It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to get a blog out to all ya’ll Crawdads fans out there, but I’ve been busy trying to find a new toothbrush capable of cleaning those dirty bases at L.P. Frans stadium.  For those of you who attended the June 23^rd game, you witnessed firsthand the atrocity that took place at 2^nd base by the hands of Douglas “The Majik Man” Locascio.  Here I am, minding my own business, providing my friends in the Crawdads front office a selfless service cleaning the bases when, literally, out of left field comes The Majik Man.  First this character blinded me with baby powder, shoved me to the ground, stole my beautiful blue brush, and broke the top right off of it.  It was a monstrosity that left my base-brushing apparatus in disrepair.  No easy feat since, according to Dr. Ross Penland at Growing Smiles, the average toothbrush contains about 2,500 bristles grouped into about 40 tufts per toothbrush.  The tufts are folded over a metal staple and forced onto pre-cored holes in the head and fused into the head with heat.  The handle is made of at least two materials, usually plastic and rubber.  So these things are engineered to clean teeth (or bases) for months at a time, depending on the level of vigor with which an individual brushes. 

Thankfully, my good friend, WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler, who happened to be in the neighborhood, intercepted the nefarious Majik Man before he was able to exit the infield.  The King is not as benevolent and peace-loving as yours truly and was not about to take any flak from such a villain.  The Majik Man attempted to baby powder The King but was met instead by a big ol’ boot to the gut followed by a flawless piledriver on the infield grass.  The Majik Man was down for the count and the day was won.

Anyway, for this reason I have been wielding a refurbished brush and am looking for a replacement.  Toothbrush shopping is a science and must be conducted with extreme attention to detail.  On that note, I must be off.  I’m headed to Cincinnati today for the 74^th annual Technological Engineering for Exceptional Toothbrush Hygiene, or TEETH, convention, to see what advancements have been made in toothbrush technology in the past year.  I think I might also stop and catch a baseball game at Great American Ballpark while I’m there since my favorite major league team, the Milwaukee Brewers, take on the Reds in a key three game series.

Your friend,

The Growing Smiles Tooth Fairy

This is the Tooth Fairy’s 1st year with the Crawdads.  Although he works nonstop, around the clock for most of the year, in his free time he enjoys baking, eating, and throwing pies, playing NBA Jam, and flossing.

By: Kathryn Bobel, Director of Group Sales

The last time I attempted to convince our throngs of readers to watch the best television show currently on the telly, it was for the following five reasons:

1. It has dynamite songs
2. It has cute boys who sing dynamite songs AND play football
3. It has slurpee facials
4. It certainly has drama
5. It’s real

If any of you readers are worth your teen-tv-show-loving salt, you already know that I’m talking about GLEE! Two years later, Fox has churned out a winner yet again—my current obsession—New Girl! The following four reasons are my attempt at convincing you to tune into Fox on Tuesdays at 9:00pm.

1. You can relate. And by you, I mean any individual ages 20-30 or any individuals that were once ages 20-30.  You make so little at your benefit-less job that you have to pay for your MRI with coins. Your car is worth so little the guy at the garage refuses to fix it out of fear that parts may fall on him once he puts it on the lift.  You want so badly to be great at your job that you babysit your boss’s kid at the company Christmas party, but get perhaps a tad too intoxicated while doing so.  And, you have the absolute greatest friends who drive you to your ex-boyfriend’s house to get your stuff back—even your t-shirt that he’s currently wearing (odd…I know.) While each of these situations were created for the show, we can all think of at least a handful of such stories that we’ll never forget.

2. It’s intelligent.  Good writing is difficult to come by on television these days, and while I’m as big of a sucker for the newest reality show as the next chica, it is very refreshing to stumble upon a show that uses words other than “guido,” “juicehead,” and “T-SHIRT TIIMMEEE!” My all-time fave is Aaron Sorkin’s “Sports Night,” a two-season masterpiece that aired in the late ‘90s before getting the ax far too early. Sorkin illustrated an uncanny ability to mix historical references and tawdry one-liners, all while employing an admirably advanced vocabulary. The result? An irresistible mix of drama and humor, laughter and tears.  Similar to Sports Night, New Girl displays a great combination of witty pop-culture references and wonderfully realistic characters just trying to navigate their way through the world.

3.  Zooey herself!  Deschanel is widely lauded for her originality, and seeing a strong female lead in a show is always a welcome reprieve from the flaky, flighty female archetype that seems to pervade TV these days. And while I’m not going to wear a knee length knit sweater with leg warmers and black, plastic-framed glasses any time soon, the confidence Deschanel’s character portrays is undeniable. (My purple suede pumps give me the same bravado.) She shows you can be clumsy, ornery, and quirky, all while possessing an equal amount of elegance, class, and intelligence.  She loves her job, she’s not afraid to go get the guy, and she has great hair, to boot.  She’s inspiring and invigorating.

4.  Similar to GLEE, it’s real. While the idea of four individuals living in a loft each with bedrooms large enough to rival my current apartment is no where near real, the idea that living life from the ages of 20 to 30 in a somewhat transient but unforgettable state is very real.  There are those “Seinfeld”-like conversations that go nowhere, the “Friends”-like relationships and breakups, and stories with plot lines so outrageous you wouldn’t believe them if you weren’t there to experience them yourself.  (Mine include rolling a sleeping co-worker down to home plate in an office chair and getting booed out of a gymnasium with Conrad the Crawdad after being eliminated from an adult spelling bee.)

So, next Tuesday at 9:00pm, after cardio sculpt class and my healthful dinner consisting of Diet Dr. Pepper and Spaghettio’s (which basically undoes anything done at cardio sculpt class), you’ll know right where to find me—on my couch getting ready to watch the best show on television. Feel free to come join the party! One rule at Bobel’s bachelorette pad, though—you have to bring your own Diet Dr. Pepper and Spaghettio’s!

In her fourth year with the Crawdads, Kathryn is a native of Indianapolis, IN and graduated from Bowling Green State University in December 2008 with a degree in sport management.  She has previously worked with the Indianapolis Indians and USA Track & Field.  In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys following the Cleveland Indians and BGSU athletics.

Ahhh, summer.  It would be redundant of me to preach how and why summer is such an appealing time of the year, as I’m sure we’d all agree, but I think I will anyway.  Beautiful weather that I can tan my wingtips in, the surplus of sugary frozen treats kids out of school will over-consume giving me plenty of work to do, and one of my favorite pastimes, grilling.  Yet, there is one reason above all I am excited for the next three months, and that is summer movies. 

I have not always been a fan of the cinema, as in the past many works of film fiction have depicted my likeness in an unfavorable manner, leading many to believe these erroneous images to be true.  For example, I am not a girl.  Very few movies have gotten this right, save classics such as the Santa Claus 2, where they correctly identified my struggle to change my name to “The Molinator,” as I would no longer like it assumed that I am without a Y chromosome.  Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also starred in a biopic loosely based off me fittingly called “Tooth Fairy,” and I must say the role was perfectly cast; his build is quite similar to mine.  Some films such as “Darkness Falls” have even gone so far as to make a monster out of me which also couldn’t be further from the truth.  I am a peaceful entity who enjoys smiling, working, and cheeseburgers.

Despite these shortcomings of Hollywood, I’ve been able to grit my teeth and get myself to the theaters in the recent past.  Summer movies have improved in the last couple of years, producing quality blockbuster films instead of creating sensationalized works of plaque designed only to suck audiences in and send them home sad.  Also, according to Dr. Ross Penland and my friends at Growing Smiles, Hollywood actors and actresses have the best smiles in America, including Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, so naturally I have a certain amount of respect for them.  Films for summer 2012 have already been impressive and we’re only in the second week of June.  “The Avengers,” which is still in theaters, has already become the third highest grossing film of all time and with its genius blend of action, humor, and a star-studded cast playing some of the most iconic superheroes, I would not be surprised if it took over the all-time top spot.  I could go on and on but I’ve really got to get my work done now if I want to catch the midnight showing of “Prometheus.”  Instead I will provide a quick list of my “Top 5 Summer Movies I Will Most Likely See Twice.” 

1.  The Dark Knight Rises
2. Prometheus
3. The Amazing Spider-Man
4. The Avengers
5. Snow White and the Huntsman

This is the Tooth Fairy’s 1st year with the Crawdads.  Although he works nonstop, around the clock for most of the year, in his free time he enjoys baking, eating, and throwing pies, playing NBA Jam, and flossing.

I am certainly no longer in Rhode Island or Colorado. The air is different, the way of life is different, the food is different and the streets really confuse me.  I have made my way to Hickory, North Carolina to join the Hickory Crawdads baseball organization.  

I graduated in May with my master’s in broadcast journalism from the University of Colorado and I have arrived in northwest North Carolina to work as a broadcaster with Andrew Buchbinder and take on whatever else comes my way.  

My journey to Hickory began on Tuesday May 29 when I packed “The Stormtrooper,” my white Jeep Grand Cherokee, as full as possible with my entire life.  I said goodbye to friends, and a life and city I had known for eight years.  I was through wrangling buffaloes, hiking the flatirons, closing down the Attic and carousing at Gary’s Bar.  Like Smokey and the Bandit, I was eastbound and down, loaded up and trucking.  

I drove across the middle of America, rolling Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, before making a stop Wednesday night in Charleston, West Virginia. I spent the night with close friends and former co-workers from my previous two summers working with the West Virginia Power. After I awoke Thursday morning, it was time for the final stretch into Hickory. 

I arrived at L.P. Frans Stadium around 4:30 p.m. I was greeted by my new roommate, Vicki Pumpple, who introduced me to Andrew Buchbinder my new broadcast partner.  Andrew gave me a brief tour of the ballpark, the press box and our radio booth.  We had discussed that I would start on Friday, but being present already, Andrew invited me to join him in the booth for that night’s game. 

I hurried to my new apartment and made a quick turnaround to get ready for the game.  I rushed back to the ballpark and got back just in time for the beginning of the broadcast.  Andrew knew all the fans sitting in front of our booth and politely greeted them as they came in for the game.  

After three innings of shadowing Andrew, we agreed it was time to get things rolling.  As the top of the fourth inning began, Andrew introduced me, I said hello to the listeners and I was underway as the new broadcast assistant with the Hickory Crawdads. 

I loved it. The game went well. The Crawdads won 3-2 and I was ecstatic to have joined the broadcast. You couldn’t have slapped the smile off of my face.  I looked like a kid that had just found a hidden room filled with candy.  Maybe it was from being overtired or delusional from driving across the country, but I was pumped!  

After the game we had a breakdown meeting as a whole staff and afterward I was able to hang out and get to know some of my new co-workers.  We chatted about life and exchange stories as some of us became more familiar with one another.  Just when it appeared day one was complete, at 1 a.m. the weather was threatening with rain, so the staff was called back to pull the tarp onto the field.  Welcome back to minor league baseball.

Chip Samson is in his first year as the second broadcaster with the Hickory Crawdads.  He has spent the last two baseball seasons working with the West Virginia Power in Charleston, WV.  Chip grew up in West Kingston, Rhode Island raising Newfoundland dogs. He loves buffalo wings, french fries, popcorn, pizza, beer and diet Dr. Pepper. 

By: Concessions Assistant, Luke Addison

Gather ‘round the fire, boys and girls.  Grab yourself a drink and settle in.  I’ve got a story to tell you.  This tale is one that has been well told within the Addison family circle.  People that were there may remember it, but few others have heard what I’m about to tell you.  Give me just a second to slip into my letterman’s jacket and load up the Springsteen.  This, my friends, is the story of the greatest moment of my life.

All I wanted as a kid was to grow up to play basketball for the Claymont Mustangs.  Most kids dream of playing in the pros; I dreamt of putting on that brown and orange jersey with my schools name displayed proudly across my chest.  I am from rural East-Central Ohio that is far out of reach of any major city.  It is an hour and a half to any pro or major college teams, so high school sports reign supreme.  I was raised on the stories from my dad about the legends and great victories in Claymont High School sports history.  Someday I wanted to be a part of those stories.

Fast-forward to my junior year of high school.   It’s basketball season and the Mustangs are off to an undefeated start to the season.  On this fateful night, the ‘Stangs are hosting our hated rivals, the New Philadelphia Quakers.  There is no bigger thrill for the people of the 922 than a victory in this matchup.  New Phila has a long history of looking down its nose at us.  They are the county seat, and we are a poverty stricken community less than 10 miles down the road.  For this reason they assume superiority over us.  We are subject to taunts and disrespect such as calling us “Dirtmont” and other creative sayings to try and put down us down.  (My personal favorite: “If you’re looking for help dial 911, if you’re looking for trouble dial 922.”)  Children are told in their crib that we may go 1-9 in football, but if that one win is over Phila, then it is considered a successful season.

As if the matchup wasn’t already big enough, New Phila was off to a great start as well, making this THE premier event in Tuscarawas County.  The game was going to be broadcast on two local radio stations as well as replayed on the local television station.  Doing the play-by-play call that night for WJER was none other than Joe Tait, the legendary radio voice for the Cleveland Cavaliers. When a man whose name now rests in the rafters next to the all-time greats in Cavs history calls one of your games, it’s a kind of a big deal. 

The gym was packed to capacity as the game got underway.  I took my usual spot at the end of the bench, content with the fact that I probably wouldn’t get in.  I was decent, but we had some very good players taking the minutes in front of me.  I had only seen mop up duty with the varsity so far, and the game started no different.  It was a tight back and forth affair for the first quarter and a half.  Our offense was struggling to get going because of a unique defensive strategy employed by the Quakers.  We had a tough point guard that year, but he was really struggling shooting the ball.  Knowing this, Phila decided not to guard him on the perimeter and to instead pack the paint with his man, clogging the lane for our team.  It was a pretty smooth tactic by their coach, but our coach also had one up his sleeve.

“Get in there” he says as he turns to me.  I rip off my warm-up shirt and hurry to the scorer’s table to check in.  (My dad was the scorekeeper for the team, which made the moment twice as cool.)  The whistle finally blows and there I am, on the floor during our biggest game of the season.  It’s a one possession game as we head up the floor on offense.  Of course, the ball wastes little time finding me.  Phila has decided to continue using its pack the paint defense, leaving me alone on the wing.  It’s just me, the ball, and hundreds of eyeballs waiting to see what happens.  My first instinct is to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible.  The only thing is, none of my teammates are open.  So after a couple of seconds of looking around, I think “Ah, what the heck” and pull the trigger. 

Money.  What a wonderful feeling it was to see that ball go through the net.  The crowd cheers as I jog back to play defense.  The Quakers match my three with three of their own, and were back on the offensive.  Amazingly, the exact same scenario presents itself.  Just me and the ball, alone on the left hand wing.  Only now I’m armed with the confidence of seeing that first shot go in.  “Might as well” I think to myself.  Swish.  Three more.  The crowd is getting into it as I do a mental fist pump while running back down the floor.  “This must be a dream.  Back-to-back threes.  Against Phila!”  My blood is really flowing as we force a Quakers miss.  This time up the floor there is no doubt what we’re doing.  I race to my spot on the wing as my teammates swing the ball to me.  There’s no hesitation this time.  Bang.  Nothing but nylon.

A lot of times in a situation like this you see the person exude complete control over their emotions and celebrate with style.  This was not one of those times.  I completely lost my mind.  I let out a “YYYYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” as soon as the ball went through and ran back down the court waving my arms up and down, imploring the crowd get on their feet and scream.  They absolutely ate it up.  I’m quite sure that this is just because it was my moment, but that was as loud as I’ve ever heard it in that gym.  The fans were absolutely going nuts as I continued to wave my arms.  I distinctly remember my coach giving me the “calm it down a bit” motion with his hands as New Phila brought the ball down the floor.  A loose ball and a timeout later and the crowd is back roaring on its feet as we huddle in front of our bench.  It still gives me goose bumps to this day to remember that moment.

The rest of the game was a blur.  Phila never threatened again after that.  I added some free throws during garbage time to end with 13 points, by far a season high.  The moment in itself was amazing, but what happened afterwards was what was really special.  When I came out of the locker room following the game, there was an endless line of people waiting to congratulate me.  Old men shook my hand and thanked me.  Girls that I thought didn’t even knew I existed came up and hugged me.  It was wild.  There were a couple messages on the answering machine for me when I got home.  One lady said that that was the most excited she had been in a long time.   The front page of the sports section had a write-up showcasing my moment the next day.  I got a couple cards in the mail from people telling me how proud they were to see me step up like that.  My picture went up at Pangrazio’s Pizza as “Mustang Basketball Player of the Week” despite the fact that I didn’t even play half of a game.  I am certain that that is as close to becoming a celebrity as I will ever get.

Someday this moment will get replaced by another milestone in my life.  If I find a woman dumb enough to marry me or if I am lucky enough to have a kid than this moment will fade down the list.  However, this is one memory that will always make me happy until the day I die.  What’s great is that I have a copy of the game on DVD.  I only watched it when I first got it, but it’s there if I ever want to show my son how his old man got it done back in the day. 

The End. 

For those of you who didn’t already fall asleep, I bid you a good night.  And just remember kids, they’ll pass you by, glory days.

Luke is beginning his first year with the Hickory Crawdads as a concessions assistant.  Previously, Luke has worked in baseball with the Akron Aeros, the Cleveland Indians Double A – Affiliate.  He was born and raised in Uhrichsville, OH and attended Kent State University where he earned a degree in Sports Administration and a minor in Business.  Luke has simple tastes, enjoying warm weather, funny jokes, and dancing.

While baseball dominates my interest for most of the summer, this particular time of the year my attention is turned to my second favorite human sport of hockey.  Truth be told, I didn’t initially have much interest in the sport itself and the only game I have ever graced with my presence was the 2010 Camp Randall classic at the University of Wisconsin.  I froze my wingtips off to see it but, come on, they played on the football field… how cool is that? 

My interest in hockey started as strictly business because, as you may not know, I was one of the earliest commissioners of the NHL back in 1924 when they expanded to the United States.  While people were pretty good at letting their teeth fall out all on their own back then, I was fast becoming as ambitious as the rest of the nation in the stock market, and I constantly needed more profit.  See back during the Woodrow Wilson era, people paid ME to collect their teeth instead of the other way around, so I was always looking to expand my client base.  And those hockey guys sure lose a lot of their pearly whites.  Unfortunate for them, fortunate for me.  Being the aforementioned ambitious investor I was, I fought tooth and nail to bring the first NHL team to the U.S. in the Boston Bruins (which I know Hickory Crawdads Media Relations Assistant Jeff Dunlap thanks me for every night before he goes to bed).    

Anyway, this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs have gotten pretty heated and only three teams remain.  The LA Kings are already in the finals and the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers are tied at two games apiece.  It’s true I no longer get paid for my services, which is unfortunate because according to my good friend Dr. Ross Penland at Growing Smiles, the number of cavities in the average mouth is down and people are keeping their teeth longer.   People, on average, have healthier mouths than even 10 years ago.  But I still like to at least keep up with the sport I helped bring to America.  This year, my money’s on the Rangers.  Not to win it all.  I meant literally; they’re missing the most teeth.

This is the Tooth Fairy’s 1st year with the Crawdads.  Although he works nonstop, around the clock for most of the year, in his free time he enjoys baking, eating, and throwing pies, playing NBA Jam, and flossing.

Today was one of the most stressful and frustrating days in my career as Official International Molar Bicuspid and Canine Collector, or the Growing Smiles Tooth Fairy (as popular culture prefers to refer to me as).  It’s not the job that has become overwhelming or anything.  I’ve been involved in a copyright infringement lawsuit for around 237 years with the United States Postal Service and it still hasn’t progressed much further than a dead standstill.  I’m trying to sue them because they’ve been using MY official motto as THEIR official motto since their creation in 1775.  I’m sure you’ve heard it before.  “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”  Sound familiar?  That’s because I’ve been using it since cavemen first cried “cavity!”  And now because of this trial, they’ve made a liar out of me.  On Sunday, it rained so hard the Hickory Crawdads were forced to cancel their game against the Savannah Sand Gnats because of the inclement weather.  Along these lines, every child who woke up to find their own tooth under their pillow instead of some change assumed it was because of the excessive precipitation.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  No matter how damp the infield gets at L.P. Frans Stadium, it’s never enough to dampen my drive to complete my duties.  It’s just this silly trial has sidelined me for a bit, and I don’t have any time to spare.  In fact, my good friend Dr. Ross Penland at Growing Smiles informed me that 73% of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss!  Just imagine how many people lose teeth as a result!  Anyway I must get going.  I’m working double duty tonight as the Growing Smiles Tooth Fairy for the Hickory Crawdads and as Official International Molar Bicuspid and Canine Collector for, well, the world. 

This is the Tooth Fairy’s 1st year with the Crawdads.  Although he works nonstop, around the clock for most of the year, in his free time he enjoys baking, eating, and throwing pies, playing NBA Jam, and flossing.

By Jeff Dickson, Director of Food and Beverage

Time: 10:22 P.M, April 29, 2012.

Location: Hickory Crawdads Front Office

Status: Attempting to write a blog

Problem: In just 8 short hours I will be back at L.P. Frans Stadium, helping to make over 12,000 hot dogs for our second day game of this homestand. At 10:00 tomorrow fans will enter the gates, and those with senior and education groups will be receiving a lunch which includes chips, a hot dog and a drink. They probably would like those hot dogs to be cooked. That’s where we come in.

In order to good that many hot dogs and still have the stadium game ready by 10, we have to get here soooo early (before the sun is even out!) to cook, bun, wrap…cook, bun, wrap…cook, bun, wrap…etc. Ok, I may be making this out to be worse than it is. And, honestly, I really like ending a homestand with a day game because the earlier the game starts, the earlier the game ends (and a nap can begin).  But still. No matter how many day games I’ll work in the future, cooking over a thousand hot dogs before most of you are even awake will never be something I’m used to. Now, if we are talking about a thousand strips of bacon then it’s a different conversation completely. Probably one with my mouth full. I digress. Hot dogs. 1,200 of them. 6:30 A.M. It’s now 10:35 P.M. The clock is ticking.

Jeff is entering his second season with the ‘Dads and first as the Director of Food & Beverage.  The Oneonta, NY native joined the Crawdads in 2011 as a concessions assistant, and has previously worked with the Oneonta Outlaws as a sports marketing intern.  Jeff is a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Phillies and North Carolina Tar Heels.

By: Luke Addison, Concessions Assistant

To: ryanexpress34@hotmail.com

From: laddison@hickorycrawdads.net

Subject:  Hidden gem

Dear President Ryan,

            My name is Luke Addison.  I am in my first season as Concessions Assistant at your single-A affiliate, the Hickory Crawdads.  Since I am a loyal member of the Rangers organization, I am emailing you today to let you know that I have found the missing piece in our organizations quest for the Commissioner’s Trophy. 

I know I don’t have to remind you, of all people, how close the Rangers have been to winning the whole kit and caboodle, but one can’t help reminiscing.  2010 was a banner year with the first World Series appearance in franchise history.  Despite the quick defeat, the team came back better than ever and was just a pitch away from hoisting the trophy.  If Nelson Cruz could have just come up with that fly ball in the bottom of the 9^th in Game 6… ahh still too soon, I know.  This year’s Rangers returned with mostly the same roster intact.  Adding young phenom Yu Darvish was a savvy move to replace C.J. Wilson in the rotation, and the team is off to a sizzling start to this season.

Now, for no charge at all, I am about to give you the final ingredient to the Rangers championship cake.  As you know, the first year player draft is coming up June 4^th where teams will be drafting their stars of tomorrow.  We have the 29^th pick, and I am writing to suggest we go an unconventional route this year.  There is a pitcher in Division III that I think will put us over the top.  He plays at Muskingum University, in the same league that produced longtime major leaguer Terry Mulholland.  His name is Logan Addison.  Oh, and he is my brother.

Logan is a 6’2”, 195 pound right hander that possesses an arsenal consisting of a low 80’s   fastball, a slick slider, and a change-up that keeps hitters guessing.  He may not have the “Ryan Express” at his disposal but there are major leaguers right now who throw in the same range.   In 16 appearances (2 starts), the junior has commanded an impressive 2.92 ERA with an equally remarkable 8 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio. (According to the Muskingum Athletics twitter feed, Logan ranks 6^th in all of Division III in fewest walks allowed per 9 innings.)   

Logan also possesses the necessary confidence that you look for when you hand the ball to someone.  “I like to be the man with the ball and be able to control the game. I want to go out and throw well to give my team a chance to win,” he says.  This coming from a guy who says his most memorable baseball moment was “the first time I stepped on the mound for the Muskies was against the #5 team in the nation. I thought I was a hot shot that was going to show everyone how sweet I was. The first pitch I threw was a double in the gap.”  I think that he’s recovered nicely.

Teammates and fans rave about Logan, who could also provide a major boost in attendance.  “He’s a man, a mighty mighty good man” says fellow pitcher Todd Spadaro.  Adds Matt Free “He is a prodigy, with a glimmering chain.” Because, as we all know, every great athlete has to rock some bling.  “He makes us so proud, and he’s just so stinking cute out there” says his #1 fan Trish.  (Ok that last quote might have been from our mom, but you get the picture.)  If that doesn’t convince you, feel free to check him out in action tonight when Muskingum takes on Case Western at the Jake in Cleveland.  (It will always be Jacobs Field to me.) 

Just imagine this scenario, Mr. Ryan.  Game 7.  Top of the 9^th.   Rangers clinging to a one run lead.  1 out.  Runners at the corners.  Feliz has pitched a beauty but he’s gassed.  Ron Washington strolls to the mound and points his right index finger toward the pen.  Suddenly “No Diggity” by Blackstreet blares from the speakers.  The crowd works itself into a frenzy as the L-train emerges from the ‘pen.  People are dancing on the dugout tops like it’s the end of Major League as Logan takes his warm up pitches.  After things finally settle down, Logan unleashes a 82 mph heater on the next hitter.  He sends a weak roller to short.  Andrus flips it to Kinsler for one.  On to first…  Go crazy Texas.  Go crazy.

Yours Truly,

Luke E. Addison

P.S.  I know I said my tip was for free, but my internship is finished at the end of August…

Luke is beginning his first year with the Hickory Crawdads as a concessions assistant.  Previously, Luke has worked in baseball with the Akron Aeros, the Cleveland Indians Double A – Affiliate.  He was born and raised in Uhrichsville, OH and attended Kent State University where he earned a degree in Sports Administration and a minor in Business.  Luke has simple tastes, enjoying warm weather, funny jokes, and dancing.

By: Alex Neitzel, Group Sales Assistant

The Crawdads home opener is just over 24 hours away and the atmosphere at LP Frans stadium shows it.  The front office staff is eager to see the Crawdads on the field and fans in the stadium.  For me, opening day is exciting because it brings the feeling of summertime to the ballpark.  Fans will have their first opportunity of the year to grab a hot dog and a beer, and enjoy Crawdads baseball at LP Frans.  To make things better, the Crawdads have started the season at 4-2 and have a very legitimate shot at another first half title in the Northern division.  Aside from great baseball on the field, the front office staff has a thorough schedule of events before, during, and after games this season.  After all, LP Frans Stadium is where fun happens.  Opening weekend will feature Sneak Peek Night, our Red Carpet Grand Opening, Friday Night Fireworks, and Eric Church bobbleheads. 

This is my first season in Hickory and the anticipation I have seen throughout western North Carolina for the Crawdads season has made me realize what a great sports town Hickory is.  Fans are not only excited, but very knowledgeable.  I have had as many educated conversations about the Texas Rangers and their organization in western North Carolina as I did in Texas.  It’s nice to see that Crawdads fans are also Texas Rangers’ fans, and that they support the entire organization.  There are numerous minor league baseball teams in the US and I am extremely grateful to be part of the Hickory Crawdads and to be living in western Carolina.  Only 29 hours until LP Frans opens….

Alex joins the Crawdads as a group sales assistant in his first year with Hickory.  He is a native of Austin, TX and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Legal Studies.  Alex is no stranger to the Rangers organization, as he worked various game day duties with the Triple A affiliate, Round Rock Express.  He enjoys staying active outdoors playing sports.