2nd Annual “Woodland Park Night” Featured at UC Health Park
Trevor Phipps
For the second year in a row, a night intended for baseball quickly turned into a rather festive evening in which Woodland Park officials entertained thousands of people, courtesy of wacky contests and home-town displays.
Fortunately, no injuries were sustained this time around. That’s contrary to last year when reportedly a case of broken ribs occurred.
But the fans still got to see a politician bite the dust when Councilman Jeffrey Geer lost his footing and got a face-full of sand during the infamous tricycle race. In fact, it’s safe to say Woodland Park officials didn’t win any gold medals for their athletic or musical talents.
The evening of August 2 was a perfect day for baseball (and city council debauchery) as there were no clouds in the sky and temperatures were comfortably in the 80s. The entire council and members of the staff welcomed the crowd to the “City Above the Clouds” as they entered the stadium by handing out city-themed schwag.
The festivities launched briefly before the game started with Woodland Park Mayor Kellie Case joining the Rocky Mountain Vibes team mascot Toasty to hurl out the honorary first pitch. Despite admitting to not practicing even a little, Case looked like a pro when the baseball glided over home base with a pitch that looked like a strike.
The rest of the evening hilariously featured city council members competing against each other in- between innings in games specifically designed to make them look as stupid as possible. Other council members and Woodland Park residents rejoiced in the chance to laugh at the bizarre competitions.
The council games started with an air guitar contest featuring City Councilman Steve “Smitty” Smith. Donning a Jamaican-style beanie cap, large sunglasses and jetblack dreadlocks, Smith stood up on the dugout and jammed his heart out in front of the large crowd while flailing his dreadlocks around.
However, despite appearing as though he put his whole heart and soul into his performance, the fans voted that he was an air guitar loser. Later in the game, another council competition commenced when Councilwoman Teri Baldwin challenged Councilman Geer at the Vibes’ renowned tricycle and foot race competition.
The race started out relatively close, but Baldwin made it look easy when she quickly took a substantial lead past her colleague. But Geer had a determined look in his eye and peddled the tricycle with all of his might.
And just when it looked like Geer may have had the chance to catch up, he tripped on the tricycle’s wheel and ate the dirt. But surprisingly, the incident barely fazed him. Geer promptly returned to his feet and proudly crossed the finish line. The councilman assured everyone that he did not sustain any injuries during the fall.
Vibes Turn Things Around with Winning Streak
The baseball game portion of the Woodland Park-themed festivities started out slow, with the Vibes staying behind the Yolo High Wheelers 2-0 for the first five innings of the game. But the fans that hung in there and kept faith in their team were greatly rewarded when the team rallied back.
The Vibes then turned the show into a slugfest in the sixth inning when they scored four times. In the end, the story stayed the same for the rest of the game that ended in a 9-2 victory for the Vibes. The Vibes ended up coming out ahead in their three-game series against the High Wheelers with two wins.
The team has looked stellar lately after Manager Les Lancaster has made his magic with the roster. The Vibes currently are in a good spot to snag a seat in the playoffs.
Second baseman Josh Day remains to be a fan favorite as every time he steps up to bat the crowd can be heard chanting, “Today is Josh Day!” Day has dropped in the Pioneer League ranks a little recently, but he is still one of the Vibes’ best players.
Day currently is ranked 21st in the league when it comes to hitting. So far this season, Day has racked up a .353 batting average along with scoring 70 runs and hitting 13 homeruns.
In the past few weeks, shortstop Ernie Yake has become the 18th best hitter in the Pioneer League. Yake has a .356 batting average with 83 hits and 40 RBIs.
The Vibes ended a six-game series against the 24-41 Grand Junction Jackalopes last Sunday. The team returns this Tuesday to start a six-home game stint against the 38-27 Northern Colorado Owlz, who are currently in third place in the league.
Next week the Vibes hit the road to play three games in Grand Junction versus the Jackalopes before returning home on August 23 to challenge the same team.
