Good Times!!

I have returned! I got back to Long Beach at about 4:30 yesterday afternoon after a great couple of days in Arizona. We had 28 people on our little "retreat". We went out to Mesa to watch the Cubs play the A's on Thursday. Great Stadium. So-So food. It was on the warm side (85 degrees) and we sat in the sun. I retreated to the shade by about the fifth inning and watched the kids try to get autographs once most of the starters left the game. Pretty exciting ending for the first real game of the Spring. The Cubs got out front early and then some poor guy trying to make the team gave up three homers and seven runs without getting anyone out. OUCH!!! His ERA is now infinity. The Cubs came back in the bottom of the ninth to win by one. On Friday we went to Tempe and watched the Angels play the Padres. We had lawn tickets but went right to the shade because the crowd was pretty light. Great Stadium!! Good food! I had a delicious grilled hot dog, good times indeed. Most of the Angels signed autographs for the kids especially before the game outside the stadium. Most of the kiddos got at least 20 signatures each day. We had dinner at the restaurant inside Chase Field (formerly called the BOB) in Phoenix. It is the home to the Diamondbacks during the regular season. It was first time to that stadium and it is impressive. I liked it. It has a totally different feel than any other ballpark I have been to. Many of you know I am a stadium junkie. I love them. I own books about them and I would like to visit all of them someday. The car I was riding in left early while some of the other groups went to watch the Brewers play in Maryvale and a few went back to Chase Field to watch the USA team practice in preparation for the World Baseball Classic that starts this week. Once again it was a great trip. I highly recommend it if you can get away from work. Here are a few pictures from my camera:



HoHoKam Park home of the Cubs




Tempe Diablo Stadium home of the Angels



Me at the BOB (now called Chase Field)