Is It April Yet?

10 hours and 23 minutes (at the time of post) until the Cardinal's first Spring Training game...

Can baseball season just get here right now???? I need games, games, games! I need the 9 texts a day for 401 updating me of the Cardinals games. I usually get annoyed with the texts when I am at the game, but now I would appreciate them anytime!! Just start coming please...

I have already looked up trips to Seattle, St. Louis, Boston and San Francisco to catch a series or two. Why do I always go to the same ballparks? This isn't helping me reach my goal of going to all of the Major League Baseball Stadiums...

I am liking the fact that the Mariner's Opening Day is a week after baseball starts. Seeing as how I will be traveling back into the country on April 6th, most likely with an empty bank account, it will be semi-impossible to catch the Cardinals opening day... So second best is Seattle, right?? I am a little worried for the Mariners that their 2nd and 3rd home games of the season they are already offering half price tickets. Is it really that hard to get fans to come? By the way, on my birthday (April 30), the Cardinals are giving away Cardinals Snuggies... If that's not a sign that I have to go, then I don't know what is! Done and done!

I am excited to see the Cardinals this season. We dropped a few, picked up a few and had a few struggles during the off season. But doesn't everyone? I am cheering for Freese no matter what anyone says. I am excited to see Pujols, Yadi and Holliday back in action. Let's get a Cy Young from Waino or Carp this season. Good riddance to Ankiel (or HGH) and Thurston. I'm surprise LaRussa let go of his man crushes. I wish I could go to Jupiter right now.

April-October/November = PURE BLISS! And I can't wait for it to begin!

Get ready for me, St. Louis! I am coming!

p.s. I am in love with the first picture that comes up on the Cardinals home page right now. It's McGwire and Freese in the batting cages... It makes me smile everytime :)

I Don't Sleep, I Dream

Sidenote: I love when Kelly Ripa complains about there being no break in between football in and baseball season. Apparently she could do without all the sports topics that Regis brings up in the morning chat on Live. Just days after the Super Bowl was over, Regis was talking about pitchers and catchers getting ready to report to Spring Training in Florida or Arizona. I can't believe this time is here already. Even though last Winter feels like forever ago, I still can't believe it's time for baseball to start up. This begins 9 months of pure bliss for me. :)

Do you remember all your dreams? Lately I have been having some pretty weird ones. Like one NIGHTMARE that keeps happening over and over where a kid from school (elementary through high school) is stalking me. He won't go away. And he keeps attacking me. For fear of him somehow seeing this I won't divulge too much information about him. But it needs to be said, that I haven't thought of this kid AT ALL until I recently saw him here in town. I see him at a place I have been frequently going to. After the second nightmare, I haven't been back to that place. It creeps me out that he is the one giving me nightmares. Is there a reason why we have nightmares anyway? Is it a shift in our normal daily routine that urkes our mind so much to want to scare us while sleeping? When you wake up for one, are you like me and can't fall back asleep for fear of having the same dream? Sometimes I try to think of something real hard so that I can dream about it. But that never happens.

Well last night I had a great dream. Well one of the many dreams I had. While getting ready for bed last night I decided to put on my Cardinals pjs that have been in my drawer since last November when baseball season ended. Actually, probably since last October when the Cardinals season ended. I thought nothing of it, except that it put a smile on my face knowing that baseball season is here! Well apparently my sub concisous loved it too! And I had a dream about being at Opening Day in St. Louis again. Last year was so amazing. It was a wonderful experience and opportunity to finally be at the first home game and in the case of last year's season, the first Cardinals game of the season!

I woke up so excited for this season! I am anxious to see how the team does this year. I hope Waino is bueno again. And I hope Carp is still on his game. Last year those two were amazing. One of them should have received the Cy Young Award... But that's a different post... I hope Freese can work through his whole drama and secure his place at 3rd for the season. I am interested in seeing what Big Mac can do with the hitters. Tony has a lot of faith that he can do it, so I hope he can prove all the haters wrong. I am excited for another wonderful season of Albert Pujols. I still go back and watch this commericial all the time. It still gives me chills. Matt Holliday did great things for our team last summer when he joined it so I hope he can continue that this season. How many web gems can Yadi get this year from behind the plate. I was watching Baseball Tonight the other day and they showed like 5 highlights last year from catchers and one of them was Yadi. I just love that guy. :)

Here's my nephew. And A's fan. Recognizing greatness when he sees it. Now we have him saying that the Cardinals are the best team in baseball. In fact he called me last night to tell me.

This Is Beyond Baseball

Pinch Me Now To Make Sure...

ok i have been neglecting this blog.  and i really don't feel like posting right now, but i need to write about my amazing day before i forget anything cool.

so... today was the day the new interns arrived at channel 5.  which means we were training all day.  well we had a bit of a break and so i went into the sports department and was talking with katie (the reporter) and we were brainstorming ideas for stories that she could do this week.  well one thing led to another and i found myself walking up to the credential window at busch and getting the pass that gets me inside...  we went into the stadium and i had to go wait on the field while rene and katie talked with some of the guys in the clubhouse. (interns aren't allowed in the clubhouse.)   

i walk out on the field and immediately MELTED.  1. because this was what i came to st louis to do! and 2. because it was 92 degrees outside and like 500% humidity.  of course i pick the hottest day of the year to go to the ballpark.

well immediately i see shade in the dugout so i go and sit there. (right about where yadi is sitting)

and i sit there and sit there and think to myself are the players ever going to come out??  and then...

chris carpenter walks out from the clubhouse and up the stairs to the field and i MELT again.  is this really happening?? am i really here?!

and then one by one they all come out.

Lohse, Barden, Thurston (who then proceeded to walk by me and lay his stuff down on the bench a few feet away so that he could insert the cup. awkward) Yadi, Shumaker, Ryan, Franklin, Perez, Motte, Rasmus, Duncan... and so on.  and then.... PUJOLS.  yes. i was in the dugout when pujols was there.  he's the greatest hitter in baseball.  HEAVEN!

they are all pretty funny people. motte was cracking jokes on his way out to right field.  carp is pulling a plastic bag out of his back pocket with 2 Bubble Gum gumballs. one blue.  one dark pink.  barden is drinking some kind of energy boost/red bull thing.  

one of the producers from FSN is asking barden if they will let him be mic'd up during bp tomorrow. and he says they'll have to catch him when he's in a good mood so he'll talk alot.  and then the producer says to have a few drinks first. barden says he doesn't think he can come to the stadium drunk... then the fsn producer says miles was the best mic'd up so far so barden has a lot to prove, and i am thinking, brendan ryan would be the best. and then barden says, you mean brendan ryan wasn't the best. and then i may have not been invited but i join the conversation saying that i would have guessed that too... and just like that. i am in with brian barden. haha. jk.  one thing i love about myself is that i feel comfortable talking to most people. 

so now i venture up to the field and watch batting practice and warmups with katie and rene.  after 20 or so minutes my body temperature reaches 500 degrees so i decide to sit by the stairs down to the clubhouse where there is air conditioning. after a few minutes of this, i see pujols walking toward the dugout and i look at katie and she's getting all excited for me. and all of a sudden he is walking down the steps only inches from me.  and i MELT.  

the rest of the pregame proceeded like this. we talked with brendan ryan, who does a good impression of Robert Dinero.  and we talked with Hal McRae, and Cal Eldred and Nick Stavinoha and Tony Larussa.

and then at 6:30 we left the stadium and i walked back to channel 5 and could not stop smiling.  and i still can't stop smiling. :)

time of arrival- 3:30

items on the agenda: pure bliss

time of departure- 6:30

there's still hope!

i was so over david freese once he got sent back down to memphis.  but i thought i would check out the schedule today for the redbirds to see who and where they play.  they play in portland. but i think that is this month. can't make it.  BUT... i can make it to their games in salt lake this august!  can't wait!  now i hope freese stays in aaa and doesn't get sent back up to st louis. although they need to try some new things.  we need some better offense! come back ankiel and ludwick!

i went to the whole series against the brewers.  all three games. and they lost all three. i am staying away from them for a few days. cubs are in town.  can't be giving them back luck when chicago's here. plus i am babysitting the cutest little boy tonight. the sports reporter that i work with had tickets for tonight's game so i offered to watch her baby boy.  

Game 2 of the Brewer's series.  Sweet seats up in the Redbird club.  Had one of the cupcakes i have been looking for the whole season.  was NOT good.  Can't wait for some sprinkles goodness!

Wearing the pink jersey for the first time.  Usually I am opposed to them, but at this game they were doing breast cancer stuff so I thought I would show some support.

My seats last night. Game 3 of the series.  These were in the Scoreboard Patio.  Free food and drinks the whole game.  They give you a cup when you walk in and you refill it with whatever you want to drink. these are usually $100 seats. i did not pay anywhere near that.  but they would only be worth that much if you were planning on drinking beer. although i did love the view.  it was a perfect night for a game. too bad we lost though. 

i had a few layers of cardinals stuff on.  i almost bought a shirt in the clubhouse store before the game. then i realized a) i have NO money. and b) i don't need anymore cardinals stuff...
this guy painted a "shirt" on.  it says Believe in Pujols. He's clean.  loved it. i wish you could see the front.  he has the biggest belly.  kinda like he's holding a baby JJ, like reshea.  i love people like this guy.  

I'm a sucker for cornrows and manicured toes

I went with our sports reporter to interview Nelly today.  he was holding a charity basketball game in town.  He was cool.  Very nice.  and afterward he gave me a kiss on the cheek.  :)

watch it here, especially watch when he starts talking about baseball. 

best line: "people better wake up and recognize that you're watching Albert. Pujols."

Oldy but Goody

I just realized that i started a post a few weeks ago that i never finished... my cardinals update post.  so last week the cardinals were out of town all week, but the week before that i had a chance to go to 2 games!  Two really great games!

On tuesday i tried something new.  First Pitch tickets.  the deal. you arrive at the box office when it opens at 9 am the day of the game.  depending on how sold out/popular the game is, the line could be long/could be short.  you pay for 2 tickets for $11!  yes. $11.  you get a voucher. 15 minutes before game time you stand outside a certain gate.  and you walk in. show your id and your voucher. and they hand you an envelope with two tickets in it.  the seats vary, depending once again on how sold out the game is.  there are only 275 pairs available for each game...  so on this tuesday i tried it out and scored!  section 160. row 29. seats 28 and 29.  great seats.  i don't have a picture from them though. because... brent called me and he was at the game too.  with ryan. so i went up to the redbird club and sat with them after the 2nd inning.  

i like the redbird clubs seats.  they are a the perfect level to see the whole game, without being too high up.  good seats.  also better food. i bet that's where the cupcakes are.  i NEED to find me a cupcake at the next game... 

tuesday's game was good.  it was a game of small ball, with a few triples and doubles added in. no hr's though.  but that's ok. i have seen plenty.  i was glad i made the switch up to sit with brent and ryan because some stupid mets fans were being annoying where i was sitting earlier. 

then i went to the game on thursday.  on wednesday i became sick.  immediately came to the conclusion that it was the swine flu.  thursday i picked up some first pitch tickets on my way to work.  i was planning on going during my 1 hour break.  but as soon as i got in, my boss said i looked horrible and that i shouldn't be at work. so i left. did my identity theft stuff and went to the game. 

it was a beautiful day!  and beautiful game!  i did the first pitch tickets again.  got section 160. row 29. seats 28 and 29.  if you were paying attention above you would realize that those are the exact same seats as before.  what a coincidence... especially since both days i am pretty sure they sold all pairs of tickets they had available. 

so i am enjoying the game. and i look down to some peeps in front of me. one guy who probably won't make it on the 2009 active roster. one guy who doesn't play for us anymore. and one guy who will be off the roster come july. (now i feel bad saying that because of his injury this week... a little too scary.)  friends don't let friends wear glaus or ankiel. or edmonds to a cardinals game.

here's the view from the seats.  no picture of me this time.  i was underneath the overhang for the second level and it was really bright outside, so you can't see me because i am a big shadow...  

what a great game again!  pujols went yard twice!  and ankiel hit a bomb too.  albert pujols loves the first inning hr's.  right now i can think of 4 in the past 2 weeks that he has hit in the first inning.  against the mets.  twice against the nationals. (one on my birthday) and last night against the pirates.  i love albert.  

this week i missed my usual tuesday game because my family was in town.  but i think i will try and catch some of any of this weekend's games.  i can't go TWO weeks without going to a game... 

Jose Alberto Pujols

What a day for the greatest hitter in baseball. I love what LaRussa said in the post-game interviews. he said something to the affect of “Thank God for acquiring Pujols.”

I apparently am quite interesting to most of the people in the newsroom because I don’t drink and stuff. So many people tell me that they are going to get me to have my first drink. I just laugh and say it won’t happen. One of the photogs/editors asks me everyday when I am going to go to the bar with him after work. Especially in the sports department, they love this whole, “Katie is a Mormon” thing. So much so that that’s usually what they call me.

So we’re watching the game last night and bases are loaded for pujols. (Thanks to Freese of course for leading things off with a pinch-hit double to centerfield.) And the producer turns to me and says, “if he hits a home run we’re going down the street to the grocery store, getting Jack Daniels, and getting you wasted.” I said sure whatever. Well what does pujols do? He hits a freakin GRAND SLAM! Right up into Big Mac land! Man I love that guy! So the producer got all excited that I was going to have my first drink. And I just laughed it off.

Well then pujols comes up next at bat in the game. 2 guys on base. I turn to the producer. “If he hits one out now, then I really will get drunk tonight.” What does Albert do but rip a line drive down left field that goes out just barely in fair territory. DANG ALBERT!

That is why I named my car Albert. That man can deliver. He’s so clutch. Pujols ended the game with 2 HR and 7 RBI and a batting average of .429. Oh and did I mention its only the 6th game of the season? How can you not love him? And he still will tell you that he thinks Manny is the best hitter in the game right now.

So of course I had to go back on my word. But for the rest of the night he wouldn’t stop talking about it and would share it with anyone that would walk in the sports room.

Moral of the story: don’t bet against Albert.