With snow gone, fun ride begins now
You remember that slow start that some spring sports teams got out to, where most teams were packing into gyms just to get a practice or two in?
Some coaches got inventive and moved games where they could — Coeur d’Alene hosting Moscow at Church Field in Lewiston on Monday was one.
Others might have to stay creative after spring break ends this weekend to see the field once again.
FOR THE Lakeland High baseball team, it has been a struggle just to see the green grass.
“It seemed like the weather shifted during about a two-week stretch in January and it blew tons of snow down on the field,” said Lakeland baseball coach Jason Bradbury, whose is in his 17th season. “There were some places in the outfield that you couldn’t see the outfield fence — and that’s 6 feet high. It has never drifted that badly before. I honestly don’t think we’ll be able to get on our field until at least the end of April, if not longer.”
As of now, Lakeland has a home game scheduled at Gorton Field in Rathdrum against Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday, then is scheduled to play 4A Inland Empire League doubleheaders at home against Sandpoint (April 9) and Moscow (April 16), along a nonleague home game with Lake City scheduled for April 11.
“I’m expecting that we’re going to be postponing a lot of games that will have to be made up,” Bradbury said. “I’m guessing we will be playing a lot of games back-to-back toward the end of the season. It will be interesting, but it should be fun too.”
While it could create a little bit of chaos with the pitch-count rules that schools have, Bradbury could be onto something.
What better way to prepare for a postseason setting than playing games on consecutive days?
To win a state title, teams will have to find a way to win on three straight days.
Some teams just might have to do that a few weeks earlier this year.
NO, THE Seattle Mariners won’t finish this season undefeated, though a 3-0 start is a little unexpected.
Robinson Cano is with the New York Mets, along with Edwin Diaz. Jean Segura is with Philadelphia and James Paxton is a New York Yankee.
Yet somehow, the sky hasn’t fallen in at T-Mobile Park.
It’s just three games — yes, those games in Tokyo counted — but Seattle hasn’t missed on anything quite yet this spring.
In keeping Ichiro Suzuki on the active roster on the trip to Japan, they let him go out on his terms, not as the front office guy allowed to take batting practice before games and on the field to shake hands with the rest of the Mariners after wins last year.
If Seattle fails to win another game this season — not likely either — at least the Mariners got this one right.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.