Balls

J-Hey reached double figures Tuesday night, less than halfway through the season after managing only eight all of last year, and he’s not the only one who’s putting up some impressive HR numbers in 2019.

Monday was Getaway Day for the I-Cubs. It was a beautiful day for a ballgame in Des Moines and this one was scheduled for a noon start. Even though I work for the school district and summer break is in full swing, I had to report for light duty. The best I could do was pack a sack lunch to enjoy at the ballpark along with the first couple of innings, so that’s what I did. I ate my ham sandwich in the parking lot, then sat in the sun-soaked bleachers to watch the first inning before heading back to work. But first, I decided to walk a lap around the ballpark which straddles two rivers. I’d just rounded the RF corner when the idling crowd started to rev and I looked up to see heads turning in my general direction. I looked higher and picked up the flight of a ball riding a generous breeze clear out of the park where it landed on a concrete terrace of fountains and bounced to a stop in the grass beyond. I was the only one nearby and could have taken my time retrieving the bright white meteorite. Still, I hustled as quick as I’m able. Always have with regard to baseball(s). That’s HR #4 for me this spring/summer. A few weeks ago, I recorded my first-ever two-homer game. In addition, I’ve collected 3 in-park foul balls, 1 parking lot foul and 4 BP balls; 2 outdoors and 2 that escaped the indoor clubhouse batting cage through a door left slightly ajar. Last year I tallied a career high 11 PCL pearls, none of which were homeruns (though one was the single hit by Kris Bryant when he stopped here for a few games on his way back into the Chicago lineup late last August. After it was taken out of play and trickled back to the I-Cub dugout, Taylor Davis handed it to me in the dugout annex reserved for shutterbugs.). In the gift shop they sell pristine ones for $20. To me, the abrasions on mine are worth more. (For the record, The Hannemann hit it. Mostly he runs well and plays strong OF defense, but he’s wearing other caps since rejoining the I-Cubs after EXST. He’s had a couple appearances as a pitcher and he later homered again on Monday. Everybody likes hitting the juicy MLB balls in PCL clothing they’re playing with this year.)