Sunday, August 21, 2016

• Wildomar Night At The Diamond 2016

Wildomar Night at the Diamond had to be postponed from its usual July slot to August this year, but a key positive that came from it was that the temperatures weren't too high for this time of year. 
L to R: Cheri Zamora, Ben Benoit, Mike Hestrin, Marsha Swanson, Tim Underdown, Bridgette Moore. Also there are two of Wildomar's young Queens, and a shy lad too. ☺

On field festivities included a pregame lineup of several Wildomartinis, and some of the officers that have served our community receiving recognition for their work.

Long time Wildomar community volunteer, Tim Underdown, was awarded with the Wildomar Rotary Club's citizen of the year. He didn't know it was coming. He thought he was just on the field to represent the VFW Auxiliary. 


City Clerk Debbie Lee sang The Star Spangled Banner, and though I was tasked with making a video of it and thought all the go lights were on, somehow I only hit the real record button after the first verse... D'oh! Sorry Debbie.


Mayor Bridgette Moore asked Riverside District Attorney, Mike Hestrin, to throw out the first pitch on behalf of the city, and he did that well. Though, in her next stint as mayor I want to see the first man, Stewart Moore, be tasked with that duty.
Riverside County DA, Mike Hestrin, in mid delivery of a fastball on the outside corner.

The singing of Take Me Out To The Ballgame, during the 7th inning stretch, was to be done by Miss Wildomar Jessie Taylor, and it was a nail biter wondering if she'd make it to the park in time. 

Had the two teams scored more runs, it wouldn't have been an issue, but in a low scoring game the time goes by quickly and she had been at another event just before.

From the reports I was getting, she had five outs to get from Clinton Keith into the ballpark, and onto the field to lead the crowd in song. 

A bit of scrambling was going on for a possible stand in, and it looked as if a trio of Ben Benoit, Rod Zamora and Stewart Moore might get their chance to do a live audition for American Idol as last minute replacements.

But like a Hollywood movie, when against all odds, everything worked out according to the original plan. 

We saw Jessie Taylor appear on the concourse with one out left before it would have been too late, and much to the delight of Mayor Moore, and the chagrin of Stewart Moore, no substitute was needed.
Jessi Taylor wrestling with the makeshift mic stand. Hey Storm, if you want a long mic, why not go with that classic Gene Rayburn style from Match Game instead of that athletic tape and broom handle version?


The game ended with the Storm beating Lancaster by the score of 2-1, and the crowd, which included nearly 160 Wild O'marians from Section 103, went away happy.
•          •          •

There's a guy playing golf, and a guy coughs *cough cough*, "Hey shhh, shhh!" as the announcer goes, (in hushed tones) "Now ladies and gentlemen, he is now going to hit off this tee, it's 425 yards..." The guy standing up at the plate, hitting off of Nolan Ryan throwing the ball 95 MPH, and 50,000 people are screaming... and you're telling me it's easier to hit a baseball than that golf ball? What's the matter with you! 
—Tommy LaSorda  circa 1990


Wildomar Rap has played every kind of baseball except professional. Missed it by that much. (don't picture a finger and thumb a millimeter apart. Picture the grand canyon instead).

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