When foul balls are lofted into the stands at Metro Bank Park, fans flock to grab the prize.



Harrisburg Senators team president Kevin Kulp and general manager Randy Whitaker, though, see dollar signs vanishing before their eyes.



That's because game balls aren't cheap.





An official Eastern League baseball costs the Senators about $4.50, Whitaker said, and umpires prepare about six dozen baseballs per game.

Wet field conditions obviously mean more baseballs are in use, and foul balls into the stands become souvenirs.

Whitaker estimates that if all six dozen balls get used each game over the course of a season, the total cost is $23,000.

“This is why I cringe when I see a player foul a ball into the stands,” he joked ... sort of.

On the bright side, catching or retrieving a foul ball can make a fan’s night.

Whitaker remembers a story from a previous season when a pack of youngsters were patrolling an open area behind the first-base line. One was obviously much younger than the rest — likely a little brother just trying to fit in — and was struggling to keep up.

A foul ball landed nearby, and the older kids scattered in chase.

Standing nearby, Whitaker had a baseball in his pocket from an earlier foul ball and quickly handed it to the little guy. All his older buddies thought he had found the foul ball, and for that moment he was the star of the show.

Senior account executive

— she’s the one often wielding a T-shirt cannon and wearing brightly colored sneakers — shares another tale, one that started off terribly but ended superbly.

During a game early last season, there was a group in one of the dugout suites. Among the group was one child.

That child was belted in the face by a Steve Lombardozzi foul ball, and the visiting team’s trainer and some players immediately rushed to his aid. He was eventually taken to the hospital.

After the game, Lombardozzi asked about the kid and collected his contact information. The star infielder and Kauffman then organized another stadium visit for him, and Lombardozzi played catch with him, gave him a clubhouse tour and introduced him to the team.

“It’s something that kid will never forget, and it’s something that in my eyes puts Lombo in a category of his own,” Kauffman said. “He didn’t have to do anything but give the kid a signed ball. Instead he gave him the whole experience.”

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

It wasn’t Harrisburg’s best week of the season (April 28-May 4), as it featured a four-game losing streak. But a few candidates emerged for The Patriot-News’ player of the week.

Our winner is relief pitcher

. In a week featuring a pair of 12-inning games, the right-hander’s contributions in long relief proved vital.

In one contest, he fired 4.2 scoreless innings to pick up his first victory of the season. Later he threw three solid innings and took an unfortunate L.

Overall, Pucetas allowed one run on four hits and one walk in 7.2 frames.

ORGANIZATIONAL GLANCE

Things continue to go remarkably well for the parent Washington Nationals, who improved to 18-9 with a thorough whipping of the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday. Former Senators 2B Steve Lombardozzi is proving to be a very valuable cog, as he’s batting .333 (18-for-54) with three doubles in 20 games. More importantly, he’s become a versatile fielder. In addition to being used as a pinch-hitter, Lombardozzi has played third base, second base, shortstop and left field. ...

At Class AAA Syracuse (10-18 through Friday), it was a rough start for former Senators LHP Cory VanAllen, but the reliever appears to have righted the ship. After yielding five runs in his first appearance of the season, he’s gradually lowered his ERA to 6.52 by allowing just two runs over his next 8.2 frames. ...

After missing more than a year with a dislocated shoulder, infield prospect Rick Hague was recently activated and sent to high Class A Potomac (11-14 through Friday). Can you tell the 23-year-old missed the competition? In his first five games, Hague was batting .421 (8-for-19) with three RBIs and a walk-off single Friday vs. Wilmington. ...

Meanwhile, at Class A Hagerstown (15-11 through Friday), 3B Matthew Skole and SS Jason Martinson have been insanely productive at the plate. The duo has a combined 10 doubles and nine home runs. The 22-year-old Skole (.300 average, 33 RBIs) and 23-year-old Martinson (.276 average, 28 RBIs) rank first and second in the organization in RBIs.

ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS

Send questions for us, the players, the coaches or the front office to gmorrow@pnco.com or by calling 717-255-8250.

One fan wonders if the Nationals' success this year might mean more or less roster turnover for the Class AA Senators.

I don’t anticipate much turnover this season, though it has little to do with the big league club. The core of this Harrisburg team — Jeff Kobernus, Eury Perez, Destin Hood, Sandy Leon, Jose Lozada, Paul Demny, Marcos Frias, Robert Gilliam and Hector Nelo — are Class AA rookies, and most will likely be here all season. For the others, whether they move depends on their own production combined with openings created at Class AAA and in the big leagues via injury or trade.

Winning does make buyers out of big league teams at the mid-summer trade deadline, and that could mean some minor league parts are shipped away to bring in major league talent. But that’s nothing new, as a number of former Senators have been dealt in the last year alone — Bill Rhinehart, Derek Norris, Tommy Milone and Brad Peacock quickly come to mind.

Another has a few questions about bat boys. Specifically, how does one become a bat boy for the Senators? How many bat boys do they have? And is it a paid position?

General manager Randy Whitaker says a lot of folks apply for bat boy jobs each season, though they only employ two regulars — one for the home dugout, one for the visiting dugout. Bat boys must be at least 16 years old, and, yes, it is a paid position. There are a few backups on call if one of the regulars isn’t able to make a game.

Speaking of Steve Lombardozzi, an observant Senators/Nationals fan noticed him receiving an award before a game a few weeks ago and wondered what it was all about.

Lombardozzi was honored by Rawlings as one of nine minor league baseball Gold Glove Award winners for the 2011 season. It was announced in September, though he didn’t receive the hardware until a few weeks ago. The Nationals recognized the honor before one of their games.



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