Blue Jays Ball

Brett wanted to know if the GCL boys realized what I did for them. No one else has that kind of a site for their team and for that matter, neither do any of the other FSL teams have a fan site that goes into the detail mine does. The closest is JeffCrupper.com, but he does not follow the Phillies GCL team, nor does he post the rosters for Minor League Spring Training, Extended, and/or Instructs. And he don't think he does much in terms of organizational news, which I will post on my blog.

On the whole, I don't think they (the GCL boys that is) care. The GCL site was set up more for the parents, not the players. They're too busy playing baseball, although I do have fun with them once in a while. The Miracle site started more as a means for fans (myself included) to get the news because the team site is geared more toward promotions, not baseball. I don't really care about concerts and fireworks. I'm more interested in player movement and who's pitching.

That being said, I have mentioned that I'm probably going to branch out a bit with the FSL stuff next season and have more coverage of the other teams. Nothing against our guys, but it does occur to me that the guys on the other teams aren't all trolls. Some are actually really nice.

Iris' whole comment is that she couldn't keep up with all the autographs, which is not really my intention either, although knowing what the "pitching rotation" is for each team might prove helpful for autograph seekers. And by pitching rotation, I mean who is where on any give night. For example, the Blue Jays pitching rotation works as follows:

The day following a start, the pitcher is in the bullpen, the next day he's in the dugout, and the next two days he's in the stands, charting.

The Miracle rotation is the day following a start, the pitcher is in the dugout, while the other three pitchers in the rotation are in the stands doing charting, speed gun, and video.

The Tigers on the other hand send one pitcher into the stands on the day following his start to chart. I have no clue what they do with the others. I guess I'll just have to ask. So...it's something to work on next year. I'll probably do a page with the stadium info (including dimensions) and add the "pitching rotation" info to it. Or maybe I'll put it on the collectables page. I haven't decided.

In any case, the results of this last homestand:



Adrian Martin, Connor Falkenbach, and Aaron Tressler



Brandon Magee and Aaron Wideman



Russ Savickas, Daryl Harang, Paul Phillips, and Orlando Trias

Notabley missing is starters Robert Ray and Eric Fowler, and relievers Billy Carnline and (::sob::) Chad Blackwell. I could have HAD Fowler, he was sitting in the stands next to Mr. Wideman, but I thought he had already signed it, so I didn't ask him. Duh.

And Blackwell, well...he was the one signature I really wanted in the first place but no matter what I tried, I kept missing him.

TJ and Brett INSISTED he always came out the dugout entrance, just stay right here and you'll get him. I said he'd know, somehow, he'd know I was there looking for an autograph and he'd come out the gate on the other side of the dugout. Sure enough, the boys scamper off to get Twins autographs, I look up, and there is Mr. Blackwell, coming out the other gate.

I could have cried.

(Dear Mr. Blackwell. If by some chance you should read this I want you to know you've broken my heart. Not that you care, I'm sure.)

I also wanted Mr. Martin again, as I got the photos from his start enlarged to have him signed, but he slipped out the side gate to head for the dugout as well. I'll live. Maybe I'll try doing those TTM next season if he's in AA.

With the season coming to an end, I need to start getting things caught up to date and get ready for next season. I should not procrastinate because I will then get caught up in hockey season and still be behind if I don't work on this in September and October.

That being said, I need to go now and work on putting the photos together for the GCL boys as this is the last weekend and I have procrastinated way too much on that. They won't care, but their parents certainly will.

Soooo....Later.

(If you're really bored, go watch the Video of Liam & company. I look forward to seeing a new one soon, perhaps of Dirty wrestling a crocodile.)