Chuck–

Ignore Adam!

Adam, I know you are busy and don’t know if you will see this or care….

http://cjonline.com/stories/041108/bre_stadium.shtml
Promoters of a minor league baseball stadium for Topeka said Friday they are encouraged by a surge of enthusiasm from the community.

Adam, havent seen any one mention the Cinci Reds we used to go to many many home games. my favorite memory is 1976 when the Reds won world series oh for the good old days Johnny Bench, Ken Griffey, Dave Concepcion, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan I love baseball and Nascar. havent been able to go to a game for a long while but still watch on T.V.

Chuck–

they did it again- 4-3!!!

xxxx

Chuck–

D-Backs did it again– 10-5. I think this was more of a special game as DDavis is going in for surgery– Mark Reynolds and Connor as well as Davis were the stars tonight.

I checked out the scoreboard- thanks to you- very impressive- I am sure I will at least get to see about three games- (this is usually how many we go to). Tonight would have been a good one to go to as to show Davis some support. I saw a lot of empty seats.
Looking forward to seeing you here- BTW, I am getting to meet some of the bloggers here in AZ–
Two in June. So this blog of Adam’s is turning out to be a nice experience.

Plus I get free history classes from LDG- LOL– We hang out in the Iraq threads! So Adam may think I have so much time on my hands but little does he know how much time I spend learning here!
Have a good week- I still want you to be a participant for a project- clue- it has to do with Adam’s birthday-

xxxxxxx

KG–

Greta’s blog has become somewhat polluted there– Just my opinion– nothing to be said against Greta-

Chuck D-

Susan: Mark Reynolds is coming around - finally. Chris Young & Justin Upton are the future…and of course “Byrnesy”! Working with the D’backs home show (Todd Walsh) in two weeks when they come to SD and LA. I hear there’s a new HD scoreboard up at Chase…136 feet wide I believe? One of only 3 MLB fields to have a high-def video screen. I’ll let you know the next time I come to AZ.

—————————————————————————————————————

144 feet wide— (I had to look it up- FYI :D) about 12 million bucks worth-

I am holding you to — next time I come to AZ!!!!!

Tonight is Davis’s last start– He has my support!!!

BTW– I need to include you in a project– I think you will like the idea!!! If you can get a hold of Adam’s mom, she will give you the details!

Don’t forget- when you come here, we have to meet!

xxxx

Adam it is here. I am still shocked that she has not taken this thread down. If violates Fox’s TOS policy as it is. Greta has lost control of her blog. Someone needs to give her some direction. maybe you can???
THANK YOU,
KG

http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/04/04/from-a-blogger/#comments

alright Housley…this is just nuts, you have ME reading about baseball! *LOL*
*shaking head* no no no, this just cant happen to ME!
quit with the “trance” thing already!!!

http://cjonline.com/stories/040808/roy_266245962.shtml

“How special is today’s home opener, Trey Hillman’s first game in Kansas City as the new Royals manager?
It’s huge for the rookie manager, a man who spent five seasons coaching in Japan before making his American big-league managerial debut last week with an opening day win in Detroit that jump-started a 4-2 first week on the road.

“Kansas football coach Mark Mangino will join with Missouri coach Gary Pinkel — sort of — in throwing out the first pitch of today’s Royals home opener.
Well, Mangino will be the only one demonstrating his pitch command and velocity. Pinkel will appear only in a video tribute while Mangino will take the mound.
The home opener national anthem will be sung by Emerson Drive, a country-western band, and will be followed by an A-10 fly-by.”

oops that should have said… our daughter

Adam…did you see this write up about Coach Self?
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/17381259.html

It’s interesting. People “hate” Roy Williams for leaving KU. But they forget the terrific 15 yrs he gave them. I guess it’s the way he left more than the about the man himself.
Now, the same story starts again with Self.
Roy showed true class lastnight sitting in the stands with his KU sticker IMO.

My only experience with Roy Williams is through out daughter Kathy. She waited tables at a local steak house here, and he showed up to eat one night, of course sitting at one of her tables. She was sooooo star struck, she called home from the kitchen and was ecstatic!! It was so cute. She was probably a freshman or sophomore in HS and we are huge KU fans.
She came home with his autograph and constantly talked or more like gloated about how nice he was!!!

Adam,

That’s awesome you remember Dawsey telling you someone gave him money for beer!

I should tell you that when I said I wonder about guys who have played here, I don’t just mean guys from ‘96. I mean guys from ‘85 as well, and all the other years in between…. That’s great you heard from Anthony recently. I usually think of him the day after my birthday, because that’s when his birthday is. (I have an incredibly almost photographic memory!)

Yes, still some cold nights here! Lows in the 30’s these days…. come on Summer! That never stopped me from being at those games though! In 1987 I stayed for a 19 inning game, with temps easily in the 20’s, if that! There were several times when I got a little older my mom would leave and listen to the game on the radio and come pick me up after.

Adam, Giants got no hitting…NADA dude! But they do have some good young arms.

Susan: Mark Reynolds is coming around - finally. Chris Young & Justin Upton are the future…and of course “Byrnesy”! Working with the D’backs home show (Todd Walsh) in two weeks when they come to SD and LA. I hear there’s a new HD scoreboard up at Chase…136 feet wide I believe? One of only 3 MLB fields to have a high-def video screen. I’ll let you know the next time I come to AZ.

Baseball is so weaved into the fabric of our culture. (Feel free to use that Adam in your next baseball story!) LOL

Hi Susan Vollmer!

I do remember all the fun times we had!
How are you all doing?

Still love to hear about the Pepperdine boys &
their families. Great Great fun & times.

Mom Housley

I miss going to the Met games… the Mets, Jets and Nets… everything revolved around them. Crossing the bridge from NJ to NY then fighting the traffic… it was all worth it.

I can only hope that the children of today can have the same experiences as we did gowing up with baseball.

bada bing bada boom ….that was one heck of a ball game!!!!!!!!
KU ROCKS!!!!!

Adam–

Does Susan Vollmer play the horn?

Chuck D—

DBacks are still ahead- 8-3–

xxxx

Adam

Just found your blog. Reading all the comments about baseball brings back great memories of Pepperdine baseball. What a great time we all had in Omaha. Everyone wanted to know where Pepperdine was, couldn’t believe boys from “beach” could play baseball. I guess you all showed them.

Chuck D.

DBacks are playing the Dodgers right now- @ Chase– as right now– 4- zip– (DBacks- 4) LOL

Patty–

I saw Andy- Nebraska– an attorney– I better watch what I say!

xxx

Chuck D-

Helllllllllllllllllllllooooooooo!!!!!! I missed you!!! I need to get a hold of you anyway– Does Mrs. Housley have a way of getting in touch with you? It is a secret!!! And don’t tell Adam-

Come to Az. and I will get us tickets to go see the Diamonbacks!!!! LOL!!

Hello to all the regulars and hello to the new people– and of course- a special greeting to Mrs. Housley!!!! I bet you were out in the hot sun watching your son play-

Adam- I love the pic- I couldn’t tell it was you– wowie! You sure look like you are throwing a fast one- You didn’t ever chew and then spit?
Jen, Terri, K2, and Sunshine are on vacation or I bet they would have been posting away here– especially Terri who was married at one time to some player who is also known-

I’ve always been a baseball fan. I loved watching Cubs baseball. I’d watch The Lead Off Man and the first inning or so and go play. Jody Davis was my hero. My mom would call me in from outside every time he’d come to the plate, and for the 7th inning stretch. My earliest memories are of me squatting between the cars in my driveway like no one can see with a tape recorder, taping myself singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame. If I wasn’t happy with how it sounded, I’d tape over it. I could keep score of a game by age 7.

I grew up here in Beloit. There has been minor league baseball here since 1982. For the majority of this time, the team was affiliated with Milwaukee, as a low-Class A team. The last couple years now, it is affiliated with Minnesota.

For many years as a child, my grandma bought me a season ticket for the upcoming season as a Christmas present. From 1985 through 1993, I had only missed a handful of home games, and more than made up for those with road games. I was away from the area in 1994 and 1995, but did go to the usual amount of games in 1996, when Adam was a member of the team. I since have gotten into the adult-type life, if you want to call it that, and don’t really attend many games anymore.

I met so many players over the years. Bill Spiers and John Jaha were a couple guys who were at my 10th birthday party, and much of that year, I could go onto the field before games and play pepper with the guys on the team. Jeff Cirillo was my buddy in the 1992 season, and one heck of a great guy… BJ Surhoff was my least favorite ever. I hear he was actually a great guy, but he came off as very egotistical.

I saw a few cool baseball moves over the years. Jeff Cirillo was the master of the hidden-ball trick. I saw him do it successfully a few times. I saw a few inside-the-park home runs, Anthony Iapoce hit for the cycle, and I think I witnessed that done a few other times over those years.

Perhaps the coolest baseball memory I have is Jason Dawsey throwing a no-hitter. All those games I watched, all those years, that was the only time I was there to see a no-hitter. I tell ya, I was on my feet pacing behind the dugout from the 7th inning on in anticipation. When it was over, I cried. So happy for this guy, and what a nice guy he was! I waited like 45 minutes after the game as he signed everyone’s autograph who wanted one, and gave him like 8 bucks or whatever money I had and told him basically to buy a drink with it. At first he said no, but I told him I wasn’t yet 21 and so I couldn’t actually go buy it for him, but I wanted to buy him one or two, so he said thank you.

Adam, I often wonder about all these guys I met over the years. I’ll never forget the first time I saw you with FNC. You were covering the Pat Tillman story. Greta tossed to you and my head snapped to attention when I heard your name. Then I saw your face and was like WOW! I told my fiance you played here. We both are happy you’ve made such success outside of baseball and enjoy your reporting.

JoAnne ~ My mom is a HUGE Tiger fan so I follow them as well. It’s sad about the first six games but I believe they can come back! I go to spring training every other year in Florida with my family and we always make sure we go to Lakeland to see the Tigers. Also, welcome to the blog!

——————————————————————————————————————–

Becky is right I do love the Tigers. For me the favorites were Kaline and Colavito, and the games are not the same with out Ernie Harwell calling them. My Grandmother loved the Tigers too, so maybe it is in the genes for us to love Baseball. When the Air Force moved my husband and I to the South we became Braves fans too. My favorite Spring Training game was last year when the Tigers and the Braves played in Lakeland. Smoltz, who is also from the Lansing area, pitched for the Braves and I wore a Tigers shirt and my husband wore his Braves shirt. It was great.

Patty & Becky — Thanks! I have to discipline myself or I’d spend too much time following these fascinating discussions…
Becky — I’ve always wanted to get to Lakeland and see a game! Hard to sit up here in the cold midwest during March and see the fans enjoying the sun!

Adam:

Don’t forget the parents always in the stands at 100 degree heat.
We had a few faint!

They were fun times-Adam is into all sports & I was a Giant fan for
years. Just tapered off last year- need to get back into the swing of
it. Minor league baseball is fun to watch too! Of course any baseball
or sports game (soccer, etc.) is great fun when your children or grand
children are playing. This is from a Mom-Grandma’s point of view!

Haven’t heard from Greta yet!

Hi everyone!

Avi: How big are those shelters and how far underground? Do they have
them all over the country, in certain cities or just certain areas?
We have storm shelters for hurricanes & tornados (mostly in the midwest) but
they are mostly small, lots of times basements of their houses.

JoAnne ~ My mom is a HUGE Tiger fan so I follow them as well. It’s sad about the first six games but I believe they can come back! I go to spring training every other year in Florida with my family and we always make sure we go to Lakeland to see the Tigers. Also, welcome to the blog!

*waving at Andy Hoffman*…finally, someone else from the middle! Im just south of you…across the border.

Susan…when you aren’t busy….you can add Nebraska to the “fan map” now!

aND goooo MARLINS… yes i know they suck but we won a championship not to long ago !

Adam:

Thanks for your thoughts! I know it’s a long season…I’m sure you’re right…I’ll keep watching as always. Hope to be more encouraged in a couple of weeks. Also keeping my eye on the Phillies (city of my birth). BTW, I always enjoy your posts on such a variety of topics. You have a group of interesting readers also!

Adam,
is that you in ur pic ?

fun times again, but need to be going.

Be well and safe, All
((departs until much later))

I do remember reading about the Jr Olympian, didnt know it was in Lawrence.
Its hot EVERY Summer in KS! Nothing like the combination of 90 degrees and 90% humidity! Oh and don’t forget to add the 30 mph winds with it.
I’ve been known to be a “summer hermit” and very fond of the A/C in july and aug.

You should come to the Sunflower Games Adam….you’d fit right in!
http://www.sunflowergames.com/
Athlete of the year ‘07 is our daughter-in-law’s mother. She is amazing!!

Adam — been reading your blog. I remember your visit to Omaha, Nebraska in 1992 with Pepperdine. Thanks for the baseball!

Andy

Anyone but the Dodgers and Yankees…Go Diamondbacks!

Adam, I was working the Astros/Padres Opening Day game last week…saw your boy Miguel Tijuada…thought of you! Didn’t you strike him out once?

morning all. for some reason i have this mysetrious urge to shout ‘Go Giants, Go A’s!’

Welcome JoAnne!! Adam will be glad (i’m guessing) to have another baseball fan around!

@Patty

I’m with the program now. Serves me right for doing this while focus-is-elsewhere.

*L* LDG
a game was Saturday and THE game is tonight!

Adam:

My first time writing here, but had to take the bait, as a lifelong baseball fan…I’m going to go out on a limb here and risk ridicule, but the Tigers are my team!!! My fiance and I have season tickets and love going up there for games. I’ve been going to games since I was a kid and saw the last few years of Kaline’s career….what fun that was. Kaline is my all-time favorite! My brother and I would get $2.00 bleacher seats at Tiger Stadium! Anyway, we are all traumatized by the first week of the Tigers’ season. I’m interested in your thoughts (be nice!) about their shocking first six games. We all know their pitching (esp. relief) is not what it should be, but what’s with the bats?? It’s like they’re in a trance. We were there on Sat. and after the first few innings the normally “psyched” Tigers fans lost their spirit. We’re hanging in there, but it’s a shock, with their great lineup…What do you think?? (I didn’t know you signed with the Tigers!)(did you ever play in Toledo? Our new ballpark is fantastic and lots of fun - tickets only $8 for any seat).

((whew))

…IS tonight.

urk… wait… game was…

@Patty

That sounds like a grand party! Best of luck come game time.

IF anyone is interested in what it’s like in the KU hometown of Lawrence.
Here’s the local paper.
http://www2.ljworld.com/

We have summer help here at work that lives there on the weekend, he said the firecrackers and crowd noise in the streets was still going on at 4 am sunday morning!

KU opend Allen Field House (home court) for all the fans to watch the game together. Pretty cool because they didnt charge anyone entrance or parking fees.
Taking care of their fans at home

@Susan-AZ

Best of luck out there today. It was fun, yes! I’ll try to sneak in here about that time briefly, but tomorrow is a busy day so it might have to wait until your tomorrow.

@Adam Housley

“I like Youramuri.” — friendly assist :Yomiuri

Heh, you just like their uniform colors. They usually have the best players money can buy though, so if they ever actually play like a team, they are unbeatable.

(for others here: they are also called the Giants, and wear black and orange like S.F.)

Adam–
you’re mean!

LDG–

Have to run– thanks again for the fun last night–

hope to see you there your afternoon time later–

get some rest– sleep well-

morning all- have a good day–

Adam- I would like to see some of your personal pictures too- (Patty’s request) I was looking for some of your pictures on the internet too last night–

I still want the Diamondbacks to come out ahead- when they won the World Series in 2001, Ken was in a nursing home–
hugs to all!

Susan…Adam has always had us in a trance! *L*

Adam is into hypnosis now– no wonder we don’t see him as often-
Comment by Adam Housley
April 7th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Max-

You are getting weary….you are getting tired…..you are a Giants and A’s fan. When you awake, you will only root for them!

Adam

retread…*LOL*

KC…ugly is a good description. I don’t even go browse the headlines much anymore there.

Adam

FYI as a DIE HARD DALLAS COWBOYS fan, your afore mentioned event in my house is called blind stupid luck!

@KC-Fresno

Off-Topic: did that second try at mail get through to you ok?

@Adam Housley

“I have pins, hats, even a well worn t-shirt…”

I had an inkling you were a true believer. Re: meeting Will Clark — yes indeed, that gets a SO COOL! from here too.

Oh, and I have my picks for the Series this year. Chuunichi takes the Central League by a hair, and face the Fighters for the Series. Yuu Darvish for series MVP.

…or did you mean a different Series? ((grin))

Good morning everyone

Patty - you beat me to the punch again!! That was quite an ugly thread wasn’t it. Caused quite a stir. It has become such a ugly blog, it is scary. I scan thru it every once in awhile, but there is no way I would ever post anything. Guess Iam to chicken.

Baseball - Have never been to a live game and really don’t follow the sport. However, we do watch the World Series games every year - Just a annual tradition with us. Go figure

Adam…would you share some of your personal baseball pics?
Not the press ones, the personal side of while you were playing?
Even though i’m not a baseball fan, i would enjoy seeing them.

Thats cool Adam!!! There is hope for a diehard baseball fan to cheer for basketball after all. he he
1988 Danny Manning

btw: KG’s post…it’s Greta

Adam,

What do you think of this drill?

Susan: Most tickets are expensive here, last year when the NY Giants and Miami Dolphins played a football game here the cheapest tickets were about $200 each.

Morning everybody

Sorry Adam,

I am a die hard Football fan and all other spectator sports pretty much bore me to death.

Avi,

It’s amazing that a nation that is surrounded by very dangerous enemies bent on its total destruction can be so lazy about civil defense.

‘morning All
Baseball… never really got in to it.
Of course our kids all played here in town in summer leagues, but our high school doesn’t offer baseball. Our son and daughter in law still play ever summer. They all still play basketball also. It’s our families game of choice.
My hubby sounds like John’s description, hitting/throwing wasnt work, it just happened and he does it well. Baseball was in his blood, but circumstances of being raised a farm kid, and dad needing help, kept him from ever playing on the town leagues. I know he’s always regretted that choice of his parents.
We followed the Braves for about 5 years, (20yrs ago) because we have family in Atlanta, even went to a couple of the games.
No player is worth what sports figures are paid now, in any sport. It ruins the whole idea of a “game”. But, i’m also not paying the ticket prices either to support it, So I’m not complaining.

btw…how about the KS Jayhawks??????!!!!! (everyone is “just a little” pumped around here today for tonights game)

Brian ~ I am with you on the Braves! I grew up a Braves fan.
A few of my favorite things…like the sound of the ball and the bat connecting. Eating hot dogs and sitting on bleachers watching your favorite players up to bat.
I have so many favorite memories.
Susan ~ I think I would change the ticket pricing too…it can get expensive to go to games. I think Charlotte is looking to put in a new stadium in our uptown area so we can get a team here…lots of controversy on that!

We had a dry ” rocket drill” today to prep us for the real drill tomarrow….. and boy can i tell you our school bomb shelters are disgusting ….. super hard to breath in side…… and the drill is weird first we get out of the class and sit in the hallways agianst the walls then after a few mins go to the bomb shelter …… to much moving around i think =/

And the bomb shelter was filled with stuff as though its a storage room…. and its a national problem that bomb shelters arnt ” war ready” this was a major problemo during the last war…..

I hope we never have to use the shelters for real cuz they smell and extremely closed in ” claustrophobic “…. with a good number of kids and teachers….

Baseball…

oh wow. Where to start? For me as a kid, the world could be divided into two parts: Fall/Winter = Hockey and Hunting; Spring/Summer = Baseball and Trout fishing. I was a die-hard Pirates fan, even went to games in the old steel-yard (Forbes Field) that had the multi-level outfield seating. In one of the great “laugh about it now” moments, my dear father convinced me that while a ball hit into the seats out there was a home run, if they hit it up into the second deck, it was worth two runs…

I played ball up to freshman year of high school, but moving, what with changing schools and all the problems that come with that, meant I didn’t even try to play by the time the family settled again in the S.F. Bay Area. Then it was off to college, and “the King’s Shilling” and no time for school sports, and I went away and life went on…

…and then, about age 30, I had the chance to come back to the world. I had a pal who was a Law Student at Stanford who was simply mad for baseball, and asked me if I wanted to go got see a S.F. Giants game, and we went, sat and scored the game on a piece of paper, and it was like 15 years had never gone by.

I got back in playing shape (for an old guy), we found a Senior League that played real hardball and I knocked around on what they called a AA club (competition level, about like a good industrial team), got a few at-bats and caught on at their A level (recreational level) and played three seasons. Even helped get an expansion team together for the league one season. My reward from the league (cause we sure weren’t paid professionals) was a signed ball and collectable card display set… signed by Willie Stargell, the Pirates World Series MVP from 1979… the series I didn’t get to see because I was away.

So yeah, while I watch and cheer more for Ice Hockey these days, there is a little bit of my heart that about the first week of April says “It is Opening Day, and for one glorious day *any* team is in first place.” and the dream is there again.

@Adam Housley

So, you still have your S.F. Giants cap pins from those days? The “A Giant Attitude” with the Will Clark gameface, or maybe a few “Croix-de-Candlestick”? ((grin))

@Susan-AZ

Thanks again! It was fun over in Baghdad #9 yesterday.

LDG–

I have been hanging out in Shaffer’s thread- the last one– I sure am not reading any good news!

oops– my post should have read– the article you posted in November’s blog by Don Fair-

Adam–

Is Jon Lester still playing?

(your article you posted in November by Don Fair)— great article– I just read it again–

To get into the mood- (chorus)

???Take me out to the ball game
Take me out to the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks
I don’t care if I ever get back
And it’s root, root, root
for the home team
If they don’t win, it’s a shame
Cause it’s one, two, three strikes
You’re out
At the old ball game. ???

Jack Norworth, who wrote the lyrics to baseball’s anthem in 1908, knew the game but never saw a major league game until 34 years later!

Socal–

He sure has a rich wife!!! All us beer drinkers made her dad rich! LOL

KG—

sending hate or nasty email back to this person was wrong!!!

@all–

I want the Diamondbacks to win!!!!

Max-$25.00 is still good but if you can save some money what the heck!! Of course the seating prices depends where you sit– We are pretty lucky when it comes to tickets- I usually get our tickets from people who buy the season tickets and for some reason can’t go to a game so we are able to get good tickets at half the price- Rob works with people who have season tickets to pretty much all the sports so he will call us if there any tickets which are not going to be used- So I never know when I am going to a game- The Suns game was a last minute call– LOL

OT, very interesting article on Senator McCain’s military family history and also mostly about his 19yr old son who is a Marine. the kid when intothe Marines at 17! and didnt tell his parents!..didnt want any special treatment………the kid rocks! this article really shows how solid McCain is and his offspring……..No wonder I am goingto vote for him. Good character accounts for everything!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/us/politics/06mccain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp

Nothing better that springtime and baseball. Go Braves!

I just looked it up, it was Vs the Padres.

Oh yeah, when we were in Atlanta the people we were staying with had wanted to take us to see a Braves game, but that was the one week of the season where all the Braves’ games were away games!