Team throws heck of a party

Opener sparkles with hoopla, game

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by GARY SMITH Uncle Sam gets ready to catch a spinning plate from Joey Binns as his parents, James and Lisa, watch before the start of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs opening baseball game Friday evening at the Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. For more photos, go to www.SoMdNews.com. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

And maybe they would sit through the whole game. But if they didn’t, parents took comfort in knowing there was backup.

Seth Blandford used to go to the Bowie Baysox games frequently but is excited that he and his 7-year-old son, Brett, who happens to be a Little Leaguer, can enjoy baseball closer to their Hughesville home.

‘‘We’ve been waiting for this,” Blandford said while watching Brett on the ballpark’s jungle gyms before the game started. ‘‘It’s good to throw the kids out here and let them burn off energy before the game starts.”

Janice Trent of North Beach agreed the playground area was a good way for the kids to release energy before they had to sit for hours.

She brought her 9-year-old grandson, Zach Buckler, and his 11-year-old friend, Cody Fletcher.

‘‘I want a hot dog. It’s been a long day and I want to sit and enjoy the nice day,” she said.

But Leonardtown residents Shirley Davis and Leann Quade said they weren’t planning to take their children over to the playground until they really couldn’t sit still anymore.

‘‘They’re all excited about it,” Davis said.

‘‘You get to see up close and you get to cheer a lot,” said 8-year-old Ashley Turner, who came with her brother and other children.

‘‘The Blue Crabs are going to hit so high,” said 8-year-old Brandon Quade.

Katelyn Beck and Tori Nicol, 13, had a good time having their faces painted at the game.

‘‘I thought it’d be fun to come and hang out with everybody. We’ll come to more games,” Beck said.

Aside from having an entertaining activity to do nearby, John Dimichael and Debbie Moorleghen of Waldorf and Port Tobacco said the best part about the games is reasonable prices for food and tickets. Stadium seats are $13 each and lawn seats are $6 each.

‘‘It’s just a good time in the neighborhood. We don’t have to travel to Washington, D.C. or Baltimore. It’s safe and a family environment,” Moorleghen, whose daughter, Donna, got the first ball signed by the entire team.

Moorleghen’s family has already booked the stadium’s banquet room for a reunion, she said.

‘‘We’re looking forward to bringing the rest of the family,” she said.

Dimichael said he can’t wait to bring his 2-year-old grandson to the games, for which he has season tickets.

Throughout the game, kids jumped to catch giveaways being thrown to the crowd and fought to get on the stadium’s big screen camera. Parents sat back and watched.