An Awesome Saturday Night

76erfan · Post by **76erfan** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:56 am

So this will be a tad long winded....but I want to tell the story.

So those emails that team websites such as phillies.com that are offering sweepstakes/grand prizes in partnership with local businesses...I used to delete them thinking they were rigged and I had no shot at winning. But two months ago I decided what the heck..I will enter it..its free.

Grand prize was 4 tickets behind the visitor dugout on 6/25 for Phils vs A's and the opportunity to throw out first pitch.

Then I didnt hear anything for months so I figured...I didnt win....no big deal. Then on Wednesday of this week I get an email from the phillies saying congrats on being the grand prize winner of the horizon/phillies sweepstakes. You will be throwing out the first ball on Saturday night. My jaw hit the floor! Horizon will also be in touch with you to arrange for you to pick up the tickets. Meet the Phillies marketing guy at 6:20 in the phillies offices and they will take it from there.

My first thought was there is no way I won.....this is a scam right? But then the phils called me and so did the business and it was real. I was chosen out of 17,000 entries and I was throwing out the first pitch in front of 45,000 people!

So quickly it was...figure out who goes with me to the game(ended up being wife and parents who live locally) and get a babysitter fast! We figured that part out and we were on our way. All the messages I got from friends were...dont screw up...you will be boo'd. You will be on you tube if you throw as bad as John Wall did. LOL. So that was a little nerve-wracking.

Met at the Phillies offices at 6:20...they took me to the media room and showed me where Charlie Manuel does his post game press conferences..got to sit at the table and have my picture taken at the podium. Will post that once I download it.

Then at 6:40..down the hallways/tunnels to get to the field. We came out right next to the A's dugout. I watched Kurt Suzuki and Hideki Matsui walk right by me. Getting a little nervous. I asked the Phillies guy who I was throwing the first pitch too...he said the Phanatic so you will have a big target. Turns out that wouldnt matter.

Then I get out to the field and the coordinator calls my name and I step over near the on deck circle....I was told do not step on the chalk lines and do not step on the mound. Cole Hamels was set to toe the rubber minutes later. They said as soon as you hear your name called, and you are at the designated spot in front of the mound..throw the ball. We are on a tight time line. So I walked out to the spot and promptly threw the ball right into the ground and it goes to the backstop.

The Phanatic retrieved the ball and came back to me and said...thats ok...no big deal. The Phanatic talks? I thought he was mute. And we posed for a picture and I was on the huge big screen with the Phanatic in the middle of citizens bank park. This was a dream come true.. If anyone boo'd I didnt hear it...I was able to cross something off my bucket list. I threw a first pitch at a MLB game(and my hometown favorite team the Phils).

I got to keep the ball(which was broken in and had dirt on it since my throw was at the Phanatics feet). I was escorted to my seat and the Phils lost 4-1 but who cares. I just had the time of my life through a random sweepstakes that I will probably never be lucky enough to win again. But I won this time and that was a night I will never forget.

So next time you get one of those emails....it may be a good idea to enter. You have nothing to lose...and only a memorable night at the ball park to win.

I will add some pictures to this thread later today.

I couldnt have spent a Saturday night any better than that!

Andy Saxton

751542 · Post by **751542** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:11 am

sounds like a great time congrats...you obviously, are no george bush...hehe....i may have to give you a COME ON MAN!

lookn forward to the pics!

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:17 am

Thanks for sharing Andy, great story!

Gekko · Post by **Gekko** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:24 am

awesome story andy!!!

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:45 am

Once in a lifetime memory.

Congrats Andy.

Dub · Post by **Dub** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 4:10 am

I'm sure you did better than Bababooey.

Nice story.

Rog · Post by **Rog** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 4:12 am

man that is pretty cool

not to take away from your story just wanted to add another bit of good fortune

my wife just won the coke zero / circle k "lead a lap" next week in daytona

the prize package consists of

Grand Prize – two (2) tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola" Daytona Beach, FL, Grand Marshal car ride for winner only, Sprint FANZONE Access for winner and guest (which includes Cold Pit Passes and" Hot Lap", and a $200 travel stipend. ARV: $450. (10)

my wife is pretty excited about doing the grand marshal lap before the race (she still doesn't know who the grand marshal is.I am looking forward to the hot pass myself.

rockitsauce · Post by **rockitsauce** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 4:15 am

That's awesome Andy!

You shoulda said something to that porno freak Matsui (for killin us in 09)

Seriously, that must've been a goose-bump inducing feeling, standing on the same mound (or near it) as so many great pitchers....good for you

Quahogs · Post by **Quahogs** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:24 am

Whoa what a hoot Andy... must have been a total goose-bump moment for you !

KJ Duke · Post by **KJ Duke** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:25 am

Nice goin' Andy, with that kinda luck either you'll win every lge you're in ... or you've spent all your baseball luck for the year on one Saturday night.

[ June 26, 2011, 01:26 PM: Message edited by: KJ Duke ]

76erfan · Post by **76erfan** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:37 am

yeah kj i think i am on track to win zero leagues this year. lol. the fantasy gods felt bad for me i guess.

and i wasnt that much better bababooey

how do you upload pictures into your posts? i am an idiot and cant figure it out

Dub · Post by **Dub** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:54 am

when you have your dialog box open to type a reply- there is a bunch of boxes below under the title "Instant UBB Code." One of the boxes is titled image. Click on that and cut and paste the web image that you desire. You will be pasting in something that looks like this:

http:// yadayada.com

Cobb · Post by **Cobb** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:58 pm

Wow, that's awesome Andy, congrats.

What makes it extra special was that it was at the home of the Fightin' Phils, can't get better than that!

Go Phillies!

76erfan · Post by **76erfan** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:48 am

sorry guys..having trouble uploading the pictures. If someone wants me to send the pictures to them and you can post them here that will be great. I think it may be an issue with my computer.

[ June 27, 2011, 10:50 AM: Message edited by: 76erfan ]

751542 · Post by **751542** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:03 am

Originally posted by 76erfan:

sorry guys..having trouble uploading the pictures. If someone wants me to send the pictures to them and you can post them here that will be great. I think it may be an issue with my computer. QUAHOGS???????

Quahogs · Post by **Quahogs** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:14 am

Originally posted by RoundTrippers:

quote:Originally posted by 76erfan:

sorry guys..having trouble uploading the pictures. If someone wants me to send the pictures to them and you can post them here that will be great. I think it may be an issue with my computer. QUAHOGS???????

[/QUOTE]

You rang ?

The picture needs to be part of a URL address. Accessible via a website. Something without a password like a blog account. Maybe a flickr account. I don't think a facebook or myspace or shutterfly would do ( I could be wrong though)

You can't just dump them from a cam memory card to the mb directly.

76erfan · Post by **76erfan** » Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:30 am

ok i am trying flickr..thanks for the advice quahogs and Dub

first pitch

[ June 27, 2011, 07:00 PM: Message edited by: 76erfan ]

76erfan · Post by **76erfan** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:45 am

ok guys..got over 20 pictures up now...click the first pitch link on my previous post.

Red Sox Nation- · Post by **Red Sox Nation-** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 12:34 pm

Great pics. I'm hoping I get the call for Fenway next.

Edwards Kings · Post by **Edwards Kings** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:10 am

Originally posted by 76erfan:

ok guys..got over 20 pictures up now...click the first pitch link on my previous post. Great pictures. Congratulations!