5/7/09 Yankees vs. Rays

While they are throwing, Scott Kazmir just walks out and I talk to him for a bit. When he starts walking in I ask:

            "Can you sign some autographs?"

            He gladly walks over and signs two for my 1^st autograph today, all behind the backs of the throwing people.

            I ask Jim for a ball, but he says:

            "What'll we warm-up with?"

            "Oh, you've got more," I reply.

            "You can have it when we are done."

            But when he is "done" they go to the bullpen, and the bullpen catcher hands a nearby woman a perfect 2008 World Series Ball. Wow.

            Well I head over to the bullpen to be safe, and when they "finish" again, no ball!

            I have to run back over to foul territory and get there in time to get Jim Hickey to toss me a ball and I get my 1^st ball today, at exactly 5 O'Clock.

            Now today, to avoid Tuesday's badness, I bought a $15 stub hub ticket on the right field line. I use it by going over there when A.J. and David Robertson start throwing.

If you can't spot me, I am the 5th person to the left of A.J, who is touching the wall.

I wait patiently as they good around, and while goofing around, the ball skids towards Center Field. A.J. doesn't bother getting it so they use an extra ball they had brought. I had been looking at the ball and thinking it was an inaugural ball because the font of the ball seemed darker then normal. Well when they finish, their attention is drawn to me, and they toss me the ball, my 2^nd ball. Now I fumble it to see if it's commemorative, but when I look at it...

            IT'S INAGAURAL! WOW! The 2009, Inaugural, Yankee, and Season are smudged, but it is a start.

            So my next stop is the Tampa throwers. The only ones out are J.P. and Dan. When they finish I get J.P.'s attention and he tosses me my 3^rd ball.

I am leaning over the wall to catch my 3rd ball.

Then I get Dan Wheeler's attention. Since he knows Zack, I tell him about Zack's charity. He doesn't know his last name, but I tell him Zack's site and say he should join the charity because it would be cool to have Dan sign up as a pledge. Oh, and I also get him on both ball for my 2^nd autograph today.

            As soon as they leave, Grant Balfour comes out. He starts signing almost immediately, so I also get Grant on two for my 3^rd autograph today.

After Grant starts and finishes throwing with Joe Nelson, and I get no ball, Joe Nelson signs. I am able to get Joe on two for my 4^th autograph so far.

            As the Yankees and some more Rays throw, I decide to stay on the Rays, but I get nothing. Jamie Shields tosses a ball to someone else, Lance Cormier gives one to a little, glove-less, Yankee item wearing kid even though I knew his name while wearing a green shirt and Rays at, so I head over the Yankees side.

Alas I get nothing there, so I go into the game with 3 balls and 4 autographs. I want 4 balls. 3 balls puts me at a below 6.0 ball average, so as the game starts, I go to the bleachers.

            After sitting there for 2 times, I get lucky. I can't really see the bullpen, and I didn't hear a ball being thrown down there, so when there's a pitching change, I bolt down the steps. Earlier I had asked the always generous Bobby Ramos for a ball, but he didn't give me one. When down there I saw Bobby Ramos walking so I say "Bobby!" and hold up my glove. He tosses me the ball, but it falls short! Luckily, he picks up the ball and gives me a nice clean throws for my 4^th ball today, and 66^th on the season.

So at least I'll have a 6 ball average.

But wait, I'm not done yet. I don't want to leave the bleachers quite so soon, so I move over a section. In between innings I see a ball lying between two benches. Grant Balfour is there, so I point to and ask him for the ball. Originally he walks away, but he comes back a bit later, after I was rejected by Brian Shouse for the same ball, and Grant tosses me my 5^th ball. It has a nice little gash, don't know what it is from.

            In the 6^th inning, I get a stub for one of my favorite sections, 123. I set there knowing that there would be 6 chances for a ball, possibly 8, but I get none of the balls. Only George Hendrick tosses one above the partition. And the make matters worse, the final foul ball was caught by people one row behind me. I moved over to get in position for an ump ball, which I didn't get, and I missed the foul ball. And finally, I got nothing afterwards. That's it!

            P.S. I love Yankee Stadium Parking.

Stats:

• 4 MLB Autographs Today
• 5 MLB Balls Today
• 53 MLB Autographs in this Season
• 56 Total Autographs in this Season
• 67 MLB Balls in this Season
• 83 Total Baseballs in this Season
• 3 BP, 2 During
• 5 Thrown
• Attendence: 43,769 people
• Competition Factor: 218,845
• 6.1 Balls / 1 Game
• 11 Consecutive games with at least 3 MLB Baseballs