Thanks, Mollie.
Not sure what the problem was last night.
Those errors were costly. The team seemed to have lost their focus. Let's hope they regain it by tonight's game.
Go, Dogs!

The team played poorly last night. There's no getting around that. Ryan Jackson tried showboating and that led to an error on routine grounder. The normally dependable D'Marcus Ingram over ran a ground ball. Ingram and the right fielder both last a fly ball in the lights/sky. I lost count of the number wild pitches/passed balls. Xavier Scruggs, who's been having a great year, stranded a number of runners, striking out three times.

It was disappointing to see the team play so poorly on the night o a well attended game. But the Muckdogs hae a lot of talent this year. Hopefully, they can bounce back soon.

I could imagine dads throughout the stadium mentally chastising the players as if they were their own sons, "catch the ball with TWO hands. protect that ball"

Observations:
It was a beautiful night for baseball. Entire families came out to have fun.
Baseball has a homespun allure that can't be matched, I hope that never changes.
I am concerned, however, for the children who are allowed to run freely throughout the stadium without parental supervision.
We watched as kids climbed the fence, close to the dugout, stand precariously on the top then jump to the ground. While there were parents close by, no one seemed to be watching their kids.
Over and above the fact that it was distracting to those trying to pay attention to the game; and the safety of the children, one couldn't help but wonder about the liability issues if a child should get seriously injured by falling or hit with a foul ball while playing in an area not protected by a screen.
Muckgog personnel tried several times to keep the children from climbing the fence, but as soon as they turned their backs the kids were at it again.

Familiar faces picked to play the between inning games.
Last year, there were two children who played these games almost every week. The prizes they win are not paltry.
I looks like the same pattern is going to happen again this year.
With the number of children attending each game, why are these same children selected at least once a week? I'm sure other children would love the opportunity.

Thanks for you insights, Bea. Both are things needed to be, and will be, looked in to.

Bea,
I was glad that nobody was hurt by the broken bat that flew toward the third base line seats, but thank God was stopped bat the pole there.
and I was thinking the same thing, I watched kids run all over with no supervision, in today's world it scares me to see this going on.

Gary,
We sit on the third base line, and it was scary.
The lack of parental supervision, at the games, is appalling.
I hate to sound like someone who doesn't understand that kids have a lot of energy to expend, I do realize that but is a ball game the place for unsupervised play?
I guess Friday night was a bummer all the way around. Between the team playing poorly; the kids being a distraction; and the fact that when we made it to the stadium a few minutes after the game started and found that someone took our seats (apparently, the powers that be had told a group of 15 that they could have the first five seats in three rows - with no consideration that some of those seats had been sold in advance). The only saving grace out of the evening was the weather and the great fireworks display.

When I was 12, 13, 14, I went to 10 or so baseball games a year at San Diego Stadium without adults along. Just me and one friend.

Sometimes, we actually watched the game, but we also moved around the stadium a lot.

Those were good times at the ballpark, and I think helped develop my appreciation for the game as much as reading the paper or watching it on TV or playing it myself.

It all depends on what age kids you're talking about, but kids have got to be kids and letting them do a little exploring on their own is part of growing up. It seems like a ballpark is a great place to do that. Kids running around at Dwyer is part of the charm of going to the ballpark.

Howard, I agree to a point. At a certain age, they will begin to pay attention to the game. I'm talking about 5 and 6 year olds, and at five or six they need supervision.
It was frightening to watch these kids, barely out of diapers, left alone to climb the fences. Kids that age love to climb, I know that. But, the possibility of a child falling while attempting to balance on the top of the fence and then jump off doesn't leave a pretty picture.
I wonder how charming it will be if one of these tykes falls and gets hurt? No doubt Dwyer has insurance, but why should they pay for the lack of supervision on the part of the parents?
The second, and even more probable scenario is the kids are playing in areas that are not protected by a screen of any kind (both by the beer concession across from first base, and the area across from third base). It would only take one foul ball, or a piece of a broken bat hitting a child to cause a problem for the Muckdogs. That is a liability on the part of the stadium.
I'm not advocating that children be seen and not heard. Nor am I advocating that children not be allowed a certain amount of freedom, when age appropriate.
At age 10, 11, and 12 kids have reached an age where they may horse around a little but they also have reached an age when they are interested in the game.
Five and six year olds don't have the attention span nor should it be expected. Ergo, if young children are brought to the stadium then the expectation is that the parents will supervise them. The problem is that many parents aren't living up to that expection.