Finally the day is here.. After months of preparation my partner and I will start a Baseball park tour of 10 fields in 12 days. We will be in our way Tuesday May 10. We fly to Chicago and then drive to Milwaukee where the trip starts. From there we will drive to 9 different cities and watch games at 10 different baseball parks throughout the Midwest and North East USA.
I've been dreaming about a trip like this for a long time and it finally will become a reality. I hope this is only the first of other similar trips; next year I hope to organize one to the West Coast.
Our itinerary is:

T-May 10 Milwaukee-Miller Park
Brewers vs Phillies
W-May 11 Chicago-Wrigley Field
Cubs vs NYM
Th-May 12 Chicago-US Cellular Field
White Sox vs Orioles
F-May 13 Detroit-Comerica Park
Tigers vs Angels
S-May 14 Cleveland-Jacobs Field
Indians vs Blue Jays
S-May 15 Pittsburgh-PNC Park
Pirates vs Brewers

M-May 16 Pittsburgh
DAY OFF
T-May 17 Washington-RFK Stadium
Nationals vs Brewers
W-May 18 Philadelphia-Citizens Park
Phillies vs Cardinals
Th-May 19 Philadelphia
DAY OFF
F-May 20 NYC-Shea Stadium
Mets vs Yankees
S-May 21 Boston-Fenway Park
Rex Sox vs Braves
S-May 22 P-Town

M-May 23 P-Town
T-May 24 Providence
Fly Back to Ft Lauderdale


Wish us luck....

Wow, that's a ton of travel. I wouldn't mind doing a tour of ballparks but I might find it stressful to do so many in such a short time. Have fun!

Three Brewers games?!? Have fun at the games & enjoy the rest once you get back to Ft. Lauderdale!

~Adam

Sounds fun... and hectic. Did you order your tickets in advance, or are you picking them up on game day? How long did it take you to work out a schedule where you could get in so many games in so few days? It looks like you'll be seeing 16 different teams--half the league! Give us a report at the end of your trip. Good luck, and have fun!

Sounds very exhausting but very, very exciting. Have a great trip. If you guys are sticking around Philly Thursday 5/19 and you want to meet for breakfast or lunch, send me a PM.

sweeet! Have a ball!

I would commend this as uber-machoism...but then I saw that the thing wraps up with 2 days in P-town. wink wink

I started the planning back in February. As soon as the MLB schedule was posted; then I was able to "map" all the teams schedule and start to figure out what alternative worked best. My original idea was to start in Boston and end in Minnesota visiting all 13 parks along the way but it didn’t work. The only possibility was to start in Brewer's territory and having to skip Baltimore and Yankee Stadium but ending at Fenway which is a treat of its own merits..
As soon as tickets went on sale I purchased them but since not all of the team go on sale at the same time I missed a couple. Those that I couldn’t buy directly from the parks I bought from EBAY (Cubs, Mets, Red Sox) obviously paying a premium... The challenge next was to get a decent car rental fair and hotels but I'm glad to say that the planning, although time consuming, was probably as much fun as the trip will be...

It is a hectic schedule but I can't think of anything more rewarding that ending the day every day during this "vacation" watching a baseball game at a different baseball park..

I'll try to keep you posted along the way...

That sounds so awesome! I'm jealous. A couple years ago, a friend and I did 4 games (Cincinnati, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland) in a week. If time and money were no object, I'd love to do all 30 parks in a year. But for now, I'll have to stick for 2 or 3 a year.

I want to hear all about the trip and reviews of all the parks you check out along the way.

I'll be at this game!

DAY ONE: We arrived at Chicago Midway and drove to Milwaukee. After checking in and resting some we drove to Miller Park. It is an impressive brick and steel structure sporting the Miller logo in every façade. An also very impressive retractable steel roof sits on top of the building. As soon as you enter there is a wide concourse that circles the field in its entirety. There is as expected various concession stands along the way. We sat in section 116 row 16 which without a doubt were the best seats that I have ever had at a professional baseball game. The weather was also perfect, about 75F and a completely clear sky.
We enjoyed the game as well. Milwaukee dominated the action over the Philllies from the first inning on until Phillies tied the game on the 5th and got ahead in the 6th to which the Brewers responded with 4 more runs for a final score of 8 to 6.

INTERESTING HAPPENNINGS: Brewers fan take their tailgating very seriously. When we arrived at about 5:30 PM there were plenty of complete set ups in the parking lot of groups of fans grilling, listening to pre-game radio, playing freebee etc. Since it was a Tuesday afternoon and we don’t have any tailgating at Dolphin stadium in Miami for baseball I found this interesting.
Milwaukee park food is all about sausage. We had a chance of tasting “brat” and polish sausage hot dogs which were EXCELLENT. From now on I’ll always associate Brewer baseball with the taste of this “culinary delicacy”.
The following of Lyle Overbay was interesting. There were a group of about 100 fans sitting in one of the upper sections that have cut gigantic white cardboard “O’s” and would lift them every time Overbay would approach to bat. Other fans would create “O’s” joining their hands with their arms above their heads and making a loud “oh” sound.
No “take me out to the ballgame” on the 7th inning.. instead “roll out the barrel” (???)
The infamous “Sausage race”.
Beer always cold and available and of course Miller only…

DAY TWO: Woke up and started driving to Chicago since The Cubs were playing an afternoon game. After finally checking in to our hotel we took a taxi to Wrigley field. I had seen Wrigley’s exterior before but again I was impressed by this huge building sitting in the middle of a metropolis. When we entered the building the sense of odd disappeared. The building was fist opened in 1914 and it looks it. The interiors are old, dark, crowded and it resembles a maze of ramps and corridors with very poor signage. We finally located out seats in section 530 which is at the very, very top overlooking first base. My feeling of Wrigley changed again when we had a chance to sit. The actual filed is beautiful. My favorite element was the brick wall that extends form dugout to dogout as well as the improvised “extra” seats on top of neighboring buildings… the sense of baseball history that surrounds this filed definitely compensates for its shortcomings.
Sadly we didn’t really enjoy the game. The temperature was 40F that felt like 30F with the almost 16m/h wind blowing in our faces. Several times we had to walk down to the concession area just to warm up. We ended watching the rest of the game standing in the corridor just to avoid the freezing wind.
The game itself was a good, close game all the way to the end. The Mets scored 2 runs on the second and the Cubs responded with 3 in that same inning. Mets tied the game in the 9th forcing it to extra innings. Homerun by Carlos Lee in the 10th gave Cubs the victory.

INTERESTING HAPPENINGS: 38,000 screaming Cubs fan in a Freezing Wednesday afternoon rooting for a team plagued with injuries and that hasn’t found its place in this year’s race… (Probably the best, most loyal fans in baseball today??)
Food wasn’t impressive.
Smoking is permitted almost everywhere in the field. Although the seats are supposed to be “smoke free” it is not always respected.
Lots of “watering holes” around the stadium where the atmosphere is as festive and colorful as it is inside the park.

Good for you, Climber! Hope you have better weather the rest of the way. And remember: with partner, all things are possible!

Tonite the Padres are back in town against the Marlins and we're having our first really nice baseball evening this season. High clouds and low 70s will make for a nice sunset and hopefully another Padre win!

DAY THREE: Since the white Sox were playing an evening game after the Cubs afternoon game the day before we had plenty of time to rest and recharge. We took the train from out hotel to the park and arrived at about 6 PM for the 7:05 game time. US Cellular filed exterior is unimpressive. Glass, concrete and black steel dominate the décor. The interior is definitely more striking than the outside. A wide, well lighted corridor connect all sections in the lower level. I had heard that the atmosphere at US Cellular was cold and uninviting but I did not get such impression. Concessions are abundant and diverse. We sat in section 151 (right by left field). Since we were in row 8 our view of the infield action was limited. The park is beautiful inside with the multiple electronic screens that follow the action of the game. White Sox fans are hardcore fans and they express their devotion to the Sox through their clothing and accessories as much as they express their dislike for the Cubs in the same manner.
The sox played the Orioles Baltimore; the two teams with two of best record so far in 2005. There were 30,000 fans in the park (far from sold out) but they made their presence known every time they got a chance.
This was another good game mostly thanks to Jon Garland impressively performance (7 straight wins this season) and Rafael Palmeiro’s 554th homer. The Sox scored 2 runs in the 2nd and one more in the third. Palmeiro’s homerun came in the 5th and Baltimore scored one more in the 8th bringing the final score to 3 Sox 2 Orioles.

INTERESTING HAPPENNINGS: We were impressed by the way the multiple electronic display screens all over the filed follow the action and encourage the fans to make noise. Also impressive were the fireworks every time the Sox hit a homerun.
We lucked out with $1 hotdogs on Thursdays.. We ate a total of 8 between the two of us.
I read somewhere that all the blue seats are being finally changed to the “Comiskey” green.. There were only a few balconies section that had been changed when we were there.

Are the White Sox the best looking team in baseball??

Thanks for the updates. Sounds like you're already having a great trip.

I've been to the 3 parks you've already hit. I liked Miller Park (and the brats), but the park already seemed to be getting a bit run-down, even for being just a couple years old. Couldn't help but notice lots of rust on the park's facade. Went to a weekday afternoon game too, so the crowd was definitely sparse.

As a Sox fan, my image of Wrigley Field is probably a bit skewed, but I think the place is totally overrated. I appreciate the history and the ivy of the place, but not much else. The park really lacks the amenities of most newer parks, and to me the "enthusiasm" of Cubs fans is just excitement about being at a hip place to be. The fact that it's in a city neighborhood in close proximity to bars and restaurants is nice, but if don't ever try driving to a game. I've heard the players' clubhouses and facilities are cramped and ancient, and players hate playing there because of it. I just wonder how many more years Wrigley will realistically be around.

My opinion of Comiskey Park (I refuse to call it by its corporate name) are also probably a bit skewed, but I feel it gets a really bad rap. The park is big and spacious, with great views from all the seats. The concessions are some of the best in baseball... so much more selection of foods than other parks (especially Wrigley), and ballpark organist Nancy Faust is a legend. The upper deck is slightly steep, and the neighborhood around the park leaves a lot to be desired, but I've heard the renovations they've made to the park in the last couple years have been great. Yeah, I know, I'm a bad Sox fan for not having been up there recently.

Even as a Sox fan, I don't know if I'd say that, but I think their fans are pretty attractive.

Had a chance to see much of the cities beyond the ballparks?

[ May 16, 2005, 02:09 AM: Message edited by: WhiteSoxFan ]

DAY FOUR – Friday 5/13/2005 – DETROIT – We got up in Chicago and drove the 4.5 Hrs to Detroit Michigan. Arrived at the hotel with very little time to spare to make it to the field on time. I’ve read that the area around Comerica Stadium wasn’t safe to be driving around lost so we printed several maps and got on our way… The stadium is not visible until you get very close to it.. At first look the exterior didn’t seem impressive but the closer we got to the main gate this impression changed. There are Tiger heads with baseball in their mouth on top of columns along the walls just like gargoyles. The main entrance displays a giant white tiger and baseball bats galore. The name of the field and the Detroit logo are prominently exhibited as well. The main concourse is very wide and open and surrounds the field in its entirety. Comerica park has been designed as an entertainment center as much as a baseball field. There are all sorts of attractions including a Ferry’s wheel, a Merry-go-round, batting cages and a complete food court with such variety of food as Gyros, salads, etc. There are plenty of displays of the Detroit baseball history all throughout the main concourse including awesome bronze statues of Tiger players of year past. We sat on section 131(behind home-plate, slightly towards third) row 8 making them the best seat of the tour. The view of the filed is impressive too. The feeling of complete openness makes it the nicest field so far in our trip. But everything wasn’t perfect.. As soon as we sat in our seat it started to rain.. It rained and rained and then rained some more. So much so the game was suspended after almost 3 hrs of continued rain. We got ourselves very well acquainted with the park “attractions” during those three hours of wait. I guess if you are going to be rained-out Comerica is the pace to do it at. By the way Ticketmaster refunded our ticket fare so we are planning on using that money to see a game in Tampa Bay in the future.
The drive back to our hotel was an experience of its own. There was construction in every highway we took each of the 20 miles we traveled in the rain…but we made it safely.
INTERESTING FACTS: Very well designed stadium. Great food selection (and pricey) including the biggest Nacho serving that we’ve seen at a baseball park yet. The attractions and displays are so numerous that it gives you a feel of “Disney” or “Vegas” more than a baseball field. The park employees were very courteous, helpful and attentive. We didn’t get a sense of the fans devotion since there was no game played. A lady in one of the beer stands told us that there is an incredible water fountain in the center field that they activate whenever Detroit hits a homerun.; they call it “liquid fireworks”

DAY FIVE – Saturday May 14, 2005 – CLEVELAND OH – After our night of rain in Detroit we woke up and left for an afternoon game in Cleveland. Two an a half hrs later we arrived at our hotel. Quickly changed and left for the stadium just with enough time to make it for the national Anthem. Jacobs filed is visible from the interstate. Very tall wall surround the structure. Tan brick and white painted steel decorates this park. From outside the field looks like a fortress similar to US Cellular field in Chicago. Entering the park the concourse felt narrow and closed-in.Typical cookie-cutter concessions surround the concourse. The field is asymmetrical probably due to being bound by several major roads. The concourse does not go past the bleachers so to travel around the park we had to come back around. We sat in section 152 row Y which was almost directly behind home-plate and about 16 rows from the field. The scoreboards is huge being able to display all the batter’s statistics and picture, team’s line up and complete score all at the same time. Very similarly to US Cellular field there are screens all over the park used mostly to encourage the fans to make noise. There is a nice view of the downtown skyline behind the main scoreboard. The stadium is three levels high giving us a sense of being closed-in.
THE GAME - The Indians played the Blue Jays. The game was tied to 2 runs after the second inning. Then it started to rain and the game was suspended for about 1.5 Hrs. so again we got a chance to walk about Jacobs several times. The original 22,000 attendance was reduced to about a third by the time the game was resumed. The game continued tied until Peralta hit a homerun on the seventh inning making the final score 3-2 Indians.
INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS: We had heard that Indians fans were one of the loudest in baseball but for some reason that’s not what we experienced; maybe because of the rainy day. The food was just ok and not as pricey as Detroit’s. We had never been to a game with a Canadian team in it so it was sort of interesting hearing the Canadian National Anthem. Although this is a newer baseball field it failed to be impressive.

thought about you guys watching the out of town scores at RFK....sorry to hear about the rain.....hope ya like DC manana!

Glad you're having fun during your tour, even with the rainy weather. Didn't know Comerica had all the entertainment in addition to the game. Call me a traditionalist, but I'd hate going to games there--if I wanted an amusement park, I'd have gone to an amusement park! Just give me a baseball game, the seventh inning stretch, and maybe a bit of excitement when the home team hits a home run and I'm happy.

~Adam

Charming project.

In July, 1993, I was in Billings, Montana, sitting along the first base line watching the Billings Mustangs play the ... hmmm, I'd have to look that up. I struck up a conversation with these two guys who, I learned, were from Montgomery County, Maryland. Inspired by David Lamb's article in the April, 1991, issue of National Geographic, "A Season in the Minors," they were doing what you are doing. They had flown to St. Louis, rented a car with unlimited mileage, and headed off for the American West to visit as many ballparks as possible. I can't recall the itinerary, but by the time they got back to St. Louis, the car would have rolled up a few thousand miles on the odometer.

I have a couple of copies of that issue of National Geographic. Dig it up if you can. There was a follow-up article in June, 1997, "For Minor-League Stars, One Hit, a Few Strikes." The photographs for Lamb's original article were taken by William Albert Allard. They are typically lush and romantic. The article was based on a book by Lamb called Stolen Season.

You know, I believe I'd just as soon watch baseball in Billings, Montana, as any place. The stadium is right downtown, so you can hit the Buttrey's grocery store a few blocks over and stock up on food. The setting is spread out, with a view of the Rimrocks on the north side of town. On my first visit, a dramatic thunderstorm came rolling through, interrupting the game and ending play for that night. You could see it approach for miles.

Sadly, I haven't been back to that ballpark in twelve years. I spent a fair amount of time watching minor league baseball that summer.

Edited to add: I see there's a website subtitled A Season in the Minors, but it's run by someone named Joe Gamble.

[ May 16, 2005, 07:54 PM: Message edited by: twin58 ]

climber30, you've got a bit of a streak going. When the game has been played, the home team has won. This bodes well for the home folks at each of the parks you'll visit.

I want to take a minute off our hectic schedule to thanks all of you that have posted encouraging comments in this board during our trip. Being able to log in a read you impressions make a big difference as we go through our exciting trip.

WHITESOXFAN: Thanks for your views on Chicago baseball.. I definetely see your point on Wrigley Vs Comiskey.. Not sure that I agree on the white sox not being one of the best looking teams so far..

GMGINSFO, BLUE RAIDER and ADAM.. Thanks for your encouraging comments

TWIN58: I'll definitely check into little league touring.. It sounds like a great way to get into the smaller town baseball tradition..

TORGAUER: My partner and I made a deal at the beginning of the trip to always root for the home team.. I'd like to think that we had something to do with their victories so far but with 4 more parks to still go through I didn't want to jinx it...

DAY SIX – Sunday May 15 2005 – PITTSBURGH PA – We left Cleveland at about 9 AM in our way to Steel town. We used to live in Pittsburgh a couple of year back so we were very familiar with the roads into the city. The drive was about 2H 15M and we entered the area through what they call the West Hills. After checking in we headed for the park which was literally across the street from our hotel. PNC park is one of the most impressive ball parks I’ve ever seen. It is set up just north of the Allegheny river and it was design with a complete open view of the river and the city skyline. The decoration is based on limestone bricks and black steel which are present all throughout the park. We had lunch at the Outback which is inside the stadium on top of the left field bleachers giving us a complete view of the park as we enjoyed our meals. After lunch we headed to our seat in section 109 which is directly across from first base. PNC concourse is surrounded by many types of food concessions; from subs and pizza to hot dogs, Mexican food etc. The concourse is completely open to the park which allows continuing following he action even when you go get something to eat. The capacity at PNC is 38,000 which make it an intimate venue. Pittsburgh is definitely a football town so baseball plays a secondary role to fans. They are not loud or rowdy they just followed the action according to how the stadium sound system and displays directed it.

THE GAME: The final score was 4-2 Pirates with an attendance of 15,000. This was the 9th win for the Bucs in the last 12 games. The Brewers got on the scoreboard first in the second inning with a run by Miller. The only other run for Milwaukee was a homerun in the 5th inning by Jenkins. The Prates scored one run in the second with a homerun by Ward; 2 more in the 4th inning and the final run in the 5th with an RBI by Ward who finished the game at 3 for 4.

INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS: PNC provides a great mix of a well design play field, very varied concessions, good food options, a open and intimate ball park and the most amazing view of the rivers, the bridges and the city skyline. Park management could do a better job of encouraging the fans to participate in the game; the environment failed to feel festive and exciting. When there is a baseball Game at PNC the Clemente bridge is closed to vehicular traffic allowing fans to pour into the park adding to the uniqueness of this venue. There are plenty of top notch bars surrounding the park allowing the party to continue well after the game ends. Tickets at PNC were very reasonably priced. We pay $27 for seats that would have been 35 to 40 dollars at other of the ballpark we already visited.

DAY SEVEN - Monday May 16 2005 - PITTSBURGH PA- A well deserved day off. Got a chance to visit with old co-workers and friends.. Took it easy during the evenning, ordered room service and watched TV

[ May 17, 2005, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: climber30 ]

Actually, climber30, that would be minor league baseball. I'm not that big a perv. Yet.

lol; sorry, meant minor league... who looks like the pervert now...

[ May 17, 2005, 07:33 PM: Message edited by: climber30 ]

DAY EIGHT – May 17, 2005 – Washington DC – We left Pittsburgh on our way to DC. The trip took 4.5 Hrs and we arrived at our hotel south of the city. We had enough time to rest some before heading to RFK Stadium. The park is in the heart of Washington DC on the other side of Lincoln Park from the Capitol. It is a big bowl with those futuristic lines so prevalent during the sixties. There is plenty of parking all around the stadium and multiple entrances around the building. Like most of those multipurpose stadiums of the sixties and seventies you enter into a closed concourse that surrounds the field. In this concourse vendors have setup kiosks to sell beer, hotdogs, chicken tenders and souvenirs. The building shows its age everywhere; from the repainted concrete to the patchy floor to the old restrooms. We sat on section 210 which was between home and first base about 20 rows from the dugout roof. As many multipurpose fields the foul zone is huge separating fans from the action. From our seats the renovation of the field seems adequate. The grass was nicely maintained (I wasn’t sure what to expect). There is two relatively small electronic screen over right field; one to keep score and the other showing batter picture and stats. With all its shortcomings RFK was a nice place to watch the Washington Nationals play during the first season and we enjoyed the experience greatly.

THE GAME – Milwaukee got to a great start by hitting a homerun at the first pitch of the game and then and RBI closing the 1st 2-1 Brewers. Milwaukee got 4 more in the 2nd inning against pitcher Claudio Vargas who was retired after the second out in this inning. The Brewer’s pitcher was Obermuller who kept the Nationals at bay not allowing a hit until the 7th. Milwaukee scored two more on the 9th to which the Nationals responded with 2 of their own finishing the game 8-2 Brewers.

INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS – RFK Stadium is so huge that even with a decent attendance of 26,000 it looked like an empty park. The crowd at RFK was very different than all the parks we have visited so far; it was a mostly white collar pack with their starched white shirts and suit slacks. There is plenty of space in between the rows which allows for people to walk through the aisle without patrons having to stand up. Although this game had a decent attendance the crowd wasn’t loud or encouraging; probably due to newness of team in the city.

[ May 20, 2005, 09:41 AM: Message edited by: climber30 ]

Hey Climber -- was at the game yesterday, sitting in 214 about 10 rows behind the plate. Your observations about RFK are right on. I think I remember JIP calling it a big concrete doughnut -- which is a perfect description. It will do for now, but shows its age. Still, the city deserves credit for getting it into shape as quickly as it did.

Your observations about a DC crowd are also right on. I was there for the Thursday afternoon game with my officemates, but at least we had the decency to come into the office casual in the morning before heading out to the stadium. Some guys in this town just can't seem to live without a tie.

I think as the summer comes on and the city gets to know the team better, the crowd will get more rowdy. Nonetheless, for the baseball starved in one of the country's largest markets, how cool is it to take the afternoon off and sit out at the park to catch a game without having to battle traffic and Baltimoreans.

Glad you liked PNC Park -- I'm a native Pittsburgher and have lots of great memories of going to Three Rivers with my Dad as a kid in the early 70s in the era of Pirate greats. HOK designed PNC, and has the contract for the new Nationals stadium.

BTW, for anyone heading to PNC, the Renaissance Hotel is right across the Clemente Bridge from the Park and is a VERY nice, restored historic building within walking distance of all the good stuff in the Strip District, North Shore, etc (except Pitt Stadium...oh, wait, they tore that down and now rent space from the Steelers. ) If you want a smaller B&B, the Inn on the Mexican War Streets is a great, gay-friendly place also in walking distance to the Park.

Rob

P.S. I want to know how you made Pittsbugh to DC in 2.5 hours! I don't think that's possible unless your car says USAirways on the side! )

[ May 20, 2005, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: PennState4Ever ]

To keep the '60s metaphor going, a la RFK Stadium, "keep on truckin!" Climber and mate!

Interesting thoughts on the RFK crowd, which mirrors the "formality" I find everywhere in DC whenever I've visited there over the past 30 years; even friends from the Midwest who've moved there have adopted it. Last time I was in RFK was in '73 for a Grateful Dead concert.

Your comments also made me think of how the SJ Sharks crowds were when that team first started out. A friend of mine from Tronno and I used to go to games - he with his Maple Leaf flag and all - and were always struck by how quiet and well-behaved the crowd was. Now, they've loosened up a lot as they've stopped learning the game and started enjoying it and all the antics that are part of the sport - when it's played, that is.

Keep having a great trip! Looking forward to more of your interesting and enjoyable installments!

PennState4Ever you are right. It took us 4.5 Hrs (typo).. I fixed it on the post. Thanks for pointing it out

DAY NINE – May 18, 2005 – PHILADELPHIA PA – Left DC around 9 AM an after 2 Hr of a very easy drive we arrived to Philadelphia. Checked in our hotel, had breakfast, rested, worked out and got ready for the game. We left for Citizen Park around 5:30 PM. We took the subway which took us directly to the sports complex in Pattison Ave South of the city. Citizen Park shares the area with The Eagles football stadium and the Hockey arena. We walked about ¼ mile to the park entrance. There are bronze statues depicting football players and baseball players on the way to the park. Once inside the park you get a feeling of openness. All the entrances to the park are different and you go through kiosks and restaurants before you make it to the main concourse. Even the concourse feels open with a complete view of the field similar to PNC in Pittsburgh. As expected there are several places to purchase Philly Cheese-steak but there were long lines in all of them. Although not as diverse as Detroit’s park there were plenty of entertainment options in Citizen Park including performances by a Philippine dance group by the main entrance. We sat in section 112 which is 2sections passed 1st base and about 20 rows from the field. This is a very nice looking park and one of the nicest we’ve visited so far.

THE GAME – It was a scoreless game until the 3rd when St Louis got on the scoreboard with 5 runs (including HR from Pujol and Molina). Edmonds and Grudzielanek, scored two more for the Cardinals in the 5th; and one more St Louis in the 6th. The Phillies were able to score 3 runs in the 6th thanks to homerun by Abreu and 1 more in the 9th making the finals score 8-4 St Louis.

INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS – Homeruns by the Phillies are celebrated by the “tolling” of a light Liberty Bell by the right field. The bell rocks and flashes different color lights as tolling sounds can be heard over the crowds cheering. Phillies fans can be loud at times but for the most part the enthusiasm was contained during the game we watched even though there were 29,000 fans. The demonstration of dislike for Leberthal was surprisingly evident. Philadelphia fans do not like their catcher. They would boo him whenever he came to bat or if he tried to make any type of defensive play. Great looking crowd!!!

DAY TEN – May 19, 2005 – PHILADELPHIA PA - REST, REST and more rest...

DAY 11 – May 20, 2005 – New York NY – Arrived into the crazy city of NY at around 11 AM; only 90 miles from Philadelphia. Checked in the hotel and went to lunch. After resting some we headed to the game. We took the 7 train to Queens and arrived at Shea at about 6PM. As soon as we exited the station we were faced with a huge wall that extended the whole height of the park with advertisement and rendering of baseball players. To enter the park we had to match the gate with the letter printed on the tickets. Our seats where in the upper box reserved level in section 15, all the way at the top of the stadium by fist base. We climbed ramp after ramp and finally made it to the concourse that led to our seats. We were as high as you can get in Shea, which is very, very high. Once we made in to our seats the view of the filed was breath-taken, not because of the beauty but because of the height and how steep the upper section is.; it took a little “getting used to it”. Although the view of the field and the game was excellent, we did feel a little removed form the action. Shea similarly to RFK in Washington shows its age. There is exposed pipes and cables everywhere. The concrete is old and dirty looking at places. Concourses are dark and narrow. Some of the seats needed repair. The fans didn’t seem to mind the condition of the park. The match up between the Mets and Yankees occurred in a full house with over 55,750 fans.

THE GAME – Yankees open the score during the 4th inning with an RBI by Matsui and the Mets equaled the score during the bottom of the 4th due to an error by the Yankees. Top of the 6th 2 more runs by the Yankees set the score 3-1. At the bottom of the 7th an RBI by Beltran brings the score 3-2 Yankees. During the top of the 9th hit by Matsui brings the 4th run home and a hit sacrifice by Martinez allows Matsui to score the final run to end the score at 5-2 Yankees.

INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS – This was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever witnessed, not necessarily for the way the teams played but because of the fans. The crowd cheered (or booed) every single pitch of the game. At times they chanted “Let’s go Yankees” to which the Mets would respond “Yankees Suck”.. It was wild and exciting.
Nathan’s hot dogs are without a doubt the best hot dogs in any park so far (sort of pricey for my standards). New York takes security seriously, there were cops, firefighters or rescue personnel everywhere; they even had a mobile “arrest center” parked across from the train station. A maintenance crew travels throughout the stadium “finding” broken seats and repair them right then and there…

[ May 22, 2005, 09:22 AM: Message edited by: climber30 ]

DAY 12 – FINAL GAME – May 21 2005 – BOSTON MA – The scheduled 3.5 Hr drive between the Big Apple and Boston took us almost 5 due to heavy traffic from NY into Connecticut. As we approached Boston the weather started to worsen and a constant drizzle accompanied us for he rest of the afternoon and evening. We arrived at the B&B which is in Brookline only 7 blocks from Wrigley. Once again we arrived with little time to spare so we got changed and headed to the Park. The neighborhood around Wrigley is extremely charming and clean so our walk to the Park despite the drizzle was very enjoyable. The outside of the park looks more like a regular building than a baseball park; a long wall extends along the street just like a warehouse red brick wall with large windows and an edged sign that reads FENWAY PARK. The inside concourse is as nostalgic as it gets. The use of green and red paint dominates the décor. The concourse is wide and bright and relatively clean. Every detail is reminiscent of the early 20th century when the park first opened. The field itself is more impressive than what we expected with the green monster wall with all its corks and curves. The old seats are small and very close together. We sat in section 90 row pp which is by the right field about 15 rows in from it. People go up and down the aisles constantly during game. The fact that beer sales is not allowed in the seats exacerbates the situation. We missed plenty of plays because of fans interrupting the view as the moved along the aisle. The manual scoreboard was amazing and worked very well. The sound system didn’t seem adequate as announcements sounded muffled and distant. Despite the cold weather and constant drizzle we had an amazing experience that will be difficult to forget.

THE GAME – Scoreless game until the top of the third when an RBI by Jones allowed Atlanta to score. The second Braves run came in the top of the 4th by a double by Mondesi; 4 more runs in the top of the 5th brought the score to 6-0 Atlanta. The Braves were able to score one more in the top of the 6th due to a Boston throwing error. The Sox attacked back in the bottom of the 6th with 2 runs and then one more during the 7th.Finally Demon and Ortiz scored in the bottom of the ninth for a final score of 7-5 Braves.

INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS – The street by the main entrance is closed to traffic (Yawkey Way) and made into part of the park experience; there are all sorts of concessions sort of the way I imagined it was when the park fist opened. Fans are loud and intense during the game but very polite and pleasant in the concourses. The Italian sausage were excellent; lot’s of peppers and onion. The game was sold out with an attendance of 35,008 fans. Fenway is very well maintained to be such an old park; I was expecting something similar to Wrigley but I was pleasantly surprised by how much more clean, bright and spacious his park was. Good looking fans... but nothing like Philadelphia’s. Excellent baseball experience overall…

I was surprised by how much Fenway affected me when I visited. My brother and I had been to Yankee Stadium the preceding day, and it was tough for me to feel that much awe for it, for some reason. But when I walked in to Fenway, I was somehow overwhelmed with a feeling of history and the beauty of baseball, as sappy as that will sound. I can't even explain it.

I was thinking of you on Saturday, climber30. I watched the game on TV and it looked cold and wet. On top of that, the Sox lost. We've had rain 16 out of 25 days this month. Not the greatest weather for your final stop in P'town either.

I'm glad you enjoyed your Fenway visit as much as you seem to have. The Sausage Guy is something of an institution at Fenway. Personally, I go for the Fenway Franks (and the chocolate soft-serve).

You're definitely right about the seating. My knees are always jammed into the back of the seat in front of me and last month I had an enormous guy sitting next to me. That ain't fun either. People do seem to be up and down all the time. I've always assumed it's like that at all parks. I hadn't made the connection with the beer sales. The uncomfortable seating is an encouragement to get up for a stroll periodically too. I usually watch about two-thirds of the game from my seat and spend the rest of the time on my feet. I've done "standing room" too and it's not bad.

They've been coming under some criticism lately for selling too much beer so you won't see sales in the stands anytime soon. I'd actually prefer a mixed drink myself wink .

climber, thanks for sharing your trip with us--next year, try a west coast swing . Now go lay down and get some rest!

~Adam

I published some pictures of our trip...

http://ca133.photosite.com/RoadTrip2005/

[ May 26, 2005, 06:31 PM: Message edited by: climber30 ]

nice, very nice photos. Glad to see ya made it back safely and had a great time while at it.

10 down, 20 to go

Thanks for one of the best threads ever on OS! Great pics - of the ballparks and you two, too! Looking forward to your trip out West!

Very good!

I love looking at the Green Monstahhhh

Great photos -- thanks for sharing them. Y'all must have had a blast. Planning to give us a "best of/worst of" list like one of the Page 2 writers at espn.com did a couple of seasons ago?

after

263552 Fans
2834 Miles flown
1714 Miles driven
471 Outs
312 Left on Base
143 Hits
126 Strike Outs
77 Runs
56 Beers
42 Hot Dogs
16 Homeruns
10 Hotels
6 Home team wins

we had the baseball time of our lives ...

Thanks to all of you that read out postings and supported the trip with your comments and observations

[ May 31, 2005, 01:36 PM: Message edited by: climber30 ]

Well after visiting the Florida Marlins park ( old Joe Robbie, old ProPlayer, now Dolphin Stadium) several times in the 90s and early 2000s, Yankee Stadium in 2004, 10 parks in 12 days in 2005 (posted here), Atlanta, San Francisco and Oakland in 2006 here we are again in 2007 to continue our saga to visit every Major League park.

This time my partner and I start today in Tampa Bay then we fly to LA where we will be going to Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Diego to complete 19 of the 30 major league baseball parks.

My plan at this point is to finish the Midwest next year by going to Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Saint Louis , finishing the north east and west in 2009 with Baltimore, The New Yankee stadium, Toronto and Seattle and then the Southwest in 2010 going to Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Colorado

Our itinerary for this leg of the "saga" is:

September 7 Tropicana Field Devil Rays vs Blue Jays
September 9 Angel Stadium of Anaheim Angels vs Indians
September 11 Dodger Stadium Dodgers vs Padres
September 14 Petco Park (San Diego) Padres vs Giants

Please wish us luck and I'll keep you posted on how things go this time around.

Tropicana Field - 9/7/2007 - Blue Jays vs Devil Rays

When we arrived in St Petersburg we were surprised by what a quaint town it is. Lots of buildings from the 30's 40' 50' together with more contemporary architecture makes it into a real comfortable place to relax and have a quiet time.

The park was a different story. As you approach the structure it dominates the horizon with its huge white dome. The area leading to the park is well maintained and a long marine mosaic walk surrounded by palm trees takes you to the main entrance. Once inside the concessions area is well kept and recently renovated. There are plenty of different kinds of eateries all from pizza to Italian sausages to the traditional hot dogs. All the hallways are decorated with murals most of them baseball related.

We sat on section 104 row Q which is just to the right of homeplate and about 10 rows back from the field (great seats). This is a park that seats 45,000 people but the feeling once in our seats was sort of claustrophobic making the area look smaller than what it really is. It is also difficult to get over the look of the Astro turf which appear shinny and plastic from where we were sitting. Seats are comfortable and well maintained. The sound system was awful; most of the time we couldn't make out what it was being announced.

The stadium had about 20,000 fans (my calculations) which is not a bad crowd for that size field. That night though the fans lacked the enthusiasm we have seen at other places. The team management does do a good job of creating several activities in between innings to keep the fans entertained.

The game promised to be a real duel of pitchers (Edwin Jackson vs McGowan ) at least until the 5th inning when a no hitter became 3 runs. In the 6th the Blue Jays managed to score another 4 before Jackson was pull out. Luckily in the bottom of the 6th the Devil Rays were able to get two runs to lose the game 7 to 2.

Although St Pete is only 200 miles from home I will probably won't be making the trip back to watch another game in the near future as, in my opinion, and after watching this game, baseball doesn't show well in a closed park.

Angel Stadium of Anaheim - 9/9/2007 - Angels vs Indians

After flying to LAX, driving to Anaheim we spent a day of fun at the Disney "California Adventure" park. The next day (Sunday) the game was schedule for 5PM. We arrived at the park about an hour before. At first impressions Angel Stadium looks like a newer park (probably due to the renovation in the mid 90's). The two giant ball caps by the entrance give it a Disney-like feeling but as soon as you get inside the stadium the reality of an aging 60s park is more apparent.

The concessions area is wide but somewhat closed-in and dark. As in most ballparks now a day you can find almost every type of food you desire including Panda Express and Carl's Jr. (who knew). There are plenty of surrounded open areas for additional activities like batting cages. Moving about the park is easy including getting close and personal with the "California Spectacular" display in center field (a set-up of artificial rock like mountains with a fountain-like-geyser in the middle and real tress around it).

We sat on section Field 102 row F which is right behind the left field foul pole. Although the seats were comfortable these are without a doubt the worst seats we have ever had at a baseball game so far. Not only the foul pole blocked part of the view but the angel of our seats in relation to the filed made it very difficult to follow and enjoy the game.

The fans were not really loud and excited at least until the 7th inning when the Angels were trailing the Indians 6 to 2 and the "Rally Monkey" made an appearance. The whole stadium went crazy when the PA announcer said "if you scream it will come". People starting screaming like maniacs and all of a sudden this jumping monkey holding a sign that said "Rally time" appeared on the screen. Te whole atmosphere changed at that point and although the team never rallied back it did provide a moment of excitement.

Another interesting fact is that fireworks were used as the Angels announce their lineup as well as when the National Anthem is sung.

The Angels ended losing the game 6-2. The losing pitcher Jered Weaver the winner Aaron Laffey with Ryan Garko three run homer being the highlight of the game.

Overall this was a pleasant baseball experience. I wouldn't mind coming back to this park to watch a game in the future but doubt that I would make a trip exclusively for that purpose.

Compared to this, I think I now approve of The Wave.

LMFAO!

Dodger Stadium - 9/11/2007 - Dodgers vs Padres

On Tuesday (9/11) we changed hotels from Anaheim to Burbank to be closer to Dodger Stadium. We arrived at the park 1 1/2 hr. early knowing how unpredictable the Los Angeles traffic can be. As you approach the park you find this massive imposing structure built against a hill. Surprisingly enough, for a 45 year-old park the exterior area is very well kept and clean.

We sat on the Reserve level section 1. Unlike most parks we have visited every section has its own and exclusive entrance. You are not allow to enter the park from any other level but the one you're ticketed for. Also, since it was 9/11 the security was heavy and the line to enter the park long.

The surrounding concourse, at least in the Reserve level, is open and wide with plenty of concession stores selling mostly the traditional souvenirs, beer and dogs (Dodger dogs in this case). No other thrills were found in this concourse area, no batting cages or merry-go-round just fans waiting for the game to start.

The park has 5 sitting decks and ours was the one next to the highest. Our seats in row N where about 15 tows from the edge and almost exactly behind home plate. I was originally a little nervous about our seats being so far from the field but all concerns were eliminated when we sat down and admired the amazing clear view of the park from our seats.

The park was recently renovated and all the seats were replaced. They went back to the original pastel type colors which together with the waving roofs and old style lettering on top of the dugouts created this feeling of stepping back in time to the early 60's or right into an episode of Bewitched. There are huge letters on the hill (ala Hollywood sign) right above left field that reads "THINK BLUE".

Because of the commemoration of September 11 the day started with a tribute to all Los Angels heroes. Good Bless America and the National Anthem were sung and three military helicopters flew over the park in formation to cap the remembrance.

The Dodgers ended up losing 9-4 as Esteban Loaiza had a very difficult time very early in the game allowing 6 runs in 4 innings. Jake Peavy ended as the winning pitcher to a crowd of 51,000 fans (not so shabby)

Dodger Stadium was everything I expected and more. A very classy park dedicated exclusively to baseball with comfortable sitting and a great view. The fans (although late to arrive) are as loud and rowdy as they get and even though the game was lost in the first few innings the enthusiasm stayed all the way to the 9th. I really enjoyed our time at this park which without a doubt is one of the best places to watch baseball. I'll hopefully be back to visit many, many times.