The Johnson City Cardinals, an Appalachian Rookie League affiliate of St. Louis, play at Howard Johnson field, which was built in 1956 and had a major renovation in 1994. This is a nice older field with a 60 degree slope at the edge of the right field warning track from the foul pole to center field. A ball hit on the slope usually dies and the right fielder has to run up the slope to get it. Only an experienced fielder will run up the slope to make a play. The Cardinals were playing the Kingsport Mets and at the bottom of the 4th inning were leading 4 to 3. At the beginning of the 5th inning a thunderstorm hit the area. I'm not sure why the umpires didn't stop the game before starting the inning. But they didn't and the Mets were able to score 2 runs to lead 5 to 4. With no outs the umpires called for the tarp. The grounds crew had a little trouble getting it out. But with the General Manager, Chuck Arnold helping(the GMs do everything at this level), it was finally put out. The storm passed and the tarp was removed. The teams got ready to play and another thunderstorm arrived. The tarp was put out with the help of an ATV very expeditiously. At 10:00 pm we left with the 2nd rain delay still in progress. The decision later was made to postpone the rest of the game until the following day. But more rain the next day and the game was set for the next day, Monday, to be followed with a second game. Here is the box score as I reconstructed it from the write up on the team website Mets R-8, H-8, E-0 and Cardinals R-6, H-10, E-0. The field lines are RF-320', CF-430', LF-325'. At the beginning of the game the song "Who Are You?" was played when they were introducing the players for the game. For the Cracker Barrel Musical Chairs mid-inning activity they used a Cracker Barrel rocker as the main chair. The dugouts have a brick facing. It was interesting to see political advertsing on the outfield walls in several of the APPY League parks. The team has been in the Appalachian League since 1911. The team has a great activity having area elementary students draw pictures that can be used for the Souvenir Program. The top three winners received $1000, $750, and $500 grants for their schools and the best picture was put on the cover and the second was put on the pocket schedule. We would like to thank Chuck Arnold for the complimentary tickets.
Attractions
Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site - In 1788 the farm was the site of the Battle of the Lost State of Franklin, which led to its collapse. the farmhouse was enlarged in the mid-19th century by Tennessee legislator Landon Carter Haynes; it encases a 1784 log house built by Tipton. The site includes the Tipton horse barn, corncrib, Haynes' law office. Fee.