Orioles vs. Rangers 4/10/11 (Personal Toss-Up Record)

If you’re here to read about the whole Jose Valverde
spitting incident, check out that post
here.

 

 

So after I facepalmed during Saturday’s game, my legs were
quite beat up, so I couldn’t run around too much on Sunday.  I got to the game late (for me) and met up
with Matt outside the gates at around 11:15 (open at 11:30) where he informed
me that there was batting practice set up. 
Surprising.

 

So we got in, he ran around, and I walked.  Couldn’t bend my knees too much, so had to
take it easy.  They hit some home runs
during BP, a bunch within good distance for me to snag, but I had to let them
go.  It wasn’t fun trying to go up and
down stairs, so I had to lay off them. 
Matt found a few and caught a bunch.

 

Here’s Buck talking in the outfield with Jason Berken and
Jeremy Accardo:

 

 

My first ball, though, was from the Rangers bullpen catcher Josh Frasier who tossed me and another guy the two balls sitting in the
Rangers pen when he got up there.  The
other guy also caught a few of the HRs that were close to me.  We talked a bit, and he was really nice to
discuss some baseball with while I hobbled around.

 

The Rangers came out to throw, and I thought my only chance
to snag on the day would be toss ups.  So
I went over to the 3^rd base line where the position players were
throwing.  Anybody else there stood by
the pitchers, not realizing the position guys would be finished fastest.

 

Andres Blanco was throwing with somebody, and when they were
finished messing around throwing side arm, I held my glove up and he chucked me
the ball without even asking.

 

Mason Tobin was throwing with Alexi Ogando, and Ogando
overthrew a ball that bounced in the stands. 
I scooped it up, offered it back, but they said to keep it.  I handed it to a fan next to me who had an Alexi Ogando card in hand.  I figured that was worthy of a baseball that he technically threw.  The odd part after that was that Tobin finished
with their ball, and he tossed it to me. 
Interesting.  Here’s Tobin about
20 seconds before the toss up:

 

 

Brandon Webb, who had a weird photo shoot by the dugout just
before the game, was in the outfield running:

 

 

BP got a bit crowded, so I chilled in the LF corner for any
bloop homeruns down the line.  I didn’t
get any more balls on the day, though 4 toss ups was my personal best in any game). 
Here was my view for most of Rangers BP:

 

 

The kid you see there is… well… very confused.

 

 

He’s wearing a Colts jacket and Red Sox hat. What?!

 

Josh Hamilton was signing:

 

 

So I wiggled through the huge group of people, the security guy on the field (seen above in orange) messed with me a bit (we talk with him every day, he points out Easter Eggs to me on occasion), and got Hamilton on
the ball I snagged from Blanco earlier.

 

 

Vladimir Guerrero received his 2010 Silver Slugger and
Comeback Player of the Year Awards pre-game (assumingly scheduled then against
the Rangers):

 

 

Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre were warming up by me, but I
got neither ball (obviously).

 

 

Matt headed who knows where, and I headed out to section 86,
where I planned to chill all game and not kill myself over home run balls like
the day before.

 

I settled at the break in the bullpens, saluted to Ronnie,
and the game got going.  Nick joined me in section 86, Matt came
soon after, and it was a sunny, relaxed afternoon.

 

Jake Fox was oddly in left field:

 

 

My view of the Rangers bullpen during the game:

 

 

Orioles bullpen doing warmups and such:

 

 

Ronnie Deck looking awesome as usual (though he needs a retro
bird helmet):

 

 

More of the bullpen just chilling:

 

 

The Orioles lost. 
Guthrie, back from the hospital (pneumonia) threw six innings of one run
ball, but we scored no runs, the Rangers tacked on a two run shot off of Jim
Johnson, and that was that.

 

But, in the end, this is what we had overall:

 

 

I will be back at Oriole Park next Wednesday for the last
two games on the Twins series.  Missing
Monday and Tuesday for holiday.  But will
be at [hopefully] eight of the ten games during the home stand.

 

 

Season stats:

 

Baseballs: 16 (7 hit, 3 on fly, 5
toss up, 3 found)

Autographs: 2 (Scherzer, Guerrero,
Oliver)

Orioles home games attended: 6

Orioles total games attended: 6

Total MLB games attended: 6

Total baseball games attended (MLB+MiLB):
6

Rainouts: 1

 

3 baseballs pictures (gave one away):

 

 

 

 

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