PSA from PSA

PSA from PSA are Public Service Announcements from Pad Squad Andre. PSA keeps Gaslamp Ballers informed of happenings that we should know about if we are to spend more time with Pad Squad Andre. -Dex

"It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was."

~ Anne Sexton, an influential 20th Century American poet and writer 

I did not want Father’s Day to pass without wishing the GLB’ers a Happy Father’s Day. I have not seen Dex and Elliott much this season, but I hope I do in second half of the season. Let me also be the first to say Happy 21st birthday to Jon. I am glad he finally will join the ranks of those who are able to drink a beer at Petco.

Over the last 10 days I have seen a lot of Padres baseball. I was able to catch the games in Anaheim and then all the games at Petco this week. I thought I might catch you all up on some of my thoughts from the last 10 days.

10. Every time I have the opportunity to visit another ballpark, I fall deeper in love with Petco Park. Recently, the thing I appreciate most is how “value centered” the fan experience is at Petco. If you are patient enough, you usually can find street parking near the park. Then tickets can be as low as $5 or even if you end up spending $12 on upper deck seats, they throw in a free coke and hot dog. Up in Anaheim, I had a rough time finding a deal on anything. $8 for parking, $14 for cheap tickets, $6 for a hot dog. Apparently, the Recession never hit Anaheim.

9. Hitting the pitcher 8th. In Nebraska, we call this TRICKERATION. Some love it, some hate it. At the end of the day, the game of baseball is all about trying new things and seeing if they work.

8. Day games are my favorite. Especially mid-week day games. People skip out of work, throngs of kid’s camps line the upper deck, and 2 for 1 hot dogs. It is hard not to have a good time in the midst of the San Diego sun, the harbor breezes, and the freshly cut green grass.  I was hoping to buy the GLB’ers a lemonade, but never saw them this week. Maybe next time.

7. The strange things that happen at the ballpark. Sometime, I would like to see GLB do a list of the 50 strangest things people have seen at Petco and list for Qualcomm. I am not just talking about poorly sung national anthems or badly pitched 1st pitches. For example, strange like a fan in the Toyota Terrace this week reached out over the railing to grab a foul ball, he caught it then did a flip over the railing, landed on his head, and still held onto the ball. A few minutes later, the EMT took him out of the stadium, and he was still holding on to the foul ball.

6. First game jitters. I am not just talking about my niece's first baseball game ever on Saturday. But things like seeing Kyle Blanks get his first major league hit, and then on Sunday score his first run. Events like that is why baseball was created. It launches dreams of exciting possibilities this Padres’ team has in store for us in the future.

5. Left-handed gloves. Sunday was glove giveaway day at Petco. My nephew is a left hander, and he was able to receive his first glove from the Padres on Father's Day. First, he got a right-handed glove at Gaslamp Gate, but was able to trade it in at that same gate for a left-hander’s glove. I learned that each gate at Petco has boxes of left handed gloves for the kids. All they need to do is ask the event crew at the gate for one.

I think I appreciate the Sunday giveaways a lot more after going to the Sunday game in Anaheim. I was expecting some type of giveway for kids, since they call it Family Sundays. But unfortunately, there was no giveaway at the gate for kids, instead they have a small section in the outfield for them to do “family activities.” This included a coloring sheet, a painting sheet, a Wii Baseball game (30 minute wait for 1 swing) and a smiley faced sand art project. After the top for the sand art broke and multi-colored sand spilled out in my car on the way home, I declared Family Sunday at Angel Stadium the worst idea ever.

4. Ruby’s Milk Shake’s. I love a good milk shake. On Saturday night, a fan bought me a strawberry milk shake from the Ruby’s concession stand near 108. HEAVEN ON EARTH.

3.  The Speed of these Padres. Gwynn and Cabrera are so fast in person. I think they are faster then they even realize sometimes. But if they are able to figure it out, like Dave Roberts was able to do in the past, the Padres will be very exciting to watch.

2. Padres’ Padres. On Sunday for Father’s Day, the Fathers of many of the Padres’ players threw a ceremonial first pitch to their son. Tony pitched to Tony. Kooz pitched to Kooz. It was pretty cool see not only how excited the fathers were, but also how excited the players were to have their heroes on the field. Even the Friar’s Father came out for the game.

1. Salute to the Negro League’s Night. This is also one of my favorite nights of the year. Getting to see the legends of the game come to Petco and be celebrated. It was also extra special for some fans because the Padres’ Foundation sold the game-worn and autographed #42 jerseys that were worn earlier this year.  

 HAPPY PADRES' DAY TO ALL!