Fans have a ball at Dirtbags FanFest
Three young baseball fans dashed into the dugout, gloves and bats in tow, and chased each other up and down the steps. They eventually settled onto the bench where so many major-league stars had sat before them to hear another former Long Beach State standout talk about his days at Blair Field.
The pint-sized Long Beach State fans were among the couple hundred others who showed up for Saturday’s Dirtbags Fan Fest, where they participated in a kids’ clinic, enjoyed a barbeque lunch, met current team members and listened to current Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marco Estrada talk about his college days. Estrada told how he got into baseball (his mother) and what it means to be a Dirtbag.
“For me, it means getting dirty, playing as hard as you can and never giving up,” said Estrada, who played one season (2005) for Long Beach. “I faced a lot of adversity here (injuries) and got through them.”
Like the others in attendance, Estrada got to view the completed renovations of Blair Field, which is in the midst of a $20 million makeover. The visitors got to see the new outfield fence, the Jered Weaver Bullpen and Troy and Danyll Tulowitzki batting cages. Renovations to the clubhouse currently are underway and should be ready for the Dirtbags’ opener Feb. 17 against Oklahoma.
“Every time I got on this field was memorable for me,” Estrada said. “It was an awesome experience.”
Former Long Beach State star Jered Weaver came by to check out the newly designed bullpen that bears his name. The former Angels right-hander, who donated $500,000 to the Blair Field Campaign, signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans.
“I try to support the team that did a lot for me over my career,” said Weaver, who brought his wife and two kids to the festivities.
Evan Longoria and Jason Vargas recently both contributed $100,000; Tulowitzki kicked off the campaign with a $1 million donation in 2015. Long-time supporter Marilyn Bohl also contributed $1 million to the campaign.
