Category: Adam Rosales
6/1/13 at the Oakland Coliseum
JERSEY DAY!!!!!!
We left the house just before 8am and got there around 8:25. This was the scene when we arrived…
The PARKING LOT hadn’t even opened yet. I was almost positive I would be one of the first in line at this rate.
That ended up not being the case. There were already 30 or so people in line when we got there, so we jumped in line right away. It was Yoenis Cespedes Jersey day. That’s why I was there so early.
Given the fact that the gates didn’t open for 2.5 hours, my sister and I decided to wander a bit. On the way towards Gate D, we passed Will, who was heading up towards MM.
When we stopped at the D Gate team store, my sister could not resist purchasing this:
It was pretty boring before the gates opened. My sister and I played catch in the parking lot. I picked up a new t-shirt (I ended up wearing it at this game- You’ll see it soon). That was about it.
When we stopped in the C-Gate team store, we saw this:
Jersey boxes were being opened!
Shortly before the gates opened- I spotted a familiar face. It was the man that goes by @CS_Darrow on Twitter. We had met up during the World Baseball Classic, and when he saw me this time around, he pulled out two things.
1) A ticket stub from a Rangers/White Sox game in Arlington.
2) A Dodgers 2012 50th Anniversary ball!
How cool is that? He thanked me for “spreading the ‘ballhawking’ word” and explained how he and I appreciate your efforts. Thank you again, very much!
The gates opened at 11:05, and I got in fairly quickly. I grabbed a jersey and ran down to my usual seat, but someone was sitting there, so I decided to go sit over where I had been sitting for most of the 19-inning game.
When I first entered the seating bowl, 1 things shocked me. THE CAGES WERE UP!!!
It was a DAY GAME AFTER A NIGHT GAME and the Sox were going to take BP. SWEEEEEET!
The A’s pitchers were the only players on the field at the time, so I headed over there.
Grant Balfour was playing catch with Pat Neshek. Something caused Grant to yell out “F**K!” At this point, this came to my mind…
What did I do? I yelled out “That’s 50 cents to the Aussie Swear Jar, Grant!”
He hear this, turned around, started laughing, and tossed me the ball!
The A’s players started leaving the field. White Sox players came on.
I put on my White Sox gear and headed down near the bullpen, as the bleachers were crowding up FAST.
Adam Dunn put on a hell of a show in BP, he was hitting the ball HARD and HIGH!
The Coliseum was filling up fast.
The bleachers were packed with Yoenis Cespedes gold replica jerseys.
Omar and his adorable daughter Rhema were there.
Oh, right. BP. BORING. Dunn and Alex Rios were the only ones that had any power- they hit every ball to CF. Nothing to the LF or RF bleachers as far as I can remember. My 2nd ball of the day was a toss-up. I had been standing a few rows behind a few little kids for most of BP.
There were a lot of balls hit down the line that stayed on the field. Every time, Matt Lindstrom would jog over and throw it in. There was a ball hit right to the wall that one of the kids called for, Lindstrom tossed it up, but it went right to me. I hadn’t even asked for it. I immediately handed it to the 7-8 year old boy that the ball could have been meant for. After all, he was in White Sox gear.
That was it for BP. It was BORING. And long. It was around 55-60 minutes, which was INSANE.
BP ended around 12:20. Yeah..
The grounds crew began prepping the field.
Darren Bush and Derrek Norris headed out to the bullpen to get ready.
They played some 2-ball to get loose.
The day’s starting pitcher, Dan Straily, began to get loose.
While this was all happening, I noticed this sign. Why is it important? That picture is from THIS blog entry!
Thursday night, Ian Sagabaen, the guy holding up the sign, and the MLB-proclaimed Greatest Sign-Maker in MLB History contacted me, asking if he could use the picture. Of course I said yes!
Dan Straily began to warm up with D-No, as Darren Bush watched on.
Jose Quintana, the White Sox starting pitcher began to get loose with Hector Gimenez, the starting catcher that day.
Several A’s players began to stretch and such.
ROSIE!!!
The National Anthem was performed.
The meeting took place at home plate.
And we were ready to go!
Dan Straily was on the mound for the A’s. Last year, he was a strikeout MACHINE in the minors.
This was my view for the game. Actually, I was sitting 2 sections over to the left. This was my dad’s view.
The White Sox were unable to score in the 1st inning.
The A’s scored a run in the first.
The bleachers were lively. (Not that that is a surprise to anyone)
Oh, and that run was doubled in my Yoenis Cespedes.
And scored by Jed Lowrie.
Josh Donaldson struck out.
Josh Reddick grounded out to end the first inning. 1-0 A’s.
The White Sox were unable to score any runs in the 2nd either.
The A’s scored a run in the 2nd inning as well. It started with a Derek Norris double.
Adam Rosales grounded out.
Chris Young singled, brining in the run.
That run was Derek Norris.
It’s 2-0 A’s!
Banjo Man showed up… Ew…
The broadcasters seemed to be doing well.
The White Sox scored a run in the 3rd on an Adam Dunn single.
The A’s went 1-2-3 in the 3rd.
The White Sox were the same in the top of the 4th.
Adam Rosales singled in the 4th inning.
But the A’s were unable to capitalize, sending the game to the 5th…
The White Sox went 1-2-3 again, in the 5th inning.
Then, the A’s came up in the bottom half.
Josh Donaldson singled…
The the BIG BOY Nate Freiman tripled.
JD scored.
Everyone was happy!
But it was a pain to watch him run! Watch for yourself. Oof.
The A’s were unable to do anything more in the 5th.
This made it 3-1 A’s after 5 innings in the books.
The White Sox were unable to do anything in the 6th.
Josh Reddick tossed up the 3rd out ball…
But I was cooling off in the concourse. Wiggi was the lucky recipient of the ball!
The A’s went quietly in their half of the 6th, despite a double from Jed Lowrie.
Sean Doolittle came on to pitch the 7th. Dan Straily went 6 innings with 8 strikeouts and 1 run allowed.
This is when things began to unravel.
The White Sox scored 2 runs on a single off the bat of Alejandro De Aza. This prompted a mound visit.
Sean Doolittle then quickly got out of the jam.
The A’s were unable to put anything together in their half of the 7th.
Ryan Cook got loose in the A’s bullpen.
As he was going to pitch the 8th inning, with the score knotted up at 3-3.
Oh, and check out Josh Reddick’s AWESOME socks.
Cookie set all 3 White Sox batters down in the 8th.
Jesse Crain, who was a very stingy pitcher during BP pitched the bottom of the 8th.
The A’s were not able to piece much together.
There were several pickoff attempts in this inning.
Daniel was visibly frustrated by them.
Despite a Jed Lowrie Single and Chris Young double, the A’s were unable to score, as Yoenis Cespedes struck out to end the inning.
Grant Balfour came in to pitch the 9th inning. Time to RAAAAAAAAGE!
He concluded his warm-up tosses.
And he proceeded to pitch a stellar 9th inning.
The White Sox were set down in order.
In fact, Balfour only needed 12 pitches to do so.
It was time for the A’s up’s in the bottom of the 9th!
Josh Donaldson led off with a single.
Then, the White Sox changed pitchers.
Josh Reddick then laid down a textbook bunt with 0 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd.
And he was SAFE at first. Bases loaded, no outs!
Everyone was on their feet, ready for some walk-off pie!
But Derek Norris grounded into a 6-2-3 double play, getting the outs at home and 1st.
Coco was intentionally walked.
Eric Sogard struck out with the bases loaded to send us to extras…
Pat Neshek came in…
And got two quick outs, at which point Jerry Blevins came in.
Adam Dunn promptly flied out to right field to end the inning.
Mostly everyone had stayed and was still into the game!
Jed Lowrie lined out to Alex Rios to start the bottom of the 10th.
Chris Young then doubled for his 3rd hit of the game and Yoenis Cespedes was intentionally walked.
This prompted another Sox pitching change.
Josh Donaldson then walked as well, loading the bases AGAIN with 1 out.
Brandon Moss then lined out for the 2nd out.
This brought in Josh Reddick.
He took 5 straight pitches, only the first one being a strike.
You know what this means?
WALK OFF VICTORY!!!
Everyone was excited!!!
And yes, Coco delivered the PIE!!
After the game, I got a picture with Ian and the sign!
Look closely in the bottom righthand corner.
It was my Twitter handle!!!
Free jersey, 2 balls, my Twitter handle on a sign, and walk-off pie. You CANNOT complain about that!
My next game was going to be the next afternoon. Oh boy!
- 12th Game this Year (9th MLB Game)
- 2 Balls at this Game
- 12 balls in 9 MLB games this season = 1.33 Ball Per Game
- 34 Balls in 12 Games this season = 2.5 Balls Per Game
- 40 Lifetime MLB Baseballs
- 77 Total Balls
Nick Badders is a unofficial reporter for MLB.com. He writes the blog, 7000 Coliseum Way, and you can follow him on Twitter @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay. You can also LIKE his blog on Facebook or follow him @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay on Instagram. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
5/17/13 at the Oakland Coliseum- BACON FRIDAY!
This was a much different day than I’ve had in the past few years ballhawking-wise. It would be the first game since I went to Nationals Park in 2011 that I didn’t try to ballhawk at!
NICK!!!! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND????
Yes.
No, but in all seriousness, I knew from the start I wouldn’t be able to ballhawk this game. My high school’s baseball team (Remember this game?) was 22-1 going into today, with a 4pm game against our cross-town rivals, so I couldn’t miss it!
I considered leaving around 5:30 to “beat” the traffic and get there at the end of BP, but it didn’t come close to happening. As much as I wanted to go to the A’s game, I really wanted to stay for this game!
I left around 6:30pm for the 7pm A’s game. Traffic was horrible! My dad and I listened to the pregame show on the radio on the drive up and pulled into the Coliseum parking lot just after the first pitch.
I ran in Gate MM and headed up to the 3rd deck? Why? I had purchased a Value Deck seat. Every Friday in the Value Deck in Oakland, they have a giveaway of some sort, this time it was a T-Shirt. Look for me to be wearing it in my next entry!
I ran up, grabbed my shirt, and slid into my seat just in time in the bottom of the 1st inning. Everyone was wearing their Bacon Friday T-shirts!
Wait? What is Bacon Friday, you might ask?
Watch this video…
Or this video…
That was just 2011. That was the first annual Bacon Tuesday.
In 2012, they brought it back for the 2nd Annual Bacon Tuesday. Read this article at Cut4 and this article at the Royals website.
It was back in 2013 and bigger and better than ever! How big? Jeff Francoeur AND Josh Reddick stopped by before the gates opened to tailgate with them!
I have to give MAJOR props to my mom! In the days leading up to Bacon Friday, she baked DOZENS upon DOZENS of Bacon Chocolate Chip cookies. I don’t know exactly how many she made, but they were AMAZING!!!!
Even the people running the scoreboard knew it was Bacon Friday!
They even showed some action of Sizzlin’ Bacon! Everyone in RF chanted “Go Bacon Go! Go Bacon Go!
They knew of the awesomeness that is Bacon Friday.
When I slipped into my seat, Yoenis Cespedes was at the plate…
But Brandon Moss grounded out to end the first, stranding Jed Lowrie at first.
Jarrod Parker was on the mound for the A’s
Daric Barton was playing first.
FYI, I am a member of the Daric Barton Fan Club. WE GOT YOUR BACK BRO!
While Lorenzo Cain was batting in the 2nd inning, Eric Hosmer was picked off.
After a short pickle, he was out at first.
You could tell everyone on the field was happy about it!
Cain ende up grounding out to first base to end the top of the 2nd.
Like I had mentioned earlier, everyone was wearing their Bacon Friday shirts.
And yes, I did get one!
I was 7 rows back or so, but I still had a great view!
Will was not wearing a jersey like he usually does, but his Bacon Friday shirt!
In the bottom of the 2nd, with 1 out and Josh Donaldson on first, Derek Norris walked.
Then, Daric Barton stepped up to the plate.
He ende up grounding into a fielder’s choice, Derek Norris was thrown out at 2nd base.
With a runner on 2nd in the top of the 3rd and 1 out, Elliot Johnson was called out on strikes.
Then, Parker allowed the first run of the game.
David Lough doubled to Center, bringing in Salvatore Perez.
In the 3rd inning, I headed over to LF to go hang out with Rick Gold for an inning or so. He was in town for the homestand and planning on attending BallhawkFest the next day, so I thought I would stop by and chat for a little bit.
Right after I left, this happened…
Yep. Omar, Anson, and a few other people did a live interview on the Royals TV broadcast.
Everyone got pictures with him.
This is a close-up shot of the back of the T-Shirt.
Jarrod Parker pitched a scoreless 4th, despite a single and walk.
I came back in the 4th inning, around the time that my mom and sister showed up!
Why were they so late? My sister had soccer tryouts that ended around 7. She went home, changed into her A’s gear, and she and my mom immediately took BART out to Oakland so they could catch at least part of the game.
FYI, here is Rick. He’s in the new BP hat with the green jacket- right in the middle of the picture.
James Shields, who tossed me a ball last year when the Rays were in town, was on the mound for the Royals.
On the 4th pitch of the bottom of the 4th, Brandon Moss singled to right field.
But he tried to stretch it into a double…
Out or safe?
He was called out trying to stretch his single into a double for the first out of the inning.
Everyone was pumped about the game!
Throughout the game, they showed bacon facts on the scoreboard.
Omar Gutierez’s son, known as The Champ took lots of pictures during the game!
He’s one awesome kid!
And he had BACON MINTS!!!
The other Omar G, Omar Gonzalez was very excited!
Coco Crispy Bacon!!!
Jorge was getting into the action, despite his sleepiness.
Daniel and Keith were chilling in the front row on the other side of the section.
Ross was taking lots of pictures.
Can anyone guess what year bacon was invented?
If you guessed 1500 BC, you are correct!
The scoreboard routinely showed this for the entire game.
Through the top of the 6th, the A’s had allowed only that 3rd inning run.
Ready for more bacon trivia? What percentage of men ranked bacon as their favorite smell?
23%!
More bacon facts and trivia. BACON CURES HANGOVERS!!!
Omar had these three signs at this game.
Everyone was getting into the spirit of Bacon Friday!
Daric Barton stepped to the plate for the A’s in the 7th, but he was called out on strikes…
But it wasn’t before Josh Donaldson hit a game-tying home run to left field!
Bob Melvin really wanted to score a few more runs.
Sean Doolittle came in to pitch the 8th inning for Oakland.
Did you know there is a world record for bacon-eating?
Doolittle pitched a scoreless 8th
Adam Rosales stepped to the plate to lead off the A’s half of the 8th.
On a 1-1 pitch, he hammered a ball to left field to put the A’s ahead 2-1!
Rosie did his usual sprint around the bases.
RUN ROSIE RUN!
This meant it was time for Grant Balfour to get loose in the bullpen.
No more runs were scored in the 8th inning.
I don’t know what it is, but security hates sections 148 and 149 this year. They had a huge problem with a lot of people on Friday.
Everyone was excited that the A’s had taken the lead!
In the top of the 9th, it was time for Grant Balfour to come in to close the game out…
This meant it was time to RAGE!!!
After getting 2 quick outs, Eric Hosmer stepped to the plate!
And struck him out swinging! Everyone was happy!
Slowly, we all filed out.
We all met up in the concourse after the game, I handed out some more cookies, and Ralliney had someone take this picture of us.
Wow! It was nice to to have any pressures of ballhawking, and for those like me who don’t care about streaks or such, I would highly recommend that you go to a game and purposely not ballhawk. Very relaxing!
Thanks for reading!
- 9th Game this Year
- 0 Balls at this Game
- 8 balls in 7 MLB games this season = 1.14 Ball Per Game
- 23 Balls in 9 Games this season = 2.55 Balls Per Game
- 36 Lifetime MLB Baseballs
- 66 Total Balls
Nick Badders is a unofficial reporter for MLB.com. He writes the blog, 7000 Coliseum Way, and you can follow him on Twitter @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay. You can also LIKE his blog on Facebook or follow him @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay on Instagram. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.baco
4/27/13 at the Oakland Coliseum
On this particular day, I got out of bed late. I had set my alarm for 6am, with the hopes of being in Oakland around 8 or 8:30, but I woke up around 8am. For me, this reminded me of this game last year.
We left at 8:25, and arrived at the Coliseum around 9am. This was going to be my first Orioles game since Last September, and I was hoping that they would still be using commemorative balls.
Like my last game, I made a video with behind-the-scenes and vlogs, so check it out!
Once we had pulled into the parking lot, I headed to get in line at Gate MM.
The line was LONG!
But, believe it or not, this was the shortest line!
I walked around the Coliseum a bit to check out the scene, but I decided to get in line at 9:15.
Around 9:30, I decided to walk around the BART Plaza area and take some pictures.
The line at Gate LL was getting pretty long!
But I was in line at MM.
The A’s have these ticket kiosks everywhere around the Coliseum.
And of course, this banner! 4x > 2x (Just saying Giants fans)
Lines were just getting LONGER and LONGER.
I was chatting with a bunch of the bleacher folks, like Will.
When Will runs in to the bleachers, he carries these flags and banners.
I noticed these boxes… BOBBLEHEADS!
Around 10:30, Arlene invited Pascale and I to jump in line with the bleacher folks. Thank You!
Once I joined them, I noticed Ross’s shirt, which I absolutely LOVED!
Oaklandish is an Oakland-based clothing company. You can check out their website here.
Daniel, one of the bleacher guys had this little speaker.
Great sound quality for a device that small!
BERNIE LEAN!
At 11:07, the gates opened, and my sister and I sprinted inside, grabbing our bobbleheads along the way.
I was one of the first people in the bleachers, after of course, Will.
The run is actually somewhat tough, but it is MUCH harder for him, as he is carrying everyone’s flags and banners.
I headed over to the A’s bullpen, where the most action was taking place.
The players were all getting loose.
Stretching and such. (S/O to my sister for taking those last two pictures)
I was over there because Jarrod Parker was throwing a bullpen session.
Eventually, I decided to head over to the Orioles bullpen area, since the pitchers were arriving and the nearby stands were almost empty.
They started off stretching.
As the A’s players began to throw.
Pictured below are Grant Balfour (Upper Left) and Jesse Chavez (Lower Right)
Even though they were playing catch, it was getting a bit crowded.
And the Orioles began to toss.
I was all ready in my Orioles gear.
A’s pitchers that were running interacted with Orioles players when they were in that area.
Soon enough, it was 11:45 and there were only two guys playing catch, so I headed over there.
My parents were soaking up the sun in the RF Bleachers.
As the last two guys finished playing catch, I called out to Darren O’Day “Hit me here Darren!”
With that, he submarined me the ball!
If you want to know why I am smirking, I have NO clue at all.
Here I am with my Reggie Jackson bobblehead.
BTW, remember when I mentioned the RF bleacher shirt in my last game entry? That’s the one I’m wearing! Do you like it?
After grabbing a quick pizza lunch, I got back to notice Rollie Fingers in the bullpen. Oh yeah!
There were lots of players from the 1973 A’s gathered around the dugout.
Each current player or coach walked out with the player or coach that held the same position in 1973. Curt Young, the A’s pitching coach walked out with the pitching coach of the 1973 A’s.
Nate Freiman,the A’s first baseman is HUGE! 6 foot 8 inches.
Brandon Moss and the 1973 first baseman.
I seriously got chills watching it all.
John Jaso was out in the bullpen, warming up with AJ Griffin.
Ray Fosse was on the field with Derek Norris.
The 1973 team started to line up.
Soon, Norris walked out with Ray Fosse and the Coliseum exploded!
I could tell all of the current and past players were enjoying it!
Eric Sogard walked out with Dick Green.
Vida Blue and Blue Moon Odom were standing out by the pitching crown.
Josh Donaldson walked out with then-3rd Baseman Sal Bando, along with manager Bob Melvin, who wears the number 6 in honor of Captain Sal.
Jed Lowrie was going to walk out with Bert “Campy” Campaneris.
Chris Young was out in LF with Joe Rudi.
Coco Crisp was out in CF with Billy North.
Do you recognize that name or face? Check out this photo. I got my picture with him, Sal Bando, and the 4 A’s World Series trophies at 2013 A’s FanFest.
As this all was taking place, AJ Griffin and his golden locks of hair were warming up in the bullpen.
There was a large group of photographers gathered on the field.
Almost all of the players were on the field.
Except for 1. Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, as presented by Josh Reddick.
It gave me chills. I could yell Josh was soaking it all in.
The field was now full with the 1973 World Series Champion Oakland A’s!
Everyone was taking pictures.
The coaches were gathered up behind home plate.
It was crazy to see such a talented team on the field.
There was a presentation of a check of some sort on the mound area.
As this was all taking place, players were warming up and mingling.
There was a group photo on the mound.
Then, the National Anthem was performed.
The people holding signs representing players that are no longer with us walked in the CF tunnel.
They gathered for one last group picture.
And then I took my focus to the players warming up.
As usual, the LF Bleachers were rocking. (Not like Right Field, but still cool!)At 1:05, they all took the field!
The home plate meeting look place.
And we were ready to go!
AJ Griffin was on the hill for Oakland.
Adam Jones got to the plate in the top of the 1st.
And flied out to right field.
Coco Crisp led off for the A’s.
And popped out to the catcher…
John Jaso was due up after Coco…
And singled to right field.
Seth Smith was hitting in the 3-hole for the Green and Gold.
With a runner on first, the bleachers were getting pumped up.
After Jaso advanced to 2nd base on an error, Agent Smith flied out, bringing Jed Lowrie to the plate.
I can’t tell who this hitter is, but I LOVE his face!
This person had a ticket from the 1973 WS in Oakland.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Josh Donaldson doubled in Brandon Moss, giving the A’s a 1-0 lead.
Josh Reddick walked in his at bat in the 2nd inning.
Everyone was feeling good!
Coco Crisp then grounded out to end the inning.
Griffin took the mound in the top of the 3rd and he was dealing!
The bullpen was enjoying the game.
Around the time, my dad gave me the camera, and I had some fun taking pictures.
Here is the ball smacking into Brandon Moss’s glove on a foul popup.
Donaldson had another RBI hit, bringing the score to 2-0, before Reddick popped out to end the inning.
In the 4th inning, Chris Young doubled. But, it wasn’t before the Orioles scored 4 runs in the top of the inning.
Like I mentioned earlier, I had a blast taking pictures.
Jed Lowrie flied out in the 5th inning.
Josh Donaldson singled in the 6th for his 3rd hit of the game.
Even though the A’s were down, everyone was still confident.
This row of fans did a mid-inning trivia contest, where everyone got shirts.
Ross was drumming it out.
In the 7th inning, Ryan Flaherty grounded out first baseman Brandon Moss to pitcher AJ Griffin.
Sean Doolittle started to get loose in the bullpen. Note the balls above and below the bullpen phone on the left side of the picture.
Brian Matusz came into the game for the Orioles in the bottom of the 7th.
Josh Donaldson and Chris Young were sitting at the top step of the dugout.
Throughout the day, both the A’s TV and Radio booths brought in players and coaches from the 1973 A’s team to talk.
For those of you who don’t know… Josh Reddick makes a LARGE mess of seeds in RF. This photo doesn’t do it justice.
Jerry Blevins came on to pitch in the top of the 8th.
This is where things got interesting…
If you didn’t click the link, Nate McClouth hit a home run to Right Field. Shin, one of the bleacher folks caught the ball. He then tossed it to Jorge.
Guess what he did? He threw it back!
Believe it or not, that did not go over well with security. He got up on his seat and the ENTIRE stadium started chanting “LET HIM STAY! LET HIM STAY!”
He was getting everyone riled up, everyone was on his side.
Ross (Left) and Anson (Green Shirt) were pleading their case to security to let Jorge stay.
Then the cops showed up and more or less led him out of the bleachers.
But this guy meant business.
You could tell everyone was pretty pissed about the whole situation.
Like I said, the police officer “led” Jorge out of the bleachers.
Everyone was entranced.
I could tell the players were kind of confused.
Oh… And there was a game going on. The solo home run made the score 5-2. Then, a Chris Davis sac fly made it 6-2.
Jed Lowrie came up in the bottom of the 8th.
Then guess what happened?
Jorge was led back!
That made everyone pretty happy!
I think he was pretty happy.
Spencer got a picture with him.
You have to give the man props though.
Oh, and it was a ROCKET throw! He threw it from 3 rows back in the RF bleachers, in the middle of the row, to 2nd BASE! It was like I was watching the movie Rookie of the Year!
Everyone was cheering for him.
In the 8th, Josh Donaldson doubled for his 4th hit of the game.
Josh Reddick stepped to the plate.
He then flied out center field, but Brandon Moss came in to score, making it 6-3.
Not many people were paying attention to the game though.
Then Chris Young stepped to the dish.
Where he struck out…
Jorge was getting into it. Everyone had a good feeling about the game!
Omar Gonzalez was spending quality time with his young daughter Rhema.
Chris Resop took the mound for the A’s in the 9th.
Rodrigo was enjoying the game.
So was Anson!
The Orioles scored another run in the 9th, brining the score to 7-3.
Adam Rosales stepped into the box to lead off the 9th for Oakland.
And on the 6th pitch of the at bat, the pitch was thrown inside.
Hitting him in the head, causing him to dive to the ground.
Wow. Look at the reactions of the people sitting right behind home plate, on the right side of the picture!
The training staff and Bob Melvin came out to check on him.
But… He stayed in the game!
This brought Coco Crisp to the plate, where…
Pedro Strop threw a wild pitch juuuuuust a bit inside.
Coco Crisp showed off his sweet dance moves.
Adam Rosales advanced to 2nd on the pitch.
Then, Coco walked.
This put runners on first and second, with no outs, putting the tying run in the on deck circle. The stadium went nuts!
The Orioles brought in closer Jim Johnson as John Jason stepped to the plate.
After 5 pitches, he slapped the 6th pitch of the at bat to left field to load the bases.
Rosales was on 3rd, Crisp on 2nd.
Seth “Agent” Smith stepped to the plate with no outs and the bases loaded.
Where he flied out to right.
With one out, Jed Lowrie came up, representing the tying run.
He found a pitch he liked…
Made contact with it…
But he grounded into a game ending double play.
And that was the ballgame. 7-3 L to Baltimore.
I got a picture with the 1 ball and my bobblehead.
And then Spencer photobombed me!!’
W
We gathered everything up.
And everyone started to file out.
Drew, one of the right field bleacher guys has an AWESOME mustache. Appropriate facial hair and shirt for the day.
After gathering our stuff, everyone filed out of the bleachers and gathered out in the concourse.
I was planning on attending the A’s game on Friday, May 17th, which is the 3rd Annual BACON FRIDAY, and I was planning on ordering a shirt, so I needed to give Omar Gonzalez, one of the RF Bleacher folks, my money for the shirt.
While I was talking with him, Rhema was being awfully cute!
I got one last picture of the field before we left the stadium.
And we headed back to our car.
Overall, it was a great day!
BALLHAWKING STATS:
- 7th Game this Year
- 1 Ball at this Game
- 5 balls in 5 MLB games this season = 1 Ball Per Game
- 20 Balls in 7 Games this season = 2.86 Balls Per Game
- 6 Consecutive Games with at least 1 Ball
- 4 Consecutive MLB Games with at least 1 Ball
- 33 Lifetime MLB Baseballs
- 63 Total Balls
Nick Badders is a unofficial reporter for MLB.com. He writes the blog, 7000 Coliseum Way, and you can follow him on Twitter @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay. You can also LIKE his blog on Facebook or follow him @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay on Instagram. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
8/20/12 at the Oakland Coliseum
My mom surprised me taking me to another game just 2 days after the bobblehead / movie night. My sister was at a friend’s house and I was days from starting high school. Considering that nobody at all wants to see the Twins play at night in Oakland, she decided that it would be the perfect game for us!
Friday night, I searched around on StubHub a little and found 2 amazing pairs of tickets that I had a very hard time choosing from. Before I tell you about them, I just want you to keep in mind that were you to purchase these from the A’s website, they would be $44. And in total, there are about $5-$10 extra fees for purchasing tickets on StubHub.
The fist pair of tickets that I found was in section 120, the rightmost section behind the A’s dugout. It was listed as row 13, which considering the fact that the first row of this section is row 5 means that theses seats are row 8. I always narrow my searches down, so it only shows aisle seats and these were aisle seats. Row 8 aisle seat behind the A’s dugout. $35 each. $44-$35 = $9 difference! This also was the same section I sat in at the very end of this game.
The other tickets we considered were in section 111. That is the section to the right of the visitors dugout. The seats were row 7, also aisle seats. They were $25 each. Mind. Blown.
I had a very hard time choosing. There was a $10 difference and many ballhawking opportunities.
I made a list of cases for both sides.
Section 120:
• Tye Waller rolls the infield warm-up ball up the dugout roof every time
• There is a very good chance for a 3rd out ball
• If there is a little foul pop up in the stands, I could have a good chance at getting it
• I could probably ask for a line up card or ball as soon as the game is over
Section 111:
• If a weak foul grounder is hit, I might be able to scoop it up
• If I am wearing my Twins hat, I might have a good chance at getting 3rd out and infield warm-up balls
• The seats are right next to the dugout, closer to the action
• They are cheaper
I couldn’t decide, so I let my mom choose, and she told me she always prefers the 3rd base side over the 1st base side, so we went with Section 120.
I wasn’t expecting this to be a very popular game, so I figured we could get there 45 or so minutes before the gates opened, and we would be in good shape.
So, for a 7:05 start time and 5:35 gate opening time, I would want to get to the Coliseum sometime between 4:30 and 4:45, which meant getting to BART around 4:00ish. I was looking forward to this nice, calm, relaxing game.
My mom and I left our house around 2:45. We walked to the bus stop from our house and got there around 3:20, getting to BART around 3:50.
We got to the Coliseum around 4:20.
My mom wanted us to walk around the stadium a little, so I started off by taking this picture of her
There was nobody in line at Gate LL or MM. We headed towards gates A and D, and I was hoping to show my mom the staircase Sal and I had gone up on Saturday, but it was closed, along with gate A. There was one person in line at Gate D, and he looked pretty bored.
We made a quick stop in the D Gate team store to browse, the continued on to our destination of Gate C. I got a few pictures along the way of things like the ramp up to Will Call
The Season Ticket Holder entrance
And the Employee Entrance (Gate EE)
This is what I saw when we headed down the hill towards Gate C
There were only a couple people in line. Sweet! We got in line and set out stuff down right next to them in the front. I was ready to get in.
Literally as soon as we set our stuff down, a kid was walking into line from the parking lot and because he had his glove on at the time, an employee tossed him a ball.
I headed to the C Gate store just to waste some time and ended up watching some soccer on the TV in there with about 10 other guys. I came out and had about 30 minutes before the gates opened at 5:35. So it was about 5.
More or less, I waited until the gates opened. Once we were allowed to go in, I ran through bag check, got my ticket scanned, and sprinted to the bleachers. I got there, and set my stuff down. The Twins were taking BP. I was ready! I spent a quick moment, talking to Will, one of the 149 guys, who had just asked a Twins player for a toss up. I guess he makes sure to get a ball every game to give one to a kid in line every day.
The only guy on the field with a uniform number in his back was Glen Perkins, who is number 15. I checked my roster. As soon as I looked up, a ball was hit to Perkins, so I called out to him for ball #1 on the day.
My 2nd ball of the day was meant to be thrown to the guy in the white shirt pictured below
I reached out for the ball and caught it. After realizing he had been trying to catch it, I asked if he wanted it, and gave it to him. A minute later, he caught another ball, and offered it to me. I told him to keep it, because he had caught it.
There were a few balls I probably could have asked for, ones that went over the fence and people went to get. But I didn’t ask for them. It was 10 minutes in and I had 2 balls. I decided to take off my A’s jersey, hoping I would have a better chance at a ball.
5 or so minutes later, a ball was crushed into the tunnel between sections 149 and 148. I was about 4 sections over.
Unfortunately the Coliseum doesn’t have cross-aisles in the bleachers, just wheelchair seating areas that block potential cross-aisle.
So back to that ball. Ross, one of the guys from 149 took off for the ball. I did as well. I was running through the rows, and since I was running much faster than him, I caught up with him. The ball rolled through the concourse and into the woman’s restroom. An usher got the ball, and Ross told her to give the ball to a kid. She handed it to me, and as soon as she gave it to me, I put it in the glove of a little boy, smiled, and headed back to the bleachers. BP was ending as I got back in.
I grabbed my sharpie and headed over to the Twins bullpen, where I saw somebody signing. He was talking with his family, but I was still able to get him to sign my hat, which I was excited about.
I decided to head to my ticketed seat to check out the view and talk to my mom. She was surprised and pleased with my 3 balls in BP and the signature on my hat.
I then headed over to the A’s bullpen, in hopes of getting my 4th ball on the day. I saw a ball lying on the ground, and hoped that someone would be able to toss it to me. I waited for about 10 minutes, and right when I was about to head back, the security guard down the LF line came over. I asked him for the ball, and he told me that he isn’t allowed to.
I headed back to my seat, where my mom and I headed up to the Deli in the West Side club. There was no line, so my mom and quickly ordered sandwiches and fruit and headed back to our seats. There, I ate my fruit and talked with my mom.
I then noticed Kate Longworth, from ComcastSportsNet talking to Chip Hale, the A’s bench coach while he signed autographs. I had found a ticket on the ground, so I was hoping he would sign it, but he had to do an interview with Kate, so he headed back.
I then headed back to the bullpen. Derek Norris came out to warm-up shortly thereafter. I got him to sign the random ticket. I was hoping to get a ball from Chip Hale when he concluded warming up.
I looked over into the dugout, and saw Chip interviewing and demonstrating something. I hoped that he would be over soon, so that I could have a chance at a ball.
Once Norris was done prepping himself, Chip Hale came out of the dugout and grabbed a few balls from the ball bag.
He then went over all of the drills with Derek Norris, that I have seen him do before.
Derek missed one of the balls, and when he did, I moved over in that direction. As soon as they were done, I asked Chip Hale for the ball on the ground. As soon as I had said “Chip”, he tossed me the ball in his hand.
It was a pearl! Perfect ball, the one he hadn’t used. Beautiful.
I then ran over to where the Twins’ starting pitcher for the day was throwing. I took off my A’s jersey and threw on my Twins hat, where an usher approached me, to tell me that if I wanted to catch a ball, I have to have a ticket for that section. Even thought my ticket was right behind the dugout, I couldn’t get there. I headed back to the A’s dugout, where I saw a few guys stretching.
My mom got some great pictures
Note the ball bag right there. That is where Chip Hale had gotten the balls from earlier, and I was hoping to get one when the guys finished throwing.
I noticed Brandon McCarthy throwing with Casey Chavez, so I went over to the bullpen.
After I left for the bullpen, he finished his warm-up tosses, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get down there, so I focused on getting a ball from the A’s infielders playing catch. Adam Rosales was the lone one working on his swing.
Jemile Weeks all of a sudden ran out of the dugout, in his warm-up fleece. Just a little late I guess…
Once McCarthy was done throwing in the bullpen with Derek Norris, he tossed the ball he used to a kid in the front row and players started to come into the dugout.
I got Jonny Gomes to sign my ticket, quickly followed by Coco Crisp and Tommy Milone.
It was very weird to look out into the RF bleachers and see almost nobody there, except for the 149 regulars.
My mom got a picture of the guys in the broadcast booth. It almost seems like Glen Kuiper is looking right at the Camera.
The meeting at home plate took place
This was our view for most of the game
We were all ready to go! I was looking forward to Brandon McCarthy’s start, as I had never seen him pitch in person before.
But I do have to say, it wasn’t his best start. He allowed 2 runs in the first inning, on 27 pitches.
I swear Adam Rosales adjusted his socks at least 5 times in the first 3 minutes.
I have to say my mom took some amazing pictures.
But like I said, Brandon McCarthy really struggled, which I found very disappointing
It not a good thing when the pitching coach has to come to the mound with 2 outs in the 1st inning
A bright spot in the top of the 1st was this picture that I got of section 149
Stomper, the A’s elephant mascot spent the 1st inning in our section, trying to buy food from vendors, who seemed to be very amused. My mom got this fantastic picture of me with Stomp in the background.
Josh Reddick popped up to end the A’s half of the first
Here I am with 2 of my first 4 balls on my day.
So in the bottom of the 2nd, I walked up to look at the price of the sweatshirt, and as I was walking back to the seat, I saw the boy who I had given the home run ball to earlier in BP. He had the biggest smile on his face and looked so happy, clutching the ball close to his chest.
I went over to say hi to him, and his mother told me that he hadn’t let go of the ball since I had given it to him. I gave him a high five and headed back to my seat.
1 out into the 3rd inning, Brandon had allowed 10 hits and 5 runs. Travis Blackley, the A’s long man came in. And wow! he did a great job! He allowed 1 run and 5 hits over the final 5 and 2/3 of the game.
At the top of every inning, the A’s first baseman (This game featured Chris Carter) tosses the ball to Tye Waller, the A’s 1st base coach, who will roll the ball up the dugout roof to a kid or elderly season ticket holder. A’s players always toe 3rd out balls into the stands. 2 different ball chances x 9 innings = 18 chances for balls + foul balls.
I didn’t get a ball for the first 5 innings. The closest I came was a warm-up ball, were when Tye Waller rolled the ball up, the usher for the section PUSHED fans out of the way to ensure a gloveless kid got the ball.
I got the infield warm-up ball in the top of the 6th, my 5th on the day.
After I got back to my seat with that ball, the usher approached me, telling me to stay in my seat for the rest of the game. He told me not to get any more balls and just to watch the game.
I grabbed my dad’s camera, and headed down to row 3, where I got some pictures. This was my view for the rest of the game.
I didn’t really try for any more balls, so that I wouldn’t get kicked out for pissing the usher off or anything like that.
I kind of just sat in my seat, and when someone went to toss a ball into the stands, I would just kind of hold up my glove in hopes of a ball coming near me. There was one time where I tried for a 3rd out ball from Chris Carter and the usher pointed to the 3rd row seat, telling me to go back.
Due to the fact that the A’s bullpen is not connected to the clubhouse, a lot of times, the relievers are walking back and forth from the dugout and the bullpen.
It was a lot of fun actually not to go for balls, because I got to take some pictures, and a few of them actually turned out ok!
Whenever I watch A’s game at home, one thing I notice is how tense Jonny Gomes looks at the plate
But like I said, it was so much fun just to relax in the 3rd row, taking pictures and enjoying the game.
To give you a perspective of how close the first row is, I snapped this picture of Chris Carter emerging from the dugout. I barely zoomed in at all.
Josh Reddick stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 8th, hoping to lower the Twins lead to 4 runs, but he was unable to, as he struck out on a foul tip.
After Reddick stuck out, Yoenis Cespedes stepped to the plate.
And on the 8th pitch of the at-bat, Cespedes took a huge hack at a slider and…
Flied out to left fielder and former Athletic Josh Willingham.
And just to let you know, this is the usher for the section in case you ever sit in section 121 or 120.
The A’s were unable to do anything in the bottom of the 9th, and the final score was 7-2. As Tye Waller walked in from the 1st base coach’s box, and as he started to walk down into the dugout, I called out to him, asking for the line up card, but he shook his head no.
I had already broken my record for most balls at an MLB game with 5, and was hoping to tie my record for most balls at a game of 6, which I set on July 14th at a San Jose Giants game.
I saw the A’s relievers coming in from the bullpen, and quickly scanned their hands, in hopes of getting my 6th ball on the day. I spotted a ball in Grant Balfour’s hand, and after making eye contact with him, I pounded my glove, holding it up, and had my 6th and final ball of the day.
Wow. It was a great day. I had a great time spending time with my wonderful mom and it was awesome getting 6 balls and having great seats while doing it.
The announced attendance was just under 10,000, and I decided that I need to make it to more game like that. Great day!
BALLHAWKING STATS:
• 6 balls at this game (4 pictured because I gave 2 away)
• 17 balls in 11 Major League games this season = 1.55 ball per game.
• 26 balls in 15 baseball games this season = 1.733 balls per game.
• 22 Lifetime Major League baseballs
• 31 total balls
• 5 consecutive games in Oakland with at least 1 ball
• 6 consecutive games with at least 1 ball
Nick Badders is a unofficial reporter for MLB.com. He writes the blog, 7000 Coliseum Way, and you can follow him on Twitter @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay. You can also LIKE his blog on Facebook or follow him @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay on Instagram. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
8/5/12 at the Oakland Coliseum
This was my 2nd game in the past 6 days. Let’s go!
We left the house at 8:40 for my dad to drop my mom and I off at BART. My sister had like a sleepover or something the night before, and she was going to come later with my dad.
My mom and I got to BART at about 9:00 and the Coliseum at about 10:30.
Once we exited the BART ramp, we headed towards Gate C, where I figured I would get in line. There was nobody in this line, or the 2 up at the BART ramp. (B and A were closed) Then, my mom reminded me that we needed to get tickets to another game, so we headed over to gate D to buy the tickets. I then remembered that the cast of Nitro Circus 3D was going to be greeting people at Gate D, so I jumped in line while my mom went ahead and purchased tickets for Scott Hatteberg bobblehead day.
Now, let me say right now, it will be hell for ballhwaking. Not only is there a bobblehead (With a sound chip) giveaway, but before the game, there is an on-field reunion 30 minutes before the game starts of the 2002 team that won 20 consecutive games. Then, after the game, if you pay an extra $12, you get to go on the field and watch the movie Moneyball on a huge screen above the center field fence.
I don’t expect to snag many if any at balls, but for me, this is such a great opportunity, that I can’t pass it up.
I started talking with this security guard at the gate
He thought I was about the coolest person ever. I talked about baseball, my blog, and stuff like that. He was kind enough to show me the schedule for the day, as I had told him that I snag baseballs. On it, it said that the A’s and Jays were supposed to take BP. If this was true, I was pumped!
He was under the impression that I was an All-Star baseball player. (Not close) This may have had something to do wit the fact that I had an 2 baseball glove, one being a catchers mitt. I also told him I am a 2nd baseman and short stop. That may have led him on to believe I was a leadoff hitter that will be drafted in the first round after high school. I guess his cousin was drafted 6th overall in the last NBA draft, which I think started the whole discussion. If you ever get in line at Gate D and see him, tell him Nicholas Badders sent you.
He ended up walking away when kids starting filing out of the coliseum from some class that A’s players were giving.
This lady was walking around, saying that Chevy was giving away free sun glasses. All you had to do was sign up for a chance to win a car. I sent my mom to investigate, and she ended up getting me some green A’s sunglasses.
Right after she got back, this pulled into the parking lot.
Nitro Circus! This is who got out…
If anybody can identify them for me, that would be great!
One of the things on the myGameBalls.com photo scavenger hunt involved getting a picture of you that had a celebrity in the shot. I complied this picture to submit that I hoped would be worth 6 points.
Those pictures were taken my dad. He arrived with my sister and joined us in line 15 minutes before the gates opened.
When the gates finally opened, I grabbed the giveaway of a Jemile Weeks drawstring backpack and headed to check if there was BP. The cages were up and the Blue Jays were on the field stretching! I ran up to the concourse, threw on my Blue Jays hat, and took off my A’s jersey to reveal my MLB Fan Cave shirt. I was running all over the place.
I ran down towards the Toronto dugout, where there were some players stretching. I called out for a ball, but had no luck. BP got under way, and knowing that the Jays don’t have a lot of lefty power, headed down behind their bullpen. I quickly got a toss-up from their bullpen catcher Alex Andreopoulos.
I am very glad that I didn’t go into the bleachers. There were 2. Yes, 2, balls hit into the bleachers in all of BP. They were both off the bat of Rajai Davis, the speedster that isn’t known at all for his power and jump-started his career with the A’s. The first one bounced into the bleachers from the steps between the foul pole and seats in LF, and the other was hit into the 2nd deck, bounced out, and into the bleachers. The same guy got both. Jose Bautista didn’t hit, and guys like Edwin Encarnacion hit balls out, but ones that didn’t go into the seats.
In total, I guess about 6 balls were hit clear over the wall by the Blue Jays.
There were a decent amount of other people with me down the right field line, and almost none of them had gloves.
This probably was the most I had ever moved around in BP. I was running up and down between the Jays’ dubout and bullpen the entire time. There were no balls that were hit foul into the seats, so I mostly followed balls that were weakly hit. There was one where I leaned over the railing, and even though the usher was holding my legs, I was unable to get it.
It also didn’t help that there were about 50 kids in a roped off area that were getting balls rolled, thrown, and hit to them. About 3 had gloves. Oh well.
It turns out, before BP had started, my dad took a bunch of pictures of A’s pitchers warming up. He also got a cool picture of Casey Chavez, the A’s bullpen catcher rubbing mud on the bullpen baseballs.
Lets start off with Sean Doolitle
Travis Blackley (And his awesome glove)
He got some great shots of Blue Jays hitters during BP
The security guard’s sheet was wrong, but that was no big deal. The A’s didn’t hit, but the Blue Jays did. They did end pretty quickly, though. I would guess they hit for 25 minutes. Considering the fact that they had started at 11:15 and ended at 11:40, I was somewhat disappointed. I was also excited that this gave me time to get some more things of the scavenger hunt checklist.
The first picture that I checked off after the one before the gates opened was this hopefully 10-pointer. Todd, Tim, and Kellan Cook took a picutre of Tim sitting in the Orange seat at Camden Yards, holding up Todd’s phone with a picture of Cal Ripken Jr.
I took a photo imitating it. But, I was sitting in the seat, where David Ortiz’s 400th HR had landed.
Then, my dad decided to get this picture.
After this, we headed up to the 3rd deck, as I wanted to try out a cool new iPhone app I had found call 360. It is a 360 degree panoramic picture app. It free, and cool. If you have an IOS device, you should get it. I went to the last row and took this.
I also got this picture on my phone’s regular camera
Then, we headed to get another picture off the checklist. For 2 points, you need to get a picture with a statue in/at the stadium. Right by the Westside Club, I complied this picture
3 statues. From left to right, the 2008 Statue of Liberty All-Star Game A’s statue, the A’s giant piggy bank statue, and the 2010 Mickey Mouse All-Star Game A’s statue.
Then, we headed into the Westside Club, which I believe I have never mentioned before on this blog. It is basically a restaurant/bar in the Coliseum. They even have a custum sandwhich place called Deli 215.
From the Westside Club, we headed back to our seats. I there realized that we didn’t have aisle seat. Other than catching a foul ball, my goal for the game was to find an aisle seat a few rows up.
Shortly after I got back, I went with my sister to get an ice cream helmet, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
When we got back, I grabbed my glove and headed over to where Derek Norris was playing catch with bench coach Chip Hale
When Norris was done, I called out to him for a ball, but it turns out Chip Hale had all of them, and he tossed all 3 of the balls that he had to deserving little kids with gloves.
At this point, Tommy Milone was just about done playing catch with Casey Chavez, and was headed to warm up in the bullpen.
halfway through his warm up tosses, Stomper in his “Smiling Chevron Car” and his “herd” ran around the warm-up track with all of their “goodies.” They had the usual bead necklaces and Ryan Sweeney jerseys that were giveaways in 2010 or something like that.
I got a yellow necklace and gave it to a kid who was sad because he hadn’t gotten anything.
As the A’s relievers started to walk in from the clubhouse, everyone (Minus Pat Neshek) was signing for fans down the line. I got my ticket signed by Pedro Figueroa and then Jerry Blevins.
My family always seems disappointed when I sit by myself at games and go for balls, so at this game, I made a point to make sure to sit with my sister, who utterly hates me ballhawking. This my view for the game.
As usual, my dad got some amazing pictures. Like, really good pictures. As usual, I am going to share them with you.
Anthony Gose bunting in the top of the first inning
Coco Crisp fouling off a pitch
Josh Reddick at bat in the bottom of the first inning
Brandon Inge rounding the base on Norris’s double
Somebody on the Blue Jays hitting
Birds on the tarps on the 3rd deck
Pedro Figueroa warming in the bullpen
So I bet you are all wondering about foul balls during the game. There were 2 into the seats within 10 yards of me. There were 5 or so that the ball boy could have handed to me, but didn’t. So the two that landed in the seats… 1 bounced on the field and into the second row in the section to my left.
The other I should have caught. I am hitting myself over this. The ball was hit right at me. I lost it in the sky, but I eventually found it. It bounced softly 2 rows behind me and iI ran back and stuck my glove on the ball, which was in a cup holder. I held it there for a few seconds, then pulled it off. I grabbed it with my hand, but some lady yanked it out of my hand. Good going lady. An usher came over and asked if everyone was ok, so I told him that I was emotionally wounded. He chuckled and asked why. I explained. The lady offered the ball to me, but I told here to find a little kid to give it to.
I tried to stay happy, but I was just frustrated about the ball. I should have been able to hold onto it, but it left my hand. There isn’t anything I can do about it at this point.
Tommy Milone just wasn’t on his game, and allowed 6 runs over the course of his 6 innings. Going into the bottom of the 9th, the A’s had RBI doubles from Derek Norris and Coco Crisp, and a 3-run home run from Josh Reddick.
Norris stepped to the plate in the 9th, hoping to extend the game.
Just foul! By just a few feet too! He fouled off 2-3 pitches barely foul, eventually striking out. The A’s would lose 6-5. No Pie. No Kool and the Gang. But overall, it was a fun day!
Before we left, there was one more thing I wanted to do. I had seen a ball under the advertisement board by the bullpen, and something came to my mind. One more thing on the photo scavenger hunt list was to retrieve a ball from the field using items strictly from concession stands. I found a cardboard tray, and after a little modifying, tried to retrieve the ball. This is the photo I submitted.
And on our way out, I saw this sign, which the A’s took down the next day. I miss Kurt Suzuki. I hope he does well in our nation’s capitol.
BALLHAWKING STATS:
• 1 ball at this game
• 9 balls in 9 Major League games this season = 1 ball per game.
• 18 balls in 12 baseball games this season = 1.5 balls per game.
• 14 Lifetime Major League baseballs
• 23 total balls
• 3 consecutive games in Oakland with at least 1 ball
• 4 consecutive games with at least 1 ball
Nick Badders is a unofficial reporter for MLB.com. He writes the blog, 7000 Coliseum Way, and you can follow him on Twitter @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay. You can also LIKE his blog on Facebook or follow him @nickbatters or his blog @7000ColiseumWay on Instagram. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.