Being a Rascal

 

Rascal Renegade, from when the scoreboard went out in 2021

I'm heading back to the Renegades tonight for the first time since July 4.

I might be doing public address announcing and producing the booth. I have to double-check. 

*checks notes*

Yes, that's the case.

When it works, it really works well. But working well means not getting 50 requests on the walkie-talkie system. Then we get accused of not responding because, well, I'm also multitasking as the public address announcer. Anyway, I think it works well and I'm decent at both.

Part of the reason it works well is because I like Mikey "Clicks" handle the sound effects and music and whether it's Jason or Anthony on Crossfire (the video board system) they just do their thing. I remind us all what the next element is and we work together.

It's called "trusting your people" and I'm pretty good at it. They also trust me.

Then we make fun of things and laugh.

It will hopefully be a good night and the start of a good weekend as I'm there for all three games against the Rome Emperors.

The first time back after a stretch away is always interesting. Sometimes you jump right back in like nothing is different and sometimes it's, well, weird. 

I suspect it will be different tonight.

But in *BREAKING NEWS* I will still be me and Sean will still be "Junior" (even if he's not a junior).

And Rascal -- cat and raccoon -- will both be themselves. Rascal The Cat won't be at the game though. Rascal the raccoon will and he's getting married this weekend.

Yes. That is correct. I don't think I am playing any role in the nuptials nor do I need any form of fancy dress. What does one wear to a raccoon/skunk wedding, as Rascal is marrying his beloved Rosie?

Ah, the mind churns.

It's still baseball and Sean is there and Clicks is there and so are Jason and Jason and Beats and Fish and Alli and Lori and Anthony and the others I've grown close to.

On the other hand, there are plenty who don't know me in the least or know me but don't have the first clue about me. It's a large group that works there on game nights.

I'll be one of them tonight. Tomorrow. Sunday.

I will not the raccoon.

But I'll always be a Rascal.

*****

Kyle Carr, Trent Sellers, and Hueston Morrill
(Photo: HV Renegades Facebook)

I just got home from a night at the stadium that I can only call surreal.

There are reasons why and, frankly, I can't get into them.

But the icing on this strange cake was that the Renegades used three pitchers to combine on a 1-0 shutout win. Kyle Carr, Trent Sellers and Hueston Morrill held the Rome Braves hitless and the Gades won it on a Roc Riggio home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth.

It's the third no-hitter in team history, with the first being thrown by Doug Waechter in 2000 against the Pittsfield Mets and the second being a seven-inning effort by Sean Boyle, Nick Ernst, and Derek Craft against the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2021.

I was on the call for that game.

Quite a night.