Tagged: Lastings Milledge
8-23-10 PNC Park
We were lucky to get batting practice in today. There was a steady drizzle from 4 PM until the first few minutes of batting practice, but to the Pirates’ credit, they allowed BP to continue.
My first ball was tossed to me by a worker. I spotted the ball laying on a bleacher and ran over to claim it. A worker from one of the concession stands was walking by and picked it up and flipped it to me.
My second ball was a home run caught on the fly in this area off the bat of Delwyn Young.
Ball #3 was tossed up by Pirates’ closer and all around good-guy Joel Hanrahan. Here’s Joel having some fun with a fan’s rain gear:
STATISTICS:
Game: 7 balls ( 2 hit, 3 thrown, 2 device )
Season:
478 balls (238 hit, 106 thrown, 68 device, 66 found)
Games: 74 games
Average: 6.46 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 1,056 balls
Streak: 170 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 12,393
Balls in the month of August: 127 (12 needed to break 1 month record)
Balls needed to break single season record: 65
8-20-10 PNC Park
Another sunny day in Pittsburgh got out to a great start thanks to Joel Hanrahan.
He threw me ball #1 near the beginning of batting practice, and then went on a generous binge of tossing balls to virtually every fan in attendance during the Pirates STH only time. I believe every ball he shagged was flipped into the bleachers. As a side note, Hanrahan’s toss to me was my 100th thrown ball of 2010.
Ball #2 was a home run from Lastings Milledge that hit a bleacher and popped up into the air about 10 feet. I snagged it when it was on the way back down.
Ball #3 was also a home run hit by Milledge. It was hit deep over my head, and I had to dive on the concrete underneath this stairway 
STATISTICS:
Game: 7 balls ( 3 hit, 2 thrown, 1 device, 1 found )
Season: 465 balls (234 hit, 101 thrown, 62 device, 62 found)
Balls in the month of August: 114
Games: 71 games
Average: 6.55 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 1,043 balls
Streak: 167 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 23,695
Balls in the month of August: 114 (25 needed to break 1 month record)
Balls needed to break single season record: 79
8-18-10 PNC Park
I got on the board before the gates opened today.
I was standing on the Riverwalk waiting for a home run to land on the concourse, but left around 4:50 to head back up to the gate. Just as I left, a passerby informed me that I had just missed one. I turned and saw fellow ballhawk Nick Pelescak knee deep in the weeds, frantically searching for a ball.
I turned around and jogged back and joined in the search. After a minute, I found the ball in the weeds, for my first ball of the day.
Upon entrance to the left field bleachers, I noticed a ball land near the foul pole, so I ran over and scooped that one up for ball #2.
STATISTICS:
Game: 7 balls ( 4 hit, 2 thrown, 1 found )
Season: 454 balls (228 hit, 98 thrown, 61 device, 61 found)
Balls in the month of August: 103
Games: 69 games
Average: 6.58 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 1,032 balls
Streak: 165 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 12,242
8-16-10 PNC Park
Today kicked off a 10 game homestand at PNC Park.
When Nick Pelescak and I ran in at 5 PM, some ushers were coming out of the bleachers and said “There’s a bunch of balls in there.”
I found balls #1 and 2 in the left field bleachers. The first one was in the front row of Section 136 and the other one was about four rows back closer towards the foul pole.
Ball # was hit by Neil Walker. It was a home run that landed in the crosswalk area, bounced off the white facade of the upper bleachers,
and right into my glove in the third row in the lower bleachers. I heard Jeff Karstens murmur, “Got the rebound.”
Ball #4 and 5 were caught in this area, both off the bat of Lastings Milledge.
STATISTICS:
Game: 10 balls ( 3 hit, 1 thrown, 2 device, 4 found )
Season: 441 balls (224 hit, 96 thrown, 61 device, 60 found)
Balls in the month of August: 90
Games: 67 games
Average: 6.58 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 1,019 balls
Streak: 163 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 13,396
8-7-10 PNC Park
It was a Saturday game at PNC Park – but it was also a Skyblast (Fireworks + George Thorogood concert), so there would be a sellout crowd on hand today.
My goal was to snag seven balls to give me 400 on the season.
I was second in line at the gate and was the first one into the bleachers. There wasn’t anything going on in the cage, but a few Pirates must’ve taken some early swings because I found two balls laying in the front row here:
I then made my way over to foul territory as a few of the Pirates position players were warming up. New Pirates catcher Chris Synder threw me his ball as he walked off the field for ball #3.
STATISTICS:
Game: 10 balls (6 hit, 1 thrown, 1 device, 2 found)
Season: 403 balls (211 hit, 88 thrown, 51 device, 53 found)
Games: 61 games
Average: 6.61 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 981 balls
Streak: 157 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 38,147
8-2-10 PNC Park
With chief competitor Nick Pelescak out of action for the next two weeks, and my favorite BP team, the Cincinnati Reds in town, I was hoping I would have a big day.
I would – setting a personal 2010 high for balls snagged.
The day would get off to a great start. When I ran in, I spotted a ball in the front row.
Before I could grab it, Andy LaRoche hit a home run into the front row. I tried to make the basket catch leaning forward over two rows, but just missed it. My glove killed the balls’ momentum and I just needed to pick it up in the front row for ball #1. Seconds later, I grabbed that easter egg for ball #2 in this area:
Sweet spots: (1 was given away)
STATISTICS:
Game: 13 balls (9 hit, 2 thrown, 1 device, 1 found)
Season: 364 balls (187 hit, 80 thrown, 43 device, 45 found)
Games: 56 games
Average: 6.50 balls per game
2010 Game Balls: 5
Career: 942 balls
Streak: 152 consecutive games attended with at least 1 ball snagged.
Attendance: 15,172
