.: the delmarva shorebirds…
Amanda, Ryland, and I have now called the Eastern Shore “home” for well-over six months… and we are just now beginning to carve out some time to see a few of the sights and visit a few of the attractions in ”The Bury”.
On the first weekend in July, we had an awesome excuse to check out one of the most well-known local attractions… when one of my students was asked to sing the National Anthem for a Delmarva Shorebirds’ Sunday afternoon home game. Mitchell has also been one of Amanda’s vocal students since “day one” of our relocation to the Eastern Shore.
The Delmarva Shorebirds are the Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They play in a charming ballpark (Arthur W. Purdue Stadium) that features lower deck General Admission seating (read: first come, first served) and a hot tub on the third base line (seriously… there’s a hot tub positioned twenty-five to thirty feet from the foul line in the lower deck… and there was even a foul ball that splashed into the tub among the handful of fans who were watching the game from their watery seats… McCovey Cove… EAT YOUR HEART OUT!). The stadium wasn’t over-filled and we were able to sit behind home plate about fifteen rows back in the shade. The stadium food was excellent… and we didn’t quite pay as much for our dawg, coke, pretzel, and ice cream as what we have paid at some MLB games. Sherman the Shorebird (the team’s feathery mascot) was always moving, roaming, and interacting with the fans… and especially the kids. But most importantly… the atmosphere was fun, energetic, and family-oriented.
We were very glad to be able to celebrate Mitchell’s first chance to sing the National Anthem for the Shorebirds… and to celebrate Don Melton’s (Mitchell’s dad and one of our ministry volunteers) birthday among a group of 15-20 friends from Allen Memorial. Mitch sang very well, the game was great (the Shorebirds won in dramatic fashion 7-to-6), Ryland had a great time, and Amanda and I were stoked to find another great place for our family (and student ministry) to visit during the summer.
Another note that is an important one to mention concerning the Shorebirds is their dedicated contribution to our community. They team works hard to be involved in many activities and projects that are ongoing in Salisbury. Our summer Vacation Bible School theme at Allen was sports-related (”GameDay Cental… where heroes are made!” hahhaa!) so our Pastor to Children (Velvie Banister… who is undoubtedly the greatest Kids Pastor that I have known… or worked with) recruited some of the Shorebirds’ players to join with Sherman the Shorebird to make an appearance on the final day of our VBS. The two players who joined Sherman were Chris Vinyard (Infielder/DH from Mesa, Arizona) and Michael Pierce (Catcher from Fresno, CA). The guys did a great job talking to our kids and signing autographs for a couple of hours.
In the weeks following our first visit to see the Shorebirds (and their visit to see us)… I have done a little research on the Salisbury area and its’ connection to baseball history. There have been numerous successful Major League players who have scuttled through the Shorebirds farm over the years… many of whom are contributing on MLB teams today. Here are few names that even an indifferent fan of baseball might recognize: Javier Vazquez, Orlando Cabrera, Michael Barrett, Daniel Cabrera, Brian Roberts, and Erik Bedard (the complete list can be viewed here).
It was also shocking for me to discover that Salisbury has been host to several semi-pro and MiLB (FYI: MiLB stands for “Minor League Baseball”) teams since baseball’s early beginnings. The team that achieved the most notoriety are the Salisbury Indians. The Salisbury Indians team of 1937 (Class D Minor League Baseball) were even recently tagged as the eighth-ranked team among the “100 Greatest Teams in Minor League History” by sportswriters for MiLB.com. Check this article out…
Anywho… we are pleased to be connected to a city that hosts such a prolific history in a game that Amanda and I love… and that our son is quickly learning to love. Here are a few photos from the day…
PRESS ON!!!
-Weav
Posted in .: [r]weaverBLOG :. |
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Dude, did you just type that their ballpark was “charming”?????
August 25th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
D-Mac…
Just wait till you see this park… IT IS FRIGGIN CHARMING!
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Sweet Thanks a Lot
You are amazing.
September 4th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Mitch…
You did a wonderful job singing the National Anthem. Amanda and I are very proud of you. Your Senior year is going to be a great one… as long as you keep your heart fixed on the Healer. Good stuff bro… good stuff.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:28 am
[…] Saturday night we dropped Chico off at Danny and Patty Morris’ casa (Danny and Patty have unofficially become Ryland’s surrogate grandparents on the Eastern Shore… but we’ll save that story for another blog) and ventured to the Land of Oz (not the prison) in the Mardela High School Cafetorium. We were accompanied in our journey through the Land of Oz by Angie and Bob (Caleb’s proud parents) and Mitch (who is one of my seniors that I’ve bragged on before). Caleb Drehmer was the cowardly lion… and he was outstanding. He stinkin’ stole the show with his comedic timing and line delivery… and he was impressive when he sang his solos while matching his character speaking voice and character singing voice. It was greatness! Overall the musical was solid, with good vocal performances and good acting. The high school band played and did a good job as well. Another of my students, Megan, played alto-sax and did a great job (she is featured below in the photo alongside her sister Cozy).All I’ve got to say now is… OH BETSY!!! […]
March 25th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
[…] So… I got a totally random phone call on Wednesday the 12th from some guy named Phil from some company called Aquasis. Phil had discovered my info online and was contacting me because he needed me to hook him up with one of my high skool students who could help him display some signage at a little concert that they were sponsoring in Salisbury. I said that I would make a few calls and find him a responsible student who could partner with his company to hang a some signs before the show, and then take them down afterwards. It just so happens that the little concert actually turned out to be a national tour that is headlined by a little band called Casting Crowns. The tour also featured one of my favorite bands right now… Leeland. In the end, Mitchell Melton literally “jumped” at the opportunity to help Phil and the good people of Aquasis… and in return he got a sweet-action backstage pass… and the Weavers got a pair of tickets to catch the show from some great seats at the Wicomico Civic Center. In the process, we were able to hang out with several of our students who were also attending the show with their families. In my research since the show, I have discovered that Aquasis is a great ministry (and much more than the hookup for free tickets and backstage passes… hahaa) that is partnering with World Vision to install water wells in third world countries all over the world. You can check out their vision for reaching the world with the Message of Christ’s love by first providing them with clean drinking water by watching this video. […]