If you are going to throw rocks then you should toss roses too

If you want to be taken quasi-seriously then you have to be willing to compliment as well as criticize.
That seems like a pretty basic statement,but sometimes one has to reflect on things to truly understand that thesis.

I hammered the Hagerstown Suns management after Opening Day here and hit them hard.
Hard to the point that looking back a month later at the post that I wanted to take time out to offer them some compliments on the things that they do well.
This isn't our usual mid season look at the team both on the field and off,which generally brings out the crazies to tell me to keep my opinions to myself,although I have never been called "cakeface" like one memorable writer called Battlin Bob at his blog.
That remains my all time favorite post of the Battler and earlier this season on a FYF night,cake was waiting at the front gate and was even offered to me (I don't really like cake all that much,so I demurred) as I chuckled to myself about how Battlin' Bob should have been there and remembering that post!

In any event,as the title suggests,if you are going to throw rocks then fairness indicates that roses need to be tossed occasionally as well,so with that in mind....

Hagerstown general manager Bob Flannery actually listens when people talk to him.
Not that every suggestion results in changes,nor should it,but when he feels that a decision turned out the wrong way,Bob is not afraid to reverse the call and make it right.
A example of this is when the gates were opened only 35 minutes before the first pitch instead of the standard hour.
Enough complaints must have been made for Bob to realize that things needed to go back to the old time and for the next homestand,the previous standard was in place.
Many times in business,the consumer isn't always listened to and even if my opinion isn't what the Suns opinion on a topic is,I always get the feeling that Bob Flannery is listening.

The food at the Muni hasn't always been the best and we have covered that in the past,but it had improved this season in taste,more offerings and service.
We admit to being very surprised in the efficiency of the workers getting the food out and keeping lines down,except for the chicken sandwich line,which is always long,but they are very good so that is understandable.
Keep up the mini corn dogs (Rachel loves them) and the fried dill pickles too,although think about changing from pickle spears to chips as more would fit into a bag and easier to dip into a sauce as well.
I thought going into the season that there would be issues on the FYF nights being combined with "Thirsty Thursday",but I haven't seen any thus far and things have radically improved.

The Suns employees seem a bit less jaded this season as well.
The Sunsations have faded to into the sunset and their uniforms replaced by far more tasteful navy blue baseball jerseys with the name "Crew" embroidered on them.
The funny thing about this is that from a distance,Crew looks more like Cuba,which brings back thoughts of the World Baseball Classic.

And finally,the new PA announcer may not be Bob Sheppard,but he is doing a nice,solid professional job.
That is all that one can ask for from the public address system.

Sometimes we have to remember that people actually read this thing and even though we won't and can't back down from our opinions,we have to add the good things that are being done as well.
That ,after all,is only fair....