Okay…so, the laptop came with us to Arizona.  Wouldn’t ya know it, our internet connection would not allow me to log into mlblogs!  You can imagine how ticked off I was.
But, better late than never, right?

Here it goes…

DAY 1
3/27/09

We left our home around 5 am on this day.  The Milwaukee Airport is approx. 10 minutes from our home.  When I pulled up to the baggage drive to drop off my family, my 3 yr. old daughter said to me, “are we in Arizona?”  (I guess that 10 minute car ride felt like an eternity to her)
I didn’t think I was driving that slow 🙂

Our flight was on time.  When we boarded and settled in, my daughter looked up at me with her big tear-filled brown eyes and yelled, “I wanna go home, now!”  I thought we were about to have a meltdown.  When the plane finally started to move, tears were replaced with a familiar smile.  We’re about 30,000 feet in the air when my daughter asks me, “why are all the clouds on the ground?”  Inquisitive 3 yr. old minds want to know, I guess.

Our 2 month-old infant, Jack, was crying and screaming for a majority of the flight.  I know, I know.  You’ve all been on a plane with a crying infant and you thought to yourself, please…just shut that kid up!  But, come on…give them a break next time.  If you have kids-you understand.  If you don’t and you’re still judgmental, put on earphones, talk to yourself, do whatever…just suck it up, willya?

We finally arrived, got settled into our hotel and grabbed some lunch.

Finally…I was about to make my 2009 ballhawking debut.  Look the hellout.

BASEBALL #1
I arrived at Maryvale Baseball Park at around 2:30 pm for the open practice.  I proceeded to head to the left field berm area.  After about 3 minutes, Brewers 3B Casey McGehee hit one high into the Arizona sky.  I ran about 10 feet to my left and about 10 feet down the grassy hill where I camped underneath it and caught it cleanly on the fly. 
They say you can tell how you’re season is going to go by the 1st one of the year. 
I hope so.

BASEBALL #2
A few minutes later, Bill Hall hit one that was a ways from me.  I ran it down on the bounce.

BASEBALL #3
At this time, an employee informed me no one was allowed on the berm during practice…what?  Whatever.  She was only doing her job.  It’s the people in charge that need their heads examined.  Way to go Brewers.  Take away the one fun thing left. 
Total bullsheet. 
While the nice security lady was telling me this, McGehee hit another one.  I snagged it on the bounce and kept it. Ha!  That’ll show ’em.

BASEBALL #4
I had moved over to the 1st base side when I yelled to Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan. I asked him if he had an extra.  He looked down at the baseball in his hands and fired it high in the air to me.  I was standing over 100 feet away with no glove on (I took it off because I was no longer out in home run territory).  So, I bare-handed it cleanly.  I prefer the glove.  Besides, bare-handing baseballs is over-rated.  Guys want to look cool bare-handing a ball, but there’s too many little bones in the human hand to be screwing around doing that.

6:05 – first pitch Brewers @ Texas (Surprise Stadium)

BASEBALL #5
In the bottom of the 6th inning, Rangers 1B Chris Davis smacked one to left and I snagged it on the first bounce.  1st game home run of 2009!  Not an official stat, but cool just the same.  I love the rush of snagging a game home run baseball. 
Spring Training or not, on the fly or not, that feeling never gets old.

                    Rangers 1B Chris Davis displaying his heavily salted cap.

                       Me displaying my Chris Davis game home run baseball.

                                  The Chris Davis game home run baseball.

                 My wife’s Uncle Jim and I enjoying the game.  Glad you guys came!! 

BASEBALL #6
After the game concluded, the umpire trick paid off.  Home plate ump Dan Bellino tossed me one near home plate.

                            The six (6) baseballs retrieved 3/27/09 (counter-clockwise).

TOTALS

• 1 baseball snagged on the fly (BP)
• 2 snagged on the bounce
• 1 toss-up ball
• 1 game home run baseball (Chris Davis)
• 1 ump game ball

_______

• 6 baseballs total 3/27/09