4/10/10 - Cubs at Reds - I Got Some Autographs!

Last Saturday, April 10th, I had the pleasure of attending a Cubs-Reds game in Cincinnati. I hadn't been to a baseball game since Cal Ripken Jr. was still playing, and I had never had beer at a baseball game, so the game was super fun!

The best part? I GOT AUTOGRAPHS IN PRE-GAME! For whatever reason, I had never gone down to get autographs in the past. But my friend is an autograph hound (he got a player's phone number once on a ball intended for a girl lol), and so we went down to get them! Before I let you know who I got, do you have any guesses based on sight? I'll let you know who the autos are after the picture!
Give up?

Top left is Tom Gorzelanny. Awful signature, but a good guy, and decent pitcher!

Top right is Daniel Ray Herrera. He's only 5'6", throws the only true screwball in the majors according to some sources, and he struck out Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard in his Major League Debut two years ago. He also has the best signature of these three guys IMO.

Bottom middle is Logan Ondrusek. He's a rookie this year and is SUPER TALL (6'8"). Him and Herrera were signing cards side by side...imagine what that must've looked like!

Sean Gallagher was signing too, and actually walked the length of the left field fence, but stopped with about twenty people left to prep for the game. A few guys whined, but he really did stay long after everyone else left and tried to get everyone who wanted his autograph. So I'm not complaining!

Ah, but what of the game you ask? Well I will tell you about it, with more pictures to show Cincy's cool stadium.
This is in pre game, you can see some security on the field where the guys were signing autos. Carlos Zambrano and Aaron Harang started for their teams - both went 7 innings and gave up 3 runs.
Then we have the cool steamboat in center field - we were going to check it out later in the game, but didn't leave our upper left field bleachers because the game was close. Some great defensive plays by Derrek Lee and Mike Fontenot made things real exciting!
Finally I have a shot of the field, specifically Alfonso Soriano and Marlon Byrd playing catch. At the time I just took the picture to make fun of Soriano, but the guy actually ended up tying the game up at 3 with a solo homerun. Then in the eighth, 112 year old Arthur Rhodes served up a pinch hit homerun to Jeff Baker of the Cubs to put the Cubs ahead 4-3, which is how the game would end. I was sort of bummed, as I actually kind of like the Reds. But after a few autos, a good game, and some brewskis, I couldn't really complain!