Summer sizzler

Earlier this year, as I was planning our 2010 Summer of Baseball, taking in a matinee game wasn't high on the list of priorities. It's usually Summer Camp Day, meaning there's a couple hundred kids, and what all that means, in attendance. And, living down here in Florida, it gets awfully hot during summer afternoons.

As our plans took shape, though, Colin's goal of snagging signed team balls from all 12 Florida State League teams meant attending a matinee game would be necessary. And, wouldn't you know, none of our local FSL clubs play in a domed stadium.

Last Wednesday's game between the St. Lucie Mets and Clearwater Threshers at Bright House Field in Clearwater certainly didn't disappoint. Yes, there were hundreds of kids. Save for a handful, most were well-behaved and respectful.

And, yes, it was hot. Very hot. Three-bottles-each-of-Powerade hot. Running-out-of-Italian-ice-in-the-fifth-inning hot. It's amazing, I say, we saw no eggs frying on the concourse.

Though the center field scoreboard showed temperatures in the mid 90s, our readings, taken by a digital thermometer placed along the right field wall, didn't fall below 109 degrees from the time we started hounding (about 11:15 a.m. for a noon start) until the final out (about 2:45 p.m.). We hit the hot spot in the middle of the eighth, when it reached 113.4 degrees, nearly 3 degrees warmer than last summer's game.

If it was that hot near the field, I can only imagine how hot it got standing at shortstop or out in center field.

Because this wasn't our first "How Hot Does it Get" rodeo, which, amusingly, involved the same two teams as the inaugural effort, we were prepared. Besides staying hydrated, we wore hats, used 85 SPF sunscreen and, for the most part, didn't stay in the sun for extended periods of time.

Here's a breakdown from the brutally hot afternoon:

Pregame hounding: 112.2 degrees
First pitch: 110.6 degrees
Middle of first inning: 110.6 degrees
Middle of second inning: 109.4 degrees
Middle of third inning: 110.4 degrees
Middle of fourth inning: 111.4 degrees
Middle of fifth inning: 111.6 degrees
Middle of sixth inning: 112.6 degrees
Middle of seventh inning: 112.2 degrees
Middle of eighth inning: 113.4 degrees
Middle of ninth inning: 112.2 degrees

Average temperature per inning: 111.5 degrees

Nineteen on No. 10

After getting 26 autographs on an overloaded team ball from the Lakeland Flying Tigers a couple weeks ago, there was only one direction to head in Colin's latest effort -- down. I'll tell you what, though. We have no complaints.

Colin's more than happy to score 19 autographs from the St. Lucie Mets last Wednesday, completing his 10th team ball out of the 12-team Florida State League. It took quite a bit of effort, too. Not only did Colin add signatures before and after the game, but field-level temperatures also topped 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Don't worry, though. We were prepared. Lots of sunscreen, floppy hats, sunglasses and plenty of Powerades to stay hydrated in the sizzling summer sun. The ball and Colin's pen held up pretty well, too:

Hector Pellot, Eric Beaulac, Nicholas Carr and Joey August; and

Eric Turgeon, Rafael Fernandez, Scott Moviel, Stefan Welch and Rhiner Cruz; and

Kyle Allen, Scott Moviel (yes, again, twice, from before the game), Wilmer Flores (shown above signing for Colin) and Edgar Alfonzo (manager); and

Brandon Moore, Jose Bierd, Elvin Ramirez, Jeurys Familia, unidentified and unidentified.

Taking what I can get

Any time we hound at a Florida State League game, I play the supporting role in Colin's bid to complete another team ball. Basically, I keep an eye out for players, let Colin know and thank them for their time.

Every so often, I remember that we carry extra items for signing. Or, like last Wednesday, I hear from two people that I really ought to get a player on a single-signed ball. Well, that's exactly what we have here.

St. Lucie's Wilmer Flores, a top shortstop prospect within the New York Mets organization, accepted the sweet spot honors on a FSL game-used ball. Teammate Jeurys Familia, the game's starting pitcher, signed the 2010 FSL Top Prospect card.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Making the most of our time

We took a chance, really we did, by driving up to Dunedin last Thursday. It had rained for nearly two days straight and the skies looked threatening. Still, though, we didn't let that, or the two inches of standing water near the Mets' bullpen, stop us.

Though we dodged raindrops before, during and after the shortened game, Colin, using a foul ball, was rewarded for our efforts, completing a team-signed ball from the St. Lucie Mets, the Florida State League affiliate of the New York Mets, in less than 30 minutes of rain-free hounding.

The 17 members of the St. Lucie squad to sign the team ball, the seventh of our Summer of Baseball, were:

St. Lucie manager Tim Teufel, one of two balls he signed for us, on the sweet spot;

Phil Regan, Reese Havens and Kirk Nieuwenhuis;

Juan Lopez, Zach Lutz and Brahiam Maldonado;

Angel Calero, Manuel Alvarez, Jake Eigsti, Hector Pellot and Rafael Arroyo; and

Julio Rivera, Brant Rustich, Carlos Guzman, Jordan Abruzzo and Tim Stronach.

School ties

One of the first things I check when researching a visiting Florida State League team is whether or not any of the coaches are former Major League Baseball players.

In the case of the St. Lucie Mets, the Advanced-A affiliate of the New York Mets, former big leaguer Tim Teufel fit the bill, becoming the third person to sign MLB Alumni ball.

I was able to easily call over Teufel after telling him that we were fellow alums of St. Petersburg Junior College, now known as St. Petersburg College, and sharing a memory of Ed Davis, Teufel's coach during his days playing for the Trojans.

"Wow, hearing that name has brought back some memories," Teufel said.

Next trip, though, I'll have to get Phil Regan, one of St. Lucie's coaches, on the MLB Alumni ball.

Brett's FSL Report No. 2: Fan Fest

When the Florida State League All-Star Game rosters were released a few weeks ago, it looked as if it would be a great event with many future stars on hand. But, one by one the so-called stars began to get promoted to AA.

From Sarasota's Yonder Alonso, Fort Myers' Carlos Gutierrez, St. Lucie's Brad Holt, Jupiter's Michael Stanton, Clearwater's Dominic Brown and Kyle Drabek, and Tampa's Jesus Montero, the FSL has lost a ton of talent in the past few weeks. All in all, there have been 21 players named to the original roster who either were injured or promoted.

With what was left on the original roster, and the replacements, I made out better than I expected during the FSL's All-Star Game Fan Fest. The event, held at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, was well-organized by the host team Miracle, with many games for children to play, live music, food and player autographs.

For most of the event, players were just hanging around, mingling with fans, playing games with children and signing just about anything. Most everyone signed next to their player bio in the program and I got plenty of cards and other miscellaneous items signed. In total, I was able to get 206 autographs (editor's note: Jeezum crow!) altogether from this year’s All-Stars.

Among the players signing cards , shown above, were Tampa’s Austin Romine, Fort Myers' David Bromberg and Ben Revere, Palm Beach’s Adam Reifer and Shane Peterson, Jupiter’s Jeff Allison and Matt Dominguez, and Daytona’s Starlin Castro and Jody Davis.

Brett's FSL Report #1

Editor's note: Baseball Mondays is pleased to announce that Brett, a Fort Myers, Fla.-based autograph hound, is its Florida State League correspondent.

It was a great week when two Florida State League teams -- the St. Lucie Mets and Sarasota Reds -- visited Fort Myers, allowing me to score autographs from many of the top prospects in baseball and a Hall of Famer as well.

First up was St. Lucie, who have the New York Mets' three first-round picks from last year: Ike Davis (18th overall), Reese Havens (22nd overall), and Brad Holt (33rd overall). All three were great signers; each doing nine cards each. Davis also signed two Brooklyn Cyclones programs after the cards.

Also signing cards were Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Francisco Pena (former major leaguer Tony Pena’s son), Greg Veloz, manager Tim Teufel (who signed nine cards), Brant Rustich and Stephen Clyne.

Overall, the Mets, for being one of the FSL's most prospect-laden teams, are great signers. Not one player refused to sign, or didn’t sign what was handed to them.

Also in town watching the hometown Fort Myers Miracle was Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, a roving instructor for Minnesota. Luckily, I had this game-used ball in the car, which Molitor signed as he left the field. Molitor travels to the Twins' affiliates during the regular season, taking notes on players for the big league club.

The next team in town was Sarasota. The Reds have Cincinnati's two most recent first-round draft picks: catcher Devin Mesoraco, in 2007, and first baseman Yonder Alonso, in 2008, who's rated the Reds' No. 1 prospect as well.

Alonso, drafted seventh overall from the University of Miami, is a tough autograph for FSL standards. While most players are happy to sign and will come over asking if you need anything, Alonso will go out of his way to avoid graphers. He'll limit you to a strict one-per when he signs.

A couple of graphers from Fort Myers told me a story about Alonso from a recent road trip to Sarasota. They were waiting by the dugout, and when Alonso comes out, they ask, “Can you sign an autograph for us?” Alonso walks over and signs for one of them and walks away. The other asks him to sign, and he responds, “I signed an autograph for you, and you both are together, so share it.”

Not knowing what to expect, and seeing recent autographs from him varying from his full-name signature to an Y and a line, I asked him to personalize to get the best possible signature. It worked out as planned, with Alonso being very friendly and signing the bat beautifully with: To Brett, Best of Luck! God Bless!

The next day I asked him to sign a card and got a much different signature, and he was not as friendly as the first encounter.

The rest of team were pretty good signers. Among the players signing cards were Mesoraco, Justin Reed, Denis Phipps, Zach Stewart, Alex Buchholz, former major leaguer and current hitting coach Jorge Orta, Ben Davis (a former major league catcher who is converting to a pitcher), Jerry Gil and Neftali Soto (another one-per signer).