2014 MLB Fan Cave

Once again, I'm taking the chance at living my dream of being in the MLB Fan Cave in NYC.

Wish me luck! Spread the word! Enjoy the video!!

3rd time HAS to be the charm - 2013 MLB Fan Cave

This is my third attempt at the MLB Fan Cave. Read my essay, watch the video and if you like what you see share it on FB, twitter, Tumblr, Myspace (are people using Myspace still?) and be sure to "Like" the MLB Fan Cave FB page and let them know to  #MeagonRoeLiveTheDream2013. If you have any and/or ARE media people and would like to spotlight my quest, leave a message in the contacts. Thank you ALL for your support!


The MLB Fan Cave is an opportunity of a lifetime. Baseball has been a passion of mine my entire life. I grew up during the time of the fabled dynasty years of the New York Yankees and watching Jeter crush his 3000^th hit for a HR is something I will tell my grandkids about some day. Iam also passionate about the arts and entertainment. I studied theatre in college and didn’t imagine I would be presented with an opportunity tocombine the joy of performing and my love of baseball, short of being a mascot; which is still not out of the realm of possibility. I am passionate, outgoing, and fearless when it comes to all things in life. My father introduced me to the game and when he passed in 2009, I promised myself I would always, always live life to the fullest and follow my dreams. In 2011 the MLB Fan Cave was created and it seem like all my dreams had come true. I have applied to the MLB Fan Cave since it was created and I will continue to apply until I am lucky enough to be selected to not just live my dream, but “live every fan’s dream”. To me the MLB Fan Cave isn’t just about proving how many stats you can quote. It is aboutrepresenting fans of not only my favorite team but fans from all over the world; be an ambassador for the fans. As a Cave Dweller it will be an honor to meet great players, past and present, and show my pride while representing all baseball fans.  Getting a chance to say “thank you” to the players and the game of baseball for all the nail biting games won and all the crushing loses that still sting. MLB is a game played by people who love the game, for people who love it even more. I am one of those people who may have never played the game, but I love it. So I am chasing my dream once again for that chance to get out there and show that I was born to be a MLB Cave Dweller. A true fan who wants nothing more than to share all 2,430 games with other fans while living the dream in the 2013 MLB Fan Cave.

Fan Cave Dream 2.0

It would be pretty cliché as a die hard Yankees fan to say, “the MLB star I most want to meet is Derek Jeter.” Cliché and true; because the honest truth is I would wash Jeter’s car(s) to spend time with the greatest player of my generation. To meet the man who is the symbol of the team and game I love so much, and to have the opportunity to tell him what he means to the game of baseball and to all the fans out there; would be the chance of lifetime. However, I would bet the spring training bat that was given to me by a grounds keeper at Steinbrenner Field, that every Yankees fan will submit any one of the following 500 word video idea. Jeter and said fan taking batting practice, playing catch, or trying to be the second man in the classic 6-4-3 double play which Jeter, Cano and Teixeira have perfected over the last few years.

Not me.

I’m going to be the rookie looking to make myself a household name. The rookie who’s sitting on a 3-2 count, 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th and I’m going to swing for the fences. With that one swing the hopes of ending up on the front page and not on the bus back to Scranton go with it.

The MLB star I would most like to meet…the Phillies Phanatic.

I know, I should probably turn in my pinstripes now. But hear me out. Green is king. Kermit, the Grinch, Oscar the Grouch…ok, not the best examples. The Phillies brought in Lee at the start of 2011. They grabbed Pence mid season from the Texas heat. But the Phantaic, he’s the star and the face of the team. I understand the confusion. Here is fan of one of the greatest teams in all of sports, and she wants to meet a mascot? But with all due respect to Derek Jeter, The Phanatic has already made it to Cooperstown; Jeter will be there soon. But credit where credit is due…so to spend the day with the Phanatic at Citizen’s Bank, learning the ins and outs of shooting hot dogs into the stands and getting to sit in the best seats (on top of the dugout!), how can you go wrong? Don’t forget the chance to hear what really happened between the Phanatic and Lasorda during that fateful 1988 game…. priceless.

I admit my choice in MLB star I’d like to meet may seem questionable. But three major storylines of the 2012 season are not; the Chicago Cubs, the newly minted Miami Marlins, and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looking to win the AL West.

After failing to hold on to the lightning in a bottle of 2004 and 2008 seasons and some big money trades at the start of the 2011 season. Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox ended their nine-year relationship. From Bean Town to the Windy City, Epstein went. The same way Lee headed north in 2010 to bring home a ring, so too does Epstein look to bring a ring to the long-suffering Cubbies.  Epstein’s arrival means one thing and one thing alone the Cubs want a ring and they want it soon. 2012 will not being their year, but if MLB’s wonder kid was able to break the Bambino’s curse he’s the only one with any chance of doing the same for the Cubs. Chicago’s best bet to make the play-offs wears loafers, not cleats.

Bienvenido Miami! A city known for its beaches, nightlife and humidity, just got a little hotter. The Miami Marlins signed everyone short of LeBron James during the offseason. New stadium, new name, new uniforms, new manager, and new a image. The Marlins in 2012 mean business. Lucky for them and their new manager Ozzie Guillen their business isn’t communication, its baseball. Thanks to a busy and productive off-season that brought in Jose Reyes and Heath Bell. The Marlins are going to be counting on their bats to be muy caliente’. With a line up featuring Reyes, LoMo, Superman Stranton, Raimerz, and Sanchez. Followers of Ozzie on twitter can look forward to more positive rants then they’re used to. The Miami Marlins look to bring the heat, without the help of King James.

Refusing to bet the farm on a monkey, the Angels swooped in and added not one big name, but one big name and one BIG name this winter; C.J. and Al. Mr. Race Car has one job alone, and that is to be the lead car of the Angles pitching staff. The lead car sets the pace at the start of every race, and is the car the others follow when there is a caution on the track. C.J.’s job couldn’t be easier, with one the best pitching staffs in the AL West and one of the greatest hitters to ever play. The Angels should fly right into the postseason; there is no team that can stand toe to toe with them; except the Texas Rangers. The Rangers like the Mounties always get their man. That man is Yu. The road to a ring for LAA will go through Arlington, but if any team has a chance to it’s the Angels with Wilson leading the pack all the way.

They have balls

I have been going to Major League Baseball games since I was a kid. However, I only started going to Minor League games when I moved back to Texas. I bring THIS fact up to explain this post and my current interest in the pitching aspect of baseball. Of course the long ball puts butts in seats, or mainly in the outfield bleacher section, where fans can attempt to catch a baseball as it hurtles at them. I love the long ball too. But in my search to find the seats I liked best at Nelson Wolff Stadium, I began sitting in Section 113; located along the San Antonio Missions dugout. It is in those seats I have sat the last 4 games. It is in those seats that the nuances of what a pitcher is doing on the mound were brought to my attention.

Pitchers throw the ball fast. FAST. That might seem obvious, and maybe I have been paying too much attention to where the peanut vendor was heading in the past. But that was truly a revelation to me. I have seen the light and the light is whizzing by at ridiculous speeds.

The San Antonio Missions continue to sit at the top of the Texas League South, with a record of 38-18 and six games ahead of the Texas Rangers double-A affiliate, Frisco Roughriders. The Missions pitching staff leads the league in strike outs with 465 and have an impressive team ERA of 3.81.

I am by no means a stats queen. Math was never my favorite subject in school and having to revisit Mr. Dewey’s decimal system just to cover and enjoy my favorite sport is not high on my list of things to do. But I do pay attention to pitching speeds and I take notes on that.

The recent series with the Arkansas Travelers was filled with good pitching and good hitting. Having never seen the Travelers play this season, I'll admit I was impressed. From the lay fan's point of view the Travelers were definitely the toughest teams I have seen the Missions face at The Wolff.

Jorge Reyes the switch hitting RHP faced the Travelers on the 3rd. Despite having a less than stellar performance the right hander worked himself into and thankfully out of a few jams, during his five innings. You can look at Reyes line from that night and think, not great. But what I took away from that game was the fact that Reyes did not allow himself to be rolled by the Travelers, he battled, yes. But with run support and yes another walk off performance by the Missions. The team got the job done.

Monday June 6^th, was the last home game for the Missions till they return on the 12th.  Monday night Simon Castro delivered an impressive performance for the Missions. Five solid innings with a fast ball that was maxing out at 96 on a few pitches but sat comfortably at 94 mph most of the night. Castro’s off speed had the Springfield Cardinals confused, by dropping it down to 86mph at times. At one point he faced three batters, threw twelve pitches, and caught a ball hit back at him, fumbled it, recovered it, fed it to the first baseman and STILL got the out. Not quite a bang bang play more like a bang, bang, drum roll, bang play; but an out none the less.

The pitcher that I have watched most closely since my first games this year has been Josh Spence. The 6'1 lefty from down under has pitched 34.1 innings and sits with an ERA of 1.83. I first took notice of Spence during a game earlier in the year when he threw four pitches and recorded three outs. Josh Spence has a deceptive delivery with a leg kick similar to current Cincinnati Red Bronson Arroyo. Thankfully Spence does not seem to be simultaneously auditioning for the Radio City Rockettes’ each time he comes to the plate. Spence has done his job in each of his relief outings for the Missions, getting outs and not allowing runs to score.

The current leader in saves in the Texas League happens to be Mr. Brad Brach. The San Antonio Missions closer. Watching him warm up the last few games, has been crazy. The 6'6" right hander has a smooth delivery, which then explodes out of his glove. If you are trying to catch a glimpse of the ball as it leaves  his glove before it hits the catcher’s glove you better not blink. As an opposing player facing Brach, I would pat myself on the back on my walk back to my dugout thinking, "well at least I attempted a swing...”
  
As with my last Missions related post, I’m clearly showing my support for my home town team. My response to that is, it’s my blog and I’ll write what I want.


GO MISSIONS!!

-ML