Category: Baseball Trip
Volunteering in Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Belmont Bruins (NCAA)
Lindsey Nelson Stadium-Knoxville, TN: The first game of our trip this year (not a pure baseball trip, but vacation non-the-less), was a college game in Knoxville. Knoxville is a beautiful town, and the Tennessee campus is great. The only real beef I have with this ballpark is that they didn’t let be bring a bag inside. For many of us that attend games, we know we must have all of our ‘stuff’, including baseball gloves, sun block, camera, rain ponchos, etc. Working for DHS, I understand safety protocal, but not allowing fans to bring their ‘stuff’ in is simply laziness of the security staff, and not wanting to do their jobs.
On a more positive note, Brian did get a game ball…
As for the game, the Volunteers were hosting another Tennessee team, the Belmont Bruins. This was a solid game for the home team, as they put up some runs. Leading the way for the Volunteers were Justin Ammons, who went 2-3 with two runs scored, and Jay Charleston, who went 1-2 with a run scored and three RBI’s. On the mound, Will Heflin earned the win. He pitched three innings allowing one run, and striking out one. FINAL: Volunteers 6, Bruins 2.
The night ended on a good note, as well, as we were reunited with former West Michigan Whitecaps and Traverse City Beach Bum Ross Kivett, who is now a coach with the Volunteers.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Cardinals vs. ChiSox Game 2
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago White Sox (NL/AL)
Busch Stadium-St. Louis, MO: We were back at Busch the next morning for a day game, and I honestly couldn’t believe how big the crowd was. There were 38,000 fans the night before, but a day game in the middle of the week drawing 37,000 was amazing. We got to the ballpark as early as we could, and scarfed down some $10 hot dogs before game time. We had nice seats in the outfield’s lower level, which gave us a different view of the game. It was a hot day, but the breeze and cloud cover was our saving grace.
This was another solid game for the home town Cards. Starting pitcher Carlos Martinez blasted his first ever home run to give St. Louis the early lead. Dexter Fowler added to that with a two-run homer of his own in the seventh inning. Martinez pitched a solid 7.1 innings, giving up one run on five hits while striking out five. Bud Norris earned the four-out save with two strike outs. The White Sox came back late in the game to make it interesting, but the Cards held on for the win. Yadi Molina was 2-3 in the game, also. Final: Cardinals 3, White Sox 2.
What a fun day, and again I’m blown away from the love and support for this team here in St. Louis. Despite the cost, these were some fun games to go to, and a must for any baseball fan. St. Louis has some nice areas and fun things to do, so I’ll probably get the kids out this way at some point.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Cardinals vs. ChiSox Game 1
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago White Sox (NL/AL)
Busch Stadium-St. Louis, MO: After a crazy day and long drive, we finally arrived in St. Louis! Busch Stadium is a great place to watch a ballgame, but boy was it expensive. Lucky for us I got really cheap seats off Seat Geek, but every other expense really took it’s toll. We had some pretty decent seats, though, we were up high but in the front row so we had a great view of all of the action, and able to see the beautiful ballpark.
The game itself was a great one. The Cardinals took the lead with a Tommy Pham home run, but later lost the lead. Down 2-1 in the ninth, Matt Carpenter hit a home run to tie the game, then Yadir Molina’s base hit knocked in the winning run for a walk off. Yadi was 2-4 on the day, and I can really see why Cardinal fans love this guy so much. On he mound, Michael Wacha got the start, going five innings, giving up two runs on five hits, and striking out three. Bud Norris would earn he win in relief, pitching one scoreless inning.
A fun game with a great crowd. Over 38,000 in attendance for a weekday game, and we were all treated to a walk off win. We would be back at Busch for a day game the next morning.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Buckeye Baseball
Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium/OSU-Columbus, OH: Well, tonight’s the night, when the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Oregon Ducks for the NCAA national football championship. Not having a horse in the race, I did think it was a good chance to show off a few photographs from my visit to Buckeye country this past summer. We had plenty of time to kill before our Columbus Clippers game, so we decided to check out the campus, and that included their baseball stadium. Bill Davis Stadium is really one of the nicest collegiate baseball stadiums that I’ve had a chance to see, though I haven’t been to too many. They have the artificial turf that many of the NCAA teams are going to now, also. I was lucky that they were doing some maintenance work and that the stadium was open for me to poke around and take some pictures. I almost got locked in, though, and I really wasn’t in the mood for climbing fences. It’s too bad I didn’t get to see a game here, as, again, it’s a really beautiful college ballpark, and I’m sure the atmosphere would have been great, especially if they were playing a rival. Our trip was in mid-June, however, and the only college ball being played at the time was in Omaha. I hope to make it back to Columbus for more baseball to catch a Buckeye game, and another Clippers game, as ours was shortened by some rain. Have fun watching the football game tonight.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
RubberDucks, you’re the one!
Akron RubberDucks vs. Erie SeaWolves (Eastern League)
Canal Park-Akron, OH: After spending the morning in Erie, we had a pretty easy drive over to Akron. Akron is a nice town, but not much parking in the downtown area. They have the university, hospital, and ballpark all close together. We were in town pretty early, and some lots won’t let you park there until after 5:00, so we settled for a parking garage, and took a little nap. We had a three hour drive back to Michigan after the game, so a little rest couldn’t hurt. After our rest, we got a little hungry and went hunting for food. Canal Park has a resteraunt attached to it called The Game Bar and Grill, so we decided on that. Not only was the food very good, but you can see inside the park (after the gates officially open, you can access it from inside the ballpark), and we could watch the Erie SeaWolves warm up and take some batting practice.
After our meal, it was time to head inside the park and get ready for the game. Canal Park is just a beautiful ballpark, and we would plenty of time to explore it. We decided to get our shopping over with, and I picked up a nice t-shirt for Trevor with his name and number customized on the back. Due to the new name and logo, however, they were sold out of many items, such as pennants. We found our seats, and they were awesome right behind the SeaWolves dugout. The dugouts are pretty open, also, so you can pretty much see everything that’s going on. We also got a visit from Akrons mascot, Webster the duck, who looks pretty Disney like.
There was also a Vintage Base Ball game taking place in the outfield, so we watched that for a bit, also.
I then went out to the right field area, where the ballpark entrance to The Game is located. There is lots of room out that way, and not only holds the kids play area, but they had a live concert also, with Wild Ave belting out some classic ’80’s rock tunes.
Back in our seats, I was ready to enjoy some great Double-A baseball, as the clock was turn to 7:05 pm. And then the rain came. And it didn’t stop. Not for two hours. The grounds crew was able to get the tarp on the infield pretty quickly, and the outfield looked like it was draining pretty well. I really give the RubberDucks credit, that they don’t jump the gun and cancel games too early, and they do their best to keep the fans entertained during the rain delay. Both mascots were available for pictures with the fans (the old Akron Aeros mascot Orbit joined Webster), the had games for the kids, and used the video board for entertainment. My favorite is the ‘Baseball Bugs’ cartoon, where Bugs Bunny plays every position. Classic… We are also able to watch some of the College World Series live. And did you notice all of the rubber ducks on the tarp? Awesome!
After a mere 2 1/2 hour delay, we finally had baseball! The teams still went through their pre-game routine which took some time, but eventually the RubberDucks took the field, and the SeaWolves went to bat. The home team finally did some ass-kicking, but unfortunately, we were kind of rooting for Erie in this game. Third baseman Corey Jones lead the way offensively for Erie, going 2-3 with his teams only RBI. Outfielder Jason Krizan went 2-4, also. On the hill, Tommy Collier took the loss for the SeaWolves. For the hometown Akron squad, DH Bryan LaHair had three RBI’s off of his only hit, which was a double. First baseman Jake Lowery went 3-4 in the game, also. The winning pitcher was Joseph Colon for the ‘Ducks. Due to the weather delay and our long drive ahead, we only stayed for about five innings before hitting the road. I’d love to make another trip back to Canal Park. It’s a wonderful place to watch a game, and they treat the fans well. Final: RubberDucks 7, SeaWolves 1.
Here’s a video from the last game of your 2014 Baseball Trip!:
All photos and video property of Minoring In Baseball
Don’t give up the Ship
Erie SeaWolves vs. Richmond Flying Squirrels (Eastern League)
Jerry Uht Park-Erie, PA: It’s always fun to see some Detroit Tiger affiliates, and in the SeaWolves I know I would be seeing some players who did some time in West Michigan. Jerry Uht Park is located in downtown Erie, but parking isn’t too bad for its location. We got there plenty early and waited for the gates to open. The team store is right in front of you when you walk in, so we did some shopping and got a t-shirt, pennant, pen, and a C. Wolf plush for Brian. The layout of the ballpark is very unique. Down the third base side, there is an upper level, separated by a walk-way. This is where the press box and suites are located. Behind home plate is pretty open, and down the first base side, there is actually an elevated upper deck. This is fairly rare compared to the other Double-A Eastern League games we’ve been too. The ballpark only holds 4,200, which is small, but it’s intimate, and hard not to fall in love with. I had plenty of time before the game to explore and get some pre-game photos.
We also got to meet the mascot, C. Wolf, and got a photo with him. He was a very active mascot and really is a hit with the fans, especially the younger ones, and there where plenty there for a Sunday matinée.
The game itself wasn’t too pretty for the home SeaWolves. Starting pitcher Jeff Ferrell went five innings, giving up six earned runs on nine hits, and striking out four. Relief pitcher Jose Valdez gave up one more run in the ninth. Offensively, the SeaWolves got off to a good start with a home run blast by Steven Moya, who was 1-3 on the day. Marcus Lemon and Dean Green each went 2-4 on the day, also. Outfielder Jason Krizan went 1-4, but knocked in two RBIs.
Erie has some fun between inning activities, also, such as the bouncy horse race and the hot dog/sausage race.
For the last two innings, we moved to the upper deck on the third base side to get a different perspective of the game, and get some other photos.
We ended the game by playing some catch on the field. I really enjoyed the game at Jerry Uht Park, and this is a team I would really love to come and watch again. Highly recommended for any minor league baseball fan. Final: SeaWolves 3, Flying Squirrels 7.
Here’s another video from my YouTube channel:
All photos and video property of Minoring In Baseball
Wild Things, you make my heart sing
Washington Wild Things vs. Normal CornBelters (Frontier League)
Consol Energy Park-Washington, PA: After our trip to see some Cy Young stuff, we made our way to southern Pennsylvania to see the Washington Wild Things host the Normal CornBelters in Frontier League action. This is the first Frontier League ballpark we’ve been to outside of Traverse City. Consol Energy Park is a very nice ballpark to watch a game, also. The parking and entrance is in the right field area, so really no one was at the front of the stadium when the gates opened. I’m also glad that Wild Thing was at the front of the stadium, also, to let fans know that there was a game.
While exploring the ballpark, we had a nice surprise, in meeting actor Dwier Brown, who played John Kinsella (Kevin Costner’s father) in the movie Field Of Dreams. Brown was at the ballpark selling his own book, If You Build It…, and signing copies for fans. We did buy a copy, and he was nice enough to sign it and get a photo with us. He also threw out the first pitch to start the game. In the time it’s taken me to finally get this post up, I have read the book and it’s very good. You don’t even have to be a fan of the movie or baseball to enjoy it. He also thought it was pretty cool that we were at the Field of Dreams movie site a few years ago, too.
We still had plenty of time to watch the teams warm up, and take some photos of the ballpark. I did notice that Consol Energy Park has the same artificial surface as the Beach Bums’ Wuerfel Park. The Wild Things also had a pre-game ceremony with members of the Make-A-Wish Foundation that was very nice. We got our shopping done, too, and I have to say Washington’s merchandise is priced well. I got a pennant and a Wild Thing plush for Brian. The mascot, simply named Wild Thing, made his presence known, but we really didn’t see him too much around the concourse during the game.
The game itself was another ugly one for the home team. Left fielder C.J. Beatty did have a nice night at the plate for the Wild Things, though, going 3-3 with three RBI’s on two home runs. On the mound, Alex Kaminsky took the loss for the Wild Things, throwing five innings, and giving up five earned runs on eight hits. In all, though, Consol Energy Park is a nice place to watch a game, without a bad seat in the house. Final: Wild Things 4, CornBelters 9.
Here’s another video from my YouTube channel from this game:
All photos and video property of Minoring In Baseball
Seeing some Cy Young memorabelia
Temperance Tavern/Cy Young Museum-Newcomerstown, OH: Tucked away, just south of Canton, Ohio, is the hometown of Cy Young; Newcomerstown. In this quaint little town, you’ll find the Temperance Tavern Museum, that celebrates not only Cy Young, but all that is historic about the town and area, including another popular sports figure to Ohioans: former Ohio State football coach, Woody Hayes. Most of all, though, we were interested in the Cy Young room of the museum, that has many old relics from the Hall of Fame hurlers career and life in Newcomerstown.
We were actually lucky to have even saw the museum, as the caretaker was ready to lock up for the day when we arrived (it was advertised at open until 4:00 pm, but was closing at 2:00 because no one had come to visit all day…except us). There was plenty of other parts of the museum to explore, also. I actually found the basement of the tavern interesting, as it contained tables and artifacts that haven’t been moved in over 100 years. The tavern was also a stop on the underground railroad, with the tunnels disguised as a cupboard. The museum wasn’t really too far out of our way, and really a fun place to stop if you’re in that area.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Aye, aye, Captains
Lake County Captains vs. South Bend Silver Hawks (Midwest League)
Classic Park-Eastlake, OH: All I can say about Classic Park, is that it is truly a classic! We still arrived at the ballpark plenty early, despite a busy day in Cleveland, so we decided to play a little catch in the parking lot until more cars started to arrive. I really like how the parking is set up, with the large parking area across the street, and the have a bridge so fans can walk across the busy highway. I took a photo from the top of the bridge above. There was a line up to get in because it was free hat night, so we waited patiently in line and finally made it into the park. The layout and concourse are very nice, but I was disappointed the gift shop didn’t sell any team pennants, as I collect those and decorate Brian’s room with them. Our seats were right behind the Captains dugout, so we had a great view of the action. The Captains mascot, Skipper, waddled by a few times. I’m really not sure what he is, but he seemed to be pretty entertaining.
The Captains were taking on the Silver Hawks, who the Whitecaps just edged out for Eastern Divisions’ top spot in the first half. The Hawks were still a pretty good team, so the home town boys had their work cut out for them. It was also raining lightly to begin the game, but both teams just played through it like it wasn’t there, and we were right there with them enjoying the action. This ballpark has such a great look and baseball atmosphere, that we really didn’t notice anything but the game going on anyway. Unfortunately for the Lake County fans, the Hawks were off to a 4-0 lead early, and the Captains couldn’t get anything going offensively.
The rain ended up letting up, and it became an extremely beautiful night. Since it was a free hat giveaway, I thoroughly supported the Captains, and took a quick selfie between innings, showing off the new lid.
With the score still a little lopsided, I decided to explore this amazing ballpark a little bit more. The concourse doesn’t go all the way around the outfield, but it’s pretty close, which allowed me to get some decent photos from out there.
In right field, there is a wall dedicated to all of the players who have suited up for the Captains that are now in the majors. I’m sure this includes the franchises time in the South Atlantic League!
Out in center field, the Captain himself was trying to rally his troops! Lake County did finally get one across the plate, when short stop Ivan Castillo scored on an Eric Haase RBI. Center fielder Clint Frazier went 2-4 on the night for the Captains, also. Too bad for Cap that South Bend answered their lone run with three of their own in the ninth.
In all, this was a great baseball experience. A great ballpark with some great fans. The Captains put on a spectacular show, and win or lose, it’s a very satisfying night. Along with all of our other adventures of the day, this was a perfect way to end it. This one’s highly recommended, also, baseball fans. Final: Captains 1, Silver Hawks 8.
Here’s another video from my YouTube channel. This one turned out a lot better than the last one.
All photos and video property of Minoring In Baseball
Progressive Field Tour
Progressive Field-Cleveland, Ohio: Ever step into crap and come out smelling like roses? Well, this is kind of what happened to us here in Cleveland (I am not implying at all that Cleveland is crap. In fact, everyone we interacted with was extremely nice, especially at Progressive Field). After enjoying the Baseball Heritage Museum, and getting a bite to eat in downtown Cleveland, we found that we had plenty of time on our hands before heading east for the Lake County Captains game. Noticing that we were only a few blocks away from Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, we decided to head over that way and poke around a bit. Outside the ballpark, we were greeted my none other than Bob Feller, himself.
Statue of Bob Feller
Upon further exploration, we found that the main gift shop was open, and I saw a sign inside that advertised the ballpark tours. Wow, this was too good to be true, here we are with extra time, and a big league ballpark to poke around! When I asked about the tour, I was informed that the last one of the day had just left. But hey, we’re in Cleveland, and these staff members were pretty cool. One ran out the door to hold the tour for us, while we purchased our tickets. I had forgotten my camera, so I used my phone for all the photos at the museum, and was now looking at just under 20% heading into the tour. We caught up with the group in the indoor batting cages. This was a pretty cool area, and it’s amazing to find out how many hours the players spend in here hitting the machine and off of the tee. We were at the tail end of the group while leaving, and I happen to see a little patch of white by the door. It was none other than an official Major League baseball. I, of course, did the noble thing, and shoved it into my cargo pocket.
We then made out way to the Indians dugout, which is a pretty fun place to hang out. We were able to sit on the bench and check out the phones used for calling the bullpen, and for a challenge. I have to admit the major league dugouts are very impressive.
Better get Vaughn up!
I was also able to get some good photos of the ballpark from ground level. Despite using my phone, some turned out pretty well.
Selfie from the dugout
We then made our way around home plate toward the visitors dugout. Lucky for me, the visitors were the Detroit Tigers, and sitting in the dugout preparing for the game was Don Kelly. He was nice enough to sign some autographs for some of us fans, and I was lucky to have found that baseball! It would have nice to chat with him for a bit, but the staff giving the tour prompted us to keep moving.
Don Kelly signing the baseball I, uh, found…
Our next stop was the bullpen, and we were able to see the other end of the phone that was in the dugout. Back inside the park, the tour took us to the lower levels where the merchandise was unloaded and taken to the booths in the stadium. We were also in the area where the players make their way up from the parking lot, but we weren’t lucky enough to run into any more players, though.
The suites above home plate were pretty amazing, though. Here I took probably the best pic of the tour. We’ll definitely have to look into more ballpark tours on our future trips. The staff at Progressive Field treated us very well, and I highly recommend the tour to any baseball fans visiting Cleveland. Next time I’m in town, we might just have to take in a game there. By the way, still had 2% left on my phone when the tour ended.
Here’s a video from my YouTube channel. I’m not sure why, but it was filmed sideways. Maybe it was the low battery? Anyway, just tilt your head to the right, and enjoy…
All photos and video property of Minoring In Baseball
Minoring In Baseball 