Minor League Road Trip: Long-Lost Harrisburg Senators Game Notes

The last stop on my minor league road trip was Harrisburg, PA. Somewhere between Harrisburg and my apartment in Somerville, I lost all the notes I’d taken during the game. Well, there goes that, I figured. But earlier today, I was cleaning out my car when I came upon a crumpled scrap of paper lodged under the passenger seat. Behold! It is the very scrap of paper upon which I transcribed my thoughts as the Harrisburg Senators, the Double-A affiliate of the Nationals, handily beat the Reading Phillies. Although, I have to admit that my mind, apparently, was not quite occupied with the action on the field:

I rode 220 from Greensboro to Roanoke, where I picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway for a few miles. Hopped onto 81 and it stopped being scenic not long thereafter. Discovered marvelous, nectar-of-the-gods type eatery called Biscuitville. [Ed. note: according to Biscuitville.com, this delightful portal into otherwordly realms of gastric delight only exists in North Carolina and Virginia. Bosh!]

Before we begin, I just have to say that if it hadn’t been for the Yuengling on tap and the Reading Phillies’ bloodred-and-powder blue unis, there would have been no redeeming value to watching this game.

However, powder blue uniforms are always a welcome sight, especially when paired with deep crimson socks and caps and red and white racing stripes. And for reasons known only to the Philadelphia-based brewery, you can’t get Yeungling in New England, so a tall cold one is a treat to be savored.

So I’d like to give a big shoutout to Philly. Because Harrisburg really, really sucks.

First, there are no signs directing motorists to the ballpark - a first, as far as yours truly is concerned. So after spending eight hours driving to H-burg, I spent another hour just driving around the city looking for the stadium. When I got off the highway to ask directions, I promptly found myself in the ghetto [Ed. note: this probably describes 95% of Harrisburg].

I finally gave up and called the boyfriend, who used Google Maps, which I consider a form of road-trip cheating. Anyway, finally I found Commerce Bank Park. (What kind of name is that anyway? Commerce Bank? That’s like Drinks Bar or Food Restaurant.) It’s located on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna. The island is called City Island and it has a park on it called….City Island Park. [Ed note: At this point, I just gave up.]

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