crazedparent

Excuse me while I talk baseball: And the fog rolls in...

 

Eerie. Beautiful.

Slow rolls. Miniature drops.

Baseball by the Bay. 

(Wednesday, August 24, 2011. SF Giants v. SD Padres. And we win.)

 

Things I Iove, baseball edition: Snapping photos at Spring Training (and hello, Hector Sanchez...)

 Spring Training is a big slice of photo heaven pie. You're able to catch players in random moments. Like the newest San Francisco Giant, Hector Sanchez. He's a catcher, just called up late last week from the Fresno Grizzlies. 

We saw him catching in the bullpen for Jeremy Affeldt during Spring Training. It was a typical scorching hot afternoon in Arizona, so when he was done working with Affeldt he took a break in what little shade he could fine in the pen.

Checking out the walls. Picking calluses on his fingers.  Just being. So perfectly rookie. So young. So resembles Ponch from CHiPs. 

We caught him playing with the Fresno Grizzlies a few weeks ago. He got on base every at bat, so the kid has a good eye.  

But my baseball playing kid? His eye only took notice of only one thing that was most important to him--the New Balance cleats. That's what my boy wears. And any pro that uses NB cleats scores high points for him. Again with the simple things.

Good luck, Poncherello!

A dancing gorilla and some baseball...

Road trips to watch minor league baseball  have become part of our summer vacation tradition. We've been a little behind on  the minor league games, with only one road trip to catch the Fresno Grizzlies in Sacramento . And we've only seen the San Jose Giants twice this season.

I know.

We have a few weekends left to squeeze in those road trips. 

Some may wonder why we love minor league baseball as much as we do. Seeing the next "big" player in the early stages of his career is certainly one component.

But honestly, it comes down to good old-fashioned fun. And really, where else would you see a gorilla  teachin' the fans how to do the Dougie?

 

I think I jinxed the San Francisco Giants...

A few weeks ago I sent out an invite to a birthday party I'm throwing for my husband's birthday. The venue is a favorite, a San Jose Giants game. In the invitation, I mentioned that our guests might catch a glimpse of current SF Giants who are rehabbing from injuries. (It's common for players on the disabled list to play in San Jose or Fresno.)  My exact words were "you might spy a current SF Giant -- or twelve -- doing rehab in the minors."

Before I sent the invitation, only four SF Giants were on the disabled list. One was rehabbing in San Jose. Since that day, four more SF Giants have been seriously injured, are on the DL or will be placed on the DL today. Mark de Rosa reinjured his wrist, Darren Ford twisted his ankle, and last night Mike Fontenot pulled his groin (ouch).

But the most horrible injury of all also took place last night and it happened to our family favorite, Buster Posey.  The video footage and still photos just make your heart sink.  Personally, I'm just crushed. I really dig that guy and his ability to inspire others, and am so sad to see him likely out for the season. 

We're sending a ton of positive thoughts to Buster and all the other injured Giants. And we hope we don't see ANY MORE OF YOU IN REHAB on the SJ Giants field.

The advice Buster Posey gave my boys...

Pablo Sandoval, Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey sat a few feet away from me talking about the past season with host Doug Greenwald (the voice of the Fresno Grizzlies, for those of you who are not baseball junkies). Doug stood up and said it was time for a little Q&A with our "panel."

It took me all of two minutes and I was ready to chat the chat with the big boys on stage.

 I directed my question to Buster Posey.

Wait. First I told him what a joy it was to watch him play baseball. A joy, I said, and I explained how our family spent many a night watching him play in the minors, and then I had to stop before I began my Ode to Buster.

I asked him to talk about his work ethic, not just in baseball, but in life. In every single article I've read about him, he talks about how, for him, it's not enough to give 100 percent. He believes that if you're not giving 110 percent, why bother? And I like that about him. He says things that you want to print out and frame in your kid's room. Like  "You should shoot for high standards, and believe they're obtainable."

So, with my boys in tow, I asked if he could talk about that a bit more as it relates to school (he was an excellent student) and life. I told him we talk to our boys about effort and about how when you want something to happen in your life, you have to work hard to make it happen. 

And here is what Buster Posey said:

"First, I'm going to tell your sons this: Listen to your mom and dad." 

When I met him later on as he signed my SF Giants cap, I thanked him for giving me Parenting Gold.

Because in my back pocket, in those moments when I need it most, I have the words: "Do you remember what Buster Posey told you?"

How good does Pablo Sandoval look?

The first thing I hear when folks find out I went to watch the the San Francisco Giants at spring training: "How does Pablo look?"

"Pablo" is Pablo Sandoval, the Giants third baseman, who embarked on major effort to trim up and get fit during the offseason.

The answer? I think the photo speaks for itself. Pablo looks fantastic. Seriously fantastic. 

But beyond his physical appearance, you can just tell the guy feels really good about himself. He walks around with a confident look and a smile. His eyes have that hint of mischief, too. Always.  But what really struck me hard is that you can see how proud he feels for staying on track. 

From what I saw in the four games attended, it's paying off on the field too. He hit a triple and easily made it to third. And he's hitting the ball like mad.

Also? Sweet guy. You just want to HUG HIM. 

Hot topic we are discussing: Venezuelan food.

 

I ain't havin' it.

"I ain't havin' it."

That's the phrase that's been streaming through my head lately whenever faced with a challenge.

I can thank Buster Posey for the stroke of sauciness.

Growing up in San Francisco as an avid baseball fan -- an avid San Francisco Giants fan -- the chip to dislike the Los Angeles Dodgers was embedded in my brain long ago. I can appreciate some of the gamers in the Dodgers organization (hello, Clayton Kershaw) but really? Down with the blue.

On the boo Dodgers tip, I've never been a Matt Kemp fan. He's just to flashy for me. Too showy. It seems like he's always playing for the camera versus playing for the game. Even this video couldn't win me over.

So back to Posey.

On Tuesday night, Kemp tried to steal second. Posey took him out. A spot-on throw. A perfectly executed play. If you blinked, you missed it. (Replay here via SF Giants/MLB video)

Cannon.

Arm.

Kemp mosied back to the dugout with a "whatevs" look on his face.

Posey settled back in the box, serious as can be. Secretly? I wanted a replay of this moxilicious moment from Buster's college days.

 

Zoinks.

Everyone should take a little sliver of that Buster Posey attitude pie.  Sure, the soul needs to be feed with peace and the desire to be challenged with the willingness to accept that not everything can go your way.

 But a fire in the belly with an "I ain't gonna have it" attitude can go a long, long way.

And for San Francisco Giants fans, we hope it takes us well past September.

Excuse me while I talk baseball: Say hello to Darren Ford...

When I snapped this photo of Darren Ford during SF Giants spring training, I labeled it the "quintessential baseball pose." 

It remains one of my favorite photos. One hand on hip. Other hand leaning on bat. Pensive. Confident. Classic. The aura of something special.

Back in March, Darren Ford was still in the minors. He got called up to the bigs last night. He landed in the Bay Area earlier this evening and arrived at the ball park during the second inning of the SF Giants/Colorado Rockies game.

 Tim Lincecum finally, finally found some sort of groove with nine strikeouts. The game was tied at 1-1.

Darren Ford entered the game as a pinch runner in the eighth inning. You know, after landing from a long flight and meeting his teammates in the second inning of a fairly important game.

And he scored the game-winning run. In his first Major League appearance.

Something special indeed.

*The new typepad features are causing photo format problems. Still trying to figure it all out.

A Giant milestone...

Date night was planned. The babysitter was locked and loaded. The kids were bouncing off the walls with excitement because she was coming over. It was going to be a magical moment. A baseball game without the kids. One where we could sit and actually watch the game while slowly sipping our beers and taking in the scenery.

And then the boys found out Mom and Dad were leaving them with a babysitter so they could watch the Giants take on the Marlins.  The sincere shock and outrage they displayed when learning this information was humorous and annoying. I was especially impressed with the hiding of tears at the thought of not being able to witness the smooth windup of Marlins pitcher and NL ace Josh Johnson.

Eight looked me square in the eyes: "You're JOKING, right? This is a JOKE."

Oh yes he did.

The babysitter was called off and the boys exchanged their cheers because they had just turned date night into family night.

Here's how family night baseball games usually go for us: We arrive at the ball park, take in some batting practice, grab dinner, watch two innings while listening to our kids whine that it's time to walk around/ride the cable car/play on the slide/eat dessert. We stall them until at least the third inning and take our ball park stroll. Sometimes I sit and watch the game while the husband goes with the boys. Or vice versa. But mostly, we all go and finally return to our seats right when it's time for the seventh inning stretch. We need no stretching. We're all stretched out. We go home at the bottom of the eighth because the kids are tired and we usually miss an amazing play. Like Buster Posey's first MLB at bat (which I had to listen to in the car).

I was prepared for the same routine at last night's game.

Only holy cow, my kids decided to throw me a crazy change up.

After we sat down with our dinner, the boys made it through all nine innings. NINE INNINGS! And only one request for a walk -- to buy dessert.

No slides. No games. Just baseball.

I almost cried.

Traveling Crazed, Baseball Edition: A road trip to Sacramento for the Rivercats and Raley Field

We dig road trips. But road trips that involve baseball? Extra bonus points for all.

Last summer we visited Sacramento to watch the Fresno Grizzlies take on the Sacramento Rivercats.

The high point of our weekend was when Nol and I got meet  . It's okay, you can join the bandwagon of loving him now since he's proved himself worthy but we were early adopters.

Mostly, we all enjoyed a sweet family getaway. One we'll be replicating in a few weeks time.

If you live in Northern California and want to catch some fun minor league baseball, Raley Field in Sacramento is tops when it comes to MiLB stadiums. Every spot at Raley Field has a good view. The sunsets are gorgeous. And if you bring young children, the Kid's Corner will become your best friend. My 5-year-old son can manage to get through three innings before he needs to get his wiggles out. The Kid's Corner is full of activities and a two favorites are the bounce house and an enormous slide.  Toddlers can chill out in a sandbox and bigger kids can test their mad baseball skillz with some throwing games. You do have to pay for the games but otherwise, it's just about perfect. Especially because after a visit to the corner, you're kids will likely be able to sit for another few innings.

And when you can sit for a few innings? You can have margaritas delivered to you at your seat.

We like to sit close to the field and if we're lucky, right next to the dugout. Besides offering a bounty of photo ops, I love listening to the chatter amongst the players and watching their quirky routines and superstitious habits. That and the pop of the ball when it hits the catcher's glove. I bought our tickets through the main ticket office and only a few days before the game and fantastic seats were still available. (I'm a fan of the "Gold Rush" section...).

You also have to love the general cornball moments that only minor league ball can bring. Like public love letters.

Side story: I have a soft spot for Raley Field. When the hubs and I watched a game there in 2001 -- the Rivercats versus the Oklahoma Redhawks (Texas Rangers Triple-A team) -- we sat right next to first base. I was pregnant with Nol. Only the first baseman at the time (who now plays major league ball with the Rays) did not see my baby bump. And he coyly gave me flirty eyes the entire game. It was so sweet and almost unbelievable that my heart still melts a little when I remember that night.

Next up, where to stay and places to visit...