Results tagged ‘ Petco Park ’
VIP entrance, press box tour, conversation with the Ecksteins and Padres’ win in one day? Oh my!
First of all, I apologize that the title of this entry is incredibly long. However, this lengthy title does not describe everything I did at Petco Park on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.
I was able to go to this game with Kaybee, John and my friend because the Ecksteins were so generous to offer tickets for me. If you read this entry, the same thing happened to me last year except that I went to the game with my brother. This year, I wanted to bring my friends but I received many, many requests that they want to tag along with me to go to the game. To be fair for everyone who entered my “contest”, I wrote all of their names and randomly picked three. So this is the reason why I invited Kaybee, John, and my friend. They were the lucky winners out of the bunch.
All of us gathered around at VIP entrance/media entrance/player will call before the game to pick up the tickets. I was astonished that all I had to do was simply tell the worker that a player left tickets for me and show my photo identification. My name was on the system so I had to be in charge of getting the tickets for us. Things went smoothly and two different workers at the VIP entrance really liked my David Eckstein poster, the poster which I will mention towards the end of this entry. So already, two people complimented my poster and it was a great way to start off the day at Petco Park.
The four of us went down to the field level to see what was going on for the Padres and their opponent of the day, the Diamondbacks. The first Padres player in action the four of us saw was Chris Young.
Kaybee was able to get Chris Young’s autograph. I already got his autograph from last year’s Padres Fan Day. All four of us were very impressed because he was so nice to everyone who wanted his autograph. Currently, he is on the DL and did not pitch since April this year. The return of new, healthy Chris Young is a must for the sometime in second half of the season.
Adrian Gonzalez was also signing autographs but again, I already got his autograph last year so no need to worry for me. Kaybee got his autograph but John was extremely close to getting his. My friend? Well, he doesn’t like waiting in a huge crowd trying to get autographs.
Later, we met Angela, the head of the photography crew of Petco Park. Angela contacted me through Facebook and asked me if I want to get a tour around the press box. You read it right. Press box. I responded back “Definitely!”. So Angela camed down to the field level to introduce ourselves and the journey began.
Personally, walking pass by securities felt pretty nervous but I love the fact that Angela was very calm and easy going that we made it to the press box smoothly. Since my friends and I did not want to look like bunch of super fans, I chose not to bring my camera. Plus we had to put our belongings in a room and my camera was in my bag. The reason why the pictures do not look great is because I took them with my phone. Also, people in the room looked busy preparing for the game and gave us a weird look. But I present to you, the press box of the San Diego Padres!
The second picture shown is where analyst Jerry Coleman does his job. It would have been fantastic if Jerry was present in his room but he was in New York, according to Angela. She was kind enough to take a picture of us in his room.
From this perspective, I really felt like Jerry Coleman. We had a very good look at his room and everything was just incredible. After looking around several more rooms, it was time for us to go back to our seats. We thanked Angela for a great tour and I hope to see her again in the future at Petco. She gave us t-shirts for each of us as well.
Also, we saw play-by-play announcer Dick Enberg and Padres radio announcer Andy Masur. We could not say anything to both of them because they passed by us in less than three seconds. It would have been amazing if they stopped by us and say hello. I even had several questions to ask for them. My goal was to have a quick interview with any broadcasters for the Padres but it didn’t work out. Someday I hope to accomplish my goal.
So already, it was about 4:20, which means we had time to relax and watch batting practice from our seats. About five minutes or so later, I saw pitcher Mat Latos’ girlfriend and her friend. Because I interact with them, I had to drop by and say hello. In order to do so, I had to ditch my friends. Sorry guys! I caught up with the ladies and it was so awesome finally meeting them in person. They were extremely nice and we had fun talking some Padres baseball.
After we parted our ways, I went back to my seats where my friends were waiting. About five minutes before 5, we decided to go back down to the field level to wait. Why and for who? David Eckstein signs every single day at Petco Park. For Saturday games, he signs around at 5. He came out from the dugout and started signing. I caught his attention by showing him the poster I made for him. He gave me his big, cute, “Hey!” and gave me a hug. I gave him a big thank you because he and his wife were the ones who provided the tickets for my friends and I. He was kind enough to sign the poster and take a picture with me. He loved my poster too!
This is my third picture I took with him but trust me, there will be more if I go to Padres games in the future. Of course I had to introduce Kaybee, John and my friend to Eck. He was so nice to everyone and made great eye contact. I appreciate him for everything he does to make Petco into a friendly place for the fans. The way he signs autographs everyday and doing his very best are only two reasons out of the bunch why he is my favorite player.
It was almost game time and I was reminded by Ashley, his wife, that she will be coming to our seats and say hello to us. When she came down to us, I was extremely stoked because I finally met her in person for the very first time. Trust me, I was about to scream.
First things first, she is so sweet and down to earth. The five of us had an incredible amount of fun talking with each other. I learned so much about the Ecksteins thanks to Ashley. It is impossible to remember every single thing we talked about but here are some of the great and funny ones that I remember:
1. David drives Ashley’s green Honda Civic, which I think it is adorable and funny. According to Ashley, David does not like anything flashy (If I remember correctly.) but instead, he likes simple things. People make fun of him driving Ashley’s car but I love the fact that he just laughs it off. What a great guy.
2. David watches WWE. That is all.
3. Ashley is the one who reads things off from the Internet. David does not want to read these because people can make up things that are not true. Especially rumors about players getting traded. So Ashley tells him directly about the things she reads. Therefore, David Eckstein does not read this blog.
4. Ashley has her clothing line for Star Wars. She has her website called, Her Universe. Please check it out! She works so hard to make her products for the female Star Wars lovers. She created her clothing line so the female Star Wars fanatics do not have to worry about purchasing Star Wars shirts that are made for guys. Everything Ashley created is gorgeous and chic and feel free to click here to see her creations.
5. Ashley calls David ”The grandpa of the Padres” because he gets along with his teammates but does not have a “best friend”. I think this is very cute.
At first, I was nervous because Ashley was right behind us. Meaning a row. It is not like everyday that a famous person sits right behind you so that was a really unforgettable moment. But because of her friendliness, she helped us to interact with each other smoothly and I thank her for the help.
Also, Ashley was supposed to sit in a different section but she was so nice to stop by us first before the game even began. Our conversation got longer and longer and I did not want this to end. She went to her seat in the middle of the game and she gave us a big hug. In the end, we talked to each other for about an hour, three innings in terms of a game. I did not pay attention to the game very well because I had a blast talking with Ashley.
I honestly don’t know how to explain this game very well so I’ll leave here some of the pictures I took.
On the left is Scott Hairston’s wife and on the right is Jerry Hairston’s wife. Stalker much? I think so too. But they were literally three rows in front of us.
So I am 3-0 this season. Meaning all of the games I went to this season so far, the Padres won all three games. Saturday July 17, 2010 marks the day as the best Padres game I went to in my life so far. When I go to more Padres games in the future this year, I hope to improve my record and stay undefeated. Meeting people and doing something new every time at Petco is always fun. What’s better than touring the press box, having a full conversation with the Ecksteins plus being 3-0 this season? Nothing.
First Game of 2010
The title of this entry is straightforward. On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, I went to Petco Park with my friend for the very first time this season. It was his first time this year as well. On my way up to Petco, I was extremely nervous and my heart was beating non-stop. I know it sounds very silly, especially since this is coming from a huge Padres fan. I didn’t know what to expect for the 2010 season at Petco Park and I was excited above and beyond. I also wanted my plans to work out smoothly as possible. My plans were:
1. Talk with David Eckstein and see if he remembers me.
2. Meet up with my Twitter follower.
3. Watch a great Padres win without missing an action.
I waited for my friend and after I found him, we went inside the Petco Park for a great adventure. First person I saw was the one and only David Eckstein taking a batting practice. Several minutes later, Scott Hairston was signing autographs. I was able to get his just in time.
Pretty picture of Scott Hairston’s autograph, I know.
About ten minutes or so later, I saw my follower from Twitter, Danny. We promised to meet up and we did. I love bloggers/twitter people meetups. It’s so easy to talk Padres baseball together and I enjoy meeting new people.
Not too long later, pitcher Clayton Richard started signing as well. I was able to get his autograph as well and I even took a picture with him. He was extremely nice and I was very impressed.
After Clayton Richard signed, none of the Padres showed up to the field. However about an hour later, David Eckstein came out from the dugout or clubhouse to sign autographs for the fans. I figured out that he still signs everyday at Petco and I really respect him for showing class and doing the very best for the fans. He is a wonderful guy and San Diego will not be the same without him.
While he was signing, I just had to interrupt and say hello to him. It was so nice that he still remembers me! He gave me a big hug and I nearly fainted. No dialogue of the conversation this time because I was freaking out and became way too excited. But he did ask me how is everything going and I replied to him I’m doing very well. We even took a picture together that is literally made up of win.
I asked him nicely if he can take a picture with me showing a thumbs up sign and he did! I was very, very impressed but at the same time, I knew he would do such things like this because he is an overall excellent person. It was sad and hard saying bye to Eck but I told him good luck.
According to my friend, he didn’t sound too enthusiastic when he was signing to other people but when he turned around and saw me, his eyes really lit up. My friend also said that the fans gave a “What?! How does he know her?” look. I felt such like a celebrity among the crowd. The best part is that Eck gave me a big “Hey!” that everyone can hear about 10 feet away. His “Hey!” is really adorable, by the way. So as a conclusion, this is now my new profile picture in my blog and it will probably not change, unless Eck and I take another picture that is just as great as this or even better.
It was almost game time so my friend and I quickly settled into our seats.
The lineups looked like the following.
This was literally starting pitcher Wade LeBlanc’s first pitch.
Wade started to struggle already in the first inning but he settled down and was very consistent throughout his outing.
David Eckstein’s very first at bat was a hit!
Chase Headley grounded into a force out so David Eckstein was out at second base. But thanks to Adrian Gonzalez, he hit a two-run shot to drive in Chase. At this point, Padres took the lead with a score of 2-0.
Starting pitcher for the Mariners was Cliff Lee. At first, I was very nervous that he will dominate the Padres because he is one heck of a good pitcher. But rather, he struggled which was a very good thing for the Padres and the fans.
It was also fun seeing Ichiro with my own two eyes at a ballpark. We all know that he is a big shot in Japan and even here in the United States. It was a pleasure watching him but of course, I did not root for him.
Yesterday’s promotion was a soccer-style scarf and it was spectacular. At some points during the game, we put our scarves up like so shown in above.
Jerry Hairston Jr. got a productive out with a sacrifice fly and catcher Yorvit Torrealba scored. At this point, the game was 3 to 1, Padres with the lead.
Bottom of the 8th was when things got very interesting. Chase Headley hit a double to drive in Will Venable. It was now 4 to 1 Padres. Oscar Salazar came up to pinch hit and he responded a pitch by hitting a three-run shot to drive in Chase Headley and Adrian Gonzalez.
Now the score was 7 to 1. Reliever Edward Mujica did a good job not giving up any runs to the Mariners in the ninth inning. The Padres ultimately beat the Mariners 7 to 1!
It was very nice to start off the season (Well, for me.) with a win. I was very impressed with Wade LeBlanc and he out shined Cliff Lee. This win was very nice, especially because I was in the stands rooting hard for my Padres.
So in the end, I got:
- Two autographs (Scott Hairston and Clayton Richard)
- A big hug from David Eckstein
- A nice conversation with Eck
- Padres soccer-style scarf
- Great Padres win
- Over a hundred pictures
- Perfectly worked out plan
Feel free to click here to check out more. This night was another fun one at the ballpark and unforgettable. I hope to make more trips to Petco Park this season.
Q’s and A’s
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Petco Park and Padres
Some people enjoy theme parks where they can ride extreme roller coasters. Others like city parks where they can sit back and relax, play catch, or have a family party. But my favorite is the ballpark of America’s pastime.
Whenever I go to Petco Park, the beautiful surroundings are just as exciting as the game itself. From the parking lot, I see the huge stadium looming against the sky and banners of the players beckoning me toward the tall, metal entrance gates. Before the game, I go down near by Padres dugout area to get as many autographs as possible. I don’t mind stretching my arm for a minute to get souvenirs. As I move into the concession area, the smell of hotdogs and other delicious food fill my nostrils. I hear the muffled chatter of fans, whether they are Padres fans or not. About thirty minutes before the game is when I have ton of fun already. This is the time when I get one-on-one talk with a player I adore. This really sets the mood throughout the game and I get more anxious to watch a victory for the Padres with my two eyes.
From my seat, I see the ballplayers spread out onto the field and run to their respective positions. As the stadium fills and the game starts, I can feel an excited tension swirl inside me as I join rest of Friar Faithful. I scream the name of my favorite player and cheer on rest of my boys from first inning to ninth inning, and maybe even extras.
Whether the Padres win or lose on the games I go to, I always end up having a good time. Petco thrills me everytime I go. This is my second house and it will remain as one for a very long time. I only live 20 minutes away from Petco so I can practically can go to this ballpark anytime I want. But couple of years later, I want to move very close to Petco (Like a 5-minute walk.) and work at this place as part of the Pad Squad. It will be a great pleasure working at Petco, interacting with Padres fans, stepping on the field as my job, and much more.
Baseball is on its way and I can hardly wait. Before opening day or even spring training, I must make a trip to Petco Park as my birthday gift. Fan Fest is approaching and it will be very exciting to see my boys again. I can only imagine what the Padres will bring to the fans this upcoming season will be wonderful. Going to the Fan Fest will be excellent to start off as a pre-season. Spring training will be when I can finally smell the fresh cut grass and sound of baseballs and bats. Here’s to a better, brighter season for the San DIego Padres.
Petco Park will open in 38 days on February 13th.
On the side note, I miss my dear rookies with their backpacks.
They’re all so adorable. More to come!
Final game at Petco
I can’t believe there are only two games left in regular season. I went to Petco on a Friday night with a friend of mine who likes the Padres to see the boys one last time before the end. On my way, it was sprinkling. I was worried that it might rain really hard and the game had to be canceled. Thankfully, the rain stopped by the time I arrived at Petco and the weather was back to normal. San Diego has crazy weather sometimes.
Funny story here: When we went near the player gate entrance, there was a guy who was walking like six feet infront of us with long hair, skinny jeans, aviator sunglasses, beanie, stylish shirt, and a newsboy bag (?). I thought, “Is that Tim Lincecum?!” Sorry. I don’t have picture of “Tim Lincecum” This happened so quickly and I did not expect this to happen. He used the gray thing next to the gate and went his way to the entrance. There was a grouchy looking security guard and stopped “Tim” and yelled him for an ID. The guy looked very p*ssed, and showed his ID. The guard told “Tim” that next time, he needs to go around the fence. I think ”Tim” ignored the security guard..
The gate opened and we made my way to find my seat and hung around the field inbox area so I could get autographs. Padres rookie pitcher Mat Latos was socializing with the Elite Group. He has crazy tatoos on both of his arms. On his right arm, it has flowers (I think they were roses and his new ones), a scroll with letters, and old English writing. On his left, he has Major League Baseball logo, U-shape and some kind of bug. Call me weird because I looked at tattos of a guy almost the whole time when really, the point was to get an autograph. If you get a chance to see him up close, I’m telling you the tattos will stand out. Mat seems like a cool, pretty laid-back guy, especially since he loves to talk.
I didn’t get any autographs because the Padres were coming in and out of the dugout and they didn’t have time to sign except smiling at the fans. Outfielder Drew Macias signed a few though. Catcher Nick Hundley signed only two. Again, it was impossible to get Mat Latos’. But I didn’t stop there. My last chance was obviously, David Eckstein. I knew exactly where he signs so I waited in that area for five minutes. He finally came out from the dugout and it was super crowded in that area. Since I already have like five autographs from Eck, all I wanted was a picture with him. I waited a little and did something I have never done before. Here it goes:
Me: (Tapped his wrist gently) “Hey Eck, do you remember me? Thanks for the package you and Ashley sent to me. I’m wearing the jersey right now.”
Eck: “Oh hey! I remember you.” (Gave me a big hug.) “How’s everything going?”
Me: (At this point, I started to freak out but didn’t show that so I can be a strong fan. I was just smiling like crazy the whole time.) “Everything’s going great. Thanks. Can I take a picture with you?”
Eck: “Absolutely.”
(I finally took a picture with him. Yes. I put my hand on his back and he put his hand on my back. One of the Elite Group didn’t look so happy. Oh well. As you can see, the picture I took Eck is now my new picture for my blog.)
Eck: “You know, Ashley is here today. She said she would love to meet you.”
Me: “Really? I would love to meet her too. Since I don’t know where she is, can you tell her I said hi?”
Eck: (Smiles.) “Sure. Thanks again for your continued support.”
Me: “I’m a big fan, and that’s what big fans do. Thanks again and good luck tonight!”
Eck: ”All right. Have fun tonight!”
Me: (Gave him a big smile.)
Call me crazy for remembering every single words but the chat with David Eckstein is 100% true. Our conversation got longer than from the one before which was a great. It is absolutely amazing when a fan talks to a baseball player, especially if that player knows who you are. I couldn’t meet Ashley but someday I will.
Starting pitcher for the Padres was Kevin Correia and Barry Zito was up for the Giants. I went to Petco three times now and I’ve seen Kevin pitch all three times. I find that awesome because he has done very nice job throughout the season. Last time out, he threw a first career complete game shutout against the D-Backs. Friday was his final outing for 2009 and I really wanted a win for him and the Padres. Barry Zito on the other side has improved but to me, he still needs a lot of work to get back on track. If he does that, there’s a possibility that Zito can win a Cy Young Award again.
Things started smoothly for the Padres because they had an early lead thanks to Oscar Salazar, who drove in Adrian Gonzalez for a Padres’ 1-0 lead over the Giants in the first inning. In the fourth inning however, Giant’s Pablo Sandoval hit a homerun against Kevin Correia to tie the game. There were Giant fans going crazy around me but luckily, Padre fans were there to back me up.
I was fine until the seventh inning. Giants ended up scoring six runs. It was absolutely pathetic to watch. I felt really bad for young Everth Cabrera. He made not one but two costly errors in the same inning for throwing and fielding. He now made 23 errors in the season. Even though the number sounds like a disastor, I understand because that’s what rookies do during their first major league career year. They make ton of errors but eventually fix them throughtout spring training.
Padres try to rally in the seventh to cut the lead by the Giants. Catcher Henry Blanco made it happen. Sort of. He hit a solo shot to left and I went crazy.
Sadly, that was the one and only run in the seventh for the Padres. Both teams did not score any runs in the eight and ninth inning so the Padres lost by the score of 7-2. This is their first loss at Petco this season. That’s pretty impressive.
(My last look of Petco Park for the season.)
I was kind of disappointed since my boys lost for final game at Petco for me. But I had a blast with Eck, even though I didn’t spent a ton of time with him. People around me looked totally jealous. Ha! I am definitely looking forward for 2010 San Diego Padres.
Pictures
These are few examples of work of 5.0 megapixal digital camera that I have owned for a year. I need to get a new one very soon.
More can be found here.
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