Season Ticket Holder Meet & Greet
The Hoppers are already off to what some would see as a disappointing start to the season — a losing record for the first several games (all on the road), and sitting at the bottom of the division standings. But it’s early, right? Anything can happen in baseball, and I still have hope. As Jeff Mills at the News and Record put it, “The team is competitve. The Hoppers have lost two games 2-1, and their only win so far was in a 12-inning game. Four of the five games have been close.” So we’ll see what happens. They’re in town Friday for their first home game of the season, and I’m really looking forward to it.
Last week, the team hosted a picnic for season ticket holders, which I attended. It’s a really cool event where everyone gets a chance to talk with the players, eat some good food, and watch the team practice and take BP. This year, the picnic food included some great barbecue provided by The North Carolina Barbecue Company. I met one of the founders, Ryan Pitz, who told me that they would be providing barbecue sandwiches at the ballpark this year. I can’t tell you how excited I am to hear that, especially since they’ll have eastern-style (aka the only true barbecue) available. I’m definitely looking forward to chowing down on some ‘que at the park this year. I hope The North Carolina Barbecue Company has a great season at the ballpark. I also read that some other menu items (including the Chicago-style hot dog!) have been added to the menu. The Taylor Made Kettle Corn sign was still up on the concourse wall, so I’m assuming that Pat will be back with the best deal at the ballpark again this year — his awesome kettle corn. All told, it looks like the ballpark is going to be a great place to eat this summer.
After eating, I had a nice chat with middle infielder Danny Black. He sounded excited to be in Greensboro and is really looking forward to playing in our ballpark.
I took a few pictures during the event, but none of them really came out very well. I also took a video of Donald Moore introducing the team. Check it out:
After the player introductions, the team headed to the field for some practice and BP. I don’t know what was going on, but I have to admit that after watching, I’m a little worried about the team’s fielding ability. There were a lot of infield grounders that rolled past the fielders without them getting their glove on it. I’m hoping that they just weren’t trying hard, haven just eaten some of that wonder barbecue. We’ll see what the season will bring, though.
Well, it was just enough baseball to get me even more excited about the home opening, which is now only two days away. And they’ll have fireworks. If you’re at the ballpark Friday evening, come look for me and say “hi.” My seat is in Section 104, and I love to meet other fans at the games.
See ya at the ballpark!
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Hoppers Fan 
Just found your blog and enjoyed reading through it. I am a Hoppers fan from Colorado. My son is Kyle Winters who was with the Hoppers a few years ago and is making his way back through the Marlins organization after surgery in 2009. Love listening to the sounds of the game when we listen to WPET for the home broadcasts with Andy Durham. Thanks for this great video. Wish I had known of it earlier in the season. Appreciate it and all the fans that support the Hoppers locally.
Catherine — thanks for the nice comment on the blog. I’ve enjoyed watching your son pitch. I hope he’s able to navigate through the system after his surgery. We’ve got a great team down here, and a great fanbase. Whenever I can’t make it out to the ballpark, I try to catch at least part of Andy’s broadcast. He truly is a pro!
I’ve got lots more blog posts to write, and pictures to post, from the last home stand. My silly “real” job keeps getting in the way! Hope to get some good updates out soon.
Thanks again for stopping by, hope you continue to enjoy the blog! And if you ever find yourself in Greensboro to catch a game, let me know — I’d love to say “hi.”