Pitchers & Catchers Have Reported
So let's talk some baseball. Last year I undertook a huge baseball road trip which let me see lots of friends and took me to five parks I had never seen before. Alas, I did not make it to Cooperstown as I had originally planned. Instead I substituted an expensive trip to the Queens Impound Lot, which although it had an interesting ambiance was not really an experience I can recommend to anyone. Remember, when you have out of state plates in Queens be sure to park far, far away from any hydrants. In fact, I can vouch from personal experience that if you park the full ten feet away from a rusted out hydrant that doesn't work, it's not far enough away. Not that I'm bitter.
In any event, the ten games I saw last year means that it is time to update my game stats.
American League East
Baltimore Orioles - 2 times. I first saw them at Camden Yards, which is really gorgeous. I ate at Boog's BBQ.
Boston Red Sox - 5 times.
New York Yankees - 7 times. I saw them once at Old Yankee Stadium and have seen them once at the remarkably charmless New Yankee Stadium, which feels more like a high end mall than a ballpark.
Tampa Bay Rays - 6 times. The first three times they were still the Devil Rays.
Toronto Blue Jays - 6 times. One of these was the longest home opener of all time I endured last year. I've been to Rogers Center once.
American League Central
Chicago White Sox - 8 times. One of those was a trip to US Cellular Field.
Cleveland Indians - 62 times. I saw them 41 times at Jacobs Field and an additional 16 times since the name was changed to Progressive Field. I count the Blizzard Home Opener that was technically called before it became official.
Detroit Tigers - 2 times. I have been to Comerica Park once.
Kansas City Royals - 2 times.
Minnesota Twins - 10 times - I went to three games at the Metrodome, including my first game ever, but have not been to Target Field.
American League West
Anaheim Angels - 2 times, once as the California Angels and once as the Anaheim Angels. They beat the Twins 2-0 in the very first game I saw in person.
Houston Astros - 0 times. Now that they are moving to the AL West they'll be coming to Cleveland a lot more often so I expect to see them at some point.
Oakland Athletics - 21 times. All against Cleveland in Cleveland.
Seattle Mariners - 1 time.
Texas Rangers - 1 time.
National League East
Atlanta Braves - 1 time. And it was at Turner Field.
New York Mets - 3 times. I got to Shea Stadium before it closed and have also been to Citi Field.
Florida Marlins - 1 time.
Philadelphia Phillies - 2 times. One of these was at Citizens Bank Park.
Washington Nationals - 3 times. I made it to Nationals Park.
National League Central
Chicago Cubs - 3 times. Wrigley Field is gorgeous.
Cincinnati Reds - 6 times. Four of those were at Cinergy Field and one was at its replacement, Great American Ballpark, which was astonishingly generic.
Milwaukee Brewers - 2 times - Miller Park has a cool roof.
Pittsburgh Pirates - 2 times - Both of the games were at PNC Park, which is pretty darn nice, even if the team usually isn't.
St. Louis Cardinals - 2 times.
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks - 0 times.
Colorado Rockies - 0 times.
Los Angeles Dodgers - 1 time.
San Diego Padres - 0 times.
San Francisco Giants - 1 time.
That pushes my total to 81 games. If I had compressed those into a single season that would be one home slate!
There are still a lot of parks that I have not been to yet. Unfortunately, I have run out of parks that are an easy drive away. There are four parks I can drive to in a long day (14 hours and less), and everything else is a multi-day trip.
Fortunately, I like road trips, so I have tentative plans for a grandiose Midwestern jaunt this summer. Exact dates will depend heavily on the baseball schedule and the schedules of my friends who live in the destination cities, but I hope for it to go something like this (all times courtesy of Google Maps)
1- Drive 5 hours to Louisville, KY. Visit the Louisville Slugger factory. Possibly catch at game at the AAA affiliate.
2- Drive 4 hours to St. Louis, MO. Watch the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
3- Drive 3.5 hours On to Kansas City, MO. Watch the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Go to the Negro League Hall of Fame.
4- Drive 3 hours to Omaha, NE. Omaha is the home of the College World Series, which I can't work into my schedule this summer, but I could possibly catch a game at the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers. Plus, I could move Nebraska to full credit!
5- Drive 2 hours to Des Moines, IA. Watch the AAA Iowa Cubs.
6- Drive 3 hours to Field of Dreams, IA. Ok, so this is kind of iffy, but I need a reason to knock Iowa into full credit, right?
7- Drive 2 hours to Madison, WI. Visit eirias! No baseball.
8- Drive 2.5 hours to Chicago, IL. Visit Wayne & Jen. Return to Wrigley Field.
9- Drive 4 hours to Toledo, OH. Catch the AAA Mudhens.
10- Drive 2 more hours to Cleveland.
This route would look something like this.
Obviously, this would be a heck of a long trip. While any one driving segment wouldn't be too bad, the cumulative effect could be pretty brutal. I doubt that I have any friends who can make the whole trip with me, and it's unlikely that someone could only go for one or two legs given that it's a big circle, so I'd be doing all the driving. Speaking of brutal, the likely heat and humidity of a Midwestern summer would be pretty rough. September might be an option, but then the minor league seasons will mostly be over so that eliminates a lot of baseball possibilities.
The baseball schedule would probably mandate extra time in some of these places. I'm sure I could find things to do in all of these places (hello art museums!) but even if I didn't stay overnight in all of these places we're still talking a solid week of driving and baseball, which means gas, hotels (I don't know anyone in many of the likely stopping points), food and tickets, not to mention day camp for Tulip. I could certainly cut some stops (one or more of Nebraska, Iowa, Madison and Toledo would be the most likely choices), but it doesn't materially shorten the trip and when am I ever going to get back to Nebraska or Iowa?
So yeah, that's my big ambitious travel plan for this summer. I have the vacation days, but it's far from a done deal. Could be awesome though: in the full form above would let me knock off two major league parks, 2 states and assorted other landmarks.
On an unrelated note, I'm going to Spring Training this year. My fraternity brother Pat lives in Phoenix and is getting married there, so in a few weeks I'll be able to catch a Cactus League game or two. Huzzah! And hello Arizona! We're doing the Grand Canyon too.
In any event, the ten games I saw last year means that it is time to update my game stats.
American League East
Baltimore Orioles - 2 times. I first saw them at Camden Yards, which is really gorgeous. I ate at Boog's BBQ.
Boston Red Sox - 5 times.
New York Yankees - 7 times. I saw them once at Old Yankee Stadium and have seen them once at the remarkably charmless New Yankee Stadium, which feels more like a high end mall than a ballpark.
Tampa Bay Rays - 6 times. The first three times they were still the Devil Rays.
Toronto Blue Jays - 6 times. One of these was the longest home opener of all time I endured last year. I've been to Rogers Center once.
American League Central
Chicago White Sox - 8 times. One of those was a trip to US Cellular Field.
Cleveland Indians - 62 times. I saw them 41 times at Jacobs Field and an additional 16 times since the name was changed to Progressive Field. I count the Blizzard Home Opener that was technically called before it became official.
Detroit Tigers - 2 times. I have been to Comerica Park once.
Kansas City Royals - 2 times.
Minnesota Twins - 10 times - I went to three games at the Metrodome, including my first game ever, but have not been to Target Field.
American League West
Anaheim Angels - 2 times, once as the California Angels and once as the Anaheim Angels. They beat the Twins 2-0 in the very first game I saw in person.
Houston Astros - 0 times. Now that they are moving to the AL West they'll be coming to Cleveland a lot more often so I expect to see them at some point.
Oakland Athletics - 21 times. All against Cleveland in Cleveland.
Seattle Mariners - 1 time.
Texas Rangers - 1 time.
National League East
Atlanta Braves - 1 time. And it was at Turner Field.
New York Mets - 3 times. I got to Shea Stadium before it closed and have also been to Citi Field.
Florida Marlins - 1 time.
Philadelphia Phillies - 2 times. One of these was at Citizens Bank Park.
Washington Nationals - 3 times. I made it to Nationals Park.
National League Central
Chicago Cubs - 3 times. Wrigley Field is gorgeous.
Cincinnati Reds - 6 times. Four of those were at Cinergy Field and one was at its replacement, Great American Ballpark, which was astonishingly generic.
Milwaukee Brewers - 2 times - Miller Park has a cool roof.
Pittsburgh Pirates - 2 times - Both of the games were at PNC Park, which is pretty darn nice, even if the team usually isn't.
St. Louis Cardinals - 2 times.
National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks - 0 times.
Colorado Rockies - 0 times.
Los Angeles Dodgers - 1 time.
San Diego Padres - 0 times.
San Francisco Giants - 1 time.
That pushes my total to 81 games. If I had compressed those into a single season that would be one home slate!
There are still a lot of parks that I have not been to yet. Unfortunately, I have run out of parks that are an easy drive away. There are four parks I can drive to in a long day (14 hours and less), and everything else is a multi-day trip.
Fortunately, I like road trips, so I have tentative plans for a grandiose Midwestern jaunt this summer. Exact dates will depend heavily on the baseball schedule and the schedules of my friends who live in the destination cities, but I hope for it to go something like this (all times courtesy of Google Maps)
1- Drive 5 hours to Louisville, KY. Visit the Louisville Slugger factory. Possibly catch at game at the AAA affiliate.
2- Drive 4 hours to St. Louis, MO. Watch the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
3- Drive 3.5 hours On to Kansas City, MO. Watch the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Go to the Negro League Hall of Fame.
4- Drive 3 hours to Omaha, NE. Omaha is the home of the College World Series, which I can't work into my schedule this summer, but I could possibly catch a game at the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers. Plus, I could move Nebraska to full credit!
5- Drive 2 hours to Des Moines, IA. Watch the AAA Iowa Cubs.
6- Drive 3 hours to Field of Dreams, IA. Ok, so this is kind of iffy, but I need a reason to knock Iowa into full credit, right?
7- Drive 2 hours to Madison, WI. Visit eirias! No baseball.
8- Drive 2.5 hours to Chicago, IL. Visit Wayne & Jen. Return to Wrigley Field.
9- Drive 4 hours to Toledo, OH. Catch the AAA Mudhens.
10- Drive 2 more hours to Cleveland.
This route would look something like this.
Obviously, this would be a heck of a long trip. While any one driving segment wouldn't be too bad, the cumulative effect could be pretty brutal. I doubt that I have any friends who can make the whole trip with me, and it's unlikely that someone could only go for one or two legs given that it's a big circle, so I'd be doing all the driving. Speaking of brutal, the likely heat and humidity of a Midwestern summer would be pretty rough. September might be an option, but then the minor league seasons will mostly be over so that eliminates a lot of baseball possibilities.
The baseball schedule would probably mandate extra time in some of these places. I'm sure I could find things to do in all of these places (hello art museums!) but even if I didn't stay overnight in all of these places we're still talking a solid week of driving and baseball, which means gas, hotels (I don't know anyone in many of the likely stopping points), food and tickets, not to mention day camp for Tulip. I could certainly cut some stops (one or more of Nebraska, Iowa, Madison and Toledo would be the most likely choices), but it doesn't materially shorten the trip and when am I ever going to get back to Nebraska or Iowa?
So yeah, that's my big ambitious travel plan for this summer. I have the vacation days, but it's far from a done deal. Could be awesome though: in the full form above would let me knock off two major league parks, 2 states and assorted other landmarks.
On an unrelated note, I'm going to Spring Training this year. My fraternity brother Pat lives in Phoenix and is getting married there, so in a few weeks I'll be able to catch a Cactus League game or two. Huzzah! And hello Arizona! We're doing the Grand Canyon too.