SBNation.com User Blog: derntootin

Padres @ Red Sox

derntootin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:13:30 -0000

The time has come. My flight to Boston leaves tonight and I have tickets in hand for all three games. Time for a vacation and a little baseball. I am really excited about this, and if anyone else is making the trip to watch this series too, I will be updating this post with bar suggestions for pregaming - so check back soon. If anyone already has plans then let me know where to go, and maybe I'll show up and buy you a beer (that is, if you don't care about preserving your anonymity). Go Padres!

Pads v. Red Sox 6/20-22

derntootin — Sat, 14 May 2011 15:29:17 -0000

So we have our plane tickets, but now we need game tickets. I've never been to Fenway before, can anyone recommend a good section for about $75-100/seat (I am probably going to go through stubhub unless you guys think there's a better way - craigslist sucks)? Any other Fenway tips?

Any other SD fans going and want to meet up for some wicked ahhhsum pregaming? How about if I promise never to say wicked ahhhsum again?

Dear Fair-weather Pads fan* heckling Luddy the whole game:

derntootin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 06:08:15 -0000

Suck it. In case you read this, I want you to know exactly who I am talking to. You sat in Section 130 Row 1 Seat 1. You wore a brown T. Gwynn jersey (1970's?) and went with a friend wearing a Braves jersey. I was the guy wearing the 1998 batting practice pullover sitting in the section to your right who called you an asshole and told you to shut up in the top of the 8th and again in the 12th. I bit my tongue way more than you know and wish I spoke up earlier and more often. I doubt you are an asshole all the time, but you sure were tonight.

I don't hate you, because I have seen you out at games before rooting for the Pads with the zeal with which I wish you would have used tonight (especially after Luddy's 1st homer). In fact, I am pretty sure I hi-fived you last season at least once in similar walk-off situations. So I am sure that I could get along with you in normal circumstances. But I absolutely hate what you did tonight.

Throughout the entire game, you heckled the shit out of Ludwick - every single top of the inning. Dude, even your Braves buddy didn't heckle Luddy until you two synchronized that "bum" chant in the 10th, which I am sure you put him up to. I get it, he's sucked this year. He sucked for us last year. But he's a Padre, and he's getting better and tonight he was the f'ing man. If you really feel the need to express your frustrations, then boo him after he "takes a bad route" or "can't run fast" (or create a fanpost on Gaslamp Ball) - by the way, those were some very creative complaints. Please don't misinterpret me, I do not condone booing any Padre. I did it once in 2008, and I felt awful inside afterwards, like I betrayed my own. Which is exactly how I felt about you tonight, Benedict. What I mean is, if you really feel that strongly about a Padre that you need to express your discontent, go ahead. Boo him briefly, but get it over with quick (fair warning, it pisses me off and I might tell you to shut up again). After all, it is a free country. But remember, free countries are built on thin red lines. We don't heckle our own. We heckle the Dodgers. We heckle the Giants. I guess we are supposed to heckle the Mariners, but really, who cares about the Mariners.

We DO NOT heckle the Padres. We DO NOT heckle the Padres at PETCO. We DO NOT heckle the Padres while wearing a Tony Gwynn jersey (remember when I told you if Tony knew about how you were heckling Luddy he'd make you take that jersey off? Whatcha wanna bet?). At least Padres Fans don't - which is why you get labeled Fair-weather fan* above. You showed your true colors and they are not brown and gold, at least not tonight. What, one Luddy HR all up in yo' guts wasn't enough for you? Here, how about a walk off 2-run blast all up in yo' fiz-nace. I remember Luddy smiling in your direction after putting up with your shit for 8 innings. Luddy big-leagued the shit out of you with that walk-off. Both of those HR's were hit right at you. Oh yeah, I saw you begging for Luddy to toss you his between-inning warm-up balls, twice. I bet if you had been lucky enough to catch either of them, or either of his HR's, you'd go early to your next game and ask him to sign it.

And believe me, I was not the only one disgusted with your behavior. There was a family of four behind me that felt the same way. The two teenagers to my back left thought you were an idiot (they commented on how unworthy of a T. Gwynn jersey you were too). I am pretty sure that big dude behind you with all the tats was sick of you too. Even the chicks two rows behind you thought you were a douche. The two guys to my right, who I always see at games, were bullshit about it. We kept talking to each other about you and how much of a jackass we all thought you were. The best was right before Luddy knocked the game winner right at you, we called it. "How sweet would it be if Luddy knocked the walk-off right at that guy!" Boo-ya! Poetic justice. I was so proud of Luddy tonight. I thought you were a disgrace. God it was awesome watching you bolt out of there with your tail between your legs. Why didn't you stay and celebrate? Why didn't I see you hi-five anyone? Why were you walking up the stairs looking only at the ground and not making eye-contact at any of the Padre Fans just waiting for some kind sign that you realized you got punked - by Luddy? You're a Padre fan*, right?

On my drive home my fiance analogized being a Padre Fan to being married (go figure - by the way, she thought you were a joke too). When you love someone and commit, you do so unconditionally. Sure you might fight, you might have rough times, they might do things that disappoint you or make you mad. But you love them and you are loyal. You treat them with the respect they deserve. You have their back, no matter what. For better or for worse right? Because when times are good, man are they good (like tonight in the 13th!). But sometimes they are bad. When they are, do you think it is a good idea to be an ass and make it worse? No. If you think I am wrong, please trash that T. Gwynn jersey right now because you don't deserve to wear it. Otherwise, get your priorities straight, and let Jed and Buddy handle the rest.

I guess the thing that most pisses me off is that I can't figure out why in the hell you did what you did. Did you think that somehow your heckling would help Luddy play better? Were you trying to motivate him? It sure didn't seem like it. To me, and everyone else around you, nothing but utter contempt for Luddy seemed to come out of your mouth. Way to be supportive of your team, fan*. Maybe you were trying to motivate him, and maybe that's just what he needed in order to drop that huge F-U of a walk-off right at you. I hope not. I would like to think that Luddy's just hitting his stride. I think Luddy's finally starting to get comfortable and relaxed here and that's why he's picking it up.

I hope this reaches you and you reflect upon your behavior tonight. I hope the next time I see you at the park we can be comrades, and root for our team. I hope you think long and hard about how true Padres Fans conduct themselves, and next time act accordingly. Because I have to tell you, all you brought with you to the park today was negativity and a Braves fan. I hope you don't bring either of them again.

Go Padres and congrats to Luddy. Great win.

For me, 4/13 vs. the Reds one of the best games ever

derntootin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:34:21 -0000

Ok so about an hour before the game yesterday (4/13/11) my buddy Mike called me up because he had an extra ticket. I said, "Hell yeah!" What else was I going to do at 3:30 on a wednesday, work? My regular seats are out in left field, so when I got to the park and found out we were only 10 rows back from home plate and I got even more stoked. I don't hang out with Mike much so it was really nice to catch up with him.

Mike's not a big baseball guy, so most of our conversation dealt with work stuff. Sitting on the other side of me was a nice fellow named Purdy (not sure if that's his first or last name - but either way I thought it was cool) about 40 years my senior who was there with his wife (who I initially thought was his daughter...way to go Purdy!). Every now and then Purdy would lean over and comment on the game or a player, and I would do the same. Mike had to leave in the 5th for a meeting, so Purdy was my chatting buddy for the rest of the game. At that point we were down 2-0 and the Pads' offense wasn't giving us much hope we would be avoiding the sweep.

We debated whether our lack of production was the result of poor Padres hitting or good Reds pitching/defense. We settled on a little of both. It was clear that we give the Pads much more credit than they deserve because we're both fans, but hey, what do you expect. Besides, it's early and we all know Luddy and Hawpe are going to break out for monster years (right?). We both thought the umps sucked. We are both really high on Maybin, we think he was a great pick-up and the new frontrunner for the first Padres cycle ahead of Venable (but we were pissed when Votto caught him lolly-gagging and went 1st to 3rd in the 4th - that should not have happened). Tim Lincecum scared the shit out of us last Wednesday. Nick Hundley is kicking ass and we think he has the make-up to continue his dominance all year - can you say batting champ? We love Buddy Black. Purdy missed opening day and Trevor coming out to Hells Bells, but we're both fairly confident we'll see that again when #51 goes up above the batter's eye and then again when he makes the hall of fame. We are stoked on Bartlett's defense, but want more from his bat, even if it's only a little. O-dog rules. Stauffer's doing his job well and we think he did everything he needed to to give us a chance to win. We both like Mosely but also want to see Luebke as a starter. Heath was sick, opposing batters shouldn't even try anymore. Neshek's got a funky wind-up. While Luke, Mike and Heath got a lot of attention last year as the staple bullpen guys, Frieri should have been more in that conversation too because that kid was lights out last year. Tuesday night's 11th inning collapse hurt our feelings, pretty bad.

Then I found out Purdy and I are both Padres autograph collectors. He used to be a bat boy for the an angels minor league team and got some cool baseballs signed when he was younger. One he had was signed by both of the Sandy Alomars and a bunch of other guys from those days. Years later Purdy's mom brought that ball early to a game (Mets @ SD?) and showed Roberto Alomar. Roberto grabbed it and walked away into the clubhouse. She thought Roberto just took it. About 1/2 hour later he came back out with the ball and told her how he was just showing all the guys in the clubhouse and how awesome everyone thought it was. He also brought Purdy's mom a new ball signed by the team. How cool is that? I shared how I caught a Jerry Hairston HR ball last season and brought it early to a game for his sig. I yelled to him, "Hey Jerry, I caught your Toronto homerun ball, will you sign it?" He started jogging toward me and raised his glove for me to toss it to him. I did, he caught, said "Thanks!" and promptly turned around and ran back towards the dugout. My heart dropped into my gut. After about 10 yards, he turned around with a huge smile and said he was just messing with me. A lot more stories, too many to recap here.

And then the Pads started coming back. One run in the 7th and then in the 8th to tie it up. Now the 9th. Deno flies out to an amazing diving Heisey catch on a ball totally slicing away from him. 1 out. Hawpe walks. He takes off toward 2nd and I am thinking "What!?! Noooooooo!" but the hit-and-run is on and Nick makes good contact - Hawpe to 3rd. Venable intentionally walked to load the bases. Hawpe thrown out at home (boy is he slow, that's why I was scared when I thought he was stealing second with Nick up) on Bartlett's squib. 2 outs. Then...O-DOG WALK OFF!! What a great day. One of the best. Hope I run into Purdy again, he was a fun guy to talk baseball with.

Go Padres.