Monday, August 26, 2013

Meeting Corey Seager - My Favorite Prospect - For The Second Time, and Lindsey Caughel For The First.

I took in another minor league game last Thursday, with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes heading out to Adelanto, California to take on the High Desert Mavericks (Mariners' High-A team). My buddy interns for the Mavericks so I'm able to get in for free, which always helps. After three and a half hours in traffic I finally arrived and took my seat about ten feet from the Quakes' dugout.


As the visiting team exits the clubhouse in Adelanto, they have to walk through the concourse and through the stands. I was able to catch Corey Seager coming onto the field and asked if he had time to sign a ball. He obliged, and signed right underneath the Cal League logo on a game-used ball. While I still want a couple of sweet-spots to add to my Seager PC, I really like how this ball turned out. He included his number 22 as well.


As the Quakes finished warming up, starter Lindsey Caughel walked by me on his way to the dugout and tossed me the ball he had been warming up with.



If you've never been to a minor league game, it's an incredible experience, as you get to interact with players and coaches, hear the players talking on the field, and get signatures and used baseballs much more easily than at a major league game.

I got a chance to hear Seager talk hitting with hitting coach/first base coach Johnny Washington; catcher Chris O'Brien lament running up the first base line (he's a fluffy gentleman, to say the least); and one player I couldn't identify talk about having to pee every ten minutes (I can relate on that front).

O'Koyea Dickson high-fived me during the game and, unlike with Lastings Milledge, he did not get in trouble for it. Quakes' right-fielder Scott Schebler had the big hit of the night as he clubbed a two-run homer. Post-game I got to chat with a couple of players, most notably Caughel, who was more than happy to sign the baseball he had tossed me pre-game.


Caughel is a really cool guy and I've already followed him on Twitter and thanked him for his generosity in signing, especially on a day when he was the starting pitcher. He inscribed his number without me asking.

All in all, it was a tremendously fun night. I'll be taking in one last Quakes' game before their season comes to a conclusion. Here are a few pictures I took throughout the night to bring us home.





A couple videos of Seager and Caughel. My camera was not made to take videos.


If I remember correctly, Caughel struck out the guy he was facing in this clip.


My goals for the last Quakes' game I'll attend in 2013 are a sweet-spot Seager and a Caughel photo. Anything else is gravy.

4 comments:

  1. Looks like a great time. Busting my Minor League cherry this Sunday. Great pick ups.

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  2. Awesome stuff man! I love going to minor league games and getting a chance to interact with the players before they become major league stars. This year alone I've been fortunate enough to meet and get signatures from nearly the entire Pirates top 10 prospects since there are several minor league stadiums wtihin 45 minutes of where I live (all different levels too). Gerrit Cole and Josh Bell were by far the most friendliest of the bunch I got to meet.

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  3. Thanks gents!

    Penguin- Good luck this week! Can't wait to see your post!

    Brian- I'd love to meet Cole, glad to hear he's a friendly dude. It's that whole UCLA thing ;)

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