GameGotCaughtDroppedNotes
Thu Oct 1st 2009 - vs Arizona---As I suspected, there was no batting practice on the last home game of the season, but Tony and Bill were there and spending a little time with them without any balls flying was a good thing. The Giants outperformed my expectations this year and I think they'll be even better next year. Lincecum won his 15th game and Aurillia got many ovations in what was probably his last game in San Francisco.
Wed Sep 30th 2009 - vs Arizona000I'm kind of disappointed in myself today. There were plenty of balls hit, but I wasn't in the right places. I think if I had stayed in my normal spots, near the disabled seating in the Arcade and near the 138 tunnel, I would have caught 2 balls, maybe 4. Oh well, I'll get 'em next year.
Tue Sep 29th 2009 - vs Arizona110The Giants has been virtually eliminated and this resulted in a very small bp crowd. Of course that didn't affect the number of balls the D-Backs hit... almost none. The ball I caught was from Lewis on top of the Arcade, I was all alone and it was hit right to me. He hit another just after that, but one of the few spectators go right in between me and the ball or I would have had it. Probably only one bp left this year.
Sun Sep 27th 2009 - vs Chicago100I had only a couple of remote chances, one where a guy grabbed my glove arm and held it down as the ball sailed over me. The ball I got was one caught by Fukudome right at the CF fence. He tossed it to me, and I replied "Arigato Gosaimaste!", which he appreciated.
Fri Sep 25th 2009 - vs Chicago210Got there early and good thing because the 2 I got were almost immediate. Both from Fred Lewis on the top of the Arcade. the first one I caught right in the palm in the last row of 146. The second one hit my palm as I leaned over from the walkway trying a running underhanded catch. it bounced away but I caught up with it. I can't give a drop, due to the extreme effort.
Thu Sep 24th 2009 - vs Chicago000First time back after our trip to Japan. (Where we went to a baseball game, but couldn't get into the bleachers for bp) Bobby from my softball team showed up early but we just stared at each other as almost no balls came out.
Tue Sep 8th 2009 - vs San Diego100Made a pretty nice underhanded catch on a ball hit by Bowker in the seats of Arcade 147. It happened right when I got there, then I never had anything remotely close to me the rest of the day. Then the Giants lost. Their playoff chances are slowly fading away.
Sat Aug 29th 2009 - vs Colorado100A bunch of mistakes plagued me today.. ok, only two, but they were major. The first was on a high ball on the Arcade walkway behind the cutout. I had it all to myself, but I ran into the railing instead of going back and the ball bounced untouched off the walkway and into the water. The second was one that I had all the way near the bottom of 140... then it went into the sun and never came out. I guess I'm lucky it didn't hit me in the nose... but... very embarrassing. I did get one in 140 on a bounce a little later, but I never had a another chance at a homer. Oh well.
Fri Aug 28th 2009 - vs Colorado110The Rockies hit a ton of balls (including about 10 into the water) but I was always in the wrong place. (I would also say that I misjudged 2 that I should have caught.) Anyway, I finally tracked one down in 139 from Atkins.
Wed Aug 26th 2009 - vs Arizona211A very small crowd and not much going on led to this result. Both balls were well to my left and both were lunging backhanded reaches. The first one rolled out and I picked it up, the second one stayed in. If there had been more people out there, I wouldn't have had a chance at either one.
Wed Aug 12th 2009 - vs Los Angeles---no bp for the weekday game
Mon Aug 10th 2009 - vs Los Angeles221It didn't start out well. I totally flubbed a high one from Garko next to the 139 tunnel, I was all alone, waiting for it and it just bonked off the top of the glove. Then I misjudged one right nearby, ran down and watched it get caught behind me. Then I went to center because it seemed like Ramirez was purposely not pulling the ball and snagged one at the front of 143. Then I went up to the Arcade because Ethier WAS trying to pull the ball and caught one on the top of the walkway behind section 146 right at the speaker pole. Both catches were good ones, but the balls were defaced with a rubber stamp that said "DodgersWIN", which, unfortunately, they did.
Sat Aug 8th 2009 - vs Cincinnati---skipped bp, is there bp on Saturday afternoon? Who knows.
Fri Aug 7th 2009 - vs Cincinnati110only had a couple of chances and I got this one from Aurilia right above the 139 disabled section. I had another chance on a very high one from Jonny Gomes of the Reds, but after running down a few rows and lunging for it, it tipped off my very top of my glove.
Fri Jul 31st 2009 - vs Philadelphia550The most catches I've ever made. An amazing run right at the beginning started with a running leaping catch on Sandoval's ball in 139, then a high one from Garko in 138, then 2 in succession from Rowand in 140, and the last one was Rowand on the wall in 140 that I juggled 3 times before I finally held on. There were another 5 balls the Giants hit that I at least thought I had a chance at. By the time the Phils hit, it didn't really matter to me. An amazing bp, tons of fun.
Thu Jul 30th 2009 - vs Philadelphia421All 4 came early on and all 4 were in the first few rows of 140. the first was one hit to the warning track and bounced up to me on the stairs. then Rowand immediately hit one 8 rows up which I caught cleanly over the heads of some cowering people sitting on the benches. The next pitch Roward hit one to the second row, that I just got down to in time for it to hit my palm on an underhand try... I guess I have t call it a drop even though I didn't think I could get to it. The last one was from Feliz to about the same spot. The left handers in the last Phillies group put on a show in the Arcade, but it was too crowded to get to anything other than the one that ricocheted off the water cannon and hit me in the eyebrow. ouch. Still a great day overall... and the Giants won 7-2
Wed Jul 29th 2009 - vs Pittsburgh---no bp, but Cain threw 9 shutout innings and the Giants swept the Pirates 1-0 in 10
Mon Jul 27th 2009 - vs Pittsburgh330I didn't have a lot of hope for the Pirates, they've traded away anybody who's had a good year. Then there was the unexplainably large bp crowd, maybe it was for Lincecum, I don't know. Anyway, the 3 balls I caught were all in 139, all were in traffic, and all were on the verge of popping out of the glove. Sometimes I just get lucky. The Giants won behind Lincecum's complete game and 15 strikeouts.
Fri Jul 10th 2009 - vs San Diego000a shut out, my best chance came on in the first group when Rowand hit one to the wall in 140, unfortunately a tall guy reached over and caught it out of my glove. Later, the Giants shut out the Padres 8-0 as Jonathan Sanchez threw a no-hitter! I saw the last Giant's no-hitter, Ed Halicki on August 24th, 1975
Thu Jul 9th 2009 - vs San Diego110I was just in the wrong place all day (not unlike our rainy vacation which we just came back from) until the last swing of BP when I backed way up to the top of 137 to catch Padres Rookie Kyle Blanks bomb about 6 rows from the top.
Fri Jun 19th 2009 - vs Texas200I guess the team took early batting practice in the afternoon, because I found 2 balls in the Arcade when I got there. After that the Friday night BP crowd swelled and I got jostled on the two balls I had chances at, the second one was knocked out of my glove by a guy coming from behind me. I didn't get a chance to tell Brian Wilson that it was me who recognized him in North Beach (riding a bike in flipflops) on Thursday... oh well.
Wed Jun 17th 2009 - vs Anaheim---no bp for a weekday game
Mon Jun 15th 2009 - vs Anaheim220The first was a high one from Schierholtz on the Arcade, I caught it leaping over one the regulars. The second was low line drive into the 2nd row of 139 that I snuck in between two gloves and pulled it out.
Sun Jun 14th 2009 - vs Oakland---skipped bp for a softball game. Cain threw a complete game and the Giants won 7-1
Fri Jun 12th 2009 - vs Oakland521another really fun batting practice. The first catch was from Rowand in 139, a high one that I snagged in front of Tony. The second was from Sandoval right at the corner of 148 next to the disabled seats. before the sandoval bounced one off the roof that I couldn't get to but bounced to me. There were a couple more like that in the Arcade, catchable, but I was not quite close enough or there were too many railings. Ishikawa hit one like that that hit the floor of the last aracde row and bounced to me. It was a specially marked ball (a Humm Baby rubberstamp) that I redeeemed for a an autographed ball (which then got red ink on it from the rubberstamp they applied to the bp ball to invalidate it) anyway... the last ball was from an unknown A player, a high one at the 139-140 tunnel, that I just stone cold dropped, but picked up after it hit the ground. Other non-events were a couple of huge bombs by Holliday, one that I got my glove on and one that Darrell robbed me of. It was fun. Sorry I'm not going tomorrow.
Fri May 29th 2009 - vs St. Louis540Something got into the Giants today. They hit more bp homers than they have in 2 years. My catches, Sanchez off the green roof, Rowand in 139, Sandoval in the Arcade cutout, and one from St. Louis Of Rasmus on the arcade walkway. There were at least 3 others that I should have caught (one from Rowand that I picked up behind me in 139) and another few that I had a chance at. This is what bp is supposed to be. Later, they had the sofball slugger home run derby and I caught one of those at the top (I mean the last row) of 138. Too bad it's not like this every day.
Wed May 27th 2009 - vs Atlanta411This time I found 2 balls when I got there.. a homer came in just as I was running to pick one of them up on the walkway, bounced off the green roof and into the Arcade cut out section. I picked up the first one, then went to get the one that just landed (this is the fruit of a tiny attendance), then found another one in the Arcade. Then I caught one from Sandoval at the top of the Arcade. Schafer, in the last group of Braves, hit one between the water cannons that I had on the run, but it hit off my palm and bounced away. it would've been a good catch, had I made it.
Tue May 26th 2009 - vs Atlanta000another shut out.. sheesh... this time 3 balls I would've caught were caught right out of my glove, but the Giants won.
Mon May 25th 2009 - vs Atlanta000shut out on Memorial Day, nothing even came close to me, but the Giants won.
Fri May 15th 2009 - vs New York310They're opening early on Friday nights this year which means an extra hour of nothing to do. Today I found a brand new ball in the Arcade when I got there (apparently there had been early batting practice around 2) then Sandoval to the first row of the Arcade cutout section, unfortunately I was in the third row, but I got the ball. It's really scary going over the seatbacks up there and if the ball is below my row, it's really tough to get over the seats. A couple turns later Sandoval got one up to me in the third row, it was a game ball. The Mets didn't really hit anything near me, and Wright was particularly disappointing.
Thu May 14th 2009 - vs New York320Are things getting back to normal? Maybe. I made a nice catch running toward Arcade 149 on a ball hit by Ishikawa, then I got one that Lincecum tried to toss up to a kid (which I gave to the kid) then I caught one right at the 138-139 tunnel a 2008 World Series ball hit by Sheffield. It sure seemed like old times.
Wed May 13th 2009 - vs Washinton110Caught my first ball of the year. It was deep on the Arcade walkway behind section 148. Nick Johnson "The Milkman" hit it. Washington only batted one group on the day game after night game, so I'm glad I showed up.
Tue May 12th 2009 - vs Washington---skipped bp because of 6:30 softball game. traded my tickets for 1 Field Club and saw Sandoval win it with a homer in the ninth It's been a while since I actually went to batting practice
Sun May 3rd 2009 - vs Colorado---Morning rain canceled batting practice
Fri May 1st 2009 - vs Colorado---Rain all day canceled batting practice
Wed Apr 29th 2009 - vs Los Angeles100Schierholtz tossed me a ball in the Arcade, I gave it to Joash who came to the game with me
Tue Apr 28th 2009 - vs Los Angeles---skipped bp for early softball game - Bobby and David M came with me
Wed Apr 22nd 2009 - vs San Diego---no bp - weekday game (I wonder if they actually have bp on the weekday games... probably not) Zito goes 7shutout innings and the Giants win on Molina's pinch hit ground rule double in the 10th 1-0.
Tue Apr 21st 2009 - vs San Diego---skipped bp because I had an early softball game. Renteria hits a Grand Slam off Peavy and Giants win.
Sun Apr 19th 2009 - vs Arizona---batting practice was canceled because it was Little League Day. What's the deal with doing special events at the ballpark... for kids?? sheesh. Johnson takes a no-hitter into the 7th and the Giants win
Fri Apr 17th 2009 - vs Arizona100Was it better? Maybe. I had good chances at 3 or 4 balls but couldn't get my first catch. Tony stole the last one out of my glove at the top of the 138 tunnel just before BP ended. Sanchez was great in the game, and the Giants won 2-0. The ball I got was one from Lewis on the Arcade that hit the speaker pole and bounced around. Once you're crawling on the ground, you might as well pick it up.
Thu Apr 9th 2009 - vs Milwaukee---Rain during the day canceled BP, I should have known better than to show up 2 hours early
Wed Apr 8th 2009 - vs Milwaukee001My first chance of the 2009 season and I dropped it. (Something I didn't do at all in 2008.) It was a high ball from Prince Fielder on top of the Arcade, I went back to the railing, had it all the way, but just plain flubbed it. Oh well, I got it out of the way.
Tue Apr 7th 2009 - vs Milwaukee---Opening Day, no BP, plus it rained most of the morning. The Giants won 10-6 despite Lincecum's poor outing and 4 inning appearance
Thu Apr 2nd 2009 - vs Oakland100The first exhibition game of 2009 was uneventful. I didn't even find the one I got. A maintenance worker picked it up on the arcade and tossed it to me. It was fun seeing the BP regulars, but the A's really didn't hit too many balls.