Last night we went to the ballgame. My daughter surprised her mother and me a few months ago, when asked what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted to go an Arizona Diamondbacks game.

So after some confusion about dates, we now have seats for for all three of the final home-stand games of the season where the D-backs in a race to win the NL West are taking on the LA Dodgers.

We planned last night together, with my daughter getting to make all the final decisions. She told us that she wanted to get there early to see about getting an autograph. She spent a week picking out what to take to be autographed, and quizzed me about the best place to stand to guarantee a successful experience.

So we got to the park two hours before game time. We missed the D-backs taking batting practice, and were forced to watch LA instead, but the early arrival let our family stake out a prime station for the autographing session that happens along the third-base foul line 20 minutes prior to the first pitch.

I was called away during that time, partly to keep up with breaking developments in the Anglican-orama going on in New Orleans, but also to meet a friend who was our special guest at the b-day celebration and get her ticket to her.

So I missed what happened and only found out after the game as we were walking to our car.

Apparently Jose Valverde, the D-backs league leading closer, was one of the folks who came out to sign last night. He came over to my daughter who was holding a picture frame that we got as a give-away at an earlier game this season. In the frame she had placed a picture that my wife took of the two of us when I took her to her very first baseball game when she was 4 years old. (We were living in Pittsburgh at the time and we’re both proudly wearing our Pirate’s hats.) Jose after a little confusion happily autographed the “D-backs” frame with the picture of two Pirate fans in it – and then signed a shirt as well.

I was worried that my daughter’s hope of getting some autographs might not work out, but hearing that Jose had come right to her in the crowd, took the time to talk with her and sign the frame she presented, really makes me happy that her b-day turned out the way she wanted.

So yay Jose!

And thanks to our national pastime for well needed break.