This Week In Baseball, The Sequel

This past Sunday, I treated My Dear Elderly Mother to a Reds game and Riverfront Club brunch for Mother's Day.  First, the view from our table:

Next, a view of my table:

Two of my favorite words in the English language; waffle bar.  Maple syrup, white chocolate chips, several scoops of brown sugar.  Does it get any better than that?  I also had a slice of hickory-smoked ham "on the shhiiiide." [credit: The Cowboy, Jeff Brantley]  That, and I also had second helping of waffles.  Eventually I had three helpings of ham.  Plus biscuits with chicken gravy (big pieces of chicken, too).  The brunch of champions.  Carb loading, anyone?  I washed it all down with three of four glasses of ice water.

After stuffing my face like the succulent pig I heartily and repeatedly devoured, I waddled about the Riverfront Club snapping photographs of the panoramic vista that unfolds about the Great American Ball Park:

In the foreground, the southern end of the Fan Zone.  In the middle ground, the lower Banks and the Moerlein Lager House.  In the distance, Paul Brown Stadium - home of the PLARF F.C. of Cincinnati.  At left, unmistakably, is the iconic Roebling Suspension Bridge.  Panning leftward:

The lower portion of the photograph, above, is filled by the newly re-routed portion of Mehring Way and a small section of the new park lands which are being developed along the riverfront.  The Roebling Bridge spans a high, wide and muddy Ohio River, swollen by the heavy and persistent rains we've had this Spring.  Scanning yet further left:

At right, the historic Riverside District of Covington, Kentucky (one of my favorite neighborhoods).  At left-center, the mouth of the Licking River.  At left, the ever-redeveloping entertainment district of Newport, Kentucky.  Tilting ever leftward like the Ohio Republican Party (RINOs, all of 'em):

Looking southeasterly into the heart of Newport-on-the-Levee.

If you find the weather too inclement to sit outside, I recommend taking in the ball game from the Riverfront Club.  Even on a sunny but brisk, windy Sunday holiday, with a near-capacity crowd, there's always a table available in the Riverfront Club:

Out of view, at right, is the Riverfront Club's wishbone-C shaped bar.

This Budweiser sign is among the newest advertisements inside the ballyard.  At center, docked across the river, is the Belle of Cincinnati riverboat.  Reds faithful piled into the Sun Deck, at left, riveted to the action.

Later in the week, Heavy Artillery's DC-based operative - codenamed BIG STRICK - filed the following report from behind enemy lines in Philadelphia: 

What follows is the declassified portion of BIG STRICK's communique;

Made the drive up from D.C. to catch the Reds in action.  Not as many Cincy fans in attendance as in the District.  Not many friendly looks sporting the Reds gear.  I think I will go a little more covert and wear the Skyline shirt for tomorrow's game!

HQ issued the following orders to Agent BIG STRICK:

Commence covert actions at once!

I have placed a letter of reprimand into the file of Tony Cingrani for throwing too many fastballs.

Note, at lower right in the above photo, the Citizen's Bank Park patron wearing Philly Phanatic headgear.  Lame-o.  Unless that's a kid, in which case it's cool.  Kids should always be encouraged to wear funny headgear.  BIG STRICK was able to submit one last spy photo before succumbing to a cheese steak sammich ("Whiz wit?"):

Panoramic!  Just like we like it at Heavy Artillery!

This Week In Baseball closing theme

Preakness Wrap

At post time odds of 3-5, I could not and did not wager on Orb.  But I did like him and was surprised as anyone when he didn't fire on Saturday.  Evenly, is how I think the DRF Preakness Stakes trouble line will read.

That's horse racing.  

For new insight into how difficult it is to win the Triple Crown in our modern era, I will again suggest Gary West's ESPN column, found here.  DRF's Mike Watchmaker sums up this year's Preakness as well as anyone here.