THE SMELL OF THE BASEBALL SEASON IS IN THE AIR

THE SMELL OF THE BASEBALL SEASON IS IN THE AIR

6 Jan

With the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2015 announced welcoming four new member I watch growing up means only one thing ... the start of the 2015 season is just around the corner. Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio were all elected to the 2015 Class. Craig Biggio should have been elected two years ago. He was an all star in three different positions (catcher, second base, outfield) his number are similar to that of Derek Jeter and EVERYONE knows he will be elected in his first year. There was one big name left off the list, one of the best power hitting catchers the game have ever seen in Mike Piazza. Like Biggio, he will eventually get into the Hall of Fame too. I can see into the future Ken Griffey Jr and Mike Piazza Hall of Fame Class of 2016!

Today, was the best time then any to make my first trip to Goodyear Ballpark. A few months back I applied to volunteer at the ballpark for spring training, but will not find out if I got chosen to work until mid January. So, I started to get my FREE game tickets for all 30 games to be played at Goodyear this spring. Just like last year Goodyear Ballpark is giving one ticket to every game to military pass and present with a valid ID. I got the first week games and the bobblehead give-a-way game. Indians bobblehead game is 7 Mar with Micheal Brantley and the Red on 14 Mar with Billy Hamilton.     

My two favorite baseball words ... Play Ball! 

UPDATE:

I was just picked up as a volunteer to work at Goodyear Ball Park. My training is to start on 4 February. On none Indians games I will be working at the stadium. Even though it's not a paying job, my dream has come true to work in the baseball business. My foot is in the door and now I will have experience.

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW

1 Jan
2014 was a year full of first for us. The first time we had real major RV and car issues; RV had dead battery in Flagstaff, AZ, lost our RV breaks in Yosemite NP, car breaks gone in Las Vegas, NV, had to change the tow dolly bold tires in Spokane, WA, blown a tire out in the car in Jerome County, ID and most recently burned out the ball bearings in our tow dolly come over Donner Pass into California. We got luck for the most part that we were close to somewhere to get everything fixed. Sometimes it took a few days of waiting to get the parts and get fixed, but we did not miss anything that we had on our schedule. The only real issue was the RV breaks. We drove elevations of over 7K feet and the windy hilly streets of downtown San Francisco with only medal on medal and the help of driving in D2 to stop. I would say this was the most terrified the wife felt since we started this adventure. I tried to keep a cool face, but there was times I felt like I was going to meet my maker. It was the first time we drove the Pacific Northwest on a five month seven state and one Canadian providence trip. I can try and sum it up in one word AWESOME! Also was the first time we camped in cold weather and worked since we hit the road in 2012. In other words, the wife stayed locked in the RV most of the time to keep warm. My experience working at Amazon was great and nowhere as bad as all the horror stories I read or heard about. I think we're going to make Amazon an annual event. Free camping and a decent paying job for only 2~3 months out of the year ... where can I sign up! There was a lot of things we did not expect to go wrong this year, but all the good outweighed the bad and I would chalk up this year as a success.

In 2015 we will continue to visit Historical Sites, National Parks and Capitol Buildings expanding our knowledge of American History and finding the hidden gems across the United States. I will continue my dream to try and visit every Major & Minor League Baseball stadium and try to collect at least 100 autographs a year. Most of all ...wherever the road leads us, we'll enjoy every minute of it.

As 2014 comes to a close and I flip the calender over to 2015 what new adventures & life lessons (good and bad) will bring us in the New Year? We'll have to wait and see, but all I know for sure is I will continue to do my best to share them as they happen.

From my family to yours, have a safe and Happy New Year.