25 down, 5 to go. (Wrigley Field)

Back again! I'm not sure if this will be it for this year or not, I may try to make a quick jaunt somewhere over Labor Day. If not, either way, only 5 to go...it has gone so fast. I still have a little ways to go but the end is definitely in sight. I'm not sure how to feel or how to react now that I'm getting so close. I use travel as a way to give my mind something to look forward to, something to plan for, a purpose. I think I'll celebrate for sure, but also panic a bit. I love going to National Parks and just exploring this great land of ours, so who knows, maybe in a couple of years this will transition to a general travel blog. Maybe I'll post about some National Parks and some European destinations that I've been to in the offseason. Either way, I have at least two years until this journey draws to a close, because of the new Atlanta ballpark opening in 2017.

Back to the focus of this post, which is the timeless and inimitable Wrigley Field. Someone made the comment before I went that the new scoreboard in left ruined the place, and this was my first time so I couldn't make the comparison directly, but it was awesome with the scoreboard. I think the scoreboard fits in nicely, and hey, we don't live in 1920 anymore. At Fenway no one gripes about the Monster seats anymore, and in a couple of years no one will care about the scoreboard anymore (except maybe the rooftop owners but that's all about money). It's a nice mix of the modern and historic, and it blends in nicely. While taking in a game here you think about all of the people who have streamed in the gates over the years to take in a Cubs game who hoped to see that W flag raised at the end of the game, more often that not left disappointed, but nevertheless came back again and again. That's fandom for you. On this day, July 4th, my beloved Marlins went down to defeat (as has happened often this season), but I thoroughly enjoyed the game and the fireworks nonetheless.

Back again soon! Take care all.

24 down, 6 to go. (Great American Ball Park).

I checked this park out with a co-worker, so I got a little bit of the native stories which was cool. The smokestacks are a nice touch. This was another game that was repeatedly delayed due to rain, so props to the big man in the sky for getting the game in for me.
The Reds Hall of Fame is a can't miss, it's the best in the Major Leagues that I've been to so far. Only drawback to this park: it is located in Ohio. Couldn't help but get that one in as a Hurricanes fan :)
The All-Star Game had a great host also, you could tell the city was genuinely excited about hosting the game, they had a building lighting ceremony that we went to which was chintzy but cool. Also cool is the Roebling Bridge located just next to the park, and the Underground Railroad Museum near by.

23 down, 7 to go. (Busch Stadium).

Well I failed miserably in my quest to post over the off-season, but here I am, back again by popular demand! *Crickets*

:) This summer I went on a really cool and relaxing Midwest ballpark tour. My first stop was St. Louis. I had never been, and I was surprised by what a cool, laid back city it was. I was worried about the weather forecasts the whole time I was there, and there were multiple delays with sideways rain, but they ultimately got the whole game in, because they knew I was there to watch, of course.

While you're in the ballpark, you really feel like you're in the middle of Cardinals nation. You're surrounded by red seats, Big Mac Land, and the Gateway Arch just down the road. This may be flyover land to a lot of people, but to these people, it's home. Just standing outside the park before the gates opened, you could look around and see the passion these people have for baseball. It is truly infectious and I'm glad I stopped by.

22 down, 8 to go. (Fenway Park)

Ok ladies and gents, time to finish up the trip report. After NYC, I hopped in the rental and drove to Boston. I had never been before so I took in all the sights, (and some pubs.) It's an awesome and fun city. I had kind of a less than favorable impression of Red Sox fans from my travels, but once visiting the home crowd my opinion has changed, everyone was nice and helpful and you can't be mad when taking in the uniqueness that is Fenway Park.

Say what you want about it, there is only one in the world. Even though I sat in a hardwood seat from what seemed like the 40s, partially obstructed by a pole, I still enjoyed the game. Looking out at the scoreboard you start to think about all the tens of thousands of scores that thing has held, and the list of signatures on the inside, a who's who of baseball history.

Sadly I neglected to get a Fenway Frank while there, I know, terrible oversight. I had some semblance of a chicken sandwich, it wasn't that great but I can't blame Fenway for my poor choice in food.

The next day I checked out of the hotel and made a mad dash back to Philly to catch my flight, and back to the grind. Right now I'm enjoying the playoffs, the ALCS is awesome and I'm happy to see some new blood in the playoffs.

I can't believe I only have 8 more to go...I've gotten around quite a bit since I started this blog! I can't wait to see where next year may take me. I'll make sure to post during the long, cold, offseason. Happy October baseball fans!

21 down, 9 to go. (Citi Field)

Continuing on my northeast baseball trip of epicness, I made the quick 4 hour jaunt from Cooperstown to NYC. The first thing I did when I got into town after a long, exhausting drive? Grabbed a slice, of course.

 

I took the 7 train from Midtown all the way to Flushing, it's a nice ride (relatively) and deposits you right at the stadium gates, pretty much. Inside, there is a rotunda reminiscent of Ebbets Field. I made my way up to the cheap seats and had a burger and shake from Shake Shack, which was ok but not world changing. It was a cool, misty game, since we had just dodged some Tropical Storm or another. It was also July 4th, so there were awesome fireworks after the game. Oh right, that stupid apple is out there too. (Little of the Marlins fan in me coming out there.)

I definitely recommend the ballpark if you're in town. This is more of a functional ballpark (still nice) as opposed to the billion dollar palace that is Yankee Stadium, but the game is just the same. 

Cooperstown Dreams.

Good evening all! After a small hiatus it's time to continue reporting on Baseball Tour 2014. After Baltimore, I made the scenic 4 1/2 hour drive to Cooperstown. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there, but it is about what you'd expect. It's a giant shrine to the way baseball is envisioned in the minds of old-timers everywhere, a bucolic slice of heaven, served up Field of Dreams style.

I love baseball. I love it so much it hurts, but I am unique among my friends in that sentiment. I love it so much that it makes me sad what is happening to it. By any measure baseball has gone from the most popular sport in America to the 3rd most popular. Today, with the 1st week of NFL starting, is a good day to make this point. Most people have gravitated to football and basketball, sports that have a clock, sports that offer instant gratification and high scoring. Most importantly, sports that change their rules every year to make their game more exciting to the fans and market their stars amazingly well.

Mike Trout might end up being one of the top 3 players to ever play the game, but most people outside of LA have never heard of him. Giancarlo Stanton is blossoming before my eyes, but not many others. In the NFL and NBA, players like this would be on soup cans and billboards everywhere before you knew it.

I'm not saying that I want baseball to become some mutant version of itself to cater to the lowest common denominator. There still needs to be a place in our society for a game without a clock, a game outside of time, something that once you start, you might not know exactly when it will finish. But in today's society where someone can order dinner in 5 minutes on a mobile device and have it delivered to their door, no one is going to spend 3 1/2 to 4 hours on a game that moves at a snail's pace. I hope the new commissioner is going to enforce the time limit on pitches, and limit the number of mound visits per inning and per game, but I fear that Rob Manfred is just Bud Selig Jr.

Baseball is not the Field of Dreams anymore. The people that play it are just like the rest of us. They make mistakes. Some of them might bet on the game. Some of them might take a couple of pills to get through their 20th game in 20 days. That doesn't make it ok, just like our mistakes aren't ok, but that doesn't mean we should ignore them or pillory the people that make them.

Baseball wasn't invented by Abner Doubleday, and Joe DiMaggio is in the past. It's time for the people that run baseball to move away from the past and march confidently into the future while still acknowledging the great players who got us to this point. Move the Hall of Fame to a major city so more inner city kids have access to it. Make the story about PED's more than just a tiny flimsy plaque hidden in a dim corner. Maybe if we shine a light on how wonderful this game is, and start growing a new diverse generation of fans, the sport I love won't go the way of horse racing and boxing.