I think I know where I’ll be when not taking the child along to Indianapolis Indians games this summer. The Indians have announced plans to convert a couple sections in left field to Captain Morgan Cove, a full bar that will also offer Indiana craft beers on tap. We’ve got a few of those.

The 15′ x 60′ bar and grill area will be located on the lower level concourse near the left field foul line, in the northwest corner of Victory Field. The Captain Morgan Cove is expected to seat up to 115 guests and be available for large groups or individual ticket purchasers. The pavilion will have a roof with open walls for a more enjoyable experience.

The addition is expected to be completed in time for the 2011 season at Victory Field. I’m looking forward to it.

This part of the lead-up to Spring Training is excruciating. All I want is for the players to be gathering on baseball fields in a warmer locale, but instead what I get are “news” articles about the Cincinnati Reds packing a truck.

Oh, hey, the St. Louis Cardinals packed a truck, too! At least both of last season’s division leaders are on the same page.

I don’t know why I want the 2011 season–or at least its exhibition–to get started so soon. Perhaps it’s the 2 inches of ice on the ground with 3 inches of snow on top of it. I can’t imagine why I might be a bit stir-crazy with that and the freezing temperatures of this very cold winter for the last month and a half.

Soon, though. Soon, a game will happen, and I can envision myself basking in the sun as Aroldis Chapman’s fastball pounds the catcher’s mitt. Nothing to do but wait.

Of course, everybody remembers the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. One of the many activities he engaged in was attending a game at Wrigley Field to see the Chicago Cubs play the Atlanta Braves, where he had the good fortune of catching a foul ball. But who’s foul ball was it? Thanks to this interesting article linked to from a Tweet by Joel Luckhaupt, now I know.

The movie used an actual game and included play-by-play from Harry Caray, which allowed the writer of the article to sift through the game logs at Baseball Reference and discover the exact game that was used.

The movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was released on June 11, 1986. The ballgame then must have been filmed either real early in the 1986 season or sometime during 1985. Looking at game logs from those seasons, we see that there was no game in 1986 in which Lee Smith (#46) faced the Braves at Wrigley Field. There were four such games in ’85, though Smith left the Braves hitless in one of those. Of the remaining three games, it isn’t hard to find the game we’re looking for.

Go to the article to find the exciting conclusion. And then stick around to see how tight it makes the timeline of the rest of Beuller’s day. The baseball game was an 11-inning affair, which wouldn’t leave much time for the musical numbers in the parade and all the other stops.

Ah, the geeky wonders of Baseball Reference.

Football is done. Bring on the baseball. Pitchers and catchers report in 10 days.

Gosh, it seems like so long since we’ve gotten to experience the multi-media extravaganza that is the Ryan Parker Reds tribute song. Tonight I share with you Ryan’s musical homage to the Reds broacast booth: Marty and Thom, the Cowboy and the Lefty. You won’t want to miss the Jim Day shout-out near the end.

Kinda makes me miss George.