I made it out to Great American Ballpark this past Saturday night for my first MLB experience of the summer. What a game to get it started. I realized when I received my tickets that this would be the annual Civil Rights Game. Little did I know when I arrived that I would see Henry Aaron, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Frank Robinson. There were other notables there like Laila Ali and Harry Belafonte but it was these baseball icons that made me light up like a kid on Christmas morning. Bonus! There was still a game to be played.
Seeing baseball royalty up close and personal got me thinking about my baseball tour journeyed through the years. My experiences have all been unique. So the idea of this post came from considering these moments in time and wondering how to best judge them. Here is a list ranking the tour moments:
10) Detroit--It is hard to be fair when considering my time in Detroit. I had the opportunity to visit Tiger Stadium before it was demolished. My only reason for being in Detroit was to visit the Stadium so it isn't fair for me to critique the city itself. All I saw was a crumbling town full of chaos and demise. Even the stadium itself was falling apart. I remember thinking when I was walking in the concourse under the grandstand that "I hope it doesn't fall in on me". I need to go back and visit the new stadium and spend some time exploring Detroit as I'm sure there are some interesting and positive sights.
9) Anaheim--Aside from the fact that the Angles play in southern California and that they are consistently a pretty good team, there is really not much to say. The stadium is rather boring and Anaheim seems to be a rather regular suburban community.
8) San Diego--By far, this is my favorite major league city. The stadium is one of the newer ones and it has its features. Like the warehouse out in left that was fitted into the new construction of the stadium and the beach out behind the right-center field fence. My friends and I happened to sit in the all-you-can eat section which was great since hot dogs are my favorite meat. None of these things though make it my fav baseball city. It's the weather and the beaches and the Mexican influence on food that makes it the perfect city.
7) Baltimore--I had looked forward to visiting Camden Yards at Oriole Park since it opened back during the Cal Ripken days. This is a good ball park with all the brick work and open feel. I remember that it was also very comfortable. The only negative is the team itself. The Orioles stink!
6) Atlanta--I must confess that Atlanta made it this high on the list because the Braves are my favorite team. I am fully aware that most journalism rankings put Atlanta as one of the worst sports towns in North America. Whatever. I don't have Atlanta in this spot because of the city but because of the team. My first trip to Atlanta was to see the Braves in Fulton Co. Stadium. I didn't pay attention much as this trip was a 14th birthday present. I was too excited about seeing my team up close. My second trip to Atlanta was just a couple of years following the Olympics which produced what is now Turner Field. Good venue to watch a game but nothing spectacular. I would be remiss to ignore the run of 14 straight division titles the Braves rattled off.
5) Cincinnati--I believe the old Queen City could once again be a big time baseball town. It just needs a good team on the field. As I write this the Reds are in first place. The history is rich and the roster of all-time greats is long. I live here, so of course, I get to enjoy the ball park and team regularly. Riverfront Stadium (Cinergy) was terrible. I remember as a young kid thinking how poor a stadium it was with the doughnut shaped configuration and Astro Turf playing surface. Yuck! It was hard to see the players and the ball. Great American Ball Park is so much better. The view from almost anywhere is really good and the open feel helps make viewing more comfortable. The LaRosa's pizza is a big negative.
4) LA--Dodger Stadium was one of those classic ball parks I've always wished to see. I finally did last summer and it was as good as I'd hoped. The ball park is big and wide open which fits the personality of the city. What's not to love about southern California besides the traffic and smog? The Dodgers are one of the few historic baseball franchises with mega stars at every turn in their history. The Dodger dog and garlic fries are a must.
3) NY (Bronx)--Two summers ago I had the privilege of visiting old Yankee Stadium before it was closed. Even better was the particular game we saw which matched the Red Sox versus Yankees on the ESPN Sunday Night Game. The bitter rivalry made it all the better. The stadium was alright, nothing unique in my opinion, other than the history of players who played on that same diamond. It was "the house that Ruth built." The NY fans live and die with their Yankees. It's personal when they lose. It's the passion that makes NY a great baseball city.
2) Chicago--The combination of the city and the stadium is what makes Chicago a great place to see a ball game. The Cubs stink. Nothing new in that regard. Visiting Wrigley Field is a great experience; probably my favorite park. Everything about it is unique. Wrigley sits right smack dab within an old neighborhood with lots of surrounding eats and drinks to enjoy before and after. The ivy is what it is most famous for but the 3 piece brass ensemble is fun as well as the party that's going on in the bleachers. Always a full house, the atmosphere is fun-loving and energetic. I've also visited the south side with a game at new Comiskey which has since sold out to a corporate sponsor. The White Sox are a better team overall but not good enough to overcome the party going on by the lake.
1) Boston--By far, Boston is the best baseball town there is. Three hours before the game the crowd is shoulder to shoulder gathered outside. There are tons of great eats and drinks surrounding including The Bleacher Bar, situated just behind the Green Monster. We happened to view batting practice from our seats at the bar. Very cool. The memorabilia and gift shops are massive and many. The fans are passionate and yet friendly. Fenway Park is a great place to watch a game. It's small and cramped because the place gets sold out every game plus the seats are original; narrow and hard. Every pitch matters to every fan in the park. It's the game they have come for, not the park necessarily. The fans of Boston understand that the entertainment is with the baseball game itself.
Recap--I wrote this because it is unlikely that the tour will continue this summer. The tour isn't stopped, only paused. I'll give a full report once I'm back on the road. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the first place Reds (while it lasts).
