One Last Auto from Memphis

Last post about my trip to Memphis.  Along with Sunday being Mother's Day, it was also my wife's birthday.  She did not want anything, just a nice weekend away with the kids.  I tried to buy her a shirt, but she was happy just being at the ballpark.  When we go to games, I try to get the kids to watch the game and not get up and walk around.  Our seats were in the sun and it was close to 85 degrees, so my daughter and I got up after the 5th inning.  We ended up watching the next 2 innings at the top of the section behind home plate.  While standing there I noticed a couple of guys in the top row with a radar gun that were charting pitches.  Turns out it Memphis pitchers Zach Petrick and Marco Gonzales.  Petrick is a decent pitcher who might make the big leagues as a reliever.  Gonzales has been in the big leagues before, even pitching in the 2014 playoffs.  He should be promoted once he rehabs fully from a should injury.

I go on to tell my daughter who they are.  We had the chance to met Gonzales at a Cardinals Caravan back in January of this year.  He was very well spoken, thanked us for coming out and being Cardinals fans.  My daughter remembered him being so nice, so she thought he might sign a ball for my wife.  She was somewhat scared to ask him, so I got his attention in between innings and asked him to sign a ball.  Once again Marco was more kind that I could expect, thanking us for coming and talking a little about his start the previous night.  He only lasted 2 innings, giving up 4 runs and taking a loss.  He joked he may get demoted to Double A instead of being called up.  At the end of our conversation he gave us this ball:

Sorry for the blurry pic, ball reads To Jennifer: Happy Birthday & Mother's Day!  My wife loved it and took it to school to show her students.  The other signature is Xavier Scruggs.  He was signing after the game and my son wanted to get him on his team ball, but grabbed this one by mistake.