MY COURTSIDE NIGHT WITH THE D'BACKS: PART 1

I'm hanging in the D'backs locker room during the 6th inning of their game against the Rockies (which they barely lost 12-11) to grab interviews with Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Orlando Hudson and a few other guys who were leaving early. Before I could ask Hudson for an interview, he runs out from the workout room and starts yelling.

"Man, no one else in the bullpen wants to go tonight!" Hudson says. He isn't talking to anyone in particular. "Hey sugar," he says looking at me. "I don't know who you are but you wanna come? We got an extra ticket."


"Um, sure," I hesitantly say. I still don't know what I am saying yes to but my other option is sitting in my hotel room, so I'm in. "What am I saying yes to exactly?"

"A bunch of the guys are driving up to the Suns game tonight but dude, don't you be kidding with me," he says seriously. "I've got one extra ticket so if you're not really gonna come -"

"No, I want to come," I quickly reply to Hudson who has started walking around he locker room singing the Backstreet Boys I Want It That Way.

"Where are you going?" ask outfielder Eric Byrnes who just walked in the room.

"Too late," Hudson promptly says. "She's already going with us to the Suns game. I only had one ticket."

***

After a couple more interviews and a two hour drive, I arrive. I'm about two feet away from Shaquille O'Neal looking at the sweat drip off his forehead as he elbows a couple Houston players while going for a lay-up. Such a clear offense foul but he gets the call and goes to the line to shoot his free throws.

"Yeah that's right baby!" screams Orlando Hudson from a few feet away.

"That was such an offense foul," I whisper to D'back right fielder "J-Up" Justin Upton sitting next to me.

"Oh yeah, I know," he admits.

I'm sitting courtside next to D'back players Hudson, Upton and center fielder Chris Young as the Suns pound on the Houston Rockets at US Airway Center in Phoenix. Veteran player Augie Ojeda and catcher Robby Hammock are a few rows behind us. "You my Southern boy, I got your back!" Hudson said to Hammock when inviting him earlier to the game.

"A big welcome to Arizona Diamondback's Orlandooooo Huuudson!" says the announcer during a timeout. The crowd goes nuts when Hudson's on the jumbotron waving. He's a regular here at the Suns game and the D'backs' Drake Stadium is just next door.

I was along for the guys night and I still wasn't quite sure why or how. It was just me and five of the Arizona Diamondback players and I wasn't about to question the situation; I was going to enjoy it. It was pretty ridiculous - security escorts, pictures, autographs, the whole deal. But there I was, just joking around with the guys.

No big deal.

STYLISH SPRING TRAINING, MARCH MADNESS IN THE LOCKER ROOM, AND A RED HOT CROWD

Friday morning I head to Hi Corbett Field, home to the Colorado Rockies who are playing the Cubs. The crowd is much different than the rowdy, spirited bunch I'm used to at the Dodgers and Angeles games.

Granted this is spring training and certainly not the playoffs but this crowd is dressed to relax at the Marriott pool or watch a golf match rather than come to a baseball game. Lots of khaki shorts and polos. Half of them appear to have escaped the elderly home and I've never seen more visors and fanny packs in one day in my life. But they sure are in a good mood!

The comments were in no way meant to be a diss. I am just happy I won't have to sit through 23 rounds of "the wave" like at Dodgers games (honestly L.A. fans, three times around the stadium is enough). The crowd goes crazy when Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" comes on as Matt Holiday comes to the plate. I haven't heard that song since my little bro's Bar Mitzvah. Good times, good times.

Now Tucson isn't exactly the most exciting place in the world. It's hot as hell, dry, dusty and certainly less lively than Phoenix, but I am more than happy to be here - everyone is so nice! Heck, as long as its out of L.A. It's spring break for USC so all of my friends who don't have the serious job thing to attend to have taken off for San Francisco and Santa Barbara (Cabo was so three years ago). I was a little curious as to why I was sent here instead of Phoenix - which has more teams and more stadiums in the area - but with only two stadiums and three teams in Tucson, less choices means less chaos, so I'm happy.

I got a few good interviews pre-game even though most of the players were distracted by the Drake v Western Kentucky game on the locker room TV's. Every guy in the locker room was watching the college basketball game, except for outfielder Seth Smith who was reading the newspaper. Good for him, way to stay informed.

"I'm happy as hell they went into overtime!" says Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta to his teammates watching the game.

"Did you fill out your brackets?" I ask Iannetta.

"No, I didn't do a bracket," he confesses.

I talked with Garrett Atkins, Troy Tulowitzki, Matt Holiday, Clint Barnes and Iannaetta on the Rockies but the Cubs left most of their starters two hours away in Phoenix and if I don't talk to a couple of the guys, my Chicago-born dad will most likely disown me.

SIDE NOTE: This crowd is starting to look rather lobster-esque. It's really hot here. Like terribly hot. Man, that lady could really use some Hawaiian Tropic SPF 50 right now. That's going to be an awfully bad sunglass tan.