We drove to Scranton Pa. for our first stop as the Railriders were hosting the Durham Bulls.
There wasn't anyone on either team that I really needed,but the Railriders have a legends series that they bring in a player a month (usually a former Yankee) to sign autographs and meet fans.
Neither of us had a burning desire to graph the team,but the chance to add Hall of Famer "Goose" Gossage to my 1988 and 1990 Score set was intriguing enough to start the trip in Scranton.
Sadly,we were both dismayed by the Railriders customer service.
We were in the door among the first few non season ticket holders,went straight to line up for the Goose and were as far up the line as we could be.
Yet,we never made it to the Goose.
The people in line in front of us said that this was the third time in a row that they wouldn't get the guest to sign.
That sounds like a rigged game to me-The team advertises the player using "Come See" and with letting the season ticket holders in first ( as they should),the line rarely gets to the fans that come to get the player.
Perhaps a better way would be to have a line of season ticket holders and a second line of non-holders that are told up front that they may not get one,but the chances are their's.
And of course,there's the always present rent a cop,who gave rudeness a new name.
This guy strutted up and down the line,shouting out time remaining and lied to everyone that spoke to him-"Gossage isn't taking any pictures" (Not true), "We have no control over how long he signs" (You are paying him,put more time in the contract),"Everyone is always mad at me during these things" (Ok,they weren't all lies)...
I'd go back to Scranton,but never for a legends evening.
They were rude,disrespectful to fans (I didn't have words with anyone) and I feel like they ran a con game-.
Mike and I's plans to go next to Binghamton for the second game of the doubleheader between the Rumble Ponies and Portland Sea Dogs.
However,we ran into a huge thunderstorm and pouring rain that we knew was unlikely to allow them to continue (they didn't) and going north meant getting colder in the rain too.
Since your author is an idiot and left his sweatshirt on the counter when he left-he was very cold.
Fortunately,we pulled over and called Jason Christensen,who we were supposed to meet up with the game and asked if he was at the stadium.
He wasn't,but he said we could come to his home to swap cards that I brought up for him and he graciously loaned me a shirt to wear (I wore it for the remainder of the evening as my "jacket').
Thank heavens that the rest of the weekend weather was good!
We spent a little time with Jason and his family,who had met on several of their visits to Hagerstown and then drove to our hotel between Batavia and Buffalo about two hours away.
The ride was fun and the rest of the evening was uneventful.
Not the greatest of stories for day one,but I promise the stories get better on the next two installments...
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