One of my very favorite cities to visit along the West Coast is Seattle. If Seattle suddenly up and moved to Texas, it would probably look and feel a lot like San Antonio. The city is clean and well-laid-out, the freeway system easy to navigate, the people friendly, and the ballpark elegant yet unpretentious.

Driving down highway 281, listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan rip through Little Wing, I felt rejuvenated after a lengthy day of travel as I headed toward Wolff Stadium. I arrived just in time to hear a local Boy Scout troop sing, in many keys simultaneously, the Star-Spangled Banner.

I sat in the second row, just off to the left of home plate. Scattered clouds and a gentle breeze made for an idyllic baseball setting. The Missions played host to the Arkansas Travelers. Having mistakenly thought the Travelers were still affiliated with the Cardinals, I wondered at all the familiar names in the lineup: Alfredo Amezaga, Nathan Haynes, Gary Johnson. Then it hit me. All of them played at Lake Elsinore last year, when it was still a part of the Angels organization. Arkansas, I remembered, was the new Double-A affiliate of the Angels, just as Erie had been before it, and Midland before it.

The game itself wasn’t particularly memorable. The Missions won, 6-1. Shortstop Willie Bloomquist showed good actions, an accurate arm, and an admirable fearlesness in turning the double play; centerfielder Kenny Kelly flew around the basepaths but showed little aptitude or interest at the plate.