5-12-11 PNC Park
Rain was forecasted for today, so the Pirates were hitting early. Amy was working the game and was there with me on the Riverwalk. She had bought me two steak sandwiches.
It was still early, so I figured the big lefties weren’t up yet, so Amy and I were just talking with a ball landed literally two feet to my left and rolled into the river. I was upset that I wasn’t paying attention like I should’ve been.
The ball floated awhile and sank.
I caught my first ball of the day here, as it took one bounce in the stadium and right into my glove.
I misplayed another ball that rolled into the river, I just over ran it, because a big pack of pedestrians were walking toward the spot where it bounced out, and I was overly aggressive.
Amy then found a ball. Since she is an employee and was working this game, I counted it. It must’ve bounced out and hit the trees to my right, because it was just sitting in the grass. She found it when she went to go into the stadium to begin her work.
My third ball was another one that bounced out of the stadium. I played it just right and I caught it on the fly as it took one hop off the riverwalk and right into my glove.
Finally, I misplayed another ball. Another one bounced out, but I ran too far in on it. I was standing on the razor grass, so I didn’t want to jump and break my ankle, so I tried to reach up for it, but it was a few feet over my glove. Nick Pelescak had the play backed up, but it got past him too. Some random passerby picked the ball up as it slowly rolled toward the river. Had he not been there either Nick or I probably could’ve reached the ball, as it seemed to not have much momentum if some random guy was able to get it.
It started raining then, as usual, right at 4:35. This wiped out batting practice.
I still went in, and managed to find ball #4 in the fourth row,
and ball #5 in the front row. 
I found them probably five minutes after the gates had opened. Zac Weiss was the first one in and had already covered this section, but must’ve just missed them in his haste.
I looked for more when the rest of the stadium opened at 5:30, but there was nothing else to be found, so I went home.
The game ended up being rained out, which is great, because it means it’ll be made up, which will give us an extra batting practice.
Today’s baseballs:
Sweet spots:
STATISTICS:
Game: 5 balls (2 hit, 1 thrown, 2 found)
Season: 118 balls (45 hit, 31 thrown, 24 device, 17 found)
Games: 19 games
Average: 6.21 balls per game
Career: 1,240 balls
Attendance: 1 (rain out)
5-11-11 PNC Park
My day got off to a great start before the gates even opened. I spent 4:15-4:50 on the Riverwalk outside of the stadium. I did the same thing yesterday, but not even one ball came out.
Today, that would be different. I misplayed one ball that rather than knocking down with my body, I let hit the concrete to play it on a bounce. The ball took a gigantic hop and went right into the river.
The second ball I had a chance on, I made sure to knock the ball down with my body. It was another home run that ripped through a tree, hit me, and settled in the grass, where I smothered it. It was my first ball of the day. It all happened here.
A few minutes later, I cleanly snagged another home run ball on the fly as it one-bounced out of the stadium here:
When the gates opened, Ross Ohlendorf tossed me ball #3. Ross is probably the best BP shagger in the National League. He really hustles after everything.
My fourth and final ball of the Pirates BP was hit into the upper bleachers. I raced up and claimed it about six rows back.
When the Dodgers came out to hit, I was able to glove trick ball #5 here:
Then snagged a ground rule double here,
and was tipped off by the guy in the picture below about another glove trick opportunity, which I reeled in for ball #7.
I went over to right field at 5:30 to look for balls, but there were none. I looked down at section 139, and there was a ball literally at another ballhawk’s feet that he didn’t see. From the front row of the right field wall, it was unmistakeably white and round – an easter egg. I ran down and picked it up for ball #8. It was laying in a little bit of water here:
but it wasn’t completely soaked.
I stayed in center field as Andre Ethier was hitting. I was robbed twice, but managed to get my glove on one of his home runs that I momentarily dropped, but recovered to pick it up here:
I had to reach down and try and make a basket catch, and it hit the bulge of string that I keep in my glove and popped out. Luckily, no one else was in the area though to grab the misplayed ball.
I only needed one more ball for double digits. I still had twenty minutes of batting practice to get it, and Jay Gibbons, the Dodgers best BP hitter was up. I moved up to the steep Clemente wall, where Gibbons had routinely peppered hoome runs the past two days. He hit a home run to my right so I took off to make the catch. However, the right field wall has cupholders that are low to the ground. 
I stumbled on one and went straight down, tumbling down into the row below. 
I tried to use the seat below to break my fall, but my left arm basically went right through the folded up chair. I bashed the side of my lower left leg, hit the outer portion of my left bicep, and left thigh on the seats and arm rests. It hurt bad, but I popped right up as the ball was about ten feet away in the row I’d fallen into. However, some random guy hastily climbed over three rows and snatched it from me at the last second.
Minutes later the same damn thing happened again. Gibbons hit a home run, I tripped on a cupholder, and this time sort of rolled down into the second row. The ball actually tipped off my glove as I was falling. Again, a random gloveless fan picked it up.
Double digits just wasn’t to be.
I got shut out for the rest of batting practice. I decided that I needed to get 10, so rather than leaving after BP like I had originally planned. I stayed. I decided to get 10 out of the way before the game started, so I went to this building on top of the scoreboard area to claim an easter egg that had to have been thrown there by a player, because its too far to have been hit:
See it?
Well, the area was off limits, so I quickly went in, expecting to see a ladder or something on the other side. Instead, I saw this:
Bathrooms. Apparently there’s no possible way to get on top of that roof.
I waited around until the game started and was able to get Garrett Jones to toss me ball #10 after he warmed up before the second inning began.
I added ball #11 before the sixth began with Andrew McCutchen’s outfield warm up ball:
That was all for today. Double digits! A great day.
Here are today’s baseballs:
Sweet spots:
STATISTICS:
Game: 11 balls (5 hit, 3 thrown, 2 device, 1 found)
Season: 113 balls (43 hit, 30 thrown, 24 device, 15 found)
Games: 18 games
Average: 6.28 balls per game
Career: 1,235 balls
Attendance: 12,910
5-10-11 PNC Park
Let’s get right to it.
My first two balls of the day were off the bat of Chris Snyder. The first was a home run that landed in section 133 near the foul pole.
There was no one there, so I simply had to run over and pick it up.
Snyder hit another ball that bounced over the fence. Several fans reacted to slow and deflected the ball right to me here:
At 5:30, I ran into the center field seats and found ball #1 laying in the front row, it was in the middle section here:
It was also ball #100 of the season.
Since the Dodgers batting practice was so awful, I stayed in right field because Jay Gibbons was the only batter really putting anything into the seats.
He didn’t hit nearly as many home runs as yesterday, but he did hit one home run that I chased down as it hit a seat a section away from me, and a few rows back:
That was it for batting practice. It was really lame. The Dodgers again, are the worst batting practice team I’ve seen all year.
During the game, I snagged Andrew McCutchen’s warm up ball before the first inning began. I stood in the third row, in the exact spot where the threw it yesterday, and he delivered a perfect strike to me. It was my fifth ball of the day.
That was it for my snagging. I was really tired, so I sat for much of the game. The Pirates ended up losing, knocking them back to .500 on the season at 18-18.
Today’s baseballs:
Sweet spots:
STATISTICS:
Game: 5 balls (3 hit, 1 thrown, 1 found)
Season: 102 balls (38 hit, 27 thrown, 22 device, 14 found)
Games: 17 games
Average: 6.00 balls per game
Career: 1,224 balls
Attendance: 13,497
5-9-11 PNC Park
Today got off to a great start.
I got to the stadium around 4:25 PM or so and went down to the Riverwalk. Look what was waiting for me.
It was just laying there. 
It had a nice scuff on it, so it likely bounced out of the stadium and just died in the grass. None of the passers by noticed it. Amazing stuff.
After a few minutes, several other ballhawks joined me on the riverwalk. 
There were two younger ballhawks, Nick Pelescak, and another guy who stayed farther down towards the foul pole.
While there, a ball bounced out that the youngest of us grabbed, and another one bounced out that I completely misplayed. I notice a high fly ball that looked like it had a chance. I ran up to the wall, because it looked like it might just barely clear the wall. It did, after bouncing at least twice in the stadium. When the ball reappeared into my field of sight, I was to far to the left, and totally misplayed it. I tried to dive for it, but missed the ball, and one of the ‘new’ ballhawks grabbed it.
The rest of the time we spent staring at the sky, but nothing else came out.
When the gates opened, I ran in and found ball #2 laying on the cross aisle by the handicapped seats in left field. A food service employee actually pointed it out to me. He saw me sprinting, assumed I was looking for baseballs, and said, “There’s one right there.”
My third ball was hit by Steve Pearce. It was a ball that landed in section 133 and it rolled down the stairs under the bleachers and I just waited for it and picked it up.
Game: 6 balls (2 hit, 1 thrown, 1 device, 2 found)
Season: 97 balls (35 hit, 26 thrown, 22 device, 13 found)
Games: 16 games
Average: 6.06 balls per game
Career: 1,219 balls
Attendance: 11,373
Ballhawk League Week 5
Here’s how everything played out in week 5:
Season:
2011 Ballhawk League Archive:
TOP BALLHAWK: (# win in parenthesis)
Week 1: Zack Hample 37 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 36)
Week 2: Zack Hample 46 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 18)
Week 3: Zack Hample 75 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 11)
Week 4: Zack Hample 26 (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 14)
Week 5: Zack Hample 44 (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 17)
5-8-11 PNC Park
Today was Mother’s Day, and my mother-to-be fiancee Amy had to work this game, so I was there too. Luckily, even through it was a day game following a night game, there was a full batting practice.
Upon entering the stadium, I snagged my first ball of the day on the Riverwalk, or outfield concourse. Fans can’t enter the stadium until 11:30, they can only access the Riverwalk, which is the area behind the right field wall. It’s kind of dumb to open at 11 AM, and just make everyone stay out there, but whatever.
Chris Snyder threw me my first ball of the day over the iron gate. He’s on the left in the picture below, talking to Lyle Overbay.
I called out for a ball from Neil Walker 
but so did this guy:
(I didn’t realize we were at a Steeler game…)
Anyway, I snagged the ball over him, and he wasn’t too happy. He started boasting about how he ‘can jump’ because he ‘plays basketball,’ and the next ball thrown out, he was getting.
I didn’t wait around to see, as it was 11:30, and I ran into the left field bleachers. There, I found ball #3 by the bullpen, and continued my search into foul territory.
There were no balls there, but a cool groundscrew member tossed me a ball that was laying in front of the tarp.
My fifth ball of the day came from Evan Meek. He handed me a ball after we had a nice five minute conversation about everything from Amy, my upcoming baby, Mother’s Day, his recovery, etc.
I only snapped a picture as they ran off the field.
The Astros then came out, and Dave Clark started hitting balls to the relief pitchers, encouraging them to rob the home runs, or injury themselves and end their careers. Just ask Ruben Niebla.
It worked out though, as Clark over hit a ball into the stands that I snagged off a bleacher in this area.
My seventh ball was a Hunter Pence home run catch on the fly caught on the far end of the section by the handicapped seats.
I caught it while running, and spun around after making the catch doing a 360 spin. One of my better catches this year.
It was so crowded today, so there was no chance for an outfielder toss up.
Or was there?
Ball #8 of the day was thrown to me by Jose Tabata in the 8th inning. I snagged it here. 
I had to run down a few steps to snag it from other fans who were reaching from it, but I’m pretty sure it was to me, just under thrown. It was directly in the middle of the aisle. Luckily, no one batted it away from me.
After the game, I took Amy out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Old Mexico located in Washinton PA.
Here are today’s eight baseballs:
Sweet spots:
STATISTICS:
Game: 8 balls (2 hit, 5 thrown, 1 found)
Season: 91 balls (33 hit, 25 thrown, 21 device, 12 found)
Games: 15 games
Average: 6.07 balls per game
Career: 1,213 balls
Attendance: 17,946
5-7-11 PNC Park
Before heading to PNC Park, Amy and I went to Color Me Mine in Squirrel Hill.
Once inside, one picks out a piece to paint.
There is a guide to the colors hanging above the paint. The shade on
the left is one coat, and the shade on the right of each color is three
coats.
Amy and I chose a piggy bank to make for our daughter, due in early August.
Amy and I painted the pig together. She pained the body of the pig.
And I worked on the front.
After we got the pig just like we wanted it, I detailed in purple our daughter’s name on one side of the piggy bank.
This was the end result:
On the other side I wrote her year of birth, 2011.
And here’s the face I painted:
It’s going to be fired in a kiln and we’ll pick it up next week!
After that it was off to PNC Park. It began raining at 3:50. It never rained more than a drizzle, and it drizzled for about 10 minutes. This was just enough for the PNC Park groundscrew to decide to cancel batting practice for the day.
To pass the time, I played catch with Nick Pelescak and Zac Weiss on the bridge.
Always a good time.
Of course, since there was no batting practice going on, there wasn’t much to do, so I went over behind the Astros pitchers when they came out. On my way over, I found my first ball of the day in the seats along the right field foul line.
It was likely left over from the Pirates batting practice, because they had been hitting before the light drizzle started.
Here’s the Astros doing some light running:
When they came out, Wilton Lopez tossed Enerio Del Rosario’s glove into the stands. I took his glove, and Wilton Lopez and I made an exchange.
Lopez was confused by the string, so I just told him I use it for extra padding. Thanks to Nick Pelescak for the picture.
Later, when the Astros were done throwing, Lopez tossed me his warm up ball, my second one of the day.
Afterwards, I walked around for a bit.
There ended up being 32,000 fans at this game, so there wasn’t any chance for toss up balls from the outfielders, so I ended with two balls.
Today’s baseballs:
Sweet spots:
STATISTICS:
Game: 2 balls (1 thrown, 1 found)
Season: 83 balls (31 hit, 20 thrown, 21 device, 11 found)
Games: 14 games
Average: 5.93 balls per game
Career: 1,205 balls
Attendance: 32,299
5-6-11 PNC Park
Today I just didn’t have it. It wasn’t my day.
Nothing happened on the riverwalk…
Not much else happened for me inside either. I didn’t get shut out at least.
My first ball of the day was Pedro Alvarez opposite field ground rule double that bounced over the fence. The ball took a weird hop, and I tried to barehand it. I dropped the ball, but recovered it at my feet. I got it here:
My second ball of the day was a home run catch off the bat of an unknown Astro. I caught it on the fly here. Standard catch.
My third and final ball of the day came at the very end of batting practice. Fernando Abad, seen here in a group of Astros pitchers,
field. The ball sailed over my head, landed on the steps, bounced off
the plexiglass to the upper bleachers and back towards the handicapped
seats. I reached over the railing separating the handicapped seats
from the aisle and caught the ball.
That was it for batting practice.
Three balls. 
Sweet spots:
STATISTICS:
Game: 3 ball (2 hit, 1 thrown)
Season: 81 balls (31 hit, 19 thrown, 21 device, 10 found)
Games: 13 games
Average: 6.23 balls per game
Career: 1,203 balls
Attendance: 12,728
Ballhawk League 2011 Week 4
Zack Hample went to Texas and racked up 75 balls in week 4, as he continues his winning streak.
Here are the week 4 standings:
Season standings:
2010 Ballhawk League Archive:
TOP BALLHAWK: (# win in parenthesis)
Week 1: Shawn B (1) 18 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 17)
Week 2: Nick Pelescak (1) 17 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 10)
Week 3: Nick Pelescak (2) 33 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 24)
Week 4: Erik Jabs (1) 18 (Runner Up: Shawn B 16)
Week 5: Zack Hample (1) 44 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 33)
Week 6: Shawn B (2) 25 (Runner Up: Zack Hample 18)
Week 7: Zack Hample (2) 50 (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 31)
Week 8: Shawn B (3) 24 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 13)
Week 9: Erik Jabs (2) 23 (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 19)
Week 10: Erik Jabs (3) 29 (Runner Up: Zack Hample 12)
Week 11: Erik Jabs (4) 49 (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 30)
Week 12: Greg Barasch (1) 26 (Runner Up: Joe Faraguna 11)
Week 13: Erik Jabs (5) 31 (Runner Up: Zack Hample 14)
Week 14: Shawn B (4) 28 (Runner Up: Greg Barasch 25)
Week 15: Nick Pelescak (3) 9 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 7)
Week 16: Erik Jabs (6) 44 (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 27)
Week 17: Greg Barasch (2), Erik Jabs (7) TIE with 20
Week 18: Erik Jabs (8) 57 (Runner Up: Joe Faraguna 28)
Week 19: Shawn B 24 (5) (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 23)
Week 20: Erik Jabs 40 (9) (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 34)
Week 21: Nick Pelescak 30 (4) (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 23)
Week 22: Nick Pelescak 36 (5) (Runner Up: Zac Weiss 13)
Week 23: Nick Pelescak 20 (6) (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 14)
Week 24: Zack Hample 48 (3) (Runner Up: Greg Barasch 15)
Week 25: Shawn B 33 (6) (Runner Up: Casey Ward 27)
Week 26: Zack Hample 31 (4) (Runner Up: Casey Ward 14)
2011 Ballhawk League Archive:
TOP BALLHAWK: (# win in parenthesis)
Week 1: Zack Hample 37 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 36)
Week 2: Zack Hample 46 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 18)
Week 3: Zack Hample 75 (Runner Up: Erik Jabs 11)
Week 4: Zack Hample 26 (Runner Up: Nick Pelescak 14)
4-27-11 PNC Park
I elected not to go to last night’s game, as batting practice was rained out by storms rolling through around 4 PM.
Today was like the movie Groundhog Day, because at the same exact time, a quick thunderstorm popped up. It rained for about 10 minutes from 3:55-4:05, which was just enough for batting practice to get moved indoors.
I asked Jonathan Sanchez for a ball twice in the first 30 minutes, once in center field, and once by the bullpen. He ignored me both times. 
I planned to ask a third time, but his side session went long, and at 5:30 I jogged over to the right field foul line to try to get a ball from a pitcher.
Ryan Vogelsong had finished throwing and was running sprints. I noticed a ball in his glove.
I waited patiently for him to finish, and when he did, I asked him for the ball, and he flipped it to me.
I also asked him to sign my ticket since there wasn’t much else going on:
A bit later I noticed virtually every fan in the stadium crowd along the right field line.
The Giants “rock stars” Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson and his beard were out throwing.
They didn’t even stop to sign autographs on their way back in.
As for the game, I spent most of it in the club level. I didn’t get any foul balls, but Buster Posey hit one three seats away from my seat in the 9th inning after I had left the club. I just stared dumbfounded at the club seats, it would’ve been such an easy catch. That’s the way it goes.
Here’s today’s baseball: #1200:
And the sweetspot:
STATISTICS:
Game: 1 ball (1 thrown)
Season: 78 balls (29 hit, 18 thrown, 21 device, 10 found)
Games: 12 games
Average: 6.50 balls per game
Career: 1,200 balls
Attendance: 9,048
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