Monthly Archives

July 2015

Quick Pitch

Major League – The Movie (Hi Corbett Field)

July 21, 2015

Major_league_movie

When:  Spring 1988

Where:  Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Arizona

Who:  Todd Martin, Eric Frans, Phil Snyder and Me

You Saw What? The guys and I ditched class one Spring afternoon to watch the filming of some new movie at Hi Corbett.  We didn’t really need an excuse to skip class, but rumors were that we could see Charlie Sheen and Corbin Bernsen in action. My hope was to see a childhood hero from my days in Wisconsin – Bob Uecker.  At that time he was riding a crest of popularity due to his Miller Lite commercials and starring in Mr. Belvedere.

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We were there for the filming of one scene – the terrible base running of Willie Mays Hayes played by some guy we had never heard of before.  Little did we know that Wesley Snipes was a future star and tax evader.

After three hours of bad base sliding, we headed out disappointed since we did not see any of the “stars” from the film. It was so boring.  Seriously, we opened up our backpacks and started doing homework.  While the day was pretty much a bust, I did get to see the Ueck in action from the press box.

Uncategorized

Great Moments in Bobble Heads: Patrick Corbin

July 20, 2015

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What: Patrick Corbin Bobble Head Promotion

When:  April 26, 2014

Where:  Chase Field

This was a fun one for Mac and me.  Patrick Corbin was coming off of an All-Star Season in 2013, but suffered an injury during Spring Training.  He was not going to pitch at all during 2014.  How was that good for us?  Well, this meant Corbin spent a great deal of time signing for fans prior to the game.  He even was present when the gates opened to hand out the bobble head to fans.

After getting our bobble head, we headed down to the third base line to see if Mac could get Corbin to sign a ball.  Mac prefers the autographed ball over the signed bobble head.  Can’t see the signature as well, plus the potential risk of damaging the item while at the game.

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How many Patrick Corbins are in this picture?

 

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Handing Mac back his ball.

We were in luck.  Corbin was signing!  Mac found a spot and waited his turn.  It was great.  Bobble head and autograph – not a bad day!

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Bobble Head. Check. Autograph. Check.

 

 

Ballpark Memory, Uncategorized

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox (Fenway Park)

July 4, 2015

 

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Joey Bats talking with Mike Cameron before the game

When:  April 17, 2011

Box Score: Blue Jays – Red Sox April 17

Who:  Amanda, Mac and Me

Why: We headed  out to Boston as I prepared to run the 2011 Boston Marathon.  It was  my third time running, but the first time Mac was able to travel with us to the race.  We had a big Patriots Day Weekend planned.  Some sight seeing, dinner with friends on Saturday night, Race Day and a Red Sox game.

This was building to be an emotional trip.  First, the excitement of seeing Fenway Park was a quite exciting.  Second, the reason I run Boston is raise funds and awareness for Hydrocephalus research as part of Tedy’s Team.  Led by a friend from Tucson, this group gives me the chance to help my son and run a lot.  I had run many times in Mac’s name, but this would be the first time he would be at one of these races.

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Thanks to our awesome friends Anne Marie and Margaret, we were able to obtain great seats right behind First Base.  Also through the kindness of our friends, they arranged a private tour of Fenway before the Sunday afternoon game. We met our tour guide, Sarah Applewhite, in the VIP area of Fenway.  To say that Sarah was kind and informative, would be an understatement.  Her and Mac hit it off immediately.  Sarah took us out to the field where the visiting Blue Jays were taking batting practice.  Mac ended up with a ball given to him by Jose Bautista.  Not bad.  Seeing these ball players up close was amazing.

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Thank you Blue Jays

 

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Got it!

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Quick Pitch

George Brett’s Final Home Game (Royals Stadium)

July 2, 2015

George Brett’s Final Home Game

September 29, 1993 at Royals Stadium

Box Score

Indians – Royals September 29, 1993

Who:  Jumping Jamie Plesser and Me

What:  During my first semester at the University of Kansas School of Law, my roommate came into possession of tickets for the final home game of Royals Legend, George Brett.  Jumping Jamie was (and is) a true Royal fan.  No way were we going to miss this game.  The previous year, we almost saw his 3,000th hit.  We were a game late for that event.  This night was not optional.

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The game was pretty non-descript final weekend game for two teams headed in opposite directions.  The Royals were on the slow descent to mediocrity while the Indians were ascending toward juggernaut status.  However, every time Brett came to bat the place became electric.  It was amazing to see the fans cheer for the unquestioned greatest player in franchise history.  When the game ended, the third baseman gave a great speech.  As an Arizona alum, the high point was Brett acknowledging former Arizona hoops player, Kenny Lofton.

The Moment:  Following the emotional goodbye, Brett rode around the stadium in a golf cart before jumping off to do this:

One Last Good Bye

One Last Good Bye

Check out this great article about the final game:

http://www.si.com/vault/1993/10/11/129484/thats-all-folks-george-brett-celebrated-his-final-home-game-in-kansas-city-with-a-few-last-laughs

Quick Pitch

My Night in the Rock Pile (Mile High Stadium)

July 2, 2015

July 18, 1994 at Mile High Stadium

Box Score

Cubs – Rockies July 18, 1994

Who:  John Dalton and Me

What:  This summer I was working in Denver for the ACLU Mountain Region Office.  Luckily for me, an old friend lived in Denver near where I was working.  John’s apartment was also near the city-wide bike path, so we would hop on our bicycles to head out to downtown.

The Rockies were still a new franchise that was playing their games in Mile High Stadium, whose primary tenant was the Denver Broncos.  While Mile High was a great football stadium, it was terrible for baseball.  Due to the unusual seating configuration, tickets were plentiful.  On this evening, we rode our bikes out to the stadium to find seats in the Rock Pile.  What was the Rock Pile?  These were the seats furthest away from the home plate in Center Field.  The best part – each ticket was only $1!

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For a single dollar, we had an awesome view of what we thought was a professional baseball game.  It was hard to tell!

Located in dead Center Field. Elevated above the field. That was the Rock Pile.

Located in dead Center Field. Elevated above the field. That was the Rock Pile.

From our vantage point, we could see the McNichols Arena and, possibly, all the way to Wyoming.

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Somehow, though, we still managed to have a good time.

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Most Memorable Moment: 

John and I were there on a random Monday night in July.  Without a giveaway or other promotional event, there were over 63,000 fans in the stadium.  That’s right, 63,000!  It was insane.  Here is a view from the First Base line.

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