Back to Exile...

I can't believe that my annual trek to Astros Spring Training is already over. The week went by so fast! I am so incredibly jealous of my fellow Osceola County Stadium fans who go down there for the whole month. Meanwhile, I had to go back to work. Elizabeth and I had to leave the Monday game against the Cards after the 8th inning, because we had early flights. (It didn't help that Wandy got into an endless first inning mess.) So I can honestly say that this year at Spring Training, I never saw the Astros lose a game. They ultimately did lose that Monday game, 6-4, but I wasn't there to see it. (And, egomaniac that I am, I have to think that if I'd just stayed one more inning, the Astros would have managed to eke out a win.)

Before I get too carried away reminiscing about my week in Kissimmee, I want to take a few minutes to post my Fans of the Game and a few player pix from Monday's game against the Cardinals. I have two couples as Fans of the Game. The first, Barbara and Bob from Tomball, were sitting in front of us in the first row of Section 103. (That location practically makes you honorary members of the bullpen!)

The next Fans of the Game are Jack and Patti, who were sitting next to us. Both of them were keeping score, and Jack provided some good insight on the game and the team.

I cannot overstate how fantastic it is to be surrounded at a game by great fans like Barbara, Bob, Jack, and Patti - and the others who I've featured in the past few blog posts. The few regular season games I attend in Washington - always as the fan who's cheering for the Other Team - are generally marred by the number of rude and drunk people who don't seem to care about baseball, but who show up at games and make themselves annoying.

Now a few comments about Monday's game. Wandy lost it in the first inning, giving away 5 ERs to the Cards, a deficit from which the Astros never recovered. However, on the bright side, he did manage to get his act together for the next 3 innings, and left the game without any further scoring damage. Since he didn't have a very good start, I'll forego the usual pitching picture and instead post a shot of Wandy laying down a successful sac bunt. (I love pictures with the ball in the air!)

The relievers continued to pitch well. Gervacio and Lopez each pitched a scoreless pair of innings, each striking out 3 batters. Loux gave up a solo homer in the ninth inning - only the third run allowed by the bullpen in the 5 Spring Training games I attended! Here's a picture of Gervacio; with his crazy pre-pitch poses and snappy sidearm throw, I can't take enough pictures of him!

It's funny - back in 2005, my first year at Spring Training, I mainly tried to take photos that were good closeups and in focus. I didn't get much in the way of action shots back then. I have a better camera now (a Canon SX10 - 10 mpixels, 20X optical zoom), but I also have learned to guess where the interesting play will be and to just focus there and hope for some action. My best pictures from Spring Training are definitely the ones where Something Happens. Here are a few from the March 22 game:

Keppinger leaps, but can't keep Greene from stealing second base.

Feliz, the catcher, and the ump all watch the ball fly... out of the stadium.

Towles makes a heads first slide into second base.

Shelton takes a pickoff throw to first base. (I just love those ball-in-the-air pix!)

OOPS!

Lee spent the inning sitting in the bullpen - perhaps to avoid the long walk from left field to the dugout?

I posted a whole lot more pictures from this and other games on the Astros Fans in Exile Facebook group. If you're a Facebook user, you should definitely join this group! If you aren't, you might not be able to see the photos. I'll post more of them on the Astros Fan in Exile website photo album when I have a bit of free time. Hope you like these pictures. Comment on this blog if you do! I never know if anyone is out there!!!

Before I post this blog entry, I have to add one more Fan of the Game picture - this one is of Austin (author of The Bottom Line, an Astros fan blog) and me. We've been reading each other's blogs and tweeting at each other for more than a year, but never met before Spring Training this year. See you online, Austin -- and at Spring Training again next March!