I haven’t had time to go to my usual haunts, but I’ve seen some cool things.

The team plane awaits.

Tanner Scheppers feeding the birds at the Quadrangle at Fort Sam Houston.

Michael Kirkman got right in there and fed the deer.

The people with Fort Sam Houston said this was the nicest deer.  I think he just likes me for the corn.

Earlier, I was trying to get Tanner to let the birds eat out of his hand.  He said he’d be crazy to do that.  You can see he wasn’t as worried about the deer.  Maybe it’s the fence…

However, I’m not sure he really enjoyed feeding the deer either. 

On the other hand, Josh Lindblom really had a good time.

It was his idea to go see the deer.  I wish I had taken a picture, but at one point I looked over at him and he was sitting down in the grass trying to feed some of the birds.  They didn’t get very close but he made a valiant effort.

Before we left, Josh got a chicken to eat out of his hand. #WishGranted

This is my favorite picture from the Alamodome.  I’m right behind the dirt around home plate and Holland stood on the mound.  One of the coolest things for me.  #DoesntTakeMuch…

Tonight we head to Houston for the season opener but it will be bitter sweet for me.  I love Easter and I love baseball.  Missing my church service tomorrow will be tough but I’ve located a church within walking distance from the hotel.  Yea!

Tomorrow will also be my first opening day in another park.  I’ve seen countless opening days at Rangers Ballpark but I’m pumped to see one in another park.

And, this one isn’t from the road trip…

Photo courtesy of Rush Olson… Thanks, RO!

Thursday before the exhibition game, I went with A.J. Pierzynski to the Florida Gators basketball practice at Cowboys Stadium.  You can’t tell it’s me, but I’m the one in the black jacket.  With my job I always have my head in my phone.  #SocialMediaProblems

Until next time… Let’s Go Rangers!

]]> http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/2013/03/30/big-league-weekend/feed/ 0 keastepp IMG_4623 IMG_4652 IMG_4656 IMG_4657 IMG_4661 IMG_4662 IMG_4663 IMG_4665 IMG_4674 IMG_4622 http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/2013/03/22/back-to-baseball-blogging/ http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/2013/03/22/back-to-baseball-blogging/#comments Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:05:57 +0000 Kaylan http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/?p=69 ]]> Saying it’s been a while since I posted something is a bit of an understatement. To be completely honest with you, I was so upset at the way the season ended last year that it took me a while to crawl out of my baseball-induced depression.

I’m sure you’re thinking what do you have to be depressed about?!?! You have a cool job where you interact with players, you work for a Major League team, and you work out of a ballpark everyday… how bad can it be?

But the passion I have for this team goes beyond the walls of the ballpark. I live, eat, breath, sleep Rangers baseball. When I was watching the team crash and burn at the end of September, my heart was slowly being ripped out of my chest. (If you’ve been a fan as long as I have, I’m sure you experienced the same feeling as me.)

But it’s time to realize that it’s a new year… new team… new season.

So, you ask… where have I been?

Here is an update of what my off-season looked like:

ESPN Radio Event in the Captain Morgan Club – December 2012

Jackie Moore, Tanner Scheppers, and Steve Buechele

Buechele didn’t want me to snap his picture because he had candy cane in his mouth.  I told him he was crazy… he could just smile with his mouth closed. Or not smile at all.  Silly guy.

 Fan Fest 2012 – January 2013

Nelson Cruz

We set up a #RangersSocialVIP event on twitter and gave away the exclusive opportunity to meet Cruz.  (If you’re not already following along, check us out on @Rangers – #ShamelessPlug)

Top row (L-R): Derek Holland, Rusty Greer – Bottom row (L-R): Robbie Ross, Craig Gentry

In February, we hosted the first Boat Show at Rangers Ballpark.  Naturally there was some pre-event promotion at Fan Fest.  Can you guess which guy had the best time in the boat?

Winter Caravan – January 2013

Later in January, I went on a week long bus trip with Brandon Snyder, Derek Holland, and Josh Lindblom.  Plus, Ian Kinsler and David Murphy joined us at a few points along the way.

It’s not all work… we were treated to a San Antonio Spurs game and we were able to visit the locker room after the game.  Stephen Jackson, Spurs shooting guard, hung out with the guys for a bit and took several photos with them.

I witnessed the guys bonding on this trip…

After the autograph signing at Academy Sports & Outdoors in Round Rock, Josh Lindblom and Derek Holland picked out a few things to wear for the night.  Yes… they went to dinner and downtown Austin wearing these ridiculous clothes.  And, yes, they fit in just fine in Austin. #KeepAustinWeird

While the guys were signing at Fort Hood, one of the soldiers asked the guys to sign his boot.  Kind of an unusual request, but as you can see, the guys were happy to oblige.

And, Brandon Snyder and Derek Holland got a little workout in on the lateral ski machine at our stop in Waco.

To say the least, it wasn’t a dull trip!

Spring Training 2013

Then, it was off to Spring Training for a quick couple of days.

Chase Field from the airplane while landing in Phoenix.

No rest for the weary… it’s early days and late nights in Surprise.

Photo day: we start before the sun is up.

First stop for a player during photo day, Rangers Photo Room

Then, around the corner to more people taking pictures.

Head outside (where it was very cold this year) and film all kinds of commercials for various TV station needs.

Get back inside for a press conference with Wash.

Back to baseball for an intrasquad game.

Pretty cool to watch the game from the same view point as the manager.

Something interesting… all players shoes are cleaned after they leave the field.  The clubbies make them look like they are right out of the box!  #TakesTalent

The second day was all about a day in the life of a player.  Mitch Moreland was gracious enough to let me be his shadow for the day.  You can check out that day with Mitch here: Day in the Life: Mitch Moreland

I took tons of photos that day and at one point, I felt very intrusive… I was snapping pictures like crazy.  I looked at him and said sorry for being so much in his space.  He told me not to worry about it and then proceeded to get closer and closer until he was in my space… I snapped this pic while he was walking to me.  It was neat to see him open up and joke around; even joking with me.

While I was following Mitch, I captured a few other key moments that not everyone can see.

After taking infield practice, Kinsler asked Washington a question about fielding.  Wash spent several minutes with him giving him pointers, different techniques, coaching him on glove position, where the ball comes in, how to move your wrist, etc. Although I couldn’t hear everything Wash was saying, it was a great look into how Wash interacts with the team, how he teaches them, and how the players listen when he speaks.

Another part of my job is helping the players with their twitter account… things like getting them verified,  helping them reset their password, helping change their email address to something they have access to so they can reset their password.

That’s what happened to Olt this offseason.  The email address he was using was no longer available to him and he’d forgotten his password, so he couldn’t log-in to twitter to change the email address.   When he’d try to reset his password, the email was being sent to an email address that he couldn’t access.  It was a vicious cycle.

Photos with Olt are courtesy of Alan Rose.

I’m talking to him here about setting up a completely new email address that I can give to twitter to update his account.

Then it was back to Arlington to prepare for the exhibition games and Opening Day at Rangers Ballpark on April 5!

I love when my flight takes me over my second home… Rangers Ballpark.

The team returns home for the Exhibition game next Thursday, March 28.  Then I’ll travel to Houston (by way of San Antonio for two additional exhibition games) for the Season Opener on Sunday, March 31.

I can’t wait for baseball, but I seriously can’t wait for Rangers Baseball!  5 Days and counting until the Exhibition Game…

]]> http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/2013/03/22/back-to-baseball-blogging/feed/ 0 keastepp IMG_3127 #RangersSocialVIP boat at fan fest IMG_3777 IMG_3971 IMG_3988 IMG_4031 IMG_4078 IMG_4100 IMG_4105 IMG_4245 IMG_4251 IMG_4277 IMG_4274 IMG_4273 IMG_4357 IMG_4364 IMG_4373 IMG_4384 IMG_4386 DSC03515 kinsler & wash 2013 IMG_4382 IMG_4383 IMG_4430 cropped http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/2012/09/16/arrival-of-a-new-player/ http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/2012/09/16/arrival-of-a-new-player/#comments Sun, 16 Sep 2012 23:29:40 +0000 Kaylan http://sweetspotinbaseball.mlblogs.com/?p=65 ]]> Before today’s two hour rain delay, I had the privilege to see a new player arrive in the clubhouse.  While that may not sound that exciting, it was pretty cool to see how the current team responded to the new call up.

The clubhouse was crowded with media.  The baseball writers had just come back in from meeting with Ron Washington.  Radio and TV crews were busy getting interviews with the players.  The clubbies were scurrying around cleaning out a locker for the new guy, with the assistance of Mike Napoli.  They were moving Beltre’s extra stuff.

Wilmer Font arrived.  He walks in through the back door, through the kitchen from the parking garage.  He was wearing a white polo with yellow horizontal stripes, dark blue jeans, and tennis shoes.  He was carrying his Rangers travel duffle bag.

He walks into the clubhouse and starts looking for his locker.  Shouts from across the room begin… “Hi Wilmer.” “Hey, Wil.” “Congrats, man.”

He sets his bag down and Ian Kinsler and Michael Young call him over.  Handshakes.  Hugs. Congratulations on the call up.  Welcome to the Rangers.

Mike Olt, his teammate in Frisco, comes over with a hug and congratulations.

Jurickson Profar, also a teammate in Frisco, shoots him a smile from across the room.

Elvis Andrus greets him in Spanish.

Each guy made a point to say hi when they saw him.

I haven’t been around another team’s clubhouse.  I haven’t met too many players on other teams.  But I love our guys.  They didn’t have to stop what they were doing to welcome him to the team.  Mike Napoli didn’t have to help the clubbies clean out a locker.

Our guys stand behind one another, rookie or veteran.

Because of that (I call it obsessive-compulsive-on-the-camera-button), I have too many photos I can’t use but want to share.  Here are a few of my current favorites from today’s 40^th Anniversary All-Time Team/Alumni Weekend and Eric Nadel’s Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The weekend beings with the 40^th Anniversary Luncheon honoring the All-Time Team and Eric Nadel.  They had the most American desert I could imagine… apple pie with a Rangers cookie.  It looks amazing and tasted delicious.

40th Anniversary Luncheon Cookie

Waiting for the celebration on the field tonight, I met several of our prestigious alumni in the media interview room for a little twitter chat.  Charlie Hough, Buddy Bell, and Pudge Rodriguez were kind enough to take over the account for a few minutes.  I was a big fan of Pudge back in the day, so that was a special moment for me.

In addition to the guys tweeting from @Rangers, some of the alumni were signing an over-sized All-Time Team poster.  Here’s Jim Sundberg and Kenny Rogers inking their photo.

Jim Sundberg signs the All-Time Team poster

Kenny Rogers inks the All-Time Team poster.

When I looked back after snapping a quick photo of Sundberg and Rogers, I saw Nelson Cruz and Michael Young catching up with Rubén Sierra.

Nelson Cruz, Rubén Sierra, & Michael Young

After I took my first photo, Elvis Andrus decided to join the party.

Elvis Andrus crashes the party.

Not related to tonight’s ceremonies, but a couple of the players in the clubhouse were trying to prevent me from taking a picture of Holland’s jersey.  It took a few tries before I could get a clear photo…

Goofball players getting in my pictures.

More silly antics by the players.

It’s a short homestand, but some of the best memories were made for Rangers fans… including one in the office.

Here are my favorites for this month… so far:

I know there will be other photos this month that will make me smile.  I’ll be sure to share those with you…

Before I went on the All-Star trip with the team, I thought their travel and lifestyle seemed cool.  Fun and glamorous at times.  Chartered flights.  Sleek and stylish hotels.

While it’s some of that, but it’s also very late nights, tired days, and not enough time to do anything really fun in the city.

Here’s how the last two days went

After a 45 minute delay and extra innings on Sunday night (July 8), the team buses left the stadium an hour after the last out.  You go through security check on the runway before loading the plane.  Once in the air, the short flight is broken up by dinner and an inflight show.  If I recall after all the excitement of the last couple of days it was reruns of The Office and 30 Rock.

We landed in Kansas City at a small municipal airport and each person had to claim their bag as it was coming off the plane before getting on the bus to the hotel.  The bus drops you off at the hotel around 3:00 a.m. CT and there are already autograph hounds waiting near the door of the hotel.  Seriously.

The best part of the ride to the hotel was someone going over the next day’s schedule with Elvis Andrus.  He was told he needed to be on the player’s bus to the stadium at noon.  He had to be told a few times before it finally sunk-in in his tired mind.  The person going over the schedule finally asked him:

“Do you want me to call you at 10?”

“No, how about 11:30?” said Elvis.

“Okay, 11:30 it is.”

For the record, he was on-time for the media event the next day.

Rundown of Events for Day One: Home Run Derby

1. Media Event at Arrowhead Stadium (Home of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs) – Large room with all the players from the American League team with tons of media running round from table to table.  All of the Rangers were on one row at the back of the media room.  We jokingly called it “Rangers Row” but it’s really what it was.

2. Clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium – Getting settled in for the next two events

3. American League Batting Practice

4. Team Meeting

5. Home Run Derby

6. Post-Game event for the players and their families

7. Catch the bus back to the hotel

Not all of the guys stuck around for the derby.  If they had been through the All-Star festivities before, they took this valuable time to spend time with their family.  (Most of the guys had family with them – wifes/fiancés/girlfriends/moms & dads/siblings/friends) When I asked Ian Kinsler where he and his wife, Tess, went he told me they ate at a low-key hibachi grill and went to a second place for a few after dinner drinks.  I asked him if he was recognized out at dinner and he said no… which is nice compared to home.

Rundown of Events for Day Two: 83^rd All-Star Game

1. Red Carpet Show/Parade – The players caught their ride at the hotel and were set to ride the red carpet with family/friends down through the plaza in Kansas City.  Some of the guys were interviewed by MLB Network.  Fans lined the blocks and cheered and waved at all the players as they drove by.  Some threw gifts to the crowd from the back of the truck.

2. Head to Kauffman Stadium to prepare for the game right after the parade

3. Media Availability in the clubhouse

4. Batting Practice

5. All-Star Game

6. Catch the bus for the airport

The buses rolled away from the stadium an hour after the last out.  We returned to the small municipal airport where our plane was loaded and ready to take off.  We went through security check and were in the air pretty quickly.  An hour and half later, we were landing at DFW around 1:30 a.m. CT.  Catch the bus back to the stadium and drive home.

I didn’t expect the two late nights or that it would affect me the way it did, but the tradeoff of late nights and going on the trip to the All-Star game are worth it.  Every tired second.

Now I can truly say I appreciate what these guys do every three to four days; catching planes, staying in hotels, suffering through late nights while continuing to play baseball like the professionals they are.

The team has tonight and tomorrow off with the next game in Seattle on Friday.  I hope our eight All-Stars can catch up on some well-deserved sleep and additional time with their family.

And the past couple of years, the summers have been even hotter with the boys playing baseball like there is no tomorrow.

I wanted to share a few pictures with you that I didn’t use on facebook, twitter, and our other social sites. Which reminds me… did you know the Rangers are on five social networking sites? Yep, five!

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Tumblr
• Pinterest

Find us on one… or ALL… of these sites and keep up with Rangers Baseball socially.

And now to the good stuff, a few pictures from last homestand:

Nelson Cruz meets with kids in the “just keep livin” program. He kind of looks like Superman in this picture… and I’m sure to these kids he’s a super hero!

Elvis Andrus answers Emily Jones phone before his interview. He’s always clowning around.

Adrian Beltre signs autographs for fans before going to batting practice.

If there is something you’re interested in regarding Rangers and our social media, please message me and let me know.  You can message me on my blog, send a message on Facebook (facebook.com/rangers) or tweet @Rangers on twitter.

Until next time, I hope you enjoy the start of your summer.

I’m not just an employee of the team; I’ve been a lifelong fan.  Literally.

When I was three months old, my parents brought me to my first game.  I wouldn’t know except a Rangers executive selected me and my parents to be the Cradle Clubber of the Year.  My parents were invited onto the field, introduced to Danny Darwin, and had their picture taken.  After a few weeks, we received a very cool package in the mail; a signed photo and a certificate for a college scholarship that I could redeem when I turned 18.  The photo and certificate hung on my bedroom wall for as long as I could remember.  Even when I got married and moved into my house, it went with me and hung it in our home office.

The day after my 18^th birthday I went to the ballpark to redeem my certificate.  I used it to start my freshmen year at the University of Texas at Arlington.  Not but a week later, I started my internship with the team.

My very first job was working for the Rangers the summer after high school.  I umpired little league games for a program called Rookie League every summer through college except one.  Those were some of the best summers.  The kids made the days go by quickly, I got to play baseball all day, and I had a pretty good tan at the end of each summer.

From there, I transitioned into an intern position in the front office.  I didn’t have as good of a tan, but I met and impressed the right people and landed my first full-time job after college graduation as the coordinator of ticket sales.

I’ve prided myself as a Rangers’ employee for the past eight seasons.  We’ve had some ups and downs as a team, but my heart has remained true.  I’ve served in a few positions, but my current role is the most interesting and exciting one I’ve held.

From talking to the players in the clubhouse, to watching batting practice every night from the field or dugout, to traveling with the team to a few away games, and going to the All-Star game for the first time, this is the best job, and I work for the greatest team in the majors.

Recently, my first Rangers experience came full circle.  Danny Darwin visited Rangers Ballpark and I got to meet him.  I took my photo off the wall that now hangs in my office on the fourth floor at the ballpark and recreated it as best I could.

Standing on the field with Danny the other day was one of the most memorable things I can do with the Rangers.  Having the opportunity to meet him so many years later and to bring that experience full circle shows me that my amazing ride is one that was set in motion since I was born, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity to be a fan and employee.

I hope you join me on this crazy ride of Rangers Baseball… from the perspective of a front office employee and a lifelong fan.