Better than autographs

In the grand scheme of things, getting autographs really isn't all that important. There are times, like last Saturday night, when it's more important to just sit back and enjoy the moment. Besides, you never know what will happen.

Sure, an hour-long rain delay before a Florida State League game between the Tampa Yankees and Dunedin Blue Jays was a bit of a factor to keep the Sharpies and ballpoint pen tucked away. I didn't want to expose any baseballs or cards to the elements. So, too, was that we've hounded both the Blue Jays and Yankees this season.

As the 2010 Summer of Baseball nears its end, it was time to simply be a fan. I didn't want to spend an inning trying to identify unfamiliar signatures scribbled on a baseball. I didn't want to think about where Colin and I would have to go, at game's end, to snag a handful of signed cards. All I wanted to do was watch a baseball game -- all nine innings -- and enjoy an evening with the family.

Before the game, as well as the rain delay, I found that I wasn't the only one with that goal in mind. Minutes before the Dunedin Stadium gates opened, I gave away some of our remaining ticket vouchers. A pair went to a couple who made the trip to Dunedin to cheer on the Yankees. Their trip, however, has far longer than a ride from Tampa. In fact, it started in Nebraska.

The Vendittes, Pat Sr. and Janet, were attending the game to watch a son, Pat Jr., possibly pitch in the game. Some of you may have heard of Pat Venditte Jr. , as he's an ambidextrous pitcher, something of a rarity in baseball.

As you would expect, the parents are very proud of their son. Even if the FSL is only at the Advanced-A level, it still must be something to watch a child, even if he's an adult, perform in a professional setting. Before the game, I spent time talking with Pat Sr., soaking up his stories about his son, his career and living in Nebraska.

During the game, The Missus and Colin walked over to the Vendittes and gave them a couple of FSL balls that we'd brought to the game. Their souvenirs, however, got better. Pat Jr. entered the game in the seventh inning and, ultimately, earned his fourth win of the season.

After the game, we saw the Vendittes. Their smiles, understandably, were a mile wide.

Grinding it out

If there was any disappointment during our 2010 Summer of Baseball, it was the inability to complete a significant portion of the 2010 Florida State League Top Prospects set.

Give the developmental nature of the FSL, it's easy to understand that players move on. This season, the July release eliminated many autograph opportunities.

A couple of weeks ago, Dunedin's Travis d'Arnaud and Anthony Gose, part of a Phillies-Blue Jays deal that brought him from the Clearwater Threshers, added only the fifth and sixth cards of the 24-player set.

Just last month, Gose, an outfielder, was featured on the Threshers' game programs.

Not all minor leaguers

I'm sure I said this last summer, but it's possible to find former big leaguers serving as coaches and managers in the Florida State League. Just a couple weeks ago, Dunedin Blue Jays pitching coach Darold Knowles, a 15-year big-league pitcher and a member of the 1973 World Series champion Oakland Athletics, was nice enough to sign these four cards as well.

Paper work

For the most part, we haven't placed much of an emphasis on getting cards signed this summer. That changed a couple weeks ago, when we made a dent in the 2010 Dunedin Blue Jays team set.

With at least two more games (weather permitting, it's been raining most every evening lately), we should come close to completing the set, save for those who moved up or along.

Kicking off this season's set were:

Top: Travis d'Arnaud, Chuck Huggins, Mike McDade; and
Bottom: Brad McElroy, Mark Sobolewski and the ever-obliging D-Jay on a 2006 team set card.

Disney over D-Jays

At first, we were seriously considering taking in this Saturday's game between the Clearwater Threshers and Dunedin Blue Jays. Now, though, as our trip to Orlando rapidly approaches, I'm thinking our time would be better spent with another day at Disney World rather than rushing home for a Florida State League game.

Of course, weather and a certain someone's behavior will dictate whether or not we spend an extra day in Orlando. I'm sure he'll be on his best behavior. Besides, we still have a game Aug. 28, when the D-Jays hold their fan appreciation night, as well as at least one playoff game Sept. 8.

Using the noggin

Not content to score team-signed balls from all 12 Florida State League teams, we stumbled upon another project for our 2010 Summer of Baseball with a trip to the souvenir shop at Dunedin Stadium.

Normally an air-conditioned respite from the heavy summer air, we also find it useful for getting cards sets and checking in with friendly staff. One trip, though, we happened upon some Dunedin Blue Jays game-used batting helmets. At $25 a pop, I figured why not. One helmet would make for a good summer project.

It took Colin a few trips since mid July, but he's added 31 players to the helmet. I'm thinking, too, there's room for a couple more.

Another thing, too. That blue paint pen pops, doesn't it? Some of the D-Jays players thought so, too.

Boomer Potts, from middle left, Darrold Knowles (pitching coach), Brad McElroy, Matt Daly and Mark Sobolewski; and

Unidentified, from lower left, Shawn Hill (in Dunedin on a rehab assignment), Mike McDade, Brian Van Kirk, Justin Mashore (hitting coach), Welinton Ramirez, Joel Carreno (way up top), Chris Hopkins and Yan Gomes; and

Travis d'Arnaud (above logo), Clayton McCullough (manager, on brim), Frank Gailey, Ryan Page (lower right, on brim; and

Ross Buckwalter, from left, Chad Jenkins, Jon Talley and Chuck Huggins; and

Dan DeLucia, from left, Ryan Goins, unidentified, John Tolisano, Justin McClanahan and Tyler Pastornicky (now in Atlanta's organization).

There's more work left

Just because Colin completed his Florida State League team-ball project, it doesn't mean we're done hounding during the 2010 Summer of Baseball. Nope, we're far from it.

There are a few other projects and tasks to keep us busy, as we cash in the rest of our ticket vouchers at Dunedin Stadium over the next month:

~ we'll put the finishing touches on the Dunedin Blue Jays team-signed batting helmet;
~ we'll try to knock out the D-Jays' 2010 team card set; and
~ Colin wants to do a team sheet for the D-Jays.

Didn't even have to ask

Want to know what's neat about the Florida State League? Sometimes, players like Dunedin's Travis D'Arnaud walk up to a kid and hand him a bat. That's what happened Saturday night after the Blue Jays beat the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Summer project

Before every game we attend at Dunedin Stadium, I make a point of poking my head inside the team store to inquire about a 2010 Dunedin Blue Jays team set. Up until last Thursday, I've left empty-handed.

Even though the team set isn't due to arrive until later this season, I believe this 2009 game-used D-Jays batting helmet, size 7 1/4, will keep us busy until the cards arrive. At $25, it's on the high-end of any autograph platform we'll use this summer. Still, though, it'll be a nice team piece and memento of the campaign.

I'm not sure whether we'll knock it out in one trip, as we'll be chasing team balls for Lakeland and Fort Myers in our next two trips to Dunedin. Chances are, we'll take the rest of the season to complete it.

My bad

As part of a break from hockey during Colin's first hockey camp last week, we planned to take in a Tampa Yankees-Dunedin Blue Jays game last Wednesday. Well, it didn't happen.

After camp closed for the day Wednesday, Colin and I joined rush-hour traffic and headed north to Dunedin. About 45 minutes later, we pulled into Dunedin Stadium. The parking lot was empty, the ticket windows were closed and the gate was locked shut.

At first, I thought I'd mixed up who was the home team. Once I got home and checked my schedule, I discovered my mistake. The game started at 11 a.m., not 7 p.m.

After blowing off the Tampa Yankees a few weeks ago to get an autograph from Hockey Hall of Famer Phil Esposito, Wednesday's trip was to be our last chance to get a team-signed ball from them. Now, we'll try to get one July 29.

An old friend

A trip to Dunedin Stadium to watch the Dunedin Blue Jays, the Advanced-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, wouldn't be complete without a visit from D-Jay, the Florida State League squad's mascot.

Special thanks to Miss Laura, one of my colleagues at the newspaper, for taking this picture of Colin with D-Jay during Karate Kid 2 Night against the Clearwater Threshers earlier this month. In case you're wondering, that's Colin, on the left, clutching a bag of Cracker Jack

We'll be busy

With three games scheduled for this week -- actually, three within four days -- you'd think we'd be busy enough. Ha! I wish that was the case. No, we're not content enough to take in two Florida State League games as well as a Tampa Bay Rays game.

Starting in about an hour, Colin hits the ice, taking part in his first-ever summer hockey camp. For the next five days, he'll work on his skating, stickhandling, shooting, passing and conditioning at the Pinellas Police Athletic League camp in Clearwater.

On Wednesday and Thursday, after spending nearly four hours on the ice, we'll head north to Dunedin to watch and hopefully get team balls from the Tampa Yankees and Daytona Cubs of the Advanced-A Florida State League. On Saturday, a day after Colin's hockey camp ends, we'll watch the Arizona Diamondbacks play the Rays. After that game, the Barenaked Ladies (one of my favorite bands) will perform.

Sounds like a full week to me.

Baseball lessons

One of our goals during the 2010 Summer of Baseball is for Colin to learn how to keep score at a baseball game. We took another stab at it a couple weeks ago, during a Clearwater Threshers-Dunedin Blue Jays game. He got in a couple innings of practice, asking good questions ("It's a backwards K when the batter strikes out looking, right?" and "Can I have some Cracker Jacks?") early on before I took over for a few innings.

I know there are different ways to score a game, but I'm showing him the method I learned back in the mid-1970s. Either way, it provides another father-son memory that, perhaps, he'll pass on someday to his children.

We'll get in a few more practice sessions here over the next few weeks. Who knows, maybe he'll sit still long enough to score a complete game. If not, we'll have plenty of time together at ballparks.

First pitch

It's always good getting in the first ball game of the season. In this case, it was even more special. Colin's grandparents, visiting from New Hampshire, joined us for what's becoming a tradition -- taking in a Tampa Yankees game.

Rather than drive over to Tampa, though, we made the drive to Dunedin, where the Blue Jays, the Advanced-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, played host to last year's Florida State League champions.

And though we left early -- it was a school night, after all -- Colin scored his first team ball of the summer campaign, getting autographs from 19 players:

B.J. LaMura, Yan Gomes and Henderson Alvarez;

Frank Gailey, Tyler Pastornicky, Darold Knowles, Ryan Page and Justin Jackson;

Raul Barron, Adeiny Hechavarria (we believe), Welinton Ramirez, unidentified; and

Travis d'Arnaud, Al Quintana, unidentified, Brian Van Kirk, Justin McClanahan, Kevin Ahrens and Dan Perales.

Change in the lineup

At first, I wasn't going to bring Baseball Mondays back to life this summer. Too much going on, I thought, and too little time. After careful consideration, though, as well as people still checking in on Mondays, I feel an obligation to provide weekly postings.

I imagine, too, taking in a couple of Florida State League games over the past few weeks has helped. But, no, there aren't any plans to duplicate last summer's effort -- 312 innings spread over 35 games. We're looking at a much more manageable schedule of 19 games, including a day trip to Bradenton, for our Summer of Baseball 2010. If Mother Nature allows, we'll see all 12 FSL teams.

Of course, most postings will focus on hounding. Colin's already off to a good start, snagging team balls from the Dunedin Blue Jays and Jupiter Hammerheads, as well as a respectable number of game-used balls. On Saturday, we got rained out, as an early evening thunderstorm kept us from watching the Charlotte Stone Crabs play the Blue Jays.

Once again, Dunedin Stadium will serve as our home field. Bright House Field in Clearwater may be more modern, but you can't beat the ticket deal offered by the D-Jays: 2o ticket vouchers for $60. Even if it's $10 more than last summer, at $3 a ticket, it's one of the best deals in baseball.

About the only real project we'll have this summer, beyond snagging a team ball from every FSL club, will be teaching Colin how to score a game. We tried a couple of innings at a recent Clearwater Threshers game. Lots of questions, all answered, before the Phillie Phanatic, in town for a guest gig, interrupted our trains of thought.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.