When I walked up to Hammond Stadium to watch the Twins take on the Red Sox, I just wanted to kick back and enjoy the game, I didn’t want to hunt down a story, just sit in the outfield grassy berm area and just “chill” in the sun. I wanted to get a home run ball, also (didn’t happen), I found a spot and just laid in the grass with my back up against a wall and watched the game. The week was a long one, I am not complaining at all, I am loving it! However, for me to make this work I need to treat it like a job and that means getting up early to write a story about the day before, I try to be gone by 8 to 8:30 in the morning and be at a Starbucks by 9, this way I have 3 hours to work on the post for that day, then I can get to a game, that worked for the first couple weeks when I was going to 2 or 3 college games a day, but now the MLB spring training games have started and game time is around 1 pm and it has screwed up my system. I am adjusting but it means that I drive in the morning to where the games are, then watch the game and then write the story. My self imposed deadline to post the blog is 7pm Central Time or earlier, so far I have been able to do it, it has put me “under the gun” a couple times this week.
I have more to write about Sean and his Dad in my Day 13 post “Submarine” and I still want to add to it, there is so much about those 2 that I like and I want to share more of their story. My Day 12 post ” All American” needs more work, Jim is such a nice person and I enjoyed watching the game with him and he deserves more than I gave him. I am learning a lot about time management, I really like the pressure of finding something and writing about it, what is great about being in Florida and doing this is that my days have been flying by! I believe that I finally have found what I am suppose to be doing, even though I didn’t want to interview or interact with anyone yesterday at the Twins game, I was back at it today interviewing someone and getting a great story for tomorrow. I have realized this is also my Spring Training. I learned again today that I need to contact the teams in advance to get Media Credentials, I don’t know if they will give them to me at the MLB level but they said they need some time to check me out.
I have also learned that parking is going to kill me! $10 for Spring Training! Did not figure that into the budget, need to figure some other things out also, but what I have learned is that I have a great fan base, people are reading the blog and I am getting great encouragement from so many of you! Please continue to send me the emails or comment on the posts, please share the ones you like on Facebook and Tweet at me, it is fun during the game to check those and Tweet back! This is a social experiment also, so lets use all of Social Media! I don’t know where all this will end up, but I am loving it, the weather has been wonderful, I am not throwing it in your face my northern friends (okay I really am but not “meanly”), let me know if you will be at a ball game and I will try to see you, I would love to go to a game with you all! We will need to buy the cheapest tickets but hey, we are still at a game!
Couple of things, I will try to get a “selfie” at every game it makes me feel a little goofy but people seem to like those, also I have a new Games page on the website where I track the games I have been too, check that out here: http://www.baseballbuddha.com/statistics.html. We can start utilizing some of that data in the future and compare stats, this is baseball so some of you will like that I think, I know I do, I will have to ask my buddy Roger to look into it… He is the one that compiled over 18,000 games of 350+ teams in an excel spreadsheet for me! If you have any suggestions let me know! To all that have ordered a shirt or hat, I thank you, still working some bugs out of the system but Top Line is doing a great job for me! Also big thanks to those that just donated money, I am always surprised when that happens, I need it and I am so very grateful and humbled by your generosity! I will eventually work some video into the content but I am finding out it is not as easy as I thought it was going to be… Back at it tomorrow, it is a rough life but someone has to live it!
If you enjoy this story and you would like to help me complete the “Baseball in America Tour 2014” which is roughly 265 days, please click on the following link to see how you can help http://www.baseballbuddha.com/sponsor.html . Please also share this on your Facebook page and Twitter, I appreciate all the help I can get!
Thanks for being you with your stories, that’s what keeps them real!!!
Morning ~ Yes, as an ‘on the spot reporter’ the story dictates you, not the other way around. 😉 But, you will adjust and we who read don’t know any different. We are just enjoying your “news”. Take care and keep up the great work! 🙂