Met and Yankee Fans are very parochial about their new parks. Both are convinced that theirs are the best, and are ready to come to blows over the issue. I'm here today to tell you what I think of each, and to throw some cold water on the discussion.
When the Yankees and Mets announced that they would close their old parks and open new ones the same year, I was very excited, as I could continue my pursuit and not pay for airfare. I'm here to tell you that they both fall right in the middle.
Both teams accomplished what they set out to, the Wilpons in bringing Fred's obsession with the Brooklyn Dodgers to life, and the Yankees creating a modern replica of the 1923-73 version of the The Stadium, albeit one with a lot of bells and whistles.
In the new Yankee Stadium, I see a decent attempt at a tribute to the original article, albeit one that is a little cold, with an abundance of concrete that would be more suited to a nicely designed penitentiary.
As for Citi Field, the Wilpons got a clone of the exterior of Ebbets Field, but one that is much larger inside to house a bastardized version of everything that has worked in nice parks like Pittsburgh (Shea Bridge), San Fran (the stands and coloring), Arlington (the porch, a copy of Tiger Stadium) and a similarity to Camden Yards.
The Mets committed to much better dining choices by bringing in celebrity chef Danny Meyer with Shake Shack and Blue Smoke. The Yankees have one premium food product, the steak sandwich from Lobell's Meat Market, but have managed to make the inside nice enough to hinder the local businesses outside the Stadium.
The Yankees did a great job in creating the Museum, easily the best feature they included. The Wlipons initially left any notion of the Mets at Shea, but did a really nice job in adding their own last season, finally recognizing a very positive franchise history.
I give both a C+.
Here are some local food choices from around the Majors, in and around the Parks:
Best Food
1. County Stadium and Miller Park - The bratwurst and sauce, of course
2. Dodger Stadium - Dodger Dogs are the best
3. AT&T Park -You must try the Cha Cha Bowl and Garlic Fries
4. Camden Yards - Boog’s BBQ is a must
5. Fenway Park - Fenway Franks are excellent, and they have the "chowdah" from Legal Seafood
My external food choices, listed alphabetically by city (they tend to be inexpensive)
Baltimore - Faidley's, Lexington Market and Phillip's Seafood, Inner Harbor (For crabcakes, what else?)
Boston - Pizzeria Regina and Modern Pastry, North End
Chicago - Superdawg, Giordano's Pizza
Houston - Goode Company BBQ
Kansas City - Arthur Bryant's BBQ
Los Angeles - In-n-Out Burger (anywhere); Pink's Hot Dogs, Hollywood (best chili dog in the world); Randy's Donuts, Inglewood
New York (Bronx) - Cafe Al Mercato (Pizza) and Mike's Deli (Italian Hero's, incredible Eggplant Parm), both in the Arthur Ave Indoor Market; Dominick's across Arthur Ave, if you have time: it's great family-style Italian, without a printed menu (or credit cards)
New York (Queens) - Jackson Hole Diner near LGA in Astoria; Donovan's Pub in Woodside, near the #7 train to Shea, which was an excellent place to park-n-ride while Citi Field was being constructed in the Shea parking lot. (Both places were rated best burger in NYC in different published surveys. You can't go wrong with either one.)
Philadelphia - Tony Luke's (Roast Pork Italian w/Broccoli Rabe and sharp Provolone); Pat's King of Steaks (THE original Cheese Steak); Taconelli's Pizza; Melrose Diner
San Diego - Cafe Guadalajara (Great enchiladas and margaritas)
San Francisco - Sam Wo's, Chinatown; Tomasso's Pizza, North Beach
Seattle - Just "graze" at the Public Market; there are a lot of choices
St. Louis - Cunetto's House of Pasta, Italian Hill; Al Hrabosky's, outside Busch
Toronto - Tim Horton's (the coffee and maple donuts require a 12-step program)
Washington - Jerry's Seafood, in a strip mall in Seabrook, MD; the crab is phenomenal, and it's worth the ride
On the road - Lots of Cracker Barrel, Denny's, IHOP and Waffle House (all low cost, high octane)
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
More Ratings Categories
Just as there are different eras and types of Ballparks, I have created a few more categories:
Best “Middle Era”
1. Dodger Stadium
2. Kauffman Stadium
3. Busch Stadium (1966-2004)
4. Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
5. County Stadium (Milwaukee)
Worst All-Time
1. Olympic Stadium
2. Tropicana Field
3. Metrodome
4. Veterans Stadium
5. Skydome
Best Baseball Movies
1. The Pride of the Yankees
2. Field of Dreams
3. Eight Men Out
4. The Soul of the Game
5. 61*
5. Sugar (Azucar)
"Sugar" was made in 2009, and tells the story of a young pitcher from a Dominican baseball camp who comes to America, and experiences extreme culture shock living on a family farm in Iowa while he is pitching in the Minors. His situation is exacerbated by the fact that he does not speak English. The movie is not preachy, and the ending while not happy, is interesting. If you like baseball, you will enjoy this.
Next posting...Ballparks Foods and places to see when traveling.
Best “Middle Era”
1. Dodger Stadium
2. Kauffman Stadium
3. Busch Stadium (1966-2004)
4. Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
5. County Stadium (Milwaukee)
Worst All-Time
1. Olympic Stadium
2. Tropicana Field
3. Metrodome
4. Veterans Stadium
5. Skydome
Best Baseball Movies
1. The Pride of the Yankees
2. Field of Dreams
3. Eight Men Out
4. The Soul of the Game
5. 61*
5. Sugar (Azucar)
"Sugar" was made in 2009, and tells the story of a young pitcher from a Dominican baseball camp who comes to America, and experiences extreme culture shock living on a family farm in Iowa while he is pitching in the Minors. His situation is exacerbated by the fact that he does not speak English. The movie is not preachy, and the ending while not happy, is interesting. If you like baseball, you will enjoy this.
Next posting...Ballparks Foods and places to see when traveling.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Greetings!
This is a blog which will recreate postings I had been doing on my website before ATT went out of the Web server business. Initially, I will bring over my old posts, but will update them frequently. Here is my story:
On Saturday evening, September 18, 2005, my son Thomas and I attended a game between the Astros and Brewers at Minute Maid Park in Houston, meaning that I had seen a game in all 30 Major League ballparks. My possession of the “crown” only lasted until the beginning of 2006, so with a trips to new Busch Stadium that year, Nationals Park in 2008, new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in 2009, and Target Field in 2010, I’m back in the saddle, and have now been to 47 parks.
I can’t say that this was always a goal of mine, since I was admittedly put off in the early 1990’s by the closing of what I considered to be perfectly good parks for the sake of expensive new ones, but the concept kind of grew on me from about 2001, until it became an obsession.
This story begins with my Dad introducing me to baseball in the early 1960’s; how the influence of Air Force brat cousins expanded my horizons geographically in the early 1970’s; and how the combination of lonely business travel and subsequent frequent-flyer miles set me on a path to what would be the successful completion of my ultimate goal. I will also include my rankings of the ballparks, and tips for making each trip enjoyable through additional sightseeing and careful selection of dining choices. Lastly, I will cover the highlights and unusual things I have seen along the way.
My Dad grew up without a father, and had a very hardscrabble upbringing in Brooklyn in the 1940’s. Baseball was their passion, and through his older brothers, he became a pretty good catcher and fan of Joe DiMaggio and the Yankees. However, as for many kids his age and of that time, there was a need to spread his wings and grow up fast, so he convinced his mother to sign him into the Navy in 1953 at age 17. This extracted him from trouble in the neighborhood, and gave him an opportunity to see the world, as he toured the South Pacific. After he married and I came along in 1958, he filled an obvious need to be close to his own children.
I’m not really sure, but I believe I was 3 when he took me to Yankee Stadium for the first time in 1963. These were the still-glorious days of Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Roger Maris, although I have to admit that 1965 is the first season that I really remember, and I have no clue about the 1964 World Series. Basically, I only recall the “suckage” of the Horace Clarke era.
Everything Billy Crystal said about the grass, dirt and smell of the “old” Stadium was true, and in its pre-renovation state it was, and will always be, the most beautiful ballpark I have ever seen. I know that a lot of this is my memory of my dad, but I felt the same way when he was a young man. We always had a very special, close, yet understated relationship, and I trace it back to our private time at Yankee Stadium. And it’s especially rewarding when I chat with old friends whose memory of him is the time they joined us at Yankee Stadium. It’s all very special, and it’s all about family.
When I was a little older, we would play this trick on my Mom -- I don’t think we ever fooled her: the Yankees generally weren’t on TV during the week, so he would have me go into the kitchen and ask him in front of her “the game isn’t on TV, can we go? Can we go?” He would look at her with these sad eyes like, hey, it’s the kid’s fault. She would relent and basically throw us out, and I would see a game on a school night. He was also great for going to midweek day games, a practice I try to keep to this day.
The thing was, the park was very quiet and relaxed back then, and you could just talk. It’s amazing how you can pass your values down like that. Think about that the next time the “Noise-o-meter” comes up on the Diamondvision.
Yes, we finally made it to another ballpark. It was late in 1966 that a neighbor gave my Dad free tickets for a game between the Mets and Giants at Shea, where I got to see Willie Mays in his prime. The following season, the Air Force brats came into the picture, my dad’s brother from Delaware and my cousins Sal and Tommy. We saw the Mets and Pirates at Shea Stadium, the first of many trips to baseball games with them that continues to this day.
My Dad’s brother Sal met his wife when he was stationed in Dover, DE in the 1950’s. They were well-traveled, stationed in Japan, Illinois, and then they ultimately settled near her family in Wilmington, DE, while my uncle did a stint in Viet Nam. We would take in a game at Yankee Stadium with them, including one in 1968 when there was a NY-Penn League ‘A’ game between Auburn (Mets) and Binghamton (Yankees) beforehand. Through the “Yankeeography” series, I have since learned that Thurman Munson was the catcher for Binghamton that day.
I was always impressed that Tommy was a Cardinals fan, as they had lived close to St. Louis. They were there for the closing of Sportmans Park, the opening of Busch Stadium, and the great Cardinal teams of Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Orlando Cepeda.
Since we now lived about 100 miles apart, we visited each other a few times every year. Here’s where my knowledge of geography came into play. I was totally a child of my times: I was good in math and science because of the Space Program, and in geography because of sports and the evening news. I knew my way around the United States because of baseball and football, and I always wanted to see America. In fact, it was those halftime infomercials showing the Bio labs during NCAA football games that made me want to go to college.
Exactly how many passes over the lower New Jersey Turnpike do you think it took for me to ask the question, “Dad, if we take them to Yankee Stadium, why can’t we see a game in Philadelphia?” With that, on one of our visits in 1970, we saw the Phillies play the original Big Red Machine at Connie Mack Stadium in its final year.
The following season, we went to the Vet in its opening month, the only time I saw Hank Aaron play, visited Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium later in 1971, and again the following year. This was it for awhile, but for one of those conversations.
It was a Sunday afternoon in May 1971, and I think the Yankees were playing the Indians on TV from Cleveland. My dad then uttered nine fateful words: “we should follow them on the road some time.” This is what ultimately put me where I am today.
I visited MIT as part of a high school trip to Boston in February of 1974, and passed Fenway Park for the first time. Since both teams were underachievers for some time, there wasn’t really a big rivalry to speak of, but I still wanted to see the Yankees play there.
I was attending a game in late 1976 at now-renovated Yankee Stadium, and was handed a flyer advertising trips to Boston and Baltimore to see them play. I didn’t know such tours existed, but I was very interested. I didn’t pursue it in 1977, but I got proactive in 1978, with Yankees road games in Baltimore (August) and Boston (September). Of course, being short on cash, I did it on my own.
Kids, we didn’t have the Internet. For that matter, we didn’t have remote control on TVs. So here’s what I had to do to get tickets to what would become the Boston Massacre of 1978:
=> In April, I drove to Yankee Stadium and bought a Red Sox yearbook at the concession stand across the street.
=> I went to the bank to purchase a money order.
=> I mailed a letter to the Red Sox to purchase tickets for the games.
=> They returned my letter to inform me that I could only purchase $3 Bleacher Seats.
=> I went back to the bank; purchased another money order, mailed it, and then they sent me my tickets.
It was in 1978 that I attended my first ALCS (games 3-4) and World Series (games 3-4-5) at Yankee Stadium. Using the steps above I had tickets for Series game 2 in Philadelphia, which arrived the day the Dodgers eliminated them in the NLCS. I also attended playoff and World Series games (2 and 6) in 1981 with my not-yet-wife Maureen.
I had basically dropped this pursuit, what with dating, planning a wedding and all. I had never flown in plane until our honeymoon in 1983, when we went to England and Ireland. So now, pre-kids, I was a traveling fool. The next two years we flew to Maui via San Francisco, and then to England and France in 1985, our last trip as just a couple.
Two things happened relating to baseball on the Pacific trip in 1984. First, I somehow talked Maureen into taking in an afternoon game in Candlestick Park. It was the final game of the regular season against the Padres, who would go on to the World Series that year. The weather was warm, the game ended quickly, and she was a good sport about it.
Then the “big bang” in this pursuit for me occurred, the one that really put me on the path that I completed in recent months: we were in Maui where it was 7 AM local time; Maureen was still asleep, and I was sitting on the lanai, eating a bowl of corn flakes, and watching TV: Game 1 of the 1984 NLCS at Wrigley Field.
I had never seen an atmosphere like this before. The place was absolutely electric that day. It looked like a party to me, and I never saw people at a game so happy to be there and having so much fun. I really needed to experience this.
I wouldn’t be exaggerating to state that this pursuit would not be easy, since I wasn’t making very much money, and I would soon have kids. But in 1986 I began traveling on business, and plotting. I was determined to find a way into Chicago during baseball season. This would become an obsession, and I would soon hit pay dirt.
It was 1990, and I had a customer in Cleveland. I convinced my boss that it would be great to take their staff to a game. Sold! Royals vs. Indians, Cleveland Stadium. Then in 1991, I used a systems project to the Midwest to visit my fantasy league buddies Chris and Rick to see County Stadium in Milwaukee, and yes, Wrigley Field! Both were fantastic. The "brats" and sauce in Milwaukee were the best ballpark food ever.
1992 brought my first trip to incredible Camden Yards with the Delaware contingent and my first indoor game in the Astrodome on a business trip. Then I kicked it up a notch the following winter: fast forward to Christmas Eve, 1992.
I have always been close to my cousin Tony, the older son of my mother’s twin sister. As a result of business travel, I was in possession of a single free round-trip on Continental, which flew to LA. He was in graduate school in South Carolina, and needed a break. So we planned a fairly inexpensive trip to the Left Coast to see baseball nirvana (or so we thought): Dodger Stadium, and also Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego and Anaheim Stadium. The trip took place without a hitch. Emboldened, we started planning again on the following Christmas Eve -- a cycle around the Great Lakes by car to get to Tiger Stadium --when my wife indicated for the first time that she didn’t care for the idea. OK, I’ll stick to business trips.
Business got me to Busch Stadium free (a security guard handed a Loge ticket to me; really) in 1993, Riverfront Stadium in my client’s box in 1994, and opening day in Kansas City courtesy of the Kauffman Foundation in 1996. I also got to the 1996 All-Star Game in Philadelphia with Thomas by virtue of a postcard lottery in USA Today.
Tony and I got back to what would become the annual trips in 1997, when we began taking Thomas with us. That year we cycled through Cleveland, Detroit and Toronto, and came back via Cooperstown. The following year, we travelled to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, in pursuit of Mark McGwire. I have been combining the planned excursions with one-offs, and the occasional business trip.
One other important thing happened in 1997: my cousin Sal, brother John and I packed all of our sons and my Father into two cars and saw the Yankees play at Fenway. As it turned out, it was the last game I ever saw with my Dad. He compared it favorably to Ebbets Field, which he always talked about. I'm really glad we brought him there, and in looking back, I'm so happy that our last game together was Yanks-Sox at a special place like Fenway.
On top of everything else that would follow, a major highlight: on June 4, 2002, I caught a foul ball off the bat of Torii Hunter at the Metrodome. Ryan Drese of Cleveland was the pitcher, and I was sitting at the back of the lower deck behind the plate. The ball was at its apex, so it was very easy to grab barehanded. On 6/19/02, Hunter signed it for us before an interleague game with the Mets at Shea.
Thomas and I visited California in July 2005 and went to all 5 parks in 5 days! While he was at the concession stand in Oakland, I got on the Jumbotron. My head has never looked so large! We completed our last trip for a while in April 2006: Milwaukee, new Busch, KC, and US Cellular in Chicago.
I do feel satisfied with what I’ve accomplished, but I have to admit that a lot of the steam has been taken out of it by having fewer trips on the horizon. We visited Denver, Phoenix and Wrigley in 2003; Philly, Detroit, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in 2004; and then Washington and all 7 parks in California and Texas in 2005. I look forward to the break, but I also wonder what the next generation of parks will look like. Will we miss the multipurpose “ashtrays”? Will “retro” just become old?
Actually, I now have the answer to where I'm headed with all of this: a few years ago, we were in the Upper Deck at Camden for the Yanks and O's. There was an older gentleman in front of us, either Greek or Italian, bald with grey hair and a deep backyard-garden type tan. He was buying hot dogs and Cokes for about 5 of his grandchildren. I want to be him.
I'd love to get your feedback. Please send me an e-mail with your comments.
Here are my Top 5 lists:
Best All-Time
1. Yankee Stadium (1923-73)
2. Wrigley Field
3. Tiger Stadium
4. AT&T Park (SF)
5. Fenway Park
Best Current
1. Wrigley Field
2. AT&T Park (SF)
3. PNC Park
4. Fenway Park
5. Camden Yards
Best Since 1990
1. AT&T Park (SF)
2. PNC Park
3. Camden Yards
4. Safeco Field
5. Comerica Park
More to come...
On Saturday evening, September 18, 2005, my son Thomas and I attended a game between the Astros and Brewers at Minute Maid Park in Houston, meaning that I had seen a game in all 30 Major League ballparks. My possession of the “crown” only lasted until the beginning of 2006, so with a trips to new Busch Stadium that year, Nationals Park in 2008, new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in 2009, and Target Field in 2010, I’m back in the saddle, and have now been to 47 parks.
I can’t say that this was always a goal of mine, since I was admittedly put off in the early 1990’s by the closing of what I considered to be perfectly good parks for the sake of expensive new ones, but the concept kind of grew on me from about 2001, until it became an obsession.
This story begins with my Dad introducing me to baseball in the early 1960’s; how the influence of Air Force brat cousins expanded my horizons geographically in the early 1970’s; and how the combination of lonely business travel and subsequent frequent-flyer miles set me on a path to what would be the successful completion of my ultimate goal. I will also include my rankings of the ballparks, and tips for making each trip enjoyable through additional sightseeing and careful selection of dining choices. Lastly, I will cover the highlights and unusual things I have seen along the way.
My Dad grew up without a father, and had a very hardscrabble upbringing in Brooklyn in the 1940’s. Baseball was their passion, and through his older brothers, he became a pretty good catcher and fan of Joe DiMaggio and the Yankees. However, as for many kids his age and of that time, there was a need to spread his wings and grow up fast, so he convinced his mother to sign him into the Navy in 1953 at age 17. This extracted him from trouble in the neighborhood, and gave him an opportunity to see the world, as he toured the South Pacific. After he married and I came along in 1958, he filled an obvious need to be close to his own children.
I’m not really sure, but I believe I was 3 when he took me to Yankee Stadium for the first time in 1963. These were the still-glorious days of Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Roger Maris, although I have to admit that 1965 is the first season that I really remember, and I have no clue about the 1964 World Series. Basically, I only recall the “suckage” of the Horace Clarke era.
Everything Billy Crystal said about the grass, dirt and smell of the “old” Stadium was true, and in its pre-renovation state it was, and will always be, the most beautiful ballpark I have ever seen. I know that a lot of this is my memory of my dad, but I felt the same way when he was a young man. We always had a very special, close, yet understated relationship, and I trace it back to our private time at Yankee Stadium. And it’s especially rewarding when I chat with old friends whose memory of him is the time they joined us at Yankee Stadium. It’s all very special, and it’s all about family.
When I was a little older, we would play this trick on my Mom -- I don’t think we ever fooled her: the Yankees generally weren’t on TV during the week, so he would have me go into the kitchen and ask him in front of her “the game isn’t on TV, can we go? Can we go?” He would look at her with these sad eyes like, hey, it’s the kid’s fault. She would relent and basically throw us out, and I would see a game on a school night. He was also great for going to midweek day games, a practice I try to keep to this day.
The thing was, the park was very quiet and relaxed back then, and you could just talk. It’s amazing how you can pass your values down like that. Think about that the next time the “Noise-o-meter” comes up on the Diamondvision.
Yes, we finally made it to another ballpark. It was late in 1966 that a neighbor gave my Dad free tickets for a game between the Mets and Giants at Shea, where I got to see Willie Mays in his prime. The following season, the Air Force brats came into the picture, my dad’s brother from Delaware and my cousins Sal and Tommy. We saw the Mets and Pirates at Shea Stadium, the first of many trips to baseball games with them that continues to this day.
My Dad’s brother Sal met his wife when he was stationed in Dover, DE in the 1950’s. They were well-traveled, stationed in Japan, Illinois, and then they ultimately settled near her family in Wilmington, DE, while my uncle did a stint in Viet Nam. We would take in a game at Yankee Stadium with them, including one in 1968 when there was a NY-Penn League ‘A’ game between Auburn (Mets) and Binghamton (Yankees) beforehand. Through the “Yankeeography” series, I have since learned that Thurman Munson was the catcher for Binghamton that day.
I was always impressed that Tommy was a Cardinals fan, as they had lived close to St. Louis. They were there for the closing of Sportmans Park, the opening of Busch Stadium, and the great Cardinal teams of Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Orlando Cepeda.
Since we now lived about 100 miles apart, we visited each other a few times every year. Here’s where my knowledge of geography came into play. I was totally a child of my times: I was good in math and science because of the Space Program, and in geography because of sports and the evening news. I knew my way around the United States because of baseball and football, and I always wanted to see America. In fact, it was those halftime infomercials showing the Bio labs during NCAA football games that made me want to go to college.
Exactly how many passes over the lower New Jersey Turnpike do you think it took for me to ask the question, “Dad, if we take them to Yankee Stadium, why can’t we see a game in Philadelphia?” With that, on one of our visits in 1970, we saw the Phillies play the original Big Red Machine at Connie Mack Stadium in its final year.
The following season, we went to the Vet in its opening month, the only time I saw Hank Aaron play, visited Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium later in 1971, and again the following year. This was it for awhile, but for one of those conversations.
It was a Sunday afternoon in May 1971, and I think the Yankees were playing the Indians on TV from Cleveland. My dad then uttered nine fateful words: “we should follow them on the road some time.” This is what ultimately put me where I am today.
I visited MIT as part of a high school trip to Boston in February of 1974, and passed Fenway Park for the first time. Since both teams were underachievers for some time, there wasn’t really a big rivalry to speak of, but I still wanted to see the Yankees play there.
I was attending a game in late 1976 at now-renovated Yankee Stadium, and was handed a flyer advertising trips to Boston and Baltimore to see them play. I didn’t know such tours existed, but I was very interested. I didn’t pursue it in 1977, but I got proactive in 1978, with Yankees road games in Baltimore (August) and Boston (September). Of course, being short on cash, I did it on my own.
Kids, we didn’t have the Internet. For that matter, we didn’t have remote control on TVs. So here’s what I had to do to get tickets to what would become the Boston Massacre of 1978:
=> In April, I drove to Yankee Stadium and bought a Red Sox yearbook at the concession stand across the street.
=> I went to the bank to purchase a money order.
=> I mailed a letter to the Red Sox to purchase tickets for the games.
=> They returned my letter to inform me that I could only purchase $3 Bleacher Seats.
=> I went back to the bank; purchased another money order, mailed it, and then they sent me my tickets.
It was in 1978 that I attended my first ALCS (games 3-4) and World Series (games 3-4-5) at Yankee Stadium. Using the steps above I had tickets for Series game 2 in Philadelphia, which arrived the day the Dodgers eliminated them in the NLCS. I also attended playoff and World Series games (2 and 6) in 1981 with my not-yet-wife Maureen.
I had basically dropped this pursuit, what with dating, planning a wedding and all. I had never flown in plane until our honeymoon in 1983, when we went to England and Ireland. So now, pre-kids, I was a traveling fool. The next two years we flew to Maui via San Francisco, and then to England and France in 1985, our last trip as just a couple.
Two things happened relating to baseball on the Pacific trip in 1984. First, I somehow talked Maureen into taking in an afternoon game in Candlestick Park. It was the final game of the regular season against the Padres, who would go on to the World Series that year. The weather was warm, the game ended quickly, and she was a good sport about it.
Then the “big bang” in this pursuit for me occurred, the one that really put me on the path that I completed in recent months: we were in Maui where it was 7 AM local time; Maureen was still asleep, and I was sitting on the lanai, eating a bowl of corn flakes, and watching TV: Game 1 of the 1984 NLCS at Wrigley Field.
I had never seen an atmosphere like this before. The place was absolutely electric that day. It looked like a party to me, and I never saw people at a game so happy to be there and having so much fun. I really needed to experience this.
I wouldn’t be exaggerating to state that this pursuit would not be easy, since I wasn’t making very much money, and I would soon have kids. But in 1986 I began traveling on business, and plotting. I was determined to find a way into Chicago during baseball season. This would become an obsession, and I would soon hit pay dirt.
It was 1990, and I had a customer in Cleveland. I convinced my boss that it would be great to take their staff to a game. Sold! Royals vs. Indians, Cleveland Stadium. Then in 1991, I used a systems project to the Midwest to visit my fantasy league buddies Chris and Rick to see County Stadium in Milwaukee, and yes, Wrigley Field! Both were fantastic. The "brats" and sauce in Milwaukee were the best ballpark food ever.
1992 brought my first trip to incredible Camden Yards with the Delaware contingent and my first indoor game in the Astrodome on a business trip. Then I kicked it up a notch the following winter: fast forward to Christmas Eve, 1992.
I have always been close to my cousin Tony, the older son of my mother’s twin sister. As a result of business travel, I was in possession of a single free round-trip on Continental, which flew to LA. He was in graduate school in South Carolina, and needed a break. So we planned a fairly inexpensive trip to the Left Coast to see baseball nirvana (or so we thought): Dodger Stadium, and also Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego and Anaheim Stadium. The trip took place without a hitch. Emboldened, we started planning again on the following Christmas Eve -- a cycle around the Great Lakes by car to get to Tiger Stadium --when my wife indicated for the first time that she didn’t care for the idea. OK, I’ll stick to business trips.
Business got me to Busch Stadium free (a security guard handed a Loge ticket to me; really) in 1993, Riverfront Stadium in my client’s box in 1994, and opening day in Kansas City courtesy of the Kauffman Foundation in 1996. I also got to the 1996 All-Star Game in Philadelphia with Thomas by virtue of a postcard lottery in USA Today.
Tony and I got back to what would become the annual trips in 1997, when we began taking Thomas with us. That year we cycled through Cleveland, Detroit and Toronto, and came back via Cooperstown. The following year, we travelled to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, in pursuit of Mark McGwire. I have been combining the planned excursions with one-offs, and the occasional business trip.
One other important thing happened in 1997: my cousin Sal, brother John and I packed all of our sons and my Father into two cars and saw the Yankees play at Fenway. As it turned out, it was the last game I ever saw with my Dad. He compared it favorably to Ebbets Field, which he always talked about. I'm really glad we brought him there, and in looking back, I'm so happy that our last game together was Yanks-Sox at a special place like Fenway.
On top of everything else that would follow, a major highlight: on June 4, 2002, I caught a foul ball off the bat of Torii Hunter at the Metrodome. Ryan Drese of Cleveland was the pitcher, and I was sitting at the back of the lower deck behind the plate. The ball was at its apex, so it was very easy to grab barehanded. On 6/19/02, Hunter signed it for us before an interleague game with the Mets at Shea.
Thomas and I visited California in July 2005 and went to all 5 parks in 5 days! While he was at the concession stand in Oakland, I got on the Jumbotron. My head has never looked so large! We completed our last trip for a while in April 2006: Milwaukee, new Busch, KC, and US Cellular in Chicago.
I do feel satisfied with what I’ve accomplished, but I have to admit that a lot of the steam has been taken out of it by having fewer trips on the horizon. We visited Denver, Phoenix and Wrigley in 2003; Philly, Detroit, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in 2004; and then Washington and all 7 parks in California and Texas in 2005. I look forward to the break, but I also wonder what the next generation of parks will look like. Will we miss the multipurpose “ashtrays”? Will “retro” just become old?
Actually, I now have the answer to where I'm headed with all of this: a few years ago, we were in the Upper Deck at Camden for the Yanks and O's. There was an older gentleman in front of us, either Greek or Italian, bald with grey hair and a deep backyard-garden type tan. He was buying hot dogs and Cokes for about 5 of his grandchildren. I want to be him.
I'd love to get your feedback. Please send me an e-mail with your comments.
Here are my Top 5 lists:
Best All-Time
1. Yankee Stadium (1923-73)
2. Wrigley Field
3. Tiger Stadium
4. AT&T Park (SF)
5. Fenway Park
Best Current
1. Wrigley Field
2. AT&T Park (SF)
3. PNC Park
4. Fenway Park
5. Camden Yards
Best Since 1990
1. AT&T Park (SF)
2. PNC Park
3. Camden Yards
4. Safeco Field
5. Comerica Park
More to come...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)