Greetings from Baltimore (just barely)
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jul 27, 2007 
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It has been quite a day so far. Here’s a quick recap:
I arrived at the Kansas City Airport Marriott around 12:45 a.m. last night after returning my rental car. My flight to Baltimore was at 7:55. Do the math, not a lot of sleep.
The only direct flight from Kansas City to Baltimore was on Southwest, the Greyhound Bus of the sky. No seat assignments, people have no idea what to do, general mayhem. But at least most of my fellow writers were on the same journey.
Get to Baltimore and hop in a cab with Tyler Kepner, the beat writer from the Times. As we’re heading down the highway, the cab starts to swerve from lane to lane. After nearly clipping a pickup truck, we end up on the side of the road.
“This happens sometimes,” the cab driver says.
Seems we have a blown tire. A second cab is called as Ty and I scramble up the side of the road to relative safety.
The second cab shows up and it’s an old guy who claims (as he is driving), “I need to catch my breath from all this excitement. I’m having a heart attack.”
Well, he wasn’t. But when we get to the hotel, he refused to give us two receipts for some administrative reason, then charged us the full fare from the airport.
Apprently the cab company offers no “sorry we almost got you killed” discount.
The photos are of the cab on the side of the road and Tyler talking to our original cab driver.
Meanwhile I need to be at the ballpark in 90 minutes or so. Back later with the lineups. Well, unless something else happens.
Good luck surviving Baltimore, Peter.
It wasn’t Kei Igawa who was driving, was it?
Hopefully Igawa will be driving cabs soon enough.
You couldn’t even make up that kind of stuff!
Well, if you can survive a trip from KC to Baltimore, then you should be able to survive the ride with the Yankees this season.
Thanks for doing a great job, Pete!
I was going to ask if it was Carl Pavano behind the wheel, Steve.
Pete: Have Tyler photocopy the receipt…most companies I’ve worked for accept copies. One even sent me on the road with a handheld scanner so I could e-mail them back to the office. That was a little Type A of them though.
And I thought Tyler Kepner was a wunderkind type of writer…somewhere in his early 30s. The photo above makes him look like Mr. Ernst from “Hey Dude!”
So I don’t get it. You didn’t have an assigned seat and the cab got a flat tire? Oh, the humanity. Just a little teasing, don’t get so angry. And let us know ASAP that Igawa has been sent down. Please.
Anyone know what time the make-up game begins?
They finish the suspended game at 7:00 and play the next game right afterwards
Poor Pete, so basically you’ll be falling asleep in the press box tonight.
The cab drivers in Baltimore are crazy (more so than NYC) I was leaving my hotel and there is a line of cabs waiting for anyone who leaves, Well they were all bsing and my friend and I were standing there waiting for one to wake up and take us. Well another cab pulls up and they all start yelling like crazy, well we hoped in and they started to run after yelling that we shouldn’t have gotten in his cab.
Frickin, hilarious! Thanks for the comedy, Peter.
Stay alive Pete.
Rain is in the forecast in New York tonight…what happens if tonight’s game(s) is rained out? Will tomorrow be a pseudo-tripleheader?
Too much baseball even for Ernie Banks!
Rub some dirt on it and walk it off!
stephen, they’re not in new york today
Stephen the games are in Baltimore.
Its going to rain the whole weekend.
someone have a link to the original game thread from June?
I don’t feel like clicking “
I just looked at the forecast for Baltimore and it says scattered showers all the way thru the weekend. I think the weatherman is just covering his butt.
Hey Pete what is the story for Sunday’s game. It is a 1:30 start right? They’ll show Ripkins speech after the game is over right? Should make it alot easier to get back on I-95 to head back to NY.
Thank God you are alright, Sir !
don’t feel like clicking ‘previous entries’ over 20 times…
Anyone else headed down to Baltimore this weekend? I”m leaving early tomorrow, and stopping at the outlet mall.
A Rod will homer and then it will start raining, leading to another ‘to be continued’ finish to the same game.
Melvin Mora will be even angrier as he watches from the clubhouse…
Peter, good luck in Bodymore, Murdaland.
Glad you’re safe P. Welcome to “Charm City”.
Jennifer – Yes, I’m going down tomorrow morning – spending the day at Inner Harbor and going to the Saturday and Sunday games. (I’m in Philadelphia)
I”m going to both games too. I just hope Sundays doesn’t end too late. It is a 3hour drive back to nyc for me.
Hey Pete! Go to the ESPN Zone and walk around the Inner Harbor. Also, get a corn beef sandwich. It is the greatest thing happenin’ in B-More. Pete, are you packin’, lol??!!
Lofton traded to Clevland. WHOA Watch out!! LOL
The glamorous adventures never end for baseball beat writers.
Nothing scarier than Baltimore. At least its light out.
Pete, the safest place to be in Bodymore is Fells Point. Either that or Fed Hill. Stay out of the harbor ya hurd?
I’ve been to Fells Point and it’s okay there. I’ve taken the water taxi but it is so slow. Now i’ll just hope in one of the crazy cab drivers cabs. They take you thru some rough neighborhoods. It is pretty scary.
Stay away from Lexington Market near Saratoga Street. Also, don’t travel to Prince George’s County. If u wanna stay safe, get arrested. LOL. J/K. Don’t mean mug anybody. They are liable to shoot just for that. It’s petty…I know.
Ah BWI Airport Taxi,
I took them once when my flight got diverted from Dulles during a snowstorm. They charged me $40 more than we had agreed upon and when I tried to argue with the driver he went into Hindi hysterics and quickly forgot how to speak English. Just the kind of treatment you expect after 8 hours of travel…
Southwest Air is the absolute pitts.
E-ROC where is Lexington Market in relation to the yard?
Just thinking… if Arod homers in the continuation of the suspended game then he becomes the first player to reach 500 home runs before he reaches age 32. Even though he does it on his 32nd birthday.
Pete’s becoming Peter King with all these travel stories.
Netx thing we know he’s going to tell us what coffee is the best in each city.
Pete – Glad you’re safe, but did the cabbie really say, “this happens sometime”??????? Cracked me up.
Jennifer, Dave K –
Have a great time this weekend! Did it last year and wanted to repeat this year, but we had other commitments. Always happens, either there’s nothing to do or 10 things to do! Hope you’re right about the weatherman, Jennifer!
With the way this year is going is there any doubt A-Rod homers in the suspended game?
Speaking as a stockholder. Southwest is the best airline in business.
Having been to most of the parks around the country I’d have to say Camden is a great park. Made even better by the 30,000 Yankee fans that go there.
Lexington Market is only couple of blocks North of Camden Yard. It has been known to get a little violent when people have too much liquor in them. I would only go up there in daylight just to get a corn beef sandwich. That sandwich the bomb!!! I miss home.
I can’t stand that whole not having an assigned seat thing.
An extra headache on top of everything else when flying.
From that photo there is no way that Kepner is younger than 45.
Wow. Potential triple-header tomorrow.
Worst case scenario: Yanks lose all three games.
Scary Thought!
Or they take all three.
Especially since they are 6 outs away from one.
Be a little positive.
Did A-rod get that 499 ball in KC, which could turn into 500 anybody know
Imagine getting into a cab and seeing Igawa behind the wheel?
With that goofy look and those shades.
And he’d obviously not be able to drive straight and the ride would take 4 hours of cringing.
I hope he has a good accountant for that 5 mill a yr.
He doesn’t speak english either. He’d fit in perfectly in NY.
Call me crazy but I got a feeling the Yankees are going to walk away with Gagne at the deadline.
Two wins out there to get tonight
Rattachewy The Troll Lives ! Your silence after Boston does not make the playoffs this year, will be priceless.
Igawa would get you tantalizingly close to your destination but then he couldn’t get close enough to let you out of the cab.
“Call me crazy but I got a feeling the Yankees are going to walk away with Gagne at the deadline.”
i think the trade that happens will be the one you hear nothing about.
that’s cashman’s MO.
gagne could be that guy and the rumors are quiet around him.
gagne’s contract stipulates he has to close whereever he lands, or else his $$ isnt guaranteed, something like that. He’s not coming to NY.
For some reason I always thought the writers traveled on the charters with the team. Guess not.
RE: Eric Gagne
Rangers are open to trading him. Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Brewers, Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, Phillies, Indians, Tigers, Red Sox, Nationals and Yankees interested in trading for him. Gagne has stated he would like to remain in Texas in 2008 thus making it possible the Rangers could offer him an extension before dealing him. Gagne, who has a limited no-trade clause, wants to remain a closer. The Rangers asked the Yankees for Joba Chamberlain in exchange for Gagne.
Last Updated: 11:30 AM – Jul 26, 07 Source: Chicago Tribune
Global,
Thanks for the post. I had a nice long laugh at the last line. You’ll never know if you never ask.
My hotel is on Washington Boulevard right near the stadium. Am I okay? You’re scaring me now. LOL
I thought Baltimore was famous for crab cakes. First I’ve heard about Corned beef. My experience with the Baltimore cab industry is such that I’d never take one again.
jennifer, you are fine right by the stadium. Don’t believe the hype about Baltimore, it is actually a pretty nice town (although it has some rough neighborhoods).
I am going to the game tonight – any others attending?
Jennifer,
I’ve been to Balt serveral times and like most towns there are a lots of people and police near the stadium, stay near the crowds and you’ll be fine. There are always a lot of Yankees fans there too. The O’s have been miserable for so long that the Yanks have developed a following there. I used to live in Va Beach and the O’s were our “area” team on cable. There announcers always used to grip about all the Yankees fans there. Sheesh.
I have a good feeling about two wins tonight!
I’ve been there in the past but am staying at a different hotel so I wasn’t too sure. I stayed at the Sheraton, and Mariott. I usally go to Fells Point but i’d like to try a different area. Anyone know where there are nice bars, not too young of a crowd not too old.
Jennifer –
us mid-20 guys arent good enough to party with?
Pete,
Your description of southwest as is how I described several flights on US Air this past week. Except I refer to them as greyhound with wings. I am talking about first class too! Airline travel unfortunately has become a miserable experience in recent years.
BJ
By Sunday at game’s end, we will have either swept these 4 games ( counting the suspended one ) or taken another 3 outta 4. Won’t it also be nice for Tampa to beat up on the Red Sox to show who REALLY is playin the best baseball in the AL right now ???
Bry Guy i’m referring to alot of the college kids that hang out in fells point. Maybe there won’t be as many since it is July and I think last time when I went school was in session.
Uh oh !!!!!! ….after some research, Igawa has a sunglasses clause in his contract.
The firs 8 innings of the suspended game will be shown starting at 4:30 on YES.
first*
Thanks River Ave Report. I had actually missed seeing that game; had to listen on radio.
“gagne’s contract stipulates he has to close whereever he lands, or else his $$ isnt guaranteed, something like that. He’s not coming to NY.”
this is incorrect.
he can be traded to the yankees without his permission.
“signed deal for 2007 season worth $6M on 12/19/06- + he can earn $5M in performance bonuses based on GF: the bonuses begin with $75K for 3GF and max out if he reaches 66GF- + he receives a hotel suite while on the road- + the deal includes a limited NO-TRADE clause that allows him to list 12 teams to which he can be traded to w/out his written consent (among those 12 teams are the *NYY*, MIL, NYM and LAA; not among those teams are ARI, STL, *BOS*, CLE, PHI and DET)- + 2006 salary: $10M (+ $1M buyout)”
Welcome to MD. Thunder storms on way!!
The equation works out like this:
Igawa + Pavano = complete fraudulence
The Makeup starts at 7pm?
Pete sorry you had those problems. Similar thing happened to us in Tempe Arizona on our way to the Fiesta Bowl. The cab had a flat, we pulled over, since it was the day of the game the troopers were in control. Dude had forgotten his drivers license. Lucky for us we were able to catch a ride with a suv of people that were nice enough to give us a ride. We bailed but still had to pay the guy.
Sorry you had to go all that way to watch
the pathetic Yankees almost lose both halves of the “doubleheader”. Do you all realize that if Brian Roberts had stolen second in the bottom of the ninth, The Orioless would have swept both games? Why DOES Joe Torre look like he’s an advanced cancer patient anyway?
p.s. Those of us who carry Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards have no problem negotiating their seating arrangements, and find their prompt friendly service and inexpensive fairs more than outweigh knowing exactly where we are going to sit in advance.
p.p.s. At least the cab driver spoke English.