6/10/09 @ Oriole Park at Camden Yards
I’ll start out by saying the ballpark here is absolutely beautiful. The brick, the field, the picnic area in centerfield, the warehouse, the huge standing room only madeforhomeruns area…wow.
…the Legends Museum in front with the warehouse in the background (with arrow).
…Eutaw St. sign with centerfield picnic area and left field in background.
…EUTAW STREET GATE H-the centerfield entrance into the stadium.
…looking through the EUTAW STREET gate and down the stadium walkway from the centerfield side.
…looking down the same walkway but from the other side (right field side).
…a nice shot of the beautiful brick warehouse from down the right field line.
…the home plate entrance.
…the picnic area in centerfield with the field (and batting cage!) in the background.
…me in front of the EUTAW STREET entrance (sporting my Ripken #8 shirt).
…two very special people.
That’s Todd, his little man Tim and I. Todd has a really cool blog and is an extremely cool Dad. Todd comments on my blog from time to time and this was the 1st time we’d met. His little guy is one cool dude.
You have to go to his blog and read about their travels. Guys like Todd inspire me!
I came to Baltimore to see the stadium.
Mission accomplished.
I came to Baltimore to catch Matt Wieters 1st career home run.
1 day down…no home run.
Time will tell.
Mission pending.
Besides getting some bad advice from an “expert,” all is well.
Let me tell you…BP was the worst of my life. I had a legitimate play on 1 ball the entire day. I did not get that ball.
All of the players around me stared straight ahead.
Everywhere I went, the ball went elsewhere.
I’ve had better BP’s with the 1990’s Pirates hitting at County Stadium, a sprained ankle and 40,000 in attendance.
It was JUST one of those days that I can’t explain.
Oh well…I don’t have a precious streak I keep track of. I don’t HAVE to snag a ball at EVERY single game to feel necessary. I have nothing to prove.
50 career game home runs snagged have taken care of that.
I came with the mission to snag Matt Wieters 1st career home run and return it to him without incident.
I learned a few things from the Chris Coghlan fiasco.
I’ll say no more other than to leave you with this picture I took on my walk back to my hotel…
…that about sums up my day of ballhawking.
When the greatest raw power swinger in recent memory (Russell “The Muscle” Branyan) works on his directional hitting in BP, you know you’re in for a long day.
0 baseballs snagged.
Tomorrow is a new day.
2009 BALLHAWKING STATS
- 0 total balls 6/10/09
ATTENDANCE: 12,770!!!!
shameful # for such a beautiful park…
2009 TOTAL BASEBALLS
4/7/09 = 5 baseballs
4/8/09 = 10 baseballs
4/9/09 = 10 baseballs
4/10/09 = 3 baseballs
4/11/09 = 5 baseballs
4/12/09 = 5 baseballs
4/13/09 = 11 baseballs
4/14/09 = 6 baseballs
4/21/09 = 5 baseballs
4/27/09 = 15 baseballs
4/28/09 = 9 baseballs
4/30/09 = 4 baseballs
5/01/09 = 7 baseballs
5/02/09 = 4 baseballs
5/08/09 = 11 baseballs
5/09/09 = 1 lousy ball
5/12/09 = 14 baseballs
5/13/09 = 12 baseballs
5/19/09 = 8 baseballs
5/22/09 = 3 baseballs
5/23/09 = 2 baseballs
5/26/09 = 3 baseballs
5/29/09 = 6 baseballs
5/30/09 = 5 baseballs
6/01/09 = 1 baseball
6/02/09 = 9 baseballs
6/09/09 = 4 baseballs
6/10/09 = 0 baseballs
___________________
178 baseballs (28 games)
6.36 average per game
Happy,
You’ll bounce back. I had the worst day of my ballhawking life at Camden Yards earlier this year in April. I still want to go back though. Hope you get Wieters first homer – that’d make quite a story.
Erik
http://countingbaseballs.mlblogs.com
Happy, great to meet you last night. It was cool seeing you and Zack on the job in RF. Sorry none of my M’s help you two out. I would have loved to see the battle of the ballhawks out there. (I would have also loved to see a LF Mariners home run). As for Weiters, you’ll have to wait until the M’s leave town. Its not happening on the M’s watch.
-Todd
http://cookandsonbats.mlblogs.com
PS – my report on the game will be forthcoming…probably this weekend.
PPS – excellent stadium shots!
Welcome to my world brotha! Shutouts suck, plain & simple. You may not think about streaks & stuff like that, but a big fat goose egg on your stats speaks for itself. Don’t let it bother you, even Jordan had off games in his career! Give ’em hell!
Brian
http:/txbaseballfan.mlblogs.com
Everyone has bad days. So don’t let this one day get you down. Also, you are popping up in a whole bunch of stadiums now. Any chance of you coming to New York anytime soon? If so let me know.
http://riveravenue.mlblogs.com
Alex
Great pictures Happy!
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
Happy, that leaves the both of us brotha — on both of our first time trips to Camden Yards, we both were shutout for the day. I felt your pain man. BE STRONG! Your comic relief at the end is a definite chuckler, if I say so myself. When the hell are you comin’ to New York?!
– Donnie
http://donnieanks.mlblogs.com/
SHUT OUT? Come on Nick. COME ON! Please tell me thats a lie or a joke…. I have to be hallucinating.
Shawn
http://realtalk.mlblogs.com
It happens brotha, makes you appreciate the good snaggin days more. Beautiful pictures Nick…D
http://baseballsnatcher.mlblogs.com/
How come you wore an Orioles shirt, and then switched to a Mariners shirt at the same game? That’s kind of weird, as a baseball fan, isn’t? Seems as though it’s not the first time either. It’s somewhat disrespectful to a team if you show up and wear the opposing teams shirt, isn’t it? Unless, of course, you’re an actual fan of that opposing team. Though, looking at your blog, I’m not sure if you’re a Brewers, Marlins, Reds, Pirates, Blue Jays, Mariners, Orioles, Athletics, White Sox, Twins, or Diamondbacks fan.
Nor do you seem particular ‘young’. ‘Happy Middle Aged Guy’ seems more appropriate.
My guess is you won’t approve this comment, or you’ll delete it. However, I think my questions are sincere enough to warrant an answer.
Happy,
I’ve heard Camden Yards is beautiful, thanks for sharing pics. Everyone has an offday! The Sox pitching staff had an offday Sunday, they’ll bounce back and so will you! That’s so nice that you want to give Wieters his first HR back to him :). I’d love to do something like that.
Elizabeth
http://redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com
ERIK…
Thanks. He FINALLY! hit his 1st homer last night (6/17).
TODD…
The pleasure of meeting you two was all mine. Good luck!!
BRIAN…
you should have been a motivational speaker!!
ALEX…
I don’t think I’ll make New York until next season. But, hey-you never know.
JULIA…
thank you.
DONNIE…
thanks. See above.
SHAWN…
can’t explain it. Hample jinx??? Would he do that??
D…
If you haven’t been out there-you gotta go.
DOUBTER…
I’m proud to say that I’m a fan of baseball. In this beautiful and free world we live in-I can wear whatever the hell I want to wear. As long as it doesn’t have cuss words or explicit images.
By definition: middle-aged is 40 or older. I’m 29.
ELIZABETH…
Been a long time! Thanks for the kind words. Good luck to your BoSox!
“Happy”
Happy Youngster, you are the man of the year 2011. If this is the energy that you are employing in your third week of January 2011 then you need more accolades. Takes us all through these busy and beautiful stadiums and post their pictures here. – Jordan