We are at 39,000 ft somewhere over New Mexico and our trip is coming to a close. Baring any issues between here and Columbus, we have had a very easy trip. No delays or travels issues at all.
Here's some random musings from our time in Phoenix:
- You don't have the know Spanish to play baseball, but it certainly helps. I think we heard as much Spanish being spoken during practice as we did English. And Cincinnati boy Barry Larkin sounded like he was fluent when he was working with the minor league players.
- Some of the players are very well paid. One day there was a brand new Rolls Royce, a Ferarri and two Lambourginis. There were also a couple of AMG Mecedes.
- Phoenix is a city that grew up too fast. It was a small town until the advent of air conditioning in the 1950s. The infrastructure couldn't keep up with the growth. Even though their interstates are sometimes 7 lanes each way, they just don't have enough roads around town. Traffic was brutal at times.
- Ryan and I threw the baseball so much this trip that I may need Tommy John surgery.
- We are coming back with 11 more baseballs and about 30 signatures on those baseballs. The only one I got was Barry Larkin. Ryan got the rest. I think it's cool for the kids to get autographs. But the number of adults elbowing their way in to get to the ballplayers was ridiculous.
- Brandon Phillips, Chris Heisey and Paul Janish went out of their way to sign autographs. Joey Votto and Johny Gomes went out of their way to not sign.
- When ordering food, Ryan's eyes are bigger than his stomach.
- I know many were upset with Reds when the moved their spring training facilities to Goodyear. But the set up their is pretty sweet. And the farthest they have to travel for a game is 40 minutes.
- If I had this trip to do over, I wouldn't have changed a thing. We both had a blast.
I'm going to have one last post. And it is going to be written by Ryan.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Game #6 - Angels vs Reds
Happy 10th Birthday, Ryan!!
The day started off confusing because of the time change. Arizona doesn't change time at all during the year. So basically for half the year they are on MST and for the other half it is on PST. But when I woke up this morning my phone said one time and the room clock said another. We got it worked out but I could have an extra hour of sleep if my phone wouldn't have messed me up.
We again went out to the Reds training facility to watch them practice. We were there by 9:30am, but the big leaguers weren't out. So we walked over to the minor league fields and there were tons of players over there. Of course, I had only heard of one or two of them but it was still cool. The best part of the morning was watching Barry Larkin and Sean Casey giving a fielding lesson to 4 minor league guys. How cool is that?!?!
The Reds played the Angels at their home stadium this afternoon. It was our only time seeing a game there. Quite honestly, while it is a very nice ballpark, it was kind of a let down. It was a beautiful day, but there couldn't have been 5,000 fans there. And there was no energy at all. The backstop netting goes all the way across the dugout so the team didn't throw one ball into the crowd. The guys signed autographs before the game which was nice. But the whole experience was lacking.
Here's a picture of the guy with the best mustache in baseball - Corky Miller.
They did let the kids run the bases after the game. But they could only run from first to third. Ryan said he was going to go in head first, but there were too many people. That made me laugh hard.
Here's a picture of the ballpark mascot. I have no idea what they were thinking. Insert your own joke.
The best part of the Goodyear ballpark experience was the beer selection. Fat Tire on draft? Why yes, I think I will. They had other good brews as well. Their selection was the best I saw by a long shot. The other concessions were reasonable as well.
After the game, Ryan and I picked up a pizza and Cold Stone for dinner. Not exactly a square meal, but it's his birthday! Then I made him do some homework. Did I mention how much homework he had to do?!?! :) And it's still not done. I did get to correct a mistake one of his teachers had on a quiz he had to take. Maybe I'll get extra credit for that.
The bags are packed and we are ready to head home. I had to find room for the 11 extra baseballs we now have. TSA is going to have a blast with that.
I'll write one last post on the plane and then I want Ryan to share his thoughts. Stay tuned...
The day started off confusing because of the time change. Arizona doesn't change time at all during the year. So basically for half the year they are on MST and for the other half it is on PST. But when I woke up this morning my phone said one time and the room clock said another. We got it worked out but I could have an extra hour of sleep if my phone wouldn't have messed me up.
We again went out to the Reds training facility to watch them practice. We were there by 9:30am, but the big leaguers weren't out. So we walked over to the minor league fields and there were tons of players over there. Of course, I had only heard of one or two of them but it was still cool. The best part of the morning was watching Barry Larkin and Sean Casey giving a fielding lesson to 4 minor league guys. How cool is that?!?!
The Reds played the Angels at their home stadium this afternoon. It was our only time seeing a game there. Quite honestly, while it is a very nice ballpark, it was kind of a let down. It was a beautiful day, but there couldn't have been 5,000 fans there. And there was no energy at all. The backstop netting goes all the way across the dugout so the team didn't throw one ball into the crowd. The guys signed autographs before the game which was nice. But the whole experience was lacking.
Here's a picture of the guy with the best mustache in baseball - Corky Miller.
They did let the kids run the bases after the game. But they could only run from first to third. Ryan said he was going to go in head first, but there were too many people. That made me laugh hard.
Here's a picture of the ballpark mascot. I have no idea what they were thinking. Insert your own joke.
The best part of the Goodyear ballpark experience was the beer selection. Fat Tire on draft? Why yes, I think I will. They had other good brews as well. Their selection was the best I saw by a long shot. The other concessions were reasonable as well.
After the game, Ryan and I picked up a pizza and Cold Stone for dinner. Not exactly a square meal, but it's his birthday! Then I made him do some homework. Did I mention how much homework he had to do?!?! :) And it's still not done. I did get to correct a mistake one of his teachers had on a quiz he had to take. Maybe I'll get extra credit for that.
The bags are packed and we are ready to head home. I had to find room for the 11 extra baseballs we now have. TSA is going to have a blast with that.
I'll write one last post on the plane and then I want Ryan to share his thoughts. Stay tuned...
Game #5 - Diamondbacks vs Rockies
After having such an amazing experience in the afternoon game, we headed over to Salt River fields for the Diamondback vs Rockies game on Saturday night. We had some time to kill so we stopped at a Chinese food buffet. I think Ryan put down more food than I did and tried some stuff he's never tried.
The game was fairly uneventful. We once again had amazing seats. Front row just past the Rockies dugout. In fact, it was kind of a pain until the game started because everyone was in that area getting autographs. Once they cleared out and the game started, we realized that Ryan couldn't see because of the fencing around the dugout. So a nice guy behind us had his sons switch seats with us. The game went fast but we only stayed through the 7th inning stretch.
The most interesting part of the game was watching the 40 year old guy in the front row begging the players for a ball. Vinnie Castillo, 1st base coach for the Rockies, finally gave in and through the guy a ball. It was really pathetic to watch what an adult will do for a free baseball.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The game was fairly uneventful. We once again had amazing seats. Front row just past the Rockies dugout. In fact, it was kind of a pain until the game started because everyone was in that area getting autographs. Once they cleared out and the game started, we realized that Ryan couldn't see because of the fencing around the dugout. So a nice guy behind us had his sons switch seats with us. The game went fast but we only stayed through the 7th inning stretch.
The most interesting part of the game was watching the 40 year old guy in the front row begging the players for a ball. Vinnie Castillo, 1st base coach for the Rockies, finally gave in and through the guy a ball. It was really pathetic to watch what an adult will do for a free baseball.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Game #4 - Cubs vs Reds with the luckiest kids in the world
Today started out the same as yesterday. We got up, had breakfast and then headed out to Goodyear to watch the team practice. There weren't as many players there this morning as half the Reds were in Las Vegas for a split squad game. The good news was that most of the players that played yesterday in the Rangers game were the players that went to Vegas. So we got to see many of the guys today that we didn't get to see yesterday.
Practice was uneventful although Ryan got a couple more baseballs. At the end of practice, he got signatures from Paul Janish and Brandon Phillips. They were very courteous to those that were there. Here's Brandon signing with Ryan waiting to get the ball back.
The Reds vs Cubs game started at 1:05 pm MST. We got there about an hour early and grabbed a hot dog. Ryan was able to get Chris Heisey and Brandon Phillips to sign a ball (yes, he had Brandon sign twice today).
Our seats were once again, outstanding. First row behind the Reds dugout. Ryan is never going to want to go to a baseball game again and sit in the upper deck! There weren't many Reds fans so we stuck out a bit in the crowd (as you will be able to tell later).
At the end of the first inning, Edgar Renteria caught a fly ball for the 3rd out. As he's running back to the dugout, he points over at Ryan and said "you gonna catch it?" He then flipped the ball to him. So that's two game balls in two days.
Later in the game, as the Reds were coming off the field, Yonder Alonso flipped another ball to Ryan. Except he flipped it too far to the left. So the 43 year old with the quick hands had to take over and dive to catch it (ok, I had to stick my hand out). That's two balls today.
Toward the end of the game, with Miguel Cairo at bat, he swings and breaks his bat. The bat head comes flying right at us. Ryan ducks and I jump up. The bat hits right behind me and lands at my feet. I pick it up thinking we had another souvenir. But then I realized it hit the guy behind me in the hand. His hand immediately began to swell up. I'm sure it was broken. So I gave him the bat. He deserved it more than we did.
Then toward the end of the game, Billy Hatcher flipped another ball to Ryan. Did I mention we had great seats and were one of the few Reds fans at the game?
The Reds won the game 7-6. After the game we were standing around talking with another couple from Cincinnati when someone came out of the dugout and handed the Reds lineup card used in the game to Ryan. Then one of the stadium workers came up and asked if Ryan wanted to go out on the field. Of course he said yes.
Seriously, how can you get more lucky than that?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Practice was uneventful although Ryan got a couple more baseballs. At the end of practice, he got signatures from Paul Janish and Brandon Phillips. They were very courteous to those that were there. Here's Brandon signing with Ryan waiting to get the ball back.
The Reds vs Cubs game started at 1:05 pm MST. We got there about an hour early and grabbed a hot dog. Ryan was able to get Chris Heisey and Brandon Phillips to sign a ball (yes, he had Brandon sign twice today).
Our seats were once again, outstanding. First row behind the Reds dugout. Ryan is never going to want to go to a baseball game again and sit in the upper deck! There weren't many Reds fans so we stuck out a bit in the crowd (as you will be able to tell later).
At the end of the first inning, Edgar Renteria caught a fly ball for the 3rd out. As he's running back to the dugout, he points over at Ryan and said "you gonna catch it?" He then flipped the ball to him. So that's two game balls in two days.
Later in the game, as the Reds were coming off the field, Yonder Alonso flipped another ball to Ryan. Except he flipped it too far to the left. So the 43 year old with the quick hands had to take over and dive to catch it (ok, I had to stick my hand out). That's two balls today.
Toward the end of the game, with Miguel Cairo at bat, he swings and breaks his bat. The bat head comes flying right at us. Ryan ducks and I jump up. The bat hits right behind me and lands at my feet. I pick it up thinking we had another souvenir. But then I realized it hit the guy behind me in the hand. His hand immediately began to swell up. I'm sure it was broken. So I gave him the bat. He deserved it more than we did.
Then toward the end of the game, Billy Hatcher flipped another ball to Ryan. Did I mention we had great seats and were one of the few Reds fans at the game?
The Reds won the game 7-6. After the game we were standing around talking with another couple from Cincinnati when someone came out of the dugout and handed the Reds lineup card used in the game to Ryan. Then one of the stadium workers came up and asked if Ryan wanted to go out on the field. Of course he said yes.
Seriously, how can you get more lucky than that?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, March 11, 2011
Game #3 - Giants vs Padres
After the Reds vs Rangers game was done, we had about two hours to kill. Ryan has been DYING to get a new game for his DS, so we found a Game Stop so he could buy it. I swear that he and the guy behind the desk were speaking a different language, but I know it was about Pokemon. I felt old.
After grabbing dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery, we made our way to the game. We were 3rd row right behind third base. There were a bunch of plays at 3rd so we saw lots of action. We also got to see Tim Lincecum pitch.
Although it was a Padres home game, the place was packed with Giants fans. We only made it through 7 innings and decided to call it a night. So we headed for the parking lot, only neither of us knew exactly where we parked. Like no clue. And the rental is a white Camry. There's only a few million of those. I bet it took us 15 minutes of walking around before we stumbled across it. I don't think I've ever had that happen before.
Here's some pics from the game:
Yes, this ball is the size of Ryan.
Until tomorrow...
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
After grabbing dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery, we made our way to the game. We were 3rd row right behind third base. There were a bunch of plays at 3rd so we saw lots of action. We also got to see Tim Lincecum pitch.
Although it was a Padres home game, the place was packed with Giants fans. We only made it through 7 innings and decided to call it a night. So we headed for the parking lot, only neither of us knew exactly where we parked. Like no clue. And the rental is a white Camry. There's only a few million of those. I bet it took us 15 minutes of walking around before we stumbled across it. I don't think I've ever had that happen before.
Here's some pics from the game:
Yes, this ball is the size of Ryan.
Until tomorrow...
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Game #2 - Rangers vs Reds
Game two of our trip is at the Ranger home stadium, which they share with the Royals. Very nice park with an added bonus - free parking!
The ballpark is in the city of Surprise, AZ. Seemed appropriate for our trip. We got to the ballpark about an hour early. I knew I had pretty good seats for most of the games but couldn't remember where these were. Ryan was NOT disappointed when we realized where our seats were. I'm pretty sure we were closer to the batter than the 3rd baseman was.
Ryan went down by the dugout before the game with a ball and a Sharpie. When he came back 30 minutes later, the ball had 10-12 signatures including Dusty Baker, Drew Stubbs, Juan Francisco and Fred Lewis. There are a few that I have no clue. Could be Elvis or Charles Manson (that's a shoot out to my MUMB friends).
Ryan is down at the front of this group:
It was a good game that went back and forth. Cueto started but left early with an arm issue. Arrondondo was pitching in the 4th and struck out the last batter. Ryan Hanigan took the ball with him back toward the dugout. My Ryan took his best smile and glove down to the end of the aisle and waved at Ryan Hanigan, who pointed at him and tossed the ball over. In true Hummel form, he dove for the ball and threw the runner out at first. Ok, it wasn't quite like that, but he did catch the ball and came back with a HUGE smile.
The rest of the game was uneventful, although we saw some great plays. I've never seen a baseball game end in a tie until today (I won't count that awful All-Star debacle a few years ago). The game ended 5-5.
Here's your 2010 NL MVP at bat.
On to the Padres vs Giants game tonight.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The ballpark is in the city of Surprise, AZ. Seemed appropriate for our trip. We got to the ballpark about an hour early. I knew I had pretty good seats for most of the games but couldn't remember where these were. Ryan was NOT disappointed when we realized where our seats were. I'm pretty sure we were closer to the batter than the 3rd baseman was.
Ryan went down by the dugout before the game with a ball and a Sharpie. When he came back 30 minutes later, the ball had 10-12 signatures including Dusty Baker, Drew Stubbs, Juan Francisco and Fred Lewis. There are a few that I have no clue. Could be Elvis or Charles Manson (that's a shoot out to my MUMB friends).
Ryan is down at the front of this group:
It was a good game that went back and forth. Cueto started but left early with an arm issue. Arrondondo was pitching in the 4th and struck out the last batter. Ryan Hanigan took the ball with him back toward the dugout. My Ryan took his best smile and glove down to the end of the aisle and waved at Ryan Hanigan, who pointed at him and tossed the ball over. In true Hummel form, he dove for the ball and threw the runner out at first. Ok, it wasn't quite like that, but he did catch the ball and came back with a HUGE smile.
The rest of the game was uneventful, although we saw some great plays. I've never seen a baseball game end in a tie until today (I won't count that awful All-Star debacle a few years ago). The game ended 5-5.
Here's your 2010 NL MVP at bat.
On to the Padres vs Giants game tonight.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Watching morning practice
So I'm writing this entry a second time. The first time I was out in the sun and my iPad shut off because it was too hot. Those of you in Ohio are feeling sorry for me, right?
Ryan and I went the the Reds grainy facilities this morning. We got there just in time to see the Reds stretch and take BP/infield practice. Within the first 5 minutes, all-star and Gold Glover Brandon Phillips looks over and starts talking to Ryan. So what does my outgoing, social son do? He turns and starts to walk away like he's shy. So basically, he dissed Brandon Phillips!
Actually, Brandon kept talking and couldn't have been nicer. There were a few others that acknowledged the kids that were there. We watched Billy Hatcher give a bunting lesson to Fred Lewis. At the end, Billy flipped a ball to Ryan and talked for a minute.
We were also able to get three more baseballs that were either foul balls or BP home runs.
My personal favorite moment was getting meeting soon to be hall of famer Barry Larkin and getting him to sign a ball.
A couple of the Reds aren't doing too bad. Here's pics of a couple of the cars in the lot.
After practice, Ryan and I had lunch at Señor Taco. Insert your own joke here.
We are at the Rangers vs Reds game now. More on that later.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Ryan and I went the the Reds grainy facilities this morning. We got there just in time to see the Reds stretch and take BP/infield practice. Within the first 5 minutes, all-star and Gold Glover Brandon Phillips looks over and starts talking to Ryan. So what does my outgoing, social son do? He turns and starts to walk away like he's shy. So basically, he dissed Brandon Phillips!
Actually, Brandon kept talking and couldn't have been nicer. There were a few others that acknowledged the kids that were there. We watched Billy Hatcher give a bunting lesson to Fred Lewis. At the end, Billy flipped a ball to Ryan and talked for a minute.
We were also able to get three more baseballs that were either foul balls or BP home runs.
My personal favorite moment was getting meeting soon to be hall of famer Barry Larkin and getting him to sign a ball.
A couple of the Reds aren't doing too bad. Here's pics of a couple of the cars in the lot.
After practice, Ryan and I had lunch at Señor Taco. Insert your own joke here.
We are at the Rangers vs Reds game now. More on that later.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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