Lake County Captains
Dad and I travel to Eastlake, Ohio, home of the Lake County Captains, the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. We get a ballpark tour, throw out the first pitch, join the radio broadcast, and see a wild game with 20 runs scored! We finish with a fabulously meaty dinner at Chef Michael Symon’s Mabel’s BBQ.
I woke up excited for a very special day on our itinerary: a game with the Lake County Captains, the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. The Captains owners, marketing strategist Alan Miller and former NFL punter Jon Ryan, also own the Portland Pickles, perhaps the best-known collegiate summer league team in America. We had seen the Pickles in the grand finale of our Northwest Baseball Road Trip in 2022, and it was one the most entertaining and memorable baseball experiences of my life. The Pickles are known for their out-of-the-box promotions and party atmosphere. I was excited to see how that had translated to the Captains since Miller and Ryan acquired the club in January 2023.
When we reached Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, we were met at the front gate by Captains public address announcer, David Kammerman, who had taken time from his pre-game prep to greet us. He then offered to help us exchange our tickets, since our scheduled game the night before had been rained out. We got our tickets sorted quickly, and Kammerman took me on a ballpark tour, beginning with a sweet set of suites.
We started with the newest addition: the 70s Bowling Suite, which captures the vibe of the decade in yellow, orange, and brown, and features a Captains-head disco ball, furniture from the era, and a centerpiece bowling machine with fine detailing.
Next we stopped in the Christmas Suite, ready for the holidays in mid-summer. The Captains also have an 80s Arcade Suite with vintage machines, a Prohibition-themed Speakeasy Suite, a Captains History Suite, and — new in 2025 — a Casino Suite.
Kammerman then took me into the Pirate Bar, which is adjacent to the Pirate Suite — both full of nautical netting and other shipboard decorations.
I love this. Ballpark suites are often soulless room-boxes that make you feel like you’re back at the office. These suites make a special event feel special. They’re made for fun.
Classic Park opened in 2003 for the arrival of the Captains, who play just 18 miles east of the only Major League partner they’ve had, the Cleveland Guardians. It’s a large ballpark for a High-A club, with a capacity of 7,273. Lake County averaged 3,196 fans per game in 2024, seventh-best in the 12-team Midwest League and up a bit from 2023. The alumni roster includes Indians and Guardians greats Shane Bieber, Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez, Michael Brantley, Francisco Mejía, and CC Sabathia.
And yes, that’s right: In those photos, right behind home plate, there is a full row of actual toilets. Sponsored by Roto-Rooter, “Toilet Row” had premiered just a few days earlier, and it was something to see — both inspired and insane, so audacious and ridiculous that only the Captains (or possibly the Pickles) would dare to dream it into existence.
After the tour, I slipped into the Cargo Hold, the Captains sizable team store.
The Captains have a growing collection of looks and styles, including their Copa de la Diversión alternate identity, the Picantes de Lake County, celebrating “both the chile pepper's place in spicier Latino cuisine and the community's edgier, fiery personalities.”
I had a pretty good idea of which Captains hat I would purchase: the classic lighthouse with a “C” befitting a Cleveland affiliate. But when I approached the team’s neatly organized display, I faltered. My knees buckled. I saw three other handsome hats — each featuring the namesake captain — that tempted me greatly. I stood there for about 15 minutes, completely stuck. In the end, I went with my original pick and moved on with the rest of my life.
Outside the shop, Captains infielder Alex Mooney and pitcher Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson signed autographs for kids. Wilkinson is a rising star in the Guardians system who put together a scintillating season in 2024 with the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats and the Captains, posting a 1.88 ERA in 24 games combined.
More kids filled left field to play catch with friends and family.
We had been invited to throw out the first pitch — or, more accurately, one of the first pitches, as most Minor League teams have several people lined up for the honor each game. Dad and I are a double act when it comes to first pitches: I take the mound, while he leans behind the catcher to dramatically ring up strike three, no matter where my aging arm sends the ball.
We were led to the field, where we met Andrew Grover, the Captains on-field host. He and I had chatted on Twitter in the leadup to our trip. Grover is a ball of energy, enthusiasm, and positivity, on and off the field, and he was incredibly gracious throughout the day.
We joined other first-ballers and pre-game staff in forming a human tunnel as players filed into the dugout after warmups.
Lake County came into the game with a 46-27 record and was in the midst of a historic season. The Captains won the first-half title in the Midwest League’s East division, besting the second-place Dayton Dragons and today’s opponent, the Great Lakes Loons, by seven games. That also earned the club a spot in the 2024 playoffs.
In the first round of the playoffs, Lake County faced the Dragons — who won the second half in the East — and beat them 2-0 in a best-of-three series. The Captains advanced to the Midwest League championship series against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and won a deciding Game 3 in Wisconsin, securing the franchise’s second-ever league title and the first since 2010.
We had seen the Loons — the High-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers — split a doubleheader at home against the Quad Cities River Bandits a week earlier. They were hovering around the .500 mark on the season.
As we waited, the Captains mascots took the field. Skipper is a conventional bear-like mascot — friendly, affable, described as “your favorite baseball buddy” — who has been with the team since its inception in 2003.
In 2023, the new ownership added a second mascot, Horatio the double-crested cormorant. Smirking and mischievous, Horatio is an antihero who appeals to a slightly older set of kids. His team bio bills him as “knowledgeable about baseball and pop culture” and says his favorite hobby is “thinking of practical jokes to play on Skipper.” It’s a bit like Skipper inherited an older step-brother from the other side of the docks.
When it was my turn to toss the first pitch, Dad hustled onto the field and into position. I was allowed to use the mound, but instead of a catcher crouching behind home plate, a staffer stood in front of the batter’s box on the infield grass, a catcher’s glove dangling languidly from her hand. I had warmed up for a first pitch, but this was shaping up to be more of a ceremonial ball toss.
Still, I gave it what mustard I could muster, whipping my back leg around on the follow-through. My pitch was inside and came in a little hot for the staffer, who dropped it. Dad nevertheless called a vigorous strike three.
The Captains scored more runs (632) than any other team in the Midwest League in 2024, and they jumped out of the gate and onto the board in the bottom of the first. The first five batters singled, and, after a strikeout, three more singled, ending a terrible outing for Great Lakes starter Jackson Ferris. The Loons lefty had sailed through six innings of no-hit ball in Game 2 of our doubleheader the previous Sunday.
After each score, Grover called upon the crowd to “do the Horatio dance,” and many did, joining the mascots working the top of the visiting dugout in a side-to-side flopping of the arms.
For the second time in four days, I caught a foul ball — or rather, a foul ball plopped down on the seat next to me. Not bad, coming away with two baseballs in one day.
In the early innings, I got a chance to meet Jason Jennings, an Ohio sports fan and collector of ice cream helmets and baseball cards who had alerted me the night before to report that the Captains game had been postponed, helping us pivot quickly to see the Lake Erie Crushers instead.
The concessions scene at Classic Park was relatively quiet on this Sunday with attendance dampened by weather. But we both found our happy places. Dad went with the pulled pork sandwich, and I had the Juicy Italian Sausage.
Classic Park saw a lot of Horatio dances in the first three innings, as the Captains offensive juggernaut added two runs in the second and two more in the third to take an 8-0 lead. The party was on.
Dad and I had been invited to the club’s broadcast center to do a live interview with Lake County’s play-by-play team of Logan Potosky and Tyler Danburg. After some quick between-inning introductions, we joined them on the air.
We chatted about our years doing road trips, our experiences in the Eastern Midwest, and some of the ballparks we had enjoyed the most. Potosky and Danburg were great hosts and seemed genuinely enthused about the trip. They also looked pretty enthused about their jobs, getting to broadcast Minor League Baseball games.
While we talked, the Loons scored three runs in the top of the fourth, but the Captains still felt safely in front.
All of that changed in the top of the fifth. The Loons sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning and scored eight runs on five hits with two walks and two errors to take an 11-8 lead.
It should be noted here that the Captains not only scored the most runs in the Midwest League in 2024, they also allowed the most runs (507).
Grover led fans through a variety of between-inning competitions, including an attempt to kick a giant inflatable soccer ball a good distance and get it to rest within a hula hoop — a task that was made comical by gusting winds. Other events included a concourse putting challenge, kids running through the outfield, and a twerk-off, with contestants each wearing a basket full of golf balls on their backsides that they needed to empty through vigorous jiggling and shaking. (Watch the episode!)
I need to note that in the clip showing a man barely missing a difficult putt on the concourse into a small cup, the man actually made the impossible shot on his next attempt — a feat that would have made for a much better clip but sadly was not recorded due to a camera (i.e., cameraman) error.
I took a trip to the outfield to see the miniature golf course beyond left field. A few families were knocking balls around. The straightforward holes were made a bit more demanding by the hundreds of little pebbles kicked onto the greens from the surrounding grounds.
The Loons tacked on another run in the top of the seventh to make the score 12-8. In the bottom half, the Great Lakes lead looked wobbly as the Captains scored two runs without recording a single hit. The damage was due to a nightmare outing for Loons reliever Franklin De La Paz, who allowed four walks, two wild pitches, and made a throwing error. It was 12-10 Loons going into the eighth.
A crew of Captains hopeful kept watch from a boat docked on the concourse, with a rally drum at the ready.
But it was not to be. Despite getting runners aboard in the eighth and ninth innings, the Captains could not score against Great Lakes closer Brandon Neeck and fell to the Loons, 12-10.
The game had taken 3 hours and 28 minutes to complete — and this in the pitch-clock era! All that remained was for the patient kids still hanging around Classic Park to run the bases.
Mabel's BBQ
We had a rare dinner away from a ballpark and took full advantage, driving into downtown Cleveland to eat at Mabel’s BBQ, owned by Iron Chef Michael Symon. This saloon-style meat palace serves up beef brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, pork belly, turkey, and kielbasa, all smoked over Ohio fruitwoods.Dad and I both had the pork spare ribs, with poppyseed coleslaw and Cleveland kraut mixed with Packo’s pickles. We topped it off by sharing a plate of loaded fried potatoes with chopped brisket and cheddar sauce. Carnilicious!