Turner Field- Then & Now

It had been 7 years since I had seen a game in my old hometown ball park, Turner Field in Atlanta. While most of the park looks the same, the upgrade in video board and other electronics is phenomenal. Check out the 2000 and 2010 differences.

2000 Right Field View:


2010 Right Field View:


2000 Video Board:


2010 Video Board:


2000 Left Field View:


2010 Left Field View:


Many new bright lights, including side score and outfield walls, which really adds to a great place.

The Kid

Ken Griffey Jr, the greatest and purest power hitter of our generation, retired yesterday. Griffey retires with 630 home runs, 5th behind 3 legends (Aaron, Ruth, Mays) and 1 cheater (B***y B***s). Of all the players who invaded the 500 homer club the last 20 years, only he and Frank Thomas are considered clean from steroids. And his his acrobatic plays in center were a daily highlight. But his more lasting legacy will be saving baseball in Seattle. In the early '90's, the Mariners had never had a winning season, let alone a playoff appearance, and there was alot of talk of them moving to Tampa or Washington DC. Griffey led the charge in 1995 to an AL West title and a ALDS victory over the Yankees, and soon talk began on a new stadium in Seattle.

Griffey looked like the soon-to-be all time home run king as late as 2001-02, but injuries slowed him considerably. Still, I am glad to say I saw him play and saw one of his home runs with Cincinnati. And I would consider him a top-10 all time hitter. And one final note- how old am I that a legend of 23 years played his entire career in my adult lifetime? Sigh..

"24" Clock Ticks Down to Zero

On the heels of last night's phenomenal finale of "Lost," I have to say goodbye to my other favorite drama of the last 20 years in "24." While this is not as melancholy for me as "Lost," it is still sad to see a great show end after 9 years. I am proud to say I was with this show from Minute One, and turned dozens of friends and associates into "24" fans. The premise was risky back in 2001- every episode played in real time, and by season's end would equal one 24-hour day. At its best, "24" was the best adrenaline rush on TV- Seasons 1, 2 and 5 being my favorite 3 years. While it has lost some its luster, it has rebounded from the debacle of Season 6 and a 20-month hiatus because of the writers' strike. Jack Bauer is one the best and most complicated characters in the history of television. Here's to 2 more great hours of TV, and me not being too tired after our game tonight to sit down and watch it!

Thank You "Lost"

It's sometimes hard to believe "Lost" is just a TV show. As I prepare for the retrospective and series finale tonight, I have a bevy of emotions. I'm excited, sad, intrigued, and...well, lost. This is most likely the most emotional farewell for me since "Moonlighting" 20 years ago. Hard to believe Staci & I weren't watching on its first night back in September of 2004. I wanted to, but my schedule as a Chili's bartender (wow, was that like, 10 jobs ago??) was mostly nights, so I wasn't watching much. But in the summer of 2005, we started watching the re-airing of Season 1..and were forever hooked. Through 6 seasons of mysteries, romance, life, death, time-travel, and allusions to dozens of books, spiritualities, and movies, we get our answers tonight. But what if we don't? What if they pull a "Sopranos" and leave it up to us? (Which I personally loved but millions screamed about) I'm actually okay with that- if some things are left for us to decide, mull over and discuss for the next 30 years. Regardless of how it ends, thank you "Lost" for 6 wonderful seasons and for being a show that made you think in an era of reality garbage. You will be missed.

Uncle Slam and the P-Nats get a new scoreboard.

Many Thanks!

Last night when we sat down for dinner, I realized it was the 1st time in a month that we had a "normal" night. 3 P-Nats homestands and Addie's birth will do that. Now that things have settled down a bit, I thought it would be a good time to individually thank those who have made Addie's first 3 weeks a little more special.

Mom & Dad Grant- for jumping on a plane hours after their granddaughter was born and spending a great week with us, and all the countless ways they have helped us.
Dad Kenney & all my sisters, brothers, nieces & nephews- for driving 4 1/2 hours to meet the new addition and for the wonderful gifts for Addie.
Mandie & Sarah- Mandie for coming down from Maine to help Staci during my first long homestand and for making enough meals to last us a month! And thanks to both Mandie & Sarah for buying those meals.
Mari, Ian & Sharon- for being among her 1st visitors at the hospital and for the great gifts as well. And special thanks to Sharon for driving through traffic to take care of Willie while we were at the hospital.
Paul- for visiting Addie in her first few days and for bringing both Addie & Daddy a much-needed gift!
Megan- for visiting Addie & bringing Addie's 1st playmates.

Thanks to everyone for making Addie's first 3 weeks so special. She is clearly loved all around, as are we. Don't know what we would do without all of you!

Addie's First Playlist

Just the start but here's what I've got so far:

Jessica Stone- Addison
Ben Folds- The Luckiest
Stevie Wonder- Isn't She Lovely?
Crosby Stills & Nash- Teach Your Children
Paul Simon- Father & Daughter
George Harrison- Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
Michael Sembello- Maniac (her first dance song- video will shortly follow)
BoB (f/Bruno Mars)- Nothin' On You (#1 on the day Addie was born)
Frank Sinatra- Love Walked In
Beatles- In My Life

The 1st Week of Addie B.

Tomorrow at 5:41 Addison will start week 2 of her life. Where has the time gone? Why haven't I written before this? Well, between the sheer hectic pace of the birth, the 4 days in the hospital, and getting Addie used to her new home, there hasn't been much time to put my thoughts down. And there still isn't- but I've got so much on my mind, so I figured I better take a few minutes.

Addie is just beautiful. I know, so easy to say about your own child, but she really is. The wonder in her eyes as she discovers the world a little at a time, the sweetness of her snuggling up to you, even her cry is adorable. I can't lie- she has stolen my heart in no time at all. I can't wait to see her grow and become even more of her own personality. And raising her with my soul mate will be the icing on the cake.

More to come in future days and weeks. But for now- a few more pictures to enjoy.

Underrated TV-Music "Moment"

I had my iPod on shuffle this morning when the 1987 hit "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & The Beaters started playing. When anyone of a certain age (30-40ish) hears this song, they are almost certain to be reminded of the hit show "Family Ties." It got me to thinking about how this song was a part of the mid-80's revolution of shows and the use of music.

Now, music had been integral on TV pretty much since the beginning. But it was usually in its own setting- a variety show, a theme song, "American Bandstand," a Casey Kasem countdown. And there were shows about music (WKRP, for example) in which hearing 4 or 5 songs in an episode was not unusual. But as the '80's got rolling, dramas and comedies started using songs to move story lines and create moments. "Miami Vice" & "Moonlighting" were big with this new technique. Probably the most resonating was "At This Moment." "Family Ties" was one of the biggest shows on TV at the time, and the only music you would usually hear was the very catchy theme song ("What would we do, baby...sha-la-la-la.."). But in '87, they had decided to do an episode with central character Alex (Michael J Fox) breaking up with his first serious girlfriend. The episode ends with Alex putting a quarter in the jukebox and listening to their song- "At This Moment." The song became an immediate smash hit. For a good 6 months, you couldn't get away from the emotional love song.

It's hard to imagine now, as seemingly every show overdoes the music-TV connection. But there was a time when the right use of a song could create an unforgettable moment.

A Day in The Season- 4/8

I am going to try a new segment from time to time this year called "A Day In The Season," to try to give everyone an idea of a typical day in minor league baseball. A look behind the curtain, if you will. I will try to make most of these a moment -by-moment account of what happens on a gameday. For Opening Day, though, I am just going to give you a quick recap.

I think you have a certain mentality to work in Minor League Baseball. Or maybe you just need to be mental. The bad: the WORST tarp pull ever. No joke, we somehow had half the folks pulling the wrong side, which twisted the tarp into a pretzel. Not fun in any situation, but especially during a wind-blown monsoon. We eventually got it on the field, but not before it almost pulled a few of our front office right off the ground.

The good: the great feeling of Opening Day. It's hard to describe unless you have worked in baseball, but there is just something special about it. It's the culmination of 7 months of planning, preparing, selling, ordering. To see someone walk out of the Team Store with a shirt or hat that I designed, or buy a pack of cards that I spent 2 months putting together, is a great feeling. Seeing the old faces, people I have seen hundreds of times since 2007, is also fun. But the highlight of my night?

Yes, I finally got a foul ball. Now, I have gotten plenty of baseballs here over the last few years, batting practice, parking lot bound, etc. But never one that came directly to me. I was standing in the field of play waiting to pull tarp, when a Salem player hit a shot just 2 feet from me. An intern ducked, I "caught" the ball with my foot, and 36 years of frustration came to a close. I still want my Major League foul, though.

So that's it for today. We've got a doubleheader at 5:30, then the first weekend games. Should be another fun season!