Nice job

You have to give the Tampa Yankees staff a well-deserved round of applause for salvaging what could have been a bad night. A band of strong thundershowers soaked George M. Steinbrenner Field, rendering the outfield unplayable in the eyes of the umpires, on the Florida State League club's pre-Fourth of July Night.

Rather than sending fans home damp in disappointment, the team had the players line up across two dugouts for an autograph session, allowing fans to easily work a team item. In Colin's case, it was 21 autographs (albeit in three different inks) on his seventh team ball of the 2010 Summer of Baseball.

Shaeffer Hall, who signed before the game was rained out; and

Myron Leslie, Zoilo Almonte, Jose Pirela and Dellin Betances; and

Mitch Abeita (I believe), Melky Mesa (I believe), Ray Kruml and Adam Olbrychoski; and

Walter Ibarra, Corban Joseph (shown above, signing for Colin), Ryan Baker, Trent Lockwood, Jonathan Ortiz and unidentified and;

Manuel Banuelos, Jack Rye, Trent Lare, Bradley Suttle, Noel Castillo and Juan Marcano.

Pinch-hitting appearance

After a short, but long, day at work Saturday, as well as a mad dash to the rink to watch Colin play hockey, I had little energy left for hounding of any sort. That's when Momma stepped up to the plate and got these three cards signed by Tampa's Dellin Betances and Corban Joseph in the post-rainout autograph session last Friday.

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.

Signing bonus

As we walked toward Bright House Networks Field on Saturday, we could hear the sounds of a baseball game going on - the announcing of a batter, the crack of solid contact and a smattering of applause.

At first, we thought we had arrived late to the Jupiter Hammerheads-Clearwater Threshers game, part of our Shark Week activities during out Summer of Baseball. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Instead, we learned after arriving inside the park, it was a charity Legends game for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Among the former Major League Baseball players taking part in the game and nice enough to sign a foul ball Colin collected during the contest:

~ Pitcher Dick Drago, who played 13 years for the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, California Angels, Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners.

~ Catcher Mike Heath, a Tampa native, who played 14 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Oakland A's and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Back in the game

While some fans may pooh-pooh baseball's minor leagues, we actually embrace them. Believe it or not, our affinity for the leagues, especially the Florida State League, goes far beyond getting autographs.

First and foremost, a night at a minor league game is much more affordable. We can get three tickets and parking for under $20. Can't find those deals at a Major League Baseball park, can you? A hot dog doesn't cost $5, either.

Secondly, the games are seldom crowded. Good seats are available and the autographs, save for the occasional 19-year-old egoist, come pretty easy. Though premium giveaways and holidays draw packed houses, they are the exception, rather than the norm.

Finally, there's always some sort of promotion going on. In this case, it was Kids Night at Dunedin Stadium, home to the Toronto Blue Jays' Class High-A affiliate, the Dunedin Blue Jays, and the prerequisite picture with the team's "feathered" mascot.

As the top photo shows, Colin (that's him with the catcher's glove and American League All Star Evan Longoria T-shirt) got to join two Dunedin players Justin Jackson, left, and John Tolisano on the field Saturday during the national anthem. How cool is that?

Down here in the Tampa Bay area, we're fortunate enough to have two more FSL teams within an easy drive -- the Clearwater Threshers, a Phillies farm team, and the Tampa Yankees, a New York Yankees club. Though we'll take in a handful of Tampa Bay Rays games, many a summer weekday night will be spent at minor league parks.

I didn't lie, really

I had every intention of getting up early Sunday morning and hounding the New York Yankees before their series-ending win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

But, between the best night of sleep in weeks and the smell of home fries and bacon, I called an audible and stayed in. C'mon, what would you do? Freshly made breakfast or trading hairy eyeballs with security?

I did stop by the team hotel late Saturday afternoon and even saw Johnny Damon. He had a St. Petersburg policeman and two security folks walking with him, discouraging me from even asking.

Besides, the Yankees come back in September. As a Red Sox fan, I kinda hope they're miserable.

As for the Angels, I doubt I'll get Vladimir Guerrero. From what I hear, he hasn't signed since his low-minor days. If I see him, I'll ask (unless, of course, he's surrounded by security). The worst he'll do is shoot me the bird. At the least, I can try to put together a team ball.

Touching base

Between getting my butt kicked by diabetes and Florida's twin 90s (90-plus degrees and 90 percent humidity), I've taken quite a bit of time off lately from hounding baseball teams.

Now that I'm feeling better, and the hapless Rays will kick off the second half of the season with a homestand with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels, perhaps I'll dust off some baseballs and cards and see who I can get.

I'm not putting much hope into getting any Yankees. Not only will they draw a crowd at the team hotel, but the locals tell me they're one of the toughest teams to hound. Either way, I'll try to stop by at least once. Maybe Colin will prove to be a good-luck charm.

As for the Angels, I can only hope to get Vladimir Guerrero, Gary Matthews, Orlando Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, John Lackey and Francisco Rodriguez on single-signature baseballs. I suppose that might be asking a bit too much, though.

Later in the month, though, I'm really looking forward to the Red Sox coming to town. Granted, they'll probably be just as tough as the Yankees, but they're certainly worth (to me, at least) the extra effort.