Rockies (4) vs. Mariners (9) at Peoria, AZ

Arizona Trip Day 2
March 14, 2008:

Yesterday, I went to go see the Rockies JV squad get pounded by the Mariners starters along with my dad. It was a warm, bright, windy day in Peoria, AZ. The day didn't start off on the right foot as we waited forty-five minutes on the off ramp of the highway trying to get to the stadium. We were only like five blocks away, but the design and timing of the stop lights to get in the stadium sucked. We ended up cutting across a mall and parking in the Cheesefactory's parking lot. Saved $5! F-You Baseball!

So we head in line to get tickets and what ya know, it was a full house. Ended up getting grass seats in the outfield for $6. We were a little late as the game was starting as we entered the stadium. By the time we saw the field, Tulo was up to bat. We walked to grassy nole in right field and got some huge foot long hot dogs. They weren't the cheap skinny things you would normally see at a baseball game. They were huge. We sat down in the picnic area in right for the first inning eating lunch.

Rox lead 1-0 going into the bottom of the first. Franklin Morales took the mound for the Rox (at least physically) and threw batting practice to the Mariners. 4-1 Mariners after one, mostly singles. The Japanese wonder, Ichiro (BHA), got his second hit of the spring in the first inning. We continued to walk around the concourse peeking in at play. The stadium set-up was pretty nice, you could spend all day walking around the stadium and watch the game. The concourse went inside and outside of the main seating section, and as long as you weren't blocking everyone's view, you could lean up against the wall and watch the game anywhere around home plate (as long as there was room to lean).

Only 3 main Rockies played (Tulo, Atkins, Morales) while the others stayed in Tucson (playing 18 holes of golf). Everyone else was a minor bench player or minor leaguer last year. The team didn't travel with a lot of players. I peeked into the dugout and saw maybe a handful of players. The Rox didn't seem to bring their "A" game, or "B" or "C", as they committed 3 errors, and played like crap. Marcus Giles played second and let a roller go through his legs. He hit pretty well with a double and turned a triple into Little League Inside the Park Homerun. Ichiro went 3-4 with his first HR in 5 years of spring training. Morales gave up 9 runs in three innings and got knocked around. It seemed that he was tipping off his pitches as no Mariner was fooled by the off-speed pitches.

Final Score:
Mariners 9
Rockies 4

On a side note: in front of the stadium there was a Lundeen statue of a kid with a baseball glove. Loveland makin' it's way to 'Zona!