Ball Haul

Continuing my habit of visiting the local minor league team(s), I drove down to see the Colorado Springs Sky Sox last night. It was "$2 Tuesday," so I parked for 2 bucks, and paid the same for a box seat in the 4th row behind the 1st base dugout.

The 40% chance of thunderstorms became 100% -- we got hammered before the game. There was an hour-plus delay to the start, but it was made up for by the amazing double rainbow and the subsequent lightning show several miles to the East after the storm blew over.

Although the attendance was announced at 4,019, I don't think there was ever anything close to that in the park at one time. The last-place Sky Sox were getting hammered, and the crowd was continually thinning.

For most of the night, I had the feeling that I was going to get a foul ball. Nothing came close to my 4th row seat, so late in the game, I decided to wander the park a bit. I also wanted to get away from the Minor League fans in front of me, who also happened to be minor league fans.

Not long after I moved to the 3rd base side, a screaming foul ball slammed off the facade of the upper deck "luxury" boxes. I had to run to the next section, but I was the first one there. I snagged my first foul ball since 6/21/01, when I scored a Frontier League ball at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium, home of the then Canton Crocodiles!

Basking in the fact that I not only got a ball, but that I fulfilled the feeling that I would get a ball, I ended up sitting in the top row of the lower boxes right behind home plate. Dang if a popup didn't land about 6 rows behind me. With virtually no competition, I ran up and grabbed that one, too.

That brings my game foul ball total to 8: A National League ball at my first Major League game, three American League balls from Fenway Park, a Southern League ball from Five County Stadium, the aforementioned Frontier League ball, and now two Pacific Coast League balls.

Even with the price of gas, it was definitely worth the trip.

©2005 Douglas T. Dinsmoor