My First Trip to AT&T Park!

Hey guys, Drew back here, and I am currently in the heart of San Francisco to bring you some pictures from the Giants-Diamondbacks game I went to Saturday! It was probably the least exciting game of the 3 game set, and the Giants ended up losing 2-0, but it sure was an amazing experience!

We've been in California since Thursday exploring the beautiful city of San Francisco, and prior to the trip we ordered tickets for my family to meet up with some relatives at this Giants game! There are a lot of incredible sights here, but I was most looking forward to seeing AT&T Park for the first time! I always loved the Giants' stadium; I remember watching Barry Bonds blasting home runs into McCovey Cove, and the 2007 Home Run Derby in which Vladimir Guerrero was practically crushing golf balls onto the fairway all night. I've also always had a lot of respect for the Giants organization, and I've rooted for them in their 2 recent World Series wins. So, it was safe to say going to a Giants game was on my baseball bucket list!

We walked around the outside of the stadium for a while, getting to check out all of the amazing statues of former Giants legends! I consider Willie Mays to be the best all around player in baseball history, so seeing his statue in person was especially amazing!

We next walked across McCovey Cove on a bridge to meet Willie McCovey's statue! I didn't realize how far this statue was from the stadium itself, but it was worth the walk without a doubt.

Behind the stadium were some plaques on the ground, including this one dedicating Barry Bonds' record breaking home run. I don't have much respect for Bonds, if any, but he is the home run champ and it is a part of history whether we as fans appreciate it or not.

Brian Wilson, in the meantime, was one of my favorite Giants players growing up! He hasn't done much in LA, but he certainly made his presence felt in San Francisco during his tenure with the team. This plaque dedicated his 48 saves in 2010, which became a Giants franchise record. It doesn't look like Sergio Romo will be matching that this season, but I guess crazier things have happened.

"The Baby Bull" Orlando Cepeda never did a whole lot for me. I've seen him in person a few times over the course of my life, but I've never really wanted to pay to meet him. Regardless, this statue is pretty nice, and it greets fans entering the 2nd Street Gate.

And then, we entered the stadium, and here is exactly what I saw. If that isn't the prettiest thing you've ever seen I don't know what is. This was a view from our seats, which were really, really nice! So nice in fact that I was able to get a few really cool close up pictures!

I may sound like everyone else, but Buster Posey is my favorite Giant. Ever since I got his autograph through the mail the Spring Training prior to his rookie season, I've rooted for him. The best feeling is rooting for someone who signed for you before they make it big, and that's exactly how it worked out with him.

I'm pretty proud of this shot. 

We got into the stadium a little late because we were waiting for the rest of our family to arrive, but we got in to hear some of the ceremony they had honoring former pitcher Dave Dravecky, including Will Clark's quick speech! I'm almost positive the man in the wheelchair is Willie McCovey, but we didn't get to see the introductions and they didn't say anything after we sat down regarding him. I really wish we got in sooner so I could have seen that, but I guess I got to say I saw him in person anyway.

It was hard to focus on Dravecky's speech because the players were warming up literally right in front of us, so I snapped some pictures throughout the ceremony. Michael Morse and Hunter Pence are playing catch in the picture above. I never realized just how tall these two were!

Dravecky's speech was touching to say the least. He suffered from bone cancer which led to his career being cut short far too soon, and eventually his arm deteriorated so much that it had to be amputated. The fans in San Francisco really loved him, judging by the roaring ovation he received after his heartfelt speech. 

He went on to throw out the first pitch, and he pretended to throw the ball with his nonexistent left arm, and then actually threw the ball with his right arm. It was definitely a touching moment, and I think when I get home I'm going to write him a letter.

The Giants simply just know how to do things the right way.

Ryan Vogelsong started the game for the Giants, and faced off against Wade Miley. The matchup wasn't supposed to be very enticing, but it turned out to be a pretty good battle. Ultimately, Miley got the last laugh, pitching 7 scoreless innings. "Vogey", as he's known to many Giants fans, allowed a solo home run off the bat of Aaron Hill, but otherwise pitched well also, especially with the help from some great defensive plays by Pence, Scutaro, and the Panda roaming 3rd base!

The Diamondbacks only major silver lining over the course of this season was provided from the guy in the picture above, Mr. Paul Goldschmidt. Goldy has been phenomenal these past two seasons and has evolved into the best 1st baseman in the National League! He ripped a double in the first inning and flashed his leather later on to put a halt to the biggest Giants rally of the day.

The Giants have been terrible since the beginning of the summer, to put it simply. The look on Buster Posey's face here after striking out says it all. Posey has had a really tough year, and it really showed when not one, not two, not three, but four other catchers had been named to the All Star team before he did. 

Despite their huge slide down the standings, they are only a game out of first place in the NL West going into the All Star break! It's going to be another classic race between the Giants and Dodgers this season, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it winds up.

The 7th inning stretch was a lot of fun, as team mascot Lou Seal tossed Cracker Jacks into our section during "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"!

Sergio Romo came in relief later on. He lost his closer's job recently after getting hit around an awful lot. He struck out both batters he faced with men on base and kept the Giants in the game, which could help him win back his job sooner rather than later.

My sister and I walked around the stadium between the 8th and 9th innings, and it further proved that it's the most gorgeous ballpark I've ever been to! 

I never realized there were slides inside the Coke bottle in the left field bleachers! The slides are for children aged 14 and under, otherwise I so would've done it. 

The Giants would go on to drop the game 2-0 as I stated before, but it was a really special experience that I'm extremely fortunate and lucky to say I was able to take part in. If you're a huge baseball fan, which if you're reading this blog I assume you should be; you've gotta check this park out. It does not disappoint.

Okay, off to Alcatraz! See Ya!

2013 All Star Workout Day Recap!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I explained at the end of my last post that Mike, Vinny, Dad, and I's day was far from over as we left Fanfest. To go along with that quest, we also all bought tickets to attend the 2013 Chevrolet Home Run Derby at Citi Field in Queens! I believe that the derby is the marquee event of the All Star break, simply because the All Star Game itself hasn't been exciting since the extra inning affair in Yankee Stadium a few years back. The tickets weren't cheap, but I thought it would be a once in a lifetime chance to see some of the best hitters in baseball go deep before my eyes! The night of the derby is also the All Star Workout day, so if your favorite player isn't necessarily competing in the event, you may at least get to see them take some swings in the cage, which for some players can be more entertaining than watching them during the game the following night!

As we arrived at the stadium, a few of us bought the exclusive All Star Program for sale, which had the full All Star rosters among a scorecard and many other things. As we walked in we were also given a bag filled with pamphlets, a towel, and a few other small items. We originally wanted to try graphing at the stadium, but we were so exhausted from Fanfest that we just wanted to sit down and take it all in. I had never been to Citi Field prior to the event, so I used this event to get a taste of the ballpark and take in something other than Yankee Stadium air for once!

As you can see, it was a beautiful day, although I must say until the sun went down it was brutally hot out. Our seats were in the first row of the promenade section, and they were perfect for viewing the entire field and seeing the ball fly out of the stadium! We grabbed some food and picked up some merchandise, but spent the rest of the workout watching our fantasy players and favorite players take some cuts!

One of the first players we saw in the batting cage was someone who had earlier on been feet away from us, Andrew McCutchen. In retrospect, it was awesome getting to see "Cutch" entertain the children for the event, but I think I'll always remember getting the cold shoulder from him when I was literally standing two feet away from him. However, I'd like to say the security really interfered with the situation, so I'm going to try and forgive Andrew for their ridiculousness.

Bryce Harper jumped in soon afterwards! Originally, I wasn't a huge Harper fan, because he seemed arrogant and stuck-up. However, I've grown to love his passion and attitude for the game! He's always an exciting player to watch and I was pumped to see him in the Derby later on that night!

How can you be a baseball fan without loving Buster Posey? He's done it all already- won 2 World Series, an MVP, NL Rookie of the Year, made 2 All Star teams, and caught a perfect game! Yadier Molina may one of my favorite fantasy baseball catchers in recent years, but Posey is still my favorite all around catcher in the game. It was great to see him take BP, because I won't be seeing a Yankees-Giants game anytime soon.

I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't invited to this all exclusive VIP club in center field featuring Mike Trout, Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, Nelson Cruz, and Adam Jones, but I guess I'll get over it. It was cool to see players of various teams interacting and having a good time, and it was a reminder that business is still a little kid's game through it all.

Speaking of kids, my all time favorite pitcher Mariano Rivera was out in the outfield playing catch with his two sons. I was a little nervous seeing Mo throw in the outfield, but fortunately his older son caught by the outfield wall, while he was closer to the infield. I'd love to see him finish his final year injury-free.

I found you, Harold Reynolds! The former second baseman and current MLB Network analyst was out roaming about the outfield interviewing numerous players, and I caught him talking to Salvador Perez and Nelson Cruz. I really enjoy Harold on the MLB Network, so it was neat to get to see him in person.

When you take several hundred pictures at an event, you're bound to find a picture or two that makes you question "what on Earth is going on?" Well, it appears that Miguel Cabrera lost his child to someone I cannot identify, and he doesn't look he's very motivated to take him back! Too funny.

I don't know which club I'd have a better shot of entering- the one earlier on, or this group of excellent young pitchers! By the warning track in center field stood Tigers aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, along with Boston's Clay Buchholz, the ChiSox's Chris Sale, and Tampa's last minute All Star addition Matt Moore! I could only imagine what these guys were talking about. Did you see Adam Dunn's swing on my curveball?

Mike Trout. There isn't much else to say. This guy is must-see TV.

In case Trout had a little bit of room to improve, Big Papi and Joey Bats could certainly fill up that empty space in his game. Bautista has been one of the most entertaining players in the past few years, and not even this Yankee fan can say that I hate David Ortiz. Sure, he cheated, and sure, he's murdered the Yankees many, many times, but there's something about the guy that you really have to love.

But while all of those All Stars may be pretty good, this guy in the cage stole the spotlight under the bright lights! The lone player in the Home Run Derby not on the All Star team, Yoenis Cespedes certainly went on to make his presence felt as the night went on. Tomorrow I'll wrap the night up with pictures from the actual derby! I hope you all have enjoyed this series! 

See Ya!

TTM #8- A Big Prospect!!!

Hey guys, Drew back here, after running around all day, I just got back to find some bad news in my mailbox. Whitey Ford sent back.... but didn't sign anything and left a price guide. I'm going to assume that he didn't sign because I sent it to his foundation and probably an executive or something opened it up, didn't see money, included a price list and sent it right back. Well, it sucks, but what can you do. On Friday however, I did get a TTM in, of a really good prospect, check it out:

BUSTER POSEY!!! Buster signed the card and sent the index card I sent him unsigned! This looks pretty sharp and Buster is according to MLB.com the 4th ranked prospect in all of baseball. Buster won't be starting this year like Matt Wieters due to Bengie Molina but he will be up in the Majors full time by maybe next year. As I do with many people I get TTM back from, I will try to check on how he's doing every once in a while, not because this holds value, which it doesn't, and I honestly don't care. TTM autos are meant to be personal and NOT sold, and I prefer getting TTMs over buying certified autographs. Good luck Buster and thanks for signing!

By the way, it took 17 days for Posey to respond. I bought a sweet card off eBay last night, and bought some stuff today at Modells that I'll post soon. Also have some Vintage Cards from Pop Popps, mail from foul bunt (AGAIN!!!), and some group break loot from the Troll. So stay tuned if you want to see that stuff, I'll have maybe one of those up tonight! See Ya!