This will be the new blog, on a much easier site to use, and one hosted by the MLB.
Please continue to follow us in the new Orioles season. I have already been to 3 games, and have caught 3 baseballs. These are the quick highlights:
Adam Jones received his Gold Glove from Rawlings after an amazing 2009 season.
Bailey was a ballgirl for the first time, fielding 0 baseballs and have a few sections cheer for her. She did a great job, and hopefully a baseball will come to her in the next game. We wish her the best of luck.
We got to meet Andrea Bradley, the mother of Adam Jones, who is one of the sweetest and funniest ladies I have ever met. She loved getting to talk to us in person, after our conversations on facebook, and she made time for us even in the middle of the game (Adam wasn't up to bat). We all hope to see her again and hope that she is doing well and is happy.
Got to see Joe the Waiter and Yagoub for the last time at Diamond Tavern, as they will both be leaving.
New Blog:
http://thepenat86.mlblogs.com/
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sarasota 2010
So as the 2010 season kicks off, its time to go back and re-live the Sarasota trip that 5 of us just took. It was a weekend trip, we got down to Florida Friday morning, and left Sunday afternoon. It was the most amazing trip, jokes and memories that will last for years, and we got to see some great baseball. The trip was made fun by a lot of the jokes, but I'll leave those out of this, because if I tried writing about them, it could take me a few days. I'll get down to the bare-bones of the trip, and let some of the other people that went fill in details that they think should be in this post.
On the flight down to FL we met a man sitting across the aisle, someone that works for the Orioles, Doug Reaves. We had a nice chat with him, and he told us about what he was coming down for, how he was bringing sponsors, and on Saturday, they were going to be at a CrabFeast with the Orioles. When we got to FL, we got a car, and after checking into our very nice hotel, drove over to Sarasota to see the city and have some lunch. We ended up eating at a place across the street from Ed Smith Stadium, the place the Orioles now call Spring Home, at a place called Gus's 12th Street Cafe. Great meal, nice people, beautiful location. After lunch, we hung out at the ballpark for a little while, walking around the entire complex. There are a few minor league fields and some practice fields, which are also very nice, and still in the same area as the ballpark. We then explored the city of Sarasota, went down to the water, and got to play on rocks- no one fell in, got injured or got to wet, so all in all, it was a lot of fun being down on the water.
Game Time. The anticipation of opening the gates for the first time was killing us, and once they opened the gates, the atmosphere was really relaxed, no one was rushing, and the players were pretty cool with talking to fans. Avi, Segev and I all caught a baseball (or 3 or 4). Once the game started, and we had a few autographs from players and coaches, and we had talked to both Ronnie Deck and some other guys from the bullpen that still recognized us, it was time for the game. Our seats were right by first base, in the first row of the entire ballpark. If we had tried, and leaned over, we could have taken some of the dirt home with us. The Orioles lost the first game, but overall, it was a great time. The players were really chill about everything, and even during the game, guys would sign autographs as if it were pre-game, and there was no game going on behind them. We didn't get to talk to Ronnie post game, but we did talk to a few other players, so that was still very cool. We went back to the hotel, and after a very long day, and an early wake up call the next day, crashed for the night.
Day 2: Saturday
Saturday was going to be an afternoon game- temps in the 80's. We were also invited to a party with the Orioles after the game, the thing that we had talked to Doug about. We saw Doug a few times before the game, and we were all very excited for the meal post game. Pre-game went the same as the first game, some baseballs, talked to Ronnie, and got some more autographs. There was also a guest at the Orioles game that I got meet-- Dick Vitale, a nationally known basketball commentator for ESPN. The game also went really well. The Orioles beat the Red Sox, there were some great spelling errors on the scoreboard, and we all got a very nice tan (and a little burned). After the game, we went to this CrabFeast, and got to sit down with about 20 players, who were walking around, eat great food, and get autographs. Matt Albers, who we talked to last year, came up to us and talked to us about Ronnie, life, the bullpen, and was overall a really cool guy. We also got to talk to Luke Scott, Kevin Millwood, Kam Mickolio, among others. It was a great afternoon and something that does not happen very often. We were also told that it was ok to go play on the main minor league field, so we went and played catch in the outfield, running around like 4 year olds that had no idea what to do with themselves. We were on the same field as the Orioles and we were playing catch! It was insane and very tiring in the hot day.
After the game, we drove over to some of the islands of Sarasota, and drove around on the coast. We went to a public beach somewhere on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and got to cool down on the hot day. After playing a round of mini-golf, we went back to Tampa for a late dinner and time around the hotel. Avi and I spent some time (until about 2 a.m.) in the Orioles suite on the top floor that they had for everyone that was part of on Orioles organized trip to Sarasota, and of course, our "family". There was enough food to last us a year, so we never went hungry. We were also allowed to go to the buffet breakfast, courtesy of the Orioles, where we were offered more food than any of us could eat. We were never hungry, which was good, and always taken care of.
Day 3: Sunday
On Sunday, we spent the day in the Orioles suite, since we had to be at the airport in the early afternoon, and there was no Orioles game. It rained the entire day, so we spent the day talking and joking with other Orioles fans and spending some time together not in the car or in the ballpark. The plane ride back was through a lot of turbulence, which was not at all fun, and boy, was the plane shaky. We got through it alright, and that was the trip.
An amazing weekend, that we're all really glad we got to have, and we all take away some great memories. Now it's time for the new Orioles season....Go O's!
On the flight down to FL we met a man sitting across the aisle, someone that works for the Orioles, Doug Reaves. We had a nice chat with him, and he told us about what he was coming down for, how he was bringing sponsors, and on Saturday, they were going to be at a CrabFeast with the Orioles. When we got to FL, we got a car, and after checking into our very nice hotel, drove over to Sarasota to see the city and have some lunch. We ended up eating at a place across the street from Ed Smith Stadium, the place the Orioles now call Spring Home, at a place called Gus's 12th Street Cafe. Great meal, nice people, beautiful location. After lunch, we hung out at the ballpark for a little while, walking around the entire complex. There are a few minor league fields and some practice fields, which are also very nice, and still in the same area as the ballpark. We then explored the city of Sarasota, went down to the water, and got to play on rocks- no one fell in, got injured or got to wet, so all in all, it was a lot of fun being down on the water.
Game Time. The anticipation of opening the gates for the first time was killing us, and once they opened the gates, the atmosphere was really relaxed, no one was rushing, and the players were pretty cool with talking to fans. Avi, Segev and I all caught a baseball (or 3 or 4). Once the game started, and we had a few autographs from players and coaches, and we had talked to both Ronnie Deck and some other guys from the bullpen that still recognized us, it was time for the game. Our seats were right by first base, in the first row of the entire ballpark. If we had tried, and leaned over, we could have taken some of the dirt home with us. The Orioles lost the first game, but overall, it was a great time. The players were really chill about everything, and even during the game, guys would sign autographs as if it were pre-game, and there was no game going on behind them. We didn't get to talk to Ronnie post game, but we did talk to a few other players, so that was still very cool. We went back to the hotel, and after a very long day, and an early wake up call the next day, crashed for the night.
Day 2: Saturday
Saturday was going to be an afternoon game- temps in the 80's. We were also invited to a party with the Orioles after the game, the thing that we had talked to Doug about. We saw Doug a few times before the game, and we were all very excited for the meal post game. Pre-game went the same as the first game, some baseballs, talked to Ronnie, and got some more autographs. There was also a guest at the Orioles game that I got meet-- Dick Vitale, a nationally known basketball commentator for ESPN. The game also went really well. The Orioles beat the Red Sox, there were some great spelling errors on the scoreboard, and we all got a very nice tan (and a little burned). After the game, we went to this CrabFeast, and got to sit down with about 20 players, who were walking around, eat great food, and get autographs. Matt Albers, who we talked to last year, came up to us and talked to us about Ronnie, life, the bullpen, and was overall a really cool guy. We also got to talk to Luke Scott, Kevin Millwood, Kam Mickolio, among others. It was a great afternoon and something that does not happen very often. We were also told that it was ok to go play on the main minor league field, so we went and played catch in the outfield, running around like 4 year olds that had no idea what to do with themselves. We were on the same field as the Orioles and we were playing catch! It was insane and very tiring in the hot day.
After the game, we drove over to some of the islands of Sarasota, and drove around on the coast. We went to a public beach somewhere on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and got to cool down on the hot day. After playing a round of mini-golf, we went back to Tampa for a late dinner and time around the hotel. Avi and I spent some time (until about 2 a.m.) in the Orioles suite on the top floor that they had for everyone that was part of on Orioles organized trip to Sarasota, and of course, our "family". There was enough food to last us a year, so we never went hungry. We were also allowed to go to the buffet breakfast, courtesy of the Orioles, where we were offered more food than any of us could eat. We were never hungry, which was good, and always taken care of.
Day 3: Sunday
On Sunday, we spent the day in the Orioles suite, since we had to be at the airport in the early afternoon, and there was no Orioles game. It rained the entire day, so we spent the day talking and joking with other Orioles fans and spending some time together not in the car or in the ballpark. The plane ride back was through a lot of turbulence, which was not at all fun, and boy, was the plane shaky. We got through it alright, and that was the trip.
An amazing weekend, that we're all really glad we got to have, and we all take away some great memories. Now it's time for the new Orioles season....Go O's!
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