Saturday, July 23, 2011

7/22/11- Cardinals @ Pirates (PNC Park)

Good thing about this post? Theres pictures!
Only because I am tired of posting pictureless blogs of games, so I am using a friends computer.
Well, this day was hot, very hot. Other than the temperature, it was going to be a great day for ballhawking... Until it started to rain! AGAIN!
So, no BP, for the second game in a row for me.
While trying to get an autograph from James McDonald, I also asked Herbie for a ball, he threw it to me in the bleachers from the bullpen, it was the only ball for me at this game.
After the sun came back out, the tarp was taken off the field.
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...And then it was put back on the field.
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There was another rain delay.
The game was scheduled to begin at 7:35.
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The game was too crowded to move around, so there were no chances for a game ball.
I left the stadium around 9:15.
Below: What I collected at this game.
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SEASON STATS
1 ball at this game.
16 balls at 15 games this season.
1.07 balls per game.
87 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

Thursday, July 21, 2011

7/18/11- Reds @ Pirates (PNC Park)

Okay this is my first game after the All-star break, and like I've been wanting for a while I wanted to have a big day.
Would I have it today?
No.
First, I was down on the riverwalk hoping for a Pirates lefty to hit one out, but Pedro Alvarez is the only one who can ever hit them out, but he still isn't back in Pittsburgh yet from his injury. Once again, nothing came out.
Meanwhile, a huge strom was coming through Pittsburgh, it didn't even rain at the stadium, there was a little mist.
Then, once the gates opened, the tarp was on the field and BP was cancelled.
GREAT!
At 5:30, I went to the first base side, where there was Reds pitchers warming up. For a second, I thought Mike Leake was going to hand me the ball he was throwing with, but he handed it to a kid that was standing next to me, I didn't even see the kid.
The tarp remained on the field, but it didn't start to rain at the stadium until after 6! BOTH TEAMS COULD HAVE HAD A FULL BP!!!
Since the death of the fan in Texas, who was reaching for a ball that was thrown by Josh Hamilton, the Pirates no longer throw the warm-up balls into the crowd.
The game eventually got under way after 8. The game was delayed in the top of the 1st, so I left hoping that the game would be postponed and played another day, so I could aviod the shutout, but the game was played and I had my 4th shutout of the season.

SEASON STATS
0 balls at this game.
15 balls at 14 games this season. (WOW! I need to step it up BIG TIME!)
1.07 balls per game.
86 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

Thursday, July 14, 2011

2011 MLB All-Star Week Review

Here is my late recap of All-Star week.
HR DERBY
It seems like every year the player I pick to win the HR derby always gets eliminated in the first round. To aviod that again, I picked two players this year, Rickie Weeks and Jose Bautista, but still they lose in the first round.
So next year I might pick four players, but my luck they will be the four that get eliminated in the first round.
Well, Robinson Cano won the 2011 HR derby with a total of 32 HRs.

All-Star Game
The NL won the All-star game for the second year in a row, after that long losing streak.
The final score was 5-1, Prince Fielder was named MVP, which was the first All-star game HR hit by a Milwaukee Brewer.

The winning pitcher was Tyler Clippard from the Nationals, the losing pitcher was CJ Wilson from the Rangers, and the Giants' Brian Wilson got the save.

Also, I was happy to see three Pirates players on the All-star roster.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

7/5/11- Astros @ Pirates (PNC Park)

*Sorry for not updating sooner, I am in Maryland, and I have been camping*
After getting shutout for the 3rd time in 2011 the day before, I wanted to bounce back and get on the board quickly, but that wouldn't happen.
First off, Astros BP isn't very good, other than Pence and Lee. I could have snagged 2 balls hit by Hunter Pence on the fly, but I lost them both in the sun, and couldn't come up with the snag.

The only ball I got at this game was thrown to me by Bud Norris.
That was it for BP. After BP, when the Pirates bullpen was coming out, I had an old kinda dirty Pirates baseball in my bag, I got Herbie and Jose Veras to sign it, for the rest of the season I am taking that ball to every game until the whole ball is covered in signatures.

During the game, I came extremly close to a homerun hit by Brandon Wood in section 141, it was originally dropped and as I was reaching down to grab it between two seats, it was knocked down a row where it was picked up by another fan.

SEASON STATS
1 ball at this game.
15 balls at 13 games this season.
1.15 balls per game.
86 LIFETIME BASEBALLS

7/4/11- Astros @ Pirates (PNC Park)

*Sorry for not updating sooner, I am in Maryland, and I have been out camping.*
I went to this game with 2 other people, Sarah and Josh, we got to the gate around 10. I was hoping for a good day, like always, but I would end up getting shutout because the bleachers during BP were too crowded and everybody stood there like statues. During all of BP, I only had 2 or 3 chances for a ball.

Josh was shutout during BP as well, but he would end up getting a ball in the top of the first from bullpen catcher known as Herbie.

SEASON STATS
0 balls at this game.
14 balls at 12 games this season.
1.17 balls per game.
85 LIFETIME BASEBALLS