on Sunday pushing his record to 10-1 record so far in the season.

On the mound are Brandon Dickson and Justin Souza. This is Souza team debut after being sent up from Stockton. Dickson would get total of 8 in two seasons of the majors while Souza never made it. Dickson would spend the remaining five seasons of his career in Japan.

Nine players from Cardinals went on to majors with the big one Lance Lynn. Only Lynn, Fernando Salas, and Sam Freeman still playing to this day. Brian Broderick pitched in 11 games of his MLB career while Steve Hill played total of 10 games. Peter Kozma, Eduardo Sanchez, and Dickson are the others. Shane "Primetime" Peterson was part of Matt Holliday trade that sent him to the A's. I would see him later him that season. As for coaches all three have made it to main club with Pop Warner and Bryan Eversgerd still with the team. Former MLBer turning hitting coach Derrick May was with the team til after 2016.

Souza, Daniel Barone, Daniel Haigwood, Steve Sharpe, and Gabriel Ortiz are the new additions of the team. Raul Padron was sent down. Haigwood manage get 7 games with the team as his name never appeared on program the following month. Turns out it was his final season of his playing career. Same with Barone, despite being in majors in 2007, played four games with the team and that was it. Didn't play again til he surfaced in 2014 with independent Kansas City T-Bones. Sharpe stuck with the team through the playoff run. Spent 2010 with independent Camden Riversharks and that was his final season of his playing career.

Midland won 7-6.

Midland Rockhounds June 17, 2009 Scorecard

This program from June 17 game against Frisco Roughriders. Rockhounds went on bad stretch this month. They end up losing first half of Texas League to San Antonio (39-31) by two games finishing with 37-33 record.

Texas League All-Star was played in Frisco that year. About 24 players went on the play in the majors.

A big roster change from June 8 game as Tommy Everidge called up to Triple A.

About 11 players made it to the majors, most notably, Justin Smoak and Mitch Moreland. Six (Smoak, Moreland, Craig Gentry, Manny Pina, Tanner Roark, and Pedro Strop) currently playing this season. Jose Diaz is best known as Jumbo Diaz. Chad Tracy is not Diamondbacks Chad Tracy. This one peaked in Triple A before finishing his final two seasons at independents. Ryan O'Malley is listed but never played a game for the team. Michael Schlatt hung around Rangers organization for 7 years before finishing his career in the independents. I own Thomas Diamond Rangers jersey and had him sign it despite not playing a game for the team. He was on their 40 man roster at the time. I bought it at The Ballpark at Arlington when they had player worn jerseys shop right around outfield. I don't believe its there anymore. Guilder Rodriguez finally got his call up in 2014 after 12 years in the minors. He's now coaching Rangers rookie league team. Another player that went on to become coach is Joe Torres who is currently pitching coach for Lake County Captains. Mike Micucci is currently manager of Lakewood Blueclaws after spending time with Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles-Anaheim Angels in various coaching capacities. Brant Brown is now with LA Dodgers. Jeff Andrews, who replaced Joe Slusarski few weeks into the season, stuck with Frisco til 2015.

Rockhounds shutout Roughriders 2-0