Twinbill trifecta awaits ‘Jacks

After sitting around for a solid week while waiting for the rain to end and their inaugural Northeast League season to continue, members of the Bangor Lumberjacks would have given almost anything to play a game. A doubleheader? They could only dream about that.

But after playing eight games in the last eight days, back-to-back-to-back doubleheaders over a holiday weekend to start a nine-game home series aren’t exactly a dream come true.

Weather permitting, the Lumberjacks will have played four doubleheaders in six days, 10 games over seven days, and 14 games in the last 11.

Hope they got plenty of sleep on their “off” day Thursday.

After winning their first game of the season on the road in Pennsylvania, the Lumberjacks could only wait and watch as rain washed out the next three games against the Ambassadors and two of three in Lynn and Brockton, Mass.

At the time, manager Kash Beauchamp said the best way his team could shake the rust off their anemic bats was to play a bunch of games, but this isn’t what he had this in mind.

But this is independent league ball, where the season schedule is compacted and off days are few and far between. More importantly, this is the Northeast League, where the season is divided into two halves, with the end of the first half only five days away. They have to get the games in, so play ball.

With each team playing one home and one away series against each other per half, it doesn’t leave many alternate dates for makeups or doubleheaders. Since Allentown wasn’t scheduled to play Bangor again until this weekend, that left Saturday, Sunday and Monday as the only remaining dates to make those games up.

Friday and Saturday’s twinbills will begin at 5 p.m., with Sunday’s starting at 2 p.m. Friday is cap night. Hats will be given to the first few hundred fans through the gate. On Saturday, the club will celebrate like it was Independence Day. Bangor players will wear special Fourth of July caps and jerseys that will be auctioned off before the end of the games, and a fireworks show will follow the conclusion of the second game. Sunday is WEZQ (92.9 FM) family fun day, when fans can purchase a “Jack pack” that includes four tickets, four hot dogs, four programs, a pre-game ball toss on the field, a postgame running of the bases, and a party pinata.

All-stars going to the Dogs

The Portland Sea Dogs are one of four teams that have placed five players on the 2003 Eastern League All-Star team.

Outfielder Jeremy Owens, infielder Kevin Youkilis, catcher Kelly Shoppach and pitchers Jorge de la Rosa and Josh Stevens will play for the Northern Division stars as they take on the Southern Division at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 16, in New Britain, Conn.

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600, or ANeff@bangordailynews.net