Vermont Mountaineers

 While my history of Lake Monsters games stretches back twenty-five years, I had never, until last night, been to a Vermont Mountaineers game. Their history doesn't stretch back as far, but I still should have made it before then. I think they were founded after we moved from Barre up to Burlington, so there's that lame excuse. However, I have been living in the cabin for three years now, so I should have made it earlier. This trip is mainly Janet's doing, as she's been in a baseball mood lately (Lake Monsters game, three Toronto Blue Jays games on MLB TV, and now a Mountaineers game).I had fun, and will definitely go back for more games in the future. The field isn't as nice as Centennial Field, where the Lake Monsters play, but that's mainly a reflection of the Monsters long minor league history, and the fact that Burlington is simply a much bigger city than Montpelier. The quality of baseball seems fairly equivalent, with both teams playing in parallel summer college leagues (the leadoff hitters for the Mountaineers plays for the University of Cincinnati, where I went to grad school). 

Like Centennial Field, the Montpelier Recreation Field has its own unique history, and you have to love the fact that it was constructed during FDR's New Deal by the Works Projects Administration (back before the GOP decided that government was evil [or maybe not, the Republicans hated the New Deal even back then] and thus the government did things to make the lives of people better.

The view from right behind home plate. I think we'll sit higher up next time. Still, not a bad view for $7 (all the tickets are $7). That's definitely a beautiful view.

The Governor's Cup, which the Mountaineers had won earlier in the season in a series against the Upper Valley Nighthawks (the other team in Vermont). To be fair, the Nighthawks pummeled the Mountaineers last night.

The mascot, Skip the Woodchuck - I have no idea why. 

And, of course, the best part of the game was this crazy girl.