So we’re in the “Dog Days” now and I’m looking for another All-Star Break, or at least 2 days in a row where I can catch up on some sleep.  The last 6 weeks of any season are a bit more intense, especially when the team is still in a position to make a playoff push.  We tend to bear down a bit more and, some - like my wife - would say, overanalyze as much information as we can process in an effort to take an extra base here, get a big out from the opponent’s 4-hitter there, or try to steal the other teams signs … anything to give us that extra edge.  The rosters also expand on September 1st so we’ll have at least 5 additional bodies to evaluate and game plan for with every team we play from that point.

Due to this “6 week scramble” I tend to really enjoy the off-days at home even more so than earlier in the year.  I had one yesterday and was able to just hang out with the girls and do normal stuff (grocery store, BBQ in the back yard, do a couple of chores, play with B, and go to bed before 2:30 am).  It was awesome and I’m looking forward to my next one in a few weeks.

I know this is a short one but there’s work to be done … we start a series with the Padres tonight so, those of you in SD, look for me on TV (Channel 4 for those of you not in tune with baseball in your area). 

On a side note - I can’t wait to not have to hear about Manny Ramirez …  

Hello Everyone!!!

I wanted to take a few minutes to post about our recent trip to Northern CA.  Tom and Sheri bought me an airline ticket to go up with Matt for my Birthday and my parents graciously agreed to take B up to the cabin with them for a few days.  When she is up there, she doesn’t even know I am gone.  She is such a busybody playing in the garden and being outside so it doesn’t even matter Mom isn’t there!!

We flew up to San Francisco on Matt’s off-day in the morning so we would have the whole day together rather than flying with the team in the evening.  When we arrived we grabbed lunch at one of the restaurants (Mexican) that Matt likes to eat at near the hotel and then we took a cab down to Pier 39.  We did some shopping (clothes for Braelyn and candy for Matt) and walked around the Embarcadero enjoying the cool weather and the people watching.

We had to make a stop at the Sea Lion and Seal area to take some pictures of them for Braelyn.  They were so funny, pushing each other off the piers and barking and splashing all around.

That night we went to a really nice dinner at the Cliffhouse right by the ocean.  It had a great view and yummy (if not snooty) food! 

The next day we spent the morning walking around the city and Matt took off for the game after lunch. 

I got some great alone time to read, work out and catch up on emails in the hotel and then watched the game on TV that night.  On Saturday morning, we got up and took a cab to one of Matt’s college baseball teammates house to borrow his car for our adventure over to Sausalito.

That night, I cabbed it to AT&T Park where I got to sit with Matt and watch a Dbacks baseball game with him for the first time in something like 4 years.  The seats were great (right behind home plate and 9 rows up from the field) and the game ended in a Dbacks win for Brandon Webb.  I waited outside the clubhouse for Matt took the team bus with him from the field to the hotel.

The next morning (Sunday) we got up for an early morning walk before Matt had to leave for the field.  I left for the airport shortly after he left and then began the long trek on the airport shuttle, walking through the airport, a late flight and FINALLY home.  B was just waking up when I got home and she was excited to see me.

We had such a great time exploring and spending some much needed time together.  We only have 2 more months (and hopefully playoffs) left of the season and we are planning at least 1 more travel trip to San Diego.  We hope you will all continue to cheer for the Dbacks and that we can see you in our last few travels of the season.

Love to all,

MLB Mama

As I sit here in my hotel room in Miami and am able to reflect on the last week for a few minutes I realize that I am fortunate to have a very cool “job” that I enjoy and that provides me opportunities to experience once-in-a-lifetime situations much more often than I realize. 

 The team went through Boston earlier in the week and I was able to finally see Fenway park, the Mecca (sorry Yankee fans), and experience Red Sox Nation.  And I had a blast.  I can’t describe the goosebumps and sense of history that hit me when I walked up the steps into the dugout and onto the field the other day.  For me, it looks much different in person than on TV and it took a second to get my barings. 

I was able to just wander around and give myself a tour of the park and I explored every nook and cranny that I could find.  I went to the top of the Monster, out to Pesky pole, sat behind one of the pillars in the grandstand (just to see what the poor saps who buy the tickets from the scalpers see) and had to pick splinters from the wooden seats out of my shorts.  I got a chance to go through the Red Sox clubhouse and just cruised the concourses to get a feel for the place … AWESOME!  I shook hands with Manny and saw Papelbon wearing a Pirates’ bandana and eye patch in the weight room (the Yankees were playing the Pirates so their clubhouse was pulling for Pittsburgh, obviously).  I also had the opportunity to go inside the Green Monster and “immortalize” myself by signing my name with a Sharpie on the foundation of Fenway park amid the thousands of other signatures down there (there were so many that I was in there for 20 minutes reading the old signatures and didn’t even come across the legends).  And no, I didn’t pee in the same spot Manny so famously did during the infamous pitching change a few years ago. 

 I was also able to walk around Boston’s downtown a little bit and spent a fair amount of time in the park (Boston Commons).  There were some Trumpeter Geese (that were almost as big as I am) that were sitting on a nest full of, what looked like, dinosaur eggs - something I’ve never seen before. 

It was also good to catch up with some old friends and people I used to work with, who are now Red Sox employees, after one of the games.  They showed off their World Series rings and shared stories of the Duckboat parade.  Needless to say I was jealous and eager to have a similar experience in Phoenix one of these days. 

It was an unbelievable stop and something that definitely lived up to the expectations.

I am, however, looking forward to getting home.  When it’s all said and done, I will have spent just 8 days at home this month and have been gone the better part of the last 6 weeks.  My minor league scouting coverage is complete, with just a handful of reports left to write up before the trade deadline so the work load will lighten up a bit soon, relatively speaking. 

 I hope all of you are doing well and hopefully my travels will bring us together at some point soon … Now if I can only get “Sweet Caroline” out of my head.

Sorry for the lull in communications
B came down with the VERY nasty stomach virus that is apparently going around in the kiddos and it knocked her FLAT for 1 full week.  Those of you that are familiar with B and her daily antics will know that this must have been something serious to keep her from eating and playing for 7 days.  We are glad that she is finally feeling better and have become obsessive/compulsive hand washers the last few weeks to try to keep it from spreading - it is not something I would care to have.  Luckily MLB dad avoided getting it, mainly becuase he has been gone for about 2 weeks straight - I think we saw him for a total of about 10 hours since May 9th and he won’t return until the 26th. 

Because this month and next are so crazy for traveling (he is gone 21 out of 30 days in June), B and I have become dedicated Dbacks watchers (even more so than in the past) and have foresaken pretty much all other TV so that we can keep up on the goings on with the team.  It is necessity for me because I can guarantee that after the game I will receive a phone call quizzing me on plays and strategy for that evening’s contest & I better be ready :)  It also keeps us feeling close to his daily routine and what he is experiencing when he is away from us for so long.

B has become a regular cheerleader and knows all of the starting pitcher’s names.  On their day to start, she will do a “GO (Fill in pitcher’s name here) and GO DBACKS!” cheer for Matt and we have even recorded it and messaged him on his cell phone.  She knows that the Dbacks wear red hats and that they try to “hit the ball over the fence.”  She even practices hitting like the Dbacks with her set of golf clubs and works on catching the ball like “O-Dog.”  I fear we have created a monster.  She will run around the living room saying that she “LOVES baseball” and that “Micah is her favorite and she LOVES him.”  Oh the poor boys that will date her and try to keep up with her baseball knowledge!

I got lucky and married someone who is more obsessed than I am with sports but we do have entertaining evenings of watching Baseball Tonight and Sports Center to try and catch the 10 second highlights of the Dbacks that they show (East Coast and AL Bias!!!!)  He knows WAY more than me about everything regarding baseball and all I can do is try to keep up and impress him with my surprising tidbits of info.

Anyway, if you all didn’t know it, we are baseball crazy and we try to stay connected any way that we can.  It is such a HUGE part of Matt’s life and therefore ours but I am growing to love it more and more and couldn’t imagine another way of life.  It’s hard when he’s gone for so long, but knowing that he has a job that he loves so much, makes it easier.

We hope you are all well and taking the time to enjoy being with your spouse, kids and family.  Quality time is important, don’t take it for granted!!  We love you all.

Until next time,

MLB Mama

Hey Everyone!!

Just a quick note for anyone who missed or was not able to open the radio interview with Micah Owings that I emailed out earlier this week.  Micah was interviewed on ESPN yesterday at the field and mentioned Matt’s name AGAIN!!  I just like everyone to know what Matt is up to and that he really does have an impact on some of the Dbacks players.  He would never tell everyone all of these things, so I do it for him :)  Enjoy and have a great weekend!

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3386867&n8pe6c=2

MLB Mama

Ok, here goes….

Another MLB season is about to begin and here in the desert, we are very excited. Since MLB dad has spent much of the last 6 weeks away from home, I thought he might want to hear how his daughters (furry and human) feel about the upcoming season.

I hope you enjoy these and until the playoffs are over …. Root, Root, Root for the Dbacks

Love,
MLB Mama

Braelyn gives us her feelings on the upcoming season and her daddy!

Not to be outdone, Reiley felt like chiming in with her two-cents!

Wow - what a weekend!  After R-dog being sick with a mysterious virus that cannot, apparently be figured out by modern veterinary medicine, but rather by 2 women with a human medical encyclopedia! and having the whole family (MLB Dad now has fallen prey to the nasty virus) knocked out cold by a bout of the FLU - I think things are getting back to normal here :) 

MLB Dad has had to miss the last 2 Spring Training games, but will be heading back to Tucson tomorrow and then returning for good (meaning until he leaves for lovely Cincinnati March 30th) next Thursday.  After the craziness that is Spring Training, it seems like the regular season is a walk in the park, well maybe a brisk run since it is a whirlwind and goes by so quickly.  At least we know where we will be at any given time, which at least provides some peace of mind for the next 6 months

MLB Dad had an off day (1 day out of 6 weeks is great right?) on Tuesday of this week and so we decided to take “B” to the Desert Botanical Garden where they have a butterfly pavilion - an enclosed area that houses 100s of butterflies that fly around and land on your clothes, arms, hair, etc.  I was suprised to discover that people are apparently quite afraid of the butterflies landing on them and would scream and run away, leading me to ask the question, “If you are so terrified of the scary butterflies, why on earth are you enclosing yourself in an area where 100s of them are living and flying and landing?”  Our girl was not one of the weak however, and she was excited when the butterfly landed on her hand.  She did tell me later that she wanted to get away from the “noisy, scared big people!”

We also did our first Easter Egg coloring extravaganza which consisted mainly of MLB Dad trying to get her to be gentle with the eggs and B humoring him for 2 seconds only to drop them (and crack them!) into the colored water 2 seconds later.  She did enjoy it and her artistic ability shined through :) 

Until next time - we hope you are all well and getting your Sedona Red and Sonoran Sand gear out of the back of your closets!

Love, MLB Mama

P.S. I have been advised by the oldest and wisest of bloggers, that it is never a good idea to use real names in your posts so … our names have been changed to protect the innocent :wink: