Tuesday, June 28, 2011

6/25/11- Mustangs @ Power (AFL- Consol Energy Center)

My friend has season tickets for the Pittsburgh Power arena football team, and I wanted to go to one all season long, and he said that he had four tickets for this game. I was very excited to be there.

Arena football was always fun to watch on TV.

All four of us got to the arena, just before the game started. What I didn't know is that my friend has season tickets in the Captain Morgan club! WOW! Also you don't have to get up for anything, we had very good service, as for the game, the Power won, on the very last play of the game.

The attendance was 8,227.
Final Score: Pittsburgh Power 39, Milwaukee Mustangs 38.

I only took one picture at the game, if my computer was working 100% correctly, I would have taken more, and this post would have been so much better.

6/24/11- Red Sox @ Pirates (PNC Park)

Sorry for the late update, I've been busy the last couple days. Also I'm sorry that this will be another pictureless post.

But here we go...
I was excited to see the Boston Red Sox play for the first time in person, also since I was shutout in my last game, I was hoping for a big day, even though I knew it would be a packed stadium.
I was happy to get on the board early, with a toss-up from Pedro Ciriaco, two minutes after we got in.
When the Red Sox came out, it started to rain, I started to think that BP would be stopped, but Boston kept hitting, and I was happy.
When David Ortiz was hitting, he hit a ball directly toward me, I put my arm up as high as I could, but the ball when over my glove.
I was told it barely went over my glove, and I couldn't turn around to get the ball in time.
I also had a chance to get a ball that was hit by JD Drew, but it was picked up by someone else, just before I could grab it off a seat.

As for the game, I had a chance for a toss-up from Andrew McCutchen, I lost it in the lights, and some lady ended up with it, she handed the ball to me, but since someone else in the stand had possession of the ball before me, I couldn't count it, so I quickly gave it to a young girl, who was extremely happy to have a baseball.

Also I was happy that the Pirates won the game, and then took 2 of 3 from the Boston Red Sox.

SEASON STATS
1 ball at this game.
14 balls at 11 games this season.
1.27 balls per game.
85 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

6/20/11- Orioles @ Pirates (PNC Park)

Not much to say about this game at all, I got shutout, for the second time this season.
I was hoping for a big day, cause the Orioles BP is one of the top in the MLB in my opinion.
There was alot of people and nowhere to go.
I only had about 3 chances to snag a ball during BP, and one chance during the game, which was the warm-up ball thrown by Andrew McCutchen.

My next game is Friday against Boston, I'm excited for this game, hopefully I can bounce back with a good day.

SEASON STATS
0 balls at this game.
13 balls at 10 games this season.
1.3 balls per game.
84 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

6/13/11- Mets @ Pirates (PNC Park)

*My computer is still messed up, so there won't be any pictures in this post either, sorry. I have someone coming to fix my computer within the next couple days*
I didn't get a ball during the Pirates part of BP, because they got off the field a few minutes after the stadium opened.
A few minutes after the Mets came out, my first ball of the day was thrown by Jason Pridie.
Then once I went over to center field, in Section 140, my second ball of the day was thrown to me by Pedro Beato.
During the game, I was sitting up in the PBC sections, a perfect spot to snag a foul ball, but none at all were hit my way.

Final Score: New York Mets 1, Pittsburgh Pirates 3.

SEASON STATS
2 balls at this game.
13 balls at 9 games this season.
1.44 balls per game.
4 consecutive games with atleast one ball.
84 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

Friday, June 10, 2011

6/10/11- Mets @ Pirates (PNC Park)

*My computer is messed up right now, and I can't upload pictures, sorry folks*
I hate that the Pirates start BP earlier than they did last season, because we only get to see the last group of hitters once we are in the stadium, and the last doesn't hit many homers at all.
The Pirates got off the field at 5:11, and as they were leaving the field, I got Pirates bullpen catcher Herberto Andrade to throw me my first ball of the day.
My second ball of the day was thrown to me by Mets pitcher, Jason Isringhausen, the ball was thrown high, I stuck my arm up as high as I could, and the ball hit the side of my glove, I quickly turned around and picked it up.
I stayed for most of the game, and didn't get another ball.
Since it was a Friday, it was a t-shirt giveaway, in my opinion its one of the better t-shirts the team has given away.

New York Mets 8, Pittsburgh Pirates 1.

SEASON STATS
2 balls at this game.
11 balls at 8 games this season.
1.37 balls per game.
3 consecutive games with atleast one ball.
82 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

6/7/11- Diamondbacks @ Pirates (PNC Park)

This was my first game in two weeks, so I was hoping for a really good day. The day started off here.
Below: View from Riverwalk.
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When the gates opened at 5, we all started to run in, but a supervisor told us, that we weren't allowed to run in.
Oh, what a shock the Pirates got off the field early! Again...
Below: Pirates getting off the field.
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Pirates BP on this day was pathetic.
Then the Diamondbacks came out, and I was hoping for a good BP from them.
Below: Diamondbacks BP
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Just before 5:30 I went over to Right Field to look for easter eggs, I couldn't find any. While I was up in right, ballhawk Zac Weiss, told me the first name of the Diamondbacks bullpen catcher, Jeff Motuzas, I yelled for Jeff, and then he threw a ball my way, I caught it, then I had possession of it, but then I somehow dropped it, and then another guy picked it up and then he offered my money for the ball, I said no, but he Insisted that I get money for it, then the guy handed me $6. That was the only ball I would get during BP.
Below: Crowd in bleachers during BP
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Look at that crowd during the latter stages of BP, it would have been great if the Diamondbacks hit alot of homers.
After BP, my cousin Josh took a picture of me with Pirates catcher, Chris Synder.
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After that, me and Josh met up with my uncle John, my other cousin Paige, my uncle's friend Matt and his two kids. They went over to their seats in Section 123, and I stayed out near the bleachers the whole time and got something to eat.
In the 5th inning, I caught Andrew McCutchen's warm-up ball for my second ball of the day.
Then in the 7th inning, Josh caught Andrew McCutchen's warm-up ball for his fourth of the day.
Then after that, we went over to Section 123 to meet up with my uncle and everyone else.
This was the view...
Below: Seat view in Section 123.
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The Pirates scored 5 runs in the 8th, Joel Hanrahan came in for the save, and the Pirates won!
Below: Pirates win!
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Final score: Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Pittsburgh Pirates 8.

Below: What I collected at this game.
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Below: Upclose on the one ball that I kept.
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SEASON STATS
2 balls at this game. (Gave "sold" one)
9 balls at 7 games this season.
1.29 BPG (balls per game)
2 consecutive games with atleast one ball.
80 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

Saturday, June 4, 2011

I Think Atlanta Moving To Winnipeg Is A Bad Idea

On May 31st, the NHL announced that the Thrashers were purchased by True North, and are going to move to Winnipeg, but I think its a bad move by the NHL. Hockey isn't like other sports like football and baseball. Hockey needs teams in southern cities, so the sport can grow and expand.

For example in Winnipeg, basically all of the younger children play hockey, but its not the same story in Atlanta, maybe a small amount of children play. Hockey teams need to be in the south so children can watch a hometown team and become interested in hockey.

People are saying that the Thrasher have no fan support, which I agree, you know why? Because since their first season (99-00) they only made the playoffs once, and in America, and in any other sport that is not going to draw fans. Yeah sure, in Edmonton or Toronto they haven't been playing well at all for a few years now and are still selling out every game, you know why? Because its Canada and hockey is Canada's sport. It doesn't work the same way in the United States.

Another thing, what is the point of this move? Winnipeg's arena is going to be the smallest in the league, with around 15,000 seats. Since its Canada and the first year for a NHL team in Winnipeg they will sellout every game without any issues, even though they will probably finish in 4th or 5th place in the division.

The team will average 15,000 all season long, and Atlanta averaged 13,469 in the 10-11 season, so to me it seems like the team is getting moved so there will be an extra 1,531 people at home games. In the 2010-2011 season the Thrashers were 28th in the NHL for attendance, and Winnipeg's 15,000 per game would have 24th in the NHL, behind teams like Nashville and Florida were Canadians like to say should have an NHL team. Speaking of Nashville, the NBC market in Nashville had one of the highest ratings in the United States for game one of the Stanley Cup finals, they had better television ratings than cities that are considered to be "hockey towns", seems like Nashville is becoming a hockey town.

Also another reason NHL teams are need in the south is that people from the Northern United States and Canada move to places like Florida, California, and Arizona because of the warmer weather, I'll use the Penguins for this example, if a Penguins fan moves from Pittsburgh to Tampa, they'll be able to go to two games a year in Tampa, two more games down in South Florida, and even two more games up the road in Atlanta (another reason the move is bad). Like think about this, if you and your family are planning a vacation and you would like to go to a hockey game to watch your favorite team play, where would you rather go on vacation, Florida or Winnipeg? Give me three things to do in Winnipeg, and then give me three things to do in Florida.

In my eyes, this is a bad move by the NHL, but also this is my personal opinion, you guys will all have your own.