Kete marte

[Juicyfruit66]

When i took my son to his first game last year i randomly got him a pitch in the dirt ball pitched to ketel marte from the game. Since then, i thought it would be neat to keep up a collection for him of the first player he ever saw play. Found this helmet signed rookie year :)

[TBM]

I've been doing the same thing for my kid. His favorite player is Alex Gordon though he does not really know why. This year though we have hooked onto another player who has become a favorite. We attended an Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals AAA team) game this year and it was a jersey off their backs auction night. I did not win the jersey I was going after but still got a gem. I won the jersey that Raul Mondesi wore during that game. My boy was so excited that we were getting to go down onto the field to meet him and get that jersey right from him. It made his whole summer. He still talks about that experiance. Raul was also great. He took pictures with us and we talked for a bit. To the best of my knowledge it was the only Mondesi AAA jersey to make it to the open market as he Played less than 20 games at the AAA level.

Since then I have been getting whatever I can that is associated with Raul Mondesi. We have been to several games since he got the call to the show and every game I have come home with something Mondesi related. Balls, bats, hats, helmets, jerseys. Even got to meet him in Kansas City, he signed our picture and said he remembered us. We are getting quite the player collection and am thinking about starting a player thread for him.

He still talks about Alex Gordon but Raul Mondesi has driven much of the conversations lately. Whenever we watch a game on tv he never misses a Mondesi atbat.

Best thing of all is that it's something my son, who is only 7, and I can enjoy watching and rooting together for the next 20 years as Raul plays out his career. I really hope it's a great one and we get to cheer lots for him.

[Juicyfruit66]

That's so cool, look at his face! I have a pic of me and dennis martinez from picture day when i was ten, i'll always remember my dad taking the pic. Still have it in my man room and i just recently bought a custom martinez rawlings to get signed next year :) baseball is the ultimate father son sport, i still remember listening to ballgames in my dad's car, dave van horne's voice calling the plays. Im hoping marte has a few years in him :)

[Juicyfruit66]

I think i was 12, i put it in an expos shrine frame when i moved from montreal to bc in 2005, it stayed there til i built my man room in 2012. Haha i have oakland shirt, pirates hat, and we took pic in front of mets sign.

[Juicyfruit66]

Heres the pics. The 8x10s my dad would gave bought ne at games and i hung onto them, tickets stubs too....pennant i found at antique store when i moved to bc.