Got invited by my friend Kevin  (found here)

http://www.livejournal.com/users/eldritch_soul/10569.html

to his company’s field box seats at Shea again last night, for the Mets game against the Rockies.

We got there about 45 minutes early, so the Rockies were just ending BP. We were standing, just taking in the sights and sounds on a beautiful Fall night. A voice called out "hey Diane!"

It was Zack Hample, aka "The Baseball Collector"

Zack has collected over 2,700 baseballs from over 40 different stadia, and he also plays Scrabble (which is how I know him/met him).

You can read his description of his night, which was quite impressive from the "memorabilia" standpoint. 

http://tinyurl.com/cf8jo

Here are the bloggers ….

I myself snagged a game-used baseball. It was a ball pitched by Tom Glavine, bunted foul by Rockies starting pitcher Sunny Kim, picked up and tossed to me by Clint Barmes.

Wright hit 2 dingers and reached 100 RBI, Piazza crushed a HR to the back of the bleachers, Glavine K’ed 11 and pitched a CG 2-hitter, and the Mets won 11-0.

Not a bad night at all.

I was invited by my friend Kevin McCarthy to join him in his company’s corporate box in the first row behind the visiting dugout at Shea on Thursday, September 15, as the Mets faced off against the Washington Nationals.

With such sweet seats, the view was great, and the chance for autographs and other perks was ample.

Preston Wilson singled in the 5th inning, and the ball eventually made it back to the Nationals dugout.  One of the Nationals coaches had tossed a couple of balls to some young kids earlier in the game, and this time, he tossed one in our direction.  Kevin snagged it, and promptly gave it to me.  My first game-used ball!

(Kevin also secured a Mike Piazza game-used ball, tossed by Nick Johnson)

So Mr. Hample, I’m only 2,600+ behind you now ….