The Cleveland Indians farm team, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, plays at Eastwood Field which is an easy 10 minutes from our house. Scrappers games are a fun time, and a more practical way to get our baseball fix, especially mid-week, than driving up to Cleveland.
Tonight the number one Scrappers are taking on the Marlins farm team, the Batavia Muckdogs who are in last place. The Scrappers have an impressive record of 25-15 compared to the Muckdogs 13-26.
The starting pitcher for the Scrappers this evening was Zach Plesac. Zach’s uncle, Dan Plesac, was an All-Star pitcher in the major leagues for 18 years. Another uncle, Joe Plesac, played in the minors. This kid has a baseball family!
Some of our favorite Indians players got their start right here in Niles, Ohio. Jason Kipnis, Tyler Naquin, C.C. Sabathia, Francisco Lindor, Ryan Merritt, Cody Allen, Jose Ramirez, Bradley Zimmer, and Josh Tomlin all wore Scrappers uniforms! Many of the Indians have rehabbed at Eastwood Field including Michael Brantley, Danny Salazar, and Asdrubal Cabrera.
The Scrappers have a fun addition to their vendor staff – King Weenie! Kids start chanting “King Weenie” whenever the ultimate hotdog salesman starts heading in their direction! The King’s mom made his sash, but it is his golden crown and charming smile that really attract attention.
Of course, the main attraction for the kids is the Scrappers’ own Scrappy, the Bulldog. Scrappy is readily available for hugs, high-fives and selfies with the kiddos.
The Muckdogs led the game 4-0 until the bottom of the 7th when the Scrappers scored two runs. Despite their good effort and the crowd cheering the team on, the final score was 4-2. This team is fun to watch and we plan to go to at least a couple more games before their season is over. Some of these guys may just be our future favorite Indians players!