Gonzo!

Today was a bittersweet day.  Great because it was Caden’s 11th birthday but sad because baseball lost two of its best: Stan “The Man” Musial and Earl Weaver.

Today’s mail was great too!  I received a Call Ball from the Arizona Diamondback’s radio broadcaster from the 2001 World Series, Greg Schulte.  He wrote his call from Game 7 when Luis Gonzalez got the game winning hit to win the World Series.  Mr Schulte commented on the letter I sent that that was the most writing he had ever done on a baseball and that he hopes he did ok.  Greg, you did awesome!

Gran día de correo!

Today was a “Gran día de correo!”.  Or, in English, a “Great day of mail!”.

I added a really neat baseball to my Call Ball Collection.  I sent a request to Twins Spanish broadcaster Alfonso Fernandez asking him to write his excited call of Jim Thome’s 12th career walk off home run back on August 17, 2010.  It is a really neat baseball for the collection!

I also received five MLB prospects on baseballs my guy Paul C got me from the Florida Instructional Leagues.  He picked up the following baseballs for me:
Byron Buxton
Levi Michaels
Max Kepler
Blake Swihart
Michael Ohlman
These guys are all highly rated prospects and should be in the Major Leagues some day.

You Make the Call!

As part of my updated blog, I am going to include some of the other items I receive through  the mail or in trade or purchase instead of just getting in person. I think the in person events will still be the most fun but it might be neat to follow the other additions to the collection as well.

Today I received a couple neat baseballs in the mail. I received a baseball signed by Murray Chass with “2003 HOF- JG Taylor Spink Award”. The Taylor Spink award is given each year to an exceptional baseball writer.  It is much like the more well known Ford Frick award given to a baseball broadcaster. That is a nice addition to my collection.

I also received a neat Call Ball today. In discussing my latest endeavor, The Call Ball Collection, my friend Rob M mentioned it would be neat to get the radio call of Joe Castiglione calling the final out of the 2004 World Series when the Red Sox finally won one. Joe is the Red Sox radio broadcaster on WEEI. I sent a ball to him and he wrote his call on it and included a nice note that the money I sent will be donated to the “Labels
Are For Jars” organization in Lawrence, MA who feed the hungry. That was really cool!