Thoughts On My First Golden Glover Game

 OK, I am WAY too wound up to sleep yet, so again, while things are fresh in my mind, here's another....

Set The Scene: When teams change sides, the fielders toss a ball around, then usually toss the ball into the dugout, but tonight, I heard through the grapevine that Cubs 1st baseman M. Busch #29 was tossing the ball yesterday instead to The Right Field GG.

So when the Cubs took the field in the first inning, and started to toss the ball around, I stood in #29's line of sight, but still in foul territory,  and every time he looked my way, I held up my glove (ready), and sure enough, he tossed me the ball, which I gave to the kid who asked me for a ball first. Then the second kid, and on and on. Total, #29 tossed me 8 balls. That, in combination with the 4 foul ground balls that came my way, needless to say, I became very popular with the kids in my closest section.

On another positive note, I took the suggestion from GG Bruce, and GG Kirk, and others, and gathered kids around me for the Golden Glovers Jumbotron Introduction. It happens right after they introduce the Organist, and they display the GG logo right before they "Introduce Us" so I told the kids in my section beforehand, and I must have had 10 kids gathered around me, and waving with me on The Jumbotron. I think it made their day.

That's not to say that everything went perfectly. I also did make my first error (boo). My second ground ball was coming at me fast and hard. I had it lined up, but the ball hit a clump of dirt and got by me. I chased it down quickly, but I was a bit bummed out. Then the people in my section gave me a boost. A couple of batters later, ANOTHER hard and fast grounder came my way, and I fielded it cleanly, and my section actually gave me a round of applause. Wasn't that nice of them?

By the way, did I mention that TV Announcer and former DBacks Manager Bob Brenly traditionally gives the rookie golden glovers their baseball "Nickname", and yes, apparently, he gave me mine tonight. Allow me to introduce myself....

Thomas "Chips A" Hoey 

Like the cookie.....Get It?.....  I LIKE IT!!!!!



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