After spending the night in Independence, OH, our next stop was Altoona, PA, home of the Curve. Since we had some time before getting on the road to Altoona, we made another trip back into Cleveland. Waiting until after the morning commute, we visited Edgewater Park, along the shore of Lake Erie.
During our last visit in 2000, the cold and lack of time prevented us from seeing Lake Erie. On previous trips, we’d seen the shores of Lake Michigan (in Milwaukee) and Lake Ontario (in Toronto), and time afforded us the opportunity to see the lakefront on a warm and humid morning. As was the case with the other Great Lakes we’ve seen, the lake extended to the horizon, much like the view of the ocean from the beach. Being August, the wind off the water didn’t provide much relief from the building heat, as we explored a largely deserted lakefront.
However, the lakefront was not completely empty. Standing on the lake’s edge, we saw something bobbing on the waves. From a distance, it was difficult to identify. As brother ventured closer, he was able to see what was coming ashore.
It would be difficult to understate my surprise at the prospect of a snake coming ashore right in front of us. The snake, between three and four feet long, got within a few feet of us, before slithering back into the lake. Some checking identified it as a northern water snake, which bore a striking resemblance to the water moccasin. Northern water snakes are non-venomous, and the water moccasin (which can be found in my home state of NJ) are definitely venomous and can be deadly. Not being able to top that, we left the park and started on our way to Altoona.
The drive to Altoona was rather uneventful, as traffic was generally light. A quick bite at a local diner along the way was the only stop, and we reached the hotel just outside of town before 500 pm. By that time, clouds were building on the horizon, a harbinger of things to come.
After a 15 minute drive from the hotel, we arrived at People’s Natural Gas Field, home of the Altoona Curve, the AA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Nestled among the ridges of the Allegheny Mountains, the 7200 seat stadium is famous for its roller coaster in right field. Most of the die hard baseball fans with whom I’ve spoken said this stadium was a must see, and shortly after arriving, it was clear why.
We wandered the park from foul pole to foul pole, soaking in the ambience of this beautiful minor league park. Sitting along the 3rd base line, we had an unobstructed view of the mound. However, the burgeoning clouds at the hotel continued to build, and soon thunderstorms began to develop on the ridge lines behind centerfield. As the 630 pm game versus the Richmond Flying Squirrels (AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) began, the storms swept toward the park, threatening from the first pitch.
Just after the top of the first inning, the skies opened up. One of the thunderstorms on the ridge tops descended upon the field, bringing with it torrential rain and gusty winds. The heaviest of the rain lasted about 30 minutes, after which time the ground crew took to the field. In a VERY impressive display of teamwork, the crew removed the tarp, then started to tend to the infield. Even though the tarp was placed on the infield quickly, there was still a fair amount of water ponded on the foul lines, especially behind third base.
People seemingly came out of nowhere to tackle the problem of the drenched field. One of the ushers (whose name escapes me) told us that the front office personnel were lending a hand, and that the team’s general manager was tossing diamond dust on the infield near third base.
The rain delayed totaled 45 minutes, and the Herculean effort of the crew returned the drenched field into a playable surface. The teams returned to the field for the top of the 2nd inning, though storms continued to lurk nearby. A one-two-three top of the second inning was followed by yet another storm. This time, the storm won the evening, and the game was postponed before 800 pm. All told, we saw 10 batters come to the plate in one and one-half innings. Disappointed, we left the park, headed back to the hotel as the rain stopped and breaks in the clouds appeared.
Because of our travel schedule, we would not be able to stay for the completion of the game the next night. Despite the rain out, we felt fortunate to visit the field. People’s Natural Gas Field richly deserved its reputation as one of the best ballparks in the Eastern League.
Baseball Travels 