Off-Season Sundries

Yes, I know I said I was going to get the photos from Bobby's last game up.  Yes, I know I said I'd be quick about it.  I've been putting it off because it still stings a little bit.  It's as though I feel like if I do get it posted and written up... then it really is over.  :(

That being said, I wanted to make note of a few things.  Off-Season Hell is officially here.  I don't dislike the other sports.  At all.  But there's simply nothing like baseball.  With basketball, I just have a blinding hatred for all teams not the Atlanta Hawks; I don't know who is on our bench or who is on everybody else's team unless they are a superstar, and then, since they don't play for the Hawks, I despise them.  With football, I'm sort of like, "GO ATLANTA" but I have NO idea what is going on, and why there are brightly colored hankies being thrown on the field all the time, nor do I know who is on our team beyond a couple guys.  With hockey?  I only know that the Thrashers are Atlanta's team, and that the Flying V is a poor strategy to use in hockey.  Thanks for the sub-par hockey education, Disney.

Because it is now the off-season, we now have a number of free agents:  Derrek Lee, Troy Glaus, and Eric Hinske.  Our beautiful awesome badass wonderful first basemen!!!  <3 <3 <3 them all.  I know that Freddie's the "First Baseman of the Future," but... I've grown very fond of D-Lee, T-Roy, and most of all, Ske.  So Frank Wren... on the off-chance you are reading this, PLEASE please please bring back Eric Hinske.  We need him.  I'll miss the other boys, but Ske MUST be in Atlanta in March.  He's too good, and too great of a clubhouse guy to lose.... !

Also, as BravesJennifer of the Tomahawk Team pointed out, a certain Braves player has already gotten bored with the off-season:  Peter Moylan.  It seems that Pete has created himself a blog, a Facebook fan page, and a Twitter account.  AWESOME.

And now this is when I go:  Congratulations San Francisco Giants.  I'm glad Timmy did so well.  I'm glad that Edgar Renteria (former Brave!) won it.

But I'm mad that there is no more baseball.  There could have been 2 more games.  TWO MORE.  Anything to delay off-season hell... but no, the SF Giants clearly didn't get the memo.  THANKS A LOT YOU JERKS.  What am I going to do for the next FOUR months????????????????????   (Y'all still did good.  I'm just mad.)

And poor Cliff Lee.  Cliff Lee with his beautiful sad eyes, rosin-y, sweaty cap, sweeping long lashes (fanning us as he blinks) and his insanely awesome pitching.  Outdone by the Giants?  How could this be?  Craiggie said, "Perhaps he's human after all."  Yes.  But... seriously?  The Giants?  I still can't believe it.

Okay.  Enough of all that.  I really will post those photos soon.  Along with all the other things I plan on posting.  Soon.  Really.  Promise.

For now, though, I'll leave you with this:

You're welcome.  ;D

EDIT:  This just in.  Travis Snider has also joined Twitter fairly recently.  And it is pretty much one of the most hilarious things I've ever read.  Case in point:

Lunchboxhero45:  I cannot confirm that I can take down a 67oz Roast. I want to say the largest steak I have ever ordered and eaten was roughly 48oz

 That's Mr. Meats-Don't-Clash for you.  Check out Blue Jay Hunter's blog if you don't know what I'm talking about (link on sidebar).

<3

Giants vs. Braves: NLDS Game 3 (10 OCT 2010)

Traffic was... HORRIBLE.  I missed BP because of family obligations and traffic.  Oh, the awful horrific traffic.  I mean, I realize that it was a playoff game, but come on!  We left in plenty of time, and still didn't make it to the stadium before the National Anthem.  :{

Because of how late we had arrived, Tasos and I were unable to meet up with John (boooooo!  /sadface).  But our consolation?  How many obnoxiously loud Braves fans were around us.  When we walked through the gates, we were handed a program AND a red foam tomahawk!  (This is why I don't buy them.)  The best part, though, was when T and I were walking towards our seats (sec 124!!!), everybody was already chopping and singing/chanting.  BEFORE WE GOT TO OUR SEATS!  In the "tunnel" area!  It was deafening and echoing and I loved it.

Just before the game started, the announcer guy told us that we were going live on TBS in about 60 seconds, and that we needed to show the entire nation that the Atlanta Braves had the best and loudest fans.  So start chopping your heart outs!  Oh, we did.  I had to left-hand it, though... gimpy.  Palpable excitement?  You got it.  "Palpable" being the key word, here.

I think we all know the results of this game.  And I've already written about my rage involving the behavior of the fans around me.  It still infuriates me to think about this game.  There was a part of me that wanted to cry (not because of the errors, per se, or even the fans' acting like dicks).  It was just... Eric Hinske had hit the go-ahead home run... and then we watched it slip away.  And I watched reliever after reliever come into the game... and I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me.  I really did feel ill, much like I did for games 1 and 2 of the last home stand.  Tasos was actually worried (which made me feel ultra guilty).  But I was doing the hand-covering-mouth thing while he had his arm around me trying to calm me down.  Poor guy.  I was all right, really, but I did seem extremely distraught.  (And admittedly, I DID feel like crying.)  That game?  Not good for heart health.  Very stressful and disappointing and infuriating... and heartbreaking.

But since we all know this, I'm just going to post the pictures I managed to get at the game.  Considering we were maybe 9 rows from the field, you would have thought I would have gotten some good shots.  But that's not true!  Because people either don't stay in their seats during games, or are jumping up to watch exciting plays, I couldn't manage as many as usual.  Oh well.  Here goes!

Glenn Hubbard + Martin + Tommy + DLowe

BULLPEN BOYS!

Rick Ankiel's arm... 

Brooksy... 

A strangely un-raptor-like moment for Omar

Huddy pitching while his team looks on...
Poor Martin... :(

Alex Gonzalez + Brooks Conrad

Buster Posey

BUBBALICIOUS:  Matt Diaz

Wags looks tiny, even though he's normal man-sized,
next to T-Roy and Ske

Atlanta's Ginormous Pitchers

The Dugout Venezuelans:  JC + Martin

More Dugout Boys:  See Mighty Mouse on the right?  SO into it!  Also, check out all the playoff beard/stubble!!

Bobby in his familiar perch

Roomies!

I <3 Derrek Lee

B-MAC!

Rick checking on Jason Heyward

Bobby hustling to the OF to check on JHey

Mighty Mouse Nate McLouth sandwiched by gigantors T-Roy & Tommy

I had to.

BULLPEN BOYS!!

Lauren's convinced Cody Ross is related
to OUR Rossy.  I'm still too mad at him
to even think about that right now!  ha

JOOOOONNNNNAAAAAAAAY!

Full album link.

Tasos, by the way, is one of the best people ever.

Marlins vs. Braves Photos (29SEP2010)

Bubbalicious Omar Infante

Gotta start out with Bubbalicious.  No Martin, but Omar stepped in to fill my quota of bubble blowing.  This is the first Omar bubble I've ever captured.  Mini-bubble, but bubble nonetheless.

I'm going to keep my writings brief this time, since I'm pretty sure everybody knows what the box score was and yadda yadda.  I missed Braves BP, but I did catch Marlins BP.  Entertaining as usual.  I bought a $1 ticket, met up with Lauren (who informed me that Braves BP was ultra short... boo), and then snuck down to her seats with her friends Crista and Chandra.  (THREE ROWS FROM THE FIELD, OMFG.)  Skyline?  No thanks.

Smiling Hanley Ramirez greeting a member
of the Grounds Crew.  I think.

Will Ohman, laughing about a fan that wanted
a BP HR ball so much that he flipped over the rail.
(he wasn't hurt)

best Brooks Conrad photo EVER.  

Smiling Jonny Venters + J-Hey

Smiling Mike Minor

Smiling Craig Kimbrel

See a theme going on here?  :)

Smirking Melky + Dimples

"You talking to ME?"

Smiling Kyle Farnsworth

The only good MattE photo I got.

Brooksy's uni is ALREADY dirty.
Doing Prado proud. :)

D-Lee + D-Lowe

Dugout Shenanigans

Gonzo:  "Oh, sh..."

David Ross:  3 DOUBLES!!

Bullpen Applause for Brooks' huge homer

Omar the Velociraptor

Mike Stanton.  BEAUTIFUL.

JC Boscan + Mike Minor Secret Handshake:
Listening Ears!!

JC Boscan + Cristhian Martinez Secret Handshake:
Patty Cake!!

Did I mention I LOVE JC Boscan?  Because I do.

I've been on a mission to take good JC photos.  Mostly failed in this mission, but I still think he's beautiful.

For Lauren

Peter Moylan!

Freddie's in!

This was my view from my seats.

ENTER SANDMAN:  BILLY WAGNER

L.T.'s favorite MS stance

BRAVES WIN

Full album with a ridiculous number of pictures at Photobucket as usual.  

Lauren's post about this game is up (and more thorough, too, as usual).  

I'm passing out now.  Will edit with more details of game.  Phillies/Braves pictures to come.