Greensboro!

I was starving when my flight landed in Greensboro yesterday afternoon. I needed a good meal. I needed a shower. I needed a nap. I needed to drop off the bag that I'd stuffed with so much stuff that the zipper broke. But I made my friend Rachel drive me straight to First Horizon Park, the home of the single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers, because we'd be seeing a game there the next day, and I didn't want to show up cold. I don't care if it's not the major leagues. I can't watch a baseball game and NOT try to catch a ball. (Someday, this might be a problem if I have kids who play Little League.) And since the park opens just one pathetic hour before gametime, I had to see if there'd be a way to get balls outside the place early in the day. That's the beauty of minor league ballparks. They're tiny. Foul balls and home runs often leave the stadium entirely.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have too many chances today. There's "lawn seating" behind the left field wall and a gigantic net above the fence in right. But man, if I could get inside for some BP, I'd cash in. Lawn seating? Give it any fancy name you want. To me it'd simply be ball heaven. Without seats and steps and railings to dodge, I could run free like an outfielder and catch everything in sight.

I want to sit there during the game. So what if I don't count minor league balls in my collection? It'd still be fun to catch a home run. But Rachel already got us a couple of box seats. Hmm. Usually, security will let you move to a worse seat, but will Rachel let me move to a worse seat...and move with me?

Anyway, we took a 40-minute lap around the stadium, and I took dozens of pictures. I was looking forward to sprinkling a few into this entry and discussing my plan, but I'm having computer issues. (I brought my laptop but can't get online with it, so my entries for the next few days probably won't be visually appealing. Forgive me.) But basically, I'm going to show up about three hours early and hang out in straight-away right field because there's a space between the netting and the outfield wall, and the gate at the stadium's perimeter has spaces just wide enough for balls to sneak through. That probably made no sense. It's too tough to describe with words alone. The point of the netting, I realize, is not to prevent fans from getting balls, but to prevent balls from flying into the busy four-lane boulevard. So much for not having any obstacles. I'll have to make sure there's a red light before going back-back-back-back-back...