My brain sometimes spits out some odd thoughts and observations at random times. (“Phut-teewey!” “Oooh, gross, it’s sticking to the ceiling!”)
Watching the ballgame tonight, there was a shot of a pitcher coming in from the bullpen. As he was leaving the bullpen gate in the outfield wall, you could see in the gloom behind him a couple of golf carts, no doubt used by the groundskeeping staff. And it hit me…
…didn’t the pitchers used to always ride in from the bullpen on golf carts? Like, back in the old days, when I was a kid and dirt was young?
When did that stop? I remember it sort of being a thing where there were a couple of relief pitchers who made a name for themselves by sprinting in from the outfield instead of using the cart. It was attention-getting, because everyone used the golf cart!
Some stadiums had unique and occasionally bizarre golf carts. Wasn’t it the Mets in Shea Stadium that had one shaped like a huge baseball?
So here we are in 2016 and it suddenly occurs to me, like the dog that didn’t bark, that I can’t remember when I saw anyone not walking or running in from the bullpen.
Are there any stadiums still offering the use of the golf cart?
If not, when did the last one give up the ghost and get given to the grounds crew?
And what else disappeared from the scene like that when we weren’t I wasn’t paying attention?
You think about that and get back to me. I’m going to go clean that spot on the ceiling.
