Reds vs. The Netherlands National Team

Posted on 04. Mar, 2009 by Corey in General Baseball.

In a tune up for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, The Netherlands National team visited Ed Smith Stadium to take on the Cincinnati Reds.  Fans in Sarasota were treated to free baseball, as the game went 10 innings with the Reds winning 4-3.

Luis Bolivar doubled, moved over to third on a ground out and scored the winning run on a wild pitch.  The Netherlands move on to Ft. Myers to play the Boston Red Sox before heading to Puerto Rico to open pool play.

Cincinnati minor league prospects Alexander Smit and Juan Carlos Sulbaran pitched the fifth and seventh innings respectively.  Smit gave up a homer to former teammate Jay Bruce.

GAME EXTRAS
-    The Hooters girls were again in attendance.
-    The Cincinnati Reds wore their red batting practice tops with white names on the back and their red hats.
-    The Netherlands National Team had orange batting practice tops for warm-ups, and wore black batting practice style tops for the game with their names on the back.  They had on orange hats with a black bill.
-    The crowd at Ed Smith Stadium was announced at 1,508 fans, but seemed even less than that. By far it is the lowest crowd I have seen at a game this spring.  The Reds had a large group of sponsors in from Ohio and there was also a nice group of Netherlands fans at the game.
-    The Netherlands committed four errors in the game.
-    The two Reds prospects, Smit and Sulbaran, combined for one run in four innings of work.
-    Cincinnati prospect Jeremy Horst, being the terrific guy that he is, picked up a foul ball that was hit into the seats where he was sitting and passed it on to a little girl.
-    The Reds ground crew performed YMCA on the field.
-    Baseball Bingo was played at the game tonight and by far received the biggest cheers or boos when the PA announcer gave the numbers.

STADIUM QUIRKS
-    To me, Ed Smith Stadium, and the entire complex, is nothing special.  Although it is sad to see the Reds leave Florida for Goodyear, Arizona next year, a new facility is much needed.
-    To be quite honest, I am not sure how much parking at the stadium is since I have a pass to park in the back lot and get there before they start to collect money.
-    BATTLE OF THE SODAS: Pepsi
-    A Netherlands flag was put up on the scoreboard for the game.
-    No WIFI could be found in the stadium.
-    The home Cincinnati dugout is on the first base side.
-    Both teams’ bullpens are in the outfield beyond the fence.
-    The home Cincinnati clubhouse is in a separate building in right field.
-    The visiting clubhouse, and umpires room are connected to the visitors’ dugout underneath the stadium.
-    No radar gun or video screen.
-    The Cincinnati Reds retired numbers are on the outside of the press box behind home plate.
-    There is no lawn at the stadium, but are two medal bleacher grandstands down the lines.  I did not see one person in the grandstands at the game.
-    Cincinnati’s finest, Montgomery Inn and Skyline Chili are sold at the stadium.  Wonder why LaRosa’s didn’t make it down?

2 Responses to “Reds vs. The Netherlands National Team”

1. RANDY says:

   March 9, 2009 at 2:41 pm

   LIKE THE HOOTERS

2. Corey says:

   March 9, 2009 at 3:24 pm

   Who doesn’t??