The Roanoke Valley... said to be within a day's drive for half the U.S. population. I'm guessing we won't see 300 million fans over the course of three games this weekend, but it's interesting that someone in the Virginia tourist office figured that out.
For the remainder of the road trip, the team is actually staying in Roanoke, Va., with Salem (and Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium) about a 15-to-20 minute drive away. The regional airport between the two is in Roanoke, as Roanoke's population is about 95,000, compared to Salem's approximate 25,000. It is believed that the Salem Flying Artillery fired the Confederacy's "last shot" shortly before the surrender of Robert E. Lee during the Civil War.
Last night's bus ride brought a welcome pit stop at a gas station, where about two-thirds of the players stormed the aisles in the small convenience store. Several opted for ice cream as their late night snack, prompting a brief discussion over choosing between a Klondike Bar or a Snickers ice cream cone.
During the ride, some players spent a lot of time on their phones while others just enjoyed their ice cream or read a magazine they just bought. One foursome played a card game called Pluck, introduced to them by pitching coach Steve Luebber. The game is best described as being similar to Spades, but with several variants. One allows you to, at a certain time, "pluck" away the best cards of an opponent, only to return your worst cards.
After tonight's game, the Blue Rocks have a quick turnaround for Tuesday, when the game starts at noon. ... More later from the ballpark ...
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