Delaney Mastin Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Delaney Mastin is a dancer, a Red Sox fan, and the current Miss Portsmouth Area. I had been meaning

to ask her for a while if she’d be willing to visit with us to discuss those topics, and a few more. Thankfully she agreed! Hope you enjoy what she had to say!

So, let’s see what happens when Delaney Mastin visits Section 36!

How did you celebrate being crowned Miss Portsmouth Area?

My parents and I went to my favorite restaurant in Portsmouth – Street. They have a huge variety of global cuisines and the best curry cauliflower!

Which Disney character would you say is most like you?

Cinderella has always been my favorite princess. I live my life through her mantra: “have courage and be kind.”

You finished second runner up at last year’s Miss NH. What did you learn from that experience that will help you at this year’s Miss NH competition?

There will never be a point in time where growth and improvement is not pertinent. This year, I have challenged myself more than ever by finding ways every day to step beyond my level of comfort. Without risk, there is no reward. I cannot wait to compete again this year, unapologetically representing the best version of myself.

How did you select your platform, “Sexual Assault Education and Prevention”?

After coming to terms with a personal encounter of sexual assault, I knew it was time to step up to be the strong and resilient voice that so many others have lost. It has never been, and will never be, okay to make someone feel degraded or that they are of inferior worth. This fight will continue with a vengeance until there is no longer a need for preventative education, as education of sexual assault will be deeply ingrained into society.

Your competition talent is Lyrical dance. What is your favorite part about dancing on stage?

It allows me to let go of everything occupying my mind and express

myself through movement. The feeling of dancing on stage is like nothing else. I cherish each opportunity that I am able to share my love of dancing with others.

Who is your favorite current Red Sox player? Why?

Jackie Bradley Jr. is so agile and a phenomenal center fielder. Fifty-seven career home runs don’t hurt either!

If you can’t sit in Section 36, where would you like to sit to watch the Red Sox?

The Green Monster seats have always been my favorite! Especially when I can eat soft serve out of a baseball cap bowl.

What was your favorite memory from the 2017 Red Sox season?

Finally taking over the American League East division and the games they defeated the Yankees, of course!

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Those are fantastic memories. Can’t wait to see them happen again in 2018!

As always, I want to thank Delaney for visiting. Every interview is different, and they are all so much fun. So, I’m flattered she agreed to spend the time. I also want to thank her for sending along the pictures that accompany the interview. They really show off who she is, and add a lot to the interview. 

As Delaney continues her time as Miss Portsmouth Area, I encourage you to follow her on the official Facebook page. 

And, of course, I want to wish Delaney luck this summer when she competes for the Miss New Hampshire crown. It seems like half the stage will be filled with former visitors to Section 36. How awesome would it be for one of them to come out on top?

Thanks again Delaney, and good luck!

36 Pack Wax Match: Pack 6

The Stage has been set. The Match is underway. Who will come out on top? There’s only one way to find out.

Keep going, and open that sixth pack!

As we dive into this pack, the 1990 set has extended its lead thanks to its pack five victory. Can 1988 make up some ground? Let's go!

Hall of Famer +1

1988 Gets off on the right foot with a great Hall of Famer. The Twins color scheme seems to work really well with the red and blue stripes on the 1988 design.

Red Sox +2

The score for the pack triples after this Red Sox card. If the 1988 design worked so well with the Twins color scheme, this Schiraldi is just magnificent!

That's where the scoring ends for 1988, with 3 points from the pack. How will 1990 perform?

Yankees -2

Ugh. Right into negative values with a Yankees card. Not the way you want to start the scoring.

Hall of Famer +1

They get one of those points back with the Ryan Express! While we;re talking about color schemes, the blue on the ribbon of this card goes nicely with the Rangers coloring.

Unfortunately for 1990, that's where its scoring ends. 1988 is able to trim the deficit back to one with a victory here.

Box Bottom: 1988 +1 (1-0)

Pack 1: 1990 +6 (1-1)
Pack 2: 1990 +4 (2-1)
Pack 3: 1988 +3 (2-2)
Pack 4: 1990 +1 (3-2)
Pack 5: 1990 +1 (4-2)
Pack 6: 1988 +2 (3-4)

What will happen next time? 

It's the 36th Day of the Year!

That's right! Day 36, this year, marks the start of baseball season!

Not only is football officially done for everyone, but today also marks the most confusing holiday on the Red Sox calendar.

Truck Day.

I know I've said it before. Every year, probably. But I don't understand it. One of these days I need to contact the Red Sox or something and ask them. What is the point of Truck Day?

No, not the festivities they held in Boston today. Those I actually understand. If people are going to go down and take pictures of a truck being loaded, might as well sent Wally out and give them hot cocoa or something. Any excuse for a party.

But, still don't understand what the truck is doing there in the first place. The Red Sox sent out a tweet today saying what was in the truck. 

Just a few things in the Truck:

20,400 baseballs
1,100 bats
200 batting gloves
200 batting helmets
320 Batting Practice tops
160 white game jerseys
300 pairs of pants
400 t-shirts
400 pairs of socks
20 cases of bubble gum
60 cases of sunflower seeds pic.twitter.com/UJ0sTu5gRe

— Red Sox (@RedSox) February 5, 2018

Yup. A collection of things you'll need if you're going to be playing baseball.  But here's where I get lost. Why is that stuff in Boston? I mean, there's aren't old baseballs, are they? The bubblegum isn't left over from the playoffs last season, right? So when the Sox ordered it, why didn't they send it to Fort Myers?

And, players are down there right now working out. Some people stop by all offseason to use the facilities. Does that mean they players haven't been using a baseball to throw with? Are they bringing their own? Their own sunflower seeds?

Why isn't JetBlue Park fully stocked year round with jerseys and t-shirts? Why the truck? 

Does anyone know?

Emily Mahana Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! Emily Mahana is an Irish dancer, the current Miss Upstate New York, and (as you may

have noticed) another Yankees fan. Just like with Diana a couple weeks ago, as a way of "keeping your friends close, and your enemies closer" I thought it would be fun to have Emily visit with us to discuss those topics, the Red Sox, and a few more. I'm glad she agreed. I’m sure you will be too!

So, let’s see what happens when Emily Mahana visits Section 36!

Miss Upstate New York was your first pageant. What made you decide to compete for that title?

Ever since I can remember, I’ve watched the Miss America pageant on TV every year. And every year after watching, I’d tell my mom how much I wanted to participate in something like that but I never had the time or confidence to sign up for one. Since it’s my last year of college, I’ve dubbed it my year of “why not” and have been going outside my comfort zone to try things that I’ve always wanted to do but never did. I reached out to Miss Finger Lakes 2017 and Miss Upstate NY 2017 before I signed up to compete for this pageant, and their advice and personal stories from being involved with the Miss America organization really encouraged me to compete in this pageant.

How did you celebrate winning the Miss Upstate New York crown?

Since it was my very first pageant ever, you can imagine how shocked I was when they announced my name as Miss Upstate New York 2018! There were definitely many happy tears. After crowning, my family, friends, and I celebrated in our hotel room, and then my brother went out to get me French fries from McDonald’s since I was so hungry and it was the only place open. Probably not the most glamorous story, but wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

What did you learn from the Miss Upstate New York competition that will help you when you compete for the Miss New York crown?

I learned so many things competing in this pageant – about myself, the pageant system, and the Miss America Organization. The biggest takeaway for me moving forward is that confidence is key. Going into this pageant, I was so nervous and, at times, unsure if I had made the right decision signing up to compete. Even before crowning, I realized that as long as I was confident in myself that was really all that mattered. I hope that this new-found confidence will shine through on the Miss New York stage.

Your talent is Irish dance. What do you like most about that activity?

I’ve been Irish dancing for 14 years, so it has been a huge part of my life for a long time now. I compete throughout the northeast and across the country, and enjoy performing in my community during St. Patrick’s Day season. I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many people through my travels to compete and perform, which have led to creating friendships with people from around the world.

What is your platform, and how did you select it?

My platform is encouraging increased involvement of girls and young women in STEM fields. STEM fields are those areas relating to science, technology, engineering and math. I’m currently a senior at Syracuse University studying civil engineering, so I’ve experienced firsthand the inequalities that go along with being a woman in a STEM field. It is my hope to serve as a role model and show girls and young women the benefits of pursuing a career in these areas.

You’ll be graduating from Syracuse University with a civil engineering degree, which is a broad field. Which area do you see yourself focusing in?

As of right now, my plan is to attend graduate school to pursue a Master’s of Engineering degree in structural engineering. I hope to eventually work on the design on large scale bridges or buildings in the northeast area. I’ve been interning here in Syracuse, NY for some time now working on designing various bridge components, and I love the fact that I can make a lasting improvement for the community that I end up living in.

As a Yankees fan, who is your favorite current Red Sox player?

Well, as a Yankees fan, I have to say choosing a favorite Red Sox player is pretty much impossible. I think if I were to say I had a favorite, my family might disown me. With that being said, I’d have to say my favorite Red Sox player varies from game to game and inning to inning. Basically, which ever player makes the most errors and unintentionally helps the other team out, especially if it’s the Yankees, has to be my favorite. Sorry (not sorry) Sox fans!

What was your favorite Aaron Judge memory?

I’ll never forget sitting in my living room and watching Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin hit back to back home runs at their first game in the majors. That was hands-down one of the coolest moments to see. Watching how successful he continues to become just adds to the excitement us Yankees fans have for the upcoming season!

Have the Yankees done enough this offseason to win the division over the Red Sox in 2018?

To be honest, I think if I wasn’t already a Yankees fan I’d definitely consider becoming one given the recent addition to the roster. A lineup with Sanchez, Judge and Stanton could be absolutely lethal for other teams, especially the Red Sox. I know they have the potential to add some big names to the roster, too, but I still think the Yankees should be a team to watch out for once the season starts.

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Hard to really argue with that. I agree that the Yankees have certainly put themselves in good position to win another Wild Card!

As usual, I want to give huge thanks to Emily for doing this interview. She did a wonderful job, especially with the Red Sox questions. I also want to thank her for taking a fantastic picture specifically to accompany the interview. I appreciate the extra effort to help the post look great!

As Emily continues her time as Miss Upstate New York, I encourage you to follow her on the official "Miss Finger Lakes and Upstate NY" Facebook page. Also check out Emily's own Miss Upstate New York 2018 Facebook page and Instagram account. 

Also, be sure to visit the official websites for both Miss Upstate New York and Miss New York. If you do all that, you'll be sure not to miss a thing Emily does!

I also want to wish Emily luck when she competes for the Miss New York Crown! As she joins Diana, it would be so much fun to have a Section 36 visitor bring home that crown!

Thanks again Emily, and good luck!

2018 Topps is Here

That's right! Even though it hardly ever happens so quickly for me, I made my way to my local Target yesterday and found one of these sitting on the shelf.

New Cards! Sure, pitchers and catchers might be two weeks away from reporting, but I have cards from the 2018 season right in my grubby little hands!

Let's tear into the blaster, shall we?

The very first card from the very first pack from the very first blaster is...

Umm. Yeah. Ok...moving right along.

I should actually mention the design. I like it. Actually, I like it a lot. It has what I need: name, team, position. The graphics don't detract from the pictures. There's nothing particularly unnecessary about it. Yeah, the little particles on the right of the graphic give it a highly "modern" look, but that doesn't bother me. Actually reminds me a bit of what 1991 Stadium Club would look like with updated graphics. That's a good thing.

Thankfully the first pack also yielded the first Red Sox card! Craig Kimbrel brings the intensity in a nicely cropped shot. 

How about some highlights from the rest of the packs?

I can rest easy now knowing that Aaron Judge made his way into series one. It was a real upset. This set design, by the way, is just hot garbage. What in the name of Tris Speaker is going on with all the cut out boxes? Why, Topps, why?

A great card of Red Sox ace Chris Sale pondering his future. Or, just waiting for the next batter to just get in the damn box already.

A look at the 1983 inserts with another Kimbrel card. Last year it was the 25th anniversary look back at the 1987 set. This year it's the 30th anniversary of the 1983 set. I'm reminded of Disney home movies. Their animated classics come out on a new platform, like DVD, and then go back into the vault. When they release them, they always seem to do it on a special anniversary. The 60th Anniversary edition of this movie, or the tenth anniversary edition of that movie. The lucky thing for them is that with all the quality movies they have, every year one of them will be having a special anniversary to celebrate. Topps has the same advantage. There are several designs to celebrate. They just need to decide which anniversary set to pick.

That rounds up the Red Sox cards from the packs. Three in a blaster is pretty nice. But, here's my problem with the blaster. Three Red Sox cards but...

FIVE cards of Derek Friggin Jeter. So, not only will I need to deal with AAron Judge being forced down my throat at every turn, but Topps added an insert set of a guy who's been retired for several years? What is this torture? Might mean I can't buy any more packs of Topps Flagship this year.

I did get one more Red Sox card. Thankfully the manufactured patch card was this...

While I'm not a big fan of the manu-patch thing as a genre, it's a nice looking card of a future Red Sox superstar. 

So, there you go. The first packs of 2018 have been ripped. Can't wait to see what comes next.

Hopefully fewer Jeters.