Rodger’s Diary - 2008 Harrisburg Senators
I have expressed how much I love going to Harrisburg Commerce Bank Park to see a ball game and enjoy life on City Island in the middle of the pretty Sussehanna River. Nice things happen there.
I shot my first posed photo there in 1987 and I bet you’ll never guess who it was. No other than further Hall of Fame Atlanta Braves pitcher, John Smoltz, who was a Detroit Tigers minor league pitcher with the Double A - Glen Falls Tigers.
I remember the 1987 season at Harrisburg for other reasons - minor league baseball had just returned to Harrisburg that year and the Pirates’ AA- affiliate won the Eastern League championship with a lot of the players I watched play for Carolina League Prince William Pirates the year before.
Sitting under the stands on a hot September afternoon to get close enough to shoot photos of the celebration festivities, I remember how impressed I was with Senators Manager Dave Tremblay championship trophy acceptance speech in front of all of those jubilant fans. Harrisburg manager 1987 - 1989, and manager of the Baltimore Orioles, I bet he’s talking to the press and fans all the time now..
As a Montreal Expos AA- team, Harrisburg set a record winning the Eastern League Championship four seasons in a row, 1996- 1999.
With the talent they have on the team, and only 4.5 games behind Akron in the Southern Division, Eastern League pennant race, I think they could come back to win another championship this season.
The Senators are playing as a team - Baseball America top Nationals prospects, #8 outfielder Justin Maxwell, #23 Mike Daniels, and #29 Roger Bernadina make up the starting outfield, #14 Ian Desmond, is at shortstop, and #7 Jordan Zimmerman, #18 Shairon Martis, and #28 Zech Zinicola three of the starting five and #13 Adam Carr the stopper.