Better Late than Never Right????

Happy {belated} Birthday to Matt Joyce!!! (he shares a birthday with my nephew)

He is so gosh darn cute!!! 

Keep Calm and....

Need I say more??? 

Opening weekend Game 2: Yankess v. Rays

Yankees 6 v. Rays 8

Game 2 in the opening weekend series did not disappoint either. Lots of excitement and nail biting moments.

David Price started us off on the mound and for the Yankees they unveiled their $10 million new acquisition, Hiroki Kuroda. 

Price started off strong and lasted 7 innings. The bullpen struggled though to maintain the Rays comfortable 8-2 lead. Sadly Josh Lueke's MLB debut could have gone better. He was not able to close out the 9th, but instead allowed one run and 2 men to get on base. Maddon pulled him and brought in Joel Peralta to take the mound. Peralta gave up a 3 run homer to Nick Swisher, making it a 2 run ball game. I was in my car on my way home listening as Swisher homered and made it a 2 run game. It was quite unnerving listening to that and not watching it. It's even more panic instilling than watching I think. Next up, Jake McGee was brought in, in an attempt to maintain the game but walked Robinson Cano. In a last ditch effort to maintain the lead, Maddon brought in Fernando Rodney to face Alex Rodriguez. Rodney got Rodriguez to ground out and save the game. Huge sigh of relief right there. If Rodney continues to maintain his performance like he has in the first 2 games of the season, who cares if his hat is off center? He got the job DONE!  

Our bats were definitely alive again in our second match up with the Yankees. 

Newly acquired Luke Scott started us off with a single off of Kuroda in the first, he had another single for his second at bat, and had a double home run in the 6th which put the Rays up 5-2. What a way to introduce yourself to the fans. Welcome Wolverine!! Matt Joyce also had a great night. Following his 4k night on Friday, Maddon in his infinite wisdom, decided to move Matt in the lineup to help give him a boost. And by George it worked. Joyce walked, got a solo home run and hit a 2 run single.  The game did not go drama free. In the 7th inning Evan Longoria stepped up to the plate and delivered what appeared to be a home run, which brought in Pena making the score 8-2. However, upon further review it was determined that a fan had interfered and thus it was ruled a double and not a home run. A very confused fan at that... the poor man couldn't decide if he was a Rays or Yankees fan. He was sporting attire for both teams. Enter Matt Joyce and his 2 run single! Thank you Matty! 

Now onto game 3... 

  

Opening Day: Yankees v. Rays (a.k.a. The return of 'Los)

GAME 1 recap (Yankees 6 v. Rays 7):


YAY BASEBALL IS BACK!!!

I didn't know this at the time, but the game opening first pitch was thrown by Jim Dundee, in honor of his father Angelo, but the ball used was the ball Evan hit in his home run in game 162. How awesome was that?

Can I just say that I love how the cocky Yankees decided it would be in their best interest to walk Sean Rodriquez which would load the bases for Carlos Pena to come to bat? Well, their loss is our gain! That was something spectacular right there. 

Pena's first at bat since returning to the Rays and he manages to unleash a grand slam at the most PERFECT moment. How did he do that? And he managed to bring it not once, but TWICE! That's just craziness. 

Granted that is not all that happened in the season opener. There were moments of stressing watching Shields struggle on the mound. Not exactly how he wanted to start the season I am sure. Perhaps he was working through some jitters. At least he wasn't the only one struggling. CC seemed to be having a bit of a problem get 1-2-3 innings as well and lasting only 6 innings. After only 5 short innings Shields returned to the dugout and Maddon called up JP Howell, Burke Badenhop, Jake McGee, Joel Peralta and finally Fernando Rodney.

The game did not go without it's issues... a few misread signs, a few failed bunt attempts and some wild pitches, but the bottom line is that we won. And we did it with some style. 

Yankees brought in their closer Mariano Rivera to finish out the game. Again the Yankees seemed to get too confident walking Evan Longoria and Luke Scott. Rivera struck out Sean Rodriguez, and Carlos Pena came to the plate. The game was tied 6-6 with bases loaded and Pena with a 1-2 count and Pena knocked the ball to deep left giving the Rays a walk-off win! The minute Pena made contact with the ball in the bottom of the 9th and started his victory run to first, and his arms went in the air, it took me back to that night in September when Longoria smacked a ball into left field ending game 162 and making history.  It felt surreal and hopeful.

The Rays never doing anything traditionally or do what is expected which makes them exciting to watch. Here's to a great season.

Think you know Joe??

Joe Maddon sits down with Thomas Becnel for a little Q & A in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. 

The article doesn't focus on baseball, but instead draws the reader in with some basic life questions for the two time AL Manager of the Year winner. 

The article covers topics ranging from movies, to technology to wine. It really makes you like the guy even more, if that's possible. He is just such a laid back, calm, cool and collected guy. 

Check out the article, and perhaps then you will know a little more about Joe! 

My First Experience at Spring Training

Today was a first for me.

I went to the first team workout for the Rays. I was like a little kid in a candy store. It was so exciting. I was just totally enamored with watching these men on the field. I couldn't get over how surreal it was. I kept saying to myself, WOW these are professional baseball players and they are right there... and they will be on national tv like next week.

I couldn't wrap my head around it.

And then, I got to see them UP CLOSE!

MATT JOYCE <3 

DAVID PRICE

JAMES SHIELDS (and one of my FAVORITE shots from the day)

You can check out the rest of my photos on my Flickr page. 

We are going back again tomorrow, maybe I will actually get an autograph!!!  

Spring Training Practice .... OR BUST

Well yesterday turned out to be a disappointment. 

Firefighter (my boyfriend) and I got up, got dressed in our Rays attire and packed our car and headed down to Port Charlotte to watch the Rays practice. I was all atwitter with anticipation and excitement. I felt like a giddy little kid. 

Until we got to the park....

We arrived late. 

30 minutes late...thereby missing practice. (commence heartbreak and disappointment)

On the way back to the car a woman who had arrived early shared with me the autographed batting glove she received from Matt Joyce!!!! I happen to be a Matt Joyce fan, so that was particularly upsetting to me, but totally AWESOME for her. Later in the day, I found out via twitter that all the players signed autographs yesterday... double whammy bummer.

SOOOO..... Firefighter and I headed home and made plans to attend the first squad workout tomorrow.  Hopefully we will get some autographs. And we are leaving at 7am tomorrow so as to avoid any chance of missing them!!! Lesson has been learned!!!!!