My dad was tired from the first game, so I hopped on the metro @ 3:00 by myself. I arrived at the stadium with 45 minutes before the gates opened, so I went into the cool, air-conditioned team store. There t.v. monitor showed the cages set up, and a few players out, so I was happy.

The team store is nice, but the Nationals DO suck, so of course there were a few questionable items. If your team is bad enough to fill up their own "TEAM STORE", with jerseys,hats,and shirts of other teams, yea, you've got a problem. I know every deserving player there is in the MLB, that is good enough to have their jerseys sold, but c'mon. JESUS FLORES! I had heard of him maybe once, before this trip, and they were selling HIS jersey. Not trying to be a biast Yankee fan, but if the Yankees got him, he'd be at most a starter on their Triple A team. That's Pathectic.

ANYWAY, back to snagging. The gates opened five minutes late, because the employees forgot at the last second, that they didn't open up the terminals with the key. When I ran in, I looked for easter eggs in left field. But there were none to be found. Why? Aaron, aka district boy had told me the day before that Jim Riggleman there interim coach, stresses defense more than anything. They were taking infield practice, which sucked.

So I ran around to right field and just sat and waited for it to be over. I couldn't do anything else.  

that lasted another fifteen minutes, and then they finally started bp. Within a minute a ball rolled to the right field wall, and I got Tyler Clippard to toss it up. Ball #1. A few minutes later, the bat boy at the screen behind second tossed a ball that looked really beat up into the outfield. Mike Mcdougal picked it up, and surveyed the seats. There were maybe just 10 people, and I was the only one who saw this, so I raised my glove and he threw me ball #2.

The ball Mcdougal tossed me was the worst conditioned ball I've ever gotten. That along with the Clippard ball, and the one Austin Kearns tossed me minutes later-#3, were all training balls. After that, I went on a cold spill, and wouldn't get another for the rest of Nationals BP.

I was down the left field line, and got Josh Geer to toss me his warmup ball when he was done for #4. That would be it for Padres bp, because I didn't bother going back into the outfield. The Padres didn't throw anything into the crowd, and there were MAYBE 3 ball hit there the entire time.

I was behind the dugout when the Padres came off the field, and got 4 awesome autographs. Im not really into them anymore, but couldn't pass these guys up. Kevin Kouzmanoff, David Eckstein, Tony Gwynn Jr., who was really nice, and All Star Adrian Gonzalez. It was pretty awesome.

I also met Riley, who told me he's read my blog before. That was cool to be recognized, and I saw him throughout the night.

I was behind the Nationals dugout, knowing that they warmup before the game. I also knew that the veteran ends up with it, like earlier in the season when I got back-to-back from Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn. Well, Christian Guzman came out first with Ronnie Belliard. Like I expected, Guzman was on the home plate side, where I was. Then Ryan Zimmerman came out with Nick Johnson. He was also on the homeplate side.

I was hoping it would work out the way it did at Citi Field back in late april, and sure enough, it did. Guzman walked in, I flapped my glove, and he tossed me his warmup ball-#5. Then a minute later Zimmerman ended. He was looking at the side of the dugout at first, but turned to head in. He looked up, saw me and flipped me ball #6.

My seats were a few rows up on the section next to the Nats dugout, above first base. After an unsucccessful first try, in the middle of the second i headed down for the third out ball. The padres pitcher grounded out to Belliard at second. He threw it to Nick Johnson for the third out. Johnson jogged in, scanned the seats, and threw it to me, ball #7. I headed up to my seat a few rows up happy, the turned around to see the tarp getting put on the field. WHAT?

Storms were heading the way, and they made us evacuate the seats. I first got a picture of the ball with the tarp in the background.

I got a burger from 5 Guys, sat with a friendly usher, and waited. I had to get back on the train at ten, since it was a forty five minute ride back to the hotel, and I was by myself, I left at 8:45. It's a good thing I didn't wait around, because the game resumed at 10:15ish, and I was already back in my Marriot.

STATS:

Game: 7 BASEBALLS
Season: 56 BASEBALLS
Career: 84 BASEBALLS

My final post of the trip will be up soon.

My first of two baseball trips was finally here! My dad and I made the six hour drive down to our Marriot in Vienna Virginia. It was real nice. We got there around elevenish, and I just relaxed until we left for our first game.

A metro station was next to our hotel, and it was a 45 minute drive on the metro to Nats Park, with one transfer at L'enfant Plaza. We got off at Navy Yard, which is two stops after L'enfant, and made our way out of the Station down the little road that leads to Nats Park.

 

It was great to finally be there. What was even better was that when the gates opened, there were maybe TEN people to get in. That is SO great to see, when I usually see hundreds, or Thousands in New York.

 I ran into left field, and the Nationals were just starting to hit. I saw Aaron, aka district boy walk down into the seats, and we talked for a while, and he told me how nearly every ball he gets is a crap training ball. But the seats were so empty there, so he never really has to fight off crowds. 

My first ball of the day came from former Yankee, Ron Villone. Of course, It was a training ball.My second was also a training ball, tossed to me by Willie Harris. I would hit a slow spill from there, but got my third on a homerun I chased down in the seats. I outbeat a few adults, and one of the was an older citizen. I immediatly tossed him that[training]ball. That was number three on the day.

I was a bit too late trying to get to the Nationals dugout before they got in, but as I was running back threw the seats to right field, a padres batter sliced one into the seats. It was strangely a training ball, I guess it had just got mixed in with the Padres bunch. That was my 4th ball of the day.

The Padres were stingy during there bp, and I didn't end up with anything else. But I was behind the dugout, and the Nationals security is so lax, that I ended up sitting there the rest of the game.

My seats were in the first row, right field. My dad sat in them, and during the game a homerun was hit to that section. No, my dad did not end up with it, and it was about five rows back. I wouldn't have caught it, and if I sat there I would have been pissed if it flew over my head. Im glad I was on the other side of the stadium.

Just to show you how close I was, here's a picture of all-star first basemen Adrian Gonzalez in the on-deck circle.

 

I expected to have more than four baseballs by the end of bp, in such a great snagging stadium, but there was still the game. In the top of the second inning, Josh Bard fouled a tip back into the screen. The Padres bat boy ran in to the dugout, saw my Padres hat, and flipped it to my. It was one of the only two baseballs he gave out all night.And it had a nice big pine mark.

The guy next to the ball, running in is the bat boy.

The game was pretty good, and there were quite a few homeruns hit for a matchup between the worst two teams in baseball.

I would end up with one more ball on the night. Every inning, Adrian Gonzalez would throw the warmup ball to coach Rich Renteria below me. Finally, in the top of the eigth, I got him to toss me ball number 6.

I didn't bother to stay for the fireworks after the game, so my dad and I got back on the Metro for the ride home. O, and I got Heath Bell to sign my hat.

STATS: 

Game: 6 BASEBALLS
Season: 49 BASEBALLS

Career: 77 BASEBALLS

                                                           FINAL HAUL- 5 pictured, gave one away.

 

On friday I'm going on my first of two big baseball trips this year. My dad and I are driving eight hours or so to D.C. W'ere going to see the Nats play the Padres Friday and Saturday at Nationals Park. Friday we have seats in the first row in Right Center field, and Saturday I have a ticket behind the Nats dugout. If there's bp, I expect to have big days, and maybe even break my record of ten. Last year, I went for a game, but I was still into autographs, and didn't know much about snagging baseballs. Yet, I still ended up with four, without trying that hard, so I know Nats Park is good already.

On Monday, I will go to the Baltimore Orioles game against the Royals. Bp better not get rained out because I have season tickets to get into the right field seats the first half hour.

At Camden, I think I will have a good day, IF the weather is nice, and there's bp. If there's no bp, the only way It'll be nice is if the rain scares away the crowd and I have left field all to myself practically for the game. That would be sick if theres homeruns hit. I will try to have atleast one post up by Wednesday when I get back.

I did not plan to attend this game, but I forgot to sell the tickets I had, so I ended up going. It was a saturday game, AND a lunch box giveaway, so I assumed it would be packed.

I would later find out I assumed wrong. Anyway, I ran in, didn't bother to grab a lunchbox, my dad grabbed mine, and darted to left field. I was the only person in left field for two whole minutes. And, the mets had started hitting. woohoo!

There was only one person shagging in left field when I got to the seats, and it was the newest member of the 500 club.

I called down to Sheff to ask him for one of the baseballs lying on the ground next to him. Just as he was walking over to one, he yells to me "HEADS UP". I look up to see a ball fly right over my head and smack the seat 2 rows behind me. I walked over and picked up the ball. I can't credit sheffield on the list of people who have thrown me baseballs, but I can give him credit for saving my life [sorta]. That was ball #1.

A few seconds later, Dan Warthen walks up to two baseballs. I could see the further one closer to the wall was a Shea comm, and I would have liked to add another one to my collection. But i called down a second too soon, and he threw me the first one, which was a regular.

A minute later, just a few people had made it to the seats, and a homerun was hit two sections to my left, about 20 rows up. I out ran two men, and leaned over a row of seats to grab it. #3 came within 3 minutes of arriving to the seats.

Someone that I had recognized from Yankee Stadium came up to me and asked if I was Joe. I said yes, and he introduced himself as Rich. He was real nice, and recognized me from Zack's blog. I would see him late in bp as well.

Surprisingly, It wasn't that crowded during Mets bp like usual. I earlier mentioned it wasn't packed, but that was meant for most of bp. Late in the reds bp it got packed though. That was ok for me, because I had already got my fourth ball of the day from Nick Masset down the 3b line, after his warmup,and I snuck down to the Reds dugout with 10 minutes left. I wasn't able to get any "bonus items", like the batting glove I got in Philly from them, but I did get Lance Nix's auto on my hat.

After the national anthem, I got Jerry Hairston Jr to toss me the warmup ball he used with Paul Janish above the Reds dugout. That was #5 and my last of the day.

I left after five innings, to make the long trip back.

STATS:

Game: 5 baseballs

Season: 43 Baseballs

Career: 71 Baseballs

 

This was a Watch With Zack game, and we were headed to Philly. I got dropped off at Zacks apartment, played some arkanoid, looked around while he got ready, and then walked over to his parents house, were he keeps his collection. It was flat out amazing.    We then walked to the garage, where we hopped in his parents car and began the drive. It was maybe 11:00 when we left.

 First, we were heading to the pitch in for baseball warehouse, where I neglected to take my camera in, so there are no pics. But the place was pretty big, with loads of equipment, and David Rhode, who gave us the tour was really nice. Him and his two co-workers let us stay there for about an hour, and then we again hit the road to go to the stadium.

 Zack and I grabbed a cheese steak at McFaddens, and sat down and ate with Gary, who met us there.After having the fantastic meal, we wondered to the Ashburn Alley entrance. While passing the gates, we saw Erik Jabs, the founder of the ballhawk league. He had come down for a game, and it was nice to meet him. The four of us, Erik, Zack, Gary, and I had a catch for about twenty minutes before the gates opened. It was great. But once again, I neglected to take pictures.

We ran in, met Zack's photographer from the Wall Street Journal, and got ready for bp, which had not yet got underway. It was PACKED. The Phillies were barely hitting any homers into the right field seats, but were peppering the left field seats, which weren't opened yet. I was shutout for the entire Phillies bp, but got my first ball early into the Reds bp.

 I ran down the left field line, and got Nick Masset to toss me his warmup ball. I then met up with Zack in left field, and we ran over to right. Right field was equally packed, and the Reds weren't generous either. I really wanted to get down to the Reds dugout before bp ended, and figuered what the heck, I probably wasn't getting anything else during bp. So I made it to the Reds dugout at 6:15, and waited there.

 I stood next to a kid I met that reads Zack's blog named John, aka johnster75. There was a ball in front of the dugout that John said had been there all of bp. When the Reds finally came in, I got Paul Janish to throw me it for number two on the day. I REALLY wanted a bonus item, meaning a batting glove, or bat, or hat even. I had never gotten anything other than a ball or an autograph at a Major League game, although I DID get a bat once at a minor league game. Anyway, the Reds straggled in, and I got Micah Owings and Jay Bruce's autograph on my hat.

Then a few more players came in, including Chris Dickerson. Chris went underneath the dugout, but then I saw batting gloves come out atop! I grabbed one, and John grabbed the other. Immediatly I heard my name from behind, and I turned around to see Gary standing there. He had just gotten Dusty Baker to throw him a ball, and saw how I got the batting glove. The bad thing is, when I turned around to see the action on the field, two batting gloves had just landed in front of me, and I didn't get one. Jerry Hairston Jr., threw his nice nike pair up, and John got one, and the person next to me grabbed the other. O well.

Zack then met Gary and I behind the dugout and was surprised to see what I had gotten. We three would stay there for the first inning, and it was the weirdist[i hope thats how you spell it] 1st frame I've ever seen. Jonny Cueto, the beastly starter gave up NINE earned runs in 2/3s of an inning.

This was Gary and Zack's reaction. Gary was pissed because we had all been rooting for the Reds, and I think Zack was frightened or in shock. His face looks like he just pooed himself.

The picture to the left is Jonny Cueto being taken out of the game. The philly crowd ROARED as he made the walk back to the dugout.

 

If you cant see the score board clearly, the Phillies put up 10 runs in the first inning! Now I'm not a Philly fan, so the game itself sucked, since they DESTROYED the Reds, and I got shutout at the Reds dugout at the end of the game, along with Gary. Zack also got shutout at the Phillies dugout, but there was a good excuse. This was how crowded it was during the game.

 

Zack and I ran around all night, and I got my third and final ball, courtesy of Billy Hatcher, and it was the reds warmup ball in the sixth inning.

 

 

 

I was also in a picture for the Wall Street Journal, along with Zack, Gary, and Erik.

Last but not least, my haul for the day, the autographs not shown.

Game: 3 Baseballs

Season: 38 Baseballs

Career: 66 Baseballs

For anyone who reads, Im behind two posts, Philly and tonights mets game. I hope to have them up soon, but you can have a sneak preview for the Philly game,by checking out Zack's site, and the 7/6 post. Sorry for the delay.

Thanks

Once again, no pictures. I will try next time to put them in, just can't right now.

The day started out with great weather as my dad and I drove the 2 1/2 hours to the stadium. I picked up a Mariners hat on the way, and had the roster of the M's ready. As we were waiting on line for a half hour, a storm cloud headed the way. But it was still sunny, so as the gates opened and I got my giveaway t-shirt and ran to right field. I was glad to see bp underway for the pitchers, but was ********** when there was already 20 people in the seats. I guess gate 8 opened early.

After two minutes, I saw a ball fly through the air, except going on to the field! I turned around to see a usher in the bleachers had just thrown it. So I then when saw it landed next to Phil Coke, Coke turned around, shrugged his arms at the usher and pointed at me as to say, " why didn't you give him the ball?" I got in a catcher's stanse and Coke threw me ball #1.

It got packed quickly, and the sky was REALLY dark. At about 4:30 bp for pitchers ended, and the Yankees warmed up. They started their bp around 4:40. The first batter was Jeter and he hit atleast five line drives that all ended up in right center field on the ground. Phil Hughes picked up one, gave it to a kid, and then gave one to me for #2.Then, at 4:55 it started to sprinkle and bp stopped.

After that, most people went for cover. I ran around to the left field line, knowing that bp was now cancelled, to see if any M's pitchers would come out to throw. But it poured, and I eventually had to go up to the concessions. I was pissed, the game was delayed to 8:00, the yankees won, I was in a perfect position for a homerun, and of course nothing went there. Just two baseballs, but basically no bp. And neither were commemorative.

Game:

2 Baseballs

Season:

35 Baseballs

Career:

63 Baseballs