For baseball fans, it’s enjoyable enough just to go to a game. Recently, I have been on a reading spree of baseball books, blogs, etc., and ended up at Zack Hample’s blog and read many, many of his posts about him snagging thousands of baseballs over his lifetime. All the while, I’m thinking about my experiences at baseball games and how I simply am unable to compete with 10-year-olds for tossed baseballs. That is, until I read his books and became utterly inspired to get one of my own. Yeah, it’s not that weird for a 23-year-old to ask for game-used balls from people about your same age, right? If you love baseball enough, not really.
After reading through Zack Hample’s blog more and more (and seeing him describe, photograph, and point out all the great nuances of the game and the stadiums), I found out he was an author of a couple books, which I promptly picked up at the bookstore. His most recent book, The Baseball has been my favorite as it’s transcends being a “self-help” baseball book. It shows real insight and history into the game, and most specifically, the evolution of the baseball itself.
Hearing Zack talk about his constant “ballhawking” has inspired me to really try to get a ball, and my closest and easiest opportunity would be at the Jacksonville Suns game. Ideally, I wanted to try and catch some homerun balls, but didn’t want to spend the whole game out in left field. When we went to the game yesterday, July 24th vs the Mississippi Braves, a great opportunity arose: the rain started in the 5th inning. After an already rain-delayed game, many fans either left or retreated for cover. As it wasn’t raining that hard. I stayed put; rather, I moved behind the visitor’s dugout where there still weren’t as many people. The first seven or eight rows behind the dugout and most of the way around were wide open and clear.
I sat for an inning a half, and on a third out with the Braves on the field, first baseman Ernosto Mejia (who ended up hitting the game-winning home run in the 10th inning) brought the ball towards the dugout with his eyes on the stands. He looked right at me, then looked to his left and tossed it to a younger boy with a glove at the end of the section. See what I mean about not being able to compete?
Then two innings later, in the bottom of the 8th inning, Suns player Kevin Mattison strikes out swinging and the Braves catcher, Mathew Kennelly heads for his side of the dugout with the ball in hand. With the only other person in the vicinity is eight rows up, he had almost no choice but to toss it to me – and he did. I caught it barehanded and sat down with my first game-used ball.
In perspective, this isn’t much to be excited about, though I am excited. To know the history behind baseballs and their manufacturing specifications, and then to look at this ball knowing its the culmination of that evolution is humbling. Heck, this game-used ball represents the history of the sport for me, back to the 19th century. The ups and downs, controversies and victories. This ball also represents my childhood of playing baseball for months on-end in the Spring and Fall, hoping dearly for being chosen for the All-Star teams, and looking forward to playing in junior high and high school (which didn’t quite surface).
On another high note of the day yesterday, I had a pretty good idea of printing a couple photos from when I photographed a game back in June, then bringing them to the game for autographs. The first shot I though of was this one, printed an 8×10 and waited for about twenty minutes for Luke to be done chatting with some Suns officials. When he finally came over, he seemed impressed to be seeing a photograph of himself in print, in front of him, and hoping to be signed. I’m glad I could make his day, as well as him contributing to mine.
For what it’s wort, Luke Montz was called up briefly to the Majors and played with the Nationals in 2008. Also, this year, Luke won the 2011 Southern League Home Run Derby. Pretty cool, you know, for a minor league player. (Yes, that was sarcastic.)
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EDIT: For the record, I just finished Hample’s book, The Baseball. Now what do I read? Any suggestions?