Here we go with another near miss for me on Game HR #100 of my illustrious Ballhawking career. This is going to be a long post but it has a few cool stories.

It all started around 1:15 when I arrived at the stadium. My hopes were to get Josh Hamilton to sign a ball. After being there about 20 minutes a Doubletree bus pulled up and 4 Rangers coaches got off of the bus. Usually right after this the bus turns around and goes back out, however this time it went all the way to the back of the stadium. Obviously there was someone else on board. It turns out that someone else was Hamilton. A guy came over a few minutes later showing off his Home Run Derby Gold Ball signed on the sweet spot by Hamilton that he got signed at the hotel just a few minutes before he left to go to the stadium. I even went back to the hotel on Friday and still no luck as the driver of the "short" bus kicked 2 guys out and was standing there as Hamilton got came out for the bus so there was no chance of getting him.

Shortly after I found out that Hamilton was in I walked around to the Angels parking lot. I had a Home Run ball from a minor league game that was hit by Howie Kendrick. It would havfe been nice to get it signed but her drove up, waved and did not sign for anyone. That was the case for most of the Angels on Thursday except for one!

Tori Hunter drove up and say the 5 or 6 of us holding up pens and balls and he did stop. He rolled down his window and started signing and also had an interesting conversation with one of the fans there.

The fan said something to Hunter about how he was going to have a great game and go 4 for 4. The guy then got a little crazy saying he would hit for the cycle nad some other stuff. Tori came back and said to us, "I tell ya what, if I go 4 for 4 I will buy you guys a beer!" After Hunter left we all just laughed it off thinking that it was unlikely. We could not have been more wrong! Hunter ended up 3 for 3, the only thing that held us back from our beers was the fact that he walked in his first at bat. The worst part is that Vladdy mad the final Angels out of the game killing the chance of Tori going 4 for 4. If Tori had gone 4 for 4 you can be that we all would have shown up by the Angels parking lot the next day.

So after all of that I headed back around to the front of the stadium. Once I was up there I noticed a guy with a young kid who looked very familiar. I could not figure out if I knew him from Angels games in the past or if maybe it was someone I had met while working for the Rangers in Port Charlotte, Florida in 2000. It turns out that the boy with him was his grand-nephew and that I knew him from going to Angels games back in the late 80's / early 90's. Back then he brought his son, Brandon, to the games to get autographs and occasionally chase baseballs. It is always cool to see some of the people that used to hang out at the BIG A back when getting autographs was really fun!

Just before it was time to get in line to go into the stadium I ran into a MLBlog readers PadreLeigh and TC who is better known as TracyCollinsBecky in the comment section.

I was first in line and the first into the stadium! I ran out to what used to be my favorite spot down the right field line. It's a spot where most of the balls that are hit down the line funnel to so there is a good chance to get more than one ball. As I got down there a ball was headed towards the wall rolling very slow. It stopped right at the wall and I leaned over and picked it up. I am one of the few that can actually lean over the wall without falling onto the field. The ball itself was basically brand new with a few grass stains.

As I was looking at my latest addition to my collection I hear the security guy telling me that I have to give it back and as he is saying that Scot Shields is yelling the same thing at me holding up his glove. The security guard come over and says to me, "Man you got to give it back, it's too early for this (leaning over the wall?)"

My response was "There is NO WAY I am giving a ball back, I didn't do anything wrong!" Shields was still telling me I had to give it back as well. The security guard kept saying that he was going to call security to take me out. I just laughed at him and said go ahead, and when you talk to them tell the head guy I said HI! I am pretty sure that he knows who I am.

Shortly after that Shields said, "I'm just kidding man, you don't have to give it back." I told him I obviously knew that and he knows I am there way to much to think otherwise. The security guy laughed and walked back to his crappy minimum wage paying job. Give a guy a radio and a shirt that says SECURITY and he thinks that he can be funny when he is actually being an idiot! I am guessing that had I been some stupid kid the security guy would have taken the ball and thrown it back in.

That was my first ball of the day, about 2 minutes after that a ball was hit into the seats down the right field line. There was no one around and I ran about 3 sections over to chase it. It was hit about 10 rows up but I knew that it would roll down to me and of course it did. Ball #2, another ball that was almost a pearl.

As batting practice went on several balls were hit into the center field area with no seats. The usher from the left field family section gets those and gives them away. Thankfully my friend JOE was the usher working that section and I talked him out of one of the balls that Josh Hamilton hit out there(ball#3) Hamilton put on an exhibition of hitting when he was in the cage. One his massive blast was a 450 ft shot that landed in the first row of the second section of seats in right field! These seats are about 27 rows up from the outfield wall. It was the longest ball I had ever seen hit to right field! Hamilton also hit several balls to the center field back drop and rock pile that stayed and got hung up on the Rocks. After BP I went around and asked one of the TV guys for one of the balls and he glady went over , picked on up and handed it to me! (ball #4)

Ok so onto the game now, I was sitting in the right field corner where there was a decent chance that if a home run was hit I would have a shot at it. In the 3rd inning of the game Mark Teixeira came up and hit a blast right towards the section next to me. As I watched the ball I tried to get into position for whatever direction it might bounce. Unfortunately there was no bounce at all. I still tried to make my way around the seats to the little side aisle along the fence to get down to it but by that time it was too late. A guy that was sitting down front got up to it and it rolled down a row right to him. DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!

Another close call for game home run #100. Here is a screen shot from TV showing me and where the ball hit and the guy picked it up!

Overall it turned out to be a decent day with me getting 4 baseballs that are good enough to get autographs on at future games. I saw old friends and met knew ones and just had a good time!

4 BALLS - 1 Autograph

I have gone to a couple of games in Fullerton where the Orange County Flyers play. The Flyers are part of the independant Golden Baseball League. The Flyers also have Baseball Hall of Famer Gary Carter as their manager and one of the part-owners is former Desperate Housewifes star James Denton.

A little over a week ago was Gary Carter Bobblehead night. I also got a photo that my father took in the mid 80's signed as well as a MLB ball. I actually have a bobblehead by itself for sale at auction as well as a bobblehead and the autographed ball and photo as a package at OVERSTOCK.com

If you are interested in checking out the Bobblehead or possibly looking to buy it you can get to the Bobblehead Only auction by clicking HERE and to the Gary Carter Bobblehead and autograph package by clicking HERE

While you are there check out my other auctions!! Besides the Carter autographs and bobbleheads I have a ticket from the NO HITTER that Jack Morris threw in Chicago against the White Sox on April 7, 1984 and it is signed by Tigers Slugger Darrell Evans.

I also have a JAMES DENTON, from Desperate Housewifes fame, Bobblehead for auction from the game this past weekend! You can get to the James Denton Bobblehead auction by clicking HERE

So if you are a Bobblehead collector these are definitely 2 limited edition bobbleheads that will be hard to find!!

In fact I just saw a Gary Carter Bobblehead sell on Ebay for over $50 and that was without a ticket stub from the game. In the auctions that I have for these bobbleheads I include a ticket from the game!!

It looked as if I was not going to make any game at all on Wednesday night. Both the Angels and Dodgers were in town. At the last minute the decision was made to go to the Dodgers game and to sit in the ALL YOU CAN EAT PAVILION in Right Field.

We pulled into the parking lot at 5:30 which was alread 20 minutes after the gates opened. We walked into Autograph Alley (centerfield) as we got up to the stadium because the gates for RF do not open until 5:40. Jimmy Campanis was signing autographs and you can also walk out onto the warning track in Center Field during BP.

5:40 hit and we headed off to the AYCEP and up to the seats. I was standing on the aisle right off of Section 308. After having a few balls sail over my head hit by Chase Utley and another Phillie, possibly Greg Dobbs, Ryan Howard stepped in the cage. Howard then hits a towering drive right towards me. I step back a row and made the catch.(ball #1) 

I have to admit I was nervous about this because I am back to using my $12 Wal-Mart special glove. The Wilson A200, yes A200, not A2000! My glove is the cheap plastic version of that but ya know what, IT WORKS!!

Shortly after that Geoff Jenkins was shagging out in right field and tossed a ball up into the stands. It bounced off of about 5 sets of hands and hit the first row where I was waiting for it and picked it up! (ball #2)

Shortly after I grab this one some out of shape overweight wannabe softball player comes over and stands right next to me telling me that I have gotten enough and that I should give the balls to kids etc. Ok so I am not in the greatest shape and I too am/was a wannabe softball player but at least I bring a glove to the game so I can catch a ball!

Chase Utley stepped in for his last couple of swings and hits one right at me and Mr. Softball. He is just to my left as we stand in the stairwell. Thankfully the ball was hit just to my right and far enough to where I could reach for it and he was not going to have a chance at it unless he grabbed my arm or something crazy like that. As the ball came down he stuck his hand in front of my face and across my body. I stuck out my Wal-Mart special and the ball went past his bare hand and right into my glove. (Ball #3) If Mr. Softball had a glove with him he might have actually been able to make the catch.

#1 rule of Ballhawking: ALWAYS BRING A GLOVE!!

Right after I caught my 3rd ball of the day he proclaimed that I would not get another ball and then he proceeded to stand almost right in the middle of the aisle blocking the staircase. The best part of it was that the last group of the Phillies were all right handed and there wasn't a ball hit out to RF. However I knew that there was going to be at least one more chance for a baseball.

Phillies coach Gregg Legg (great name) was another person that was patrolling right field during BP. There was a group of people that kept yelling at him for a ball. Even I jumped into yelling, "Hey Legg let's see that Arm!!" Ok so that really wasn't as funny as I thought. Anyway, a ball was hit towards Legg and I was 99% sure that he would throw it up to the group of people just to my left. The only problem, MR. SOFTBALL, was right in the way of the open row to get to it. No problem though, I saw the group of people and figured that most likely it was going to bounce off of their hands and fall to the concourse below. So I went around MR. Softball and down the stairs as if I was going to the bathroom. Just as I got down the stairs the ball fell from above and right into my glove.(ball #4) OH was Mr. Softball mad, if he was only as smart as a Ballhawk!!

Shortly after that Batting practice was I headed off to the concessions area for the ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET!!

It is simply a great deal, especially when you get a promotion code that reduces the tickets from $40 plus ticketmaster fees all the way down to $25.25 which includes the TM fees. On the menu in the AYCEP was Dodger Dogs, Peanuts, Popcorn, Nachos, Soda and Water. It may not seem like a lot but it is still well worth the price. 

So now I have had my first and even a second fill of food and I am ready for the game. As the Dodgers come out to take the field in the first inning I head down towards the same spot that I was during batting practice. Every half inning the Dodger outfielders throw up the balls after they are done warming up. Andre Either in RF and Matt Kemp in CF will switch off during the game taking turns tossing the ball up. Andre Eithier was first and there I was standing right in the aisle with my glove in the air. Eithier looked right at me and launched the ball in my direction. As it got closer I realized that it was going to be a little bit high. I ended up having to jump for, yes I actually got off the ground, and made the catch.(ball #5) 

And now onto the game, in the first inning the Phillies Ryan Howard homered to left field and the Gregg Dobbs homered to right. In fact the Dobbs home run went to the gap between the wall and the seats. If we had not moved up to the big aisle and stayed in the front row where we were the entire time during BP most likely I would have retrieved Dobbs' home run.

The games goes into the 3rd inning and up comes Manny. I head down underneath the Pavilion seats to a place where I think Manny could hit an opposite field HR. The picture here shows the view of the gap between the seats and the wall. It also shows where I was and were Manny's home run hit.

As the ball went up I thought I might be in pretty good shape. As you see on the replay and in the other picture as the ball comes down my head pops up as I climb over the railing to go after the ball. If the ball stays in the gap between the stairs and the wall it's mine, I am positive of that as I was the first person there. Way back in 1987 at my first Dodger game I was in the Left Field pavilion and picked up a Mike Schmidt HR that someone misplayed. It fell in the gap right in front of me.

Anyway back to Manny's home run, as I hop the railing I see the ball bounce off the railing going up the stairs, hit the concrete walkway and go right back out onto the field. As I go up the next staircase to try and get it as they toss it into the stands I see it go towards the staircase it hit off of. A lady about to go up the stairs carrying 3 or 4 beers got a great surprise in her tray as the ball landed right in it.

Yes it was a little frustrating knowing that I was so close to my 100th career game home run and a little ironic that in a past post I mention how it would be cool for that HR to be hit by Manny.

At least I know that I am still pretty good at figuring out where some of these guys can hit home runs. There really is a little more than luck when it comes to getting baseballs!

The game was pretty exciting, the Phillies were up 6-1 at one point and the Dodgers chipped away capping it off with a Nomar Garciaparra home run in the 9th. After the game we went out to see if we could get some Phillies autographs. We saw a few of the players come out however none of them were really in the mood to sign seeing as how they blew 2 games in 2 nights in the 9th inning. The one person that did stop to talk and sign was Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas. Here is a picture that I had taken of myself with Mr. Kalas. The really cool thing, he is from Chicago too! 

It was definitely a great night at Dodgers Stadium and good to finally have a night where I felt like I was back in form. I am pretty sure that game home run #100 is going to happen soon!

Tonights Totals:

5 Balls

4 Nachos

7 Cokes

2 Bags of Popcorn

1 Bottle of Water

1 Harry Kalas photo & autograph

Remember you can always email me at MLBallhawk@gmail.com

Recently I was asked about selling home run balls. Actually the reporter, who is working on a story, asked me if I felt responsible for the boom in fans selling home run balls for cash.

For a minute or two I looked at him like he was crazy. How can he ask me if I was responsible for this? He then pointed out that when I caught Sosa's 61st Home Run on September 13th, 1998 is pretty much when the recent boom in selling Milestone Homers' began.

I though he was crazy and then I looked back. Tim Forneris, St. Louis Groundscrew guy, got McGwire's 62nd home run ball in 1998 he returned it. Deni Allen caught McGwire's 60th home run that year and he also returned it. Allen did get to take BP with the Cardinals but still no cash.

A few of Sosa's early home run balls were also returned for memorabilia or tickets or just the chane to meet him.

Then came September 13th, 2008 when Sammy Sosa hit his 61st and 62nd Home Runs. I will save the story about getting the ball etc for early September as the 10th anniversary of getting the ball is coming up. Anyway, Sosa hits #61 in the 5th inning off of Bronswell Patrick and it literally rolls right to my feet. I pick it up and the Chicago Ballhawks shove me into Moe Mullins' van for safety.

Shortly thereafter local sports memorabilia guru Dave Miedema tells me that another sports collector wants to buy the ball for $10,000.  Are you kidding me?? So I head up to the firehouse to the payphone and Dave and I call him. As I am talking to him there are a couple of reporters right there listening in on the conversation. In the newspapers the next day there it was ...... Sosa's 61st HR sells for $10,000.

The only problem was Sosa hit #62 later in the game and the guy that bought 61 from me had a message on his answering machine from the guy that ripped it out of Moe's hands. He wants to sell it!! So now they don't know what it might be worth. There wasn't really any hesitation on my part to sell the ball even when they offered me $7,500 because I had gone to the game with only $8 in my pocket. Better than that I didn't have to pay for a ticket of for parking!

A couple days later I was in St. Louis when McGwire hit #63. When John Grass ended up with the ball he immediately proclaimed that he was going to sell it to the highest bidder! We all know that there was a bounty of $1,000,000 dollars on the last home run he hit but would someone give the ball up for that? Obviously they did when it sold for over $3,000,000.

So I guess I am responsible for the boom in selling milestone home run balls and possibly even a little resonsible for the sports memorabilia craze that has captured baseball fans since 1998!!

Who would have thunk it!! Yes I know people have sold balls before 1998 but the recent boom started right after I sold #61!

PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR THOUGHTS  mlballhawk@gmail.com

I went to Lake Elsinore for the game on Thursday night. It was more of a last minute thing to do but it was actually entertaining. It all started with the bathroom sign, ya gotta love the guy trying to hold it! Yes, the womens sign is about the same. Ok so maybe not a great way to start off a new posting but it was funny to me!

With minor league games batting practice is usually over by the time you get in the park and at Lake Elsinore you can't even walk around the outfiled fence to find baseballs because the entire stadium in enclosed. So you have to rely on getting baseballs either by players or coaches throwing them to you or by catching one during the game.

Thursday nights game was USED CAR NIGHT and thirsty thursday. So it was a decent crowd and I was really more into just watching the game and hopefully winning one of those clunkers.

Just before the game started former Yankee Shane Spencer was standing in front of the dugout and one of the people I was with saw that he had a ball. We all yelled at him and he tossed it up and I caught it. So I am claiming this one for my totals. I know it may be lame but if other "Ballhawks" can yell at players and beg for balls most of the time then I can count this one!!

Anyway, that was it for balls but not for entertainment. The Storm have a player names Brian Joynt and this is what the scoreboard looked like when they put him up during his at bats. Was it unintentional??? I am guessing it was but it sure is funny!!

Even the PA announcer got into the entertainment as he always does by just spitting out random names for the batters of the opposing team. He even used "HOMIE THE CLOWN" for one of the Mavericks batters. Not exactly the most professional of things to do but it's minor league baseball and it is all about entertainment!!

I have still not been able to get out to a game lately. Things have been really hectic at home and I am in the process of finding a new job among other things. Thankfully with a strong belief in the man up above I will get through this and back out to the ballpark.

The ballpark and chasing baseballs is my sanity. It's a few hours of relaxation and fun and just watching baseball. I definitely need to get some numbers on my board on my websites http://mlballhawk.com  or http://majorleagueballhawk.com

1 truly is the loneliest number that you'll ever see! Hopefully in the next week those numbers will start to climb. Of course starting a new job soon will make getting to a game or two hard again but I guess that is just the way it is.

It's tough chasing baseballs when you have a family!

In other news there are a couple of local reporters that are looking at doing stories on me. This is always fun having someone follow you around at a game. Last year the night before Sosa hit number 600 I was in Texas and had an NBC station from Dallas follow me around during the game. It was really cool!

I always like to hear from those of you that read my MLBlog.

Feel free to email me at MLBallhawk@gmail.com 

I better run .............. more later!

I must admit I was 99% sure that there would be no deal between the Red Sox and the Marlins with the Pirates thrown in. In fact I did not think that there would be a Ramirez deal at all. After all almost every year for the past 6 years they have talked about dumping him at the deadline and then it never happens.

Well last week it finally did and they threw him in my backyard! I was completely shocked to see that he was sent to the Dodgers. Then I was extremely excited to see that he had been sent to the Dodgers.

Manny Ramirez means at least 10-15 HRs the rest of the way and a lot more balls hit to the left field pavilion during BP. I just hope that he hits in one of the last 2 groups!

I already have a Manny HR that I caught, click here for that story, but getting a Ramirez HR for game HR #100 would be extremely cool!

Who knows ........ maybe a Freeway Series in LA this October????

As someone that grew up in Chicago, and as someone who is still a big time White Sox fan, to me this trade is simply AWESOME!

Griffey is one of the best players over the last 20-30 years. Yeah he has slowed down a little bit but that comes with age. He still plays almost everyday and has 15 HR's this season.

He has always hit well in Chicago and will add a bat in the White Sox line-up that will almost guarantee the White Sox another post season appearance.

Unfortunately living out here in Southern California I only get to see the White Sox once a year although there is always the playoffs.

In other news the Red Sox are still trying to deal Manny Ramirez. In fact the Red Sox have been trying to deal Ramirez for the past 5 years I think. I guess we will see where it goes today with the deadline looming.

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez is now a Yankee. That is pretty cool since the Yankees come in to Anaheim next week. Of course for me it doesn't mean much since he will hit almost everything into the bullpens at Anaheim. By the way there is only one PUDGE and that is Carlton Fisk!

I almost left out the Angels getting Mark Texiera from the Braves. Texiera will many more balls up in the right field seats at Anaheim during BP. The only problem is that with him batting 3rd he may hit in an early group before the gates open.

I am guessing there will be some more action on the trade front. STAY TUNED!

Check out http://mlballhawk.ecrater.com

That is my online MLBallhawk Sports Memorabilia Store with autographs, game used items and much much more!

We have added some new game used bats, autographs and even some other cool stuff!!

TED WILLIAMS COMMEMORATIVE BOOK  $9.95