For five of the past six years, I have celebrated my birthday at an Arizona Fall League game. Today was no different. A beautiful sunny day at Phoenix Muni where we have seen a wide assortment of games this year, ranging from Spring Training to celebrity softball to the Oakland A's hosting South Africa in a World Baseball Classic tune-up.

Today, the Desert Dogs hosted the Scorpions, and while the focus yesterday was on pitching, today we saw home runs a plenty with Ryan Braun, a former first round pick slugging one and Diamondbacks outfielder (and MLB blogger) Mark Reynolds belting two. Blue Jay Chip Cannon, true to his name, launched one over the fence in right field.

What's worth noting today was how attentive Braun, Giants first baseman Travis Ishikawa, and Devil Rays outfielder Fernando Perez were to the young fans. Perez told one youngster that if he got two hits in the game, he's award him the bat. (For the record, he had three hits). It's heartwarming to see these young stars show some class as they rise through the ranks.
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