I Feel Like the Milky Way Card

It's cold and dark (and quiet) in space. Man, what a long, non-eventful day.

• No word yet from Topps regarding whether the Code is officially cracked



• My partner in crime has gone MIA, hopefully finding is happy place while we wait in anticipation.



• I am having a standoff (well not really) with a second codebreaker that submitted his answer today. Obviously we cant share details yet, so welcome to the waiting room, bud!



• No emails



• No trades in the works



• No envelopes in the mail yet this week.

Sigh...

Well, heck. In the meantime I guess I can share with you my Triple A All-Star game experience from last night at our own PGE Park in Portland Oregon. As I mentioned yesterday, I was actually a volunteer at the event, and had the honor of being one of about 100 people (odd 1:212 packs) who actually got to carry the huge flag onto the field. This flag was presumably the same flag that his been used at Super Bowls, Pro Bowls, and POSSIBLY at the MLB All-Star game the night before. The guy who coordinated the practice just got in town yesterday, so who knows, maybe some great people have held this flag. pre-game flag at the ready. Not exactly officially folded, but what are you gunna do with a 300 foot flag?

this was my post.

So at around 650 pm we march onto the field, which is not astroturf, but that weird short grass that is kinda like the grass that you hit off of at driving ranges, except about and inch long? Anyways I do know this, it really reflects and radiates the heat, as gametime temperature was in the low 90's.

Coming out of the centerfield gate made me kind of feel like a closing pitcher coming into the game, felt like I should charge out to the mound or something. I totally nailed who would sing the national anthem (portlands Storm Large) best know for being a part of the Rock Star competition a couple years back.

So after the anthem we had a couple F-15's do a flyby and it was time to play ball. Each of us got a couple free tix, so I thought I would hang out for awhile. My first surprise was how ungodly expensive the food and souveneirs were. 22 bucks for a toddler T-shirt? Sorry JD. Then there was the wheel you could spin and win a little bat or poster or something...me? I won a high five from the spinner...ridiculous.

So I get to my seats and try to soak in some Triple A ball, but honestly I am not that big of minor league fan (SHOCK!!!). My reasons are legit. A few years back, Portland had a very good AAA team. We had Headly, and Cust, and I want to say that Khalil Greene was even here in town. Tore it up all year. Problem was, that same year San Diego (our affiliate) was also having a good season and right about the time for AAA playoffs, San Diego called up all of our good players. Portland the preceded to get blown out of the playoffs in the first round. Talk about a ripoff to the fans who spent good money, and apparently a TON of money of food and drinks (seriously PGE Park, your food prices are higher than the Seattle Mariners for cripes sake).

ANYWAYS, I watched about five innings, and got some joy watching the yankees Shelly Duncan struggle. Are the Yankees so bland that even their farm team is called the Yankees? Yeah yeah, Paw Sox aint much better, but at least we have the Sea Dogs...ARGGGG. And on anoter note, since when do the yankees even have a farm system? Ba-da-bum.

I will say this. Milwaukie certainly has a great system though, as their dude (don't even know his name) absolutely cracked one off of the top of the centerfield scoreboard. If that board was not there, I estimate at least 450. He nailed that sucker. Fielder, Braun, Gamel, and now this guy? Brewer fans should be proud.

Got a little bored though and wanted to beat the traffic outta there, so I wandered around a bit more looking for Johnny Pesky (threw out the first pitch) hoping he could sign my stub or something since Johnny signs practically anything. He is one of the most unselfish people, a true gentleman. Nowhere to be seen though, so I hit the road.

Thats where the story ends. Oh after the flag practice a bus pulled up with one of the teams. The only guy I recognized was Esteban German, but the guys were clearly on a mision to head in from the heat and left the few auto trollers in their dust.

I just wanted to see Buchholz pitch, but he got called up the day before to start in Toronto on Friday. I am going to have to call Terry about that...