2008 Recap # 8 - The Waynesboro Generals- Take your shoes off and stay a while
On the diamond the Waynesboro Generals continued to find a great deal of success in the Summer of 2008. For the third year running Jim Critzer's ball club finished the regular season with a pennant and the team had a number of players named to the All-League team.
Skipper Lawrence "Big Picture" Nesselrodt captured another Manager of the Year Award but this time it was named the "Mo Weber" Award as a fitting tribute to the Legend of the Valley. The playoffs didn't go the way the Generals had hoped but I don't think it will take away from the season of fun the group had down at Kate Collins Field.
*** I hear that today is a pretty big day for the Skipper! Congrats on that...
The atmosphere down at Kate Collins is like no other in the VBL. In search of a catch phrase or a word to sum it up I came up with "Relaxed". I don't know if this was by design or if it just turned out that way but I would compare going to a Generals game to going to a Company Softball game or a family picnic. Don't get me wrong, the Generals fans support the home team in ways you can't imagine but at the same time it is just like being part of one big family.
The UN-official title of Ring Leader goes to Generals Sign Guy Mike but Mike would be quick to tell you that he is just one of many die hard Waynesboro fans. Six members of the Generals faithful completed the ATV-60 Loop and this is what opened the door for us to be able to look inside of the Family. When you come to a game at Kate Collins one of the first things you will notice is that the area is incredibly wide open. There is always plenty of room up on the hill over looking the first base line and the base lines are always doted with fans in lawn chairs.
Mike and the group that calls themselves the Cameron Crazies of the VBL (With that title it was only fitting that they signed Duke's Gabriel Saade to play short) sit in the first few rows of the bleachers just to the third base side of home plate. The group takes the time to make every General feel like their part of something special as each one of the players on the roster gets a nick name for the summer. The chants are great and the fact that they remain supportive of the Generals versus negative to the visitors makes it even more special.
It wouldn't be fair not to take the time to give a tip of the cap to Brian Lundstrom for his efforts on the P.A system. Brian adds to the Relaxed atmosphere with his approach to the crowd and to the game. Mix in Chip Crabill and Sean Youngberg calling the games for ESPN-1240 WTON in Augusta County and the locals have the opportunity to follow every Generals game on the road by radio or at Kate Collins in the stands.
One more tip of the cap goes out to Nat Nicholas and his family and friends that run the concession area for the Generals. Each trip down to the park always involved a few minutes with this hard working group. Shirley Hundley just completed her first season as Generals GM and both her and husband always proved to be hospitable during our visits to Kate Collins.
Kate Collins is an easy place to watch a baseball game and if you make the trip down to Waynesboro there is a good chance you will want to come back again...
Here is how the Generals did this year with ATV-60 in the park...
1. June 1ST- Home - ATV-60 Tour Stop - Waynesboro 16-4 over Harrisonburg
2.June 3RD- Away - ATV-60 Tour Stop - @ Front Royal - Loss 9-5
3.June 17TH-Away- Win 10-3 @ Luray
4.June 23RD-Away -Win 4-3 @ Winchester
5.June 30TH-Home-1ST Pitch for Beverly & Tabatha- Win 10-4 over Woodstock
6.July 3RD- Away - @ New Market - Win 4-1
7.July 8TH- Home- Win 9-2 (Evening with John Leonard)
8.July 15TH- Vienna Double Header @ Luray - Waynesboro wins 1-0 over Vienna
9.July 19TH- Away - @ Fauquier - Mike & Chuckie finish - Win 6-2
10.July 22ND- Home - 1ST Pitch for Mike & Chuckie - Win 12-2 over Haymarket
11.July 23RD- Home - Win 8-4 over Staunton
12.July 28TH- Away - Win 8-7 @ Luray
13.July 30TH-Away -Playoffs - Loss 2-1 @ Haymarket
5 Home Games- 5-0 record
7 Road Games - 5-2 record
1 Neutral Game-1-0 record
Overall - 11W 2L (.846%)
Skipper Lawrence "Big Picture" Nesselrodt captured another Manager of the Year Award but this time it was named the "Mo Weber" Award as a fitting tribute to the Legend of the Valley. The playoffs didn't go the way the Generals had hoped but I don't think it will take away from the season of fun the group had down at Kate Collins Field.
*** I hear that today is a pretty big day for the Skipper! Congrats on that...
The atmosphere down at Kate Collins is like no other in the VBL. In search of a catch phrase or a word to sum it up I came up with "Relaxed". I don't know if this was by design or if it just turned out that way but I would compare going to a Generals game to going to a Company Softball game or a family picnic. Don't get me wrong, the Generals fans support the home team in ways you can't imagine but at the same time it is just like being part of one big family.
The UN-official title of Ring Leader goes to Generals Sign Guy Mike but Mike would be quick to tell you that he is just one of many die hard Waynesboro fans. Six members of the Generals faithful completed the ATV-60 Loop and this is what opened the door for us to be able to look inside of the Family. When you come to a game at Kate Collins one of the first things you will notice is that the area is incredibly wide open. There is always plenty of room up on the hill over looking the first base line and the base lines are always doted with fans in lawn chairs.
Mike and the group that calls themselves the Cameron Crazies of the VBL (With that title it was only fitting that they signed Duke's Gabriel Saade to play short) sit in the first few rows of the bleachers just to the third base side of home plate. The group takes the time to make every General feel like their part of something special as each one of the players on the roster gets a nick name for the summer. The chants are great and the fact that they remain supportive of the Generals versus negative to the visitors makes it even more special.
It wouldn't be fair not to take the time to give a tip of the cap to Brian Lundstrom for his efforts on the P.A system. Brian adds to the Relaxed atmosphere with his approach to the crowd and to the game. Mix in Chip Crabill and Sean Youngberg calling the games for ESPN-1240 WTON in Augusta County and the locals have the opportunity to follow every Generals game on the road by radio or at Kate Collins in the stands.
One more tip of the cap goes out to Nat Nicholas and his family and friends that run the concession area for the Generals. Each trip down to the park always involved a few minutes with this hard working group. Shirley Hundley just completed her first season as Generals GM and both her and husband always proved to be hospitable during our visits to Kate Collins.
Kate Collins is an easy place to watch a baseball game and if you make the trip down to Waynesboro there is a good chance you will want to come back again...
Here is how the Generals did this year with ATV-60 in the park...
1. June 1ST- Home - ATV-60 Tour Stop - Waynesboro 16-4 over Harrisonburg
2.June 3RD- Away - ATV-60 Tour Stop - @ Front Royal - Loss 9-5
3.June 17TH-Away- Win 10-3 @ Luray
4.June 23RD-Away -Win 4-3 @ Winchester
5.June 30TH-Home-1ST Pitch for Beverly & Tabatha- Win 10-4 over Woodstock
6.July 3RD- Away - @ New Market - Win 4-1
7.July 8TH- Home- Win 9-2 (Evening with John Leonard)
8.July 15TH- Vienna Double Header @ Luray - Waynesboro wins 1-0 over Vienna
9.July 19TH- Away - @ Fauquier - Mike & Chuckie finish - Win 6-2
10.July 22ND- Home - 1ST Pitch for Mike & Chuckie - Win 12-2 over Haymarket
11.July 23RD- Home - Win 8-4 over Staunton
12.July 28TH- Away - Win 8-7 @ Luray
13.July 30TH-Away -Playoffs - Loss 2-1 @ Haymarket
5 Home Games- 5-0 record
7 Road Games - 5-2 record
1 Neutral Game-1-0 record
Overall - 11W 2L (.846%)
