tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100128912024-03-07T01:13:24.845-05:00Toby's Search For Himself, Story, & TimeWho is Toby Boyce? It has been a funny ride through the first 37 years of my life as I try to figure out who I am. This blend of a funny, witty, talkative calming and loving father and a shy, fire-below-the-surface, analytical, sweet, and lovely mother that has become a salesperson that doesn't like to sell. This is where I share my journey and some of my stories along the way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-43864112327654245762013-05-27T17:24:00.001-04:002013-05-27T17:24:29.299-04:00Arising From the AshesAfter year's of talk and thinking, I broke down and purchased an Ancestry.com account last night to beginning building the family-tree so that I can figure out where my history goes.<br />
Already found a couple of very-cool things.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I'm third-generation from Sweden as John I Anderson, or Dad's Mom's dad, made the trip from Sweden to the United States when he was very young.</li>
<li>My third great grandfather Rev. Isaac Leedy was a Private during the Civil War with the Fostoria Seneca Company.</li>
</ul>
<br />
It has been very interesting to begin diving into the first part of the search and now I'm getting to the hard part where I have to begin digging for particular people. But it is going to be fun!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1152020166153081892006-07-04T09:22:00.000-04:002006-07-04T09:36:06.170-04:00Ohio Fallen Soldiers Memorial<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://goboycompany.com/pictures/July4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://goboycompany.com/pictures/July4.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">“Never surrender opportunity for security.” -- Branch Rickey</span><br /><br />The fourth of July.<br /><br />What a special day in the United States. It is the day that we honor our country's marvelous heritage and celebrate her birthday.<br /><br />But, I woke this morning with a heavy heart.<br /><br />A heavy heart for those that are across the seas protecting the freedom of not only fellow Americans but also citizens of other countries.<br /><br />I had to make a trip to Sunbury, Ohio, this morning and the recently dedicated Ohio Fallen Soldiers Memorial to honor my fallen friend <a href="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/1994/">former Staff Sergant Shamus Goare</a>. The only thing falling faster than the rain on this muggy morning, were the tears running down my face.<br /><br />Sadie Lynn appeared to understand the situation as she curled up on the passenger seat of the Blazer and rested her head on my arm on the center compartment. She wasn't her normal “excited” self, but the mood was somber as we made our way to the monument to honor my friend.<br /><br />I had misread the Delaware Gazette reporting of the event and found that only about a quarter of the crosses were completed. The site was dedicated only a few days ago to much deserved fanfare. I felt incomplete as Shamus' cross wasn't completed yet. I had been building myself up to “be strong” when I saw his name on that cross, but then when it wasn't there the feeling was hard to explain. There was some relief, but yet this sense of unfinished business.<br /><br />I will be returning soon to finish my fourth of July travel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">If you go</span>: The memorial was only dedicated last Saturday and is not yet completed. There are currently about 15 crosses up honoring the first 15 Ohioans to fall, and flags represent the remaining heroes. If you continue into Sunbury, you'll find a wonderful town square. But that is a write-up for another time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://goboycompany.com/pictures/July4-2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://goboycompany.com/pictures/July4-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />How to get there</span>: Located about ½ mile east of the intersection of U.S. 36 and State Route 3 just west of the village of Sunbury, Ohio.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1138628632012194032006-01-30T08:42:00.000-05:002006-01-30T08:43:52.013-05:00Busy, Busy, BusySorry about the lack of new posts. This has been an amazingly busy January and I have decided that I wanted to hold off on The Ohio County Project until I was able to commit the time and energy that it deserves.<br /><br />I’m hoping to get the places I’ve visited updated through out February and start some new travels in early March.<br /><br />Have a wonderful day!<br /><br />TobyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1138628470191123932006-01-30T08:38:00.000-05:002006-01-30T08:41:10.193-05:00Out & About: Where's Waldo?Another cross-posting, that may be of interest to Ohio travelers.<br /><br /><blockquote>Where's Waldo?<br /><br />A question asked in Central Ohio long before the man in the funny red-and-white hat emerged on the scene. And that's no bologna.<br /><br />Well actually, it is a lot of bologna, since bologna is the reason that thousands visit this village of 332 people located just off U.S. 23 at state route 98, 11 miles north of Delaware, each year.<br /><br />G&R Tavern is the "home" to Waldo's bologna heritage. G&R Tavern was recently featured on the Food Network's "Roker on the Road" and its lore has only continued to expand. Ordering a bologna sandwich will get you a thick hunk of the fried meat with sweet pickles, onion and mustard on a bun. Add it to your favorite deep-fried entree and you have a great meal for a reasonable price. Be sure to hit the ATM before heading to G&R, as it's cash only for out-of-town folks.</blockquote><br /><br />Continue reading: <a href="http://connect2.owu.edu/ourtown/83.php">"Out & About: Where's Waldo?"</a><br /><br />This article was orginally published in <a href="http://www.owu.edu">Ohio Wesleyan University's</a> <a href="http://connect2.owu.edu"><span style="font-style:italic;">Connect2 OWU</span></a>, a weekly e-magazine from the Office of Public Relations.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1138628219774861652006-01-30T08:35:00.000-05:002006-01-30T08:37:33.646-05:00Where Were You 20 Years Ago?Please take a moment with me to remember the lives of the seven astronauts that lost their lives 20 years ago when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded over the coast of Florida. This is a story that I wrote for work this week, that I wanted to share here as well. I apologize for the non-baseball post, but - occasionally - things go beyond baseball and this is one of those instances.<br /><br /><blockquote>My grandfather has Pearl Harbor.<br /><br />My dad has JFK.<br /><br />I have the Space Shuttle Challenger.<br /><br />They are the memories that stay with you forever, those "where were you when" moments that every generation – unfortunately – experiences. Twenty years ago Saturday, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after take-off killing all seven crewmembers.</blockquote><br /><br />Continue reading <a href="http://connect2.owu.edu/newsandviews/71.php">"Where Were You Twenty Years Ago"</a>.<br /><br />This article was originally published in <em><a href="http://connect2.owu.edu">Connect2 OWU</a></em>, a publication by the <a href="http://www.owu.edu">Ohio Wesleyan University</a> Office of Public Relations.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1135176217962756662005-12-21T09:42:00.000-05:002005-12-21T09:43:37.976-05:00Don't Be a Scrooge<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/Sadie-Scrooge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/Sadie-Scrooge.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I'm still working on posts, but this time of year can play havoc with schedules. But the key is to remember the reason for the season - and to not get caught being the scrooge!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1135041126550960302005-12-19T19:58:00.000-05:002005-12-19T20:12:06.566-05:00Happy Holidays<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/Rudolph.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/Rudolph.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1133714666505450192005-12-04T11:40:00.000-05:002005-12-04T11:44:26.520-05:00Snow, Ice: Must be December in Ohio<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/tree.0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/tree.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />They were calling for our second measurable snow fall last night. One to three inches mixed with freezing rain, an excting prospect for me with my new camera.<br /><br />Wound up getting a dusting on the roads and paved surfaces that was iced over. Nothing too pretty, but I was able to get this shot on the garland of our deck.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1133585947071102362005-12-02T23:46:00.000-05:002005-12-03T00:11:22.510-05:00Knox County: A trip down memory lane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/knox-2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/knox-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Sitting here one day past my anniversary of thirty years on Earth, I thought I’d go back to where it all began, or at least my memory of it begins. <a href="http://www.visitknoxohio.org/index.phtml">Knox County</a>, Ohio.<br /><br />Being honest, I was actually born in <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Mansfield-Ohio.html">Mansfield</a> and lived in <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Butler-Ohio.html">Butler</a> for a couple of years, but my family moved to <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Danville-Ohio.html">Danville</a> in the summer of 1978.<br /><br />But enough about me, that’s not why you’re here to read this.<br /><br />Knox County is an interesting county in that it sits at the very foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Head east or south and you’re into Appalachia, head west and it becomes the plains area and if you head north your getting into the glacier region of Lake Erie. But, Knox County blends all of them.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Mount-Vernon-Ohio.html">Mt. Vernon</a> (<a href="http://www.mountvernonohio.org/">city Web site</a>) is the county seat and serves the county well – now. There is a tale told about how Mt. Vernon landed the county seat. According to local lore, Cavallo and Mt. Vernon were locked in a battle to be named the county seat and on the day when the county elders were surveying Cavallo, Mt. Vernon hired men to serve as “vagrants” on the streets of the thriving river town. The bid went to Mt. Vernon and the community hasn’t looked back since, being named “Ohio’s Most Livable City” by <span style="font-style:italic;">Ohio Magazine</span> a few years back.<br /><br />By contrast, as the river and train traffic began to leave, Cavallo has collapsed into a virtual “ghost town” with only a few old – and mostly in disrepair – home remaining. These towns dot the majority of the county’s eastern edge. Brinkhaven is even named after one of these feuds. Gann was a thriving river town served by two railroads and was going gangbusters on the Mohican River (just off St. Rte. 62 today), when its founder (Gann) got into a feud with the railroad and they quit stopping in the community. Which gave it the nickname Brinkhaven, of course the numerous Mohican floods – including one that wiped out 65 percent of the community – didn’t help. <br /><br />But at least they rebuilt, the community of Funk was located off the Kokosing River and when the flood of 1913 came through, it was wiped off the map, never to be rebuilt.<br /><br />In the extreme northeast corner of the county is Greer a community of 45 residents that used to be home to the most hopping baseball field in central Ohio. It sat a “good ride” from <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Columbus-Ohio.html">Columbus</a>, <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Cleveland-Ohio.html">Cleveland</a>, <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Akron-Ohio.html">Akron</a>, <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Canton-Ohio.html">Canton</a>, <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Mansfield-Ohio.html">Mansfield</a>, and <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Wooster-Ohio.html">Wooster</a> and the report was that teams would just catch the train to Greer for a game on the weekends. The old backstop is all that remains in this community of less than 50 people.<br /><br />Danville is the lone “thriving” town in eastern Ohio with about 1,000 residents. The community has undergone a bit of resurgence in the past 3-4 years as more Amish have moved in from Eastern Holmes County. They have brought with them the tourism and travel dollars which is helping the community to shake that “sleepy” look.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Gambier-Ohio.html">Gambier</a>, located about 10 miles from Mt. Vernon is home to <a href="http://www.kenyon.edu">Kenyon College</a> and is the “crossing spot” for the Kokosing Gap Trail – one of the most successful Rails-to-Trails experiences in the country. The Gap runs from Mt. Vernon to Danville, through Gambier and <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Howard-Ohio.html">Howard</a>. In Danville another trail – this one a multi-purpose trail – will take riders the four miles to Brinkhaven and across the “Bridge of Dreams” – a covered bridge on the old railroad trestle – to Holmes County.<br /><br />On the county’s western side sits, <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Fredericktown-Ohio.html">Fredericktown</a>. The Leedy and Merrin families were cornerstones to this community’s development and I happen to be related to both of them. <br /><br />Head south and you’ll come to <a href="http://www.city-data.com/city/Centerburg-Ohio.html">Centerburg</a>, which surprise, sits in the geographical center of Ohio according to the marker on St. Rte. 36 just north of town.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1133444747278869082005-12-01T08:44:00.000-05:002005-12-01T08:45:55.913-05:00The Other Ohio County Courthouse ProjectWas just cruising the Web and found this site for the <a href="http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~maggieoh/Courthouses/county_courthouses.html">Ohio County Courthouse Project</a>.<br /><br />Maggie Stewart Zimmerman has an interesting site that uses postcards to depict the courthouses of Ohio.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1133444524732312322005-12-01T08:38:00.000-05:002005-12-01T08:44:05.070-05:00Revamped LayoutA slightly revamped layout, that has reminded me how many counties I have sitting on my computer at home that I need to get written up and shared.<br /><br />From memory...<br />1. Knox<br />2. Richland<br />3. Guernsey<br />4. Union<br />5. Muskingum<br />6. Jefferson<br />7. Seneca<br />8. Coshocton<br />9. Pickaway<br />10. Concord, NC.<br /><br />and I'm sure there are a couple of more that I'm forgetting from my travels over the summer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1132548076730492482005-11-20T23:38:00.000-05:002005-11-20T23:41:16.743-05:00Site to Visit - New LinkGot an e-mail on Sunday night from Mark Spearman about his site, <a href="http://www.markspearman.com/ohiosights/">Ohio Sights</a>.<br /><br />Ohio Sights has some beautiful photography on it! I'd strongly suggest that if you like what is going on on at Ohio County Project to head on over to Mark's page.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1132257877750811392005-11-17T12:31:00.000-05:002005-11-17T15:04:37.763-05:00Am I a Liar?Wow, so here I was telling <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/5623233">Nanina</a> in <a href="http://ohiocountyproject.blogspot.com/2005/11/ohio-county-project-plan.html#comments">the comments on an earlier post</a>, that this was going to be a good week to visit Ohio.<br /><br />Umm...Sorry.<br /><br />It was 75 degrees on Monday afternoon.<br /><br />This afternoon, it will be lucky to hit 40.<br /><br />And it snowed.<br /><br />Sounds like a good night to kick-back and catch up on some of those county reports I'm missing from earlier this summer.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1131948613181144302005-11-14T00:51:00.000-05:002005-11-14T01:10:13.203-05:00Licking/Muskingum County: Longaberger Homestead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/lick-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/320/lick-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The wife and I are establishing a ritual where we both take our Anniversary off and head off on a short little “honeymoon” trip.<br /><br />Last year, we took a long weekend and spent it at the Maumee Bay State Park Lodge and loved every minute of it. This year, with the new puppy, we didn’t feel right about taking off for a long weekend and leaving her.<br /><br />So we elected to make the two hour drive east along State Route 37 to Licking County and Newark, Ohio.<br /><br />We actually passed through Newark on 16 to the Longaberger Basket Company’s headquarters. The giant “basket” can be seen from at least a ¼-mile away and provided some interesting chatter. The corporate headquarters was not that exciting as they only allowed you to visit the downstairs.<br /><br />The people at the front desk were very nice and quick to share a story about the building. The Cherry wood was cut down from where the Longaberger Golf Course sits and was milled in the company’s own mills. And the baskets’ handles weight 18 tons and are equipped with a special heating mechanism to keep them from allowing icicles to form that could fall through the glass ceiling on the building.<br /><br />They also made it a point to share the experience that could be had at the Company’s homestead located about 15 miles east of Newark in Dresden (which actually lies in Muskingum County).<br /><br />We took them up on the offer and made the easy 15 minute drive to the Homestead. Visiting on Halloween was a very good idea, as the place was nearly empty. The Homestead is set-up like a park – with a lot of gift shops. You enter and they have a “welcome station” with another smiling face – you see a lot of those – that gives you the explanation of the grounds and where everything is. It could easily take you 4-5 hours to get through everything. But don’t worry about getting hungry they even have two full-service restaurants on the grounds and numerous snack shops.<br /><br />We saw the world’s largest basket of apples (photo right) and it was a big basket of “fake” apples. You could take a free walking tour of their basket making facilities and for only $59.99 you can weave your own basket, on the hour. Fortunately for me – and unfortunate for her – we got there about 11:05 and didn’t want to wait 55 minutes to make a basket. There are also several of the original buildings – and replicas of others – where the family got into the basket making process. There is a long building, nearly the entire front of the facility that lays out how you could use Longaberger in every room of your home – and you’d be surprised they also sell the stuff there. While most of it was of little interest to me, they did have some neat foods additives and sample sections in the kitchen section. They also provided entertainment in the “foyer” while we were there. The young lady singing was pretty good, singing a Shania Twain tune.<br /><br />We left there with a couple of baskets – and $100 lighter – and considered our course of action. There was still the barn, memorial garden, and several other sites that we could examine before heading off into the sunset.<br /><br />Unfortunately, we’d packed the day very full – wanting to go hiking, pick apples, and make it home in time for trick-or-treat.<br /><br />We chose to continue our explorations another time and headed off to find our next destination -- which is another issue of "The Ohio County Project"!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">If You Go</span>: Be prepared to spend money. They offer some good freebies, but lots of Longaberger baskets and eventually most people have to buy one. This is in a very rural section of the state, so if you are not interested in eating at Longaberger, I’d suggest stopping at Ms. Miller’s Restaurant in Newark.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What’s Special</span>: Nothing too special, for me. They were quick to point out that there are several baskets that you can only purchase at the Homestead. Sounds like an EBay project to me!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/lick-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/lick-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1131931436718156282005-11-13T20:16:00.000-05:002005-11-14T01:12:15.830-05:00It's all over...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/tree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/tree.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The winter season appears to breathing down our neck.<br /><br />This is one of the few trees on the block still with its leaves, in the light of a streetlamp.<br /><br />With the way the wind is hitting the house this evening, I'm afraid our "solitary traveler" will soon join its friends in its winter coat.<br /><br />One nice thing to the cold front, was that we had three deer walking across our back yard last night.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1131687931296737342005-11-11T00:40:00.000-05:002005-11-11T00:45:31.313-05:00I'm now an authority on Ohio?Scary thought. But, I was browsing sites that link to Ohio County Project and Planeta.com, an ecological travel site, has included the Ohio County Project as one of only two sources for Ohio travel news with "<a href="http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/usa/midwest.html">Ohio Tourism</a>" being the other.<br /><br />You can check out Planeta: <a href="http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/usa/midwest.html">http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/usa/midwest.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1131475892902456102005-11-10T17:50:00.000-05:002005-11-10T17:14:57.476-05:00Ohio County Project -- The Plan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/fall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/fall.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Change of seasons, change of plans.<br /><br />My wife purchased me a beautiful Nikon D-70 camera for our Anniversary. It takes a lot better photos than my old HP point-and-click digital that I was using.<br /><br />So with that I’m going to change the format of the Ohio County Project a bit, and for a couple of reasons.<br /><br />First, There are some beautiful courthouses in Ohio, but I’m finding that after a dozen they all have very similar traits and items. Plus – despite living in one of the nation’s fastest growing counties – I’m a rural type guy. So going into downtown Mansfield and taking a photo has me wondering why? I’ve got the opportunity to head to beautiful Mohican State Forest, Malabar Farms, Gatton Rocks outside of Butler and instead I’m taking pictures of this “boring” building in downtown Mansfield.<br /><br />So I’m no longer “tying” myself to simply putting the photo of the court house up.<br /><br />This will also allow me to have a little more fun with the blog and the writing. I have a lot of updates to get on here and I’m hoping to make regular updates to the site and developing another side of my “story”<br /><br />If you’re bored, take a moment and visit <a href="http://connect2.owu.edu">Connect2 OWU</a>, it is a six-week old publication that we’ve created in the Office of Public Relations at <a href="http://www.owu.edu">Ohio Wesleyan University</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1131474167249902142005-11-08T12:17:00.000-05:002005-11-08T13:22:47.290-05:00Falling into Winter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/1600/pumpkin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2368/573/400/pumpkin.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This was supposed to be such a beautiful time of year. The leaves turn their glorious colors and the Indian Summer gives beautiful days to enjoy the color.<br /><br />Umm...somebody forgot to share that with the weatherman, and I don't mean the local one, you know that one upstairs.<br /><br />We got our first killer frost on a Friday morning and the rain and wind came through that weekend and the majority of the leaves were gone. The ones that survived were gone this weekend with the 20 mile-per-hour gusts that visited Central Ohio after causing havoc on those poor people in Indiana.<br /><br />The photo above is of our new puppy - Sadie Lynn - was an anniversary present for my wife and she joined us about three weeks ago and is now 10 weeks old. She wasn't too fond of the "cameraman" trying to get a cute picture of her with the pumpkin.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1127839976000744362005-09-27T12:52:00.000-04:002005-09-27T12:54:57.783-04:00The Little Brown Jug<strong><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">The Little Brown Jug</span></strong><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">Dave Palone and P-Forty-Seven took 1:52 1/5 to cover the one-mile that makes up the </span><a href="http://www.littlebrownjug.com/">Little Brown Jug</a><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"> and become part of the event’s rich tradition on Thursday.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">How big is the Jug? The attendance was nearly 53,000 or double the population of the city of Delaware. Thousands more watched the race live on Ohio News Network and still more read about it in newspapers – from </span><em><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">USA Today </span></em><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">to London, Ontario.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">The 60th running of the Jug – the second leg of the pacing Triple Crown – was my first onsite experience. Growing up in Central Ohio, you know about the Jug but being there provides a completely different perspective. The day begins early, with the first races going off at 11 a.m., but those sitting along the fence needed to be there at least two hours before to secure a prime location.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">The first race went off as planned and the man to my right hit the trifecta and won a cool $665 – and the right to buy lunch and supper for his traveling party from Crestline. That was probably the most interesting aspect, standing in lines you met people from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Canada, Kentucky, and New York to name a few. They were all in Delaware because of their love of harness racing and were quick to pass along a tip on a horse or share their favorite racing story.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">As the day went along the few remaining seats filled and the tension around the stadium continued to build. By the time the Jug – the day’s 23rd race – went off, the crowd was at a fevered pitch. P-Forty-Seven drew the rail and rode its favored starting position – and raw talent – to the victory. I have seen national championship games in football and basketball, been to a playoff game at Jacobs Field and many other sporting events, but there was something about those two minutes that eclipsed those other events.</span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">It was enough that I can say, “I’ll see you next year at the Little Brown Jug!”</span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"></span><br/><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">For more coverage of the Jug results read, “</span><a href="http://www.littlebrownjug.com/newsarchive/2005/09222005.htm">P Forty Seven Wins The $569,032 Little Brown Jug In Straight Heats</a><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">.”</span><br/><em><span style="font-family:Tahoma;"></span></em><br/><em><span style="font-family:Tahoma;">--Toby Boyce</span></em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1123303404786706792005-08-05T23:47:00.000-04:002005-08-06T00:48:43.806-04:00Road Trip: Oglebay Resort, West VirginiaOhio and Michigan nearly went to war over Toledo.<br /><br /><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Toby Boyce (c)</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/o-1.jpg" / align="right" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />An interesting piece of history, but personally I would have much rather seen us battle Pennsylvania and Virginia for the sliver of land that gives West Virginia its unique northern point.<br /><br />Recently, I attended the <a href="http://www.myicaa.org">Independent College Advancement Associates</a> Conference at <a href="http://www.oglebay-resort.com/homepage.htm">Oglebay Resort</a> just north of Wheeling and had my love of the region restored.<br /><br />Ogelbay is only a couple miles from the hustle of I-70 and downtown Wheeling, but it could easily be 150-miles from civilization. As you head up Route 88 North, the winding road seems to leave stress and tension behind.<br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Toby Boyce (c)</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/o-4.jpg" / align="left" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />As I walked into my room at Wilson Lodge, I kept expecting Jennifer Gray to be getting whisked off her feet by Patrick Swayze. The Lodge has been able to maintain a rustic and classic feel despite being updated and brought into a more recent times. The majority of rooms do not have internet access (there is a library on the second floor with wireless capabilities) or the newest gadgets and toys and the bathroom in my two double bed room was small -- but for some reason this lack of amenities made the Lodge even more special.<br /><br />The meeting rooms were well-kept and clean and provided a nice environment for the conference. The location's food was very good and I found every member of the staff to be helpful and ready to make our visit even better.<br /><br /><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Toby Boyce (c)</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/o-2.jpg" / align="right" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />But the true beauty of the Resort is located outside the walls of Wilson Lodge. The Lodge has four golf courses for the hacker. Arnold Palmer and Robert Trent Jones give it two premiere courses that cannot be matched for beauty. Crispin Course is an 18-hole course that works its way through the facilities and has some beautiful holes and throw in the driving-range and Par III course and any golfer would be happy for a weekend in the West Virginia hills. Personally, I didn't play any of the courses - something about being in my first year of playing golf that I thought these were a notch above my level - but did walk around the Robert Trent Jones course to get a feel for it and I don't think there was a flat-lie on the course at all.<br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Toby Boyce (c)</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/o-3.jpg" / align="left" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />If you don't golf, there are numerous other options for the person planning to visit Oglebay. The outdoor pool is beautiful but I made my way toward the lake and the nature center and walking trails. The trails led you through the steep hills and I would suggest good hiking shoes and being ready for a nice level of physical activity before heading over the hills. But my personal favorite was a butterfly park located behind the nature center, which also became the feeding place of three Hummingbirds while I was watching.<br /><br />All told the trip was a good one and only sitting 2-1/2 hours from Columbus this is a must-visit for all stressed out Buckeyes.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1123297762672012892005-08-04T23:57:00.000-04:002005-08-05T23:09:22.676-04:00Coming Events...Sorry about not getting anything posted earlier today, I’m working on a couple of pieces that I’ll get up over the next couple of days.<br /><br />Have lots of counties to write up and also “road trips” to Concord/Kannapolis/Mooresville, North Carolina and Overby Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1123132057943427542005-08-03T23:50:00.000-04:002005-08-04T01:54:22.690-04:00Road Trip: Durham, North CarolinaThe old adage is that one of the greatest parts of vacation is the planning. And there is always the “call to confirm” that appears in all the flyers.<br /><br />For my birthday (which is in December) my wife gave me an “IOU” for tickets to a Durham Bulls baseball game. I cashed those tickets on Monday when the Bulls took on the Charlotte Knights in a game that was featured on <span style="font-style:italic;">ESPN</span>'s 50 days in 50 states.<br /><br /><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Kenny Mayne</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/durham-1.jpg" / align="right" hspace="6"></p><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The City</span>: Durham has its pockets of nice areas unfortunately they are intertwined in a way that you never know where to feel comfortable. The city was relatively clean with a lot of trees, but had an overall “blah” feel that didn’t make you feel at home.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Residents</span>: One thing I did notice in Durham (as well as Kannapolis, Mooresville, and Concord) is the politeness of people. Heading in-and-out of the doors, they’d always hold the door for you, just little things that we Ohioans don’t seem to have time for anymore.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bennett Place</span>: A State Historical site located on the northwest side of the city and commemorates the final days of the Civil War. The sign on the site paid homage to the Bennett Farm being the site where General Sherman accepted the largest hand-over of men from General Johnson during the Civil War. Unfortunately, the site is closed on Monday. We were able to walk around the site and look at the buildings, but the information center and buildings were closed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Duke University</span>: As a closet Blue Devil fan for years, hey, I’m a former Danville Blue Devil. So when the Buckeyes were out of the NCAA Basketball tournament earlier it was cool to have someone to root for. This was something I was looking forward too, walking around the campus and getting a feel for this fine institution of higher-learning. I was hoping to visit Cameron and run into golf coach Rod Myers (OWU class of 1961) and introduce myself. But, we found that they charged you $2 an hour to park at the site. $2 is nothing, but the thought that I was going to pay an institution of higher learning to simply WALK AROUND the CAMPUS really bugged me. So we drove around campus for a few minutes, but it wasn’t the same and we moved on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Duke University Tobacco Museum</span>: Obviously, the state of North Carolina shuts down on Monday, which if I’d made a couple of phone calls, I would have known. The site was closed so we drove by slow and looked at the pretty grounds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brightleaf Square</span>: Another disappointment. The Visitor’s Bureau made this area seem like the “it” spot in Durham to hang-out and spend and afternoon. There were several restaurants and some interesting – and expensive – shops but the area was rather a dud for us. It did boast the best Mexican Restaurant – El Rodeo – we’ve eaten at in a long-time. I’ve become leery of eating beef at Mexican establishments, but they had some of the best hamburger – it was juicy without being fatty – that I’ve ever had.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Guglhupf Bakery</span>: Now for another rule, cities don’t always agree on how to name their streets. For example, in Durham, there are four different streets bearing the name “Chapel Hill” and that doesn’t include those with other words included in Chapel Hill – like Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. We spent 45 minutes looking on Chapel Hill Blvd. for the Bakery, only to realize that it was housed in a building on what was listed on street signs as being Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. We also found this to be closed, but by the time we found it was after lunch.<br /><br />At this point, we gave up on our search for the “local” scene and headed to a wine shop. Thankfully that was open, so we picked up a couple of local Carolina brews and a Reisling from a Carolina winery to enjoy later this week. We did a little shopping before enjoying the Hampton Inn’s pool and heading to the Durham Athletic Park for the reason for our stay.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Durham Athletic Park</span>: For a complete write-up on our visit to the DAP, visit <a href="http://minors.mostvaluablenetwork.com/index.php?p=433">"Road Trip: Durham Bulls 5, Charlotte Knights 0"</a> at <a href="http://minors.mostvaluablenetwork.com/">Minor Details</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Overall</span>: My take on Durham is that is an okay city, but not a real tourist friendly place. I’d probably go back for a Bulls game, but it would be on the way through the city and not another vacation destination.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1122389908955740042005-07-26T10:58:00.000-04:002005-07-26T10:58:28.966-04:00Road Trip: Delaware Cows vs. Southern Ohio CopperheadsIn my best <em>NFL Films</em> voice, “the green walls of Littick Field proved the backdrop for the epic battle between nine Copperheads and nine Cows.”<br /><br /><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%"></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/cows-1.jpg" / align="right" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />Last night got out to my first <a href="http://www.delawarecows.com/">Delaware Cows</a> game of the season as the squad swept the <a href="http://aspnet.cob.ohiou.edu/copperheads/">Southern Ohio Copperheads</a> in <a href="http://www.greatlakesleague.org/">Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League</a> action. The Great Lakes League is an NCAA approved wood bat league focusing on players with college eligibility. <a href="http://minors.mostvaluablenetwork.com/index.php?p=304">For more information, read my interview with Commissioner Dr. Kim Lance from earlier this spring</a>.<br /><br /><strong>The Game</strong>: On Tuesday night the weather was a little muggy but almost perfect for what fans would expect from a late-July ballgame. But the on field action was pretty hot (and cold) as there were some players that really shined and others that well, didn’t. The Cows (16-14) came-from-behind to win both games over the Copperheads (13-19). <br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%"></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/cows-2.jpg" / align="left" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />In the opener, the Cows plated three runs in the first to tie the game at three and then four in the third to stake a 7-3 lead and held on for a 7-5 (<a href="http://aspnet.cob.ohiou.edu/copperheads/Articles/stats/dc71905A.htm">box</a>) victory. George Biddle (4-1) picked up the win going five innings allowing four run on seven hits, walking one and fanning six. Dan Utts recorded his second save of the season working 0-2/3 innings with a strike out. Troy Testerman (2-3) took the loss allowing all seven runs on eight hits and a walk over three innings, Jonathan Nichols followed Testerman tossing a one-hit shutout over the final three innings. Aaron Hauser paced the Cows with a single and double with a walk and two runs, while Jason Zoeller and Daniel Webb added two hits. Ryan Hamilton finished 0-for-1 with two RBI on two sacrafice flies. The Copperheads were led by third baseman Dennis Winn's third homerun of the season, while Mike Folli added two hits and two stolen bases in the contest. <em>(In the nature of full disclosure, I missed the first game because it started at 3 p.m.)</em><br /><br /><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Hauser</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/cows-3.jpg" / align="right" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />In the nightcap, the Copperheads again drew first-blood and watched as their venom had no effect on the Cows. Southern Ohio plated four in the first inning and watched as a five-run fourth inning lifted the Cows to an 8-5 victory (<a href="http://aspnet.cob.ohiou.edu/copperheads/Articles/stats/dc71905B.htm">box</a>). Shortstop Paul Bennett led the Copperheads offense from his leadoff position going 2-for-2 with a walk, run, stolen base (14th on the season) and RBI; but he also committed a costly error and could have easly been charged with a second on a botched double-play attempt. Willie Walker and Josh Miller added a double for the Copperheads attack. The Cows offense was led by Hamilton's 2-for-4 with three RBI while Daniel Webb, Derek Lehrman added two hits. Ryan DeGeeter (2-1) picked up the win going five innings allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while fanning two. Dan Utts worked the final 1-1/3 innings with three strikeouts for his third save - and second of the day - of the season. Jon Oliver started for Southern Ohio and was bounced around in three innings allowing three runs - two earned - on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Richie Frahlick (3-1) took the loss going one inning allowing four hits, three walks, and a strikeout en route to allowing five runs.<br /><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Frahlick</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/cows-4.jpg" / align="left" hspace="6"></p><br /><br /><strong>The Players</strong>: I have to admit that I just got a new 300mm lens for the camera at work, so my “focus” was on playing with the new toy – hence I didn’t keep a great scouting report on the teams, but a couple of guys stood out in the game.<br /><br />A player that really stood out was Delaware first baseman <strong>Aaron Hauser</strong>, a 6-1 and 225-pound junior from North Alabama, with the bat and the glove. Hauser made a wonderful play at first base on a bang-bang play, going up and over the Copperhead runner but having the presence of mind to attempt a tag and recorded and out with a tag to the head that sounded like something that happens on the gridiron. He is hitting .301-3-10 with five doubles in 103 at bats. The biggest concern is that he has posted a 3/18 walk to strike out ratio. With UNA this spring, Hauser hit .350-4-50 with 13 doubles and 18 stolen bases in 200 at bats. The ironic thing is that he walked 32 times, was hit by pitch 10 times, and fanned only 14 times. He looks like a guy that should get a shot to play in the low-minors and if some power develops he could become an interesting prospect.<br /><br />A second player that really stood out was Cows third baseman <strong>Ryan Hamilton</strong> (.327-1-17, 7 sb). He was solid around the hot-corner making a couple of bang-bang plays (with the help of Hauser) over the course of the game. A native of Houston, Hamilton is a 5-10, 180-pound junior at Louisiana Tech. With Tech he hit .339-8-37 with 11 doubles in 224 at bats. He’s compiled an 8/16 walk to strikeout ratio this spring. He’s athletic and seems to have good instincts. He hits from a wide-open stance that just looks awkward. He looks a bit small to play third in the minors, but he has enough skills around the hot-corner that a move to second wouldn't be out of reach.<br /><br /><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%"><em>Hamilton</em></span><img src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/cows-5.jpg" / align="right" hspace="6"></p><br /><br />Southern Ohio’s hottest pitcher was all-star <strong>Richie Frahlick</strong> (3-1), of Ball State University, who had not allowed an earned run this season. From the “picked a fine day to see him” file, I watched him allow four hits and walk three en route to allowing five earned runs in a single inning of relief in the nightcap. Even with that Frahlick’s number now stand at 13 hits, 12 walks, 33 strike outs in 21-2/3 innings. He’s posted a 2.01 ERA with a 3-1 record and a save. He’s limiting opponent to a .176 average.<br /><br /><strong>The Facility</strong>: Delaware Cows games are played at Ohio Wesleyan University’s Littick Field. The field is very nice and has limited seating right behind home plate and an open area down the foul lines. Take a blanket for the aluminum bleachers behind home plate. The fence around the field is a little high for a traditional lawn-chair but a couple of fans were able to prop lawnchairs up enough to enjoy the game from the first base line. The playing surface was beautiful and the hops looked pretty true on the infield.<br /><br /><strong>If You Go</strong>: Ticket prices are $2 per person and you'll get a classic no-frills baeball experience. <a href="http://bishops.owu.edu/littick.html">The stadium is located off Henry Street in Delaware</a> on what is known as the East Side of Ohio Wesleyan's campus. There are currently no ammenities at the stadium, a couple of good restaurants - The Brown Jug (named for the famous horse race at the Delaware County Fair), Buns, and Old Bag of Nails - are located a long-walk from the Stadium in downtown Delaware.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1119841984766546192005-06-26T23:10:00.000-04:002005-06-26T23:13:04.766-04:00Map Updated: 14% CompleteI've updated the map with the 12 counties that I've been able to visit. The goal is to begin posting on a daily basis until I get caught up with the counties I have yet to profile.<br /><br />Ross and Pickaway Counties were the latest additions being visited on Friday night.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10012891.post-1119834214640812072005-06-26T22:51:00.000-04:002005-06-27T14:15:46.133-04:00Ross County: Hidden Baseball Gem<span style="font-weight:bold;">Road Trip: Chillicothe Paints vs. Mid-Missouri Mavericks (VA Memorial Stadium – Chillicothe, Ohio)</span><br /><br />I made the trip down the Chillicothe on Friday night. I had planned to visit the Court House, but after dealing with rush hour traffic and spending 20 minutes in Circleville; visiting the Hopewell Burial Mounds and V.A. Memorial Stadium will have to do.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/stadium-2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/stadium-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Getting to the Stadium</span>: V.A. Memorial Stadium was built in 1954 and stands on the grounds of the Veteran of Foreign Affairs Hospital northwest of Chillicothe along State Route 104. After spending an hour fighting the traffic of Columbus’ sprawl it was rather refreshing to head away from downtown Chillicothe, 104 heads north along the Scioto River past the rather large and very intimidating Chillicothe Correctional facility, past the National Park honoring the Hopewell Indian Mounds, and then turning at the golf course. It was another world from other Ohio stadiums that have taken up residence in the concrete hearts of their cities. I made a pit-stop at the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and was offered a short, but very informative, chat session with a Park Ranger. I’m sure that he would have been much more detailed, but I’d arrived as they were locking up the doors and he stopped to speak with me on his way home. The park was a neat place to stop but not worth a trip to Chillicothe on its own unless you are a big fan of Indian burial mounds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Stadium</span>: As you meander back the entry-road to the stadium, you pass a golf course and it really has that type of setting. You really feel like this stadium is hidden back in this golf course setting, reminded me a lot of a small college stadium that tries to integrate the facility into the greater campus. The first-base side is directly in the sun and Friday’s 90-plus degree day made the bleachers along that side a nice spot for a person wishing to escape the inebriated non-baseball folk that had gathered along the third-base side.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Environment (Food, Ambiance)</span>: I arrived at Memorial Stadium about one hour before game time and easily parked, for free, within three rows of the stadium. The Party Pavilion was hopping and the three youth-league teams were already amassed and enjoying the open grounds around the facility. The Paints appeared to have enough staff to handle about anything that could pop up and they were friendly and seemed to be having fun at the ballpark, which made for a more pleasurable experience. It really felt in a lot of ways like a “family” experience where you were being included in their family gathering that just happened to have a baseball game surrounding it. The Paints players were very accessible to fans right up until the first pitch and, despite a less-than stellar game, right after it as well. I discovered the high number of drunks may have had to do with $2 draft beers, which could be dropped to a $1 if the “Budweiser Batter of the Game” proceeded to strike out during the contest. A whiff by Mid-Missouri catcher Matt Oakes in the fifth sent many a fan to the beer truck for a refill of what appeared to be the favorite beverage. After having a cold hot dog, I relived why the beer was the food and beverage of choice for the Paints’ faithful.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Game</span>: This is Frontier League action so unless you are a fan of the league you will not know the names of any players on the field. The Paints’ dugout contained former major leaguer Glen Wilson as the manager, but the players are guys battling for their professional life. The game was smooth and a well-played for the most part. There were a few times when the game seemed to get away from the players and the Paints’ coaching staff seemed a bit reluctant to go deep into their bullpen much to the dismay of the three fans that were rather vocal near the Chillicothe bullpen.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Steve Soja</span>: I was excited to know find that Mavericks starter Steve Soja, a 6-1 and 210-pound righty, was among the league leaders in earned run average entering the contest. Soja didn’t look impressive, his physical make-up reminded me of Bartolo Colon and he’s got a hitch when he pitches from the set-up that makes it very easy to run against him. But, in Soja’s defense he didn’t allow very many Paints on base all night. He limited the home team to six hits and three walks over eight innings while fanning three. With the win he improved to 3-3 with a 1.91 ERA on the season.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/stadium-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/stadium-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thomari Story-Harden</span>: Thomari Story-Harden stood-out from his competition from his size. The 6-6 and 250-pound first bagger for the Mavericks crushed a Matt Blanton pitch to left-centerfield in his first at bat, for his sixth round-tripper of the campaign. He finished the day 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, a walk, and hit-by-pitch. He raised his average to .372 with his performance.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dusty Hillman</span>: I’m a sucker for those Adam Eckstein type scrappy players that just find a way to play the game the right way. Hillman looked like that type of player to me. No chance for him to play in the majors standing at 5-9 and tipping the scales at 190-pounds, but the Mavericks second-bagger just has a great approach to the game. He finished the day 2-for-6 with a run and two RBI.</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Overall</span>: The Paints’ organization put on a good show with a lot of on-field promotions and excitement to keep all the fans in the game. If I’d had to drive more than 1-1/2 hours to get home, I’m not sure it would have been worth the trip.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/stadium-3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://go.owu.edu/~teboyce/county/stadium-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.frontierleague.com/2005scores/chc6240.html">Complete Box Score</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03178067463973728601noreply@blogger.com0