Bowie Baysox Vs Trenton Thunder 2018

My son and I went to a Bowie Baysox game (they are the AA team under the Baltimore Orioles) as part of a school spirit night. We got there early enough to get snacks (a big pretzel and popcorn) and see the first pitch thrown out by a Cub Scout, because it was also Cub Scout night.

First pitch

Our seats were just three rows back from front row, so we had an awesome view of the game. We were right over the visitor dugout. The Baysox were playing the Trenton Thunder, the AA team for the New York Yankees.

View from our seats

My son looking cool

The Thunder took an early lead, score four runs in the first inning. Our team was able to score once in the same inning but they never really got going after that. It was a tough slog for home team fans.

First inning, Trenton at bat

More action

The game had plenty of other entertainment going on. Louie, the team's mascot, wandered around the stands and occasionally participated in on-field activities.

The mascot

Right in front of us, they had a trivia match after the end of an inning. The announcer asked the guy in the blue shirt how many RBIs Ken Griffey Jr. had in 1997. He guessed six, which was not the right answer. The other guy had to say if the right answer was higher or lower. He guessed higher and won, since Griffey had 147.

Trivia showdown

Between another set of innings, the mascot had a dance-off with a Cub Scout and another boy. The Scout won!

Starting the dance-off

Blue and green fight it out

Later on, another scout had the chance to run from the back wall and steal second base. He was able to run, grab the base, and make it back to the wall with two seconds to spare.

Stealing second

At yet another break in the action, the announcer grabbed me and asked me if I wanted to do a trivia challenge. I agreed. He asked me to choose the horse that didn't win the Triple Crown from a list of four horses. I recognized Secretariat, so that was easy to eliminate. I'd heard of Gallant Fox and Assault, so I went with the other answer, Sunday Silence. I was right and won a t-shirt, beer cozy, and bottle opener/key ring.

Well-gotten gains

Toward the end of the game, they had a challenge with two sons trying to put three inflatable rings over their respective parent. It was a fun race and we all thought the kid in the orange shirt would win, but the green-shirted guy managed to pull off a tie.

Large rings...

...onto parents

A tie!

A local exterminator sponsored a "smash the roach" challenge where a patron was given a large pink bat. She chased down someone dressed as a cockroach and gave him a beat down. It was sort of hilarious.

Explaining the rules

Roach bashing

The final event was a sort of tug-of-war with two people tethered together. One of them had to drag the other far enough so he or she could but dodge balls in a bin. It ended surprisingly quickly.

Maybe it's a variation on tetherball?

The game ended with the Baysox losing 7 to 2. Even with the loss, we still had a fun time at the game.

Final score

Bowie Baysox Game 2017

We took Grandpa to a baseball game for his birthday. We went to a Sunday afternoon game for the Bowie Baysox, the AAA team for the Baltimore Orioles.

The game in action

 We went the weekend of First Communion for my daughter. She wanted to go to the game and she had a fun time hanging out with Grandpa.

Explaining the game to his granddaughter

 My son brought his baseball glove hoping to catch a foul ball. He lucked out and managed to snag one in the middle innings.

Guy got ball

 The game was fun but a slow and steady loss for the home team. The visiting team was the Richmond Flying Squirrel (I kid you not) and they were able to exploit the gap between the short stop and the outfielders.

In between the innings they had various activities. Since it was Mother's Day (we left Mom and Granny behind so they could relax while the toddler napped at home), a lot of moms in the crowd were selected to compete in various contests, like crab walking a certain distance or the ever popular sumo wrestling suits. Occasionally the kids soloed on a contest, like this one where they had to race around a bat and then try to walk in a straight line while they were dizzy.

Bat challenge

My son managed to catch a second foul ball which he gave to his sister as a souvenir. 

Double play!

 My brother (who was down from Jersey for the First Communion) also came to the game and had a good time but managed to avoid the camera. Everyone had a fun time, except for the home team who lost 4-1.

Farewell, ball fans!

Minor League Game 2016

At the end of the summer, my son and I went to see the Bowie Baysox, a farm team for the Baltimore Orioles. The stadium isn't far away (about 25 minutes). They've built a big sign where you are supposed to turn to get to the stadium.

Sign on the road

The stadium is very unassuming. Getting in was super-easy. Our tickets were scanned and we moved on to the general seating (orange section). We had to sit up high to avoid the blistering sunshine (the game started at 2 p.m.). Even so, we could easily see the action.

The stadium

View from our seats

The game had just started when we got there. The home team was holding their own. My son was hoping either to see a grand slam or to catch a foul ball. Most of the fouls were going into the third base stands; we sat overlooking first base.

Play ball!

In between innings,  the stadium hosted various competitions for the younger fans. One such game was racing bouncing horses, which looked like fun. My son was not interested in volunteering.

Horse race at the baseball game

Later, two patrons dressed up as sumo wrestlers and fought each other. It was entertaining to watch, especially when the guy in orange jumped on top of the guy in black when he was already laying flat on the field.

Sumo spectacular

We enjoyed the game, since we saw a grand slam. Still no caught foul ball for us...yet. We'll probably go next season. It's a lot cheaper and easier to get to than the major league stadium, though the food had similar prices.