Ah, summer! Ah, baseball!!

Parent Cafe
1

<p>When I was about 10-13 years old, I used to hop on the Addison bus with friends, get off at Wrigley Field, pay my two or three dollars, and sit in the bleachers. We brought string and pencils to tie to our programs so that we could dangle them over the wall for autographs. Scored the games with pencil, too. Don’t really remember any highlights from those years – not good years for the Cubs. I remember I had a crush on Bill Bonham, one of the worst pitchers in baseball.
As the years went on, I went to fewer games. I remember grad school years in Ithaca, cheering on World Series wins with friends who were Mets fans and then friends who were Twins fans. (We were in English, and there were reading groups for everything – feminist and Marxist theory, etc., ad nauseum. The group that met to watch the games was the Mets Reading Group.)<br>
H is a lifelong White Sox fan. Northsider – but cheered on the Sox to spite his brother, who is a Cubs fan. He was at old Comiskey in the eighties at play-off games. He was fortunate enough to be at Fenway in 2005 when the Sox clinched that playoff series. He has raised the girls to be White Sox fans. I (unlike many of my well-bred, soft-spoken fellow Chicagoans – LOL) do not wish the Cubs ill now that I and mine are Sox fans. Will watch both games. But definitely Sox come first.
H and I had a date last night at U.S. Cellular. People really underrate and rag on this park, but especially since the last set of renovations, it is a beautiful, comfortable, wonderful park. I’ve had close and far away seats – yesterday we were WAY up above home plate, but the view was ridiculously good. It was a perfect night, little sliver of the lake in view, flags flapping, Floyd pitching like a dream, Sox win, fourth of July weekend fireworks. Sigh.
Baseball is summer, summer is baseball. I love going to the games. We are going to San Francisco later this summer and hope to catch a game there. D is starting school in Milwaukee so we are planning to go to Miller Park as well. I would never have predicted this, with two teenage girls, who are out all the time, busy, etc, – but they make time to sit with old Mom and Dad to watch the White Sox on TV. Life is good!</p>

<p>If you have actually read through all this, you love baseball, too.<br>
Share your fan autobiography. What ball parks have you visited?</p>

2

<p>I’m making my first trip to Wrigley soon, though H has been there a couple of times. (And happened to witness one of those games for the ages that I still hear about at least once a year though it was close to 25 years ago!!) H has been to a number of parks, but he has better opportunities. I have been to Fenway and Yankee Stadium. Now that the kiddos rarely travel with us, we will be visiting more ball parks! </p>

<p>Was raised with the Big Red Machine, listening to them on the radio, playing solitaire with my grandma.</p>

<p>Unfortunately our home team Mariners have struggled the past couple (???) of years but gotta love Safeco Field - it’s a gem.</p>

<p>Any other gotta do things for a weekend in Chicago?</p>

3

<p>Connie Mack Stadium- old home of the Phillies! Go Phils!</p>

4

<p>My dad was a die-hard Cardinals fan. The day I was born, the doctor felt sorry for my dad and let him into the doctors lounge so he could watch the game while my mom was giving birth. My mom’s biggest regret is that she once guilted him out of attending a game in Pittsburgh to see his hero, Stan Musial. Musial retired the following year, and Dad never saw him play, and Mom has always felt guilty.</p>

<p>The last year my dad was alive, the Cardinals made it to the World Series … and lost. I took it as an omen that things weren’t going to get better for Dad. He died the following April. (05)</p>

<p>I am a vigorous Braves fan now … except when they play the Cardinals. I don’t root against the Braves - I just can’t bring myself to root against the Cardinals, either.</p>

5

<p>I am a die-hard baseball person. I’m not a huge MLB fan, but I am a fan of the Cardinals. My oldest sister is a die-hard Cardinal fan. She’s seen them play in many places. I have not.</p>

<p>I’ve been to the Field of Dreams and “played with the big boys” at age 2 ;), been to Kansas City to see the Royals play (again super young), and I’ve been to two Busch Stadiums. We’ve stopped by Roger Dean Stadium down in Jupiter where the Cardinals call home in the spring and we’ve been to Yankee Stadium. Got to see Cal Ripken Jr. play near the end of his career. We’ve also been the Cooperstown to take in the Baseball Hall of Fame. </p>

<p>My mom is an usher for the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. One thing we found out when we went to Yankee: see, they don’t have “ushers” at Yankee Stadium; they’ve got armed police.</p>

<p>Growing up baseball was my life. I’m only 19 and it’s still my greatest love, I wish I could still play. Just remember, It all started in the “Big inning”</p>

6

<p>dbwes,</p>

<p>I was at last night’s SOX game too! It was a beautiful night for a game. We were up high on the 3rd base side. It wasn’t nearly as steep as I had feared. I love the new stadium but wish it was still called Comiskey. And the fireworks were great!</p>

<p>I grew up in Bloomington/Normal, IL where half the town are Cubs fans and the other half cheer for the Cards. For some reason unbeknownst to me, my parents raised us as Cardinal fans. Probably because the drive was easier to Busch Stadium than to Wrigley. Anyway, when my H was transferred to Chicago, my southside sister-in-law recruited us as SOX fans. The kids and I were convinced but dear H remains true to the National League.</p>

7

<p>ohh I miss fireworks. When the Mariners played the Kingdome they used to have them after a winning game.</p>

<p>( of course recently at Safeco, they haven’t had too many winning games-last night- 15 innings & they lost :(<br>
nice park on a nice day though)</p>

<p>I don’t care for football- and of course Seattle doesn’t have a mens basketball team anymore ( and not one I have followed since the days of Lenny Wilkens)</p>

<p>I love baseball, even though it is a sport I was never very good at.
[url=<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R8_X-pPe7k”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R8_X-pPe7k&lt;/a&gt;] Cubs 7th Inning Stretch (08/03/07)<a href=“I%20even%20splurged%20on%20opening%20day%20tickets%20this%20year%20because%20I%20thought%20Eddie%20was%20going%20to%20throw%20the%20first%20pitch-%20it%20was%20Dave%20Niehaus%20,%20which%20was%20even%20better-%20but%20I%20was%20stuck%20in%20traffic%20anyway%20:p”>/url</a></p>

8

<p>see below…</p>

9

<p>I am another baseball fan… my son and I started a quest to visit every major league field about 10 years ago… Here is what we have gotten done so far:</p>

<p>Together:</p>

<p>Pac Bell Park (Now AT&T)
Oakland
Dodger Stadium
San Diego (Petco)
Seattle
Colorado
Enron (Houston)
Fenway
Wrigley</p>

<p>I have also done:</p>

<p>Atlanta
White Sox</p>

<p>Earlier this month, while on a trip with his grandparents, he went to Yankee Stadium and Shea without me. :(</p>

<p>Best and Worsts:</p>

<p>Best Overall: Pac Bell
Worst: Oakland</p>

<p>Best Fans: Fenway/Wrigley
Worst: Dodgers / Atlanta</p>

<p>Best Post Game Traffic: Angels
Worst: Dodgers</p>

<p>Best Hot Dog: Fenway
Worst: White sox</p>

<p>Best other food item: Garlic Fries Pac Bell</p>

10

<p>Wow. Worst fans are at Dodger Stadium? I haven’t been there for more than 10 years, but I used to LOVE Dodger Stadium and the fans. I’ll always remember when a Braves right fielder caught a screaming line drive in the late innings in a close game, and the crowd came to its feet and applauded the catch, even though it was an out. Classy response to a classy play.</p>

<p>I’ve only been to games at the Big A (both before and after it was enclosed for football – a terrible, terrible thing to do to a ballpark), Dodger Stadium, Candlestick (brrr…), Jack Murphy Stadium (RIP), Turner Field, the Kingdome, and Safeco Field. Turner Field and Safeco are both very nice, and nearly clones of one another, except for the roof. My favorite all-time baseball park that I’ve attended in person is Dodger Stadium. If there’s a nicer place to spend a summer evening, I haven’t been there.</p>

<p>The Kingdome deserved to be razed, and I’ve failed to be in either Boston or Chicago when the Red Sox or Cubbies were in town, so I’ve missed both Fenway and Wrigley.</p>

11

<p>I knew someone would respond…</p>

<p>consider the source - I am a die hard Giants fan… </p>

<p>but seriously - real baseball fans make it before the first pitch and stay to the last one… Dodger fans routinely show up in the 3rd and leave in the 7th…</p>

<p>On a different note, I also went to multiple games at Candlestick - the all time worst field ever!!!</p>

12

<p>I’m a HUGE Cardinals fan, and have seen them play in all of the NL stadiums–in some places both the old and new! Together with my dad I’ve traveled to 26 stadiums (again, some in the same city but old and new), and we go to at least 10 games every summer. Coming from Iowa where we have no pro team, we make frequent trips to Minnesota, Milwaukee, Chicago, STL, and KC, but we usually try to get in 2-3 “big trips” every season. This year we’ve been to Cleveland and will be going to DC (new stadium!!) and Atlanta in two weeks.</p>

<p>Baseball makes summer the best season!</p>

13

<p>My father took me to my first baseball game in April 1967, when I was 12, at Yankee Stadium. If I recall correctly, the Yankees defeated the Angels, 5-2, with Fred Talbot defeating George Brunet! And Mickey Mantle hit a home run.</p>

<p>I started going by myself, on the subway, when I was just a little older (something I would never have allowed 35 years later, when I was the parent of a child that age!), so I was at the old Yankee Stadium many times, as well as Shea Stadium during the two years the Yankees played there (1974-75), and the renovated Yankee Stadium after that. For years, I always made sure to buy playoff tickets, and even World Series tickets when I could. (I went to one World Series game each in 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2001.) I haven’t been to a game at all in a few years, though, for a number of reasons. I’d like to go to at least one game this year, to see Yankee Stadium one last time.</p>

<p>One of my favorite memories wasn’t even in a game; it was seeing Joe DiMaggio play in an Old-Timers’ game, around 1968, when he was in his mid-50’s, and watching him hit a long double off the left-field wall.</p>

<p>I was also there for Mickey Mantle Day in 1969, for Ron Guidry’s 18-strikeout game in 1978, and a lot of others. Somewhere, I probably still have the programs – my father taught me how to keep score, and for years I would dutifully write every play down! </p>

<p>I haven’t been to any other stadiums except Fenway Park, when I was going to law school up there. I went to one of the “Boston Massacre” games in September 1978.</p>

<p>Oh, yes, I also saw the Yankees play the Texas Rangers in Arlington, in 1977, when I was visiting a friend in Dallas.</p>

<p>Donna</p>

14

<p>Donna, better get your tickets fast for Yankee Stadium. The closer we’re getting to the end of the season, the harder they are going to get your hands on. Going into the right field monument park, it’s almost like field of dreams. You have to wipe away the nostalgia in the air with a swipe of your hands…</p>

<p>Great list of stadiums, all. But if you’re a true fan, you still have to take the pilgrimage to Cooperstown. </p>

<p>And why isn’t this discussion in the Man Cave?</p>

15

<p>I am soo glad my dad took me to Yankee Stadium when I was 9, especially now that it’s being replaced. I hated the Yankees (still do actually) and didn’t want to go b/c of that–young and uninformed of NYY history–but that game vs the Red Sox (a rivalry I didn’t understand yet) is still one of my favorites. Wish we could go there this year :(</p>

<p>But luckily I grew up only a couple of hours from the Field of Dreams and have been there many times. One of my good friends and co-workers has cousins and uncles who are former “ghost players” and his stories are unbelievable. We can talk for hours about the Field of Dreams and the ghost players.</p>

16

<p>Bullet, perhaps you’ll notice that some of us aren’t eligible for the Man Cave. My dad, however, would have been the ultimate Man Cave member. Poor guy, 5 daughters, no sons.</p>

17

<p>LIfe long baseball fan. Before Milwaukee got their own team used to go to White Sox games which they played at County Stadium in Milwaukee. Loved Louis Aparicio.
Have four sons all who play(ed) baseball. Husband coached Little League for 13 years. Don’t know what summer is like without baseball.
One year went on a minor league baseball vacation. We have been to:
Toledo
Buffalo
Peoria
Beloit
Quad Cities
Wilkes-Barr
Appleton
Love the minor league atmosphere</p>

<p>Major league visits
Boston (loved it! Took the tour and all the kids rated it the number one thing we did that vacation)
Yankee Stadium
Wrigley
Baltimore
St Louis (old one)
Miller Park is our home stadium and we love it. Never a rain delay or rain out.
We live walking distance to the stadium. This might be the year for the Brewers!!!</p>

18

<p>Count me as another fanatic baseball fan who wouldn’t be welcome in the Man Cave. Diehard Mets fan here. Became a fan when eldest kid was an infant. Had no money, small baby at home, H would turn on baseball, and I got hooked. It’s tough rooting for the team that’s in the shadow of the Evil Empire (especially during the last ten years or so) and its legion of fans, but I will readily admit that Yankee Stadium is a much better ball park than Shea–which I have a lot of affection for, but will not mourn when it’s replaced by our shiny new park next year.</p>

<p>My team has always specialized in giving its fans heart attacks, and our last two games are definitely examples of that. Last night my H and S, huge fans themselves, could only look on bemused as I agonized through watching the guys almost blow a 10-1 lead. Often enough, they would have definitely done so, so I guess eeking it out at the end was a distinct improvement…</p>

<p>Haven’t been to any other major league parks, but there are a couple independent minor league clubs near us (Jersey Jackals in Montclair, and Newark Bears) and I think that minor league baseball is just about pure fun!</p>

<p>Both my kids have been to Fenway, and I would love to see a game there, and also Wrigley. They look most like real ball parks to me, and the history…!</p>

19

<p>I’m a Phillies fan (off and on from the early 60’s), and DW’s a Mets fan from their recent beginnings (another ho-hum expansion team). We won’t talk about the last 4 games.</p>

<p>I’ve been to Connie Mack, Veteran’s (one Series game in 1980), and now Citizen Bank Park (it’s beautiful). Also Montreal, Toronto and Shea (what a pit!).</p>

<p>But Keymom’s and Garland’s posts reminded me that I’ve really enjoyed minor league the most. I’ve been to single, double and triple A ballparks in upstate NY and MA. I loved the single A; the players are not larger than life, they’re just kids playing ball, the crowds are mellow, and life is summer-slow.</p>

20

<p>DAdofB&G–Citizens BAnk Park is beautiful, but they really should increase the size to beyond Little League dimensions.</p>

<p>As i said, I won’t miss Shea much, though I think it has a certain 60’s “mod” charm (but it’s a terrible shape for a ball park.) I’m glad that the new park will retain a Major League sized field, and make the hitters work for those HRs!</p>