Three day
before the All Star Game I woke to a text message offering me tickets for the
2016 MLB All Star Game FanFest. In spite of my excitement I held it a close
secret, wishing to surprise my sons with a trip downtown Monday morning. The
next day, I woke to a text offering additional tickets to the Home Run Derby.
Unfortunately, there were only two so I would have to choose which son to
bring. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make, my oldest son Trevor is an
absolute fanatic of the game and Jojo is more a fan of the outdoors. The only
tough part was having to explain this to him. I assured him that if I ever got
the long-desired opportunity to take a behind the scenes tour of the reptile
house at the San Diego Zoo, he would be my first choice of companion.
It was a
day to remember, with most of the excitement not for my own sake but from watching it
through my star-struck son’s eyes…Second-best part of the All-Star experience; not hearing a single conversation about Pokemon…
Third best: No verbal or visible mention of Bud Selig…
If you miss the Spineless One and his decision-making skills, head to Del Mar this weekend and see much of the same. Just make sure you bring a shovel…
When Petco Park was designed , there was to be no area set aside for tailgating. A member of Padres brass cited the many dining options in the Gaslamp. Apparently he never heard Humphrey Bogart when he said “A hot dog at the ballpark is better than a steak at the Ritz”…
Sad to see the sandbox in the right field gap go. The official reason was fear of a kid getting hit by a home run ball. We all know the real reason is 8 year olds don’t buy fifteen dollar beers…
Is it me, or is Petco Park looking more and more like a NASCAR uniform?...
In 1997 Sports Illustrated featured Tony Gwynn on the cover, stating he was the best hitter since Ted Williams. I shed a tear or two upon realizing Tony was finally getting the national recognition he deserved. When MLB announced the NL Batting Champion award would be named after him, I shed enough tears to flood Mission Valley…
Am I the only one who noticed Joe Buck referred to Tony’s spot as the “6.5” Hole? Now I have enough reason to despise him as much as everyone else appears to…
Seen at the local Post Office: A letter from Roseanne Barr thanking The Tenors for bumping her into second-place…
Big sporting events in this town are always exciting. One great thing about them is we get three articles in two days from long-time Union Tribune sportswriter Nick Canepa. Doesn’t get much better for a kid who woke up at 4am on many a Sunday morning in the 1980’s…
Canepa part deaux: I hope Nick understands imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery…
One of the best parts of my Stadium/Ballpark years: providing a lifetime experience for several fans every day. Ran into an old coworker and his son before the Derby. They were awestruck when I pointed out Tony Larussa. They thanked me later, saying they never would have noticed him were it not for me. This kid still has it…
I hope Anthony’s did big business and improved their already-stellar name with the out-of-towners. They deserve it. They just don’t deserve the way the Port is hosing them…
Last time I watched an All-Star Game that wasn’t MLB, Spud Webb won the dunk contest…
In 1998 the deadline to hear from the Padres Entertainment Department came and went without a call. During the same week, my good friend Armando received not one but two voicemails saying “Congratulations Rudy, you made the team!”. I have since joked with him he got the job out of guilt for calling the wrong number. He went to the All Star Game in part due to his contacts at MLB. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, I can now say I got him into Major League Baseball AND to an All-Star Game…
Of course he knows I’m kidding. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to take my son to Fanfest and the Home Run Derby. Thanks Armando…
Of the many conversations I had throughout the day, one I’ll always cherish is the moment I spent talking to a guy in a Stan Musial jersey. I remarked about how great Tony Gwynn was treated in St Louis as well as how much of a pleasure it was when the Cardinals came to town. Mutual respect and even reverence. You just don’t have that type of conversation with an NFL fan…
Speaking of the NFL, I love the Chargers. The Padres are like blood family, and the Chargers are like that neighbor you’ve known all your life. A neighbor who insists you build him a pool while your backyard lays dusty and dog poop-ridden. The ownerships’ way of doing things has the stables overflowing at Del Mar. Better bring two shovels…
Are we
really considering bringing in an NBA team? Best of luck. Professional
basketball succeeds in this town much like soccer. If you build it, we still
won’t come…
Giancarlo
Stanton: Monster. Never saw a ball off the top of the Batters eye in center
field at Petco National Park until Monday. When my son told me Stanton was his
favorite non-Padre, I thought of how Rickey Henderson was my favorite non-Padre
for years, along with saying how great it would be to have Stanton on our
roster. Filed that one next to my dream of playing bass for Guns n Roses…
Some of
you may be wondering what happened with my Pad Squad memoir “A Family of
40,000.” New working title is Chinese Democracy…
The
general consensus is that Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak is baseball’s
most unbreakable record. I used to think the same about Cy Young’s 511 wins.
Wrong on both counts. Both will be broken before a Padres pitcher tosses a
no-no…
I’ll close
with some words I whisper at least once every time I visit the House that Gwynn
Built;
Thank you,
Larry…
