Trenton, NJ (The Phanatic) - A generation of sports fans have now grown up
with the understanding that the game of baseball is no longer America's favorite pastime.
By any accounting method, football is now king in an expanded sports universe that, thanks to the proliferation of cable channels, has given rise to
everything from mixed martial arts to extreme sports.
Baseball is still wildly popular and likely always will be but things are far different today. The days of pre-teenage boys, listening to the radio with bated breath for the next pitch is nothing but a memory. Today's youth is enamored with video games, Tony Hawk and Brock Lesnar.
So, when the old timers that put down their two bits to get the days' newspaper with the intent on scouring each and every box score pass on, they are not being replaced with new fans.
Today's major league games have turned into more of an event. They are something to do on date night or when you get together with your old college buddies.
Most area fans have been spoiled by Citizens Bank Park, a state of the art, world class facility that provides every imaginable amenity.
I've never been in love with The Bank myself. It's always been far too corporate for me and if I was just a fan hoping to enjoy a baseball game with my family, I would rather stay home and watch it on HD, saving myself $200 duckets in the process.
But, Thursday, I remembered why I became a baseball fan in the first place when I made the trek up I-295 to Waterfront Park in Trenton for the home opener of the New York Yankees Double-A affiliate, the Thunder.
An intimate ball yard built in 1994, Waterfront Park is a wonderful place to take in a game. You're right on top of the action and the fans can interact with the players and even the media.
The gimmicks are still here but so is the charm. I stood right next to the Yankees' 27th World Series trophy and the only security was a slight guy in a Thunder polo shirt. Attending a game here is almost like being transported back to the 1960s when baseball was top dog.
Speaking of dogs, Chase and Derby, the golden retrievers who "retrieve" the discarded bats after Thunder players hit, came right up to me outside the park to say hello with a couple of friendly kisses on the leg.
"It's a great place to watch a game," Darrell Smith of Trenton said. "You don't have to worry about breaking the bank to bring your family and everyone is so nice. They really try and make it a great experience."
The stagnant economy has certainly helped organizations like the Thunder and the place was packed to watch the hometown nine take on the Detroit Tigers affiliate, the Erie SeaWolves.
"They (MLB) have priced out a whole group of fans," Bob Thompson of Cherry Hill said. "I would rather make the drive here with my two kids and enjoy myself rather than fight the traffic in Philadelphia. I love the Phillies but this is more enjoyable to me."
For some, it's tough to get emotionally invested in minor league teams.
Trenton has been one of the top organizations in Double-A baseball for years and players like Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Nomar Garciaparra have all passed through but the stay is usually short.
Top Yankee prospects Austin Romine, a catcher who's father once player for the Boston Red Sox, and former Stanford ace Jeremy Bleich started this season at Trenton but a quick start will likely mean a quick exit, to Scranton.
"I am rooting for the jersey and my community," Trenton fan Jessica Albright said. "Every now and again I really like a player but you never know how long they will be here. I just want the team to do well."
As for the game itself, the Thunder won the battle but may have lost the war.
Trenton took it's opener for the first time in six seasons, 4-0, but lost oft-injured starter Christian Garcia in the process. Garcia left after two quick outs in the sixth with pain in his right elbow.
Hanging on a slim 1-0 lead, the Thunder put things away in the bottom of the sixth when Austin Krum reached on an error to start the frame, and David Adams, Romine and Brandon Laird followed with consecutive singles to make it a 2-0 game. Bases-loaded walks to Reid Gorecki and Dan Brewer then put the contest out of reach.
Wilkins Arias, who mopped up for Garcia in the sixth, hurled a scoreless seventh while Noel Castillo was the bridge to closer Grant Duff, who fanned two in a perfect ninth.
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