Lincoln Salt Dogs!!

 The trip ends with a short jaunt down the road to Lincoln where the independent league Salt Dogs play at Haymarket Park, home to the underachieving Big Red baseball team.

On the way the traffic on I-80 came to a dead stop right past Exit 420 (IF Nebraska ever pulls its head out of its backwards conservative ass and legalizes marijuana what could be a better place for a dispensary than Exit 420?). The Husker traffic in the fall always does this but why on an August night when absolutely nothing is happening. Can the Salt Dogs be that popular? When the weigh station was within sight I saw the right lane was closed and the millions of trucks needed to get over and thus the standstill. At the weigh station were 5 State Patrol cars and about 8 or 9 officers standing in the right median, I dont know, discussing past glory on 2-pound pot busts, I have no idea. But that's what the holdup was, a State Patrol AA meeting or something.

Haymarket Park is right over the Interstate from the gigantic tomb like football stadium where lots of losses have occurred in the past few years. I mean seriously, before they put a fake side up and a fresh coat of paint on this pig, it was grey and dull and when it rained it looked like a home that Dracula would love. But thats another story.

Haymarket is a rather new stadium (20 years or so) with the modern walk around concourse though its not very wide. The price to get in is anywhere from $12-$25 a bit more expensive than the other places I went. The beer on Saturday night is $3 for the real low rent stuff like Hamms and PBR. Big deal I cant taste the difference any longer after that encounter with the on-fire tamales in Flagstaff.

The heat was unbearable, and I was under the overhang out of the sun. By inning 2 there were people leaving, by inning 4 there were lots of people leaving. I persisted. Switching from Hamms to water kept me from puking. As I wandered up to get water, I damn near passed out as I saw an older woman sitting with EMTs being tended to. JFC this heat and humidity is a killer.

The players are all 25-35 as Ive stated. Hanging onto a dream. A former Husker pitcher who had washed out in the minors was pitching and it became apparent why he had washed out. It was 5-0 by inning 3. But the decent sized crowd of Big Red/Saltdogs fans still stayed loyal and cheered him as he was pulled from the game losing 8-2. Go Big Red Forever baby!

Before the game, since the opposing team was from Winnipeg, the national anthem was preceded by the cheery tune of Oh Canada. That is a national anthem! My second fave. Too bad the opposing team wasn't from Paris or I'd have been even more happy. Once Oh Canada finished, that war promoting turd the Star Spangled Banner was sung and ruined it all. Ohhhhhhhhhhh Canada our home and native land.........,

I made it thru 7 innings and then had to go. I was dripping wet and and ready for A/C in the old Prius for the jaunt back home. The State Patrolman's meeting was over and it was clear sailing. Until next year, gawd willing, I sign off on the Minor league admiration tour.