Continued from:
- 8 Years Ago Was The Biggest Night Of My Life, Tonight Will Try To Come Close As I Toss A Ceremonial First Pitch At Game 7 Of The World Series
- On The “Value Proposition” Of Spending A Million Starpoints For The Experience Of A Lifetime
- 10 Final Thoughts On Throwing Out The First Pitch
It seemed like the bidding would go on forever. Starwood extends their auctions by 5 minutes every time a new bid is placed. But then it was finally over, I had won the auction for the experience of a lifetime! And on our 8th anniversary no less!
Just one not so minor detail, I’m just a spectator. A die-hard Indians fan, sure. But I’d rather watch the pros do it. I’ve never pitched a baseball in my life! Well, if you’ve never thrown a baseball, learning how to throw a ball 60 feet in just a day is no easy task.
So I turned to Adam Levine. Not that Adam Levine, just the one who davens at my local Chabad House and organizes local Sunday morning softball games. He worked with me on fielding and hitting before I played a game in Wrigley and I even wound up with a run scored and some RBIs. This time he graciously spent a lot of time making my pitch look halfway respectable. With a few more days I probably could have thrown a perfect strike, but there was just 8 hours from when the auction ended until the time of the pitch.
At first it seemed certain that I would Baba Booey or 50 Cent it:
But eventually I was able to throw the ball over the plate. But what would happen when I was pitching in front of 40,000 fans without even a single warmup pitch?
Meanwhile Indians fans from around the world wanted to see Charlie Sheen toss out the first pitch thanks to his Major League fame. “Get me Vaughn,” is part of Indians sports lore. They took to Twitter demanding that he throw out the first pitch.
Thanks to a Tweet and a DDF member I did get in touch with Charlie’s people. It would be cool to get up on the mound and yell “Get me Vaughn.” But MLB made it clear that they did not want Charlie Sheen on the field, period. The story somehow landed me as the top story on TMZ last night. I did help them find a suite for Charlie though after they were not able to secure one.
MLB reps met with us at the Jake’s press entrance and took Mimi, JJ, my grandfather, and me down to the field level. It’s like another world walking around the field.
What an amazing way to spend your 8th anniversary:
I said hey to Tito and Mike Hargrove:
My grandfather loved it and told Tito about the ’48 and ’54 series he went to:
And then it was time for the big moment. I don’t even know how to possibly describe it. Surreal doesn’t nearly do it justice, but everything around me just froze. The announcer saying my name felt a million miles away. Through the hundreds of Indians games I’ve attended since I was a child I’ve been watching pitchers go up to that mound.
Never in my wildest childhood fantasies could I ever imagine walking up there during a game. And not just any game, but the final game of the World Series.
Mind. Blown.
It was truly an awesome experience and worth every Starpoint that I spent.
The pitch went as good as I could have hoped for considering that I had never pitched a ball and didn’t have any chance to warmup beforehand. It went over the plate with a single bounce. It didn’t go wide right or left. It didn’t dribble to the plate. And I didn’t get boos from the crowd.
That’s a win in my book!
JJ screams his head off in the video, so um, turn down your volume. But here’s the video.
And a video of the Jumbotron:
Is this real life?
Cloud 9:
And yes, I did have the first pitch. So technically Jim Thome threw out the 2nd pitch 🙂
The seats that came with the auction were fantastic:
The game itself was an emotional roller coaster. No doubt it will be considered one of the top World Series games of all time. The crowd was raucous and on their feet. The stadium probably had 30-40% Cubbies fans, which made for an interesting experience. After the Indians tied the game at 6, it just felt like it was bound to happen in the bottom of the 9th. They had come back from too far to not go all the way.
It’s easy to play Monday morning quarterback, but at the end of the day this Indians team surprised everyone. Even their own beat writer. The whole county felt like it was rooting for the Cubs as they hadn’t won for 108 years, as if the Indians 68 year drought was nothing. Even my 5 year old son Rafi told me before I went to the game that the Cubbies were going to win.
For the Tribe to make it so far without their best hitter and their #2 and #3 starting pitchers is mind-boggling. And for them to do it on a salary that was $100MM less than the Cubbies is a testament to great management. However the Indians heavily overworked pitching staff simply ran out of steam at the end. Sure it would have been icing on the cake had the Indians won and the loss was bitterly disappointing, but it didn’t take from the whole experience.
Right now it feels like when the Cavs lost in 2015 when they didn’t have Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love for the finals. But hey, they came back to win it earlier this year. And odds are they’ll play the rubber match next year in the Finals.
Congrats to Cubbies fans on winning it all though.
Hopefully the Indians can stay healthy next year and have an awesome rematch with the Cubbies in 2017. And may the team with the longer drought come out on top 😉
And hopefully another sports obsessed mileage junkie will have the once in a lifetime experience that I had before game 7.
The first pitched ball of Game 7:
I’ve flown around the world in first class countless times, stolen 2nd base in middle of an Indians game, swam with normally poisonous Jellyfish in Palau, seen the Polar Bears near the North Pole, and thrown out the first pitch of a World Series game. But better than all that I have an awesome loving wife and an amazing little son and daughter. I thank G-d every day for those blessings and the life that I live.
The only real question is where should my next adventure be?
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93 Comments On "Video And The Experience Of Throwing Out The First Pitch In Game 7 Of The World Series"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
You didn’t you throw the pitch while standing on top the mound? C’mon Man!
Just curious, how did ML make it clear about Charlie? Don’t you have the right to bring any guest you want?
Did you intentionally lob the ball or were you instructed to do so? I would have liked to burn it in at 60mph.
Not too shabby
Dan everyone loves you and we’re all happy that you get to live your dreams!
Perfectly done. Congratulations on your pitch, your family, your life!
Couldn’t happened to a better guy.
כל הכבוד!
What an awesome experience!
Very happy for you 😃
Congrats!
You bounced it???
Congrats, Dan, and happy anniversary
Next Adventure? Finish Shas
@Steven:
I didn’t have a mound to practice on and I wasn’t about to try for the first time. Besides, they said most people do it just in front of it.
@Ben P:
Officially one guest, but they were letting me bring additional family members.
But they gave a firm no for Charlie.
@Benny:
Lol, you’re talking as if I have experience pitching.
@Mark:
@David Bergmanjerky:
@Agrad:
@Yitz & Ruthie Weiss:
@David:
Thanks guys!
@Eli G:
Read the post please.
Congrats, Dan, and Happy Anniversary.
Time to hit the weight room! Haha you did great and that had to be an awesome experience. It was pretty cool watching you do that. I’d like to learn more about those polar beers! 😂😜
And you had no issue burning over a million points knowing that you can’t get AMEX sign up bonuses anymore?
+1,000,060!!!!
@tv7:
Does the weight room have Izzys BBQ?
@PRR:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/97673
Awesome!
Dan I thought it was your pitch that Fowler homered off, my bad ðŸ˜
They would have allowed you on the mound?
@Yehuda:
I asked where do people usually stand and they send in front of the mound.
If I had practiced from a mound I would have asked to do it from the mound though.
Terrible pitch!!!!
@DanR: Amazing pitch!
Curios dan how fast was the pitch?
Dan
As a diehard Tiger fan I will razz you just a little and say that your throw was that of a girl. But as a Dan’s Deals fan I say congratulations as I’m sure being at game 7 of an epic World Series with your wife and family on your anniversary is truly out of this world.
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is”.
Robert William Andrew “Bob” Feller
Cleveland Indians
Pitcher
Dan,
Absolutely awesome. So when will we hear more about the polar bears? 😉
Saw on matzav:
1 Million+ miles for pesicha to neilah
LOL
So happy for you. Smiling from ear to ear from the moment I found out and love this post. The value of points changes lives.
While I was for the Cubs, yes, it was a game for the ages! BEST РRen̩
I’ll offer $100 for the ball
Wow dan that was awesome to do even at a minor league regular game.
the fact that is was at the world series game 7 when your team is in it makes it all the more amazing
And I definetly think it was worth the points, I just wish I had that many points!
it would be great to spend 10-25k worth of points on something and not even feel it in your wallet! ha ha
with all your starwood experiences, you should write a book, not about making points, but about spending them on experiences! ha ha
mazel tov again!
Very nice. Makes us look good. Are you actually a rabbi or do they assume all Orthodox Jews with beards are rabbis?
LOL that is the most beautiful, yet lame throw I’ve ever seen! J/k. Really happy for you, Dan. It’s too bad they didn’t show this on Fox Sports, I had the whole family watching out for you!
very cool
I think the whole thing is awesome. Congratulations Dan and family! Yesterday I was telling everyone I met that I know the guy who is throwing out the first pitch in game 7 of the WS.
Wow you throw like a girl.
OMG that looked like Lester trying to throw to 1st base!!!!!!!!!!!
Super cool Dan no MBD intro music???
It is super cool to throw out the first pitch in a game 7 of a world series with two teams that haven’t won in forever. And an historic game…tied at 9, going to 10…a rain delay…
But..was it really worth a million plus points to toss that ball? It boggles my brain. That’s, what, 20 thousand bucks???
Now if the Indians won, it could have made it more worth it…but the cubbies deserved it anyway for waiting 109 years…and we all know that no body messes with Chicago…but still…
Dans, what amount of miles would have made you stop bidding?
Beautiful Dan. Thanks for sharing both this wonderful experience and everything else you share with us.
@René:
I still smile from ear to ear thinking about it.
@Professor P:
$10,000 and it’s a deal 😀
@Steelers fan:
I am. Though it’s not my profession.
@Pops:
I’m aware, did you read this post?
@feeling woozy:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/97673
I’m glad that the team with the non-racist mascot won
Major Congrats Dan! As you have made me and many people happy over the years, now it’s my turn to be truly happy for you!
I’ll up the offer to $100 plus 2,000,000 professor p points
Nerves? Or ice in the veins?
Great write up! What an oppurtunity!
Although I’m not a sports fan, you’ve conveyed really well (and not just in this article) the emotion, excitement and passion, and that’s what we can all relate to and appreciate.
Steve – go suck a suck you PC piece of trash.
@Steve:
Won’t be long before PETA starts protesting marginalizing animals by naming teams after them.
Then we’ll just all have to root for the Purple Sox, the Blue Sox, the Green Sox, etc.
@Alan:
Thanks.
@Professor P:
Tempting.
@Cedric:
I thought I’d be more nervous than I was. Maybe all the DansDeals seminars calmed my nerves?
To be honest, even if I threw a 50 cent and became a meme, the worst case scenario was that DD would got a whole lot more publicity 😀
@Welder:
Thanks!
They should have put you in instead of Miller!
Dan, you’ve always been a daily email to me, that I peruse and delete. Often times it’s filled with good tips on travel, which I appreciate. But this week, you became Dan, my buddy. You became human, and a normal guy, living a normal life, filled with dreams and family. This one connected with me, and so many others. It wasn’t the “deal” this time, but the “dream”. A million spg points can come and go, but ahhh, the memories. I’m just ticked you may steal my coolest Dad status with this one. Cheers!!
Softball at Wrigley field: 180k spg
Cruise to Antarctica: 700k spg
“Spend 1 million SPG to see your team lose… Priceless.
There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s Amex.”
Before I saw the video, I thought your next adventure should be Indians fantasy camp.
Now, after I watched the video I think you should head back to little league.
LMAO.
Seriously, I’m happy you had an amazing time. Not sure what you can do to top this one.
@DD LES:
Yup, his slider has nothing on mine.
@TimeForSomeCheese:
I appreciate that, thanks for commenting 🙂
@Priceless:
Lol.
I’d have spent 2 million if it guaranteed a win!
@BBPAPA:
I never played little league. Those kids would wipe the floor with me!
But it was amazing. I was just happy it went straight and only had one bounce!
Glad you’re living the dream, whatever it may be. Your pitch was great and we all cheered for you. For my dream… 1 mil points would have St. Regis all over it. But sincere congrats to you.
@Lively:
Thanks!
I’ve already been to several S. Regis hotels. Not nearly as memorable as last night!
Wow. What a great experience! Truly priceless!
Have you asked your accountant about deducting the value of the points as advertising expense?? Just wondering! And while I’m asking is Mimi getting a nice anniversary gift??
Nice going Dan! Well deserved! May you and your family continue to be blessed with good mazal, good health, and a great sense of adventure. Kol Tuv!!
Dan awesome so happy for you…looked amazing….a little weak on the throw…bounced it and in front of the mound 🙁
did site traffic go up since your pitch?
I am more impressed on how you answer the obnoxious critics who post hurtful things to you. Rather than going the way of most Jewish websites and blogs and simply never posting negative comments, you post them all and always answer be-nachas,and grace. TRULY commendable on your part!
Dan – your the best!! That was truly epic! The only question I have is what was in the menu?!
just wondering if you thought of or did offer the pitch to your Zeidy?
Dan, well done! Congrats! You looked very happy 🙂
Dan, this is great! I had the opportunity to throw the first ball out at a minor league game this year and it was thrilling.
Don’t let people get on you for not throwing from the mound. Usually you are not allowed to because they don’t want anything done to disturb how the grounds crew prepares the mound for the pitchers.
AWESOME!!!!!!!
anyone whos on vin news has made it in life http://www.vosizneias.com/253083/2016/11/03/cleveland-oh-tzitzis-flying-orthodox-jewish-mileage-expert-throws-out-first-pitch-in-final-world-series-game/oh and by the way who won zaloinim?!ahroinim?! 45?! or 48?!disclaimer you can only understand this if you grew up a hassidic!
Curious to know what your top bid was 🙂
Had I known about this, i would have bid 1.5 million miles.
Also, if it came with only 2 tickets how did you get more family in, and where did they sit?
That was amazing! Congratulations and thank you for sharing with us, your avid dansdeals followers:)
I can think of one thing that can top this. If there is a game seven in CLE’s future would be having your son throw out the first pitch
Awesome!
As a lifelong Cub fan I wish the Indians good luck in the future (After the Cubs 3peat!)
Dan you kind of throw like a girl? Expected a bit more pop on your fastball….
common dan, where’s you glove?
Did you get any points back since you only threw half a pitch.
I love this, Dan! Great job winning the auction and glad it was such a special one. Absolutely unreal way to use points and glad you were able to do it. What a memory!
Nice job winning the bid but oh man I think my 99 year old grandmother could have thrown that pitch with more velocity! Cubs win!
I never played little league.
I never owned a baseball glove.
I never pitched before.
My father is not into sports even one iota. That’s life.
Given the 2 hours I had to practice for the first time I’m completely happy the pitch went to the catcher on just a single bounce and didn’t go wide right or left or dribble down.
@Dan:
where does your father reside? You never mention him much like you do JJ and your awesome grandfather
@Anonymous:
My parents are happily married and live a block away from me and my grandparents.
My father’s a very hardworking person, goes to minyan 3 times a day and sets times for learning. Sports just is not his thing.
I did get to daven maariv with a minyan at Game 7 though. And just about everyone wanted a selfie with me, which is still totally bizarre for me.
Congrats.
For all the guys who say they could pitch better, perhaps they could have thrown out a better pitch.
But they never got out on the field. You DID!
@Dan:
You are pretty much good at whatever you set your sights on. How come you never played much (or no) sports as a kid?
@Anonymous:
I was more into studying and acing my tests and my parents never made playing sports a priority.
I did get info fantasy baseball in elementary school and ranked national in USAToday’s Baseball Weekly. Like I said, always a spectator.
@Dan:
Would you bid SPG points if they offered the opportunity to do the equivalent of throwing out the first pitch at an ISIS sanctioned soccer match in Syria? You could have your tzitzis out and spread chabad all over the world
Daniel,
I dont usually go on DansDeals but will now.
I just want to say that you made an incredible Kiddush Hashem. Im sure many people asked, hey what are those strings hanging down from his pants…you may never know who you affected. As a Chabad person growing up with you in Cleveland, which back in the 90’s there werent too many Chabad families, we attended HAC and remember you more into studies than playing sports but you always had a glow talking Indians. I do want to say that there are many ways to make a Kiddush Hashem and I see clearly what the Rebbe meant when he said, wherever you are, what ever you do, you should bring G-dliness into the world. For that Kol Hakavod.
Now lastly, curious to know after your post about how many SPGs you have, how high were you willing to spend to throw this first pitch over what you bid if you had too? Take care!
Sorry if I missed this explanation. Would you have lost the points anyway if there wasn’t a Game 7?
@School friend:
Thanks!
I still have plenty of SPG left.
I’m not sure how much higher I would have gone…
@Joe Rodriguez:
The auction was held the morning of game 7.
That pitch reminds me of one of my favorite bumper stickers:
I may be slow, but I’m ahead of you!
So pleased for you and your family.
So happy for you! You continue to give so many of us good advice for ways to earn and spend our points. You definitely made a Kiddush Hashem and Kiddush shem Lubavitch. Your grandfather must have been “kvelling”!!
@schmoozer: hahaha good !
dan,
good voch,
This is my 2nd attempt to write you my feelings regarding your 5 minutes of fame. i hope youll be fair and man enough to post it
your entitled to spend your money and time as you wish in private but when you use your site which is accessed by many thousands of people you have a responsibility/achrayus to the community about what and how you post on your site, not just for inappropriate topics
what impression are you conveying to our jewish community when you use your resources and efforts towards 5 minutes of fame and
then go ahead and gloat about it? Wouldnt you have done better by donating your points to a chabad house or any other charity where your donation would benefit others and your reward would be both on this world and the next world for your donation perpetually???
even SPG themselves put your OVER THE TOP purchase worth 30 nights in the st regis thats their way of saying that your purchase is way over the top for even the liberal non jewish world
we all enjoy different things and need outlets theirs nothing wrong with that but i think you took it to the next level hence i feel the need to write you and censure you publicly
some will agree and some wont, be that as it may being your using a public forum to write,brag and discuss your experience
its equally important to put things in context that had you perhaps asked a rav whether you should donate your points to tzedoka or spend it the way you did what would they have answered you????
we are governed by the torah and should live by it not by the outside influences of the country we live in, hence we need to weigh our actions and act the way the torah would want us to act and when we have a question about (or should have a question)about going after throwing the pitch or perhaps holding back we should ask!
now that you went thru it maybe you should rethink how you portray and write about it
maybe now after the dust settles and your able to honestly be introspective about it would you go thru this again??
n
Your original response was published when you posted it. Cute that you’re implying that I did not:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/97673#comment-1289796
I always find it funny how an anonymous internet commenter knows anything about me or what I donate to charity.
As I already stated I don’t use my points for others as it’s risky. And it’s not subject to and would not count as maiser regardless.
I don’t drive a fancy car or buy into goods that come and go. But experiences are different, that’s something that will last forever.
1 million points may be a lot to some, but I’ve earned tens of millions of points by doing what I do best. I earn more than I need and the ability to use them for a once in a lifetime experience was a fantastic use of points.
Cheers.
I’m glad you’re happy about throwing the first pitch. However, these should not be life goals focus on TORAH!!
Dan, your priorities in life are backwards. It’s good to enjoy life. However, now that you are publicizing all that you’ve “accomplished” in life is not at all consistent with torah life. If anything I am sure most Rabbonim would say this is flat out a Chilul Hashem.
@Chabad Rebbe:
@A felllow yid:
Do you people know me or what I learn?
This is my miles, points, and deals blog, not my learning blog!
these haters are all jealous!!!! this has nothing to do with going against the torah or shwing the world its more important bec we all KNOW its not! im sure u learn way more then them and give plenty of charity and BTW u do tons of chesed by giving ppl deals to go to the holy land and where ever they need to go!!!!
@Dan:
thank you for posting my 2 cents and follow up
hatzlocho in all your Endeavours
thank you for your site
Thanks for sharing this emotional story Dan.
It’s amazing and inspiring to see that people like you, within the internet community sacrifice so much for the benefit of others; and I’m truly, deeply happy to see that this exciting journey can produce moments like this for you, your wife, and your family.
As TimeForSomeCheese Said, I’m glad you, Dan, the guy I read avidly EVERY DAY and who taught me so much over the past year, became human to me. You indeed became this normal yet amazing guy, living a normal life, filled with dreams and family.
MAZEL TOV!!!