A great summer

Going back to April, when our Summer of Baseball began, there was only one goal -- to spend as much time with Colin as I could.

Through work and school schedules, our time together is limited for most of the year. And rather than send him off to summer camp, we decided to keep him home and make our own fun. Fishing. Ice skating drills. Visiting our local barber shop, not some hoity-toity salon, for our summer buzz cuts.

Mostly, though, baseball filled our summer calendar, as we attended 35 minor and major league games. You know something? Yes, it was pretty busy, but it went by fast.

Over nearly five months, we watched 312 innings of baseball, an amount reached after careful review and counting of our list of games. At one time, I thought we'd fall a few innings short of 300, but that wasn't the case. And, in something of a surprise, Colin loaded up on autographs, snagging 367 signatures, including getting team balls from 11 of the 12 Florida State League teams, as well as more than two dozen game-used baseballs.

The biggest benefit, though, can't be measured by innings, autographs or scuffed baseballs. It was, indeed, the amount of time we spent together, discussing the difference between two-run homers and two-runner homes, the beauty and efficiency of a quiet batting stance, and polishing off more bags of Cracker Jacks that I care to remember.

More than anything else, our Summer of Baseball was about bonding -- not just as father and son, but as baseball fans. Now, we both know why it's the American pastime.

Two will do

If it weren't for Detroit pitching coach Rick Knapp and pitcher Casey Fien, the time Colin spent along the third-base line Saturday night would have went all for naught. No complaints, though. Two autographs are two autographs. Now, if only the Rays would've won. At the least, he got to hear the Beach Boys.

A good one to get

If you're going to get one autograph at a Major League Baseball game, it might as well be a good one. Right?

At least, that's what Allan, Baseball Monday's correspondent in Toronto, relates after taking in a Tampa Bay Rays-Toronto Blue Jays game last week at the Rogers Centre. Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria signed this baseball for his wife just before the game.

It sounds like Longoria followed his pregame routine at the Trop:

"We missed batting practice, but did manage to get there when the players came out to stretch about 20 minutes before game time. We were on the Rays side and my wife got Evan Longoria's auto on a ball.

"Longoria signed for about a dozen people and then ran off to the dugout. I think everyone in the original crowd got an auto, but the secondary rush got shut out.''

Appreciate it

It was billed as Fan Appreciation Night at Dunedin Stadium. A gas-sipping scooter was given away. So was a free year of pest control services. And kids got a backpack full of school supplies.

At game's end, though, after the Dunedin Blue Jays beat the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 4-3, in a Florida State League contest, we were the ones who were most appreciative.

Though we had to wait until middle August to get our grubby little mitts on the 2009 D-Jays team set, Colin made short work of it, getting 20 players (including D-Jay, the team's mascot) to sign their cards on our past two trips.

On Saturday, during our final visit to Dunedin in our Summer of Baseball, we added another nine cards (including one from the 2008 team set) from Alan Farina, Dumas Garcia, Jesus Gonzalez, Chuck Huggins, Jonathan Jaspe, Moises Sierra, Eric Thames and D-Jay.

And, for good measure, we had Thames, fresh off the disabled list, sign an official FSL ball. Provided he stays healthy, we're sure he'll make his way up the organization's ladder.

Smart move

When we first walked down near the Texas Rangers' dugout Saturday, I never imagined we'd get an autograph. There were a ton of people, stacked two to three deep in places, along the third base line. All told, I'm guessing at least 75.

Rather than join the throngs, though, we headed farther up the line, moving closer to the bullpen and away from the teeming mass of humanity. The move, I believe, paid off as Colin, decked out in his big black cowboy hat for Cowboy Night at the Trop, snagged five autographs from members of the Rangers organization.

Perhaps, you've heard of some of these players, from left: Doug Mathes, Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones, Eddie Guardado and player-turned-GM-turned broadcaster Tom Grieve.

Toss in a Rays' 5-4 walk-off victory in 10 innings and a postgame concert by Big & Rich, and it's safe to say we all had a good night.

Gee, thanks, Raymond

Rather than try to add to his Tampa Bay Rays team ball, Colin wanted to hound the Baltimore Orioles before Thursday's game. As a result, I made a game-dated team sheet for him, trying out programs on our new computer and putting a new printer through its paces.

It was working well, too, as five members of the Orioles squad took the time to sign the team sheet: Jim Johnson, from left, third base coach Juan Samuel, Chris Tillman, Chad Mueller and bullpen coach Alan Dunn.

Then Raymond, the Tampa Bay Rays' mascot, stopped by. Needless to say, Raymond wasn't amused, as Colin, decked out in Rays gear, showed him the sheet. That's his big "X" crossing out the Orioles logo, as well as his autograph.

Between seasons, too

I guess we're not the only hockey hounds passing the time during the offseason by adding to our baseball collections. Allan, one of Hound Central 4.0's correspondents, checked in from Toronto to share the rewards of hounding at a couple of recent Blue Jays games.

As you can see, this haul hasn't too shabby, adding balls (above) from Jays legend Roberto Alomar, top, and Scott Downs, currently in Dunedin on a rehab assignment, and John McDonald. Jays rookie Travis Snider signed the ball at left.

Let's try this again

Earlier this season, I had the bright idea of using a foul ball, one of many that Colin has collected over our Summer of Baseball, to create a team ball of players named to the Florida State League All Star Game.

Though it got off to a decent start, my lack of attention led to a few non-All Stars signing the ball. Then, thanks to Brett, one of Baseball Mondays correspondents, I got my grubby mitts on a souvenir ball from the FSL All Star Game. The idea was that I'd use it for Daytona's Starlin Castro, the game's MVP. Well, Castro got promoted before I could have him sign the ball.

Rather than have it sit on some box, destined to be forgotten well beyond its usefulness, we brought it along last Wednesday to the Brevard County Manatees-Dunedin Blue Jays game. Though it's unlikely that we'll get the ball filled, we did add these players to it:

Brevard County's Eric Ferris, top and Dunedin's Raul Barron; and

Brevard County's Caleb Gindl.

On Saturday, we'll look to add Dunedin's Moises Sierra to the ball. And, if we can somehow fit in a trip over to Tampa before season's end, we might add signatures from Austin Romine and Jonathan Ortiz.

One at a time

If there's one thing about Florida State League games, it's how easy it is to snag the occasional game-used ball from a player, coach or umpire. Over our Summer of Baseball, Colin's been able to collect more than two dozen balls.

We used some for the 11 team balls that Colin has accomplished over the course of the campaign. Others have been used to build a single-signed baseballs, or SSBs collection. Brevard County's Eric Ferris added this one before Wedsnesday's rained-out game against Dunedin.

It's all a matter of timing

Ever since the Tampa Yankees came out with their team set for the 2009 season, we've kept our eyes out for team sets from our other local Florida State League clubs. Not too long ago, we picked up and, subsequently, worked one from the Clearwater Threshers. That left one for the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Last Wednesday, after repeated trips to the team's souvenir store over the past few weeks, we finally picked up a team set for the D- Jays. From what I hear, though, we should've went to Tuesday's game, as the set was given away to fans. Our one-day delay, however, meant we spent $10 for the set.

Though the game got rained out -- the third of our Summer of Baseball campaign -- we were able to snag a dozen autographs:

Top row: Kevin Ahrens, Raul Barron and Bobby Bell; and
Bottom row: Matt Liuzza, Adam Loewen and manager Omar Malave.

Top row: Bradley McElroy, Ryan Page and Mayy Rodriguez; and
Bottom row: Sean Shoffitt, John Tolisano and trainer Bob Tarpey.

We're heading back to Dunedin Stadium this Saturday, in what could be our final FSL game of the summer. If we're lucky, we'll add a few more signed cards to the D-Jays team set.

They all add up

In all honesty, it's unrealistic to expect completing a team ball at any Major League Baseball game. The competition is tougher, the security less enabling and, quite simply, most players are, shall we say, more focused.

That doesn't mean, though, that you can't work a team ball a couple signatures at a time. That's exactly what Colin did yesterday before the Toronto-Tampa Bay game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

He worked his way into the crowd gathered near the dugout and along the first-base line, eventually earning front-row position, and snagged a pair of autographs from these two Rays players:

Pitcher Matt Garza, who worked the crowds near the Rays dugout about 45 minutes before the game; and

Outfielder Gabe Kapler, who, despite not being a member of last season's magical squad, signed right above the commemorative honor.

All told, Colin now has six autographs on his 2009 Tampa Bay Rays team ball. We have a few more opportunities, too, to add to the total.

At least Larry signed

After getting shot down by Daytona Cubs batting coach Richie Zisk not too long ago, I wasn't sure if we'd add any more former big-leaguers to the Major League Baseball Alumni ball before our Summer of Baseball came to a close.

Thanks to Larry Herndon, a hitting coach for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Florida State League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, we now have seven signatures from former MLB players. If we can squeeze in a trip to see the Tampa Yankees, and that may be difficult to do, we'll try to add Luis Sojo.

Herndon, who signed before last Thursday's game against the Clearwater Threshers, played for the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers over 14 seasons.

In case you're wondering, that's an autograph from former big-leaguer Mike Heath above Herndon's signature.

Cards for Clearwater

Now that we're nearing the end of our Summer of Baseball, and have completed a number of team-signed balls, we're turning our attention to working team sets from our local Florida State League teams.

In this case, it's the Clearwater Threshers, the Advanced-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Though I doubt we'll complete the set, given call-ups and such, we're happy to add another 16 autographed cards to the collection.

This batch came last Thursday, as we made what's likely to be our final visit to Bright House Field for the season:

Top row: Luis Arzeno, Javis Diaz and Michael Durant;
Middle row: Freddy Galvis, Chris Kissock and Derrick Mitchell; and
Bottom row: Carlos Monasterios, Joel Naughton and Cody Overbeck.

Top row: Arlon Quiroz, Matt Rizzotti and Yonderman Rodriguez; and
Bottom row: Michael Schwimer, Fidel Hernandez and manager Ernie Whitt.

For the record, we also had Threshers trainer Ichiro Kitano sign his team set card.

This took two trips

I don't know what it is, but Mother Nature, mainly in the form of thunderstorms, nearly derailed Colin's efforts to get a team-signed ball from the Daytona Cubs, the Florida State League Advanced-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

We got the first batch of signatures -- nine in total -- before a rained-out game against the Tampa Yankees on July 9. Then, last Saturday in Dunedin, we had to dodge intermittent raindrops to add another seven signatures to the ball.

Perseverance paid off, though, as Colin completed the 11th team ball during our Summer of Baseball. The only FSL team he missed? The Palm Beach Cardinals. Still, it's a pretty remarkable feat.

Here are the 16 players and coaches to sign the Cubs' team ball:

Manager Buddy Bailey on the sweet spot;

Jonathan Wyatt, Josh Vitters, Craig Muschko and an unidentified player;

Robinson Chirinos, the since-traded Josh Harrison, Brandon Guyer and Mark Reed;

Ryan Searle, Tony Campana and Nate Sampson; and

Pitching coach Tom Pratt, James Leverton, Mike Perconte and Jericho Jones.

We had hoped to add an autograph from former big-leaguer Richie Zisk, now serving as Daytona's batting coach, but he declined multiple requests to sign before Saturday's game.

Beyond balls and strikes

Most times, the action on the diamond commands our attention during a baseball game -- diving catches, double plays and one-hoppers off the left field wall.

But, have you taken the time to really look around at a game? There's more to one than hits, runs and errors. There's art and irony. Color and detail. Nuances beyond the mundane that a casual fan might overlook.

For the past few weeks -- using only a FujiFilm Finepix S1000 point-and-shoot digital camera, not some tricked-out, top-shelf model favored by professional photojournalists -- I've tried to capture some of these moments and scenes at three Florida State League parks in the Tampa Bay area.

It's these slices of life, captured in quick glances, that only add to the texture of America's pastime:

Yes, it does look like a few members of the Sarasota Reds might be taking part in some martial arts before a game against the Dunedin Blue Jays at Dunedin Stadium. Instead, it's just Sarasota's Jake Long, from left, Denis Phipps and Neftali Soto participating in pregame stretching.

The bargain of the summer: A replica Team Canada hat from this year's World Baseball Classic for just $10 from Diamond Outfitters at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

Even before the sun sets, tower lights come on at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

Watering down the infield is part of pregame preparations at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

A foul ball sits high atop screening at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

With his feet atop the Threshers' dugout, Colin kicks back at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

Lines, shapes and surfaces blend at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

Work on an infield practice field doesn't stop a game between the Sarasota Reds and Dunedin Blue Jays at Dunedin Stadium.

The infield gets a between-innings grooming at Dunedin Stadium.

Man, was it hot

Knowing well enough to slather on sunscreen and keep ourselves well-hydrated, our initial inklings that summertime matinees in Florida can be played in brutally hot temperatures were proven true last Wednesday during a game between the St. Lucie Mets and Clearwater Threshers at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

After snagging a handful of autographs, including a couple from Dominic Brown, a top-rated prospect within the Philadelphia Phillies organization, we settled down -- in the shade -- to record just how hot it gets in Florida during the summer months.

No, we're not gluttons for punishment. If we had our druthers, we'd watch every baseball game from the cool comfort of air conditioning. In this case, though, we wanted to show how foolish it was for the Tampa Bay Rays, in search of a new stadium, to even consider an open-air setting, albeit one that proposed a sail-like covering that was supposed to protect players and fans from the elements.

So, armed with a digital thermometer, we joined a couple hundred kids from summer camps last Wednesday in experiencing what was, honestly, a physically demanding day of watching baseball.

Here, listed in inning-by-inning fashion, are our findings, taken every inning as the teams switched positions, of just how hot it can get during a matinee game:

First inning: 99.8 degrees, 12:04 p.m.
Second inning: 100 degrees, 12:13 p.m.
Third inning: 100.8 degrees, 12:26 p.m.
Fourth inning: 104.6 degrees, 12:47 p.m.
Fifth inning: 109.2 degrees, 1 p.m.
Sixth inning: 108.2 degrees, 1:14 p.m.
Seventh inning: 99 degrees (a huge cloud blocked out the sun), 1:35 p.m.
Eighth inning: 104.8 degrees, 1:51 p.m.
Ninth inning: 102.6 degrees, 2:11 p.m.

The highest reading of the day? How about 110.6 degrees, as the Mets batted in the top of the fifth?

Thankfully, the Rays have abandoned the silly notion of an open-air stadium, instead talking about one with a retractable roof. Until then, though, we'll be content to sit in the air-conditioned comfort of Tropicana Field, the Rays' home dome.

And, really, do you blame us?

Good call

If you believe Baseball America -- and there's certainly no reason to doubt the publication -- Clearwater's Dominic Brown will be patrolling right field for the Philadelphia Phillies by 2012.

In fact, Baseball America has him as the Phillies' top-rated prospect.

Perhaps, then, it was a good idea to have Brown sign a Florida State League ball (another foul ball that Colin has collected) and a FSL Top Prospects card before Wednesday's game against the St. Lucie Mets.

Focused effort

Now that we're nearing the end of our Summer of Baseball, and running out of teams to pursue team-signed balls, it's time for a little cherry-picking, namely top prospects within a team's organization.

In this case, it's St. Lucie's Reese Havens, the New York Mets' first-round pick in 2008.

As you can see, Reese, an infielder, signed a Florida State League baseball, one of the many Colin has picked up over the course of the summer, as well as this FSL Top Prospects card before Wednesday's game against the Clearwater Threshers.

Without even asking

Our original intent was to add Clearwater Threshers manager Ernie Whitt to the Major League Baseball alumni ball before Wednesday's sweltering game against the St. Lucie Mets. Without even asking, hitting coach Kevin Jordan added the sixth autograph to the game-used Florida State League ball.

Bring plenty of liquids, sunscreen

It wasn't all that long ago that the Tampa Bay Rays were pushing a waterfront stadium proposal in downtown St. Petersburg. Though the view would have been nice, the open-air concept would have meant one thing -- games would be played in Florida's sweltering summertime conditions.

Long gone would have been the climate-controlled conditions -- a comfortable 72 degrees -- at the Rays' current home, Tropicana Field. In its place, fans would have to face 90-plus degree matinees, stifling humidity and exposure to other elements that a planned "sail" over the playing field wouldn't subside.

Thankfully, the open-air stadium concept was confronted by the reality of Florida's brutal summers. Though efforts are still under way exploring the possibility of a new stadium for the Rays, this survival-of-the-fittest approach has been scrapped. The latest talk focuses on a retractable roof.

Still, that doesn't mean that Florida's summers won't become a factor sometime in the future. That's why we'll be conducting our own experiment this week, when the St. Lucie Mets travel to Clearwater for a matinee match-up.

In our test, we'll keep inning-by-inning track of the daytime temperatures at Bright House Field, using two sets of readings -- one from seats in the direct sunlight and the other from the comfort of shade. And, at the end of the day, I imagine we'll form the opinion that open-air baseball in Florida isn't the brightest of ideas.

Simply put, it's just too darn hot.

These work just fine

With Colin securing another seven Florida State League balls, including five foul balls, over two games last week, we decided to use a few for single-signed balls last Saturday when the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Advanced-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, played host to the Sarasota Reds.

As you can see, three Dunedin players -- Kevin Ahrens, from left, Justin Jackson and Moises Sierra -- were more than happy to honor our requests. This week, we're hoping to add Clearwater's Dominic Brown and St. Lucie's Reese Havens to the single-signed ball collection.

Game-used baseballs weren't the only items we got signed as Jesus Gonzalez (#24) and Raul Barron (bottom right) were among the 11 players to add to the Dunedin Blue Jays mini team bat. Among those also signing the mini bat were C.J. Ebarb, Justin Jackson, Jon Jaspe, Lance Loftin, Bradley McElroy and Manny Rodriguez.

Hopefully, we'll find room and time for Tim Collins, Adam Loewen and Eric Thames before season's end.

Another one's done

Here's another instance where a few minutes of hustle as pregame warmups came to a close, at the tail end of our double-dipping efforts for the visiting Fort Myers Miracle and the hometown Yankees, helped us knock out the rest of the 2009 Tampa Yankees team ball.

With these five signatures, we're closing the book on this ball at 19 signatures:

Damon Sublett;

Adam Olbrychowski, Walter Ibarra and Austin Romine; and

Daniel Brewer.

Making a dent

Given that we picked up a free team set for the 2009 Tampa Yankees, we have plenty of cards for the players in pinstripes to sign.

The first three players to sign the team set, shown above, were, from left, Mitch Hilligoss, Austin Romine and Damon Sublett. And, as you can see, Romine, the No. 4 prospect in the New York Yankees organization, also signed a couple other cards for us.

Now, all we have to do is find time for one last trip to Tampa so we can knock out more of the set.

Better late than never

Earlier this Florida State League season, when Colin's Nana and Babop, a couple of Yankees fans, were visiting from New England, we took them to see a Tampa Yankees game.

During the game, Tampa's Mitch Hilligoss, an infielder, tossed Colin a ball as we sat behind the Yankees' dugout. Last Wednesday, as part of our double-dipping duties, we were finally able to have Holligoss sign it for Colin.

A minor Miracle

Most times, we try to stick to a single team when it comes to hounding at Florida State League games. Now that we're nearly the final third of our Baseball of Summer, though, we're finding it necessary, in the interest of finishing some team balls, to hound both teams.

Last Wednesday, with the Fort Myers Miracle in Tampa to play the Yankees, was one of those instances where we had to practice a little double-dipping. We still had some room on a team ball, started earlier in the season before a game against Dunedin, and we had a couple of cards we wanted to get signed.

That's why we split up our pregame hounding efforts, so we could add these to the Miracle team-signed ball, giving us a total of 18 signatures:

Joe Benson, Allan de San Miguel and Deibinson Romero, for the second time;

Estarlin De Los Santos; and

Dakota Watts and Evan Brigley.