ttowntbird – Take Me Out To The Ballpark

Quick Pitch: Show and Tell (Chris Snyder goes to Kindergarten)

February 12, 2016

In an another post,

You Never Forget Your First . . . Figurine

I talked about Mac getting his first bobble head. It was a Chris Snyder “catcher in action” figure. Needless to say, Mac was engrossed by it. He studied it, played with it and analyzed it quite a bit. There wasn’t a detail on it that Mac didn’t commit to memory.

So, when it came time for the school year to start, Mac needed an item for Show and Tell. This was not a difficult choice for him. It was time for Chris Snyder to go to Kindergarten.

It was important for Mac to explain the nuances of the figure.

Here is Mac breaking down the bobble in even more detail for his classmates.

Not another picture, Dad!

Ballpark Memory, Uncategorized

Tampa Rays at Baltimore Orioles (Oriole Park at Camden Yards)

February 1, 2016

When: April 16, 2014

Box Score: Tampa Rays at Baltimore Orioles April 14, 2014

What: A quick trip to Baltimore for a matinee game during our visit to Washington, D.C.

Who: Amanda, Mac and me.

Why: This game was a bit different from our usual ballpark visits. We decided just to jump over to Baltimore for a game without any advance planning. Our plan was to get there near game time and find tickets from a seller around the stadium. Note: this day was not warm! The anticipated high was 35 degrees. Good thing this would be a day game.

Bonus:

Since the April 15 game was rained out, this game was to be Jackie Robinson Day. Being uniform geeks, we were excited to see our first game where everyone wore the Number 42. Exciting!

Fun Part:

To get to the ball game from DC, we decided to take the train. Not only was this mode of transportation different than our usual method of travel, but we had the pleasure of using two of the nicest train stations in the country.

From DC we caught the train at the legendary Union Station.

All Aboard!

Next Stop: Downtown Baltimore. Continue Reading…

Ballpark Memory, Bobble Head Collection, Uncategorized

Oakland A’s at Texas Rangers & the Baseball President (The Ballpark at Arlington)

January 28, 2016

When: June 19, 2013

Box Score: Athletics v. Rangers June 19, 2013

Who: Amanda, Mac and Me

Our Trip: We were traveling out to San Antonio to pick up my dad’s car. So we decided to fly into Dallas for two important reasons. First, a Rangers game. Second, a visit to the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Mac is not only a baseball fan, but also has a significant interest in US Presidents.

Near the top of his “favorites” list – W. Why? Because he used to own the Texas Rangers and threw out a pitch during the World Series won by the Diamondbacks (See video below).

George W. Bush Presidential Museum, Southern Methodist University

Located on the campus of Southern Methodist University, the museum is really cool. Regardless of your political persuasion or opinion of W, the museum is an amazing experience. You don’t have to be a supporter of W to enjoy the historical elements of the museum. Whatever your opinion, touring the museum will not change your viewpoint of his presidency. However, you will see and experience key moments in history.

Ballpark Memory, Mac's McFarlanes, Uncategorized

2015 All Star Game Part 4 – Fan Fest

September 22, 2015

Fan Fest, Saturday and Sunday (July 11-12)

Sure, attending the HR Derby and the ASG were the primary focus of the trip. However, we were also eagerly anticipating the MLB Fan Fest being held at the Duke Energy Convention Center. It is the greatest collection of memorabilia, souvenirs, cards and baseball activities located anywhere. Let’s just say that Mac was ready for this part of the trip. Our plan was to get up early on Sunday and spend the entire day there. However, Saturday morning, Mac asked if we could go on Saturday as well.

Absolutely. What is better than a day at Fan Fest? Two days!

After running a 5K and walking two additional miles, we were ready to head over to Fan Fest. The event was held at the Duke Energy Convention Center which was about a 15 minute walk from the house. We ended up spending the entire Saturday afternoon there, then we got up the next morning and went back for a few more hours. The following summary combines both days so these are not necessarily in chronological order.

Here we are at the main entrance which featured a large image of Paul Goldschmidt above the door.

Priority Number 1

Ever since Mac learned about this trip to Cincinnati, he has been focused on one specific souvenir. An authentic Paul Goldschmidt National League jersey. This is serious business. Mac counts down the days every year until ASG uniforms and hats are unveiled. This is a big deal in our household. Upon entering the building, we went straight to the Majestic Jersey store. It is a great set-up. The jerseys are embroidered to-order on the spot. On a slower day like this, Mac had his jersey in about 30 minutes.

Uncategorized

2015 All Star Game Part 3 – Louisville Slugger Museum

September 15, 2015

Our day at the Louisville Slugger Museum

After spending the weekend at Fan Fest in Cincinnati, we hopped in the car for the 80 mile drive south to Louisville, Kentucky. We wanted to check out the museum before heading back to town for that night’s Home Run Derby.

Once we made it to downtown, it was pretty easy to spot the museum.

The museum actually functions as the factory for the manufacturing of all Slugger bats. The tour takes you through the factory as the bats are made. Because of the equipment being used, OSHA regulations prohibited any photos in the factory. One neat feature was that they were making special bats for players in the next day’s All Star Game.

There were still a lot of other things to check out after completing the tour.

Main Exhibit Hall

Ballpark Memory, Uncategorized

2015 All Star Game Part 2 – Home Run Derby

September 15, 2015

Welcome to the 2015 Home Run Derby!

Home Run Derby has become a very anticipated event every year. This year with some new rule changes, the event promised to be even better. Of course, there was an extra sense of anticipation due to the presence of hometown hero, Todd Frazier. That afternoon brought huge thunderstorms to the area, but the worst rain just missed downtown. With electricity in the air, we headed down to the ballpark.

My favorite building from the week.

Hey look it is two-time MVP Joe Morgan!

The park was packed and ready for the fireworks sure to come.

Uncategorized

2015 All Star Game Part 1 – MLB Parade

September 4, 2015

One the great traditions of All Star Week is the All Star Parade. It is held early in the afternoon of the ASG. The parade begins at the hotel for the players and takes them to the ballpark for the game. It is a really fun way to see all the players up close prior to the big game. People begin lining up a couple of hours prior to the parade start, but we were able to find a nice spot about 40 minutes before the first truck.

So what do you do when you arrive early to the parade? Why, you read books about presidents and hold your newly purchased Starting Line-Up figures.

Figures of choice for the parade: Cal Ripken, Jr. and Barry Bonds.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Ballpark Memory, Bobble Head Collection, Uncategorized

Pittsburgh Pirates at Houston Astros (Minute Maid Park)

August 21, 2015

When: July 27, 2012

Box Score: Pirates – Astros July 27, 2012

Who: Mac, Gramps, Grams and Me

Why This Game?

This was all about extending a family tradition. As I wrote previously, going to a game with my dad was a big deal for me as a kid. Now that my son was getting older, I wanted to share that experience with the three of us. My dad (Gramps) and his wife (Grams) lived in San Antonio so I thought we could meet in Houston for a game. Something in my head was telling me that this was a good time to do the trip. Little did I know at the time, that this trip would turn out to be our last chance to go to a game together.

The Trip

This was going to be a quick journey. Mac and I would fly in to Houston on Friday afternoon and meet Gramps and Grams at hotel in downtown. Game would be Saturday night with us leaving later Sunday afternoon. While the game was randomly chosen, we ended up choosing wisely. First, we would have the chance to meet up with a friend at the ballpark and watch batting practice. Second, it was a bobble head day. Third, one of Mac’s favorite players had recently joined the Astros from the Diamondbacks. Finally, it was also Faith & Family Night featuring a post-game concert by one of our favorite bands, Mercy Me. Yep, not a bad game.

Batting Practice & Meeting a Baseball Hero

Bobble Head Collection, Mac's McFarlanes

You Never Forget Your First . . . Figurine

August 11, 2015

All collections have to start someplace.

Ours began on July 11, 2009 at Chase Field. On the night before Mac’s fifth birthday party, we traveled up to Phoenix to see the Diamondbacks take on the Florida Marlins. The promotion that night was a Chris Snyder bobble head. Snyder was the catcher for the Dbacks and very much a personal favorite of Mac, so the giveaway was perfect for him.

But, wait, there is more.

As a birthday present, Mac’s grandparents gave him some spending money for the Team Shop. It took him about four seconds to find exactly what he wanted. A Brandon Webb Mcfarlane figurine. Mac was enthralled with it immediately. Little did we know that this purchase was our first step into the wormhole of authentic McFarlanes. His passion for these guys has only grown over the years. I have to admit though, they are really cool.

Love at first sight.

And the rest is history . . .

A portion of the collection . . .

Quick Pitch

Major League – The Movie (Hi Corbett Field)

July 21, 2015

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.

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.

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