test entry & late-nite ramblings
I’m still having problems figuring out this new MLBlogs format, so this is just a little test entry to see if I can link to anything. Ohmygod, I think it worked. Wow, okay, so the problem has been my browser. I’ve been using Safari, but right now I’m on Firefox. Wow. This is very exciting. I’d be even even happier, though, if I could actually figure out how to upload pics. Maybe Firefox will again be the answer? Let’s see if this one will work…
Yay! It worked! And now there’s a 1-in-3 chance that you’re about to barf. I took this pic this past weekend in Louisiana at a “crawfish boil.” And hey, now that I know how to upload pics, I might share a bunch more from this trip if I find a lull between all the games that I plan to attend. I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t want to bore everyone with non-baseball entries.
Okay, one more pic for now. Remember the ugly shirts I talked about in my last entry? You know, the ones that the Mets announcers were wearing? Here ya go:
Pretty bad, huh?
Okay, I just realized that I should probably try uploading one more pic. The two above are both full-screen images, and I should make sure I know how to post a smaller one and wrap the text around it. Is this working? I think so. Any update on our friend, Gustavo? Last I heard, he was sent to the minor leagues, speaking of which…I don’t think I mentioned yet that I’m not gonna be writing for minorleaguebaseball.com this season. I just have too many other things going on at the moment, but who knows, I might write again for them someday.
Alright. It’s 12:18am. I gotta start getting ready for bed because I have a live radio interview in a little over nine hours (9:20am ET to be exact) on The Rod Ryan Show, which airs in Houston and New Orleans. Look around the site and you’ll see a “listen live” link. I’m only gonna be on for like five or ten minutes. Might be talking about the book. Might be talking about my baseball collection. Not sure.
As for tonight’s game at Yankee Stadium, I might go. I don’t know. I really don’t know anything right now. I have so many big things to deal with that I’m kind of avoiding them all. You know the feeling?
The Baseball Collector 
Hi Zack…
Glad to see you made it back. I had the same thing happen to me once at ATL. What did you expect from Delta anyway? The airlines don’t care about anyone. Haven’t had much luck snagging after two games. I’ve been trying for BP home runs mostly. Everything seems to be hit to the person RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I’ve had ZERO success calling to players as well. They’ve switched from Spring Training to Regular Season mode. Harder to get balls. Padres are off to a good start….2-0, but it’s early. We’ll see. Dodgers this weekend. Should be fun. Good luck in Boston.
Leigh
Zack, good interview on the radio just now. I’ll actually be at the Yanks game tonight as well. I snagged $5 seats up in the tier reserved, section 4. Unfortunately my friends all work until 5, so we probably won’t get to the stadium until 6:30 or so…..
is that your tv?
LEIGH-
Sorry to hear of your snagging woes, but I have a feeling things’ll be picking up for you really soon.
PSU532-
You heard it? Cool. Thanks. Bummer you won’t be arriving earlier tonight.
TWINS LOVE-
Yeah.
EVERYONE-
I *am* going to Yankee Stadium today. Hopefully it won’t be sold out. I’ll try to have a blog entry about it up tomorrow. And as for the comments, I’m going to try extra hard to keep up with them and answer everything. Sorry I slacked off there for a few days while I was away.
See you at about 4:15, Zack. Should be fun.
Ok ok ok. So I went to Nationals Park for the exhibition game and the Opening Night game. WHAT A FINISH. I am almost happy LoDuca couldn’t stop Rauch’s low pitch that got to the stone backstop and allowed the tie run. This allow my favorite player, Ryan Zimmerman, the opportunity to give us his thrilling walkoff finish.
My season tickets are AWESOME and I will surely see a significant number of fouls down my way this year.
BP on both days was very fruitful. I ended up with 6 balls during the 3/29 game and 8 for the 3/30 4 1/2 hours extravaganza. I really don’t call for balls or anything, I only go for what I can catch, and the place was packed. Zack, I think this park may allow you to challenge your single game records. Get there 2 1/2 hours early for Nats BP and hang out in the CF area catching homeruns. Also watch where all of the fouls go, so when official gates open you can scoop them up in the normal seating bowl.
The stadium is great, seats are comfortable, sightlines are good, food is EXCELLENT (Treat yourself to a curly W pretzel, Hard Times Frito Pie, and a Ben’s Chili Half Smoke), and there is a kids area in the center field area that many 20-30 something males will like due to the great video games and a batting cage with MLB pictures projected on the screen. The cage throws breaking balls, and you can select the pitcher you want to hit agains.
well, i’ll se all of you at like 4:30. my goal is to get 3(i was hoping for 5 but with zack and greg, its a challenge.)
Hey Zack!
I was wondering if you knew if teams in the minor leagues used special logo baseballs for opening day. Specifically AA. I am heading out to opening day and I can’t find anywhere on the internet if the use baseballs with an opening day logo.
Thanks!
Mike
alex
can season ticket holders for the nats get into the rest of hte stadium before general public?? I thought i saw that somewhere. My tickets are in section 222 row P seats7+8, where are you? No foul balls will ever get to me unless Bonds comes and injects himself before the game.
I’m back from Yankee Stadium. Awesome news! My sixth and final ball of the day (thrown by home plate ump Jerry Meals after the game) was A YANKEE STADIUM FINAL SESON COMMEMORATIVE BALL!!!! Yes! (Zack, I know you don’t want to see what it looks like until you get one, so I won’t post a pic.) Anyway, I tripled my previous Yankee Stadium record today.
Puck — How many did you end up with? (I saw you get two early in BP before I went over to left field.)
I forgot to include some stats:
– 325 lifetime balls
– 46 balls this season (incl. spring training) in 5 games = 9.2 balls per game
– 70 consecutive games with at least one ball
– 12 consecutive games with at least two balls
Zack I moved around in the upper deck a little tonight, and I had a good view of the Blue Jays dugout after the 8th inning. I definitely saw you asking the players for a ball as they were running off the field. It looked like you didn’t get the 3rd out ball, but a guy in the dugout flipped you a ball. I’ll be curious tomorrow to see what number ball that was!
Nice job Greg! I wish I could’ve headed in at 5:05 with you guys, just to check out the shagging……..
ALEX-
The more you talk about that ballpark, the more I need to get there. I might not even wait ’til May, depending on my schedule and how/if/when the attendance begins to drop.
PUCK COLLECTOR-
Nice seeing you at the game, and congrats on your snags.
PIGPEN147-
I have nooooo idea, but my guess is that there are NOT special balls. Thanks to a few close-up shots on my TV on Monday, I noticed that the Opening Day balls in the Major Leagues weren’t even commemorative.
DB3PAR-
Must be frustrating to sit there, but least you ARE there.
GREG-
Awesome news. Congrats. I have some end-of-the-night happiness to reveal as well. :-)
PSU532-
You have good eyes. I’ll be sharing all the details (and pics!) on the blog before long.
DB3PAR –
This season there is no early gate for STH, but they are opening the center field gate 2 1/2 hours early for access to the CF seating area for Nationals BP. Then the rest of the stadium opens 1 1/2 hours early. My seats are section 135, row B. 222 is a ways away from potential balls, but I swear there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
ZACK – Like how I stole your formatting? I think mid week attendance will drop off quickly. I am going to Monday’s, Thursday’s, and Saturday’s games for sure. I will probably be at about 30 games throughout the season, so be sure to let me know when you are going and I will try to make sure I am at that game. If you are looking for low attendance, I am sure there are a few weeknight marlins games we can go to.
Hey Zack! So glad it’s finally baseball season!
For some reason, the new MLBlogs don’t work on my laptop at home. Im seeing the new layout for the first time and I like it!
I had the exact same reaction to Livan Hernandez on the Twins.
LEIGH- I might be in SD this weekend for Saturday’s game. Are you going?