Tagged: bat
Reds vs. Padres 4/23/10 @ GABP
Tonight the Reds were playing the Padres and Nathan and I figured that it would probably be a pretty dead game and a great one to snag at. the game was set to start at the normal 7:10 so we left righ after school like always. We got off the bus and were ready to go and left at about 3:00 and then like we had figured would happen we ran in to the normal Friday Cincinnati traffic. We were sure that we werent going to make it for BP, and we were nervous the whole way there. We were almost there and arrived on 7 minutes after the gates had opened. We ran inside as fast as we could and Nathan took off to left field and then I went to left foul. I asked many of the Padres, but none of them would give out any baseballs. I was starting to get worried as BP went on because I didnt want to get shut out like I did at the Cubs game. I ran back and forth from right to left and back and forth many times. I finally settled in left field and not long after a BP home run ball came sailing my way. It went over the heads of all the people in the front rows and it sailed to the back. It bounced off a couple seats and I dove over two rows and was able to grap it before it went under the seat. I was so relieved.
BP went on for a pretty good time about 30 minutes after the gates opened, and I decided to go down to the Padres dugout to see if I could have any luck. I ran down there at the right time batting practice was about to end and they were putting all the BP balls into bags and I raised my glove and yelled to a Padres staff person and I was able to get Ball #2. We walked around for a while until the game started, and I was able to get my third ball of the game from catcher #4 Nick Hundley.
I was having a really good day so far. I decided to buy a mini helmet from a stand and I was able to get Brandon Phillips sign it on the right field side line.
I wondered off over to left field as I saw some Reds players warming up. I watched for a couple minutes and saw that Reds catcher Ryan Hannigan was done warming up. There were a bunch of little kids yelling at him so I wasnt to possitive I would get the ball, but I yelled Ryan and he looked at me and tossed the ball right to me. I had Ball #4 on the day. The game was about to start so I sat in foul territory for a while in hopes of catching a game ball, but after about 2 innings we decided to go to left field and sit in our seats. We watched the game for a while and noticed Daniel Ray Herrera walking around in the bullpen, I would assume that he wanted to go into the game as he did this all game long. A beach ball landed in the bullpen area after a while, and Daniel ended up with it, and he stomped on it with his cleats.
We decided to walk around for a while, and then grabbed a bite to eat. The best thing by far at GABP is the Larosas pizza. We watched the game from the upper deck for a while and then decided to go back down by the Reds bullpen because the end of the game was getting a little close and we wanted a ball from the bullpen. We were sitting there and Reds bullpen catcher Mike Stefanski came out of the throwing area and looked up at me and tossed me Ball #5 of the game without even asking! I wanted to get Daniel Ray’s auto at the end of the game so I bought a ball to get him to sign. The end of the game came and the Reds bullpen gave out two baseballs, but neither Nathan nor I got either of the baseballs that were thrown out. I was able to get Daniels attention to sign my baseball like he told me he would after the game earlier. We ran over to the Padres dugout after the game and there were two baseballs given out between four people including Nathan and I. The police officer who had the balls told us to guess a number between 1-100 and Nathan got the first ball, and I ended up with the second ball. All around it was a great night 6 baseballs, Brandon Phillips auto, and a Daniel Ray Herrera signed baseball.
Baseballs This Season: 6
Balls Per Game: 4
Total Balls: 16
Thanks for reading!
4/10/10 Cubs vs. Reds @ GABP
I had not planned on going to a MLB game until the games I have talked about against the Dodgers and Padres. I had changed my mind after I had taken a look at the Reds schedule and saw that my favorite team the Cubs were coming into town and I knew I had to go and see them. The week seemed like it was never going to get here and I was never going to get to go to the game. After wanting to go on Friday night because I knew there was going to be BP we settled for going on Saturday and taking the risk of there not being any BP as it was a 1:10 game. We werent going to make BP for the Friday game so we decided to wait and hope for BP on Saturday. We arrived about 30 minutes before the gates were going to open and we were the first ones in line waiting for our first game of the season. As wes stood in line you could see onto the field that there wasnt going to be any batting practice. I wasnt to worried yet about getting shutout, and this is the occasion were I wouldnt be as mad as any other by getting shutout because I was going to see my favorite team. As the gates opened at 11:40 I ran in and went straight to the Cubs dugout to try to get a warmup ball and some Cubs autographs. That failed as none of the players would give away balls and they couldnt sign autographs because they had to get ready and the time they would get to me they would be dones signing so I decided to go into left field were they were warming up and try to snag a warmup baseball but as you can probably guess I didnt get one. I ran over to the Cubs bullpen and that is were I stayed for most of the game trying to get a ball. A couple of shots were hit but no were near were I was so I wasnt to worried about those. It seemed at the Cubs bullpen I was an enemy to someone that I should be a friend. Cubs bullpen coach Lester Strode seemed to be everywere every time I tried to get a baseball. When I first showed up I had looked at him and before I even said a word he told me I cant give you a ball. I looked at him kind of wierd wondering how he knew what I was going to ask and he told me he knew what I was going to say by my facial expressions. I guess that comes after being in the Cubs organization for 22 years .
I figured I would try to avoid him in the bullpen for the rest of the game and ask some other people. A bullpen catcher came out and I asked him and he told me when he was done warming up I could have it but it went to a REDS FAN!!!! when I was the one wearing the Cubs gear. Then later on Carlos Zambrano was warming up in the bullpen and I saw the perfect opportunity to get a ball. I was the only Cubs fan around and I yelled for Carlos and he looked at me and gave it to -guess who?- Lester Strode! then I yelled to Lester in hopes of getting the Zambrano warmup ball and what did he do when I yelled his name turned around and tossed it to another Reds Fan! What is up with them giving balls to rival fans? Later on in the game John Grabow was warming up and I asked him and he gave it to Lester and then he just tossed it back into the bullpen ball bag. At the end of the game I thought this would be the best time of the game. The Cubs were winning, I was the only Cubs fan around, and it was the end of the game. Carlos Marmol was warming up and I asked him when he was done warming up if he could please toss me the ball and he gave me a nod and I was getting excited. He had finished warming up the bullpen phone rang and he was about to go out and he looked at me about to toss it to me and Lester tapped on his shoulder and took the ball before he had a chance to toss it to me. Guess what happened next? Lester Strode tossed it to a Reds fan next to me. At the end of the game I looked at him with my glove out and he just walked away with the entire bag of balls in his hands. What did I do to get denided time after time by my favorite team on the first game of the year? Here are some pics from the game.
Come On 2010 Season
Its April 2nd and the 2010 baseball season is almost here. There is only two more days before actual opening day, but about three weeks until the snagging beggins. I am going with my friend Nathan for his birthday to Great American Ballpark to see the Reds play the Dodgers for one game and Padres two other games. The Reds will be playing the Dodgers on April 22nd and it will be the third and last game of the season. The following games the next two days will be the Padres on the 23rd and 24th. The games are gonna be great and hopefully for our sake that there wont be much of a crowd as in most Red’s games. The red arrow points to were the Reds bullen is and we have had good success from there and the away bullpen as well.
As the games get closer and closer the excitment builds for myself, and im sure the feeling is mutual for ballhawks alike. Wish me luck in the upcoming games and good luck to all other ballhaks out there!
3-5-10 Jim Patterson Field (Louisville Cardinals College)
This week I had seen that the collegiate baseball season had started already. A local and very good college team the Louisville Cardinals (who are ranked #8 in the country) was playing a three game home stand against the Le Moyne Dolphins. I was going to attend the Friday game and am going to attend the Saturday game tomorrow. Well I had gotten home at about two thirty and the game started at three. We were a little late and arrived in the third inning. We sat in the stands for a while and then decided to split up and go snagging.
The Field was a great place for foul snagging. The infield seats dont extend much and there is alot of open area to free run for foul balls.I ran back and forth for a couple of innings and found a ball sitting by a garbage can by the away dugout. (perfect if I had the glove trick)
It endend being some kind ouf official league ball and I will not count it in my collegiate collection but will make a great ball for some pre and after game throws. I wondered around in a shallow rock pit that you have to jump a short distance to get in and found a ball that will also not be counted in my collegiate collection because it was just plain probably BP ball.
Then there was a rocket shot foul ball that ended up in a 10 foot deep pit in right field terriotry. I knew it was a game ball so of course i jumped in after it and was glad I did
Then we took a visit into the Cardinal’s dugout before we left the stadium.
Here are the four balls from the game which the two on the bottom do not count.
10/1/09 @ Great American Ballpark
It all started about a week ago when my friend Nathan and I figured out we were going to be making a trip to Cincinnati to see the Reds and Pirates. I ran home from school that day and found out that the Manny Delcarmen signed photo i ordered for Nathan and the 45$ from my grandma had come in the mail. Now back to the game. We left a little after three and were soon disappointed. There it was about five miles of Cincinnati traffic. As we sat in the car we had nothing to do but wonder what was going on at the park. We finnaly arrived at GABP and to our surprise the gates had not opened yet. We ran to get our tickets and then about three minutes later the gates opened. I darted in and was yelled at by several concession workers. I finnaly reached left field and got my first ball of the day about five minutes later. I ran around to the Pirates dugout in hopes to recieve another ball. There was a coach standing there and I asked him if there was any chance I could get a baseball. He asked me something about an older player for the Reds and I told him that I didnt know because I hated the Reds. He laughed and said “Thats the kinda answer I was looking for” and tossed me my second ball of the day. By that time things were not going very well and my hopes before the game was to reach double digits in baseballs for my first ball snagging season. As I walked back over to left I asked a security guard that was on the field if he could toss me a ball. He replied with and additude “NOT WITH THE TWO YOU ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR POCKET”. I shrugged my shoulders and continuned my journey back to left field. On the way there a training coach said hey kid and hey tossed me my third ball of the day. I asked Eric Hacker if he could toss me a ball and he said “How do you spell my name”? I didnt quite know so I shrugged at him. He ended up tossing it to another kid. I got a player with a pull over to toss me one so I had four on the day. Only half of what I needed to get to double digits. On the way back to the dugout I got Lastings Milledge to toss me a baseball so now I had five on the day. BP was over so were started wondering around the park. back to left (thats were our seats were at). I saw Justin Lehr warming up because he was the starter that night. When he was done I got him to toss me his warm up ball which gave me six on the day. After BP
Brandon Phillips was signing so I got him on my ticket. The game started and Lastings Milledge hit a solo shot to left! I ran over and was actually pretty close to the ball. You can see me in the right hand corner of the screen running on MLB Video “Milledge’s Solo Shot” Im wearing a gray shirt with black and white shorts and of coarse my glove. http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?topic_id=pit&c_id=pit THIS IS THE LINK. You may say that why be so happy about something you didnt get? Well the reason being is that being a begginer ballhawk I was happy to be that close to a game HR.
Anyway the game went on and I ran over to the Pirates bullpen and got Joel Hanraham to toss me his warm up ball on his way out. I now had seven one more to make double digits. I ran back to the Reds bullpen and was able to get my 10th ball of the season!!!!! It was great.
The one in the cube is my Justin Lehr. Thanks for reading
8 Balls this game (personal record)
10 Balls this season
5.0 balls per game avg.
2009 SNAGGED BASEBALLS!!!!!!!!!
Snagging Baseballs 