Whose Line Is It Anyway?

One of my favorite shows growing up was Whose Line Is It Anyway? Four comedians, along with host Drew Carey, would do skits that they learned about on the spot. One of my favorite lines is below (I’m a Browns fan, and even I can’t help but laugh every time I watch it).

Basically, the show is based around improvisation, which was the word of the day for the Dash, Bolt and me today. For a sampling of a day in the minor leagues, read below. I promise it won’t disappoint.

3:50 a.m.: A wake up call from my Dad. When I have to wake up really early, I don’t trust my alarm. Thanks, Dad.

3:59 a.m.: I receive a text from WXII reporter Veronica White, who was planning on coming out to BB&T Ballpark for a few interviews this morning (this explains the ridiculously early wake-up call). She informs me that there is an issue with their live truck, so they may be a little late.

4:25 a.m.: I find out from Veronica that they are planning on swinging by the park in a half hour to get the live shot going. I finish getting ready and head to the team office to grab a few final things before our trip to Frederick.

4:55 a.m.: For the first time in my life, I arrive at a baseball stadium during the true “early hours.” There are some strange noises at BB&T Ballpark when no one is in it and it is almost 5 in the morning.

5:13 a.m.: After a few more texts with Veronica, she calls to let me know that the segment at the ballpark is officially nixed. She asks that I go to their studios along with Trey Kalny, our game entertainment superstar, and everyone’s favorite mascot Bolt.

5:30 a.m.: I arrive at the studios and get my microphone hooked up. We’re live for my interview in ten minutes.

5:42 a.m.: The two-minute interview two hours in the making is done. I even mentioned our new Pinterest account, which was the most popular topic. Morning shows are stressful. I give the WXII crew a ton of credit for rolling with the punches.

5:45 a.m.: Trey and Bolt arrive at the studios and start getting their toys ready.

6:36 a.m.: Veronica does the last of three segments with Trey and Bolt, which are hilarious. I immediately leave to head back to the ballpark. I’ve got a bus to catch.

7:10 a.m.: After picking up some breakfast, changing into more comfortable clothes and loading my bags, I’m ready to go. I set a personal record for the earliest I’ve ever sent game notes and settle in for the journey to Frederick, which, if you don’t know, is in Maryland (that’s important in a minute).

7:30 a.m.: We officially start driving.

7:35 a.m.: I notice we start heading south. Uh oh.

7:40 a.m.: We’re most certainly driving south. Double uh oh.

7:45 a.m.: I find out there is an issue with the bus. Triple uh oh.

8:20 a.m.: We arrive at the bus garage to take a look at the issue. After a quick check, the service folks realize that it is not a quick fix. Time to load onto another bus.

8:50 a.m.: A team effort from all the guys puts us back on the road pretty quickly. We transferred all the bags from one bus to another and hit the road on a bus that manager Tommy Thompson called “Alaska Airways.” When we got on the bus, it was probably 60 degrees. Fortunately, it warmed up quickly.

9:00 a.m.: Dash trainer Cory Barton, who is a popular man because he passes out meal money and he frequently reads our game notes, finds out that we are about six hours away from Frederick. So, if you’re doing the math, 90 minutes after the bus left BB&T Ballpark, we’ve actually added almost 30 minutes to our trip. At this rate, we should be far enough south to play the Augusta Greenjackets tonight.

10:30 a.m.: A 90 minute nap is done, which was heavenly.

12:00 p.m.: A 90 minute Big Bang Theory showing is in the books. Bazinga.

12:15 p.m.: We stop in Harrisonburg, Va., for lunch, so I head to Taco Bell.

12:35 p.m.: Dash reliever Chris Bassitt, a fellow Mid-American Conference man, shows me how to get free food. Have you ever seen those weird-looking aquarium-like objects at fast food places? The ones that you drop a quarter in and it almost always falls to the bottom? Well, Chris is really good at getting those quarters to land on the platforms. He won three or four free items because of this skill.

1:00 p.m.: We hit the road again, with Frederick the destination (still).

3:05 p.m.: Finally, the bus pulls up to our hotel for the series. Everyone hops off and takes their bags to their room, and we load the bus back up within 20 minutes.

3:40 p.m.: We arrive at Harry Grove Stadium, finally. There were times I never thought we would get here, but we did.

I do have three predictions for other activities today:

7:03 p.m.: A rain storm blows through Frederick.

7:58 p.m.: Another storm hits Harry Grove Stadium.

11:23 p.m.: I utter the words, “We’ve got extra innings in Maryland!”

In all seriousness, though, everyone from Veronica and the gang at WXII to the employees at the bus garage to the players on the bus (er, buses) were good sports about it. This is what we sign up for by being in the minor leagues. We have to expect (and deal with) the unexpected. These kinds of days make you appreciate the flawless trips even more.

But if the trip home Thursday night is smooth, I won’t be upset about it.

Hope you enjoyed a detailed and slightly sarcastic look at a “long” day in the minors. I’ll talk to you at 6:45 on wsdash.com for the “Pre-Game Dash.”

- Brian