Fastball Fans

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Well I got an email today telling me that I had received three envelopes back home from various MLB teams today. They were described to me as two “normal” envelopes, and one “big” one.

The Mariners sent one of the “normal” ones, which was, get this… a Fan Pack! =)

It contained a “thank you” letter for my interest, a poster of the field, some puzzle type things, a sticker made for glass, some other normal stickers, and three baseball cards of Mariner players.

It sounded like a nice little Fan Pack, but still just a Fan Pack.

MLB, Major League Baseball, Baseball, Fan Pack, Seattle Mariners, Mariners, Trick or Cleat

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

Here is the email:

“Dear Mr. Macomber:

Thanks for your earlier email; please excuse the delay in responding. We are unsure what it is you are seeking from the Padres. Is it simply a fan pack or some promotional items?

The San Diego Padres”

I must say, that was a rather pleasant and courteous email. Certainly not the abrupt denial I have faced previously, although that very well may be coming in their reply (if they send one).

Now, I didn’t mention this blog or, naturally, the fact that I was posting the results in it in any of my initial emails. So, I decided I would let the Padres in on the secret and see where that takes me.

Here is my response to them:

“Dear Padres,

There is no need to fret the delay. What I was inquiring about was something beyond the generic “Fan Pack”. To give you the rundown, I run a baseball blog at www.fastballfans.com and was running a little “experiment”. I sent the email you received to all 30 MLB clubs and am recording the results (both email and “snail mail”) on the blog to see what team/s if any send something above and beyond a “Fan Pack”.

Do with that what you will.

I appreciate and would like to thank you for your time in both reading my initial email and responding to it.

*My Name*
*My Address*
*My Email*”

I will keep you posted as to what happens next.

MLB, Major League Baseball, Baseball, Fan Pack, San Diego Padres, Padres, Trick or Cleat

Kenny Rogers was showing so much emotion on and off the mound during last night’s game that I’m sure all the camera men who would have to track him down for an interview after the game were praying that he won. No camera man wants to deal with an angry Kenny Rogers; we have already seen what that leads to last season. =)

So, the series is tied thanks to Kenny who added quite a few more scoreless innings to his postseason list for this year. He left the game at 3-0 and then watched as the bullpen gave up a single run before securing the Tigers’ win.

The series is now tied at 1-1. Both teams have a day to rest up today while they travel to St. Louis for three before going back to Detroit for the last two games of the series (if necessary).

Tigers in 6!

MLB, Baseball, Major League Baseball, Kenny Rogers, Detroit Tigers, Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, Cardinals, Postseason, World Series Game 2, Game 2, World Series

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

*Want to refresh your mind on what I am “Updating”? Then check out their initial response.*

Alright, I just got their latest message. Here it is for your reading pleasure:

“Thank you for your comments. We have no items to give.

Best Regards,
Giants Guest Services”

Well then, it appears that cleverness is worthless to the San Francisco Giants. What a pity. I thought I just might have had a change with them. I probably shouldn’t have. Barry Bonds never signs autographs and the Giants don’t give them out either.

Hopefully something juicy comes in the next few days. Whether via email or snail mail.

Baseball, MLB, Major League Baseball, San Francisco Giants, Giants, Fan Pack, Trick or Cleat

Well they did it again! The St. Louis Cardinals managed to pull out another win.

They are no off to a 1-0 start in the World Series over the Detroit Tigers.

I did not foresee them winning this, and am now pushing back my prediction (yes, I am allowed to change it now because my first prediction is already shot) to Detroit winning in 6 instead of 5.

I am counting on Kenny to pull out two strong starts, both in game 2 and 6 as well as the rest of the Tiger team contributing to help my new prediction come through.

It is bad enough that I picked the Mets to make the Series, and if the team I picked to WIN the Series doesn’t come through… then I am just awful at this prediction business and should really stop. =(

Let’s hope that isn’t the case; unless of course you are a Cardinals fan. In which case, I hope you watch your team lose in 6 games. =)

World Series, Playoffs, MLB, Major League Baseball, Game 1, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, Tigers, Cardinals

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

The second delivery! Now, like I mentioned in the Indians Delivery (directly below this entry), all of the things the teams are sending are going home, which is a nine hour drive from my college, so I have not seen anything they have sent, nor will I until I go home. My mother doesn’t have a digital camera so that is out as a means to see the stuff and to be able to describe it better.

Alright, so when she described this, she used the word “big” which got my mind wandering about what it may be. She then said she felt it and thought it might be clothes or something, which only got my mind wandering further and faster.

It cost almost $5 in postage to send, which is over five times the cost of the Indians delivery (sounds about right… they have a team salary that is about five times that of the Indians as well). I didn’t right down the things as she was going, so I may have missed something, but this is what she told me was in the package: a pin, a few magnates, a bunch of bumper stickers, a full-size calendar that highlights all of the Yankee game days, a couple pens, a small “collectible” baseball of Jeter, a mouse pad, and a cap. I didn’t get a good description of the cap, so don’t ask.

They sent a ton of stuff, and some of it sounded pretty good. I can’t wait till I go home for Thanksgiving and see all of the stuff all the teams have sent me. I can plaster it all up and cover the walls in an MLB collage or something. =)

The thing that really gets me about the Yankee package is that I got a delivery error when I sent them their email through their site. I then went back and found an email address for the team, I think it was the customer service one, and sent them an email through my own outlook instead of their form (which I used for the other 29 MLB teams). I didn’t get a failed delivery message the second time, but neither did I get a response from them.

I guess it went through though, eh? =)

MLB, Major League Baseball, New York Yankees, Yankees, Trick or Cleat, Fan Pack

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

Yes folks, it says Delivery and not Response. The first Delivery out of the “Trick or Cleat?” campaign!

Don’t waste your time going through all the entries here trying to find what their response (email) was, because unlike the other teams whose responses I have posted, the Indians opted out of replying to my message.

Now, I was up until 3am last night… or this morning… whatever…. just messing around on the computer and such. I was just waking up at noon when my phone starts ringing. I start looking around my room like an idiot because I am out of it from having just woken up. My roommate tells me it is my phone that is ringing, so I clamber over my bed and pick it up.

It was my mother who called to tell me I received two packages in the mail today. One from the Indians, and one from the Yankees. (I used my home address as opposed to my college address because I don’t want to have a ton of this stuff lying around my already overcrowded little room.)

I ask her if she could open them up and tell me what is inside. So she does. The Indians one was sent in a big envelope that cost 85 cents to ship and contained two 4X6 player cards with their stats on the back, a pocket schedule for their games, and a catalogue to buy their merchandise. It also contained a letter stating how to buy tickets and that they are glad I am a fan and they hope I can make it to their stadium.

The Indians obviously opted to send their “Fan Pack” out to me, and did so without telling me via email. I have no complaints about that, as it is far better then the team who asked if I meant a Fan Pack, and then asked me to fill out a form or some such to get it. I’ll admit to this right here and now, I am far too lazy to link off to some URL where I need to fill out a form just so I can get a sticker in the mail in a week. =)

Good work Indians on being the first to send me some goodies! May they continue and only get better!

MLB, Major League Baseball, Cleveland Indians, Indians, Trick or Cleat, Fan Pack

My World Series predictions were foiled mere minutes ago when Carlos Beltran failed to garner a hit in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases full of Mets.

My Mets vs. Detroit prediction has died.

The Cardinals… =(

The only solace I can take out of this is that the team who destroyed my Braves’ division title run will have no shot at getting a World Series trophy (I had predicted them to lose in five games to Detroit).

I still predict Detroit to win, and I will stick with five games for the hell of it, though it just might go to six.

I still can’t believe they lost… THEY HAD IT!

Baseball, MLB, Major League, St. Loius Cardinals, Cardinals, New York Mets, Mets, Division Series, NLCS, World Series, Playoffs

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

Here is the email:

“Clever. Did you mean a fan pack?

Best Regards,
Giants Guest Services”

Ok, this whole Fan Pack thing was cute at first, but they are starting to bludgeon me with it. It is like they get some form of a commission from giving these things away.

And also, if I HAD meant a “Fan Pack”, then it wouldn’t have been a very “clever” email then would it?

MLB must have sent out a mass email a while back about these darn fan packs, and how they are a great way to sidestep our “clever” requests for free goodies.

Can’t say I blame them… =)

Since I was asked a question in the email response from them, I decided to send them a reply. =)

Here it is:

“Come on now, you know that I didn’t mean a fan pack. If I had then you wouldn’t have seen the email as being clever.

My original “request” still stands.

If being clever isn’t rewarded, then what good is having such a quality in the first place?

*My name*
*My address*
*My email*”

I wonder if they actually receive/respond to replies… one way to find out, right? =)

Trick or Treat, Trick or Cleat, Baseball Gear, Baseball, MLB, MLB Teams, Giants

The Mets kept a 4-0 lead into the ninth before they gave up 2 runs. They were able to stop the Cardinals rally at 2 and claimed a 4-2 victory in 9 innings at Shea Stadium.

The winner of game seven will move on to play the Tigers who have been resting since claiming their spot in the World Series by defeating the Yankees.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: Detroit vs. New York in the WS!

Baseball, MLB, Playoffs, World Series, Cardinals, Mets, St. Louis, New York

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

Here is the email I received from the Royals:

“Thanks for your interest in the Royals and our 2006 Pocket schedule and Fan Pack. Please complete the Pocket Schedule Request form and we would be happy to send you a schedule and Fan Pack:

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/kc/fan_forum/pocket_schedule.jsp

Thanks for your interest in the Royals.

Sincerely,
Josh Diekmann
Coordinator, Community Relations”

When they mentioned the Fan Pack I assumed it was just an extra step in the same process that I got from the Mariners; however, on going to their link it only mentions a pocket schedule, as well as implying I will be getting “Royals” spam.

I opted out of signing up for it.

If any of you would like a pocket schedule and perhaps a fan pack, feel free to follow the link in the email. =)

Three down, twenty-seven to go.

Trick or Treat, Trick or Cleat, Baseball Gear, Baseball, MLB, MLB Teams, Royals

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

This one was a gem, a real gem.

Check it out:

“Thanks for writing.

Unfortunately we will have to opt for the trick.”

I literally laughed out loud when I read it. It was a short laugh, but still…

It is short, it is sweet, it is to the point, and it shot me down. =)

This one makes me look even more forward to the 28 other responses that will hopefully find my inbox in the coming days/weeks.

Trick or Treat, Trick or Cleat, Baseball Gear, Baseball, MLB, MLB Teams, Astros

*Don’t know what “Trick or Cleat” is? Want to read more about it? Then head on over to the Oddball section of this blog.*

Ah the first response. I must say, when I read it I was rather surprised. The response I got was custom fit to my request, which went against the automated replies that I was fearing. This means that all of these that I get back should have a nice original reply to post. (What I was hoping for, yay!)

I can’t call this one a failure, nor was it a full success.

Here is the email I recieved:

“Dear David,

Thanks for your e-mail. Unfortunately, we do not have any tickets or autographed items available to mail out to fans. However, we have put a little fanpack in the mail to you today that has some cards of past and present players, some fun facts and stickers and a poster of the ballpark; you should be receiving it shortly. Again, thanks for being a fan and we hope you get a chance to come visit us at Safeco Field sometime soon - Go Mariners!

Seattle Mariners Fancare”

The cards are a rather nice plus, being a collector and all. =)

Go Mariners indeed!

Trick or Treat, Trick or Cleat, Baseball Gear, Baseball, MLB, MLB Teams, Mariners

Here is the email, word for word, that I sent to all thirty Major League Baseball organizations:

“Trick or Cleat… give me a ticket to a really good seat, or else, perhaps, an autographed cleat!

Dear *Insert Team Name* Organization,

I implore you to help someone who is no longer at the age where it is sociably acceptable to dress up like his favorite baseball player and go door to door this Halloween to collect on holiday goodies.

Please help me to enjoy this holiday, and in the best way possible, the Baseball way!

*My name*
*My address*
*My email*”

Keep this email in mind as you read the responses, the first of which will be posted right after this goes up!

Trick or Treat, Trick or Cleat, Baseball Gear, Baseball, MLB, MLB Teams

I just got done spending the better part of an hour, yes an entire hour, sending out an email to each and every MLB team.

After visiting thirty websites, sending thirty emails through their contact page, and receiving thirty “Thank You” messages, I am now awaiting replies.

I was very surprised to only recieve one email right away that stated that the organization would reply to my email as soon as they could. This courtesy was only granted by the Blue Jays, go them!

I will keep you all posted on my latest rejections as they come in.

Trick or Treat, Trick or Cleat, Baseball Gear, Baseball, MLB, MLB Teams