Cubs 24-25 July

We took a side trip to Wheaton while we were in Chicago to the First Division Museum. It is located in Cantigny park which was donated to the city by Col. Robert McCormick who was the editor of the Chicago Tribune and who fought in Europe during the First World War. This is one of the best military museums that I have visited. If you are in the area, it is definitely worth your time.
Visiting Wrigley field is like no other stadium that we have ever experienced. Most stadiums are set apart from the community and they are a entity unto themselves. Wrigley is different. Wrigleyville (as it is called) is a community that happens to contain a major league ball field. From the upscale John Barleycorn (note the "Se habla Beethoven")
To an authentic German pub serving beers from the old country and traditional German food (we ate lunch there before a game and it is worth the stop).

To a pub named after a player from the olden days.

This community is different. There are mascots out on the street before the game and parties everywhere. Unlike the White Sox Cellular Field which has a completely sterile atmosphere, Wrigley is alive. Go in any direction and a good time is available.
Of course, there is the game to attend. There is hardly a bad seat in Wrigley field. For a park of this age, it has been well preserved and the design was well ahead of its time. Although the Cubs have never won a world championship since moving to Wrigley, this is one club that can say maybe next year and actually have a chance.

Behind the left field bleachers is Waveland Avenue and the Fire House. This is where people have congregated for years to catch balls during batting practice and during games when they did not have tickets.
In front of the stadium there a several statues, and engraved into the sidewalk is the names of almost every famous Cub that you could think of. The first one that you come across is the announcer Harry Caray. This guy is still a legend here and every night during the Seventh Inning Stretch, his ghost is invoked to sing along in "Take me out to the Ballgame."
The next statue that you come across is that of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. His number has been retired and it now hangs with the numbers of three other retired Cubs at the top of the foul poles
Of course, if you can't get tickets and you are not satisfied to wait on Waveland Avenue, numerous home and apartment owners have figured out how to make better use of their property. Seats are available in these makeshift bleachers and the landlords run their own concession stands below.

One other thing to note is the shape of the outfield wall. There are notches along the foul lines that make this the deepest park in the majors down the lines.
During the first game that we attended, at the Seventh Inning Stretch, Styx was the guest performer for "Take me out to the ballgame."

The Cubs won the first game as shown on the old scoreboard. Don't let this picture or TV fool you, this is a small scoreboard and it is manually operated.
Here is another view of the notch down the line. This was formed when the center field fence was brought in to make room for more seating.
Sorry about the quality of this one but it is really back lit and it was the best that I could do. We attended the second game with Kates 2nd Cousin Madge and her husband Bobby. We had a great time hanging out with them. It is always nice to meet up with other people that know and respect the game.
The Cubs could not pull out two in a row, but Wrigley's certainly worth the visit--or should I say Wrigleyville was worth the visit.

When ranking ballparks, Wrigley is in that elite group with PNC Park and Turner Field, and of those, it is probably the best. So, thus far the rankings would go:

First Division:

• Wrigley
• PNC
• Turner

Second Division:

• Baltimore
• Cincinnati
• Toronto
• Philadelphia
• New York Yankees
• Cleveland
• Washinton
• Chicago White Sox
• Boston
  
  
  

White Sox 21-22 July

So this is the new Cellular Field? The City needs to check to see if it not too late to get its money back. For a new stadium, it is really a shame that something better could not have been done. There is nothing that you can do about the 1-2 hour drive to the stadium for the suburbs. The neighborhood is what it is (South Chicago). But when parking is more expensive than the tickets, you sense something is wrong. If you can take the Red Line to the game, but like Yankee Stadium, do not loiter after the game. This is not friendly territory and a rapid egress is highly recommended.

Obstructed views are abundant in this stadium and it is difficult to find a concise display of the status of the game from many sections.
I had to walk several sections down to get a good shot of the game summary after game one.

In center field they have statues of several significant figures in the history of the White Sox organization. Of course, Charles Comiskey figured prominently in their history.

And there is Luis Aparicio who I can remember watching when I attended games as a kid.
And there was Carlton Fisk. However, the White Sox Hall of Fame (which was located in the back of the White Sox souvenir shop) has been closed with no firm plan for its relocation. You would think that after recently winning the World Series, the White Sox would be anxious to display the trophy if nothing else, but I guess that the Black Sox Scandal still looms large.
The White Sox won the second game. We grabbed our left over peanuts and got out of town. I wish the White Sox well as I do every other team, but from now on, anytime that I watch them live, they will be the visiting team.

As for stadium rankings, there remains a clear split between the great (first division) and the good or possibly not so good (second division).

First Division:
PNC Park Pittsburgh
Turner Field Atlanta

Second Division:
Baltimore
Cincinnati
Toronto
Philadelphia
New York Yankees
Cleveland
Washington
Chicago White Sox
Boston

Philly 12-13 July

There have been many men referred to as Mr. Baseball, but only one deserves the title. It goes to Cornelius McGillicuddy who was better known as Connie Mack, a major league catcher for eleven seasons and a manager for 53 seasons. Fifty of his seasons were with the Athletics in Philadelphia from 1901-1950. Much could be learned from the creed that he asked to be placed below his statue in Philadelphia.

We had the opportunity to visit with my Uncle Stan and attend a game with him at Citizens Park in Philadelphia. The park is right off of I-95 but well outside the main part of Philly. If you don't mind the parking, there is plenty of parking. The Park itself is pretty impressive from the outside.
It is the only park that I have seen that the bull pens are co-located in the outfield, one right above the other. We were a bit surprised by the condition of the field. There were quite a few brown spots in the outfield that we had not seen in other stadiums.
Right across from the main gate is the statue of Conny Mack that I had referred to earlier. During his 50 years of managing, he never wore a uniform (except for the first couple of years when he was a player manager). During the times that he was strictly managing, he wore a suit and was often seen wearing a bolo hat.

Outside the south gate, there are statues of Phillies heroes. The first is Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

And a statue of probably the greatest pitcher in Phillies history, Steve Carlton.
As I stated earlier, my uncle Stan had the chance to attend one of the games with us. We stayed with him through the All-Star break, and we had a really great time.
We got the opportunity to watch the "Big Unit" pitch. To say that he was dominant would be a gross understatement. And to add insult to injury, with runners on 1st and 3rd (the Phillies walked the number 8 hitter to get to him ) he hit the ball off of the left field wall. When he reached first and was told by the first base coach to head for second, you could almost see him protest. The game was able to continue after oxygen was administered.

The Diamond Backs won this one in a romp. Johnson gave up three earned runs, but still looked pretty sharp.

The second game was a different story. In this one the game was close right up until the bottom of the eighth when the Arizona bull pen collapsed. Needing three pitchers to get out of the inning, Arizona was unable to recover in the top of the ninth.

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