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Revision 3 |
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Revision 3 |
The season began, much like the hoax rockumentary movie This Is Spinal Tap shows a band on the way down playing smaller and smaller venues, as Spike the Dog was invited to the Opening Day ceremonies of the Dover, N.H. (Southside) youth League.
The team had acquired a third mascot, a smiling baseball named Stitches; also, an on-field emcee/instigator with the stage name of Adam Furious. Adam decided that Spike with his wiffle-ball bat was a natural adversary of Stitches, or at least a way to make Stitches lose the base race to the lucky child fan, but the race was cancelled. Just as well, as Spike was blind from fog for most of the game.
The promotional calendar suggested another visit to
the Pride, who were conceding the
role of the home team to the league-operated traveling team, "the Grays."
The Booster Club again let Spike help drag the infield, and Adam Furious again
insisted that Spike's wiffle-ball bat could knock the stitches off Stitches.
But the kiddie base race was cancelled again. In fact, Stitches didn't show;
Shag the lion wanted to mix it up, but Spike hid behind a chair.
The Pride extended its record with Spike in the house to 0-2, and Spike again consoled fans with a warm farewell at the main gate. Chris Hall, VP of Baseball Operations, thanked Spike for his (uninvited) service.
Spike the Dog shook about 500 hands, brought the Bucket O'Noise, and found a #15 on the second string of the Blizzard practice squad who not only missed two free throws under the influence of the slide whistle, but burst into laughter. Spike spent the fourth quarter resting behind the Millrats' goal with a warbling straw but that player never took another free throw. Unfortunately, no Millrats gear could be found that would fit over Spike's head. He wore the Mad Dogs away jersey which made it seem as though he were backing the visitors from Massachusetts.
Lightning struck again at the Fieldhouse on 2-Feb. The other mascots seemed to be no-shows, so Spike filled in but wound up working alongside Milly and the tomato. The opponents were the relatively nearby Vermont Frost Heaves and their massive booster club. The Millrats discovered the magnetic power of live music and free loot at the turnstiles: glow sticks and basketball-shaped castanettes, which countered the team- issued cowbells of the Vermont boosters. Spike, of course, had three cowbells of his own in the Bucket O'Noise. He wore the Pride jersey, which further confused fans or gave them the impression it was a cross-promotion.
