Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

[camarokids]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

Nice collection and display David. For the next pics, be sure to stack a few extra weights on the bench...

Thanks Jim. Good idea on the weights ..... I have been slacking a bit on working out lately....

[camarokids]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

What an awesome collection...of LEGOs you have there (joking)! I have taken my nephews to their store before, man those things are expensive!

On a serious note, love the setup. Question, since you are a Devil Rays fan, do you like the team's stance of disregarding their (brief) history, and moving from the iconic Florida marine life to "Rays of light" as a logo? I think it honestly is lame and weak.

I guess when they dropped the "Devil" from the name, I should have seen it coming. I also wish the team could stick to any color scheme also. I personally loved the forest green unis, but admit the powder and dark blues are not bad.

Would love to know your thoughts on the subject, as a die hard fan of the team.

Thanks Shipp,

My son loves lego's. He will ask for them for bdays & Christmas. I think I am setting him up to be a collector? I hope so.

I do not like the name change just to be politically correct. A Devil Ray is a giant Mantra Ray. When I was 17 we were sailboating in the Gulf Of Mexico and sailed right over a giant Manta Ray. The Ray went past us and splashed us with one of his fins. He dwarfed the boat. It was a bit scary at first, but we realized they do not hurt humans, thankfully!!!

The team name had nothing to do with the Devil!
The new uni's are nice looking. But, I do not like the spark thing. I think having just the Rays sounds wimpy. Here come's the Rays!! Does Ray Romano own the team ???

Kinda like the Cardinals, Jays or Cubs. Like a bird or a baby Cub is going to do any damage???

I do also have a side collection of 26 Braves bats &b 15 Pirates bats. I loved the Braves as a kid and up until the Devil Rays came up in 1998. I also like the Cardinals a bit cause I lived so close to their Spring Training camp. The first game used bat I bought was a Al Martin Pirates bat at the Pirates Clubhouse Store in (winter 1996 ?) Johnstown, Pa. We do go to PA for vacation cause my wife has family there. So Andrew Jones in 1996 on his first trip to the Burg. The crowd was crazy after the game.

[HawaiiSportsNut]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

Thanks Rick! Do you live in Hawaii like forum member Scott does?

Yep! Scott & I both live in Hawaii but on different islands.

[Shipp_96]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

Thanks Shipp,

The first game used bat I bought was a Al Martin Pirates bat at the Pirates Clubhouse Store in (winter 1996 ?) Johnstown, Pa. We do go to PA for vacation cause my wife has family there. So Andrew Jones in 1996 on his first trip to the Burg. The crowd was crazy after the game.

WOW, talk about a small world! I was born and raised in Johnstown!! I know alot of people find it to be a depressing western PA rust belt city, but it will always mean something special to me. I lived there when they filmed Slap Shot (Paul Newman drove my Uncle's van), All the Right Moves (the practice field and stadium are where I played) and the replacement scab Steelers practiced there for a month during the strike in the 80s. I also got to play football at the same high school as Jack Ham did, and Carlton Hasselrig was my Uncle's neighbor.

As you may be aware from my posts, I am (sadly) a huge Pirates fan as well. Would love to know which other Bucco bats you own? My first game used item was an Aramis Ramirez game used rookie bat from the Pirates Clubhouse in Monroeville.

I also agree the changing of the entire identity of Tampa from a beautiful creature such as a Devil Ray to a Ray of Light is just foolish. Some PR morons with too much time on their PC hands.

[jppopma]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

Thanks Jim. Good idea on the weights ..... I have been slacking a bit on working out lately....

Kids will do that to you for sure. I think alot of us are in the same boat.

[camarokids]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

WOW, talk about a small world! I was born and raised in Johnstown!! I know alot of people find it to be a depressing western PA rust belt city, but it will always mean something special to me. I lived there when they filmed Slap Shot (Paul Newman drove my Uncle's van), All the Right Moves (the practice field and stadium are where I played) and the replacement scab Steelers practiced there for a month during the strike in the 80s. I also got to play football at the same high school as Jack Ham did, and Carlton Hasselrig was my Uncle's neighbor.

As you may be aware from my posts, I am (sadly) a huge Pirates fan as well. Would love to know which other Bucco bats you own? My first game used item was an Aramis Ramirez game used rookie bat from the Pirates Clubhouse in Monroeville.

I also agree the changing of the entire identity of Tampa from a beautiful creature such as a Devil Ray to a Ray of Light is just foolish. Some PR morons with too much time on their PC hands.

There is a ton sports history in Pittsburg area. Johnstown is only 2 hours away.

My wife and both her parents were born and raised in Johnstown.

We last visited in 2010. It is nice there besides the down economic state. Parts seem a bit depressed. I usually pick up a few Pirates souvenirs when we go there. There is a antique mall off of ?, I forget what street, but it used to be a grocery store. I usually find stuff there.

I would love for the Pirates to turn it around and start winning again this season. It sucks to see them losing 10 in a row. It is nice to see that they are not in last place already.

The Pirates bats I have:
Jay Bell - 2 bats - 1991-97
O. Merced 1991-97
Jason Kendall 99 & 2001-2003
Midre Cummimgs 1996-97
Kevin Polcovich 1996-97
Al Martin 1991-97
Rich Loiselle 1991-97
Jose Guillen 1997 Rawlings
Keith Osik 1999-2000
Dale Sveum 1999-2000
Pat Mears 1999-2000
Raul Mondesi 2004
Randall Simon 2004 Rawlings could be Pirates or Devil Rays
Kevin Hart 2009 125th Anniversary

[camarokids]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

Yep! Scott & I both live in Hawaii but on different islands.

I would be happy with just going on vacation there!!! You guys are lucky. Except it takes longer to get your game used acquisitions in the mail .

[tigerdale]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

awesome collection Dave!!

[Shipp_96]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

There is a ton sports history in Pittsburg area. Johnstown is only 2 hours away.

My wife and both her parents were born and raised in Johnstown.

We last visited in 2010. It is nice there besides the down economic state. Parts seem a bit depressed. I usually pick up a few Pirates souvenirs when we go there. There is a antique mall off of ?, I forget what street, but it used to be a grocery store. I usually find stuff there.

I would love for the Pirates to turn it around and start winning again this season. It sucks to see them losing 10 in a row. It is nice to see that they are not in last place already.

The Pirates bats I have:
Jay Bell - 2 bats - 1991-97
O. Merced 1991-97
Jason Kendall 99 & 2001-2003
Midre Cummimgs 1996-97
Kevin Polcovich 1996-97
Al Martin 1991-97
Rich Loiselle 1991-97
Jose Guillen 1997 Rawlings
Keith Osik 1999-2000
Dale Sveum 1999-2000
Pat Mears 1999-2000
Raul Mondesi 2004
Randall Simon 2004 Rawlings could be Pirates or Devil Rays
Kevin Hart 2009 125th Anniversary
[ATTACH]54407[/ATTACH]

Wow! Excellent Buccos collection you have there. I am a big Jay Bell and Orlando Merced fan. I used to like Kendall until I met him several times in Oakland, now, not so much. The skid the team is in now is so horrible, I have never seen anything like it!

I could make it to Three Rivers from where we lived in Johnstown in about an hour and a half back in the day. Maybe traffic is worse now to the 'Burg?

The downtown area of Johnstown is decent, as is Richland where all the shopping is. But places like Prospect, Moxham and Conemaugh are really run down. Especially over where the Steel Mills used to be (my Aunt and Uncle lived there until passing away a couple years ago) are just down right depressing now. Only my cousins still live there, and it is always sad for me to visit now that most of my family have left the area or are deceased.

It is beautiful there in the Fall especially, and the winter when it snows. It sucks to be from somewhere and know you can really never live there again, due to the economic conditions. Oh well, such is life.

Thanks for sharing your collection! I have most of my Pirates collection on the Show off your Pittsburgh Pirates stuff! thread.

[camarokids]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

awesome collection Dave!!

Thank you Dale!

[DJaeger22]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

great looking room dave. does that guy still make the bat racks?

[camarokids]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

great looking room dave. does that guy still make the bat racks?

Thanks Dan! His name is Bill and his email is wgr0910@msn.com .

Have you had any luck talking to John about getting some game used equipment from his Devil Rays days?

[DJaeger22]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

thanks for that

I sent him a message a while back and havent heard back yet, ill try him again

[HawaiiSportsNut]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

I would be happy with just going on vacation there!!! You guys are lucky. Except it takes longer to get your game used acquisitions in the mail .

Yep... Takes longer to get our game used items & to make it worse some sellers won't ship to Hawaii. lol

[camarokids]

Re: Give me a New Home, where my bats can roam.....

thanks for that

I sent him a message a while back and havent heard back yet, ill try him again

I sent Bill an email today as well. I need some more racks too.