Arizona Fall League

[rays54]

Enjoy the pictures

[godwulf]

Final 2010 Arizona Fall League notes.

The season ended on a high note for me, 'cause the Scottsdale Scorpions wrested the Championship from the Peoria Javelinas - their first ring since '96, I think. Something happened right before the game that could have soured me on the whole day, but happy to say that I didn't let it.

I was in line about an hour before the gates opened, 'cause last year, for the first time, they'd had some game-used items - bats, spikes, batting gloves - in the Team Shop; that year, I got Michael Brenly and Steve Singleton bats, and I was expecting to see more of the same this year, so I wanted to be in there as quickly as possible. There were only about twenty people ahead of me in line, and none of them had that "game-used collector" look - we do have one, ya know - so I figured I was in pretty good shape.

Once through the gate, I headed for the Team Shop. There were maybe only three or four other people in there. I looked to the corner where they'd had the game-used stuff last year, and there were exactly two bats leaning against the wall there. One was a natural bat, a LS I think, of a player I'd never heard of, badly broken and taped in a couple of places, so I crouched down and took ahold of the barrel end of the other bat - a black Mizuno, I think...I say, "I think" because I never really got to take a good look at it.

Some kid - I say, kid 'cause I'm an old guy...he was probably 19 or 20 - with a backward ball cap, and dressed stupidly in other ways, as well, had taken it by the handle and was pulling on it, yelling, "It's mine! I already bought it, dude!" We yelled at one another for probably half a minute, while the three or four middle-aged to elderly female clerks stood around looking shocked and saying nothing, and then I let it go.

Looking back, I sort of wished I'd held onto the thing, asked one of the clerks to go get Security, and then - hey, if it turned out he really had paid for it, which seemed pretty unlikely, considering he was on the other side of the store when I walked in, it would have been his; had he not paid for it, I'd have raised a stink about having the thing snatched out of my hand, maybe threatened the kid with an assault complaint, and I'd have bought that bat - it was only 35 bucks - even if I'd never heard of the player and couldn't have cared less about having it. Just to piss off the kid.

Well, I was pretty hot, and I walked around for awhile before going in to find a seat. I thought about finding the kid and getting in his face about our little contretemps...but eventually, I just sat down and started watching the guys warm up, feeling the sun on my face. It was a perfect day for Baseball. I thought about the fact that I didn't even know whose bat I'd lost out on. About the fact that I had more than a thousand bats back at the house - was I really going to let this ruin my enjoyment of the game and the day? That's when I was able to smile.

After the game, a few of the players tossed their caps into the seats, and I even saw somebody hand out a nice set of signed spikes and some bats. I got to talk to Alan Zinter, and mentioned that I'd sure like to add one of his caps to my "extensive Zinter collection" - hint, hint - but he said that he already had plans for it. I said maybe I'd catch him in Visalia next summer - I'm planning a road trip to Visalia, Reno and Yakima - and he told me that he was moving up to Mobile next season.

[sox83cubs84]

Reminds me of an end-of-season confrontation I had at Wrigley with a younger kid and his father. Pirates players were tossing their caps over the dugout to fans, and, while I had no luck in grabbing one, the kid somehow grabbed two. The only person still on the field was coach Bruce Tanner, and I set my mind on grabbing his if he tossed it over, to avoid a shutout.

I was, indeed, succesful in grabbing Tanner's cap...but the brat, and his father, insisted that the cap was theirs, and demanded I give it to them. I asked why they needed a third cap at my expense when they already had two, and the kid whined that they needed three "to have one for his sister, who didn't attend the game". I basically told them to perfrom an unnatural act, more or less, and the father basically dropped the matter...but the kid (maybe 11) followed me all the way to the concourse entrance bitching and moaning about the cap for "his sister". I ignored him, while ballpark cohort Joe Mcarthy threatened to sic security on the kid, who finally turned around and left. Joe is the best "watch your back" friend I've ever encountered...far more loyal than most of the Ballhawks have been over the years.

Anyway, I can feel your frustration, pal, and but for the grace of the baseball gods (and Joe's backup) I would have known the same that Sunday afternoon.

Dave Miedema

[gunnerleigh]

Please click one of the Quick Reply icons in the posts above to activate Quick Reply.

[gunnerleigh]

I was lucky enough to pick up a game-worn Hosmer jersey from this year's AFL so I am curious if anyone has any pictures of Hosmer playing for Surprise in the Royals home white jersey?
Thanks tons.

[godwulf]

I buy photos of the AFL players from a guy on eBay, name of "gmoneystin". I just checked, though, and the seven different photos he has of Hosmer are all of him in either the blue or the gray jersey. You might contact him and ask if he has others that he just doesn't have listed, though.

If anyone here on the board has photos of an AFL player, it would be OaklandAsFan.

[NeonStatus]

I was lucky enough to pick up a game-worn Hosmer jersey from this year's AFL so I am curious if anyone has any pictures of Hosmer playing for Surprise in the Royals home white jersey?
Thanks tons.

Nice pick up. Do you mind sharing how it was obtained? If you would like to send me an email that's fine.

[mariner_gamers]

I buy photos of the AFL players from a guy on eBay, name of "gmoneystin". I just checked, though, and the seven different photos he has of Hosmer are all of him in either the blue or the gray jersey. You might contact him and ask if he has others that he just doesn't have listed, though.

If anyone here on the board has photos of an AFL player, it would be OaklandAsFan.

Thanks for the heads-up on this seller. I think I may have a photo match on a Dustin Ackley bat off two of his pics. They will be here soon and I will be able to compare close-up!

Thanks Again!

[OaklandAsFan]

I buy photos of the AFL players from a guy on eBay, name of "gmoneystin". I just checked, though, and the seven different photos he has of Hosmer are all of him in either the blue or the gray jersey. You might contact him and ask if he has others that he just doesn't have listed, though.

If anyone here on the board has photos of an AFL player, it would be OaklandAsFan.

Just went through my files and I don't have any of Hosmer. If anyone is interested I have over 1000 pics from AFL this season. Send me a PM and I'll see if I have what you need.

[gunnerleigh]

Nice pick up. Do you mind sharing how it was obtained? If you would like to send me an email that's fine.

Yes, it was listed on the Royals official website.