(Updated) This is pretty darn cool!

You'll have to turn up your speakers...

AND...for all you FaceBook users, here's one that I liked :)

Y'all probably saw this on TV but since it made me smile (and I'm normally alittle stodgy in regards to tradition), I thought it was worth a post.

The Home Run Derby & The All Star Game

I realize if you aren't into baseball then my affinty for the sport and its history is something you find hard to understand...but I had so much fun this past week....possibly even more than I did in '06 at the World Series.

My brother-in-law came in Sunday evening...and he's more into baseball than even I am. By 9:00 AM Monday, we were already downtown and headed to the 'FanFest'. This event is so freakin cool! Basically, its the Convention Center filled with all kinds of inter-active stuff for the kids, tons and tons of memorabilia, radio broadcasts, celebrities walking around, and most importantly, members of baseballs Hall of Fame (HOF)...everywhere you looked! I was in fucking baseball heaven!

I got to meet several of them as well as getting their autographs and pictures. It was just so fucking cool and they were some of the nicest people you'd ever meet. Keep in mind, these were guys I watched when I was kid....and I wasn't disappointed at all.

Went to the HR Derby, which strangely enough isn't something I care all that much about but since Albert and Ryan Howard (hometown boy) were participating, I wanted to catch at least an hour of it. We left about 8:30 because I had made dinner reservations at Shannons (owned by the former player and current Cardinals broadcaster) for 9:00.

Man...was that fucking cool at Shannons. Here's some of the people that were either seated very close or walked by: Whitey Herzog, Lou Brock (HOF), Bob Gibson (HOF), Ken Griffey, Sr., Bruce Sutter (HOF), Jason Bartlett (SS for Tampa Bay) and a couple of guys from the MLB network.

The All-Star Game was very cool, except for the AL winning. The atmosphere rivaled any World Series game that I have been to. The only thing that REALLY sucked was that everyone entering the stadium had to go through metal detectors and then get 'the wand'. This led to lines that were sooooo fucking long, just to get inside....plus they had all kinds of streets and highways closed. All of this was courtesy of Obama. Why Presidents have to show up for these events is beyond me. Don't they get the 'spotlight' enough on a daily basis? Luckily, since we were downtown by 11:00, we weren't affected by the street closings. BUT....I do admit, seeing the snipers on top of the stadium was pretty cool ;)

My apologies to 'The Girl'.....didn't see Utley or Howard anywhere prior to the All-Star game and I wasn't about to go inside the stadium 4 hours prior to game time (once in, you couldn't leave, which meant 'No Smoking') to get their autographs...I'm sure you understand.....right???? ;)

All in all...a great fucking time :)

Ok...a few pictures;

Main Entrance:

Pre-HR Derby:

View from my seats:

How amazing is this?

He actually apologized for being in the picture..I laughed and told him the back of his shirt is what I wanted. In case you can't make it out, it says 'U.S. Secret Service'.

See the snipers on the catwalk:

Self-Explanatory ;)

Shannons:

All-Star Game

This coming Tuesday is the All-Star Game. Now, if you aren't into baseball, then you'll probably don't give a fuck, but since I am, and since I'm going...I am waaaaaay excited ;)

I have never been to one before and no doubt, this will be my last chance since the last one we hosted was back in '66 and I'm not putting any money down that I'll be around for 43 more years.

My brother-in-law is flying in from Orlando on Sunday. My best friend since I was 9, is coming in from Kansas City on Monday morning....and I'm taking Monday and Tuesday off. Besides the game, there are TONS of All-Star activities going on downtown with many, many, former All-Stars and Hall Of Famers on hand. I also have tickets for a free autograph session with maybe a dozen Hall of Famers signing. Fuck...I feel like I'm 9 again! :)

I'll post pictures next week...and I'll do my best to get Ryan Howard (hometown boy) and Utley's pictures for 'The Girl'.....hmmm....that makes me think, what if I could get one of them to sign a picture saying "To R........"? Uh...what would that get me ;) ;)

Hope everyone has a great weekend...and thanks to Ron for his BD comment..appreciate it!