Cynicalbuddha's Top 100 #68

Wow I've really slowed down on this Top 100 thing.  I still have lots of goodies I'd like to added, but I wanted to make sure I had a little room to add new stuff.  I've already posted this, but I was so excited to actually get it and in person no less. Lets just say this made my trip to Spring Training.  Glad to hear the Brew Crew will be at Maryvale at least a few more years, it's a great facility and once I figured out where to get the autographs, turned out to be a quite productive for my collection.

#68 on the Top 100

2012 Spring Training Robin Yount in person Signed ball.

Some more pictures from Spring Training.

As promised some more photos from both of the Spring Training games I went too.

First up is a lot of Cubs photos.  It was my wife's camera and she's a Cubs fan.

Not Ryan Braun.

Braun was off playing somewhere else during the Cubs game.  Here's a look at the infield of Maryvale Park.

That's Steve Clevager, who signed a card for me. I don't know who that bald guy is.

That's former Brewer Pat Listach #4, the 3rd base coach. Didn't get his autograph, not yet anyways, I'll be sending him some cards TTM this summer.

A hose and the cubs stretching.

More of the same.  I have to say that the park has a lot of picnic lawn seating and it's only 8 bucks! We opted for the infield reserve, but if I ever get to go back I'd just go to weekday games and pay the 8 bucks.  The second game we went to on Tuesday only had about 4000 people and you could sit just about anywhere you wanted.

The photos get a little grainy we were sitting all the way over on the first base side of the park.  But not too terrible for a cell phone camera.

That's #6 Bryan LaHair, which is French for the Hair!!

There's Travis Ishikawa on First with the Cubs first base coach Dave McKay.  I think Chris Narveson on the mound, and a tiny Rickie Weeks on second.

That's Starlin Castro after his 4th inning home run, the first run of the game.

6th inning stretch sausage race!!! I think the Hotdog won!

After looking through my photos it became apparent my photographer didn't take any of the second game other than these pre-game warm up photos.  The gates to Maryvale don't open till 11:30, but the team store opens at 10 and they have a little area on the main concourse roped off.  That's were a bunch of these were taken.

There's Mr. Yount.  I'm not sure what Robin's role with the team is this year, but he was at both games.

The pitchers hanging out talking about the surprising lack of cheese curds at the stadium.

A great photo if you like Ryan Braun ass!  From left to right.  Scooter Gennett, Caleb Gindl, Ryan Braun, Travis Ishikawa, Norichika Aoki, and Rickie Weeks.

Travis and Ryan and my wife's finger.

#90 not sure who he is, Scooter Gennett.

And finally one for the ladies, Ryan Braun bending over!!!

Yehaw I'm going to Spring Training.

Well the tickets are booked the time share is acquired and the suntan lotions is bought.  Now wait.  You may remember I got married back in July. July is a terrible time to leave the state of Alaska.  One because it's a super busy time for my job and two there is no snow on the ground and it isn't freezing.  Winter or early spring is the time to leave Alaska.  As one of our wedding gifts some friends gave us their time share where ever we wanted.  We had thought about Hawaii, but after looking at how much airfare or using miles would cost us, my wife suggested Arizona, in March.  Yes, she suggested it.  I looked at her funny when she brought it up, but then she said "Spring Training duh!"  Plus she really wants to go see the Grand Canyon.  It's been over 20 years since I went to go see the Grand Canyon. I'm sure the Canyon itself probably hasn't changed much, but everything else around it has.  So with our sights set on Arizona we were a little disappointed to find out we couldn't get anything near Phoenix.  Surprising huh, height of Spring Training, so we opted for a nice middle ground between the Grand Canyon and baseball, Sedona.  As luck would have it we also have some older friends who winter in Tuscon, so we'll probably head south for a couple days too.  I think we figure to catch a couple of games, one for my Brew Crew and one for her Cubbies and a nice trip up to the canyon and who knows what else.  I'm just pretty excited to get to go.  I realize that baseball just ended, but I'm chomping at the bit to see the Spring Training schedule.  It would be awesome to go catch a Brewers/Cubs game.

Anyone been down to Spring Training lately?  I'm really hoping to get a couple autos while I'm down there too.

cb out