A Night Of Luxury – Hometown View

I have attended many BlueClaws games over the years but enjoyed a first last night by taking in a game in the Kimball Medical Center Champions Club.

Located on the Skybox level close to the press box, this all-purpose party room first opened last year and is basically the size of three luxury suites with indoor and outdoor seating for about 50 people. It has a large flat-screen TV so you can watch other sporting events, a private bar and some neat BlueClaws memorabilia. Last night I hosted an event there and what impressed everyone was the food which I selected from an all-you-can eat buffet list. Without boring you with the details I can tell you the food and service was simply tremendous and if you are ever invited to a game in the Champions Club say yes.

General Manager Geoff Brown stopped by and joined us outside watching the game and shared an interesting story which none of us were aware of. BlueClaws outfielder/DH Kelly Dugan is the son of Dennis Dugan, who is best known as the director of several films starring his good friend Adam Sandler.

Dennis, who is also an actor and has appeared in many of his own films, has directed Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Grown Ups, Just Go With It and Jack and Jill with Sandler and before that did several other comedies.

Kelly, who is 21-years old, was the Phillies first pick and 75th overall in June of 2009 after an outstanding career at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. At that time his father was working on Grown Ups so when he signed with the Phillies the ceremonial picture features not only his parents but Sandler and co-stars Chris Rock, Kevin James and David Spade. By the way they are now filming Grown Ups 2 and word is Sandler may travel to Lakewood at some point this season to watch Kelly play.

One another note from last night and that is Kevin Clark worked the first four innings as the Public Address Announcer before taking the rest of the night off. Clark has been busy this month as he is the PA voice of the New Jersey Devils and on Tuesday the Barnegat resident even got a plug on the NBC broadcast of the Devils-Rangers game.

Clark, whose booming voice is well known by BlueClaws fans, is hoping the Devils can advance to the Stanley Cup Finals so he can keep making the trip to the Prudential Center. The BlueClaws are secretly rooting against the Devils so they can have Clark behind their mike on a nightly basis.