Category: Mariners Spring Training

In our traveling home for Easter Sunday.

The 113.4 is for those folks sitting out in the sun at the baseball game. 

Today’s line up.
Section 115
Row C
Seats 10, 11

This is before the game started and people come down to the edge of the field to get autographs from anyone who will come sign things.  It is interesting how many people will come down to the field level seats and sit in some else’s purchased seat in hopes the original purchaser will not show up for the game.
I think this is new catcher Brintley who came by today.
Seager stealing third base.

Today’s attendance.

The happy totals.
Only two games left and we’ll be heading north.

The other night I got out and attached my camera to the telescope Brian and Christine gave me for Christmas.  I spent quite a bit of time fabricating a mound for the camera.  This picture does not show the piece of 90 degree aluminum attached under the plate and the minimum clearance between the tripod mount to give the plate only a very limited drop.
I than had to add weight to the front of the telescope to counter balance the weight of the camera. I didn’t take a picture of the several pounds of steel I attached as the counter balance.

Here are some pictures of the moon.
Yes, I have not figured out how to get a better focus than this, I can get worse really easy.

Today’s starting line up.

Section  111
Row M
Seats 1, 2

The Navy band did the flag today.
The big guy had a good start today.   I think he pitched 6 innings.

Got to have some hitting pictures, top one is Seager and lower one is Cano.
We are still stealing bases.

Today’s attendance.
The happy totals.

Tonight’s line up:
Tonight’s seats:

Section 109
Row N
Seats 8, 9

Jay Buhner was with the team last night.  I think he was the only one without a hat.  If he had a hat on nobody would have known it Jay, sly Jay.
Look at the expression on the home plate umpire, “You don’t think I’m going to call a strike on any of your teams pitches”.
We did not have a good evening catching the ball.
This looks like a out?

Wrong Lind would have had to catch the ball.

Looks like this is going to be another out?

Wrong again, the ball has to be at least close to the base.

Here is the score board 3 hours into the game.

It was fun watching all the hits, but is was a long game 3:45.

Tonight’s attendance.

And the final score.

I don’t remember if I included a picture of the Mariners Peoria Office.

During one of the early games we saw the LA Angels playing and the catcher had some unique knee pads.  They reminded me of the water wings little kids wear on there arms when they are first going into the water.
This was the only catcher I have seen using the catcher/water wings.

This is a really good section to watch the game. I enjoyed to cool evening.

Today’s line up.
It was a hot day at the ballpark.  The temps are running 10 to 15 degrees above normal, 91 in the shade today and 94 projected for tomorrow.  Note that is in the shade and our seat have NEVER seen the shade.

Gas prices:  when we got here on March first one of the Arco stations in Peoria was selling gas for $1.39 and today it was $1.87.

Section 111
Row M
Seats 11, 12

It was another kids day.

These kids all got a signed baseball.

This young man was not sure where he was supposed to be so he ran to this point and stopped.

You see a lot of these big lenses.

The unhappy totals, not a good hot day at the ball park.

They did not post the attendance must have been around 7,000.

Today was a night game.

Today’s line up

Section 117
Row H
Seat 1, 2

Felix on his way to warm up.

Everybody wants a family photo.

The ball waiting for Felix.

Felix gets the ball for the first pitch of the game.

Pitching picture.

Got to have several of Felix. He had a pretty good outing and should be ready for opening night.

Coach had to go out and discuss a call at first base, it really looked like we lost out on several calls.

This is tonight’s attendance.

And the unhappy totals, D-Backs have the best record in Training Season Baseball.

Today’s line up:
Our seats for the day.

Section 113
Row N
Seats 9, 10

Somebody was doing an interview on a DSLR camera, with cameras and phones high quality video is available to everyone these days.  I read someplace about a TV station had laid off most of the station’s camera people and given all their reporters a new Iphone and told them to shoot their own video.

Again Felix was in the dugout signing balls and hats for fans.

Karns was trying hard to get the runner at first base.

And he finally got them.

It was a warm day, evening TV said 88 degrees in the shade and 418 degrees in the sun.

Today’s attendance.
And today’s happy totals.
Evening game tomorrow, Saturday.

More baseball;
Today’s line up.

Section 107
Row O
Seats 7, 8
These were pretty good seats, we’re in the last row and we had a couple of more inches of leg room, it really made a difference.
Iwakuma got the start, he was writing something in the dirt on the back side of the mound.
First pitch

The results

Second pitch

The results

Then things kind of went down hill from there.  You can see what happened when you get down the game run totals.  He went 2 plus inning and we won the game with quite a few hits.

We are struggling at first base and yes that is the ball going past the first baseman.

Root Sports came by for a while towards the end of the game.

Almost a sold out game, the stadium holds 12,000 and change.

and here are the happy totals, the third inning was fun.

This was from last Sunday’s game.  Nelson Cruz is at bat and the ball is coming right at us.  It hit two rows down right in front of us.  Nellie got a little ahead of this one.

For those that count dates: today is our 42nd wedding anniversary, that is 15299 days, and also 103 days until baby Boy Garcia.
Tanya I found a fishing pole holder designed for a stroller on Amazon this morning, they have everything.

 

 

Today was our third straight day of baseball.
We went to Peoria a little earlier so we could visit the practice fields.  
Edgar was working with some of the team

while Servais was throwing batting practice.

Oh, how I wanted to ask Edgar if that was a light bat.

We also saw Dave Sims and Mike Blowers doing some sort of TV segment and than

Blowers walked down the fence signed balls until everyone was gone.
We then walked out to some of the fields where the farm team players were practicing.

There were four group rotating around four field practicing different skills.  I thinks there were 30 to 32 people in each group.

This group was practicing fly balls and how to communicate who was going to catch the ball.  It is actually quite difficult when everyone is trying to stand out to the coaches.  The ball hogs really stood out as we were watching.  They go long distances to get the fly and leave their position uncovered and allow base runners to advance.

This group was working on covering a bunt.   Another field was working on getting ground balls into the outfield back into the bases and the last field was working on handling a runner going from second to third and covering a run down.

Rick Waits (pitching coach) was walking around watch and talking to fans.

Today’s line up with Felix pitching.

Our seats, in the area just past the dug out.
Section 115
Row G
Seats 11, 12

First pitch at Spring Training for Felix.

Second pitch, and then it want down hill.   Felix pitched 2 and a third innings and they got a three of runs off of him.

This is today’s attendance.

The unhappy totals.  We actually lost two games today because this was a split squad game day.

Today’s line up.

Section 109
Row M
Seats 11, 12

Before the game we walked over to the practice fields.  The players had all left except for Cano who was getting his picture taken.

You would think if a player can be driving one of these the team would give him covered parking.

Felix is pitching tomorrow however he stood and signed balls and hats until the game started.

The park had some sort of promotion going on for the kids.

Two kids stood at each position and then the person who was playing that position signed a ball for each of them.

Now explaining to the kids it was time for a baseball game to start and they had to go back to their parents was a challenge for some of the players.

Oh yea, the hotdog won today.

Edgar and Servais spend a lot of time like this.

Today’s attendance.

Not so great totals.

And I have not had an Arizona sunset in a while.   Another great day at Spring Training.