The National Trip, Days 1 and 2

Due to bad internet at our hotel in Birmingham, I'm having to post both recaps tonight from Lexington...

DAY ONE, 7/27

START TIME: 6:00 am Central
STARTING CITY: Arlington, TX
STOPPING POINT: Birmingham, AL
STATES VISITED: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
MILES DRIVEN TODAY: 655
MILES DRIVEN TOTAL: 655

Day one is in the books as Arron and I left my place at 6 am. Exactly 12 hours after leaving my apartment in Arlington, we arrived at Regions Field in Birmingham.  We set out a quick game plan: buy the Barons' team set, get them, and then go after Tennessee postgame if necessary.  Pretty simple, easy enough to execute.

Well, that's if teams do warmups the way we're used to-- trickle out onto the field a few at a time, some signing on their way to the dugout, some signing after dropping gear off before throwing and stretching, some signing after that.  With Birmingham, the entrance to the field is right next to the dugout, so that initial pass doesn't happen.

As of about 6:40, we had only gotten Rich Dotson, who signed 2/3 for me.  But not long after, pitchers made their way to the bullpen. Jake Johansen signed for everyone, doing two of mine.  He did personalize one and add "GO SOX!" to a Nationals card. Is this a Guthrie-esque jab at the Nats? His fellow alliterative pitcher, Dane Dunning, also was great, signing all six that I had.

The players didn't trickle out for warmups so much as flood out-- all emerged together, but fortunately their return was better staggered.  Tito Polo, Jameson Fisher, Luis Alexander Basabe, and strength and Conditioning coach Tim Rodmaker each signed the lone card I had for them. Alex Call signed 2/2, Keon Barnum 3/3.  Trey Michalczewski and Zack Collins each were one-per, but I was incredibly happy to get them.

Another grapher alerted us that Dylan Cease was charting, so we got him just before the national anthem, another two-per signer.

Gotta say, great stadium-- similar to Oklahoma City in a lot of ways and the food was excellent. If I lived nearby I definitely would go again. Barons won 5-2. Postgame, Alec Hansen signed for us, one-per at the dugout.

Afterward, we headed outside to try Tennessee's bus. We didn't have a whole lot for them-- mostly pitchers and a few coaches.  Terry Clark was the first out, as he signed the four I had of him. Jake Stinnett was a one-per signer, but he signed the one I would have picked had he asked.  Manager Mark Johnson was the last one, signing two for me. Looks like he's typically three per, no dupes.

Overall, a solid start with 31 sigs.  Next stop: Lexington, KY!

DAY TWO, 7/28

START TIME: 7:30 am Central
STARTING CITY: Birmingham, AL
STOPPING POINT: Lexington, KY
STATES VISITED: Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky
MILES DRIVEN TODAY: 408
MILES DRIVEN TOTAL: 1,063

Graphing sports for the better part of two decades has introduced me to a to of people-- many of them have been really nice. Drew Waters of the Rome Braves may be the best. If everyone could have the attitude that he has toward the fans, I would leave every ballgame happy and impressed. He has a fan for life right here.

Me, Drew Waters, and Arron; Major thanks to the
fellow 'grapher who snapped the photo for us.

It's amazing that the kid is only 19 and is currently the #9 prospect in the Atlanta org. A second round pick out of high school in 2017, he's hitting .289 in his minor league career, including .296/9/36 this year (and as the Rome leadoff hitter, an impressive slash line of .296/.346/.509). After the game, a 3-2 loss for the Braves, after getting done with a phone call, he came out and signed for the ten or so fans who were there, conversed, posed for photos... and signed EVERYTHING. He told all of us that if we had more, get them out, he'll sign them all. His comment even was "The more I sign, the more cards you guys buy, and the more I get paid, so I'll keep doing it."  How can you not like a guy who's hitting like that and signing like that?

After one game of South Atlantic League 'graphing, I wish I could do it more. Before the game, Arron and I concentrated on the Lexington side after snagging their team set at the shop. Fourteen from the set were already gone, but we were left with 22 still with the team-- 15 of them signed their card.

As soon as we walked in, the Legends had two players signing at a table near the main entrance, then switched them out for two others. So within minutes of entry, we got Sal Biasi and Carlos Hernandez.  Down at the field, pitching coach and former Brewer Mitch Stetter signed three cards, followed by starting pitcher Yefri Del Rosario signing one.

Side note, everyone signed everything I had on me. So if I got one, it's because it was all I had.  Back to the recap...

Seuly Matias signed two cards for me, later blasting his 30th home run of the season, a Legends team record-- and we still have a shade over a month to play!  Nick Pratto came by and signed the four I had of him. Collin Snider, Sebastian Rivero, Ricky Aracena, Janser Lara, Cristian Perez, and Marten Gasparini each signed one.

Earlier, Cal Jones and M.J. Melendez told us they would sign after the game. True to their word, they signed-- Jones on the lone card I had of him, Melendez on three (personalizing all of them), along with pitcher Holden Capps, a native of Lawton, OK, just an hour from Wichita Falls.

We almost decided to leave. Clearly, we're glad we stuck around extra-- in addition to Waters, Freddy Tarnok signed two cards, as did manager Ralph "Rocket" Wheeler as we waited by the bus.

Excellent second day: 28 sigs from Lexington and Rome. Running tally: 59 signed cards through two games.