Results tagged ‘ Cleveland Indians ’

8-13-10 Progressive Field

Yet another day at Progressive Field.

When I entered the stadium I found my first ball of the day in the second row back in the second section from the visitor’s bullpen.
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I had to be sneaky about it because there were several people in the front row, so I casually walked over to the ball without looking at it and picked it up.  Had I jogged toward it looking at it someone may have noticed and turned around and grabbed it.

(The ball extended my snagging streak to 162 games with at least one ball snagged.  162 is an important number in baseball – its the number of games each team plays total during the season.)

My second ball of the day was a ground rule double hit by Shelley Duncan.  It bounced into the trees, and was waiting in Heritage Park when I got there,
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STATISTICS:
Game:  6 balls ( 4 hit, 1 device, 1 found )
Season:  431 balls (221 hit, 95 thrown, 59 device, 56 found)
Balls in the month of August:  80
Games: 66 games
Average:  6.53 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career:  1,009 balls
Streak:  162 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 26,424

8-12-10 Progressive Field

I was back at Progressive Field today, hoping to snag my one thousandth career baseball.
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I was planning on returning yesterday, but radar showed storms moving through Cleveland all afternoon, so I would wait until today for another shot at 1,000.

When I walked by a bar across the street,
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pick them all up.
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He tossed the ball up and I had to lean out over the railing to just barely make the catch.  When I caught it, I asked Brad if the ball was for me or the kid next to me, who’d also asked for one.  Brad nodded toward the kid, so I turned and gave the ball away.

So, I’d ended the day with five balls snagged.

Here I am in the shadows by the bullpen with ball #1000:
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Today’s baseballs:  (4 pictured because one was given away)
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Sweet spots: (#1,003 was given away)
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STATISTICS:
Game:  5 balls (1 thrown, 4 device )
Season:  425 balls (217 hit, 95 thrown, 58 device, 55 found)
Games: 65 games
Average:  6.54 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career:  1,003 balls
Streak:  161 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 14,533

8-10-10 Progressive Field

I started the day just six balls away from 1,000.

I was happy to see that the Indians were taking early batting practice when I arrived and looked through the left field gate:
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And they were left handed.
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STATISTICS:
Game:  4 balls (2 hit, 1 thrown, 1 found)
Season:  420 balls (217 hit, 94 thrown, 54 device, 55 found)
Games: 64 games
Average:  6.56 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career:  998 balls
Streak:  160 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 13,541

7-29-10 Progressive Field

After getting a favorable report from Nick Pelescak about Wednesday’s batting practice, I decided to make a third trip to Cleveland.  The Indians decided to open the entire outfield rather than just the right field seats on Wednesday, and they did the same thing today.

I began the day in left field and got ball #1 from Shelley Duncan on the left field wall.
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STATISTICS:
Game:  4 balls (1 hit, 2 thrown, 1 device)
Season:  351 balls (178 hit, 78 thrown, 42 device, 44 found)
Games: 55 games
Average:  6.38 bal
ls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career:  929 balls
Streak:  151 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 34,455

7-27-10 Progressive Field

I had an awful day at Progressive Field.

It started at 3PM with early batting practice.  Nick Pelescak, Happy Youngster and I took 10 minute shifts watching our bags while the other two were outside of the home run porch gate – trying to get a ball.
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No balls would even make it out, despite a good 40 minute or so session.

To make matter worse, at 4:30, I went to look for balls in the trees at Heritage Park, but it was closed for some private party.
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STATISTICS:
Game:  1 balls (1 device)
Season:  337 balls (173 hit, 75 thrown, 36 device, 44 found)
Games: 53 games
Average:  6.36 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career:  915 balls
Streak:  149 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 27,416

7-26-10 Progressive Field

With the Yankees in Cleveland, and Alex Rodriguez sitting on 599 career home runs, Nick Pelescak and I made the trip to Cleveland.  So did pretty much every Yankee fan from New York.

Nick and I arrived at the stadium, hoping to catch an early round of batting practice at 2PM and maybe snag a ball outside of the stadium at the Home Run Porch.

It didn’t happen as this was the scene:
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There was a mini baseball field constructed across the street from the stadium, so we spent a good 45 minutes or so throwing there.
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Curtis Granderson:
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Alex Rodriguez:
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Mariano Rivera:
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After batting practice was over, I checked Heritage Park and found one ball, hidden behind the stump of one of the trees:
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I used the Cleveland Stick to snag ball #5 of the day.

Check out the job they did blocking off the trees – I assume so folks can’t run back there to grab A-rod’s 600th:
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As for the game,  the porch was packed.
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So were the left field bleachers.
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But A-Rod would not go deep.

Some pictures from the game:

View from the bullpen:
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Mariano Rivera to Carlos Santana:
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Mariano Rivera:
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The Yankees won 3-2.

A-Rod did not go deep.

And I’ll be back in Cleveland tomorrow.

Here’s today’s balls (4 show because 1 was given away)
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Sweet spots (1 was given away)
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STATISTICS:
Game:  5 balls (1 hit, 2 thrown, 2 device)
Season:  336 balls (173 hit, 75 thrown, 35 device, 44 found)
Games: 52 games
Average:  6.46 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career:  914 balls
Streak:  148 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 27,224

6-30-10 Progressive Field

Back in Cleveland yet again.

However, it would not be a fun time in Cleveland today.

It would be a record low tying day for me.  Record low in terms of balls snagged in 2010 and also record tying low for balls snagged at Progressive Field.

After being shut out for over fifty minutes, I snagged a Shin Soo Choo home run in this area:
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It was too deep for me to get to in time to make the catch, so I settled for grabbing the ball off of the concrete.

It was about 5:20.  My next ball wouldn’t come until about 6:15 or so. 

It was that kind of day.

One of the Blue Jays hit a home run that thankfully landed in the trees in Heritage Park.  When I ran over, there it was, waiting for me. 
66347584746783 (2).jpgSTATISTICS:

Game:  2 balls (1 hit. 1 device)
Season:  268 balls (142 hit, 64 thrown, 26 device, 36 found)
Games: 41 games
Average:  6.53 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 3
Career:  846 balls
Streak:  137 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 12,109

6-29-10 Progressive Field

Another day of snagging at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

I was the first one into the stadium, and despite there being early batting practice, didn’t find any baseballs on my first sweep through the sections.  I also checked Heritage Park, where there was nothing.

Upon returning from Heritage Park I spotted a baseball as another ballhawk/autograph hound was picking it up.  I was about five seconds too late.

Since the Indians have a new later batting practice schedule, this gave me plenty of time to search.  I went up and down every row and searched for about ten minutes before finally happening upon ball #1, hidden in the shadows:
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When the Indians began hitting, I would get ball #2 from Shin Soo Choo.  It was a home run that I caught on the fly in center field, fully extended in this area:
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STATISTICS:

Game:  7 balls (5 hit, 1 thrown, 1 found)
Season:  266 balls (141 hit, 64 thrown, 25 device, 36 found)
Games: 40 games
Average:  6.65 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 3
Career:  844 balls
Streak:  136 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 11,401

6-28-10 Progressive Field

I arrived at Progressive Field early enough to be first in line, however, it wouldn’t matter, as BP wouldn’t even end up beginning until 4:50PM.

I had to wait as the Indians stretched, threw, and took a few rounds of infield.

Additionally, the cages hadn’t been set up early due to thunderstorms that moved through just south of Cleveland around 3-3:30 (the Indians likely took a wait and see approach – it ended up not raining in downtown Cleveland.

So, upon entering, I looked for an easter egg halfheartedly out of force of habit.  There was nothing in the seats, so I went over to Heritage Park, where this was waiting:
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It was a damp, wet baseball that had likely been there at least a few days.  It also was very badly worn, and didn’t look like it was a major league baseball.  It may have been hit into the trees sometime during the last week and a half when the Indians were out on the road.  After debating on whether to count it or not, I decided to – it is a baseball snagged in an MLB stadium.  I reached in an was just able to grab ball #1 without using my ‘Cleveland Stick.’

My second ball came from Shin Soo Choo.  He turned and threw a ball to a group of kids in the front row.  The ball sailed over their heads and into an empty row about six rows back.  I bent over and picked up ball #2.

None of the kids asked for the ball, but I could feel Choo staring at me.  I looked, and sure enough, there he was, looking right at me. 

I tossed ball #829 to one of the kids in the front row.  Choo saw this, whistled at me, took a ball out of his back pocket and fired a ball at me.  It was ball #3. 

He then ran off the field before I could get his picture to go hit.

I would get ball #4 off the bat of Travis Hafner.
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The ball bounced around and went into the tunnel next to the deck.

No one else was in the area, so I raced over to grab ball #10.  It turned out that was the last BP home run of the Blue Jays batting practice, because as I returned to my spot, the Blue Jays were running off the field.

Today’s baseballs (9 pictured because #829 was given away):
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STATISTICS:
Game:  10 balls (4 hit, 3 thrown, 2 device, 1 found)
Season:  259 balls (136 hit, 63 thrown, 25 device, 35 found)
Games: 39 games
Average:  6.64 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 3
Career:  837 balls
Streak:  135 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 11,577

6-20-10 PNC Park

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