Saturday, April 12, 2008
LOOKING CALIFORNIA. [04-12-08, pt. 1]
Mets v. Brewers
Batting Practice
The plan, as my devious mind conceived of it, was to get to Shea early enough to stake myself out in the loge near the bullpen. Being an old habitue, I knew there would be no BP today (day game after a night game), but I also knew the pitchers had to warm up. Everyone would head to the field, while I would head to that corner of the loge near the bullpen. Genius, right? We got to Shea at 11 (no, seriously, 11am), and giddy as a schoolgirl, made a beeline for the loge.
We got a smile out of Nelson as he was finishing his long tossing and walking towards the bullpen: “Nelson! Brooklyn, REPRESENT!” He signed autographs for every single person who wanted them today (No, seriously, every. single. person.) and who could blame him?
Everything was perfect. We were going to have to camp out there for a while and probably move around a tiny bit, but I was in great shape to take awesome photographs of Johan Santana…
...Until the bonehead autograph hound morons near us pestered the pitchers in the bullpen so much that someone radioed up to the security guards to move us away from the edge. Everyone had to stand one section over. We gave up and headed up to the Citi Field preview center, and then up to our Saturday plan seats in the upper deck. It wasn’t until we got there that it dawned on me: Go up one level to the mezzanine, but it would have been too high, even with my long lens.
So if I want photos of Santana warming up I will have to either 1) go to another city where the bullpen is more accessible (Pittsburgh, anyone?) or 2) find some random weeknight he’s starting, buy a ticket, and go early.
The full set of photos of the pitchers warming up is here.







I want you to get pics of Santana warming up too. Please! Hey, did TBF catch a game in Mpls? Did he bring you T.C Bear?