July 11th, 2010

A few months ago I put myself in the running for a chance to purchase tickets to the 2010 All Star game in Anaheim. I'd been to the park in Anaheim before so I thought this would be a good way to check them off the list this summer. I wasn't able to get tickets to the actual All Star game, but a couple days before the event I received and email saying I could get tickets to the Home Run Derby. A quick call to my pal Jason and it was settled, we were headed to Anaheim!

The flights were pretty full that day so rather than flying into Orange county as I had hoped I had to go into LAX. Not exactly the closest airport to the Angels stadium. Jason met me there and we had to take a cab to the park because public transportation that far was nil. Only as the cab dropped us off near the park did we realize it might have been a good idea to book a hotel in advance. Banners from the light posts, streets closed off for parades, thousands of people wandering around for the various all star events... We began walking from hotel to hotel searching for vacancy and hoping not to get fleeced in the process.

We ended up finding this really neat little motel that had clearly seen better days. The two guys behind the desk were our age and super laid back. That and an old brown lab sleeping behind the counter gave us a good feeling. I say old because he had more gray hairs than brown but we were told he's only 5. That's two years younger than old Duke. I asked what time their pool closed and was told "never". Perfect.


The actual Home Run Derby was pretty lame. The $99 tickets were by far the most I'd ever paid for a game. Those were the cheapest available and obviously not great seats. I choose to sit in right field hoping Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers would hit some up our way. He choose not to participate because it effects his swing. Lame. It was a cool experience. Something fun to say I've done, but I wouldn't go to another one. The stadium is pretty nice. There is a water feature in center field that's unique. Nothing remarkable.

After the game we went for a couple drinks at a bar across the street while we waited to hear from a coworker of ours that is now living and working at the Orange County airport. He picked us up and took us to Huntington Beach where he lives to check out the nightlife there. This is where my memory gets a bit fuzzy and there aren't any pictures in my camera for this portion of the night...

Maybe I should transfer to Orange County...

The Ballpark in Arlington

July 9th, 2010

Rain. The outlook for seeing the Rangers play wasn't looking good. I thought the chances of a rain out in Texas were pretty slim. It's Texas! Alas, nothing but gray skies in the greater Dallas/Forth Worth area and little hope that it would go away anytime soon. Nevertheless I'm about seeing the ballparks not necessarily the games so it was worth it.

There is no train or bus service to the ballpark which is a good 30 minutes from the airports in Dallas. Dallas does have a public transit system that includes a train, but I didn't have an opportunity to use it. Still a major plus in my book.

The drive to the park was accented by more rain. It's a good looking ballpark. One of the older of the new retro styled stadiums. The game was delayed for about two and a half hours, but there was plenty to do and see in the park. Not to mention a very good beer selection. Shortly after my visit a group of investors headed by Nolan Ryan purchased the team and their first order of business was to lower prices of food and beer. Too bad I missed out... The game was eventually played, two hours late. It was nice and quiet by the time the game started and a wonderful experience overall.

Near the baseball park is the Cowboys new stadium. The thing is enormous! Everything really is bigger in Texas.

Oakland Colosseum

My most recent trip was to Oakland. I was planning on seeing the A's play before heading to Anaheim to see the Angels the following day. However, the U.S. vs. Ghana soccer match and several pints of Guinness had different plans for me. As I left the airport I knew I needed to find a good spot to watch the soccer game and fast. It was about an hour before the game was to start so I googled "pubs" in my phone. The only one that came up was about an hour away via train and some walking. Perfect. I made it just after the game started and just as I hoped for the place was packed. Standing room only. I made my way towards one of the televisions and immediately order myself a Guinness with no regard for the fact I last ate almost 6 hours ago.

As you may know the first have of the game was horrible. We were losing and not playing well at all. The second half was as if a whole different team came out and it was once again a pleasure to watch. After several close chances we finally scored the equalizer and the pub went wild! I believe it was at this point I began losing my voice. Such a great atmosphere to watch the game in, I was very happy with my decision to watch the game there. The euphoria and buzz in the air continued for another 45 minutes, through a few more pints, until the U.S. ended up losing. I stuck around the bar for a few more hours drinking and chatting with some locals about the game, baseball, traveling, etc. Very drunk at this point...

By the time I got to the ballpark I was tired and hungry and since I'd seen this park before and since it's one of the worst parks there is I was losing interest quickly. Not to mention starting to feel hungover in a bad way. I ended up missing my flight to Anaheim the next morning, instead wandering my way to In-N-Out for a burger I'd been anticipating for a long time. Even that wasn't as satisfying as it should have been. I decided to cut my losses and just go home. The flights from Oakland were very full so I went from there to Vegas then onto Denver. Not an excellent trip by any means but it still counts.

Yankee Stadium

Nothing positive to say about the Yankees so here are a few photos to at least prove I attended.

U.S. Cellular Field

The final leg of my travels would take me to the home of the Chicago White Sox, U.S. Cellular Field. I had been to this park before so I wanted to spend some extra time with the city itself. Chicago is one of the coolest cities I've ever been. I knew I'd be coming back later in the summer for a Cubs game so this time I wanted to visit the shore line before going to the game.

It was cold and windy in Chicago when I arrived and the walking all over Philadelphia had really taken it's toll on my lower legs. I caught the train from the airport, getting off short of the downtown area and pointed myself east toward Grant Park. From there I walked along the water with amazing views of the skyline all along the way. Up towards the Navy pier where I could spot a lighthouse but couldn't quite figure out how to get to it. It's probably a blessing because my legs were killing me at this point and the walk to the stadium was a long one.

On the way back I came across the most amazing fountain I'd ever seen. I'd been in this area before and wondered how I'd ever missed it. Continuing south I walked past Soldier Field where the Bears play and was surprised to learn it really is a memorial to the armed services. What a great place to play football. I stopped a tiny little Italian beef place to sample my first sandwich. Being a rookie I had no idea what to order but I'd over heard coworkers saying "dipped" is the only way to go. I asked for the only thing on the menu and said I wanted it the regular way (stupid). He asked if I wanted it dipped and I said yes thinking I'd nailed my order. Apparently regular means just meat. Dipped in the juice. The bread was good, the meat with nothing else was dry. Disappointing but I now know to get the peppers and cheese on it.

The park is nice. Another modern retro park with all the amenities you'd expect and a decent old school feel. I'd been here before so I left a little early to make sure I'd catch my flight. Very much looking forward to my own bed that night.

Citizen's Bank Park

Keeping it in the state of Pennsylvania I caught a flight from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. I was looking forward to seeing some historic sites, the Rocky Balboa steps, and eating some cheese steaks. This was the third day of my four day journey and I was beginning to feel the effects. Cleveland and Pittsburgh were both very manageable by foot. Once in the downtown areas I could walk to the sites I wanted to see and to the ballparks. Philly was a different story. From where the subway station I began walking towards the historic area where the forming of our country took place. As I was beginning to wonder if I should have hiked up that hill in Pittsburgh and if I would be able to walk everywhere I wanted to go I saw some signs with map on them that read, "Walk Philadelphia!!". Relief...

I walked to the Liberty Bell and was immediately disappointed with the whole scene. Some of the most historic places in our country's history had a distinct Disney feel to it. Long lines, glass cases, fake reproductions of what was once a famous person's home. Boring. What's more America that the Rocky story? I set foot for the steps that he ran up while training to beat up Mr. T. The 72 steps lead up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and provide a great view of the avenue leading up and of the Philadelphia City Hall. The map showed it was several miles in the opposite direction of the ballpark but I had time so I went for it. In hindsight, not worth the walk though had I driven or taking a bus I imagined I'd feel different.

From the PAM I began walking towards Geno's and Pat's. They're the famous cheese steak places across the street from each other. The plan was to eat Geno's for lunch on the way to the park and try Pat's after the game on the way back to the subway. Again, in hindsight WAY too much walking. Geno's was tasty, very tasty. I filled up quickly which made for a lethargic walk to the game.

Walking a couple miles through some very run down neighborhoods of south Philly it didn't occur to me that I'd be walking these same streets after the game long past the sun setting. I reached the park and saw that all four of the major sports teams of the area are in the same spot. The Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and Sixers each had their own arena. Made for the biggest parking lot I've ever seen. The ball park was nice. Nothing exciting. Batting practice was very crowded and a couple of idiots running around fighting for balls ruined the experience. I headed for the upper deck seeking some peace and quiet but found none. The place was packed. Nevertheless I enjoyed the game and got some nice photos. It was during the long walk back to Pat's for dinner that I realized this wasn't the type of neighbor hood I should be walking in looking like an obvious outsider.

After a couple of incidents that actually weren't I made it to Pat's. Both of these places are open 24 hours and the crowd was much more lively than earlier in the day. What awesome drunk food this would be. I wish there were even one of these near any of the bars I frequent back home. I must say Pat's was better. Geno's was more flashy, especially at night. Practically covered in neon lights it nearly makes you forget Pat's is there. Geno's uses sliced beef while Pat's goes with shredded. This allows the onions and cheese so soak each bite with flavor. I want another....

PNC Park

From Cleveland I headed to Pittsburgh for a Pirates game. Pittsburgh is another place that I'd never been to and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. My impression of a blue collar steel town that had probably seen better days was quickly corrected as the bus from the airport headed towards one of the most beautiful skylines I've ever seen.

The bus dropped me off between several tall buildings. In the distance I saw a houses on top of a large cliff and decided I need to get up there because the view was sure to be amazing. I was not wrong. It took a couple of hours and much sweat to get to the top but it was well worth the effort. I still had plenty of time to make it down to the park in time for batting practice.

What a wonderful park it was. It's been many years since the Pirates have been any good, but based on asthetics alone this is the best team I've ever seen. The area the park was set it was so nice. So many wonderful views, a dedicated walking bridge to get to the park. It's a great city area to just walk around in. A $20 ticket got me a great seat just a few rows up from the right field foul pole but I quickly moved to the solitude of the upper deck to watch the game and enjoy the views. So far, including all the parks I've been to in the past, PNC is the best.

Progressive Field

Next up... Cleveland. This time I found myself with four days off and I wanted to see four different ball parks during that time. I've traveled alone several times before and found it to be less than the greatest of times. I decided that I would explore each city as much as possible to keep myself busy. In Cleveland that meant the rock and roll hall of fame and the water front of Lake Erie. Luckily the HOF is on the water.

As I walked out of the airport I was excited for my first visit to Cleveland. There is inexpensive train service from the airport to the downtown area which is always a HUGE plus. After a short ride the train deposited me into an area of town that gave me a very uncomfortable feeling. I put my camera in my pocket, pulled my hat low and headed for the hall of fame.

I made a detour to a pier on the lake to take some pictures of the skyline. From there I went into the back door of the museum and saw a few promising exhibits that convinced me I should indeed check this place out. Walked to the front desk to purchase my ticket. $37!?!?!?! To see a sweaty, fat Elvis costume and Bon Jovi's old Reebok's? No thanks! Just next door was the city science museum with a very cool renewable energy exhibit. Beyond that was the football stadium and an area called the flats that I'd heard good things about so I decided to do a little urban hiking. Cleveland was not making a good impression to this point. The city was dirty, run down, unfriendly, down right sketchy at times. Quick bite to eat and I headed for the park.

There's no such thing as a bad ball park unless it's in the Bronx, but this one was not very impressive. The Cavaliers were in town for the playoffs and that arena is across the street from the ballpark so that made for an exciting environment. I made it in plenty of time to watch batting practice which has become my favorite part of any game. Sitting in direct sunlight, several miles of walking, the quiet hush of a mostly empty park had me slightly dozing off until I was nearly killed by a ball hit 15 rows deep in center field where I was sitting. It bounced off the seat in front of me and straight into my hand. My first big league ball ever... no big deal. That coupled with a perfect game thrown through six innings helped Cleveland recover nicely. Not a bad town.