Baseball Road Trips

Arizona Fall League Championship Game

2011-11-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

The Salt River Rafters and the Surprise Saguaros met for their championship game at Scottsdale Stadium today. It was a beautiful afternoon for a ballgame, with temperatures in the 70s.

We chose great seats right behind the Saguaros dugout--none of that assigned seating in Fall League! Batting practice was over by the time we entered the stadium but they had a little merchandise area set up so I could go shopping. I bought Arizona fall league card sets from 1999 and 2000, last year's model of their logo shirt for five dollars, and two mini bats for three dollars each. What a deal!

Several of the players had devised a totem, fashioned out of a broken bat, batting gloves, and other sundry items. We saw Tyler Bortnik putting on the finishing touches and he posed with his creation.

They even gave a couple of awards before the game. An MVP award went to Kevin Mattison, and the sportsmanship award to Rockies player Nolan Arenado. The Miami players were wearing the new style uniforms to go with their new stadium--nice! Jason Castro, the Astro from Castro Valley (try saying that three times fast) was playing catcher and had a single and a double.

The Surprise team had the better record, but the Rafters took the lead in the second inning and never lost it. The final score was 8 to 3 Rafters. Therewas much joy, jumping around, and eventually, water cooler dumping!

Mesa Solar Sox vs Salt River Rafters 11/11/11

2011-11-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

This game was also free! I got a pair of free tickets at the "Dugout Store" in Surprise during the Rising Stars game. And since Tracy is a veteran, it was cool to watch the pregame ceremonies. All veterans were asked to stand--to much applause--and there were fireworks after the game too. Since the game was held at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick there were introductions of many Indian veterans (yes, that is the way they were announced). The stadium is on their land...

The game was tight most of the way, but the Rafters prevailed 7-6 in the end. We had not been bringing food or drink to the game, but after the awful, rubbery $6 hamburgers at Scottsdale, we brought some drinks and Crunch and Munch. They did not search bags for any reason at any of the parks we have been to. However, they have been announcing that people are not allowed on the berms in all the parks (except Talking Stick where the kids had a great time rolling down the hill all night). Enforcing it is another matter....

We sat behind the Solar Sox dugout. We were so close we could hear a couple of the players ummm... commenting on the "Flag Lady" and imitating her. And we could see that Brian Dozier had been with the New Britain Rock Cats--we recognized the logo on his batting helmet. Oh and there was an extremely well-behaved Canine Companions for Independence dog two rows behind us the entire game--watching that ball very carefully while resting her head between the seats. The announcers for MLB Network were in a booth behind us and we could look back and watch their screen for an instant replay!

Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game Nov 5th

2011-11-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

You might say that the best part of this game is that we got in for free! A couple from New York that we were chatting with in the parking lot gave us their spare pair of tickets. We sat right behind the East Rising Stars' dugout and the autographs were easy to obtain. There were nearly 3,200 people in attendance. Sadly, the game was lopsided from the start--Danny Hultzen struck out the side in the top of the first, and then the West hit two home runs and scored five times in the bottom of the inning. Four more runs in the third added insult to injury, and in the end, the East was beaten by the West 11-2.

Several of our friends in the Bay Area spotted us on TV at the bottom of the sixth inning looking glum! At least a Giants player got to play in the later innings. Joe Panik got a couple of at bats but didn't get on base.

AZ Fall League Scorpions vs Rafters

2011-10-30T11:22:00.001-07:00

Saturday night we attended the Scottsdale Scorpions versus the Salt River Rafters game at Scottsdale Stadium. Batting practice had ended before they let us into the park an hour before gametime. However most of the players were willing to give autographs before the game.

We were surprised to see that there were no Giants players in the lineup. We did catch a glimpse of Brandon Crawford in the dugout . And Joe Panik coached first base during most of the game.

Adam Eaton was the name player in the lineup for the Rafters. I purchased an Arizona fall league mini baseball bat and had fun accumulating Rafter players' signatures on it, including Ryan Wheeler, and -- I think -- Jason Castro of Castro Valley, who is an Astro , who did not play last year. Most of the signatures were illegible; thank goodness some of the players wrote the their numbers next to their names.

The photos in this post are from Tracy. After I look at my photos, I may add some more photos in another posting and tell you about the strange phenomena in the sky during the seventh inning!

Scottsdale Stadium Rainout

2011-10-29T15:43:00.001-07:00

Tuesday was beautiful. We arrived at Scottsdale Stadium just as batting practice was ending. Tracy bought a program, I bought a hamburger, we got to our seats, and the sky opened up!

It was pretty amazing how much water came down in a short period of time. The grounds crew evaluated the field but it was clear that there hadn't been enough warning to cover the field adequately. There were some pretty big puddles. We waited a little bit, but they called the game. I came very close to getting Brandon Crawford's autograph; maybe the third time will be the charm!

Tracy was taking some artistic atmospheric photos of the stadium when who should walk into his viewfinder but Brian Sabean.

Arizona Fall League Baseball - Scorpions Gary Brown

2011-10-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

On October 8th we went to see the Scottsdale Scorpions play at Phoenix Muni. Many of the players on the field that day were ones that we had seen when we went to the Stockton Ports game this summer (it was a bobblehead giveaway day). The Giants draft pick Gary Brown was playing and Joe Panik was coaching first base.

After the game, I got a few autographs from Scorpions players, but Gary Brown said that he would come back since he had promised some kids at the other end of the dugout first. We were good with that, but he never returned. As I dejectedly climbed the stadium stairs to go back to the parking lot, Tracy called out to me. He had been chatting with Gary's mom, who had commented on his Giants shirt, and she offered him one of her son's autographed California All Star card (with a nice signature--not a scribble!!) That sure took the sting away! Thank you very much Mrs. Brown!

San Francisco Giants Extended Spring Training--Zito sighting!

2011-06-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

This morning we planned to go to a "matinee" of Midnight in Paris at the only theatre in the metro area showing it--in Scottsdale. We arrived in town early, and I asked my husband if he wanted to stop at Indian School Park to see if the Giants were out and about. Last year we saw an extended spring training game (I think it was in Peoria) at 10:30 in the morning. When we arrived at Indian School, we saw action on two fields: the Giants were on one, and the A's were on the other. It was only about 10:15, so we took some photos and wandered about. One of the Giants personnel threw two baseballs over the fence to Tracy. He wasn't inclined to share (or at least not share right away...), so one of the A's players threw me two baseballs. Woo hoo and thank you very, very much, whoever you were!! I was remarking something about the fact that the A's players didn't have names on their jerseys and the numbers on them were in the relatively high numbers. I reminisced aloud that I laughed the first time I saw Barry Zito on the field at spring training many years ago--"#75?? He probably won't make the team". Just as those words came out of my mouth, who should appear on the mound in his high socks but Barry Zito. We watched him pitch an inning. He allowed one hit, threw at least one pitch "just a bit outside" and tried some pickoff moves. No one scored though, so all was well, and we left for our movie, wondering at the serendipity of it all.

Tucson Padres--former Portland Beavers

2011-06-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day, we headed south to Tucson to see the Arizona's newest (and only) minor league team. The Portland Beavers

have suddenly become the Padres until 2013 when a new stadium in Escondido is ready for them. (Their stadium in Portland was made into a soccer only facility).

It was Family Night sponsored by radio station KIIM, who offered four tickets along with a hot dog and soda for each ticketholder for a total of $20--or as the announcer emphasized, a $66 value. Although there were only two of us, we purchased the four ticket pack and received behind the plate tickets. Directly behind the plate, in fact. We were in scout territory with at least five speed guns and a camera within a row or two. These seats normally sell for $10.50 so we were already ahead by $1, even before the hot dogs(4) and sodas (4).

We got photos of Friar the Mascot, and some of the wacky between inning fan entertainment. The hamster ball bowling was my personal favorite!

The Padres lost to the Salt Lake Bees 7-2, despite Jeremy Moore's strike out hat trick. Cole Armstrong was their hero, hitting two home runs.

We had heard about the Padre's Anthony Rizzo since he was named offensive player of the month. Sadly, he didn't do anything particularly impressive--he was 1 for 4 with a double. I recognized Will Venable as recently being with the parent club, but he struck out twice--his one for four was a single.

A foul ball landed one row in front of us and almost hit some teenager who was texting when it bounced. She was very lucky it didn't hit her in the face. The guy in charge of the musical selections erred when he started playing "Day-O" when the other team was at bat (and yes they scored). Although this is their inaugural season, there were quite a few people at Kino Stadium (formerly Tucson Electric Park)--nearly 3,500 people. That's a lot of hot dogs!

Dunstan, Schierholtz, Aurilia, Zito + a Brian Wilson sighting!

2011-03-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

Tough decision today. The Brewers were playing the Rockies at Maryvale (a stadium that we really like) and the Giants were nearby in Goodyear playing the Reds. Which to choose? Neither--we decided to go back to Scottsdale Stadium, the best free entertainment in town.

The gates were already open at 10am. We found out that the players get there at 7am--yikes!There was a cameraman from CSN filming the action.

I spoke to Shawon Dunstan several times as he schmoozed with fans along the railing. When he signed our bats, he asked if we knew why baseball players signed bats in particular spots. He claimed that they are a superstitious lot and want to sign the ball where the ball should hit. And pitchers want to sign near the handle. He didn't really explain the theory behind that--they want the opposing player to hit the ball on the handle? Or to break the bat? I mentioned as part of a conversation with another fan that Shawon had tossed me a ball during the World Series in 2002. He claimed that it was good luck and the reason that he hit the home run in game six. I concurred, and as he disappeared into the dugout, I told him, "Tell that to everybody else".

I have often held that theory--give me an autograph and you have a great day at the plate. I do have a team photo signed by the 1980 Phillies team during that year's spring training, a spring training program signed by nearly everyone on the 1984 Kansas City Royals, and of course, the Giants and Athletics from each time they were in the World Series 1989 to present. (Hey at least it helps get you there guys; you have the win the Series yourself.)

We weren't at the stadium long before the general practice was over and the bus was getting ready to go.

Meanwhile Matt Cain and Ryan Verdugo were working with Dave Righetti and a select group of hitters, Aaron Rowand, Nate Schierholtz, and some that I didn't recognize. Bruce Bochy was watching closely (though he gave a few autographs to those who tossed him a ball. Tossing my bat didn't seem like such a good idea though). Schierholtz did come over afterward, no doubt to placate the rowdy Danville fans who let him know they were there.

When that was over, we stood out by the bus until it left. We intended to leave too, but there were still a lot of cars in the parking lot, so we figured that there might still be quite a few players remaining inside. Since we saw many of the players leaving the other day, we recognized a few cars and knew that at least Brian Wilson, Matt Cain and Aaron Rowand were still there. Those guys all left without giving any autographs. Once again though, Rich Aurilia (he even gave us photo ops--thanks for posing with my shy friend!) and Barry Zito were gracious. This time Barry did stay in his car while signing and posing for photos. (We still love you Barry and were really glad that you pitched so well in yesterday's game!!)

We saw a number of other random players leave, and there was a sighting of Brian Wilson. He had left at one point (zoom zoom again today) but returned not long afterward. I was pretty crispy from the sunny 80+ degree weather by then though, so my photo from when he was a Norwich NaviGATOR will remain unsigned until another day.

Photoshow recap + Manny's info

2011-03-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

Today was a restful day--no baseball at all. But I did have time to make a Photoshow recap of the past few days. It is about 10 minutes long with 180 photos. The link is here:

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/at9cx9PX

And here is the info for Manny's www.mannysmexicanfood.com. Today's paper has the weekly specials--Mondays are 99 cent margaritas, Tuesdays are Dollar Tuesdays, Wednesdays are $6.99 combos, and various specials on Happy Hour Thursdays. They have coupons in the "Midweek" section of the Arizona Republic on Wednesdays for free stuff too. We originally went here because we had a restaurant.com gift certificate; we keep coming back cause we like the food and love the margaritas.

Spring Training Home of the Champs--Scottsdale Stadium

2011-03-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

Today we arrived at Scottsdale Stadium at 9:40 and there was already a line to get in. Both the Dugout store and the stadium gates were scheduled to open at 10am. We enjoyed watching the team get ready for the game at Peoria against Seattle. I nearly got hit by a foul ball--I knew I had no shot at catching it, but I called it and with little competition, came up with the practice ball (it is stamped PRACTICE on the sweet spot).

Both Tracy and I took a lot of photos, and I kept running between the stadium, the bus departure area, and the fence near the back field to see who was where. Initially, I met nothing but failure. Pat Burrell signed a few in the stadium; Madison Bumgarner signed through the fence of the back field for two people. Lincecum and Cain wouldn't sign. There was a report that a few players signed as they got on the bus. So I decided to go back into the stadium to just enjoy the practice for the few players that remained and forget about autographs. Andres Torres and Pablo Sandoval were having a home run hitting contest. Pablo hit a long shot, put his arms up in victory--but the ball hit the top of the wall! However he was the winner of the next round when he hit one over the fence.

My husband saw Bill Neukom being interviewed in the walkway and approached him to shake his hand and say "Thank you!" during a pause in the interviewer's questions. Neukom replied, "No--thank YOU for being here!" and asked how long we had be coming down to spring training. He signed my mini-bat, and that started a parade of fans in his direction, now that the ice had been broken!

I started printing out a few photos and fortuitously, practice was over and first Brandon Belt (the hot rookie prospect), Pablo Sandoval, and Andres Torres started signing in the area behind home plate. I was not among the chosen (for the second year in a row) with Pablo, but I told Andres that I had a photo of him and he signed that.

Just about then, J.T. Snow appeared at the other end of the dugout and accommodated everyone--nice! We exited the stadium and joined the throng outside near the player parking lot. Some players ignored us (or worse, used the far exit so they could just zoom out). There were sightings of Pablo (in his shower shoes?), Jonathan Sanchez (on his cell phone) and Brian Wilson (who zoomed out of the lot loudly and at a rather high rate of speed).

But among those who did accommoodate us were Sergio Romo (he upgraded his car since last year, but his music is just as loud!), Felix Romero, Barry Zito (who tried to catch a cab--but somebody else's cab apparently--and thank goodness. It was the only way I was able to catch up with him!), Rich Aurilia (for some reason no one else along the fence recognized him but me--you're welcome guys!), and Jeremy Affeldt.

Once again, I was the only one who called out to him. The conversation went something like this:

Me:"Jeremy!"

Jeremy:"What?"

Me:"Please?"

Jeremy:"Please what?"

Me:"Please will you sign my bat?"

Jeremy:"All right, I'll be back."

Me:"I trust you."

People around me were saying "Yeah, right...", but I knew he would return! He cleaned the cans out of his car and came back over. Me:"You're probably pretty sick of all of us by now" and then he said something about trying to get whatever I could for his signature on eBay. I said "Never!"

So all in all, a very enjoyable day indeed. And thank you all, Giants!

Salt River - Rockies vs. the Dodgers

2011-03-07T19:18:00.000-08:00

Today was warm but windy--gusts to 30mph! We had behind-the-plate tickets (section 213 row 3) for the Dodgers at the new facility that the Diamondbacks and the Rockies share at Salt River. We got there waaay too early. The gates were open at 10:30 but neither team took batting practice on the field. The Rockies were in their batting cages, so we went to both Team Stores to shop for a good Spring Training shirt for Tracy. After much debate, here is the winner.

Then I waited in section 101 until nearly 12:30 and not a single Rockies player in sight--not that I would know any of them anyway! Finally someone pointed to some Dodger players arriving and I switched sides. There were a few players signing including Trent Oeltgen, Jamie Hoffman, John Lindsey, and J.D. Closser. Andre Ethier was signing at a different spot, but was burned out by the time he got to the dugout area where I was. Neither Eugenio Velez or Juan Uribe would come over despite our pleas--but Juan did wave. I was able to get the new third base coach Tim Wallach and the new manager Don Mattingly to sign my program. Mattingly will make his managerial debut against --the Giants!

As for the game, it was OK. It was more fun talking baseball to the folks around us (we had switched seats to get into the shade for a while). One was a Padres fan who knew "Sarge" (Gary Matthews); one was a Dodgers fan--but he was pretty OK. In fact, all the Dodger fans I met were nice; some even helped me obtain a couple of the autographs.

The park is beautiful and is touting itself as "fan friendly". The people at all the concessions and in all the other jobs within the park were indeed awesomely friendly. However, from a "schmooze with the players" perspective, it didn't have much to recommend it. There was very little opportunity for interaction, and all the practice fields keep fans well away from their idols. Hello Maryvale! Even Phoenix Muni was more fun on Saturday. No reason to come here more than once. Well, maybe if the Giants are here I could be persuaded...

Post-game we got together with friends who are A's fans (and are seeing a game every day they are here this week). The margaritas at Manny's were 99 cents and a good time was had by all.

Krukow-and all those other baseball players

2011-03-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

We got into town very late last night--way later than expected (long story), and got a later start to the ballpark than we usually do. Today it was the Giants at the A's Phoenix Municipal Stadium. As we pulled into our space in their parking lot, following the directions of the parking lot attendants, I said to my husband, "There's Kruk!" parked right next to us. He of course responded with something along the lines of "Yeah, right..."

Krukow walked unmolested through the lot, across the pedestrian bridge and into the park. After we got settled in our seats, I approached him in the press box and he signed my Giants mini bat.

The visitors parking lot/bus arrival area was packing with autograph seekers hours befor game time. I decided to go the path of least resistance and hang out with the A's fans. Just some of the autographs: Ryan Sweeney, Landon Powell, Kurt Suzuki, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Max Stassi (a friend of Giants' Brandon Belt), Gio Gonzalez, and Daric Barton.

The Giants arrived around noon. It has been a long time since I saw that many people seeking autographs and taking photos at a spring training game. I didn't have a chance!! And then, some nice official looking photographer handed my mini bat down to Aaron Rowand. After that, I joined some youngsters who were next to the tunnel leading to the Giants locker room. My bat fit perfectly through the mesh. The only trick was getting them to stop and sign. Most of the guys in today's lineup did not stop to sign, or just signed a for a few and moved on quickly. But Emmanuel Burriss, Darren Ford, Thomas Neal and a few other minor league prospects came over. I desperately wanted Brandon Belt's autograph and he signed for nearly everyone else--he just wouldn't backtrack to where I was, even when a very cute little boy offered to get him to sign a second time by telling him that it was his birthday! The game was fun even though the Giants lost 6-0. It was 78 degrees and there was a sellout crowd of 8,330--the A's had even sold Standing Room tickets! Oh, and the National Anthemn was done by a guitarist a la Jimi Hendrix!

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick taking shape for Diamondbacks-Rockies

2011-01-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

We took a road trip to the complex under construction on the reservation east of Scottsdale. Both the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks will be moving there from Tucson this spring. We were able to see the Salt River Fields from Route 202, so we took the next exit to see how close we could get. We were turned away (gently) at the construction/delivery entrance, but got a big hint that there was a good view from the back parking lot of the nearby Home Depot. In the same shopping center was a ticket outlet--tickets had just gone on sale this morning! We chose shaded behind-the-plate seats to a game against the Dodgers. We look forward to seeing Juan Uribe with his new team. I have always been a fan of his (as described in my previous post from his first year with the Giants), but we are mighty disappointed that he chose to go to the arch-rivals. I figure that we will cheer him in his first at bat, and then revise our cheer to a "Boo-ribe!" :(

Not a Road Trip--but a Trip Down Memory Lane...

2010-11-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

Our September road trip to Arizona was just the beginning of the Giants road to the World Series! Now that they are Champs (and there is no more baseball for another three months), we have had time to remember when...

July 2005 Brian Wilson was playing with the Norwich Navigators (Gators) at an away game in New Britain Connecticut against the Rock Cats.

Tim Lincecum played his first game for the San Jose Giants wearing number 49 in 2008.

And Buster Posey in a Fall League game at Surprise Stadium in October 2009.

Three Days of Arrid-zona--Giants vs Dbacks--Tracy's Pix!

2010-09-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Drewwwwww-Ribe!

2010-09-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Giants came to Phoenix for three games against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, and we attended all of them. Monday was Labor Day and it was a day game, so we got to the park plenty early. Still, we only managed to see a little bit of batting practice and just Shawon Dunstan was signing autographs. (The DBacks Brandon Webb was signing and smiling pretty for fans though, and he autographed my free program.) We bought tickets at the park, where they add $1.00 to the price of a ticket on the day of the game. We were in section 315--nice and high behind home plate where the tickets cost $16 each. Madison Bumgarner pitched. His DiamondVision photo looked as if he had just flunked a math test. All the Giants were showcased in front of Photoshopped scenes of San Francisco, including one of AT&T Park that had a picture of Barry Bonds as the current hitter!

It was a pitchers' duel and we got bonus baseball. Nate Schierholtz won it in 11th inning with a triple!

Tuesday, it was Timmy's turn to pitch. We went to the local library and searched StubHub for some lower deck seats and snagged tickets in section 112, row 3 (yes, actual row 3!) for $17 each! Most of the section consisted of Giants fans, with signs even! So maybe you saw us on TV. Lincecum pitched four perfect innings before a clean single came down the right field line. The Giants scored three in the first inning and Brian Wilson got his 41st save.

Wednesday, Tracy found seats behind home plate--section 122, row 24--on StubHub for $19 each. There was a Roberto Clemente tribute and Miss Arizona sang the national anthem. Every time that leadoff hitter Stephen Drew was announced and the hometown fans did their "Drewwwwww" thing, we added "--Ribe!" We just couldn't help ourselves. There was a genuine "Uuu-Ribe" chant going on in the ninth inning, but the magic wasn't inside Chase Field. Barry Zito only gave up two runs, but the Giants could only score one on Freddy Sanchez' home run in the first inning. And so they lost 3-1.

The park itself is very family and fan friendly. The Golden Glovers (like ball dudes and dudettes) were always chatting with people along the sidelines. There were condiment races, and a Legends race with "Randy Johnson", "Matt Williams", "Luis Gonzalez", and "Mark Grace". Mark Grace has never won--how embarrassing for him! The food was good, with lots of choices at affordable price points. Giants fans, have you ever purchased a soda at AT&T for $1.50 or a Subway sandwich for $4.00? Even the waffle cone sundae from Cold Stone Creamery was only $6.00. While in section 122, we could have gotten margaritas at our seat from the strolling margarita vendor--sure beats coffee and hot chocolate!

The roof was open for the night games, and even though it was 95 degrees at game time, inside the park it was a cool 75! The only thing we didn't like about the seats in 315 was that it was quite dark up there--hard to see what we were writing in our scorebook.

Autographs obtained: Darren Ford and Mike Fontenot. Most players were not signing. Jonathan Sanchez was, but I was too far away. We saw Jon Miller, Dave Fleming, Krukow, and Amy G in the area near the dugout. Pat Burrell and Aaron Rowand came over to talk to two guys standing next to us behind the dugout. They were trying to find out who was going to some tournament in Vegas…hmmm...

In a Movie! Moneyball with Brad Pitt

2010-08-01T18:07:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were extras in the Moneyball movie Friday night. We signed up at http://www.beinamovie.com/ about four weeks ago to be one of the hundreds used in the stadium scenes being filmed at the Oakland Coliseum. We had to report at 10:30pm (yes, you read that right--PM) and were scheduled to go until 5am.

We had to sign release papers and release of liability forms when we got there, and received a ticket for a chance to one one of their raffle prizes--if we stayed until the very end!! Two concession stands were open (you needed a specially colored ticket for the one with the better food). We got a hot dog if we had our entry ticket; otherwise we got snack type foods such as granola bars, chex mix and the like. We found prime seats in the third row near the end of the Oakland dugout. My intern Annabelle and her friends were there and we took turns using my binoculars. Annabelle spotted Brad first. He was in gray sweatpants and matching hoodie. Very soon he came over to the extras who had massed behind home plan and was giving autographs! I told my husband that I thought he would leave before I could get over to him through the mob, but I grabbed my Sharpie and my big yellow Clapper and headed his way. Some woman threw a shoe at him (gently!) and he signed it; a few people later, I tossed the Clapper, and he scribbled something that looked like "BP" in a crucifix form (see photo). I don't have any photos because we were checked at security and told not to bring cameras. Some people brought cameras anyway, and the security guards were threatening to confiscate them if they didn't put them away. Lots of cell phone photos must exist however!

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill were there as well. Jonah took several opportunities at breaks in the filming to talk to us and thank us. The actor playing Barry Zito was spot-on, and I caught a glimpse of Royce Clayton in his role as Miguel Tejada.

The extras were herded around (invoking a lot of mooing and baa-ing) from the third base side, to behind home plate, to a particular aisle "in a direct line with the man with the blue shirt", and finally to the right field foul pole area at about 3am. My husband and I and about a dozen others were "chosen" to go into Mount Davis section 247. "It would really help us out". Someone seemed to suggest that it was home run ball territory. When we begged to differ, a woman from the production company said that they had a machine that would send balls into the area. Though a machine was rolled onto the field at 4:30 am or so, no balls were ever launched. Moreover, we had been separated from the main group of extras, who spent time yukking it up with stand-up comedian Dante. When they announced "That's a wrap!", we could hear that Dante was calling out raffle numbers without waiting for the rest of us to descend from Mount Davis---auugh! Though we called "Wait for us!", he apparently had given away all the prizes by the time the group arrived. Our production woman said that she would get us something, but even all the tickets to the Monday game against the Royals had been given away--"Sorry"--not even a chance to win Giambi bobbleheads or the Sony flat screen TV. Some people who had been there as extras since 3PM were truly incensed, not just totally disgruntled like we were. I complained to some dude with a clipboard who had been directing us as we entered, but he just kept repeating "I'm not in charge" as his mantra and saying "Sorry". Just the sort of thing people who spent seven hours helping you make your movie want to hear a 5AM. We are guessing that it is way more fun for the people who get paid to do this.

The scenes we were in were of the twentieth game of the Oakland A's winning streak in 2002, specifically the at-bats leading up to Scott Hatteberg's game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning when the A's were tied 11-11 with Kansas City. We watched "Jermaine Dye" pop out to right field--groan! Then we cheered while "Hatteberg" worked the count until the infamous home run. It apparently landed in the stands near the 367 foot mark. I am guessing that this is why we were in the middle of nowhere in section 247 during the final hour and a half. They made us sit in groups of two or three and we were told that we would be digitally reproduced to make it seem like we were either more people, or in more places. I wasn't quite sure of the concept. So when you see the Moneyball movie, look for me in my Snoopy Athletics t-shirt waving a big yellow sign. Or maybe you will see my husband with the huge yellow Clapper!

Extended Spring Training

2010-06-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Surprise to experience "extended spring training". It may be 97 degrees outside, but technically it is still spring! The Kansas City Royals team was hosting the Seattle Mariners on their practice fields at 10:30am. There were teams playing on two fields, the George Brett Field and the Frank Field. It is my understanding that the teams consisted mostly of players at all levels who may be in need of rehab. The game was free and we had a great time watching two games at once! We were, I believe, the only "fans" at the field. Nearly everyone else in the stands was wielding a speed gun. The pitching dummies were surreal.

Tracy had a conversation with Victor Soto, a second baseman from the rookie league Burlington Royals of the Applachian League, who was grabbing some shade near a light standard. He was here because he had broken a bone in his left hand; he had taken some ground balls and was supposed to be able to start some hitting in a week. He is from the Dominican Republic.

Tomorrow is "Camp Day" according to the information on the Mariners website. I'm not sure what that means but it will be hot enough that they won't have to have a campfire to roast marshmallows and make S'mores.

No game--just Scottsdale stadium

2010-03-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

The Giants were playing in Tucson today. We have made that trip in years past--no thank you! We knew that any player who could wiggle out of going was going to be at Scottsdale stadium instead. We got there around 9:30 after a leisurely breakfast at the Original Pancake House. The security guy said that the bus left for Tucson at 8 am, but the Dugout store had just opened and the stadium was scheduled to open at 1oam. They actually opened at 9:45, which gave me lots of time to take photos of batting practice and print them out.

The first thing that they did was a sort of weird version of the Ministry of Silly Walks while music played over the loudspeaker. Then some players went into the batting cages, while others batted in the stadium and others shagged fly balls in the outfield.

As they finished (or sometimes, as they switched fields) the players would sign some autographs. OMG, I got a lot of autographs on my photos, including Mark de Rosa, Madison Bumgarner, Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Edgar Renteria, and Tim Lincecum in the stadium. I also got Freddy Sanchez to sign my team bat. He was not in uniform--I am not really sure what he was doing, but we were sure glad to see him!

After practice, we waited outside near the parking lot. Sergio Romo, Joe Martinez and Jeremy Affeldt were some of the players who took the time to sign. We saw a few players getting in their cars--Kevin Pucetas in a black sports car, Matt Cain in a white Ford truck, Timmy in a beautiful silver Mercedes. But Sergio had the loudest stereo!

Brewers vs. Athletics at Maryvale

2010-03-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, we went to Maryvale to see the Brewers vs Athletics. This ballpark is about 10 miles from our house. We arrived at 11:30, as the Brewers were still taking batting practice. Parking was $6-yikes! But we got good seats in the 3rd row near the A’s dugout (well between home plate and dugout in the area of the on-deck circle, if they had one).

While we waited, we got to witness the team from XM Sirius radio (standing on the field, behind home plate) talking about the upcoming contest for about a half hour. One guy was so animated and impassioned during the discussion, we thought he was on the floor of Congress. It was kind of scary really. Just before Oakland arrived, they interviewed catcher Greg Zaun, who had lots of good things to say about the Brewers pitching staff. I think that he is new to the team. Randy Wolf was starting that day. He was really good--if rather short! The press guide says he is 5" 10" but I don't know.

Oakland arrived on a bus around 12:15--we could see the bus driver trying to park it in the area just above right field. Anyway, as for autographs, LOTS of A's players signed, and even posed for pictures. Some of the players got confused about which camera to look at, but they were very accommodating with great smiles!

Oh, and the Italian won the sausage race--my favorite!

The A's won the game 7-4.

Indians and the Padres at Goodyear Ballpark

2010-03-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

The ballpark is only seven miles from the house that we own here. We arrived at the park around 11:15; the side gate near the parking lot was open and we bought the best available tickets—behind the plate in 5th row, which turned out to be scout territory. At least 10 speed guns were aimed at the pitcher with each throw.

As we went through security, we received a ticket for an autograph, which was to take place outside the team store at noon. They do this on Wednesday and Thursdays for first 200 people who are here allegedly before the gates open. But since yesterday was so cold and windy, I guess that there weren’t anywhere near that many people at the gate prior to opening. Andrew Marte and Chris Gimenez were appearing. I got one autograph from each on a nice postcard purchased at the team store. Tracy found a great all-team spring training 2010 shirt there too. Bob Feller was in his usual spot in the concourse behind section 107 or so. It was announced that he would not be at the next two home games.

I got lots of Cleveland autographs before the Padres even arrived. I have no idea who most of them are—sorry Tribe fans—I will have to look at the photos that Tracy took. Sandy Alomar was the only name I was really familiar with. We just don’t see the American League that often.

Cleveland beat the Padres handily—not only did they bat around in one inning, everyone on the team managed to score in the inning! I didn’t really recognize many players names on the Padres either—it was a split squad—but Chris Denorfia looked familiar, as he played for Oakland last year.

We stayed the whole game. Oh, the waffle cone ice cream ($6) was amazing, and Tracy liked the chili cheese dog.

Arizona Fall League Baseball

2009-11-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the championship game for the Arizona Fall League. Sadly, we can't be there, but we certainly enjoyed the game we saw at Surprise Stadium earlier this year. The Surprise Rafters players were some of the best prospects from the Cardinals, Mets, Rangers, Royals, and the Yankees. They were hosting the Scottsdale Scorpions--Diamondbacks, Giants, Phillies, Pirates, and Rockies prospects.

We chose this game to attend because Joe Martinez (of hit-in-the-head-with-a-line-drive fame) of the Giants was the starting pitcher, and Buster Posey the starting catcher. It only cost a total of $6.00 for both of us to get in because some nice lady gave me a free ticket. Heck, the beer cost that!

We sat behind the plate--there are no assigned seats--about four rows up. The only people in front of us were in the front row. The only section off-limits was directly behind the plate, where the scouts were sitting with their speed guns. It was a fairly quiet crowd, execpt for one woman who had designated herself a cheerleader to everyone on the Scorpions. The only stir during the game was when it was announced that the Phillies had beaten the Dodgers. Naturally, we whooped it up a little, and a guy nearly two sections over heard us and introduced himself as a Giants fan from Berkeley.

I got lots of autographs on the very nice $2.00 full color Fan Guide. I didn't really know who the players were other than the Giants guys, but all the other autograph seekers were guys loaded with multiple copies of each players baseball cards. The players (other than Buster) happily signed everything put in front of them.

It was a grand night and perfect weather for the game. I wouldn't mind having season tickets to this league!

Arizona Rookie League - Goodyear

2009-07-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

We headed over to Goodyear to check out the progress of the new Cincinnati Reds facility, co-located within the Cleveland Indians new park. It was going along pretty well, despite the fact that the Reds logo sign was taped onto the building over the entrance. We didn't look really closely, due to the "No Admittance" signs, but there was a Rookie League game that night between the players from the Indians and the Kansas City Royals.

There weren't many spectators. The metal grandstand held the official MLB scorekeeper, a few players, and a scout for the Oakland A's. We could hear the scorekeeper calling in the starting lineup and the game details after every inning. The scout was unfamiliar with just about everything, including how to get to the following night's game at Scottsdale. He didn't even know if the game was to be played at their stadium or at Indian School Park. We offered him advice on the best routing to Indian School.

Just before gametime, one of the Indians players brought us folding chairs and as you can see in the photo, we had great seats--and they were free! We adopted Trent Baker as our player to root for--sharing the same surname, after all!

Shortly after the game began a lovely young lady with long blonde hair was offered a chair near us. She asked various questions about the game, and at some point, we asked if she was either related to a player, or knew a player. She said that she was Trent Baker's girlfriend--how cosmic! He is from Australia, and according to her, used to be a pitcher (now a centerfielder), but they want his bat in the lineup. She is from South Africa originally, living in Orlando now.

The only odd things were that there was no scoreboard--this was the only field in the complex with lights--and the lights for the warmup pitchers was being produced by a noisy gas generator behind us. We think the final score was 4-3 in favor of the Indians. We know that Baker hit the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly. However, his girlfriend was perturbed that he made the out, and had made an error in the previous half inning.

One of the pitchers was someone that we apparently should have known (had we been Indians fans) who was making his first appearance after surgery. His fans seemed pleased, and we may have been ignorant, but we had fun anyway.

Goodyear? Great day!

2009-03-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

Friday was our last day in the Phoenix area. We wanted to get a good look at the Cleveland Indians new home at the Goodyear ballpark (The Cincinnati Reds will be moving from Sarasota next spring to join them.) Luckily it was half price day and we got in for $6! A nice lady at the side entrance gave me a special ticket for autographs—two rookies, Wes Hodges and Trevor Crowe, would be giving autographs outside the team store at noon.

It was nearly 12:30 until the visiting team, the Oakland A’s, appeared through the center field area. Kurt Suzuki was the first one to approach the fan throng near their dugout. He made sure all were accommodated, even asking “Anybody else?”

More players were soon to follow, including Mark Ellis, Jack Cust, Bobby Crosby (whose #7 had been left behind, and he was wearing #82 until game time), Sean Dolittle, Chris Denorfia. And they posed for pictures. Look at Bobby Crosby, how cute is that?

We moved from our outfield foul-ball territory seats down the left field line to something a little shadier. Hall of Famer Bob Feller had a table set up directly behind us where he was giving autographs and chatting with fans with a “Welcome to the Wigwam!” He would autograph his book for free; if you wanted a signature on anything else, it was $10, which went to the Bob Feller Museum. He had an array of photos available. One showed a Navy vessel, and he and my husband got into a lively, extended conversation about the Navy and all things related. He also posed for photos. He spent hours doing this. We left at 2pm to get on the road for home, and there was still quite a sizable line. The announcer said that he does this at all the Indians’ games here at the park. It was a great day and a great trip this year. See you in Arizona next spring!

Scottsdale Stadium & Indian School Park

2009-03-19T06:25:00.000-07:00

Today, just a couple of thoughts for Giants fans hoping to see their guys. Since the Giants had the day off last Thursday, we went to Indian School Park to see if anyone was working out. We spotted Nate Schierholtz and Clay Timpner taking some batting practice, but saw no one else that we recognized. We hadn’t been to the park in several years and the changes were quite remarkable. I’m sure the Giants are proud of them, but they just serve to further distance their fans and erode their fan base. We had to park on the street and follow the signs for “Field Access”. There is a new building between the field and the batting cages, and a new façade on the clubhouse. The batting cages are not approachable, and there is a double green tarp that is impossible to see through on the parking lot side. We had to be satisfied with the sound of the bat on the ball.

The fans are restricted to the upper level just outside the new building and clubhouse. All stairs near the backstop are labeled for Giants personnel only. We may have been able to go down one unmarked stairway that led to the farthest field and park, but it didn't seem worth the effort. See my photo--that's as close as you will get!

Friday morning, we went to Scottsdale Stadium, since the team was playing in Tucson. We got there at 8:45, but were informed that the bus already had left. We saw Randy Johnson as a passenger in a Ford SUV, on the way for “treatment” somewhere east of the stadium. The newspapers later reported that he had thrown a game against the minor leaguers we had seen at Indian School the day before! Could it be that the Stadium personnel were misinformed? Or do they not want fans at Indian School Park at all?

About 9:10, we saw the Stadium gates being opened, but were informed by a Giants representative that only a few guys were going to be practicing and the public was not allowed inside the park.

My recommendation is to see your Giants on the road in one of the fan-friendly parks. We had almost no access to them here in Scottsdale. Save money and stay, eat, and play elsewhere!

A's Player at PF Chang's identified!

2009-03-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

In my post on Monday, March 9th, I mentioned that we had had dinner at PF Chang's and we were seated next to an A's player who was with a gentleman who was having him sign some papers. At the time, we couldn't figure out who he was. We just overheard snippets of their conversation--"small market team", "1999", per diem, "Are you staying at the team hotel?", but couldn't quite figure out who it was. As I was watching the A's-Giants game on CSN Bay Area this afternoon, this same player was being interviewed in the dugout. It was Matt Holliday!!! And here I thought that being in the same restaurant as Kyle Farnsworth was exciting. We are home now, and still unpacking, but already missing the 80 degree temperatures! My next post will be about the game on Friday between the Cleveland Indians and the A's at the new park in Goodyear.

Will is still a thrill--and the Nuschler face lives!

2009-03-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Surprise to see the Giants play the Texas Rangers today. The parking is free--the only park in the Cactus League that doesn't charge! The Kansas City Royals minor leaguers were practicing on their back fields with some interesting equipment.

We needed tickets and were approached in the parking lot by an older gentlemen who wanted to sell us tickets. He said that they were front row behind the dugout and that he was a season ticket holder. We were skeptical (the tickets said "Row D"), but he seemed sincere, so we sprang for the tickets at face value. They were right behind the giants dugout, right where the players go down the steps--the prime place for autographs! Will Clark emerged from the player tunnel and signed my mini-bat. I have pursued that autograph for 20 years!! He also threw me a ball that had been fouled off by Fred Lewis at the end of the fifth inning.

There were only about 4,500 people in the stadium, so nearly all of the Giants willingly signed. Aaron Rowand, Buster Posey, Bruce Bochy, Fred Lewis, John Bowker, Eugenio Velez, and more. We saw Omar Vizquel chatting with some of the Giants prior to the game. Seeing him in blue was a little disconcerting, but he seemed to be the same smiling Omar...

SpringTraining 2009--the first three days!

2009-03-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday getting settled in--just checked out the new ballpark in Goodyear. We expect to see a game between the Indians and A's there on Friday.

On Sunday, we stopped at Scottsdale Stadium to buy a Giants spring training shirt for Tracy. Along the way, we noticed a number of Giants players practicing on the field behind the stadium under the watchful eye of Carney Lansford--Steve Holm, Kevin Frandsen, Guzman, and Juan Uribe who in turn noticed us and called out, "Hey, baby! How's it going?" Then we moseyed over to the players' parking lot, where a Jaguar pulled up. Gino Espinelli and another player autographed my mini-bat.

Then we hit the road, since we had tickets to the game between the two new resident teams at the Camelback Ranch ballpark in Glendale, the Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. The park has a 50's western style with lots of stone and with metal painted brown to look like wood. There is a large pond just outside the ticket area, and legend has it that a Giants fan has already fallen into it. Sunday featured a steel band on the plaza outside the park, and it was Kids' Autograph Day. They had dozens of players from each team along the railing on both side of the park allowing kids to step up for autographs. I managed to get autographs from Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp on my Louisville Slugger Museum mini-bat before the "event" started. Then, since only a few of the players had a line of kids, I just tagged along and when all the kids had gone through, I asked the usher, "Do I look young today?" Most of them winked and said, "Go ahead, kid!"--only one lady gave me a little grief--"I could get in trouble...", but the Dodger player said, "It's OK--it's all good!"

Tracy had gone off to find our seats which were in section 117, row 1, right behind the plate close to the Dodgers' dugout. Until I joined him, he chatted with a gentleman one seat over who introduced him to his son. Tracy said he was certain that the man we were sitting with was the actor who played the father (Red) on That 70's Show, Kurtwood Smith. I had worn my "Beat L.A." shirt given to me by Matt Johanson (who wrote San Francisco Giants:Where have They Gone?). Wearing it got me a lot of attention by the partisan crowd, but in a joking way--I think! After a number of innings of dozens of people asking "Red" to pose for a photo with them, I finally asked if he would object to posing with me. He did make a point of covering a portion of the shirt with his hat!

Monday was a low-key day in which we did a lot of shopping for collectibles and found a few Snoopy items for our collection. We stopped at P.F. Chang's in Scottsdale for an early dinner and managed to sit in a booth next to an A's player who was with someone who was having him sign some contracts. (Maybe someday we will know who he is!) Also right outside on the patio sat Kyle Farnsworth with his family. Why he was eating here and not at the one in Peoria--much closer for Royals players--we never figured out.

Going South

2008-09-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend took us south to two stadiums--Petco Park and Angels' Stadium. We left here at 9am plenty early for a 7:15 game we thought. We didn't think that it would take 4 1/2 hours to get through LA on a Saturday afternoon. Even the car pool lanes were ridiculous.

We only had time for a brief look at Petco before the game began. We got our free SD caps (made in China) and walked past the beach and the berm, the statue and the band, the mini-park for the little kids. Tracy bought his official SD cap (that was made in the USA) and we took the elevator to the top level. We had a great view of everything--even the large screen TVs in neighboring buildings (where people were watching football) and the Icon "Skybox".

There was a fan photographer who came through the stands, some prize giveaway in the sixth inning, and our section was the lucky section to win Lotto tickets! In six years of being at season ticket holder at the Giants park, we were never the lucky section!! Oh, and there was a semi-streaker who ran from right field to the shared bullpen in the outfield, and fireworks! They did play a game--Padres lost to the Rockies. There were many rookies, some of whom got their first "whatever".

We spent the night in Carlsbad and got to Anaheim way early, so we made a shopping trip to Camp Snoopy at Knott's Berry Farm. We still got to Angels's Stadium in time to see many of the players on the field, and I got a few autographs (though I don't know who they were really...) It seemed like the entire stadium was season ticket holders--all of whom were very nice to people like us with San Diego caps and Giants scorebooks. Their fans are very knowledgeable and congenial, and I had a great time chatting with them. Lots of foul balls touched down in the section to our left, but none landed in our section. I really liked the exterior of the stadium with the haloed "A", the baseball bat entrance, and the size 649 1/2 metal baseball caps!

Dodgertown--"Tell it good-bye!'

2008-03-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos to give you the essence of the Dodgertown experience. Tommy Lasorda, Manny Mota, Jason Schmidt and Brad Penny were just a few of the people we talked to.

2008-03-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Iknow that I promised that I would be blogging my spring training experiences day by day. Two things have prevented from doing so. First, the motel’s wireless signal strength was too erratic, and secondly, it rained on Friday—the main day when most teams were in the Tampa area.

On Friday afternoon, we drove past two of the stadiums—the Phillies in Clearwater (playing the Braves) and the Blue Jays in Dunedin, who were away. The weather was in downpour mode, so we didn’t even consider attending. We ended up driving north to Tarpon Springs for some antique shopping and then south to St. Petersburg to the Dali Museum. That museum is a gem, and I wish we had had more time to spend there. Our tour guide was excellent in explaining the paintings and their intended symbolism, but we didn’t get to see most of the films. There were excerpts from Hitchcock’s Spellbound and an unreleased Disney film from 1946 called Destino.

On Saturday, we headed even farther south. The best place we went was the Rose Fiorelli Winery, where “Paul” gave a personalized tasting experience to each group—even offering a large selection of foods—homemade port wine cheese and buffalo salami (which tasted exactly like Oscar Meyer bologna—really!), Hershey’s dark chocolate, etc.—to compliment the wines he was pouring. He recommended Mixon’s Fruit Stand for an additional selection of Florida wines for tasting. We did make that our next stop, but we bought the Orange Swirl ice cream instead of more wine.

The Pirates were out of town, but we stopped at McKecknie Field for a photo op. To my surprise, all their spring training games but one were sold out! They probably have better attendance in Bradenton than in Pittsburgh. We headed for the beach and found some shells at Anna Maria Island. We drove south along all the Keys to get to Sarasota, where we took a quick look at Ed Smith Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Reds—who were also out of town, and thought we might get to the Ringling Museums, but it was too late. We had dinner and went to the greyhound races instead.

We needed to recuperate a little on Sunday. It rained a little in the morning, so we took a quick tour of the University of South Florida—much changed since I started my MLS there in 1979—and went to the Tampa Flea Market, since it was indoors. The rest of the day we relaxed and read the Sunday paper poolside, and went to dinner at Stump’s Supper Club which had authentic southern cooking. We tried the chicken-fried steak, pulled pork, and peach cobbler.

At last, Monday at Dodgertown! We are NOT Dodger fans, but any fan would wish for an experience that is typical at Dodgertown. The guys who show you where to park your car let you know the lay of the land before you even get onto the grounds. The players crisscross from field to field to cages to stadium by traversing the very walkways that actual fans use—oh, the humanity! Those who are playing in that day’s game must cross a little bridge to get into the stadium and the fans wait there for an opportunity to get a photo with the player or an autograph. Only two players would not sign (James Loney and Mark Sweeney claimed that they would sign after the game, not before, as they were starting), and Jason Schmidt signed until we thought his hand would fall off!! I didn’t know many of the players, but I got photos of and autographs from some of their hot prospects, apparently. Dewitt was given the top rookie of 2008 Spring Training during the game.

The National Anthem was played on the harmonica by Carl Erskine, and then Tommy Lasorda, who was coaching (because Joe Torre was in Japan or China) made a heartfelt speech about his experiences in Vero Beach and thanked the community. This was allegedly the final game at Vero Beach. The Dodgers are planning to move their operations to Glendale, Arizona for 2009.

We left after the fourth inning, having downed a couple of Budweisers in red bottle-shaped cans and Dodger Dogs. We had gotten really crispy, even with sunblock.

We drove north on A1A through all the beach communities on the Atlantic coast. Most of the beach is not visible from the road, and Disney even has a Vero Beach Resort! We stopped at a public beach access and found a few shells, then headed for Cocoa Beach. We are one block from the beach and from the Ron John Surf Shop (open 24 hours a day—never know when you’ll need a surf board!)

Broadcasters, Lots of Sunshine, Final Thoughts

2007-03-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

Thursday was a low key day. We had breakfast at JB’s, then went shopping for books, toys, and looked at some new housing developments and zipped over to Glendale to look at the antique shops. We had dinner at P.F. Chang’s across from the Fashion Square Mall. The parking is now free in the underground garage and the place was nearly empty at 4pm. The lettuce wraps were as good as we remembered and I liked my Honey Shrimp and the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.

Today is Saturday and we are home now and resting up from the drive by listening to Jon Miller and Dave Fleming broadcast today’s game from Scottsdale. The best seats I was able to get for the Friday game against the Athletics (even though it was during the first few minutes they were on sale to non-Charros season ticket holders) was in section 130 row 3 near the right field foul pole. Those seats were way too sunshiny on an 88-degree day, so Tracy sought shelter in the shaded seats behind the plate. Jon and Dave were in the booth right behind our “illegal ticket holder” seats. I had Jon sign his book, Confessions of a Baseball Purist, and he joked about making a “low and outside” call whenever in doubt. Since Dave hadn’t yet written a book, I took his picture, printed it out and had him sign that, bribing him with smuggled in Tootsie Roll Pops—“Thank you for risking your life”. They don’t even let you bring in empty water bottles to Scottsdale Stadium because “you will fill them up”. If you come to spring training, bring enough SEALED bottled water for each person for each game, as one bottle per person is allowed. Most parks won’t allow food (exception Peoria allows a “bag lunch”), so check before you go to avoid a long walk back to your car!

The Giants players were rather stingy with autographs Saturday, and with 11,980 + in attendance, the competition was stiff. I was able to get Mark Sweeny on a photo I had just taken—“What was I saying there?” (“I’m taking fielding practice right now—I’ll catch you later”) Kevin Frandsen, Jason Ellison, and Dan Ortmeier in the Giants Spring Training magazine, and Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez, and Dallas Braden in the Athletics Spring Training magazine. (Each magazine costs $5. The A’s is 52 pages long, while the Giants’ is about 150 pages, and way more interesting and informative). None of the Giants big stars would sign—Zito, Bonds, Durham, Vizquel, Winn were all in the lineup, but they barely looked towards the sidelines while warming up. Willie Mays was there too, and ignoring the fans as usual. We saw Mike Piazza signing beyond the dugout just before the game started. Barry hit his first home run of the spring which went into the practice fields beyond the right field fence. I don’t know how far that is, but it was considerable.

We left the game at 2:30, at the point when the wholesale substitution of players took place. We listened to Jon and Dave call the game on XM radio in the car as we made our slow way home through early rush hour traffic in Scottsdale and Phoenix. We arrived home about 1:30am, even with stopping for a burger and some outlet shopping in Cabazon (near Palm Springs).

Vacations are always too short--we didn't get to Pizzeria Bianco or to Cowboy Ciao for some special meals this year--but it was fun to get a head start on baseball and our tans!

2007-03-07T21:55:00.000-08:00

Barry Bonds arrived in a golf cart, zipping right past us. He got a double in one of his two at-bats.

Library, Sprinkles, Bonds

2007-03-07T21:35:00.000-08:00

We had no specific plan for today, so we went to the Original Pancake House near Fashion Square Mall for the best pancakes on the planet. Lots of celebrities have eaten there over the years, and they signed the walls nearest the rest rooms. Some of the signatures were painted over, but my favorite celeb, Gene Siskel, was still there, as was Jon Miller and lots of sports figures.

We read in the newspaper that Barry Bonds was going to make a rare road game appearance and planned to go to Peoria to play in the Mariners’ game today, so we decided to go.

On the way to the park, we stopped at Scottsdale Library and I had a chance to see their Children’s Room and Teen Area. The children’s room is decorated with two themes—castle and “cat & mouse”, with tables that look like Swiss cheese, chairs that look like mice, and a “Cat’s Paw” slide that looks like a paw coming through a huge mouse hole. They have lots of games and puzzles, and kids who are "Cleanup Helpers" get a chance to win a prize. The Teen room has an industrial basement look, and has a magnetic poetry board, a snack machine, and a TV (the plasma is out for repair). There is a glass enclosed room that subdivides. Their foam cube furniture is cool and comfy, but I was told that it was only a year old and was mostly trashed. All the computers had headphones. There was some sort of "cone of silence" for music which also didn't really work out.

Out at the Peoria Sports Complex, despite information on the team website that said the stadium opened two hours before game time, we learned that it was really only open an hour and a half before game time. After being let in, there was still no one in the park until nearly 12:30. The Giants had taken batting practice at Scottsdale Stadium, and the Mariners had used one of the fields in the complex. Far right field is THE place to get autographs, as players from both teams come in there from the bus and/or clubhouse. My autographs today included Omar Vizquel—the first one at the park (he drove from Scottsdale Stadium instead of taking the bus)—Guillermo Rodriguez (who told us that “Bonds isn’t here”), Jack Tachsner (on a photo I took at Fan Fest), Billy Sadler, manager Bruce Bochy, and the elusive Benji Molina. A lady from Hawaii and I asked him for an autograph while he was warming up, and he said “When I’m finished” .We were both under the impression that he meant when he was finished warming up, and then when he was finished warming up the pitcher, Matt Morris. After waiting nearly a half hour for him to be finished, we were finally informed that he meant “I meant after I’m finished playing”. So after the third inning, I ran down to catch him before he could escape the park. He did sign two items—a photo I had taken during his warm-ups and a mini catcher’s mitt.

I also got an autograph prior to the game from Mariner Willie Bloomquist. The lady from Hawaii told me later that she tried to get an autograph from Ichiro Suzuki when he left the game, but she couldn’t even get close—it was total chaos.

Bonds was there—he arrived in a golf cart so that he wouldn’t have to make that long walk past the pesky fans. He was the DH and only had two at-bats. His one hit was a double. Other highlights of the game included a slight sprinkle of rain despite the 80+ degree weather, and the multiple foul balls that landed in our section (210--which was shaded). I missed one by inches--it nearly hit the Japanese cameramen behind us, hit the wall, sailed over my glove on the rebound and a guy two rows in front of me got it. Oh well! The Giants won in the ninth inning, thanks to the minor league players.

Dinner was from Old Town Scottsdale’s Schlotsky’s Deli, and back to the room to watch the girls sing on American Idol.

Ace is the Place

2007-03-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

American Idol contestant Ace Young just before he led us all in the 7th inning stretch "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

George Brett

2007-03-06T18:03:00.000-08:00

George Brett warming up his team before today's game--the photo that he autographed for me.

Hall of Famer, Future Hall of Famer & an Idol

2007-03-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

Breakfast at JB’s again, and since it was a weekday, it was only $5.99 for the all you can eat buffet. We had tickets for the A’s-Royals game, but since the park didn’t open until 11:30 for the 1:05 game, we went to the two Antique stores closest to the motel, the Antique Trove and the Antique Centre, and found a few Snoopy/Peanuts items before heading out to Phoenix Municipal Stadium. It was the Royals, and it was a weekday, so the attendance was low—we estimated about 2,000. I really didn’t recognize any of the Royals players except for Reggie Sanders, since he had been with the Giants on their World Series team. I did recognize their batting coach, though—George Brett. I took a photo, printed it out, and was able to get him to sign it after his “meeting” with his fellow coaches in the dugout. He promised to "take care of everybody" requesting his autograph after the meeting, and he did, though he signed all the baseballs first, and the paper items, like cards and my photo last. He was amazed though: “You just took this! How did you do that?” Ahh, technology!

We had great seats in row 14 behind home plate, but we moved up to cheaper seats in the shaded area near the broadcast booth. It was 81 degrees, and we got crispy fast.

The A’s had most likely taken an early batting practice, since they didn’t even show up until about 20 minutes before game time. I was able to get autographs from coach Curt Young, Erubial Durazo, Adam Melhuse and Mike Piazza. I am told that American Idol contestant Ace Young threw out the first pitch, which I missed, as I was in the “get Mike Piazza’s autograph” mob. But during the seventh inning, he walked past our seats, and I grabbed my camera, followed him, and asked him to pose for a photo. Beautiful! I returned to my seat, and printed a photo while he was leading us in “Take me out to the ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch. When he returned to the concourse, I asked him to sign it, and he personalized it. “This is the one you just took? How did you do that?” I love my printer!

The game went into extra innings and the A’s lost. Both Piazza and Lou Merloni got hit by pitches and had to leave the game.

We went to the Olive Garden for dinner, where we are almost certain that we were seated next to two of the Giants young prospects (basing this conjecture on their build and their conversation, and their jewelry and clothing—I overheard them talking about what diamonds they were planning to buy, and one was wearing two big square diamond earrings).

Spring Training 2007--We have arrived!

2007-03-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

We left Friday afternoon around 2pm, and except for traffic in the Pleasanton area, sailed through to Indio, just east of Palm Springs, before we stopped for the night at the Motel 6 there. Breakfast was at the Café Martinez or something next door, not recommended unless you enjoy rubber eggs.

Even with the time change, we got into Phoenix in plenty of time for the Giants-Brewers game at Maryvale. The consensus among my fellow fans was that if you wanted Giants autographs, this was the place. Everyone who made the trip was signing--Todd Linden, Rich Aurilia, Kevin Frandsen, Jason Ellison, Randy Winn, Dan Ortmeier, Pedro Feliz, and lots of unrecognizable minor leaguers. I missed a few, but only because their were too many to choose from. Matt Morris looked pretty bad, but was lifted after 50 pitches, and the Giants went on to win. We left in the 9th inning—it was cold and getting windy by then, and the highlight of the afternoon—the sausage races—was over.

Our seats were great though—Box 100, row J seats 8&9—put us directly behind home plate. There were scouts to the left of us, scouts to the right of us, and what sounded like Kevin Frandsen’s hometown behind us. We could see that Brian Wilson was pitching 94 mph and Cortes was at 93 mph on their radar guns.

Dinner was Domino’s and a bottle of wine in the room. The dog show is in town, and there are lots of pooches here at the Motel 6 (on Scottsdale near McKillips in Tempe). I thought that there would be a hot tub here, like in the Scottsdale Motel 6, but there is just a pool.

Sunday morning we went to our favorite breakfast place—JB’s (Scottsdale Road at McDowell). On weekends the all you can eat breakfast buffet is $7.99 (even less on weekdays), and is so filling that we never need lunch! Then we headed down to Tucson for Arizona’s largest toy show, where we found items for our collections—Peanuts, push puppets, windups, and ramp walkers.

We thought about going to a baseball game in Tucson, but it was incredibly windy—not worth suffering for Seattle and the Dbacks. So back to Phoenix to the Brass Armadillo for some antique and collectible shopping. Dinner was at Applebee’s, as our neighbors were kind enough to give us a gift card.

Monday morning we got a late start and had a quick breakfast next door at Jim’s Coney Island Café, with lots of specials. My breakfast with 2 eggs, 2 bacon and a waffle was only $4.50.

Since the Giants were playing in Tucson, we went to Scottsdale Stadium to see what the guys who were left behind were up to. We got there at 9:30, but the bus was long gone—8:05, according to the Giants security guy.

Inside there was lots to see—stretching, warmup tosses, batting practice, and the batting cages. I took lots of photos, printed some of them out immediately on my HP portable printer, and asked the players to sign them when they were transitioning between activities. Tyler Walker, Rich Aurilia, and Matt Cain all did so. Omar Vizquel signed a baseball, and Jonathan Sanchez and Lance Niekro signed my team ball. After the practice was over, we waited near the players’ parking lot. Barry Bonds, Noah Lowry, Omar Vizquel, and Armando Benitez all claimed to be too pressed for time to sign. But Matt Morris and Steve Kline were more than accommodating (Steve Kline was so great that he is now new favorite player!). Brand-new prospect Tim Lincecum indulged me—he signed both a photo I took last August 5th in San Jose during his first start (pitching 96 mph), and one that I had taken during practice.

We got to see what cars the players were driving—many of them brand new this spring—Bentleys (Benitez), Escalades (Vizquel), etc. By noon, most everyone had left.

Then we did some more collectible shopping—in Mesa this time—and got back early for a dinner at Red Lobster (it was Lobsterfest).

Spring Training 2007 - the countdown

2007-02-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

This year we will be trying a different Motel 6 - on Scottsdale Road in Tempe. In 2006 we stayed at the Motel 6 closest to the A's stadium, which was conveniently located, had a refrigerator, and was less expensive than the Scottsdale one. The Scottsdale Motel 6 was a great price for the neighborhood, though. Right next to Fashion Square mall, walking distance to the movies and restaurants like P.F. Chang's (Barry Bonds and family arrived soon after we did on a Sunday evening in 2005), and the Original Pancake house just steps away for breakfast.

We have tickets to three games, Giants at Maryvale (Brewers) on 3/3, KC at A's on 3/6, and A's at Giants on 3/9. We ordered the Giants and A's tickets the first day they were available and asked for "best available", so we shall see how good they are! Whenever we go to Maryvale, we always have the best seats, cause few people come out to see the Brewers. A shame, since it is such a nice park, and the Sausage Races are so fun.

Spring Training Trip Preparation

2005-02-21T13:59:00.000-08:00

Vacations have been approved, and preparations are now beginning in earnest! We made reservations for the Scottsdale Motel 6 in December. We have tickets for the Giants-Cubs game at Scottsdale on March 6th, and the A's-Giants game in Phoenix on March 9th. Barry Bonds won't be playing until late spring, and the paper announced that Robb Nen had decided to retire, but we can get acquainted with all the new guys and rookies instead. We hope to include a couple of new parks on our trip. We have never been to Merryvale, nor to Tucson to see the teams that train there. Tips on best way to enjoy those parks and get autographs anyone?