DBACKS VS METS 8/11/09

After monday, I couldn't wait to be back. That's why after my uncle dropped me off at the stadium, I went straight up to Friday's Restaurant. I was there for probably five minutes, before I realized I didn't have a ticket yet. No problem, it was just three, so I went down, bought a six dollar ticket, and made my way back up to Friday's.  Just like the day before, coach Chip Hale was out throwing and playing with two kids, probably a players. After he left, eventually the team came out and before I had to leave, I got Jon Rauch, like the day before to throw me #1 before the gates opened.

I ran into the left field bleachers, and was recognized by a regular @ Chase Field named Tony. He was real nice, and it was cool to be recognized on the other side of the country. Within a minute, a righty on the Dbacks hit a homerun that came my way. I moved down two steps, and made the easy catch. It felt great.

I ran around to the Dbacks dugout, and again was a little late. Mostly everyone had gone in, but I did get a trainer to throw me ball #3.

I changed into Mets clothes, just a hat I can't manage wearing a shirt, and ran down the right field line. On the way, Alex Cora was jogging out, and I got him to throw me a Shea commerative ball for #4. Then I got Bobby Parnell to throw me #5 when he finished warming up down the line.

I then ran all the way around to the left field line and would stay there the rest of bp. There was a liner that went over my head, hit my glove as I jumped and landed 20 or so rows up, but a few other people beat me there. I redeemed myself less than 30 seconds later, as I caught a bullet off the bat of Gary Sheffield.

That was it for bp, and I again waited by the bullpen for a coach to walk in. Jeff Motuzas got there first, and he threw me a regular ball in the bullpen for #7. There was nothing going on, and I saw Mel Stottelmyre Jr. talking and siging autographs of a few people 10 feet from me. So I went over, and got him to sign my hat. He also stood for a picture, and was extremelly nice. I told him I was from New York and a big Yankee fan, since his dad was a big part of the yanks. Here's the product.  

                                                                                                                                        I stayed behind the Dbacks dugout, and in the bottom of the 2nd inning, I got Chad Tracy to throw me the third out ball, a groundout by Brian Schneider. It was then time to walk around the stadium.

First I sat here to get the Tracy Ball.

Then ended up here to see my dad and Uncle, who were in the outfield. And then, went to tour the upper deck, so I started by going to where my "seat" was. Then went t5o the top, which waqs disurted and dusty and no one's probably ever HAD to sit there. Even during the 2001 World Series, no one sat there I bet. Here's the story of my upperdeck trip in pictures.

Upper left- One of the many empty staircases in Chase Field. I saw one other person in there going up and down.

Upper Right- The other side upper deck, empty just as this side was.

Lower Left- Rows and Rows of Lonely seats.

Lower Right.- ????? Yea, don't know. Go to the top of the Upper Deck and look the other way from the field. Thats whats there.

Bottom- Me taking a pictures of the field, through a reflection plexy glass thing.

I really wanted to get double digits, and tie my record I held a day ago, 10. So I snuck back down to the dugout and first, snagged a pepsi shirt in the launch, my second of the day, and then got a weird game used ball.

Daniel Murphy grounded out to Mark Reynolds for the second out. Reynolds threw it to Tracy, who stepped on first. So, he threw it around the horn. It went from Tracy, back to Reynolds, to Ryan Roberts at second, to Stephen Drew at short, and to Esmerling Vasquez pitching. Vasquez looked at it and threw it to Lorenzo Bundy. Lorenzo turned around and threw it to me. Yay!

Then later in that inning, Mark Reynolds was batting. I had to leave after this at bat, so when he fouled a tip back into the screen I immediatley got up. The batboy, same one who threw me four yesterday, jogged in and tossed me my tenth of the day. I gave away the Rauch ball from earlier in Fridays away, and left. Double digits in two straight games! YES!

STATS:

Game: 10 Baseballs

Season: 83 Baseballs

Life: 111 Baseballs 

And just for the hell of it.

Heres Mike Pelfrey warming up on the field while I was in Fridays. Pelf had just lost that mondays game, and the day before he was on my plane, sitting 20 seats in front of meon the way down to arizona. He had just had a newborn baby in Kansas, so he missed the SD series for the mets, and happened to be on my flight.