I left the last game of the year this afternoon at Coca-Cola Park after a picture-pretty throw by left fielder Rich Thompson to catcher Tuffy Gosewisch. It nailed Bison second baseman Luis Rivera at the plate and ended the top of the 8th inning. The IronPigs took a 2-0 lead in the first and starter Brian Mazone made it stand up for seven. The 'Pigs tacked on an insurance run in the 8th and Gary Majewski finished it off in the 9th. It was Fan Appreciation Day and 10,000 fans packed the park to celebrate. Today, too, I saw a Monarch butterfly, this one flying past the backstop. The 'Pigs finished the year with a 71-73 record, good enough for third in the International League's Northern Division. That is a far cry from last year's 55-89 mark but still bittersweet. They should have done better. But this season too a good time was had by all. Thanks, guys, for the memories.
