Didn’t miss it by a foot, it hit my foot

5/13/09

Something had to change from the previous game. Over a dozen missed opportunities to snag a ball. Being right there, so close and having to back off at the last second because someone else happened to be sitting in the perfect position to catch the ball.

Some days it just beez that way, but not today. My first ball was a toss up from Ubaldo Jimenez. Originally I thought it was for Hunter (and it may have been) but he overshot Hunter by 15 feet or so and I nabbed it.

The second ball I snagged was hit by Dexter Fowler I tracked perfectly. The ball bounced off the tip of my glove, deflected onto a bleacher and landed right in front of me. I reached down quickly and nabbed my own blown catch.

It was game on from there. The next two were gloved perfectly and within 15 feet of each other. Chris Iannetta hit one of them.

 One was a practice ball and the other ball was one I had been waiting for.

I finally nabbed a 2008 All-Star ball.

No big deal to some snaggers as most of you probaly have one, but it was my first.

A teenage girl asked me for it. I told her she could have a ball but not that one. I reached into my backpack and gave her the practice ball.

Rockies left then the Astros were up and within a few minutes I was tracking another ball. I followed this ball as it sailed about mid-way up the bleachers.

I turned then tripped over the bleacher and caught the ball as I was falling down backwards. It wasn’t pretty (more funny), but I caught that sucker.

I gave that ball to the brother of the teenage girl I had handed the other ball too. That family left happy.

 Ball six was about thirty minutes into Astros BP and was a quick dash to the right and perfect catch on the run.

Just as batting practice was about to end some big white guy crushed one out to mid-pavilion about 2/3 of the way up and I was on it perfectly.

 At the last second I realized I was up one row too high and I missed as it landed perfectly under the bleacher directly on top my foot.

White flash, ouch, oh sheet don’t act stupid Don everyone is looking. Hide the pain because nobody saw it hit your foot. 

The whole thing was hidden by the bleacher. Had I danced around in pain people would have wondered what the F’ck was wrong with me so I had to act somewhat normal.

 Man, I couldn’t even swear. Me not swearing, I impressed myself. 

It was a perfect shot. My first instinct after the white flash was to get that damn ball and as I reached for it a kid in a Rockies jersey scooped it up. I was like “What the” and when I looked up it was Hunter.

 

It was his only ball of the day and I was glad he got it.  

Afterwards we did have a discussion about him not snaggin so close to me and how I don’t like competing against my son for baseballs that I bobble. 

I think it looks silly he and I chasing after the same ball,…but anyways.   

 It was at that point I noticed my shoe was getting tight. That’s not good.

The ball that landed on my foot just happened to have a big H on it.

 Some may say that “H” stands for Houston. I don’t think so.  I say it stand for “Hurts like Hell” when it smacks you in the foot full force.

My foot throbbed for about 20 minutes and then it went numb.

I figure if you’re going to get hit with a pitch you want it to be in the meaty part of your body. On most people there’s no meat on top of your foot. This type of BP injury was a first for me and hopefully the last. I’ve got almost two weeks to heal up.

         After BP we went over to the Rockies side and tried to get some autographs.

 Unfortunately were kind of late and were standing in the wrong place for Todd Helton.

 
Glenallen Hill and Jeff Francis. Hill is looking at me like he remembers me from Spring Training. My favorite line from Hill in Tucson was “What you guys do with all those autographs?” 
                                                     Hurdle and Francis 

                          Francis gets the first pitch duties on a regular basis. 

                                                    That is one happy kid.
                          Everybody was happy, at least before the game started.
                                       Marquis warming up before the game.
Best haircut of the game. In case you’ve never seen one, this particular hairstyle is know as a Mullet. Very popular in the 80′s but now is usually only found in the deep south.

Southerners do travel and when I get a chance to photograph a rare haircut like this I just cant resist.

                                                  This ones a beauty     

                   The Mullet… business in the front, party in the back.
                                                     Marquis first pitch.
                                                      His second pitch. 

                                                                Tulo
                   Ian Stewart had a Grand Slam yesterday and another homer today.
                                           Brad Hawpe tracking a baseball.
                                                             Another
                                                        Todd Helton at bat.
                                               Spilborghs getting ready.
                                                         Helton out at first.
                                 Garrett Atkins proving that white men can jump.
                                                         Tulo in action.
                                                     Atkins ready to go.
First off if you’re brave/man enough to wear a pink shirt, your picture makes this blog. But the fact he was standing there talking to Bill Gates, well that’s seriously blog worthy.

Although wouldn’t you think Bill Gates would at least sit Club level?

              Don’t you think the sweatshirt over the shoulders is a nice touch?

 A shot of Dan, Emily and Ryan in the pavilion from my “chosen” seats which were along the first base line.

 Dan’s daughter Emily was interviewed on Thursday’s game by Fox News and by Mark Stout of FSN.

 I’ll post or link some video when I have it. That should be really cool.

The combination of having to work early the next day, my foot hurting like nobody’s business and the Rockies getting pummelled at home was enough to make me want to go home.
                                                            So we did.

 I went home and put my foot up. No DL list for me, I’ll be ready by next homestand. Unless I broke a bone and then I’ll be there in a cast.

                                      Final Score Astros 15, Rockies 11.

                           Coors Field Crack of the Game

                                     Sorry it’s a little blurry, I was laughing

                 RPR’s Hagg’n Points for this Game

1 Point- For showing up.

15 points- For catching 5 balls on the fly.

2 points- For a toss up from Ubaldo Jimenez.

                                                     Total = 18 points

             Hunters Hagg’n Points for this Game

1 point- For showing up

3 points- For snagging a ball on the bounce off of my size 12 shoe.

                                                     Total = 4 points

My next Rockies home game is Tuesday the 26th. Gotta give some props to my Denver Nuggets. I believed at the beginning of the season when everyone thought I was crazy. I’ve been somewhat silent about their success of late because I didn’t want to jinx anything. 

This is the team, this is the Nuggets year, The Lakers are beatable and the Nuggets will do it…D
 Dont miss my next entry when I talk about how Coors Field Ushers are now required to fondle your peanuts…I’m serious…D