Tampa Bay Rays Fan Fest

This past Saturday Eric, Ellie and I met up with Eric's brother Ronnie and his son Charlie to check out the Tampa Bay Rays Fan Fest at Tropicana Field. You know by now that my husband is all about All Things Baseball, and the Rays are his team of choice, so we're excited to be local for some Rays baseball this year. Also, spring training! I've never been to a spring training game before but I'm excited to go this season.

Anyway, we met up at the Trop and made our way out onto the field to check out all the activities. Of course, the babies were too young to do much of anything, and we certainly weren't going to wait in the long player-autograph lines with the little ones in tow, so we mostly just wandered around and checked it all out. And that was just fine by us! (Although Ellie may have been a little disappointed to not have another opportunity to catch up with her BFF Evan Longoria. Next time, I'm sure!)

Crowds on the field for Fan Fest

Left: Heading out onto the field! Right: Eric and Ellie enjoying the event

With my baseball baby

Long-time ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons

With Eric, Ellie, Ronnie and Charlie!

We did sit Ellie down for a bit, to give her a chance to stretch her legs on the field.

She wasn't sure what to make of the turf at first, but ultimately decided it was a-okay. She looks like a natural on the baseball field!

We also took turns running around the bases with her.

There goes Eric with Ellie on his shoulders!

Ellie and I ran super fast, obviously.

We made it to home plate, hooray! (That is quite possibly a first for my athletically-challenged self.)

We also took a tour of the Rays clubhouse. We liked the players' chairs, and the disco ball near Longoria and Fuld's lockers.

Left: Ronnie and Charlie at the entrance to the clubhouse. Right: Ellie learns a valuable multi-lingual lesson about attitude.

Disco!

Ellie in the clubhouse

After checking out the clubhouse we decided to head over to Ferg's to get some lunch - Charlie and Ellie's first restaurant outing together!

Babies who lunch!

Left: Ellie and Charlie on the table. Right: Ellie keeping herself entertained with a straw.

Ellie and Uncle Ronnie having lunch together

After lunch we decided the babies had enjoyed enough baseball fun and parted ways. I have to say, not only was Fan Fest a fun way to spend an afternoon, but the best part was hanging out with Ronnie and Charlie. It was nice to catch up with Ronnie some more and compare parenting stories, and Charlie is just getting cuter by the day. I love our nephew, and I can't wait for he and Ellie to become great friends as they grow up!

Left: Ronnie and Charlie playing games while waiting in the clubhouse line. Right: Charlie cuteness!