TRENTON- Michael Provine has been on the field for the last three Thunder games, as they hosted the Richmond Flying Squirrels. But he was not on the diamond as a player or coach for either squad. Provine, who graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro North in 2007, is an umpire at the Double A level. He took his position behind first...
TRENTON- Michael Provine has been on the field for the last three Thunder games, as they hosted the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
But he was not on the diamond as a player or coach for either squad.
Provine, who graduated from West Windsor-Plainsboro North in 2007, is an umpire at the Double A level. He took his position behind first base when the two teams met Thursday night, for the final game of a three-game set.
The Thunder knocked off Richmond 12-8, to sweep the three-game set, and move to 22-16 on the season. It was the Flying Squirrels 13th consecutive loss.
While both Trenton and the Flying Squirrels get a chance to come home after a road trip, this is one of just a handful of times Provine will get a chance to come back to the area where his love for the game of baseball first started.
"I am really excited," Provine said. "This is the closest thing I will ever get to a home game, pretty much. To be on the road all the time, and traveling to some places that are pretty far from home, to be able to come to the ballpark that I grew up basically watching baseball games when I was a little kid is great."
"(I got to) see some guys that I have known come through umpiring through the years, on different crews" Provine said. "I watched them work, and kind of wanted to get to that spot. To finally get the chance is awesome. That first game behind the plate was pretty special for me. It was a special moment."
Provine was behind the plate Tuesday night, as the Thunder beat Richmond 3-2 in dramatic fashion. After Thursday, Provine and his crew head out on the road once again, to Altoona, to work another set of games.
"It is tough," Provine said. "There is a certain charm to it though. You get to travel a lot, and see some places. I have been to some cities and towns that I otherwise would never have gone, if not for baseball and umpiring."
"Living out of a suitcase can get a little boring sometimes," Provine said. "You get sick of wearing the same kind of clothes all the time. But to come home is nice."
The jump to Double A is just as different for umpires as it is the players on the field. The speed of the game is one distinction, but fortunately for Provine and the umpires at this level, there is an extra member of the crew to help.
"It is the next step," Provine said. "Double A is a big jump. On the umpiring side of things, the game is a little bit different in terms of the speed. Teams have a lot of their top prospects here, so this is where you are going to see some really talented ballplayers."
"I have to match that with my umpiring ability, and bring it every night," Provine said. Because I know that the product on the field is going to be good. We are working three man crew now as opposed to two, so that is a little bit of an adjustment."
"But it is nice, to have that extra guy out there," Provine said. "You get better coverages on plays. Off the field, to have an extra guy to hang out with, and enjoy a meal with is nice."
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The Flying Squirrels came into Thursday night's contest in the midst of a 12-game losing streak. They are 17.5 games back in the Eastern League Western Division standings, and at 10-28, could win 18 games in a row and still be a .500.
"I think when you are going through a stretch like that, it seems like you are always behind," Mitchell said. "And if you are always playing catch-up, and you are having trouble scoring runs, that is difficult.
"On our side of it, if we can score early, and try to get ahead, it always puts more pressure on their team," Mitchell said. "Going through a stretch like they are, it is just bad luck. Then people start to press, as hitters, and it just snowballs. That is what is happening, I think, right now. They are a better team, obviously, than they have showed."
"We just caught them at a good time, really, for us," Mitchell said. "I am sure that down the line we will see a different team."
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean