Chukars dominate opening games at new stadium
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
By Sam Petri
From the pitcher’s mound at the new Melaleuca Field, home of the minor league Idaho Falls Chukars, Mormon Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney, dressed casually with his sleeves rolled up, addressed the 3,622 attendees before the opening pitch at the stadium last Friday.
“There’s nothing that says America and American family like baseball,” Romney said, stating the obvious. While he spoke for less than two minutes, made little reference to any political agenda, and only briefly shook hands with people in the bleachers just off the first base line before disappearing as the game started, his presence lent an air of significance to the inaugural game at Idaho Falls’ new baseball stadium, and the Chukars’ first home game of the season.
On the other hand, if Romney wants to gain votes, he’s going to have to do better than he did with last Friday’s surprised and captive audience. A few spectators booed, others cheered, but in the stands no one mentioned Romney’s cameo after the first pitch against the Orem Owlz of Utah. And by the bottom of the second – when Chukar clean-up batter OD Gonzalez (RF) smacked a home run over the center field fences, scoring the first official run on Melaleuca Field in excellent style and setting up momentum for the Chukars eventual victory – the appearance of the political player had been totally upstaged by the ball players.
The Chukars – the Kansas City Royals’ affiliate in the eight-team Pioneer League, which also includes the Casper Rockies, Helena Brewers, Missoula Osprey, Ogden Raptors, Great Falls White Sox and Billings Mustangs – opened their 2007 season on June 19 and will play ball nearly continuously through Sept. 9.
Their dominance in their first home game series was clutch to breaking in Melaleuca Field (the name of which, incidentally, and as near as we can tell, is taken from the genus of plants that includes the tea tree, whatever that has to do with Idaho Falls or baseball).
Formerly known as McDermott Field, which nearly closed its doors in 2006 due to lack of funding, a $3.35 million upgrade outfitted Melaleuca Field with every accommodation that Major League fields have – only the beer is slightly cheaper and comes in larger sizes. Next time you’re in Idaho Falls make sure you see a Chukars game, after you hit up Target, Wal-mart, and Sam’s Club, of course.
In the fourth, Donato Giovanotto (LF) of the Orem Olwz answered Gonzalez with a homer of his own off a pitch by lefty Burke Baldwin, who was relieved in the fifth after giving up four hits and one run over four and a half innings.
With the game tied 1-1 coming into the seventh, the Chukars demolished right-handed relief pitcher Tremayne Holland with a home run by Clint Robinson (1B) who batted in Gonzalez. Later, Chukar Nick Van Stratten (CF) stole home, and after little action in the final two innings, the final score rested at 4-1 Chukars.
The Chukars carried their momentum into Saturday’s game, too, winning 5-4, but lost to Orem on Sunday 5-9, breaking a winning streak and leaving the Chukars with a 5-1 record for the season so far.
-Photo by Sam petriFriday’s game was the Chukars home opener at the new Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls.PERMALINK:
Chukars dominate opening games at new stadium | Planet JH News Article: Sports & Recreation
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