Video recap of Fancave30 in Arizona... Amazing Trip

Did That Really Happen??

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It’s 11am, Noon, 1pm on a Thursday…

Somewhere in the middle of the country

Well, I said goodbye to the Fancave family this morning and am heading back home, back to reality.  I am somewhere mid country so time is irrelevant; pretty similar to how its been the past three days.  It is a weird feeling knowing that the 29 wonderful people (29 + all the great MLBFC staff) who I just shared the most amazing experience of my life with, will never all be together again.  But I am okay with that because we all have the memories and I feel lucky to have been a part of it at all.  Not sure how I am feeling right now… for one, I am definitely exhausted which kind of stinks because I will be up for the next 20 or so more hours as I work the night shift tonight.  I will plow through it fine though on my adrenaline and then have a massive sleep tomorrow, which I am already psyched about.  I am also feeling sad that this week is over, but on the same note very thankful to have made 29 new friends scattered all over the country and Canada.  And who also share the same passion of baseball with me.  And who knows… I could be spending all summer with some of those peeps in the Fancave aka ‘Baseball heaven’.  So, I guess it’s a bitter-sweet feeling.  Honestly, I am not nervous about the outcome because it is out of my control.  And whatever happens will work out for me.  I love my life in Boston, and would love my life in the Fancave.  I have frequently reminded myself this week of a quote I say often “Life happens… and all that I can control is how I react to it.”

While I am all over the place with my feelings, I have never been more proud to be a Phillies fan, representing my team amongst some of baseball’s most passionate fans.  And I have never felt more proud of myself for pursuing a dream and achieving all that I could have up until this point. 

The final night was great as would have guessed.  We all piled in the bus and went to Lucky Strike.  Again, a well planned and thoroughly thought out event, with bowling, catered food, drink, and good company.  We had four lanes and the entire back room of the joint to ourselves.  It definitely made all of us feel special as we took our pictures in front of the MLB Fancave backdrop screens hanging up (is that what you call them), and told stories of the past week, while relaxing and having fun.  It was neat to catch back up with all the Fancave staff too and show our appreciation for all they have done and talk in a more laid back environment.  While at Lucky Strike, I had a conversation with Danny, one of the other finalists, about how this has been one experience that we will never be able to express our gratitude for no matter how hard we try.  True story!!  After Lucky Strike all 30 of us hung out at the hotel, gave each other pep talks and agreed that we left it all on the table… and that at the end of the day regardless of what happens, have friends in multiple cities to bond over baseball with. 

This morning after a very little bit of sleep, I packed my stuff and headed to breakfast to say as many goodbyes as I could then took off for the airport.  Those of us on 9:55 flights had one last pow-wow in the airport and here I sit in the middle seat heading back to Boston.  I have had a great last week off of work; got to see my family, two adorable nephews, go on a trip to Arizona and live in a baseball bubble for three days.  So, going back to reality only seems fair.  I now just wait to hear back from the Fancave and in the mean time get to tell my stories to all my family and friends reminding myself of the important things in life that I am so thankful for.

I appreciate everyone who has supported me in this Fancave adventure.  You are all amazing and I know you will continue to support me regardless if I am sitting in the Fancave on opening day, or on my couch.  Either way, T minus 38 days until opening day!!  Woohoo!

Also, if you want a chuckle, check out the video posted of our parody of a Les Mis song that we made on Tuesday at Chase Field.  Pretty hilarious!!

http://mlbfancave.mlb.com/fancave/video.jsp?content_id=25607055&topic_id=19224580&fbid=AQDEAGJ4TTw

It's 5:00 PM on a Wednesday

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It’s 5:00 PM on a Wednesday…

In Arizona

You would never think we were in Arizona today though… it hailed.  Wowzer!  But it didn’t stop The Fancave 30.  We had stuff to accomplish and honestly, I don’t think that the weather would have phased any of us anyways.  We are all in such shock over our past few days, that rain, sun, snow… what’s the difference?  There is none!

So, today we split up into groups of ten and went to three different spring training sites.  My crew headed off to Goodyear, home of the Indians and the Reds, while the two other crews headed to Surprise and Salt River.  It was neat being in a smaller group because we got to know more about the people we were with, both finalists and Fancave staff.  It was really neat being at Goodyear and seeing their facilities.  Very nice for spring training if you ask me.  There weren’t many players on the fields because of the weather but we were lucky enough to meet Jay Bruce and film a skit with him.  He was such a good sport!  We did rapid fire trivia, where we ran up to him one by one and asked a quick one word answer question for him to answer.  His answers were pretty hilarious.  I asked him what round he would pick himself in fantasy baseball and he had the perfect answer “first”.  Obviously!  When asked what Disney princess he would date, he said The Little Mermaid. Haha.  Good answer… she is my favorite too.  We got to take pictures with him which was awesome to have for the memories.  I enjoyed meeting him and now have a tiny reason to cheer for the Reds, well maybe just Jay Bruce.

We then split up into teams of five and did a few challenges with our teams in which we filmed ourselves completing tasks that were given to us.  Hopefully I will be able to share those videos soon with my fan base, (or mom, dad and friends;) who read my blog.  We were sent out on our own with a camera and had 45 minutes to complete it.  I am psyched about our teams end result and can’t wait to see it… hoping they show them tonight at our event.  It was exciting to work under pressure and of course our free flowing adrenaline came in handy.

We then headed back to the hotel and had some downtime.  It was nice to all just hangout in a room and get to know each other better.  It’s really neat to just chill out with people whom you don’t know much about, yet you have so much in common.  We got to hear the stories of what the other finalists did today at the other parks. One of the finalists, Angela is a Royals fan and she definitely had the day of her life.  Got to meet some of the Royals and even got the hat off George Brett’s head.  I mean… that is cool!  More like unbelievable and amazing!!

Been hard to grasp all of the details but I am trying so that I can remember this forever and update folks who are interested in my adventures.  Getting ready to go bowling at Lucky Strike with everyone.  I am feeling pretty good about my bowling skills… Or maybe just in comparison to my karaoke skills, my bowling skills are looking pretty good. 

One last fun video to watch.  Here is a montage that was put together last night of all of our submission videos.  I could watch it a million times.  It’s so fun to watch the videos again now that we have met each other!   Check it out: http://mlbfancave.mlb.com/fancave/video.jsp?content_id=25606349&topic_id=19224580&fbid=c7kgNj1hMD_

Time to start stretching so I can be on my bowling game tonight.  More to come…

11:45 PM on a Tuesday

11:45 PM on a Tuesday

In Arizona…

Day 1 recap

It is kind of hard to call this a ‘recap’ because I don’t think I will be able to do this day justice in a blog… but I will try.  Starting off where my last update left off this morning, we all boarded a bus to Chase Field.  The bus ride was neat because it was the first time we were all together in one place.  There was good camaraderie immediately.  There was a lot of excited energy in the bus that continued to carry with all of us through out the day.  When we got to Chase Field, we were introduced to the MLB Fancave team.  They welcomed us to Arizona and gave a very inspiring speech about this experience and the process of getting to this point in the competition.

It was a very upbeat way to start the day.  It made me feel very proud of myself and proud of all my peers around me for making it this far.  It made me feel like there really is nothing I can’t achieve if I put my mind to it.  After this, we ate lunch and mingled with the Fancave Staff.  Everyone was so welcoming and down to earth.  I immediately felt comfortable with the surroundings and was thus able to truly be myself, which is what they encouraged us to do.  I then had an interview with about 15 of the staff.  It seemed intimidating walking into the room with them all sitting around in a horseshoe… my seat in the middle.  However, they were so laid back and just wanted to have a conversation with me.  I felt good about it!

Then we had our 60 second elevator pitch which involved the entire Fancave team again in a room that resembled the Price is Right.  I walked down the isle to the front where I stood in front of a microphone and a ‘gong’.  Gong would sound at one minute, and it was ‘go time’.  I was not as nervous as I thought I would be as I do like public speaking and I had just had my interview so felt loose and ready.  I tried my best to not sound rehearsed and be myself, which I think will show.   While other people did their interviews, the rest of us waited in a room together and bonded.  We did some talent show stunts, listened to music, chatted baseball, told some fun baseball memories, etc. 

We then got some more food and worked on shooting a fun skit around the park.  It was neat to go through the process of shooting a ‘commercial like skit’.  After this, we had dinner in the park, and then a fun game of trivia, and karaoke.  I mean… we were doing karaoke inside Chase Field.  Really?  It is just kind of unbelievable when you think about it.  Karaoke turned into a massive dance party with the finalists and a lot of bonding.  Afterwards, we took the bus back to the hotel and hung out for a while by the hot tub chatting. 

Something that strikes me about today is how much more comfortable I feel tonight than I did 24 hours ago.  Everyone here has so much to offer and I have learned something from every single cave dweller here.  I am also so impressed with how thorough and organized the Fancave team has been.  They are on their game and it feels like a compliment that they have put this much time and effort into this process and me.  Getting to know me, caring about why I am here, referencing things that I did during my campaign, etc.  It is evident that they care about all of us and are extremely dedicated to the Fancave and the process of filling it with great peeps. 

I am very tired but feel very fulfilled going to bed tonight.  I had a great time today and feel accomplished and proud of myself for all the effort I put in today.  Can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store.  Thanks for following my Fancave experience!  

It's 10 am on a Tuesday...

It’s 10 am on a Tuesday…

In Arizona (not Philadelphia)

Day 1 of MLB Fancave Spring Training

This is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  No other way to describe it than that!  Last night still seemed surreal and ‘huh, what is going on’-esc.  It was exciting and overwhelming to meet 29, well 28 (we had one missing who didn’t fly in until late) new people all at once.  I felt like a little timid kid going to camp for the first time not knowing anyone.  Good news mom and dad, I survived!!

The best part of last night was meeting such animated people who were all as excited as I was, and who love baseball as much as I do.  I feel like we only touched on some fun baseball conversations, but that just adds excitement and anticipation for what we still have to discuss…

I can’t wait to talk to my fellow NL East pals about the dominant teams we have going into this season.  I mean, the Mets may not be a team to associate with the word dominance… but I am sure the two Mets fans here could gang up on me and beg to differ.  Braves and Nats are both going to have a good heated discussion about the potential dominance of their teams.  Unfortunately the Marlins are not represented here.  I am excited to talk to the Dodgers fans about all the ‘trash’ they received from the Sox last season and what they are expecting out of that.  I want to know what the Rangers fans think about Josh Hamilton.  Losing him, his latest statements, etc.

Wow, I am overwhelming myself.  So much to do in two days…

This morning we head to Chase field, Spring training home of the Diamondbacks for a welcome lunch and our 60 second elevator pitch and I am sure more fun thrown our way.  I like the adrenaline pumping to stay on my feet, not knowing what’s next or coming my way…

This is such a fun, once in a lifetime experience!  Maybe in three weeks I will actually be able to fully process it!  I am so thankful to be here and feel like a lucky girl today!  Never have I been more proud to be a Phillies fan!  Thank you MLB Fancave for everything.  This experience is priceless!   

One final thought, this experience reminds me a little of my favorite part in The Cutting Edge.  Doug (a former hockey player) and Kate (a figure skater) are about to go on the ice for a two minute figure skating routine.  Doug is very nervous and Kate is shaking him telling him to loosen up.  His response, ‘I am this nervous at the beginning of every hockey game, but five minutes in, I am fine’.  Kate ‘our routine is only two minutes long’.  Doug ‘then I will be fine three minutes after it ends’.    I am Doug… three weeks from now this will all set in and I will be able to put my feelings into words.  For now, take my word for it… AMAZING! UNBELIEVABLE!

My ten fav players in the MLB

On my flight to Arizona I decided to have a little fun to help me sit still for five hours.  I made a list of my ten favorite current players in the MLB.  The reason I like each of these players is completely random, and they are not in any specific order.  So, here we go…

1)   Roy Halladay (Phillies): Ok, how can I not start with this workhorse?  I just love how intense he is all the time.  He has great composure and is always dedicated to making himself, and everyone around him, a better pitcher. He is a role model to all pitchers, Phillies and non-Phillies.  I feel comfortable with him on the mound.  I know that he has been battling injury recently but I feel confident that he will be the first to let the trainers know when something ‘isn’t quite right’.  He just makes me want to run up the ‘Rocky steps’ in Philly with every piece of Phillies gear on that I own!

2)   RA Dickey (Blue Jays): I figured I would keep up the pitching theme and go with Dickey next.  His story is so inspiring that it is really hard not to like him.  He recently published a book “Wherever I Wind Up” that tells the story of his very troubled childhood and how hard he worked to get to where he is today.  He has overcome so much adversity in his life that it is hard to believe that he is as humble as he is with his recent success.   He is the only straight knuckleball pitcher left in the Major Leagues… and he doesn’t even have an ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm.  He was told so many times in his life that he wouldn’t succeed at baseball.  In my eyes, he just continues to defy the odds and is the model of someone who was persistent at pursuing his dreams.  True inspiration!!

3)   Josh Hamilton (Angels): While talking inspirational stories, makes sense to go with Hamilton next.  He also wrote a book about his life struggles, called ‘Beyond Belief’.  His story really is unbelievable, and in a different way then Dickey’s.  He had a pretty ‘normal’ childhood and was always a baseball star.  However, when getting hurt early in his professional career, he slowly spiraled down the path of alcoholism, to the point of almost killing him.  After hearing him talk about near death experiences, its amazing that he could not only recover, but recover and win a home run derby, hit four home runs in a game, lead his team to a World Series, etc.  I can’t imagine how hard it is to keep his head up with all the negativity that people throw his way.  I know that I get very defensive when people talk sh*@*$ about him (same as with Michael Vick).  Don’t try me… I think that those who have, would second that.  Ha

4)   Juan Pierre (Marlins):  Juan Pierre defines my favorite type of player to watch, and to also have on my fantasy team.  I love guys who get on base, regardless of how, who can steal bags on any pitcher, and who keep everyone in the field on their toes.  You never know what Juan Pierre is going to do when he is on the base pads!  I know, I know... his arm in the outfield is a downfall, but he is always working on it.  He dives for every ball that comes his way, and his play never lacks effort.  I read Tim Kurkjen’s book and will never forget a story he told about Pierre.  He talked about how he is the first one to show up to the field everyday.  He recalled a time that he witnessed Pierre being the only one in the park hours before a game, rolling a ball down the foul ball line over and over to study the movement a ball will take when hit down the line.  I have to admit, I shed a few tears when he left the Phillies in the off season.  He is a reality, and a fantasy steal!

5)   Dustin Pedroia (Redsox): Sticking with small fast guys here… Dustin Pedroia is a player who never comes to the park without his game face on, and never leaves without a dirty uniform.  He plays 100%, one hundred percent of the time.  His energy projects into the stands in Fenway park, thus he has the potential to motivate every player in the dugout as well.  Unfortunately the Redsox have had a toxic clubhouse the past few years, so he hasn’t been able to rally players like he is capable.  All last year, I just felt sorry for Pedroia with all the controversy and negativity that surrounded the team.  That just isn’t how he rolls!  I am hoping that the new faces in the Sox clubhouse, specifically John Farrell and Shane Victorino, can help Pedroia define leadership.  Dustin Pedroia is also made of steal… rarely gets hurt or complains about an ailment!

6)   Shane Victorino (Redsox): Since I just mentioned Victorino, makes sense for him to be next.  I have always loved Victorino for his great personality and attitude.  Every time he is on the field, you can tell that he loves the game of baseball, that he is having fun, and that he is living his dream.   He also falls into the category of a fast guy, who gets himself on base.  And his defense is exciting; he never fails to make a ‘web gem’ worthy catch.  He is also very involved off the field in charity work and other events in the community.  He has done a lot of work speaking out in support of ADHD diagnosis and treatment and has made himself a role model for those who suffer from it.  And yes, I also shed a tear when he was left the Phillies.  I did scream my head off cheering for him when I went to Dodger stadium last year though…

7)   Carlos Ruiz (Phillies): CHOOOOOOOCH!  Chooch is probably my favorite current player on the Phillies.  He has been Mr. Clutch the past few years.  Last year, he led the Phillies in hitting and was probably the only player on the team who didn’t go through a massive hitting slump. And his plays at the plate take my breath away.  He plays with NO fear! Last year at Spring Training he threw a baseball up to me in the stands from the bullpen and it made my day.  If only he spoke English, maybe we could have had a conversation.  Haha.  And he has the best nickname in the MLB! 

8)   Ian Kinsler (Rangers): Ian Kinsler has been my fantasy second baseman for three years in a row, and he has been a consistent corner for me.  He is definitely one of those players who is a good fantasy player and reality player. I have seen him play tons of times in Fenway and he is exciting to watch; very dynamic player who keeps his cool in the media and on the field.  He was also very supportive of Josh Hamilton during his time in Texas. You can feel his passion when you watch him play.  And I love how he always wears old school short pants with his socks up.    

9)   Andrew McCutchen (Pirates): Obviously he also falls into the category of a speedy player who gets on base, and is unpredictable on the base pads.  I will never forget watching him round all four bases in his rookie year in some insane amount of record time.  He is a very well rounded player; you can tell he is insanely athletic along with having innate baseball talent.  Off the field, he has a great sense of humor and is interactive with fans, making the game more fun for everyone.  He has done some hilarious stuff with the MLB Fancave and I definitely listened to some of his advice prior to submitting my 2013 application.  Thanks Cutch! 

10)                    Derek Jeter (Yankees): Who doesn’t respect Derek Jeter?  I honestly get so heated when people wear those stupid shirts “Jeter Sucks” and/or talk about hating him, etc.  It’s just SO annoying!  What is there to hate?  He is one of the best baseball players of all time.  He is so humble and well spoken.  He gives his all every time he steps on the field.  He is turning 39 this year, and is still thought of as one of the best players in the game.  I put people who say they hate him in the category of people who say they hate Payton Manning.  These people just hate people who are good.  Stop drinking the Hatorade people and respect good baseball!!

Like I said, this list is completely random.  I just put it together for fun and to pass time.  Some of the honorable mentions on my list include: Robinson Cano, Kung Foo Panda, Evan Longoria, Cliff Lee, Paps, Sergio Romo.

If you have any thoughts after reading this, feel free to tweet, email, or send me a Facebook message.  I love talking about this stuff.  Fun stuff to debate!

#MLBFC 30...

Speechless?!?  Yes, I think for the first time in my life I have been speechless the past two days.  Or maybe I have just been unable to organize my thoughts enough to put them into words.  Whatever the case, these past two weeks have been a whirlwind that I would sign up to live through again and again.   Two weeks ago I was in jury duty when I found out I was in the top 50 finalists for the MLB Fancave.  Since that day, let me summarize what has occurred.  I have worked 5 night shifts, one of which was a 16 hour shift into a day shift, worked 5 day shifts, served three days of jury duty, got buried in a blizzard, drove through it to work, spent endless hours campaigning myself into the MLB Fancave top 30 finalist, celebrated a birthday, lived, breathed and dreamt baseball (not that much sleep has occurred).

So, now as I sit in my Jetblue seat with a broken TV, I am taking a deep breath to try and put my thoughts into words.  First off, I am overwhelmed thinking about the amount of people who have done amazing things for me in the past two weeks.  Friends, friends of friends, The Phillies organization, The MLB Fancave, my family, people I haven’t talked to in years, people I have never met have all been a part of this journey with me.  I am so thankful to have all this support as I am in the midst of living out a lifelong dream to work in the world of sports.  I would have never dreamed of getting a package in the mail from the Phillies with a personalized jersey, or being promoted on The Phillies Facebook page or twitter feed.  And now I am sitting on a plane with a suitcase packed full of Phillies gear, and of course great jeans and fun shoes, in preparation for Spring Training in Arizona with the MLB Fancave and other 29 finalists.

Many friends who are on the brink of loving baseball as they live through this experience with me, want to know what is next.  All I know is that I will spend three days in Arizona doing a lot of work, while having a blast with 29 new friends who I know as ‘@.....’ via our two week old twitter relationships bonding over our love of baseball.  It is now up to me being myself, to get into that Fancave to represent the Phillies, and finish out the rest of this dream.   The 30 of us will work together to figure out who the ideal cave dwellers will be for the 2013 season to represent the fans of baseball in the MLB Fancave in NYC.  I have my computer, my iphone, itouch, etc. with me, and will be updating everyone from Arizona via Twitter, Youtube, Facebook… all things social media. 

I have felt a full range of emotions from elated, to anxious, to overwhelmed, to beyond grateful, to exhausted, to proud, to pure excitement over the past two weeks.  I get to spend the next three days with my family who are the best support system I could ask for.  They allow me to pursue my dreams.  I get to see the two little faces that make me smile most in my nephews.  And when Monday comes, I head out to Arizona to spend three days ‘everything baseball’.  I can’t remember a time I felt this content.  And no matter what happens from here, I will have no regrets. 

  Now, Phillies fans and baseball fans (wait, aren’t they the same thing), LET’S DO THIS!!  I love The Phillies and the game of baseball even more today than I did yesterday!!  And I want you to as well.  #PutChristineInTheCave  #MLBFC30

-CL