Roam

I was lucky to catch St. Marys Baseball on the road last week vs. UT-Tyler at Irwin Field in Tyler, Texas. Texas is so damn big. It is so big that a national forest exists on the edge of Tyler in East Texas, only a five-hour drive up the road from San Antonio. It’s like visiting a whole other country. It’s such a nice reprieve to be in the forest for a change, and all the rain that’s been missing us in San Antonio landed in Tyler.

A couple of years ago, Brody told me to put Tyler on my stadium visit list. I’m glad I did, and I’m happy that the schedule worked out for me as we glide into the postseason. It was a light week as I only got in four games, and they were all at the enjoyable Irwin Field on the campus of UT-Tyler in Tyler, Texas (that’s natural grass, BTW). It’s too bad the good guys got swept by a damn good UT-Tyler team, but nonetheless, they landed a spot in the postseason for the first time in three years! It’s a special group of young men that could do some damage in the Lone Star Conference tournament. It doesn’t suck that they have to travel to Austin to play St. Edwards on Friday, May 2. Do you mean I must go to Austin to watch a Baseball game? Sign me up.

I snagged a Boarder’s Room in a house from AirBnB in the Azalea Trails and Red Brick Streets District. It was like stepping back in time. Everything is bursting with color, and the Azalea Trails did not disappoint. It’s incredible how long you can walk when the scenery is so lush. If you are a solo traveler, I don’t know why you would stay elsewhere. I slept till 7 am two nights in a row, and that was well worth the $67 per night for this 1900s neo-classical room that has the original wood floors and original decorative tile. Nothing like the big star porcelain knobs on the sink and tub, either. Maintained with love by Kevin and his wife. It was like staying in a room at my grandmother’s house. Highly recommended.

Rally

Breakfast at Mama’s was delightful. Nobody loves a dive bar or a hole-in-the-wall cantina more than me, so when I discovered a restaurant with those vibes emanating from the outside (it has good reviews, too), I had to try it. The adage that you can’t judge a book by its cover held, and the homestyle breakfast with the most awesome pancakes ever got my day off to a great start.

I didn’t think I had any room for more food when I met some other team parents for a late lunch before the start of the doubleheader at 2 pm. You know how good a BBQ joint is by how long the line is to get in the door. Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue justifies the wait. Their slogan, “Be Kind. Have Fun”, sets the tone, and the food doesn’t disappoint. The brisket was perfectly trimmed and not too lean or fatty, while the smoky chicken was moist and melted in your mouth. It ticks off all the requirements of a solid BBQ joint, and they serve their coleslaw in vinegar, which is a prerequisite, in my humble opinion.

No roadie is complete without a stop at a Brewery, and Tyler is lucky to have a good one. ETX Brewing (ETX) is on the same side of the block as Velvet, a Vintage Collection, an extraordinary vintage store, and Brands and Threads screen printing. ETX has an expansive patio on Broadway Street in downtown Tyler with ample space for stretching your legs or hanging out all day. I’m a sucker for Hazy IPAs, and the ETX version was ideally suited for my pre-game attitude adjustment. So good I brought six of those dudes home with me to share. Maybe...

As luck would have it, I discovered Brands and Threads in front of Velvet screen printing T-shirts on-demand for the grand opening of Velvet’s new digs next to ETX Brewing. They’ve got a vibe up there in Tyler, and it was cool to check out the store and get a T-shirt printed on the spot. You picked out a vintage blank t-shirt from a rack, and the guys from Brands and Threads printed a design on the shirt as you waited. They rotated the art during the day, so you could get a different design depending upon what time you showed up for the Grand Opening. A cowgirl in a skirt and boots was playing Hank William’s Lost Highway from the porch entryway, and her music was floating in the air outside. It was a sublime day.

Lord of the Fly

Did you see this catch? The utter ridiculousness of the feats in Baseball continues to boggle my mind. When you think you’ve seen it all, someone creates magic. It reminded me of this T-shirt that pays tribute to all those Outfielders plying their trade. They truly are the Lord of the Fly ball.

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Cheers!