The Baseball Enthusiast: 5/23/2014 Buffalo Bisons 7, Louisville Bats 5

Friday, May 23, 2014

5/23/2014 Buffalo Bisons 7, Louisville Bats 5

Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville, KY

Game 2 of 4

The weather is warmer, and Munenori Kawasaki is here. Both of these are causes for potential awesomeness.

This is also the first time I've seen the Bisons since Tug Haines was here just over 3 years ago, and the Bisons were still a New York Mets affiliate.

33-year-old right hander Shawn Hill takes the mound for Buffalo, the very same Shawn Hill that has been in and out of the Toronto farm system so many times, it's hard to understand what it is about him that they like, or don't like.

Louisville's Tim Crabbe (who spent time in Pensacola and Louisville last season) was looking pretty good, as good as Hill if you don't count his extra walks, but the Bisons got to him early on, and he was out of gas by the 5th inning.

That's OK, Tim...stuff happens. Have a Pork Chop Sandwich...I promise, you'll feel better.

I usually don't take photos during the National Anthem, but today I made an exception...you'll see Kawasaki standing at the end of the line, on the far right (next to the red-shirted trainer).

Warm weather, at last...Chihiro and I are enjoying the sunshine!

Former Indianapolis Indian (2013) and Columbus Clipper (2010-2012) Jared Geodert faces Crabbe in the 1st inning.

Bats RF Felix Perez faces Shawn Hill.

Tim Crabbe vs. Bisons LF Matt Tuiasosopo. We repeated his name so many times, it's a lot of fun to say two-EE-ah-so-SO-po. Like Goedert, he's been making the rounds in the International League for the past couple of years, playing for Buffalo in 2012, Toledo in 2013, and now back with Buffalo.

Andy LaRoche sighting!! And what a GLORIOUS pr0n-stache he's sporting these days...

Kawasaki faces Crabbe in the 4th. Kawasaki-sama was 0-for-3 with a walk today.

For the Mystery Rookie Card game, I got pwned, again. I picked this great-looking 2008 Topps Heritage Chris Volstad #515. Sure, it looks great, but sometimes less-than-great things come in great pacakages, and Volstad is a reminder of this.

It was hard for folks like me not to like Volstad out of the gate...he was a top-100 prospect for 3 consecutive years; he not only seemed to be a decent starter for the Marlins for four seasons or so, he actually was. Looking back, I was excited about the possibilities when he came to the Cubs in the Carlos Zambrano deal, but those possibilities packed their bags and went elsewhere, instead of joining Volstad in Chicago. Volstad wasn't much better for the Rockies organization, and started this season in Korea with the Doosan Bears.

Speaking of "not-so-great"...here we go again, only Chihiro picked one in an even greater package. This 2007 Upper Deck Goudey Daisuke Matsuzaka SP is an undersized treat...