The 2021 Trenton Thunder season will go down in history as the craziest, shortest season ever. Not only did it start about a month later than usual, it ended about a month earlier than usual. Plus they had two separate teams both call themselves Trenton Thunder in that time.
In May I blogged about the May 4th start of the season. At that point everyone had to wear a mask and sit in pods. About a month later Thunder called to say they no longer had caps on size, and encouraged me to go to more games.
My plan was for the three of us to go to a game together, then use the rest of the 10-pack one at a time on myself. Finally on July 20 the three of us went to a game against the Syracuse Mets. The prediction in the park was that in 2021 we will become the hosts of the Mets AA team (now currently in Binghamton, the B-Mets). We'll see how that plays out.
Meanwhile the staff learned at first pitch that their current AAA team (the Buffalo Bison) would be shuffling off to Buffalo since the Toronto Blue Jays would be leaving Buffalo to return to Canada (due to the border being reopened). Somehow I missed the Buffalo stadium's construction finishing and the Blue Jays moving from their spring training home in Florida to Buffalo.
This meant the last home game for the Buffalo Bison (playing in Trenton Thunder jerseys) would be Sunday, July 25. After a much needed week off, the Draft League version of Trenton Thunder would play their last six games at Waterfront Park (thankfully the draft league team was on the road that week, or the turnaround time would have been even quicker). The announcement was only made a few days earlier. Thunder scrambled.
I think that sums it all up.
The game on July 25th was insanely minor-league fun. They celebrated Christmas in July and the last game with the Bisons. Many staff wore Bison attire (hat or shirt). The Bisons ended their time with Thunder with the best at home wins in all of the minor league. Fans were sad to see them leave.
The Draft League had much success -- sixteen players advanced either to an MLB team, as a free agent with MLB, or to the independent league. They succeeded in their goal to move to the next level. Oh their games were PAINFUL to watch after seeing the solid, tight work at the AAA level.
Here it is only three months after the start of the season (instead of five months) and the season is over at home. I'm looking forward to more games next year.
Of note, original ticket collector Walt retired.
Random photos:
Note: in 2020 Major League Baseball approved the "man on second" rule. The gist is, if there is a tie in the 10th inning, each side starts with a man on second, usually the one who batted last in the prior inning. They also eliminated two 7-inning games in a double header. In the draft league, rather than have the teams play extra innings, they allow their games to end in a tie.
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