The end of yet another Brockton Rox season
Well, today was the last Brockton Rox home game of the season. And this season was pretty light compared to past ones (not counting the pandemic). The Rox team was still lower-priority compared to the New England Knockouts (no themed nights, no on-field promotions, etc.), and this year some of the games had such low attendance they didn't need K-O the Kangaroo there. But at least they did for the last two home games, with their larger attendance count.
At least we didn't have as many rainouts this year, but on game days where the weather forecast looked uncertain, I'd still bring my umbrella to keep in my pouch, just in case, like I did with this game later in June (complete with thunder).
We even had a home game on the Fourth of July! So at least I got to gussy up K-O the Kangaroo for one occasion, with the Uncle Sam hat and a couple of American flags. The crowd loved it, including my introduction after the top of the first inning with me dancing and waving the flags to "Party in the USA" (a song I've performed to as K-O numerous times now). K-O may have originally come from Australia, but he's glad to currently consider the United States of America his home country!
Nearby neighbors were also setting off their consumer fireworks (despite it being illegal here in Massachusetts) and it did add to the mood, even if some of them were really noisy!
My parents and my brother and his girlfriend also came to this game. We started it kind of late because of a rain delay, but I was still able to meet and greet with the fans on the concourse with said rain delay, bringing my umbrella, of course!
That week, the fans we'd use to air out the kangaroo suit had either broken or gone missing (usually the umpires would take them for their room). So we went for quite a while before the costume could be properly aired out, even with our disinfectant spray applied after each game. By the Sunday game, the inside of the suit was pretty smelly and clammy, and since we were going through a heatwave, by the time I finished my seventh-inning stretch routine on the dugout I was feeling rather woozy and with a headache, and the Rox weren't winning anyway, so we had me call it a day. As much as I hated to, we didn't want K-O to pass out on the field or anything!
But fortunately we got a couple new fans after that.
In addition to a few rainouts, the game on Saturday July 20th got called early because of the fire alarm system malfunctioning and wouldn't stop going off! While the kangaroo suit seemed to help protect my ears when I was close to any of the alarm signals (especially when I was initially helping evacuate the fans), it was another story after I removed the costume to air it out.
The space I used this year for changing and cooling down and airing out the kangaroo suit had FOUR of those alarm bells, and without protection I actually ended up with tinnitus from the fire alarms! A while as they continued screaming, my hearing was beginning to get distorted. While modern fire alarms like these can indeed be really loud and piercing, at least they're nothing like the ancient ear-splitting fire alarm horns my public schools used (only one of said schools has since upgraded to a new alarm system). In fact, while I was on my way out and the alarms began ringing again, I even yelled "SHUT UP!" at them, now knowing it was just a false alarm we couldn't really stop. Turned out it was a defective duct smoke detector in one of the skybox-level rooms, and the fire department had to do a fire watch through the stadium all night until the fire alarm company came to replace the detector and clear out all the dust on that level. Good thing too, especially since the alarm system currently in place is only six years old! (It was installed in early 2018 to replace the original fire alarm system that was having so many issues during the past season.)
Last night's home game, one of my furry friends, Cyan Glaciertooth, came to Brockton to see it! He knows our announcer personally.
Today's game had a pretty good crowd; we had a whole Little League of kids attend our last home game of the season, and so K-O had a LOT of baseballs and caps to sign. The kids enjoy seeing K-O pull his Sharpie from his pouch when they want an autograph!
For the last few weeks of home games, it seems when I'd be there as K-O, the Rox would win, so after a while they considered me their good luck charm! But the season ended on a downer note when we lost to those pesky Worcester Bravehearts. Though at least I got in one last laugh by having K-O "faint" for the crowd to see!
We're hoping things will be better next year, now that the Knockouts will be in their second season. We were supposed to have their own mascot appear at their home games this season, but a couple problems with his costume prevented us from doing that; we have to send it back when the season's over to be fixed. Next year, in addition to my K-O the Kangaroo duties, I will also be involved in their bulldog mascot's casting process, along with training and handling the mascot! It'll be fun to have my own mascot pupil, after many years of doing this...
At least we didn't have as many rainouts this year, but on game days where the weather forecast looked uncertain, I'd still bring my umbrella to keep in my pouch, just in case, like I did with this game later in June (complete with thunder).
We even had a home game on the Fourth of July! So at least I got to gussy up K-O the Kangaroo for one occasion, with the Uncle Sam hat and a couple of American flags. The crowd loved it, including my introduction after the top of the first inning with me dancing and waving the flags to "Party in the USA" (a song I've performed to as K-O numerous times now). K-O may have originally come from Australia, but he's glad to currently consider the United States of America his home country!
Nearby neighbors were also setting off their consumer fireworks (despite it being illegal here in Massachusetts) and it did add to the mood, even if some of them were really noisy!
My parents and my brother and his girlfriend also came to this game. We started it kind of late because of a rain delay, but I was still able to meet and greet with the fans on the concourse with said rain delay, bringing my umbrella, of course!
That week, the fans we'd use to air out the kangaroo suit had either broken or gone missing (usually the umpires would take them for their room). So we went for quite a while before the costume could be properly aired out, even with our disinfectant spray applied after each game. By the Sunday game, the inside of the suit was pretty smelly and clammy, and since we were going through a heatwave, by the time I finished my seventh-inning stretch routine on the dugout I was feeling rather woozy and with a headache, and the Rox weren't winning anyway, so we had me call it a day. As much as I hated to, we didn't want K-O to pass out on the field or anything!
But fortunately we got a couple new fans after that.
In addition to a few rainouts, the game on Saturday July 20th got called early because of the fire alarm system malfunctioning and wouldn't stop going off! While the kangaroo suit seemed to help protect my ears when I was close to any of the alarm signals (especially when I was initially helping evacuate the fans), it was another story after I removed the costume to air it out.
Click to viewThe space I used this year for changing and cooling down and airing out the kangaroo suit had FOUR of those alarm bells, and without protection I actually ended up with tinnitus from the fire alarms! A while as they continued screaming, my hearing was beginning to get distorted. While modern fire alarms like these can indeed be really loud and piercing, at least they're nothing like the ancient ear-splitting fire alarm horns my public schools used (only one of said schools has since upgraded to a new alarm system). In fact, while I was on my way out and the alarms began ringing again, I even yelled "SHUT UP!" at them, now knowing it was just a false alarm we couldn't really stop. Turned out it was a defective duct smoke detector in one of the skybox-level rooms, and the fire department had to do a fire watch through the stadium all night until the fire alarm company came to replace the detector and clear out all the dust on that level. Good thing too, especially since the alarm system currently in place is only six years old! (It was installed in early 2018 to replace the original fire alarm system that was having so many issues during the past season.)
Last night's home game, one of my furry friends, Cyan Glaciertooth, came to Brockton to see it! He knows our announcer personally.
Today's game had a pretty good crowd; we had a whole Little League of kids attend our last home game of the season, and so K-O had a LOT of baseballs and caps to sign. The kids enjoy seeing K-O pull his Sharpie from his pouch when they want an autograph!
For the last few weeks of home games, it seems when I'd be there as K-O, the Rox would win, so after a while they considered me their good luck charm! But the season ended on a downer note when we lost to those pesky Worcester Bravehearts. Though at least I got in one last laugh by having K-O "faint" for the crowd to see!
We're hoping things will be better next year, now that the Knockouts will be in their second season. We were supposed to have their own mascot appear at their home games this season, but a couple problems with his costume prevented us from doing that; we have to send it back when the season's over to be fixed. Next year, in addition to my K-O the Kangaroo duties, I will also be involved in their bulldog mascot's casting process, along with training and handling the mascot! It'll be fun to have my own mascot pupil, after many years of doing this...