Pittsburgh 8-9 July

OK--I admit it. Pittsburgh was not what I had expected. I still had the vision of a city strangled in the grip of the rust belt. Was I ever wrong. This is a proud city that goes out of its way to tell you so. All over Pittsburgh, there are signs indicating what once was there or what a building was previously used for, but they have moved on. Proud of their heritage, this is a thriving city that is just fun to be in, and PNC Park is no exception.
But Pittsburgh is tied to baseball. The first World Series Game was played here and the game has been part of the life blood of the city. Further, there is quite a history of the Negro Leagues in Pittsburgh, and it is celebrated magnificently in the stadium.
There are many ways to get to the park in Pittsburgh, but we stayed at a hotel near Summit Station. PNC, in cooperation with the city ferry system, runs a ferry to the game. It is the hassle free way to get to the game. For five bucks, they drop you off at the waterfront entrance to the park. When you return from the game, you are greeted by spectacular views of Pittsburgh.

There are statues everywhere around PNC Park, but the whole waterfront has been superbly retooled. There is a Korean War Memorial, a World War II submarine open for touring, a great science center, and of course the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Don't miss the opportunity to tour the stadium (tickets are purchased at the box office).
As you leave the waterfront, one of the first icons that you come across is the statue of Roberto Clemete. Oh, by the way, the bridge that crosses the Allegheny River by the statue is the Roberto Clemete Bridge.

As you enter the main gates, you are greeted by a series of statues of the heroes of the Negro Leagues. This one is Sachel Paige. Along with the statue is a video presentation that describes the player and his baseball accomplishments. Pittsburgh was a hub of activity for the Negro Leagues. Although the Negro League Baseball Museum is in Kansas City (we plan to see it while we are there), this display is well done and informative.

Then there is the statue of Willie Stargell. Not only the anchor of the "We Are Family" World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates, he is heavily involved in charity work in the Pittsburgh area. A frequent visitor to the games, Stargell is still a Pittsburgh Hero.
Well, it was bound to happen. We knew eventually that we would get rained upon. This night it happened twice. The first time was a 2 hour and 49 minute delay followed by a 55 minute delay a couple of hours later. We did not get out of the park until about 2 AM, but there was amazingly little grumbling from the crowd. While we waited we got to observe scouts from Tampa Bay, New York, Boston, Chicago, and Miami do their thing. Where do I apply for that job?


When the game started, there was a threat of rain, but the sky was clear. We weren't quite sure why all of the people on the other side of the stadium were running for cover until we saw this shelf cloud come in from behind us. It looked fairly menacing, but it only brought rain--no lightning or tornadoes.
After eight hours at the ball park, the game ended with the Pirates pulling ahead in the 8th inning. They have an outfielder name Nate McClouth that bears watching. He is the real deal--a five tool player.

The Pirates were not able to pull out the second game after giving up four runs in the first inning. Nonetheless, we had a great time at PNC Park.

As for the stadium rankings in our humble opinions, this is the top of the pile thus far.

Atlanta 4-5 Jul

Wow! What a change being back in the South. We had transitioned from a world where everything is rush rush and people live to work to a more laid back pace where folks work but living and leisure are higher priorities. We noticed the change immediately at Atlanta Airport. Having flown from New York, watching the New Yorkers at the airport interact with the people from Atlanta was a lesson unto itself.

In Atlanta, the people are friendlier, the pace of life is slower, and baseball is still a game. The city goes out of its way to promote the Braves and the Braves go out of their way to make the baseball park a family friendly experience. Unlike other parks that we have been to where you have to fight your way to the park and pay $20+ for parking, the city of Atlanta runs a free shuttle from its equivalent of Metro Center. The operation is run with Disney like precision. You get in line, the barbershop quartet steps onto the bus, sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" while the bus fills, the drill Sergeant herds people onto the bus, the quartet finishes as the bus reaches capacity, the quartet jumps off and the bus leaves. There is a still of a dozen buses and another quartet waiting to continue the process. Within ten minutes you see Turner Field.


And when you get inside the park, there is no doubt who the hometown hero is for the Braves. Henry Aaron is everywhere. Still very active in community of Atlanta, he is the sponsor of one of the major charities that gets kids to the ballpark.
It doesn't take long after you get in the gate to be hit by the graciousness of the Southerner. People are friendlier here than at any park we have been to up to this point. There are big sections like Tooner Field devoted to ensuing that kids have a good time and don't get bored. The layout of the park is well thought out and if you have any questions it is easy to spot the folks in the "I can help you" polo shirts.


But don't be misled. The Braves are very proud of their past. On the wall of what is called the courtyard is the brief history of the team. The longest continuously operating franchise in Major League Baseball (the Reds are the oldest team but they did not play a couple of years in the 1800's while management tried to decide if the players should be paid), the Braves fill the courtyard with all kinds of statues and memorials of the past stars.

Of course there are other players such as Phil Niekro, Ty Cobb, and Red Scheondienst, but Hammerin' Hank is everywhere.



Henry frozen in time following his 715th Home Run which broke Babe Ruth's record. And it is worth noting that unlike other players, there are no astrisks or steroids associated with Henry.

When you get into the park, you cant miss the spot where Henry Aaron hit his titanic 555 foot steroid free Home Run to center field. Oh yeah--did I mention that Henry Aaron did his thing without steroids and growth hormones?

There is a "eatin' place" overlooking the field from dead center. They have some of the best ballpark food that we have come across so far--and a full bar to go along with it. Once again, Southern hospitality was present in abundance. One of the things that we ordered was not quite ready, and we were told "you all just go sit over yonder and we will bring it to ya." This sure ain't Boston.

We were fortunate enough to be in Atlanta for the 4th of July. The tribute to the troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan was really moving. Then they had a fly over of 4 World War II fighters for emphasis. Unlike many other stadiums that we had visited, here, when the National Anthem was sung, everyone took their hats off and there were people in the stands that actually knew the words.





As would be appropriate on the 4th of July, the Braves had an extensive fireworks display. It lasted for about 45 minutes and it was executed in sync with some good country music.
Now came the real test. was the transit system back to downtown Atlanta going the be as smoothly run as the trip to the park. The answer was a resounding yes! We exited the park to find four buses loading at one time and four waiting in line. The Turner Field Security people, a few National Guardsmen, and the Atlanta Police had established 8 lines that corresponded to the front and back door of the buses. They were sending four full buses away every 3 minutes. Further, the slow lane to city center was coned off for bus use only. This was a well oiled machine. There were even comments from visitors asking whey their clubs couldn't do this.

The Braves won of the 4th of July as would be appropriate for the home team. We had found a park that was in a class of its own.

Unfortunately, the Braves couldn't pull off a miracle two games in a row, but the experience of visiting the stadium was hardly diminished. We were continually amazed by the crowd. No drunks like Boston, no whining about why can't I have this or my beer isn't cold enough. There is a lust for life in Atlanta that we had not seen in other parks. Even the players sat on the field after the game of the 4th with their kids to watch the fireworks.I suppose that no one will be surprised where we placed Atlanta in the ranking of stadiums:

Thus far the breakdown is:

• Atlanta

Distantly followed by:

• Baltimore
• Toronto
• New York
• Cleveland
• Washington
• Boston

NY Yankees 1-2 July

What other Major League park in the world do you find a shine to the legends of the past. This is the "House that Ruth Built." This is the home of 26 World Champions. Let there be no doubt, in the two hours before game time, the Yankees are certain to ensure that you are aware of their past. Highlight films on the big board, Memorial Park, announcer calls from the past on the loud speakers. Psychological Warfare is the first thing that comes to mind when you watch the opposing team (this time the Texas Rangers) take batting practice while being bombarded by the audio visual production that is the Yankee pregame.

But no trip to Yankee stadium is complete without a trip through Monument Park. Next year, this stadium will be gone and the park will be moved. Given the new Steinbrenner in charge of the organization, you will probably have to pay to get in, but it will still be worth it. The three granite memorials (to Lou Gehrig, Miller Huggins, and Babe Ruth) that used to be in the field of play when the left field power alley was 475 feet. Gehrig is the one to read about here and at the hall of fame. A triple crown winner, a Most Valuable Player, he ran his streak of games through 13 broken bones and no one knows haw many other injuries. Now a blister gets you a trip to the Disabled List.

The latest addition is the plaque to the heroes of 9-11 who gave their lives to save others in New York. One thing that we have consistently found in all of the parks so far, as well as in Cooperstown, is a strong tie between Baseball, the country and, many times, the military. We have been moved by the support that the deployed troops have gotten at every venue.

Every players number that the Yankees have retired is honored in Memorial Park. I have only shown a few here. Reading these plagues is worth the time.

Bob Sheppard has been the voice of Yankee Stadium since 1950. Recently he has been ill, but the current announcer was hired after an audition that was looking for someone who would sound the same. This is a voice that any baseball fan is familiar with, and anyone who watched the 2001 World Series broadcasts from Yankee Stadium knows how important his voice was in helping us return to normalcy.

Hired and fired by George Steinbrenner multiple times (once within a week), Billy Martin was a legend both as a player and as a manager. Famous for Billy Ball (aggressive base running and stealing), Martin brought entertainment in his own right.
One of the many stories about the Dimaggio era is told by the then usher for the Yankees who went on to play AAA ball in their farm league. Once, short of popcorn vendors, the usher was assigned new duties. During his trip through the stands, he sold to Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood stars who were there to watch Joltin' Joe.
Of course one of our favorites is Yogi. No last name is required. The only player to earn 10 World Series rings, Yogi is an American Classic. From Yogi-isms to managing the upstart Mets to AFLAC to catching a perfect game in the World Series, Yogi has done the things that other players dream of.



After all of that history, it comes down to the park itself. What a place to watch a game. Of course there are always the stories of how rude the fans are and how bad the Bronx is. Frankly, I was surprised how into the game and "normal" the fans were. Yes there were a few drunks, but the ushers were not very tolerant. We really enjoyed the game. As for the Bronx, everything that you have heard is true and then some. Further, for a city that never sleeps, the subways and trains certainly take long naps making getting away from the Bronx at midnight a real challenge.

This was our first time to see Josh Hamilton play. Knowing that there are some reading the blog who are personal friends of his, I had to include this shot of him up on the big board on Yankee Stadium. This is a 5 tool player--the first new one on the seen that we have watch so far during the trip. We will see him several more times during the season.

Now for the ranking thus far of the stadiums--purely subjective, unscientific, and sure to annoy:

• Baltimore
• Toronto
• New York
• Cleveland
• Washington
• Boston