Important Research Mission

or, How Two Guys Played Hooky for a Week and Fulfilled a Childhood Dream

Photographic genius by Rob Falk

Accompanying words by Mark Waldstein

Phoenix, AZ -- March, 2005

Day 1

Day 1 found us off the plane, into our rental car, and out to the ballpark by 1:00 in the afternoon. What could possibly beat leaving Seattle in the predawn murk and trading it for 72 degree sunshine, a beer, and the Giants?

Scottsdale Stadium. Now, here's a local feature you don't see looming over Safeco or Fenway...

If you ask Rob, he'll tell you he IS smiling.

11,759 people CAN'T be wrong.....can they?

We found this young lady frolicking in the centerfield pinic area. A future fan, and definitely a current cutie.

The day's final score: San Francisco Giants 9, Oakland Athletics 4.

Day 2

On our way into Game #2. Now, most people would get a shot like this by accosting some passerby with, "Excuse me, fellow tourist, would you mind taking a picture with the two of us together?" Ohhhhh, but not Rob. What you are looking at is the result of a meticulous process in which Rob took a picture of Mark, then Mark took a picture of Rob from exactly the same spot; and then, back at the hotel lounge that evening -- armed with his laptop computer, Adobe Photoshop, and a couple of drinks -- Rob magically wove the two of us into the photographic marvel you see before you. (And if you have a coupla pops yourself, there'll be a six-foot-tall rabbit named Harvey next to us both.)

ROB'S NOTE: Mark's commentary on the process notwithstanding :-) I had to laugh when, on approximately my twentieth time seeing the above image, I suddenly noticed the flaw that gives it away: Mark has no feet! My immediate instinct was of course to go in & fix it ... but actually I think it's more fun this way.

The Cubs had it all over the Brewers this day, though the game (like all of them, we found) was pretty humdrum. But hey, you don't have to take out a second mortgage to buy the tickets. It was fun to hear all the thick Chi-town accents all around us, talking about their beloved Cubbies the way we talk about the Sox or M's. (And Clay, they played Steve Goodman between innings!)

With a lens almost as long as a Louisville Slugger, Rob scouted the Cubs starting pitcher -- the legendary John Koronka (who?) -- warming up in the bullpen before the game. Of course, in such an intimate park, you can get pretty darn close anyway.

Down in the concourse, Rob conducts his own warmup.

Out at second!

A triptych of Nomar Garciaparra, Boston's late-lamented star shortstop, now Chicago's fan fave. Hence the attention paid to his every move, like pre-game stretching (by the official media) or a superstar's swagger (by us). He gave the fans their money's worth in the bottom of the seventh, though, with a homer to left-center.

(Fellow artistes, do I get extra points for finding a way to use the word "triptych" in a baseball context?)

We enjoyed half the game from our grandstand seats, and half from the centerfield lawn. Basking in the Arizona sunshine, partly enjoying the game, partly enjoying the crowd...

...such as this beer vendor, who had a unique way to beat the sun...

...oh yes, and um, these ladies, who sauntered around and around the park all day, handing out coupons. (Not that anybody looked down to read them.) Their look of concern at this moment has to do with a poor fellow who caught a foul ball off his hand, triggering a call for the stadium EMT's. Why the Hooters girls showed up first, and just how they were planning to administer aid, we weren't sure.

The final: Chicago Cubs 5, Milwaukee Brewers 4. ("Cubs Win!")

Later that Day

Afterwards, with a bit of late afternoon sun remaining, we drove east from Mesa, out into the hills that line the eastern ridge of the valley. This beautiful butte is called Superstition Mountain.

Rob is either imitating the cactus, or trying to give directions to any UFO's that might happen to be in the area. (How far is it to Roswell, anyway?)

Looking back toward Phoenix, in the last moments of dusk.

With a rising moon opposite a setting sun, we pulled quite a few Ansel Adams moments.

As we hitched up the ponies, made camp and bedded down for the night -- a fresh pot of coffee on the fire our only protection from the chill of the gathering night -- we sang old cowboy songs and listened to the ol' dogies howlin'.

Well okay, we actually got back into the rented car and headed off to find a restaurant -- but at one point we did hear a pack of coyotes, not far away, baying at the moon. Surreal.

Day 3

We had a Mariners night game for our big finale -- which gave us the daytime to do some more exploring and get ourselves a bit of exercise. South Mountain Park, which we were told is the largest municipal park in the U.S., just happened to rise up outside our hotel room window.

Driving up into the park, we found this older road -- which was blocked off, but walkable. From here, there are fantastic views of the Phoenix sprawl on the desert floor far below us.

For this trail, we left the car behind and worked our way up to the summit, some 2,300 feet above sea level (and it's always so easy to get a sense of that elevation here).

Rob's bid for National Geographic. Because of the unusually heavy rainfall this spring across the southwest (hello, Los Angeles), there was a particular abundance of wildflowers everywhere we went. Check out the layers of sprouts growing atop a stubby cactus in the upper left shot!

One of the cacti was guarded by a grizzled old prospector, who evidently had never heard that the gold rush was over years ago.

I spotted this lizard on a rock just below our trail, and Rob slowly crept up upon him until he was practically eye to beady little eye.

I'm the King of the World!!!^TM

Okay, nature is grand, but let's not forget the real reason we came here. Game Three, Mariners vs. Angels at the M's home field in Peoria, 7:05 start. Beautiful sunset to start us off.

I told you he was smiling before...

Angels pitcher warms up in the bullpen. Extra dramatic view courtesy of Rob-o-Vision.

Night falls on the Peoria Sports Complex as the coaches exchange starting lineup cards.

Unique moment only a Red Sox fan could fully appreciate: Two former Sox together in one picture. Brand-new Mariners shortstop Pokey Reese holds Framingham's own Lou Merloni on second. The bubble-gum indicates just how excited Reese is about the whole thing.

Lots of headlines here in spring training about how Barry Bonds is out, and Vladimir Guerrero is in. "The anti-Bonds", one paper proclaimed -- genuinely talented, genuinely humble, and steroid-free. Here he patrols right field, just yards away from us.

Leroy Nieman, eat your heart out.

And once again, your final: Seattle Mariners 5, California/Anaheim/Los Angeles/Whatever Angels, 4.

Just one more...