this is my annual My Final #s blog, where i go through everything i collected throughout the latest baseball season. i wrote it a little earlier than usual because i'm still having a hard time dealing with the Indians' postseason elimination (which is why i pushed back my Analyzing the Tribe's Season post) and the fact that Michael Brantley is about to explore the free agent market for the first time in his career and he's all but done in Cleveland. yeah.😞
this post mainly features the number of games i went to in 2018, how many games i missed, the number of player autographs and baseballs i got at games, and the grand total of pictures and videos i took at games. there's also a section where i've noted which players usually sign autographs and where it's best to get those autographs, for those looking to increase or begin their own collection. i understand this won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's why i don't really promote it too much. i'm not trying to come off as bragging. i know i'm very lucky to not only go to the games that i do, but also occasionally come home with a nice souvenir. so my intentions are not to throw anything in other people's faces, i just want to see how this season stacked up compared to past seasons for me personally. if you're not interested, you don't have to read this. i won't be offended and i'll see you in the next one.👊 otherwise,
Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts
Monday, October 22, 2018
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
My Final #s for the Cleveland Indians' 2017 Season
after weeks of focusing on Michael Brantley and the rest of the Tribe's performances for the 2017 season, now i get to look back and see how i did. this is my annual My Final #s blog, where i peruse through all of the baseball stuff that i acquired in 2017. my collection generally consists of player autographs, baseballs, pictures and videos i took while at games, and photos of me with baseball players. i never heavily promote this blog because it's one of my more delicate posts on here and can be perceived as bragging. but if you're subscribed to my mailing list, then you got direct access to the link. so let's see if i achieved any records or personal bests during this past baseball season.
Background
for those of you who don't already know, i am a Ride or Die Tribe fan currently living in the Western New York area outside of Buffalo. this is not the most ideal location to be a fan of the Indians because STO is blacked out on the MLB Package here. so i cannot watch the games on TV unless they're on a national channel such as FOX, MLB Network, ESPN, or YES. thankfully, i can rely on the internet for game highlights and photos, and i always listen to Tom Hamilton broadcast the games on WTAM 1100 and/or 100.7 WMMS through my Gameday audio subscription. Hammy's the best! when i do go to Cleveland for Tribe games, i still
Background
for those of you who don't already know, i am a Ride or Die Tribe fan currently living in the Western New York area outside of Buffalo. this is not the most ideal location to be a fan of the Indians because STO is blacked out on the MLB Package here. so i cannot watch the games on TV unless they're on a national channel such as FOX, MLB Network, ESPN, or YES. thankfully, i can rely on the internet for game highlights and photos, and i always listen to Tom Hamilton broadcast the games on WTAM 1100 and/or 100.7 WMMS through my Gameday audio subscription. Hammy's the best! when i do go to Cleveland for Tribe games, i still
Monday, November 14, 2016
My Final #s for the Cleveland Indians' 2016 Season
finally, i get to take off the baseball statistics hat and focus on my own numbers from this season for a minute. this is the My Final #s blog, where i go back through all of my baseball stuff and see what i acquired during the year. typically that includes player autographs, photographs taken with players, baseballs, and pictures and videos that i took at games. i don't generally promote these blogs because they can be presumed as bragging, but if you're subscribed to my email list, then you're getting the direct link sent right into your inbox. honestly though, i just like to see if i can set new records and accomplish personal bests with each new baseball season.
Background
in case you're a new reader and/or unaware of my current situation, i am a diehard Tribe fan living in the Western New York area. my exact location unfortunately does not allow me to watch Cleveland Indians games on TV unless they're on a national channel because STO is blacked out on the MLB package here. luckily, in this day and age, i have the ability to get online and see game highlights and photos on a nightly basis. still, i prefer to take my own pictures and record my own videos when i attend ballgames. then, once i get home,
Background
in case you're a new reader and/or unaware of my current situation, i am a diehard Tribe fan living in the Western New York area. my exact location unfortunately does not allow me to watch Cleveland Indians games on TV unless they're on a national channel because STO is blacked out on the MLB package here. luckily, in this day and age, i have the ability to get online and see game highlights and photos on a nightly basis. still, i prefer to take my own pictures and record my own videos when i attend ballgames. then, once i get home,
Friday, October 23, 2015
My Final #s for the Cleveland Indians 2015 Season
truth be told, this is one of my favorite yearly blogs to write. this is when i go through all my organized baseball stuff and tally up my personal numbers for the Cleveland Indians season. i love to see everything that i accomplished during the year. like always, i collected some player autographs, acquired a few baseballs, and took a multitude of pictures and videos at the games i went to. and because i got a new digital camera with 30x zoom and invested in a larger SD card, i was able to capture even more/better quality pics than ever before. i like to take as many pics as possible since i can't watch my boys on TV unless they're on a national channel due to STO being blacked out on the MLB package in my area. these mementos also help lessen my rage over the fact that i live 2 plus hours away from the 216 and can't go to the ballpark as much as i want to.
in true diehard fan form, i spent the entire year, from the beginning of the offseason straight through to the end of the season, engrossed in Indians baseball and Michael's season. 2015 represented the 5th straight year when i didn't miss one out of one inning of one game in real time. once again, i was present for all the Tribe's preseason games and all the 161 regular season games. (i can never say "watched" since i listen to the games on my laptop.) i surprised myself because i really believed this was gonna be the year i'd end my run and miss some games due to life getting in the way. as luck would have it, that was not the case. i managed to set up everything that i needed to do, appointments and such, around the Indians' schedule to make certain that i would not miss any part of any game.
in true diehard fan form, i spent the entire year, from the beginning of the offseason straight through to the end of the season, engrossed in Indians baseball and Michael's season. 2015 represented the 5th straight year when i didn't miss one out of one inning of one game in real time. once again, i was present for all the Tribe's preseason games and all the 161 regular season games. (i can never say "watched" since i listen to the games on my laptop.) i surprised myself because i really believed this was gonna be the year i'd end my run and miss some games due to life getting in the way. as luck would have it, that was not the case. i managed to set up everything that i needed to do, appointments and such, around the Indians' schedule to make certain that i would not miss any part of any game.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
My Final #s for the Cleveland Indians 2014 Season
this is my annual blog where i take a look back at all the "work" i did and calculate all my personal numbers for the Cleveland Indians season. as usual, i have many memories in the form of pictures and videos that i took, as well as player autographs and baseballs that i received at games. you won't ever see me at an Indians game just sitting back and relaxing. i bust my ass to get as much as i can, so that when i go home and get everything organized, i can reflect on it and be happy. these things are what help me to not be so angry that i 1. don't live closer to Cleveland, 2. can't go to as many games as i'd like, and 3. don't get STO where i live because of blackout restrictions.
i spent the last 8 months of the year totally encapsulated in Indians baseball and Michael's season. for the fourth year in a row, i did not miss so much as one out of one inning of one single game in real time. i was present for all 162 games, plus the preseason games. (again, i can't say "watched" because i have to listen to most of the games on my computer.) fortunately, despite my crazy schedule and life obligations, i was able to arrange everything that i needed to do around the Tribe's schedule for yet another season. i scheduled appointments around games and skipped out on certain social outings to ensure that i didn't miss one second of anything. do i regret it? absolutely not. especially since this turned out to be a career year for Michael. i was present for every single plate appearance of his and i am very grateful that i was. i can't guarantee that i'll be lucky enough to continue this trend next season, so i really am appreciative that i've been around for as much Tribe baseball as i have--all of it--in these last 4 seasons. the laughs, the smiles, and even the tears that the Indians bestowed upon me, it was all worth it.
last year, i had some serious health problems. this year, it was more of the same. except this time, i had a new health issue pop up. figures, right? just like last season, i went to 8 games, but we paid for tickets to 10. i had to skip 2 games because my body could not tolerate sitting through them. i couldn't tolerate anything other than lying down to be honest. i was hoping that 2013 would be the end of my bad health, but those hopes were quickly squashed.
so what happened? get ready, because i'm about to get real. it all started a week before preseason games began in February. after many doctor's appointments and testing, my issue was properly diagnosed in March. i started taking medication for it, medication that i was warned had some unpleasant side effects. i was also told that if the specific medication they prescribed was making me sick, i could stop it and try another one, because there were a dozen different pills for my particular problem.
i took this pill for about 2 weeks until, as if right on cue, it made me sick on (the Monday of) Opening Day 2014. when consulting with the physician's assistant, i was told that this pill could potentially make me sick for a short period of time and then things would go back to normal. so if i felt better the next day when i got up, i should continue taking it. well i did feel better the next day, and i (stupidly) kept taking the pill. i should have known better. i should have known what was at stake.
i've been going to Indians' home openers for the past 3 years. i made it a tradition. and this year, the schedule allowed me to go to Cleveland the day before the home opener--on Thursday, an Indians' off day. we booked a hotel room for 2 nights and planned to see not only the opener on Friday, but the Saturday game as well. my health issue still hadn't been fully rectified, but i felt good enough to go on this trip. everything was fine with me on Thursday. then the Home Opener came on Friday. i arrived at Progressive Field 2 hours before the game was supposed to start. however, the 3 pm start time was being delayed due to rain in the area. they anticipated a quick shower would pass through and then we could play ball uninterrupted.
at about 2:45 during the rain delay, the sun was shining and no rain was in sight. but the forecast on my health was getting cloudy. i started feeling weak and dizzy and my stomach was kicking my ass. by 3 o'clock, i made the decision to go back to the hotel room. (thank god we had one.) i barely made it and by the time i got there, i was in horrible pain. my stomach hurt so bad i couldn't stand up straight. soon after, i threw up in the bathroom. there was no way i was going to be able to go back to the home opener, which officially began shortly before 5 pm. i stayed in the hotel room all afternoon and had to listen to the game on my computer, in between crying in the bed in pain and throwing up more in the bathroom. when i woke up on Saturday, i still felt very weak. so instead of going to that game like originally planned, i sadly just drove home while listening to the game on the radio, which miraculously came in for the entire drive back to NY.
if i thought it was devastating missing out on 2 games due to illness last year, well i was utterly destroyed about what happened this year. NEVER IN MY LIFE have i walked out of a Tribe game before it even got started. i was embarrassed even though nobody other than my mother knew what was going on. i mean, what kind of Ride Or Die fan punks out like that? it's a good thing the game didn't start on time, cause i would have been totally mortified having to leave during it. actually being in Cleveland and NOT being able to watch and enjoy a home opener because of something that could have been avoided left me heartbroken.
and you better believe i let my doctor have it. he took something away from me that i'll never get back. there will never be another Indians Home Opener 2014. i lost out on seeing the entire 2014 roster being announced, something they only do at the Home Opener, and the special tribute to the late Mike Hegan, which i had been looking forward to since Christmas. i missed the chance to see a great game, take lots of pics and vids, possibly get several player autographs, and, my favorite, do some daylight parking lot stalking. that's unforgivable.
so after that disastrous ordeal, i finally got put on a different medication, one that didn't cause me any major side effects. it took a good 5 weeks, like they said it would, before my health issue subsided. by May, i was getting better, but still felt a little lethargic at times. i fought through that though, and didn't need to miss any more games that i wanted to go to. by June, i was pretty much back to my normal self and i've been doing fine ever since.
much like last year, i know i should just be grateful for the games that i was able to go to, but i can't not be maddened about the circumstances that forced me to miss 2 games this season. i think about all the money that was wasted and it really pisses me off. my doctor offered his apologies, but that doesn't reimburse my family the money or give me back all the moments i missed out on. baseball means everything to me, and this is something that i'll always be sad about. however, since there's nothing anyone can do about it now, i guess i ought to try and focus on all the happy times i had this season. there were plenty of those. but maybe luck could cut me a break and give me good health next year, whaddya think?
now here are my 2014 #s:
i went to 8 games this year
--but missed 2 due to illness.
(8 in 2013, 11 in 2012, and 7 in 2011)
i took 5445 pictures
--including batting practice (but no BPX), player warm-ups, the actual game, and of course parking lot.
(4,809 in 2013 and 6,680 in 2012)
of those pictures, 1290 were of Brantley
--he played in 7 of the 8 games i went to, sitting out the season finale.
(853 in 2013 and 2,010 in 2012)
i took 176 videos
--it would have been over 200 had i not missed those 2 games in April.
(199 in 2013 and 300 in 2012)
other mentionables:
--i got 6 baseballs, the most i've ever got in 1 season.
(3 in 2013 and 4 in 2012)
--i got 25 autographs
(16 in 2013 and 40 in 2012)
--1 from Brantley
(1 in 2013 and 6 in 2012)
--i got my picture taken with 1 player
(0 in 2013 and 3 in 2012)
between game tickets, food, souvenirs, merchandise, and hotel costs, we spent approximately $3700 this year. for the previous 3 seasons, that total was around $2500, so we finally increased our spending. i think that was mainly due to the ticket prices. i had tickets in Row A for every game except the opener and they weren't always the cheapest. in the grand scheme of things, our monetary total probably doesn't do much for the Indians, but i'm always trying my best to help them out.
as i mentioned last year, it is really tough to get player autographs now. it's more up to chance at this point. you can't lure players over to where you are anymore; they either want to sign or they don't. and from my experience this season, no players had any interest in signing in front of my section(s) during warm ups before games.
i sat in Section 171 for every game i went to except one, when i was in 172. 171 is directly behind the tarp on the 3rd base side, and nobody ever came over there. it's like, what, are they afraid of the tarp all the sudden? and it was rare that anyone would go down into the left field corner near Sections 174 and 175 anymore either. from what i observed, Sections 167 and 169 got the most action this season. once in a blue moon, one player would start signing autographs right outside the dugout and then go ALL the way down the left field line, but only if they came out extra early with the intent to sign. players sure as hell can't do that during their warm ups.
the main way i got any autos along the 3rd baseline this year is when i got into the ballpark early and the relief pitchers were all still playing long toss on the field. then, most of those guys, if you called to them, would come sign for you before going into the dugout and doing the rest of their pregame routines. other than that, 171 was a dry area. but i really like that section and don't plan to move if i don't have to, so it's probable that i'm just not gonna get many pregame autos from here on out.
as for the players parking lot after games, it seemed as though only the same people signed every time i went. after i got them once, i didn't need them again unless i had multiple baseball cards of theirs. so i could have gotten a lot more of the same player autographs, but chose not to. and to my disappointment, none of the big name players ever signed when i was there. no Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, Michael Bourn, or Corey Kluber autos. Nick Swisher only signed in the parking lot after the season finale, but he didn't sign for everyone and i didn't get his. and Asdrubal Cabrera never signed before he got traded to Washington either.
maybe the lack of autos from all these guys was just bad timing on my part. it's very likely that they signed on the other days i wasn't there. but you'd think i could have got some of them at least once out of 8 tries...like i did with Michael Brantley. Michael has never been one to sign autos in the parking lot. however, when he took over Justin Masterson's parking spot in the back corner next to the side gate, he started to sign after games. but he would only sign for like a dozen people or less, so you really needed luck to get him. he signed 4 times that i was there and i got him once, after the final game of the year.
in spite of everything, i think i personally had a good season. i managed to get 6 baseballs this year, which i was pretty excited about. i took a lot of great pictures and have a lot of great moments captured on video. i also got my picture taken with Zach Walters, who's a very nice guy. all of these things will help cheer me up while i'm going through my annual offseason withdrawal and missing my boys terribly. these are all memories that i can treasure not just now, as i'm waiting for next season to get underway, but for the rest of my life. thanks to all the Cleveland Indians for providing me with another unforgettable baseball season and hopefully next year we can get back to the postseason. regardless, you know i'm still Ride Or Die Tribe. always.
i spent the last 8 months of the year totally encapsulated in Indians baseball and Michael's season. for the fourth year in a row, i did not miss so much as one out of one inning of one single game in real time. i was present for all 162 games, plus the preseason games. (again, i can't say "watched" because i have to listen to most of the games on my computer.) fortunately, despite my crazy schedule and life obligations, i was able to arrange everything that i needed to do around the Tribe's schedule for yet another season. i scheduled appointments around games and skipped out on certain social outings to ensure that i didn't miss one second of anything. do i regret it? absolutely not. especially since this turned out to be a career year for Michael. i was present for every single plate appearance of his and i am very grateful that i was. i can't guarantee that i'll be lucky enough to continue this trend next season, so i really am appreciative that i've been around for as much Tribe baseball as i have--all of it--in these last 4 seasons. the laughs, the smiles, and even the tears that the Indians bestowed upon me, it was all worth it.
last year, i had some serious health problems. this year, it was more of the same. except this time, i had a new health issue pop up. figures, right? just like last season, i went to 8 games, but we paid for tickets to 10. i had to skip 2 games because my body could not tolerate sitting through them. i couldn't tolerate anything other than lying down to be honest. i was hoping that 2013 would be the end of my bad health, but those hopes were quickly squashed.
so what happened? get ready, because i'm about to get real. it all started a week before preseason games began in February. after many doctor's appointments and testing, my issue was properly diagnosed in March. i started taking medication for it, medication that i was warned had some unpleasant side effects. i was also told that if the specific medication they prescribed was making me sick, i could stop it and try another one, because there were a dozen different pills for my particular problem.
i took this pill for about 2 weeks until, as if right on cue, it made me sick on (the Monday of) Opening Day 2014. when consulting with the physician's assistant, i was told that this pill could potentially make me sick for a short period of time and then things would go back to normal. so if i felt better the next day when i got up, i should continue taking it. well i did feel better the next day, and i (stupidly) kept taking the pill. i should have known better. i should have known what was at stake.
i've been going to Indians' home openers for the past 3 years. i made it a tradition. and this year, the schedule allowed me to go to Cleveland the day before the home opener--on Thursday, an Indians' off day. we booked a hotel room for 2 nights and planned to see not only the opener on Friday, but the Saturday game as well. my health issue still hadn't been fully rectified, but i felt good enough to go on this trip. everything was fine with me on Thursday. then the Home Opener came on Friday. i arrived at Progressive Field 2 hours before the game was supposed to start. however, the 3 pm start time was being delayed due to rain in the area. they anticipated a quick shower would pass through and then we could play ball uninterrupted.
at about 2:45 during the rain delay, the sun was shining and no rain was in sight. but the forecast on my health was getting cloudy. i started feeling weak and dizzy and my stomach was kicking my ass. by 3 o'clock, i made the decision to go back to the hotel room. (thank god we had one.) i barely made it and by the time i got there, i was in horrible pain. my stomach hurt so bad i couldn't stand up straight. soon after, i threw up in the bathroom. there was no way i was going to be able to go back to the home opener, which officially began shortly before 5 pm. i stayed in the hotel room all afternoon and had to listen to the game on my computer, in between crying in the bed in pain and throwing up more in the bathroom. when i woke up on Saturday, i still felt very weak. so instead of going to that game like originally planned, i sadly just drove home while listening to the game on the radio, which miraculously came in for the entire drive back to NY.
if i thought it was devastating missing out on 2 games due to illness last year, well i was utterly destroyed about what happened this year. NEVER IN MY LIFE have i walked out of a Tribe game before it even got started. i was embarrassed even though nobody other than my mother knew what was going on. i mean, what kind of Ride Or Die fan punks out like that? it's a good thing the game didn't start on time, cause i would have been totally mortified having to leave during it. actually being in Cleveland and NOT being able to watch and enjoy a home opener because of something that could have been avoided left me heartbroken.
and you better believe i let my doctor have it. he took something away from me that i'll never get back. there will never be another Indians Home Opener 2014. i lost out on seeing the entire 2014 roster being announced, something they only do at the Home Opener, and the special tribute to the late Mike Hegan, which i had been looking forward to since Christmas. i missed the chance to see a great game, take lots of pics and vids, possibly get several player autographs, and, my favorite, do some daylight parking lot stalking. that's unforgivable.
so after that disastrous ordeal, i finally got put on a different medication, one that didn't cause me any major side effects. it took a good 5 weeks, like they said it would, before my health issue subsided. by May, i was getting better, but still felt a little lethargic at times. i fought through that though, and didn't need to miss any more games that i wanted to go to. by June, i was pretty much back to my normal self and i've been doing fine ever since.
much like last year, i know i should just be grateful for the games that i was able to go to, but i can't not be maddened about the circumstances that forced me to miss 2 games this season. i think about all the money that was wasted and it really pisses me off. my doctor offered his apologies, but that doesn't reimburse my family the money or give me back all the moments i missed out on. baseball means everything to me, and this is something that i'll always be sad about. however, since there's nothing anyone can do about it now, i guess i ought to try and focus on all the happy times i had this season. there were plenty of those. but maybe luck could cut me a break and give me good health next year, whaddya think?
now here are my 2014 #s:
i went to 8 games this year
--but missed 2 due to illness.
(8 in 2013, 11 in 2012, and 7 in 2011)
i took 5445 pictures
--including batting practice (but no BPX), player warm-ups, the actual game, and of course parking lot.
(4,809 in 2013 and 6,680 in 2012)
of those pictures, 1290 were of Brantley
--he played in 7 of the 8 games i went to, sitting out the season finale.
(853 in 2013 and 2,010 in 2012)
i took 176 videos
--it would have been over 200 had i not missed those 2 games in April.
(199 in 2013 and 300 in 2012)
other mentionables:
--i got 6 baseballs, the most i've ever got in 1 season.
(3 in 2013 and 4 in 2012)
--i got 25 autographs
(16 in 2013 and 40 in 2012)
--1 from Brantley
(1 in 2013 and 6 in 2012)
--i got my picture taken with 1 player
(0 in 2013 and 3 in 2012)
between game tickets, food, souvenirs, merchandise, and hotel costs, we spent approximately $3700 this year. for the previous 3 seasons, that total was around $2500, so we finally increased our spending. i think that was mainly due to the ticket prices. i had tickets in Row A for every game except the opener and they weren't always the cheapest. in the grand scheme of things, our monetary total probably doesn't do much for the Indians, but i'm always trying my best to help them out.
as i mentioned last year, it is really tough to get player autographs now. it's more up to chance at this point. you can't lure players over to where you are anymore; they either want to sign or they don't. and from my experience this season, no players had any interest in signing in front of my section(s) during warm ups before games.
i sat in Section 171 for every game i went to except one, when i was in 172. 171 is directly behind the tarp on the 3rd base side, and nobody ever came over there. it's like, what, are they afraid of the tarp all the sudden? and it was rare that anyone would go down into the left field corner near Sections 174 and 175 anymore either. from what i observed, Sections 167 and 169 got the most action this season. once in a blue moon, one player would start signing autographs right outside the dugout and then go ALL the way down the left field line, but only if they came out extra early with the intent to sign. players sure as hell can't do that during their warm ups.
the main way i got any autos along the 3rd baseline this year is when i got into the ballpark early and the relief pitchers were all still playing long toss on the field. then, most of those guys, if you called to them, would come sign for you before going into the dugout and doing the rest of their pregame routines. other than that, 171 was a dry area. but i really like that section and don't plan to move if i don't have to, so it's probable that i'm just not gonna get many pregame autos from here on out.
as for the players parking lot after games, it seemed as though only the same people signed every time i went. after i got them once, i didn't need them again unless i had multiple baseball cards of theirs. so i could have gotten a lot more of the same player autographs, but chose not to. and to my disappointment, none of the big name players ever signed when i was there. no Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, Michael Bourn, or Corey Kluber autos. Nick Swisher only signed in the parking lot after the season finale, but he didn't sign for everyone and i didn't get his. and Asdrubal Cabrera never signed before he got traded to Washington either.
maybe the lack of autos from all these guys was just bad timing on my part. it's very likely that they signed on the other days i wasn't there. but you'd think i could have got some of them at least once out of 8 tries...like i did with Michael Brantley. Michael has never been one to sign autos in the parking lot. however, when he took over Justin Masterson's parking spot in the back corner next to the side gate, he started to sign after games. but he would only sign for like a dozen people or less, so you really needed luck to get him. he signed 4 times that i was there and i got him once, after the final game of the year.
in spite of everything, i think i personally had a good season. i managed to get 6 baseballs this year, which i was pretty excited about. i took a lot of great pictures and have a lot of great moments captured on video. i also got my picture taken with Zach Walters, who's a very nice guy. all of these things will help cheer me up while i'm going through my annual offseason withdrawal and missing my boys terribly. these are all memories that i can treasure not just now, as i'm waiting for next season to get underway, but for the rest of my life. thanks to all the Cleveland Indians for providing me with another unforgettable baseball season and hopefully next year we can get back to the postseason. regardless, you know i'm still Ride Or Die Tribe. always.
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