Talkin' Bout The Weather Report...

One of my favorite recurring promotions around the Minor Leagues is the Lancaster JetHawks' "Tumbleweed Tuesday", in which the ticket price for each Tuesday home game is determined by the previous day's wind speed.

This promo came about because the JetHawks play in California's Antelope Valley, which is known as being a particularly gusty region of the United States -- a fact which, as we shall soon see, is sometimes dramatically illustrated at Lancaster's Clear Channel Stadium.

On Monday, in preparation for the season's first "Tumbleweed Tuesday", Lancaster Assistant GM Derek Sharp measured the wind speed according to his own unique set of calculations, and found that it was blowing at 15 MPH. This meant that tickets for Tuesday's game would be a mere $1.50.

But, as is so often the case, the cruel hand of fate soon intervened. For there was no game played at Tuesday at all, due to...wait for it...high winds. (Cue Nelson's "Ha-Ha" laugh here).
With gusts of over 50 MPH expected, conditions were deemed unsafe for baseball. Conditions were great for tumbleweeds, however. These drifting, transitory shrubs had a veritable field day, and were able to scatter their seed all over the Antelope Valley. Bad day for baseball, but a great day for the propagation of the species!

From the Barometer to the Thermometer -- In much happier weather-related news, the Cedar Rapids Kernels are staging a "Get Back to the 70s" promotion tonight. This promo has nothing to do with tired cultural references to a bygone era, and everything to do with the fact that Spring is finally here. In celebration of the fact that today's high temperature will be over 70 degrees (for the first time since October, 2007), the Kernels will throw out 70 first pitches prior to the evening's contest against the Great Lakes Loons. Fans who wish to participate should arrive at the stadium at 5:30 and keep an eye out for Mr. Shucks, the club's anthropomorphic corn mascot. Or better yet, keep an "ear" out. Get it?

Finally...Don't forget that tomorrow in Harrisburg is "Guaranteed Rainout Night". If the hometown Senators do, in fact, play their regularly scheduled game against New Hampshire, then all fans will receive a FREE ticket to Monday's contest against Erie.