Game 24 - Detroit Tigers

After our day game in Toronto, we made the five hour drive to Detroit and landed on US soil around 8 p.m. Thankfully, my Mom told my Dad to "hide the reefer' so there were no border issues (that really happened). We settled into a hotel in Southfield, Michigan and planned to visit my Mom's cousin Diane and her family in Morenci, Michigan, a town of only 2,000. We had a great time going through old year books and talking about fun times we've had on our trip. I really think the only reason my Mom went on the trip was that my Dad and I promised we would visit Morenci. It was great being in a small town again, where everyone knows everybody, and you take the time to appreciate the small things. I loved hearing George's stories about how many Morenci Homecoming Queens were in their family and how 'all the pretty girls are from Morenci.'

I also made the mistake of telling my Dad Diane made the best fried chicken from scratch. Of course, the first thing he asked when he met her was "I heard you're making fried chicken?" All in all, we had some of the best times of the trip in Morenci, talking and hearing stories of my Mom's childhood. The baseball was the catalyst for the trip, but visiting with friends and family all across the country is what has made the trip truly special. These times, and the pictures documenting those memories will be cherished by us for a very long time.

Later that evening, we headed towards Detroit for a game the following day. We were set to meet George and Diane's son Jeff, and his wife Karen at the game and were very much looking forward to it.

Poor lighting!

My Mom and Jeff hadn't seen each other in ages, and it was great for them to catch up. They were so generous with their time and spent several innings with us. Jeff is one of the most inspiring people I've ever met. He is battling some medical issues of his own and we ask that you please keep him and his family in your prayers. Much like my Dad, he's as tough as they come. It's amazing the things you learn from people when you least expect it, but family and baseball tend to bring out the best in people. I know it has for me.

As for Comerica Park, we loved it! It was my Mom's favorite Stadium on the trip and I couldn't blame her. They did a great job laying out the park and making it feel historic, even though its only twelve years old. It seems to be a focal point in the city, with much development surrounding it. Detroit has taken its share of punches over the past few years, but I hope the city can rally around its baseball team because they have a good one.

Pros: Great views, car and water fall in center field, historic franchise.

Cons: Area surrounding park is a work in progress.

  

  -JJS

Game 23 - Toronto Blue Jays

We said goodbye to Jason and boarded him on a bus towards New York as we pointed the RV towards Niagara Falls. We planned to spend one night on the Canadian side, relax a bit, and check out the water falls. Oh, and let my Mom get her hair done. She kept asking about getting her hair done.

This was our first time at Niagara Falls, and it was pretty cool. Our hotel was located right across the street, and we could see the falls from the pool on the roof.

We checked out early the next morning and headed for Toronto, which was only an hour and a half drive. I wasn't expecting much from the Rogers Centre (Old SkyDome), but we were really impressed. Rogers Communications purchased the building for $25 million, or 4% of the original construction cost, in 2005 and made significant improvements to the 100 level concourses and several suites. The stadium also boasted some of the best food options we've seen on the trip. Yes, the playing surface is still astro turf, but everything else looked new. I also caught my first foul ball for my nephew, Sam Jones off the bat of Brett Lawrie in the fifth inning.

The weather was beautiful, in the high 80's, and we all enjoyed the afternoon watching Pujols and Rasmus go at it again. 

Pros: Food selection, open 100 level concourse, hotel in the outfield.
Cons: Exterior is sterile, no cell phone coverage, astro turf.

-JJS

Game 22 - Boston Red Sox

Once leaving New York, we would make our way to Boston for a day game. On the way, we found a hotel to spend the night in just outside of Boston. My parents rented a room, but Jason and I decided to sleep in the parking lot (in the RV). We had been roommates for over five years in Champaign and in Chicago, so this was the equivalent of getting the band back together. It's safe to say the RV was cleaner than our room at the Fraternity house.

The Red Sox were playing the Toronto Jays at Fenway, and I couldn't wait to heckle former Cardinal Colby Rasmus. This would be the last game on the road trip for Jason so we would make it count. I had been to Fenway once before, but this was the first time for the rest of the crew and we all really enjoyed it. Built in 1912, 2012 would mark the 100 year point for the great stadium in Boston's back bay. It's been said that you don't even have to be a baseball fan to enjoy the park, and we couldn't agree more.

Since I had visited the park last, the Red Sox have made major upgrades to the concession areas. It greatly improved the ballpark experience for the fan, and the food / beer prices were reasonable compared to many parks we visited. They even had a vending machine spitting out hot dogs, which of course Jason found:

It was a beautiful afternoon for a game, and we enjoyed the sunshine. My Dad loved the intimate feel of the park, with not a bad view in the place. Fenway is a special place, one that will never be recreated. You know where this is going...

Pros: Historic park, small, neighborhood setting, great fan support.

Cons: They swept the Cardinals in the '04 World Series. 

My parents had wanted lobster the entire trip, and what better place than Boston. After the game, we headed to Atlantic Fish to throw a bib on and see how much we could eat. Jason won.

-JJS

Game 21 - New York Yankees

On Monday night, a group of 11 of us headed to the Bronx to catch the Yankees play the Indians. Joining us would be my Uncle Mike, his fiance Karen, my buddies Jason, Derek and his friend Chris, and former co-workers and friends Dave, Rob and his wife Jackie. Unfortunately, we would all be sitting in different areas, but the positive was that all of our seats were incredible. Check out the seats my former boss got for my parents and Uncle mike and Karen. You can see my Mom in the middle of the picture next to the dugout. Before they settled into these great seats, they stuffed themselves with steak, crab legs, and dessert in the Legend Suite! My Mom also said she made eye contact with Derek Jeter in the dugout...I think nearly every woman in New York can make the same claim.

Derek, Chris, Jason and I sat up in the Delta Suite right behind home plate. A former business partner of mine was nice enough to give us his season tickets, and they were great. 

And we got great seats from the Yankees for Rob, Dave, and Jackie, 17 rows off the field, right behind the visitor dugout!

Rob, Dave, and I worked together for several years and they have become great friends. I couldn't have asked for better guys to work along side, and I really appreciated them taking the time to come to the game and visit with us. And it was great to meet Jackie, who recently completed her first marathon and is hooked!

From the outside, Yankee Stadium was as impressive as the new Marlins Park. Inside, I thought it was a bit bland, but the suite areas we were in were first class. Of course, my Dad had to give the stadium a great rating because he was sitting in seats usually reserved for Mayor Bloomberg. 

Pros: Great team, beautiful suites, friendly personnel, historic feel

Cons: Lack of color, or attractions in stadium. Bland feel.

I also wanted to take the time to thank my Uncle Mike and his fiance Karen for making the trip to New York for the game. I know it was a lot of work to fly out for such a quick trip, but my Dad really enjoyed getting to spend time with you and it is something he will never forget. I hope you guys feel the same.

-JJS

Game 20 - New York Mets

On Sunday, Jeanette and I toured Times Square and Central Park. It was Jeanette's first time in the city, so it was fun to show her as much of New York as we could fit into 24 hours. We had tickets to the Subway Series, Mets vs. Yankees, later that night at Citi Field, so our time spent with the Naked Cowboy in Times Square would have to be cut short.

We decided to take a cab to Flushing instead of the subway so it would be easier for my Dad and it ended up being a great decision. We arrived about an hour before game time to wait in the will call line for our tickets. We ran into Spike Lee, who was waiting in the same line, and we were nice enough to take a picture with him.

We secured our tickets, told Spike we would see him later, and headed into the park to meetup with my parents' friends, Bill and Ruth Yu. They were in town for a conference and we were going to catch up with them at Citi Field. My parents, Jeanette and I really enjoyed chatting with them for a few innings. 

As excited as we were to see Citi Field, we may have been more pumped to have our first Shake Shack experience. We waited in line for nearly an hour, but it was worth every minute of it. Burgers, fries, and black and white shakes for everybody...

We really liked Citi Field. It had arguably the best food options of all the ballparks we have visited and the center field area was great. The views from virtually every place in the park are great and Big Jim liked what he saw. The problem with Citi Field is the neighborhood surrounding the park. There isn't much to do once you leave Citi other than hop in a cab or jump in a subway. 

Pros: Food, views from all areas in the park, expansive layout

Cons: Surrounding neighborhood.

Some pictures of our day in New York.

She's a juicer!

Snakes on a plane!

Game 19 - Philadelphia Phillies

The morning following the Baltimore game, we raced towards Philadelphia to make the 4:00 game. A friend of Jason and mine, Drew Vicary, had a connection to Ben Zobrist, the second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays and he was able to get us passes to get on the field for batting practice. Getting on the field turned out to be one of the coolest experiences we have had on the trip. Zobrist couldn't have been a nicer guy, and he chatted with us for awhile around the cages and even confessed to tracking the blog. I immediately felt terrible for ripping apart Tropicana Field in Tampa, but I only write one way, and that's with an pen guided by honest emotions my friends. Zobrist gave us a few batting practice balls and signed one for my Nephew, Sam. Joe Maddon, the coach of the Rays, was nice enough to come over and meet my Dad and spend a few minutes with him. He really was a great guy, and both he and Ben will be people I will root for going forward.

Things got a little weird once we found the press room...

Honestly, after getting on the field for BP, we were riding a high and looking to continue our string of good luck at the cheese steak stand. This is where things went a little bit south. I was expecting a proper philly cheese steak, and they couldn't deliver. Big Jim wasn't happy about this, and it cost Philly a Big Jim:

Pros: New, open ballpark, easy parking and friendly staff.
Cons: Sub par cheese steak, ballpark food wasn't great.

-JJS