More than autographs

As much as I enjoy being a hound, I've learned along the way that there's more to it that simply loading up on signatures. Sometimes, such as this past Saturday, it's just as fun to take in a baseball game from a different perspective.

If you haven't checked out Baseball Mondays, a baseball hounding blog that occupies my time during the hockey offseason, now is as good of a time as any. Soon enough, hockey season will be back.

As always, thanks for stopping by.

Card show

Once Colin completed his Florida State League team ball project and loaded up his Dunedin Blue Jays batting helmet, we're down to getting cards signed as we start to close out our 2010 Summer of Baseball over at Baseball Mondays.

Minors accomplishment

As our 2010 Summer of Baseball winds down, we're putting the finishing touches on some of our summer projects. In this case, it's a game-used Dunedin Blue Jays batting helmet signed by 31 members of the Florida State League squad.

You can read about the helmet, as well as another summer project, at Baseball Mondays, our hockey offseason hounding blog.

Twelve down, none to go

Thanks to the Fort Myers Miracle, Colin completed his main 2010 Summer of Baseball project -- getting team-signed baseballs from all 12 Florida State League clubs. Check it out at Baseball Mondays.

Welcome back, Rocco

For those of you outside the Tampa Bay area, the news that former Tampa Bay Rays player Rocco Baldelli is attempting a comeback might not be that important. For Rays fans, though, it's a big deal that he's playing with the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the Florida State League.

Over the past few weeks, we've watched Baldelli play in a couple of games, serving as the Stone Crabs' designated hitter. Of course, his presence draws a crowd, ourselves among it. Though he signs only after games, he doesn't leave fans disappointed.

Among the postings at Baseball Mondays:

~ a signed 8x10 showing Baldelli's first-ever FSL hit -- a double against the Clearwater Threshers;
~ a single-signed baseball from Baldelli;
~ the 11th team-signed ball of Colin's 12-team FSL team ball project; and
~ Colin's first FSL team sheet of our 2010 Summer of Baseball.

A little toasty

So, how warm did it get last week during a Florida State League matinee between the St. Lucie Mets and the Clearwater Threshers? Try 113.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Thankfully, it was only 90 degrees in the shade.

Even better, Colin knocked out his 10th team ball of our 2010 Summer of Baseball. He can complete his 12-team FSL team ball project Wednesday, when we travel to Dunedin to watch the Fort Myers Miracle play the Blue Jays.

Read about these feats, as well as many more, at Baseball Mondays.

Back into the fire

Last week, we spent quite a bit of time inside a comfortable St. Pete Times Forum, watching the Tampa Bay Lightning's Young Guns development camp. This week, however, will be a little different.

On Wednesday, we'll conduct an experiment, our second in as many years, on how hot it gets during a matinee baseball game down here in Florida. Last season's experiment, also conducted in July, found temperatures that topped 110 degrees.

You can read about our upcoming experiment and more at Baseball Mondays, our hockey offseason hounding pursuit.

Hockey in summer

I must admit, the Tampa Bay Lightning's prospect camp, scheduled to begin Saturday, has got the hockey-hounding juices flowing. May not get a lot, but it'll be good to add a few more pucks to the collection.

First, though, we have a couple of Florida State League games on the agenda, including our only road trip of the season, across the Sunshine Skyway to Bradenton, to watch the first-year Marauders play the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Last week, we kept ourselves busy with a game in Dunedin and a rain-out in Tampa. See how we did at Baseball Mondays. Someone, and I'm not saying who, got his first autograph of our 2010 Summer of Baseball.

Just asking

Why is it that more people look at Baseball Mondays on a Tuesday rather than a Monday? After all, it's called Baseball Mondays, not Baseball Tuesdays.

Really, though, I should be ecstatic that anyone is looking at all.

Lessons learned

Most times, a certificate of participation is viewed as an adult's proof of having to sit through some sort of training. This certificate, however, is much different.

It's much more than a piece of paper, as it represents the first-ever summer hockey camp that Colin attended since strapping on skates more than three years ago. I'll tell you, too, that Colin truly earned it. Nearly 18 hours of ice time and six solid hours of off-ice conditioning will go a long way.

It's easy to admit, too, that I took something away from camp. Watching as much of his ice time as my work schedule allowed, I picked up some new skating and passing drills for Colin to work on over the rest of his summer vacation.

He also learned what it's like to play in soaking wet equipment. After taking part in a water fight inside the locker room because he wanted to "get wet and have fun," he learned -- once again -- the consequences for his actions. I soaked most of his gear, save for his gloves and helmet, and sent him out onto the ice, dripping wet, for a two-hour afternoon session. Needless to say, "Drip" got the point.

Years from now, both of us will look back upon the past week as part of the strengthening foundation of his hockey and life skills. There's still a long way to go, but it's times like this that push the puck forward.

Here's a picture from Thursday, when former Tampa Bay Lightning player Brian Bradley led the campers through a spirited workout/clinic. Colin's in the front row, second from right, wearing his gold-and-black P.A.L. Stars jersey.

The hockey camp, however, wasn't the only thing we did last week. Stop by Baseball Mondays to see what else kept us busy.

No slacking off here

Just because posts are few and far between here at Hound Central 5.0 doesn't mean I've been shirking my blogging and hounding duties. Just take a look at Baseball Mondays, our hockey offseason pursuit, to see what's been keeping us busy.

This week alone, we're missing three baseball games (two Florida State League games and a Tampa Bay Rays summer concert series game, featuring the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Barenaked Ladies) in with Colin's first-ever summer hockey camp.

A favor, please

Humor me, will you? Stop by Baseball Mondays, please. You'll see what's been occupying our time over the past few weeks. Thanks.

Playing baseball

Now that we're deep into baseball season, meaning we've attended a couple of Florida State League games, I've resumed weekly postings at Baseball Mondays. It'll keep me out of trouble, so to speak, until hockey season resumes.

Sunday morning homily XXVII

With the Tampa Bay Lightning missing the NHL playoffs for the third straight season, this week brings about the closure of another hockey-hounding campaign down here in Hockey Bay. I'm not the least bit disappointed. It might mean the Dolts snag another top draft pick.

My stance goes beyond draft picks, too. Since late August, when players took part in informal skates, it's been a long stretch of prepping, homework, hounding and blogging. Now, toss in family, Colin's hockey and two jobs. I hope you can see why I'm ready for a break.

It's time to chill out. Kick back. Read the Sunday paper. Put away some pucks. And, yes, figure out what will happen to Hound Central 5.0. As for the future? Well, that's too far ahead. I've been kicking around some ideas with Moody, so we'll see what happens.

More than anything else, I want to take a step away from hard-core hounding. It's not like I'll quit cold turkey, so to speak. Certain teams, especially those from the Western Conference, will draw my appearance. For nothing else, I need the NHL to reload with new players. There are very few in the league who haven't signed something -- be it a puck, card, jersey or photo -- for us since 1997.

These days, I'm getting autographs for the sake of providing "fresh" content to HC5.0. To me, that's awfully darn close to hounding being a job. When a hobby begins to feel like that, it's time to walk away. That's why I'm glad this season is nearing an end.

Colin's hockey is also a major factor. As he progresses, it'll take a greater investment of time and money. Like most everyone else, we've felt the economic pinch. If I have $100 to spend, and that doesn't happen all that often, it's going to his hockey, not hounding.

Really, though, I shouldn't complain. It's been a good season, as we've racked up more than 1,500 autographs. We'll easily top 200 pucks for the campaign, which included a special milestone. Got to spend lots of quality time, too, with Colin. And that, my friends, is what it's all about.

As for baseball

Along the same vein, Baseball Mondays won't be reactivated over the summer. Doing so, I'm afraid, will dilute last year's Summer of Baseball campaign, where we took in more than 300 innings and loaded up on Florida State League team balls.

Now, that doesn't mean we won't take in a few games over the summer. Don't worry, we will -- Rays and FSL. The goal this summer is about 100 innings, and perhaps only a couple of team balls.

5 Big Sigs

Busy week here in Hockey Bay, as three teams help close another painful chapter in Tampa Bay Lightning history.

~ Carolina's Eric Staal on a Canada souvenir puck;
~ Carolina's Manny Legace on Carolina, Detroit and St. Louis pucks;
~ Ottawa's Jason Spezza on a Canada souvenir puck and a MacFarlane base;
~ Ottawa's Alex Kovalev on a McFarlane base (for Al); and
~ Florida's Stephen Weiss on an 8x10 with Colin.

Back to hockey

Now that hockey season is in full swing here in Hockey Bay, with the Bolts in training camp and a bunch of autographs for our efforts, it's time to close the books on our Summer of Baseball.

Looking back, it was a great way to spend the summer.

Rounding third ...

As our Summer of Baseball winds down at Baseball Mondays, we're left with this solitary thought: Thank goodness for the Detroit Tigers' Rick Knapp and Casey Fien.

Smooth transition

If you're familiar with Hound Central 4.0, you'll know that Mondays mean another plug for our summer hobby, Baseball Mondays:

~ Did you know Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria follows the same pregame routine on the road (or at least Rogers Centre in Toronto) as he does at home in the Trop?

~ Despite not winning a gas-sipping scooter, the feeling was mutual at the Dunedin Blue Jays' fan appreciation night.