8/26/09 @ Miller Park
My wife was running late from work, therefore, I was now running late to the ballpark. I did not get to the ballpark until 5:55 pm. There was nothing I could do to avoid it, so, I had to suck it up and make the best of it. Batting Practice usually ends around 6:20/6:25 pm. That gave me 25-30 minutes.
I’ll describe how I snagged Ball #1 with a few pictures…
Unfortunately, it would carry over my head and bounce in the front row of the Tundra Territory where it came to a rest.
In my overly zealous state, the following picture shows the route I took to obtain the ball…
I had to or one of these two would have…
…Casey and Matt. Two young ballhawks with similar enthusiasm.
Who says white men can’t jump??
I’ll tell you who-
the usher in my section.
He immediately came marching over and demanded that I throw the ball back on the field. I cocked my arm back to throw it onto the field and then I paused, wondering if he was for real?? He then snatched the ball out of my hand and threw the ball back onto the field himself!! Wow. Take it easy.
I understand he has a job to do, but, c’mon…don’t take it so personal.
I would go on to snag three more baseballs (all on the fly).
Ball #2 was off the bat of LAYNCE NIX (easy grab).
Balls #3 & #4 were off the bat of JOEY VOTTO. The cool thing? They were on consecutive pitches. That rarely ever happens.
BP ended I somehow managed to snag four (4) baseballs in 25 minutes without asking a single player for a ball. Some days I just don’t feel like begging for a baseball. I rarely ever feel comfortable doing it. But, this season I’m doing it for the sake of the Ballhawk League.
During the game, I hung out a bit with two of my favorite Brewers fans…
The game went into extra innings for the 2nd consecutive day.
Brewers lost in ten…4-3.
I did not try for any warmup balls. I did not try for any tossups, foul balls, ump balls, etc.
As is usually the case, I only focused on game home runs.
Blahblahblah…the Brewers season has been a major disappointment.
One of the cooler things of the day…
…analyzing the marks on this baseball.
Three staggered green marks across one of the side panels?!
How do you think that got there??
Day’s snags…
Okay, he’s not crazy, but, he was pretty **********…
2009 BALLHAWKING STATS
- 4 total balls 8/26/09
4 batted baseballs
ATTENDANCE: 35,084
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
6/11/09 = 2 baseballs
6/12/09 = 9 baseballs
6/23/09 = 6 baseballs
6/24/09 = 9 baseballs
6/26/09 = 9 baseballs
6/27/09 = 4 baseballs
6/29/09 = 3 baseballs
6/30/09 = 5 baseballs
7/07/09 = 6 baseballs
7/10/09 = 3 baseballs
7/20/09 = 7 baseballs
7/24/09 = 6 baseballs
7/27/09 = 8 baseballs
7/29/09 = 3 baseballs
8/04/09 = 4 baseballs
8/11/09 = 7 baseballs
8/12/09 = 6 baseballs
8/15/09 = 4 baseballs
8/16/09 = 3 baseballs
8/17/09 = 10 baseballs
8/25/09 = 10 baseballs
8/26/09 = 4 baseballs
___________________
306 baseballs (50 games)
6.12 average per game
…400 baseballs snagged this season is within reach…
“Happy”
The Happy Youngster...Brew Town's Ballhawk 
The ushers at Miller are crazy. Barely ever get to pull off a successful glove trick. What’s wrong with jumping a wall for a ball? Seems like a perfectly legal move to me. Ha. Keep it up.
that usher is a wacko. why did he want you to throw it back on to the field did it not go in to the stands? crazy man.
-bettencourt
I don’t like ushers that take their jobs too seriously. It’s not like their guarding Fort Knox or the White House, they’re seats! And sometimes empty ones at that! Oh well, what can you do? Adapt and overcome!
Brian
http://txbaseballfan.mlblogs.com
In Texas, that’s battery. Under Fisher v. Carrousel Motor Hotel a court found for a defendant who had a plate snatched from his hand by a hotel employee.
http://www.4lawschool.com/torts/hotel.shtml
Donny in Houston
Hey Donny! —
Quit showing off your lawyer skills okay? You’re making us all look bad! Just kidding brotha!
EVERYONE…
Great stuff.
I have a huge blog I’m working on from 8/28-don’t miss it. Expect it up later tonight.
“Happy”
Happy, I hated to see Drew Sutton get traded by the Astros. He was part of the 2008 Corpus Christi Hooks Double A squad. It was amazing to see Drew hit the long ball from both sides of the plate. I love our game day staff at Whataburger Field. Many a game you will find me and our youngest son out on the berm. The only thing I had about the left field berm is the walk-way that cuts through it so you have to be extremely mindful of it.
Your story about the guy and his girlfriend getting hit by Kyle Blanks ball made me chuckle. Blanks was in Double A last year with the San Antonio Missions. I have managed to snag a couple of home run balls including a nice welt from one that hit off of my forearm.
http://thehooks.mlblogs.com/
Happy, you’re a better man than me. I pity the usher or fan who grabs a ball out of my hand. He’d have followed that ball back onto the field. That is pure bullsheet..That’s some crazy good snaggin for only 25 minutes brotha…Wow…D
http://baseballsnatcher.mlblogs.com/
DAN…
That Blanks kid can sure hit the ball.
Good luck out on that berm!
D…
I think my enthusiasm is a little much for him to handle at times. Anyway, thanks for the shout!
“Happy”