A big hit

As former Tampa Bay Rays player Rocco Baldelli begins his comeback with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, there are certain milestone along the way. Getting his first Florida State League hit was one of those moments.

Thanks to good luck and a quick finger on our camera's shutter, we were able to capture that moment on July 22 when Baldelli, serving as a designated hitter for the Stone Crabs, cracked a double against the Clearwater Threshers.

Not content enough to simply capture the moment, we wanted to get Baldelli to sign the photo. In the process, we also wanted to share a copy of the photo with him.

Last Thursday, with the Stone Crabs in Tampa to play the Yankees, we succeeded in both aspects. Not only did Baldelli sign one of the 8x10s, but he also gave Colin a wide, warm smile and a rock-solid fist bump when Colin gave him a copy.

"What's this?" Baldelli asked Colin as he handed him the photo folder.

"It's your first FSL hit, a double against the Threshers last week," Colin replied.

"Really? That's cool," Baldelli said before delivering the fist bump. "Thanks, buddy"

Star attraction

Every so often, a Major League Baseball player heads down to the Florida State League for some sort of rehabilitation assignment. As you can expect, the player's presence not only piques our interest, but he also draws a crowd.

Take Tampa Bay's Rocco Baldelli. After spending the first part of the season serving as a roving instructor throughout the Rays minor-league system, Baldelli, one of the Rays most popular players ever, began a comeback attempt with the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Rays Advanced-A affiliate.

We caught up with Baldelli in his first week with the Stone Crabs, when the team was in Clearwater to play the Threshers. Though a crowd gathered near the visitor's dugout before the game, Baldelli told us that he'd signed after the game. Last week, we saw Baldelli again, this time in Tampa. Again, he said he'd sign after the game.

In both instances, Baldelli kept his promises. Not only did he add to our single-signed baseball collection (above), but he also signed an 8x10 of his first FSL hit for Colin as well as our work-in-progress Rays mini helmet (at left).

The old standby

Regular readers of our hockey-hounding exploits know just how much stock we place in Colin's team sheets. Colin likes drawing them. The players like signing them. And, in the grand scheme of things, they're true 1-of-1 items.

With that in mind, as well as the completion of his Charlotte Stone Crabs team ball, Colin decided to use a tried-and-true favorite for the Florida State League club before last week's Florida State League game against the Tampa Yankees.

The results, as in signatures on the sheet, showed it was well worth Colin's effort. Among the 15 players and coaches who signed were Stephen Vogt, Reid Fronk, Kyeong Kang and Tim Beckham, the Tampa Bays Rays' top pick in 2008.

Besides all of the autographs, Colin also said three Stone Crabs complimented him on his artwork. Going forward, I wouldn't be surprised to see Colin use a couple more team sheets before the end of our 2010 Summer of Baseball.

Three-trip ball

For the most part, Colin tries to knock out a Florida State League team-signed ball in a single visit. This one, from the Charlotte Stone Crabs, took three visits.

It all begin in early July, when we made the trip to Bradenton. After loading up on a team ball from the Marauders before the game, Colin turned his postgame attention on the Tampa Bay Rays' FSL Advanced-A affiliate. That first effort landed nine signatures.

A couple weeks alter, we caught the Stone Crabs in Clearwater. There, Colin added a significant number of autographs, including one from former Rays outfielder Rocco Baldelli, who was just beginning his comeback attempt. Still, there was one signature lacking.

Last Thursday, in Tampa as the Stone Crabs played the Yankees, we got the final signature from Tim Beckham, the first overall pick in 2008 by the Rays.

In all, the three trips netted 22 autographs:

Jim Morrison (manager);

Tim Beckham, Joseph Cruz, Shane Dyer and Marquis Fleming; and

Chris Andujar, Neil Schenk (we believe, though it could be Nick Barnese), Michael Sheridan, J. Stranz (whoever that is) and Greg Sextion; and

Stephen Vogt, Matthew Moore, Kyeong Kang, unidentified, Frank De Los Santos and Rocco Baldelli; and

Jake Jeffries, Christopher Murrill, Matthew Hall, Anthony Scelfo, Reid Fronk and Frank De Los Santos (yes, twice).

In the name of science

In what's becoming a tradition during our Summers of Baseball, we'll conduct our second annual "How Hot Does it Get" matinee experiment this Wednesday. And, again, it'll involve the St. Lucie Mets and Clearwater Threshers.

Last year, the first time for this experiment, the hottest temperature we recorded in the stands was 110.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Thankfully, we were sitting in the shade during the Florida State League game. Still, though, it was a real broiler.

We'll take it a step further this year. Instead of placing our digital thermometer on a seat a few rows in front of us, we'll set it as close to the field as we can get. Readings will be taken every innings, when the teams switch positions.

Of course, we'll brave the likely heat and sun -- with shady hats, sunglasses, SPF 50 spray-on sunscreen and ice-cold Powerades -- to work a team ball for the Mets before the game. Conditions, hopefully, will be better Thursday night, when Colin will try to complete his Charlotte Stone Crabs team ball before a game against the Threshers.

Even better, from our point of view, is that Tampa Bay Ray Rocco Baldelli is attempting a comeback and is on the Stone Crabs roster. I think we might have a few items for him.

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.

Not too hard to figure out

Of all the teams playing in the Florida State League, one might think that a local team -- either the Clearwater Threshers, Dunedin Blue Jays or Tampa Yankees -- would capture Colin's fancy.

Nope, his favorite team -- the Charlotte Stone Crabs -- shows the extent of how deep his loyalties run. As the Advanced-A farm club for the Tampa Bay Rays -- his favorite MLB team, Colin says that's the biggest reason why he's a big fan of the Stone Crabs.

I'm sure, though, that after watching them play six times now is another factor. Given all of the times we've seen them play, it's no wonder that he's running out of items to get signed:

Colin got 15 players, including his favorite Shawn O'Malley, to sign his Stone Crabs alternate cap. Other notable signers included Cody Cipriano, Brian Flores, Emeel Salem and Gregory Sexton.

The only card we got signed during the Stone Crabs' visit to Dunedin came from outfielder Reid Fronk, part of the Florida State League's 2009 Top Prospect set.

We had another set card for Charlotte's Alex Cobb, and had asked him to sign it as he made his way from the dugout to the bullpen. He said he couldn't sign during a game (it never hurts to ask) and that he would after the game.

Given that FSL players routinely go out of their easy to sign, it was disappointing when Cobb didn't honor his statement.

Now, this is fun

Besides getting a decent number of players to sign, we had a real hoot working this Charlotte Stone Crabs team ball at two Florida State League games last week.

Though it's early in the season, the Stone Crabs are one of the friendliest baseball teams we've encountered. The players and coaches went out of their way to sign the ball for Colin, even taking the time to introduce themselves, shake his hand and engage him in conversations.

Then again, this is minor league baseball. It's what the players are supposed to do. But, still, the two trips to watch the Stone Crabs, the Advanced A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, have been the most enjoyable, to date, of our Summer of Baseball.

Last Thursday, Colin scored 13 autographs, including ones from Matt Fields and Shawn O'Malley, Colin's favorite Stone Crabs player, in between a doubleheader against the Clearwater Threshers. On Saturday, Colin added another half-dozen, with Nevin Ashley, Cody Cipriano and Ryan Royster among those signing before a game against the Tampa Yankees.

Though we missed out on Chad Bradford, the submarine-throwing reliever on a rehabilitation assignment from the Rays, Colin was more than happy to have these players and coaches fill up the ball:

Jeremy Hall and batting coach Joe Szekely;

Shawn O'Malley, Gregory Sexton, Diogenes Luis, Nevin Ashley and Cody Cipriano;

Christian Lopez, Brian Flores, Matt Fields, Ryan Royster and John Matulia;

Pitching coach Bill Moloney, Shawn Williams, Reid Fronk, Emeel Salem and Kevin Boggan; and

Omar Luna, left, and manager Jim Morrison.

We've got plans to catch the Stone Crabs in Dunedin later this month. Maybe we'll get Fields to sign the broken bat -- since repaired -- he gave Colin after Saturday's game.

We're hoping, too, that Tim Beckham, the Rays' No. 1 pick last summer, will make the move up from the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the South Atlantic League.