The Cuban Missile Report

Tonight, I went with a group of friends to see the Louisville Bats against the Gwinnett Braves. Behind Cuban pitcher Aroldis Chapman, the Bats won 7-0.

Much-discussed prospect Chapman struck out 7 in five innings. More importantly, he issued only one walk and was generally in control of the strike zone -- so long as you don't worry about the 2 or 3 times he threw the ball above his catcher all the way back to the screen (officially, he issued 2 Wild Pitches, which require men on base). Many of his pitches, especially early in the game, were clocked at nearly 100 mph. He bested that mark a few times, including one pitch of 103 mph that was met with cheers from the crowd.

The game was supposed to start at 7 pm, but it was nearly 7:45 when the first pitch was thrown. Louisville suffered a brief thunderstorm prior to the event. My friends and I took advantage of the time to enjoy the $1 pre-game brews at Brownings.

Though Chapman was long gone, we stayed through the final out (partly redeeming my early exit from Saturday's game). Whatever the claimed attendance, there were very few fans in the stands at the end.


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