Ken Lee (30/43)'s Posts - Ballpark Chasers2024-03-28T13:20:06ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedognhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2187803936?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=2b3cu0ex1ic0e&xn_auth=noMy Upcoming Schedule...tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2015-06-27:1681163:BlogPost:2137782015-06-27T16:00:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<p>Here are the games I have scheduled for the rest of the year, I am sure there will be more, but as of now these are the ones I know of for sure. If you plan to be at any of these, and want to say "HEY!", let me know :)</p>
<p>July 8th - Tigers vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br></br> July 11th - Angels vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br></br> July 23rd - Marlins vs Padres @ Petco Park<br></br>
July 24th - Marlins vs Padres @ Petco Park<br></br>
July 25th - Marlins vs Padres @ Petco Park<br></br>
July 26th - Marlins vs…</p>
<p>Here are the games I have scheduled for the rest of the year, I am sure there will be more, but as of now these are the ones I know of for sure. If you plan to be at any of these, and want to say "HEY!", let me know :)</p>
<p>July 8th - Tigers vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br/> July 11th - Angels vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br/>
July 23rd - Marlins vs Padres @ Petco Park<br/>
July 24th - Marlins vs Padres @ Petco Park<br/>
July 25th - Marlins vs Padres @ Petco Park<br/>
July 26th - Marlins vs Padres @ Petco Park<br/>
July 28th - D'Backs vs Mariners @ Safeco Field</p>
<p>August 21st - Ballpark Chasers BBQ @ Manfish Brewing (my house)</p>
<p>August 22nd - White Sox vs Mariners @ Safeco Field (Ballpark Chasers Game)<br/> August 23rd - White Sox vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br/>
August 24th - A's vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br/>
August 25th - A's vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br/>
August 26th - A's vs Mariners @ Safeco Field<br/>
August 26th - Cubs vs Giants @ AT&T Park<br/>
August 27th - Cardinals vs D'Backs @ Chase Field<br/>
August 28th - A's vs D'Backs @ Chase Field<br/>
August 29th - A's vs D'Backs @ Chase Field<br/>
August 30th - Cubs vs Dodgers @ Dodger Stadium<br/>
August 31st - Angels vs A's @ O.co Coliseum <br/>
September 1st - Angels vs A's @ O.co Coliseum<br/>
September 2nd - Angels vs A's @ O.co Coliseum</p>My #SeeAll30 Summer trip to all 30 MLB Ballparks...tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2012-09-11:1681163:BlogPost:1239702012-09-11T21:30:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<p>Here are a few stats about my trip from this season:</p>
<p>30 games in 30 parks, 366 singles by 202 different players (most: 8 by Pedroia of BOS), 103 doubles by 88 different players (most: 3 by Saunders of SEA), 12 triples by 12 different players, 63 HR's by 50 different players (most: 5 by Saltalamacchia of BOS) all producing a total of 288 runs. I saw 2 Grand Slams: 1 by Youkilis (BOS), ironically against the team he would later be traded to (CHW) & 1 by Reddick (Oak - his 1st career…</p>
<p>Here are a few stats about my trip from this season:</p>
<p>30 games in 30 parks, 366 singles by 202 different players (most: 8 by Pedroia of BOS), 103 doubles by 88 different players (most: 3 by Saunders of SEA), 12 triples by 12 different players, 63 HR's by 50 different players (most: 5 by Saltalamacchia of BOS) all producing a total of 288 runs. I saw 2 Grand Slams: 1 by Youkilis (BOS), ironically against the team he would later be traded to (CHW) & 1 by Reddick (Oak - his 1st career GS), ironically against his former team (BOS). Longest HR was 448ft by Stanton (MIA) @ Coors Field (I called this HR just seconds before he hit it). 1 Triple Play, my 1st ever (by TOR in KC). I saw 8 different players play for 2 different teams: Inge (DET/OAK), Pence (PHI/SF), Scutaro (COL/SF), Victorino (PHI/LAD), Lee (HOU/MIA), Ramirez (MIA/LAD), Gonzalez (BOS/LAD) & Maholm (CHC/ATL). I also saw a player start a AAA game 1 night and play in the majors the next night: Blackmon (Colo Springs/COL). I got 3 extra inning games: CHC/CIN (10), MIA/HOU (12) & MIA/AZ (10). I had 2 doubleheaders: Wrigley Field/Miller Park & PNC Park/Progressive Field (I did see the 1st ever doubleheader at Chase Field, but neither of those games counted towards my 30). Team I saw the most: the Red Sox, whom I saw 6 times @ 6 different parks going 3-3: Target Field (W), US Cellular Field (W), Fenway Park (W), Tropicana Field (L), Angel Stadium (L) & O.Co Coliseum (L). I also saw them at Safeco Field, but not part of the 30 & for a total of 10 games. I saw 54 different starting pitchers: most starts by 1 pitchers was 3 by Buchholz (BOS) who I saw go 1-1. I saw the 1st ever (and so far only) time opposing pitchers have faced each other on their birthdays: 5/3 @ Great American Ball Park: Dempster (CHC) vs Bailey (CIN). People I met who work in baseball: Mark Shapiro (President of the Indians), Larry Lucchino (Owner/CEO/President of the Red Sox), Art Howe (former Manager), Heidi Watney (sports reporter, formerly with NESN), Kirk Gibson (Manager of the Diamondbacks), Willie Bloomquist (Diamondbacks), Bruce Bochy (Manager of the Giants) & Luis Gonzalez (former Diamondback, now in front office for AZ). I got to walk on 2 different fields: Chase Field & AT&T Park. I signed several copies of the book I co-wrote ("The Fastest 30 Ballgames..."), with the coolest signing being at Fenway Park (got a cool pic of the book with the Green Monster behind it), met several Ballpark Chasers, was there the night the Guinness World Record of getting to all 30 MLB Ballparks the fastest was broken by Chuck Booth (4/28 in BAL), got to sit in a suite for my 1st time ever (4/25 in CLE), got my 1st ever tattoo (before a game in MIN, it's a Boston "B", saw the Sox win that night). The total time for all 30 game: 90 hours & 3 minutes (just a tad over 3 hour average), total attendance: 894,627 for an average of 29,821/game <span class="commentBody">with the highest being 8/30/12 @ Dodger Stadium 54,621 (Vin Scully Bobblehead night), the lowest being 4/25/12 @ Progressive Field (Cleveland) 10,552.</span></p>
<p>States: 34 (plus 1 District & 1 Province) – WA, MN, KS, MO, IL, WI, IN, OH, MI, WV, PA, KY, MD, NY, NJ, DE, CT, MA, TN, VA, GA, AL, MS, LA, TX, FL, OR, ID, UT, WY, CO, NM, AZ, CA, – DC & ON<br/>Games: All 30 MLB Ballparks but a total of 44 games (40 MLB & 4 MiLB)<br/>Miles Driven: 1st part: 13,104 & 2nd part: 4,846. Total: 17,950 miles driven.<br/>Miles by Air: 3575 (3 flights – SEA-MPLS, MPLS – KC & CHI – SEA)<br/>Tolls: TOO DAMN MUCH! Didn’t keep track, would estimate about $355+ (only $5 on 2nd trip)<br/>Fastest Game: 2:16 – Citi Field – Diamondbacks vs Mets<br/>Longest Game: 4:19 Minute Maid Park – Marlins vs Astros (12 innings)<br/>Best Park Experience: AT&T Park, Fenway Park & Citi Field<br/>Worst Park Experience: Turner Field<br/>Best Nachos: Minute Maid Park in Houston (Buffalo Chicken Nachos)<br/>Worst Nachos: Marlins Park in Miami or Angel Stadium in Anaheim<br/><br/></p>
<p>These include all games I went to, not just official 30:<br/>Tickets: $673.50 for 32 games (got 8 comp'd tickets) for an average of $21.05/ticket. MiLB – $47 for an average of $11.75.<br/>Parking: $598 33 games (parked for free for 7 games on West Coast run) for an average of $18.12/game. MiLB – $5 (for 1 game, with 3 games parking for free) for an average of $5.<br/>Fouls/BP/HR balls: 4 – 2 MLB – 1 in San Diego & 1in San Francisco (given to me by Luis Gonzalez) & 2 MiLB – 1 in Albuquerque (PCL) & 1 in Tucson (PCL)<br/>Inside The Park HR: 1 – Justin Upton at Chase Field on August 25, 2012 – My 1st ever Inside The Park HR.<br/>After Game Concerts: 2 – both at Chase Field – MercyMe & Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers<br/>Stadium Giveaways: 5 – 1 in Phoenix an “I saw all 18 innings” pin for those who went to both games of 1st ever doubleheader at Chase Field, Vin Scully bobblehead at Dodger Stadium, Twins Umbrella @ Target Field, Frank Robinson mini statue @ Camden Yards & MLB Network drawstring bag @ Citi Field. <br/>Balks: 3 (all on Buchholz on 5/16 in TB)<br/>Mascots I Met: Sluggerrr (KC), Raymond (TB) but also Teddy (DC) & Lincoln (DC), The Legends at Chase Field (Gonzalez, Grace, Johnson, Williams) & Baxter (AZ).<br/>People who had a character portrayed of them in “Moneyball”: 2 – Mark Shapiro (in Cleveland) & Art Howe (in Houston)<br/>Games where it rained (w/ or w/o a roof): 8 – SEA, BAL, DC, HOU, MIA, MIA, TB & ATL<br/><br/>Who I Saw:<br/><br/>Boston Red Sox 3-3<br/>Miami Marlins 3-2<br/>Arizona Diamondbacks 1-3<br/>Chicago Cubs 2-1<br/>Colorado Rockies 1-2<br/>Oakland Athletics 1-2<br/>Baltimore Orioles 2-0<br/>Toronto Blue Jays 2-0<br/>Kansas City Royals 1-1<br/>Cincinnati Red 1-1<br/>Pittsburgh Pirates 1-1<br/>Texas Rangers 1-1<br/>Los Angels Angels 1-1<br/>Atlanta Braves 1-1<br/>Cleveland Indians 1-1<br/>Seattle Mariners 1-1<br/>Milwaukee Brewers 1-1<br/>Philadelphia Phillies 0-2<br/>San Francisco Giants 1-0<br/>St. Louis Cardinals 1-0<br/>San Diego Padres 1-0<br/>Tampa Bay Rays 1-0<br/>Washington Nationals 1-0<br/>New York Mets 1-0<br/>Houston Astros 0-1<br/>New York Yankees 0-1<br/>Los Angeles Dodgers 0-1<br/>Minnesota Twins 0-1<br/>Detroit Tigers 0-1<br/>Chicago White Sox 0-1<br/><br/></p>
<p>Above all I met A LOT of great people and had A LOT of fun along the way!<br/><br/>... and to think, I didn't think I would be catching even 1 single game outside of Seattle this season! WOW! :)</p>My New Schedule... Updated: 8/6/2012tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2012-08-06:1681163:BlogPost:1156492012-08-06T18:00:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<p>My boss officially cancelled my work trip to New Mexico for August, so here is my updated schedule for the 2nd half of my SeeAll30 Summer:</p>
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<p>16 MLB games & 4 MiLB games...<br></br><br></br>8/15 - Boise vs Salem-Keizer<br></br><br></br> 8/17 - Colorado Springs vs Albuquerque<br></br> 8/18 - Rockies vs Marlins<br></br> 8/19 - Rockies vs Marlins<br></br> 8/20 - Albuquerque vs New Orleans<br></br> 8/21 - Grand Canyon/Flagstaff (might get crazy and add another D'Backs game here)<br></br> 8/22 - D'backs vs Marlins…</p>
<p>My boss officially cancelled my work trip to New Mexico for August, so here is my updated schedule for the 2nd half of my SeeAll30 Summer:</p>
<p></p>
<p>16 MLB games & 4 MiLB games...<br/><br/>8/15 - Boise vs Salem-Keizer<br/><br/> 8/17 - Colorado Springs vs Albuquerque<br/> 8/18 - Rockies vs Marlins<br/> 8/19 - Rockies vs Marlins<br/> 8/20 - Albuquerque vs New Orleans<br/> 8/21 - Grand Canyon/Flagstaff (might get crazy and add another D'Backs game here)<br/> 8/22 - D'backs vs Marlins Doubleheader<br/> 8/23 - Tucson Padres vs Colorado Springs<br/> 8/24 - D'Backs vs Padres<br/> 8/25 - D'Backs vs Padres<br/> 8/26 - D'Backs vs Padres<br/> 8/27 - Padres vs Braves<br/> 8/28 - Angels vs Red Sox<br/> 8/29 - Angels vs Red Sox<br/> 8/30 - Dodgers vs D'Backs<br/> 8/31 - A's vs Red Sox<br/> 9/1 - A's vs Red Sox<br/> 9/2 - A's vs Red Sox<br/> 9/3 - Giants vs D'backs (#30!)<br/> 9/4 - Driving home<br/> 9/5 - Mariners vs Red Sox (Just because!)<br/> <br/></p>
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<p></p>My SeeAll30 Summer... in jeopardy?!?tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2012-06-01:1681163:BlogPost:1138792012-06-01T19:34:06.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<p>Was talking to my boss yesterday and he now says that he would prefer to send me to work in New Mexico in December instead of August. This would completely screw me for my SeeAll30 Summer. After getting pissy about this for a while, my wife tells me, "You should still go". I asked her, "What?" "You need to complete this, you are so close. Just go", she says. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! Man I love this woman! After trying to work out the schedule to go sooner (so I would have more…</p>
<p>Was talking to my boss yesterday and he now says that he would prefer to send me to work in New Mexico in December instead of August. This would completely screw me for my SeeAll30 Summer. After getting pissy about this for a while, my wife tells me, "You should still go". I asked her, "What?" "You need to complete this, you are so close. Just go", she says. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! Man I love this woman! After trying to work out the schedule to go sooner (so I would have more time with her before our Alaskan cruise we have had booked for over a year and then the start of the run up for tax season... ie.. teaching classes each week that will have me away from home a few nights/week), she says to me, "I thought you were excited to be at Dodger Stadium for that Bobblehead (Vin Scully). You should just stick with the schedule you already have so you can be there for it." Simply amazing! I also have plans with other friends as well along the way, so this way I will be able to meet up with them as planned. Long story short, I ended up telling my boss that "December will not work for me, with family holiday obligations and all" (I need to be home on the weekends, and my wife wasn't happy about me being gone 2-3 weeks in December), so if August wont work as planned, I wont be going to work in New Mexico this year. So a trip that I once thought was in jeopardy, ended up not being thanks to my amazing wife who obviously knows just how important this is to me (oh yeah, I did tell her a few weeks back that I will take her to Hawaii for 10-14 days next year as a thank you, so maybe that has something to do with it... though for me, after AK in September, it will give me my 50th state, so works for me also). I will have 5 days to do stuff between the game(s) in Denver (meeting up with Meg) and my next set of games that puts me back on track to my previously scheduled trip (those were the 5 days I was supposed to work originally), so I am thinking Isotopes game(s) in Albuquerque (see Meg, I do check the MiLB schedules lol) and the Grand Canyon. Or maybe a Historical run in NM. After seeing Brad Meltzer's show on Billy The Kid, I've wanted to do that. End up in Tucson for a night, check out a 'friends' brewery (Dragoon Brewing), then up to Phoenix (stay in Scottsdale) for 2-3 D'Backs games. Sounds like a fun trip to me. Adding as many possible "Free Things" to do along the way. Let me just add this though, as soon as I get excited for these changes, you just watch, the boss will decide to do NM in August after all and I will have to change it all again...</p>Possible games for me this summer... EDIT: 3/30/2012tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2012-03-28:1681163:BlogPost:1098202012-03-28T17:00:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<p>EDIT: Talked to the Boss this morning... I **AM** going to New Mexico and he agreed to the timing of August 20-24 for me to be working there! So, it's OFFICIAL, I *AM* gonna make a run at all 30 this season! Now I just need Chuck's schedule to go smoothly, or for him to have make up games where I need to pick up games as well and all will be golden!<br></br> <br></br> Time to SEEALL30(.com)! :)</p>
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<p>In addition to going out on the road with Chuck Booth next month, I have a possibility…</p>
<p>EDIT: Talked to the Boss this morning... I **AM** going to New Mexico and he agreed to the timing of August 20-24 for me to be working there! So, it's OFFICIAL, I *AM* gonna make a run at all 30 this season! Now I just need Chuck's schedule to go smoothly, or for him to have make up games where I need to pick up games as well and all will be golden!<br/> <br/> Time to SEEALL30(.com)! :)</p>
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<p>In addition to going out on the road with Chuck Booth next month, I have a possibility of hitting the following schedule. There are a few things that need to be tied up first for me to be able to do it, but hopefully it will happen. The biggest hurdles are not knowing when Chuck will wrap up his run, but there is a good chance that if he has makeup games to do April 27-30, that they will be East Coast parks, maybe STL, and ones that I could knock off my list as well. The next hurdle is for the August/September portion of the time. It is assuming that my boss will be sending me to New Mexico again this summer to teach at our office down there *AND* that he will allow me to do it in late August (20-24). I hope to find that out soon. If all those align, then my schedule to SEE ALL 30 this year is set! Thanks to Chuck for planting this seed in my head and for helping with the scheduling :)</p>
<p>Ballpark # 1 Game # 1 - Thursday, April 19<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Safeco Field (Seattle, WA)<br/> Ballpark # 2 Game # 2 - Friday, April 20<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Kauffmann (Kansas City, MO)<br/> Ballpark # 3 Game # 3 - Saturday, April 21<sup>st</sup> – 12:05pm – Wrigley Field (Chicago, IL)<br/> Ballpark # 4 Game # 4 - Saturday, April 21<sup>st</sup> – 6:05pm – Miller Park (Milwaukee, WI)<br/> Ballpark # 5 Game # 5 - Monday, April 23<sup>rd</sup> – 7:10pm – Target Field (Minneapolis, MN)<br/> Ballpark # 6 Game # 6 - Tuesday, April 24<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Comerica Park (Detroit, MI)<br/> Ballpark # 7 Game # 7 - Wednesday, April 25<sup>th</sup> – 12:35pm – PNC Park (Pittsburgh, PA)<br/> Ballpark # 8 Game # 8 - Wednesday, April 25<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Progressive Field (Cleveland, OH)<br/> Ballpark # 9 Game # 9 - Thursday, April 26<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – US Cellular Field (Chicago, IL)<br/> Ballpark #10 Game #10 - Saturday, April 28<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Camden Yards (Baltimore, MD)<br/> Ballpark #11 Game #11 - Sunday, April 29<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, PA)<br/> Ballpark #12 Game #12 - Monday, April 30<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Fenway Park (Boston, MA)<br/> Ballpark #13 Game #13 - Tuesday, May 1<sup>st</sup> – 7:05pm – Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY)<br/> Ballpark #14 Game #14 - Wednesday, May 2<sup>nd</sup> – 12:35pm – Rogers Centre (Toronto, ON)<br/> Ballpark #15 Game #15 - Thursday, May 3<sup>rd</sup> – 12:35pm – Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati, OH)<br/> Ballpark #16 Game #16 - Saturday, May 5<sup>th</sup> – 1:05pm – National’s Park (Washington DC)<br/> Ballpark #17 Game #17 - Sunday, May 6<sup>th</sup> – 1:10pm – Citi Field (Queens, NY)<br/> Ballpark #18 Game #18 - Tuesday, May 8<sup>th</sup> – 7:05pm – Minute Maid Park (Houston, TX)<br/> Ballpark #18 Game #19 - Friday, May 11<sup>th</sup> – 7:05pm – Rangers Ballpark (Arlington, TX)<br/> Ballpark #19 Game #20 - Saturday, May 12<sup>th</sup> – 6:15pm – Busch Stadium (St. Louis, MO)<br/> Ballpark #20 Game #21 - Monday, May 14<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Marlins Stadium (Miami, FL)<br/> Ballpark #21 Game #22 - Tuesday, May 15<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Marlin Stadium (Miami, FL)<br/> Ballpark #22 Game #23 - Wednesday, May 16<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Tropicana Field (Tampa, FL)<br/> Ballpark #23 Game #24 - Thursday, May 17<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Turner Field (Atlanta, GA)<br/> Ballpark #24 Game #25 - Saturday, August 18<sup>th</sup> – 6:10pm – Coors Field (Denver, CO)<br/> Ballpark #25 Game #26 - Saturday, August 25<sup>th</sup> – 5:10pm – Chase Field (Phoenix, AZ)<br/> Ballpark #25 Game #27 - Sunday, August 26<sup>th</sup> – 1:10pm – Chase Field (Phoenix, AZ)<br/> Ballpark #26 Game #29 - Monday, August 27<sup>th</sup> – 7:05pm – Petco Park (San Diego, CA)<br/> Ballpark #27 Game #30 - Tuesday, August 28<sup>th</sup> – 7:05pm – Angels Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)<br/> Ballpark #27 Game #31 - Wednesday, August 29<sup>th</sup> – 7:05pm – Angels Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)<br/> Ballpark #28 Game #32 - Thursday, August 30<sup>th</sup> – 7:10pm – Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, CA)<br/> Ballpark #29 Game #33 - Friday, August 31<sup>st</sup> – 7:05pm – O.co Coliseum (Oakland, CA)<br/> Ballpark #29 Game #34 - Saturday, September 1<sup>st</sup> – 6:05pm – O.co Coliseum (Oakland, CA) <br/> Ballpark #29 Game #35 - Sunday, September 2<sup>nd</sup> – 1:05pm – O.co Coliseum (Oakland, CA)<br/> Ballpark #30 Game #36 - Monday, September 3<sup>rd</sup> – 1:05pm – AT&T Park (San Francisco, CA)<br/></p>My Trip With Chuck... Edited: 3/13/2012tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2012-03-12:1681163:BlogPost:1085212012-03-12T16:30:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<p>That sounds like a good book title, dont it? "My Trip With Chuck"? :) lol Anyway, after our 2010 trip fell thru, this trip will be awesome! Got 5 weeks from Thursday. Can't wait to pick him up at the airport in Seattle on the 19th!</p>
<p>April 19th – Safeco Field – Mariners vs Indians<strong>*</strong><br></br> April 20th – Kauffman Stadium – Royals vs Blue Jays<strong>*</strong><br></br> April 21st – Wrigley Field – Cubs vs Reds<strong>*+</strong><br></br> April 21st – Miller Park – Brewers vs…</p>
<p>That sounds like a good book title, dont it? "My Trip With Chuck"? :) lol Anyway, after our 2010 trip fell thru, this trip will be awesome! Got 5 weeks from Thursday. Can't wait to pick him up at the airport in Seattle on the 19th!</p>
<p>April 19th – Safeco Field – Mariners vs Indians<strong>*</strong><br/> April 20th – Kauffman Stadium – Royals vs Blue Jays<strong>*</strong><br/> April 21st – Wrigley Field – Cubs vs Reds<strong>*+</strong><br/> April 21st – Miller Park – Brewers vs Rockies<strong>*+</strong><br/> April 22nd – Miller Park – Brewers vs Rockies<strong>#</strong><br/> April 23rd – Wrigley Field – Cubs vs Cardinals<strong>#</strong><br/> April 24th – Comerica Park – Tigers vs Mariners<strong>@</strong><br/> April 25th – PNC Park – Pirates vs Rockies<strong>*</strong><br/> April 25th – Progressive Field – Indians vs Royals<strong>#</strong><br/> April 26th – U.S. Cellular Field – White Sox vs Red Sox<strong>*</strong></p>
<p><strong>*</strong> – games with Chuck Booth as part of his Guinness World Record Attempt<br/> <strong>+</strong> – games where we will be joined by Bob DeVries<br/> <strong>#</strong> – games I will go to by myself<br/> <strong>@</strong> – game where I will be joined by my friends the Reardons</p>
<p>We have a car reserved at the airport in Milwaukee on 4/22 that I will be picking up. We’ll have that car from 4/22-5/3. I will be flying home from Milwaukee on that date. What we do from 4/27 til 5/3 is unknown at this point. It will all depend on if Chuck needs to make up games from possible misses during the run. We might have to head to either STL, BAL, NYY, CWS. Hoping he wraps it up on the 26th/27th and then we will head back East for a few extra games, maybe BOS/NYY/PHI/WSH. Pick up a day at the HOF in there would be awesome too!<br/> <br/> <br/> <strong>Edit- 3/13/2012:</strong><br/> I have added a couple weeks and a few more games to my trip. I will be catching the following games for sure as well as those above. <br/> <br/> May 2nd - Great American Ballpark - Red vs Cubs<br/> May 3rd - Great American Ballpark - Reds vs Cubs</p>
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<p>Will catch 2-3 Marlins games in Miami between the 11-15, just not sure which days yet.</p>
<p><br/> May 16th - Tropicana Field - Rays vs Red Sox<br/> May 17th - Tropicana Field - Rays vs Red Sox</p>
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<p></p>"Wasted Trip"... NO MORE! :)tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2010-03-23:1681163:BlogPost:217382010-03-23T19:24:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
So after some research and coming up with a way to present it to my wife that made sense, I can say that my "Wasted Trip" is wasted no more! I talked my wife into letting me fly back East a few days ahead of her. In doing so I will make a stop in Minneapolis (actually in and out of Milwaukee, even with the added gas fee, cause I would have got a car anyway, it was still about $100 cheaper) on my way to Baltimore. In MPLS I will catch 2 games at Target Field, July 18th & 19th (vs the White…
So after some research and coming up with a way to present it to my wife that made sense, I can say that my "Wasted Trip" is wasted no more! I talked my wife into letting me fly back East a few days ahead of her. In doing so I will make a stop in Minneapolis (actually in and out of Milwaukee, even with the added gas fee, cause I would have got a car anyway, it was still about $100 cheaper) on my way to Baltimore. In MPLS I will catch 2 games at Target Field, July 18th & 19th (vs the White Sox and Indians respectively). With a 6am flight out of Milwaukee on the 20th I get into Baltimore at 9am. I will then catch the Orioles that night vs the Rays from row 1 in the bleachers in straight away center field. I will then double back to catch the afternoon game the next day, again vs the Rays (who ironically, after these 2 games, I will have seen at Camden Yards 3 of the 5 games I have attended - the other 2 being the Rangers and Mets). With those 4 games added to my 1 game @ Yankee Stadium... 5 games isn't too shabby.<br />
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My overall park list for 2010 is looking fairly good.. not quite Bob DeVries standards... but I am happy :) lol<br />
<br />
Safeco (atleast 5 games - Opening Day, 1 Cubs and 3 Red Sox)<br />
Target Field (2)<br />
Camden Yards (2)<br />
Yankee Stadium (1)<br />
Oakland Coliseum (2)<br />
Dodger Stadium (1)<br />
Angels Stadium (1 - maybe 2)<br />
AT&T Park (1)<br />
<br />
Maybes:<br />
Petco Park (1)<br />
Nationals Field (1)<br />
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Tours:<br />
Fenway (maybe on 7/24 - not likely, but maybe)<br />
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Baseball... WOOHOO! :)Wasted Trip?tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2010-03-08:1681163:BlogPost:214492010-03-08T22:34:30.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
So every trip I do is booked around the MLB schedule (this annoys my wife, but are you kidding me? Of course I am going to consult the schedules). However, a trip I will be doing in July, well, I don't wanna call it a "Wasted Trip", but it sure is a big ole bummer. See, my nephew Sean is getting married to his amazing fiance Nicole on July 23rd in Mystic, CT. My brothers kids are as close as I will ever come to having kids, so when Sean called me to tell me he was getting married and asked me…
So every trip I do is booked around the MLB schedule (this annoys my wife, but are you kidding me? Of course I am going to consult the schedules). However, a trip I will be doing in July, well, I don't wanna call it a "Wasted Trip", but it sure is a big ole bummer. See, my nephew Sean is getting married to his amazing fiance Nicole on July 23rd in Mystic, CT. My brothers kids are as close as I will ever come to having kids, so when Sean called me to tell me he was getting married and asked me to be there, I of course told him I would be, wouldn't miss it! Let me also say that Nicole is a big Red Sox fan, just another reason to love her. Yet, when they chose the 23rd for their wedding... not a single MLB schedule was consulted! ;) I mean seriously, think about it. 1st, the Red Sox are not in Boston that weekend, yet Mystic is only 90 mins away. No, the Sox are on the road in... SEATTLE!!!! That's only 60 mins away from home for me... yet I will be in Mystic, several thousands of miles away! UGH! ;) Not only are the Sox in Seattle, they are here for a 4 game set! 4 GAMES!! 2nd, of the possible 6 stadiums (teams) I could catch a game at, I can only see a most 2, cause everyone else is on the road as well for the time we'll be back there! At that I would have to go back East a day early to catch an Orioles game to make it 2. The other one is Yankee Stadium... yeah, no question there. I do have a shot at a Nat's game the next week, but there's a good chance that wont happen.<br />
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SO... holy cow! Who in their right minds doesn't consult the official MLB schedule before planning anything these days, ya know??? lol :)<br />
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Man whatta bummer... flying clear across country for 1, maybe 2, possibly 3 games at best. That sucks! Then again, I guess I am flying back there for my nephews wedding, not the games, huh?<br />
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LOL<br />
~KenI'm going back to Cali...tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2010-02-25:1681163:BlogPost:212732010-02-25T18:00:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
So the wife and I planned a trip to Disneyland with some friends and their kids for this coming August. Over the past week or so I have been looking into driving to LA, even if just by myself. As it turns out, I will be going solo. That worries me not. If you're gonna be driving and you're gonna be in town when there are games being played, seems silly not to take in said games, yeah? I FULLY AGREE! So here is what I am looking at:<br />
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August 17th:</b> Depart Lacey, WA @ 4am (no later than) for…
So the wife and I planned a trip to Disneyland with some friends and their kids for this coming August. Over the past week or so I have been looking into driving to LA, even if just by myself. As it turns out, I will be going solo. That worries me not. If you're gonna be driving and you're gonna be in town when there are games being played, seems silly not to take in said games, yeah? I FULLY AGREE! So here is what I am looking at:<br />
<b><br />
August 17th:</b> Depart Lacey, WA @ 4am (no later than) for Oakland, CA - 755 miles<br />
-A's vs Blue Jays @ 7:05pm (a FREE parking Tuesday game)<br />
<b>August 18th:</b> A's vs Blue Jays game @ 12:35pm ($2 ticket & $1 hot dog game)<br />
-After the game drive over to Salida to visit friends - 70 miles<br />
<b>August 19th:</b> Still in Salida with friends<br />
<b>August 20th:</b> Depart Salida for Los Angeles - 321 miles<br />
-Dodgers vs Reds @ 7:10pm<br />
<b>August 21st:</b> My wife and friend arrive for a week at Disneyland/Hollywood/Los Angeles<br />
<b>August 24th:</b> Angels vs Rays @ 7:05pm (Angels fleece blanket night)<br />
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After that I am not sure. We might leave from LA on the morning of the 28th and drive over to Las Vegas for 2-3 nights. If we do, things get pushed back. If not I will either catch the August 28th Giants vs D'Backs game @ 6:10pm (Joe DiMaggio SF Seals Bobblehead night) or the August 29th Giants vs D'Backs game @ 1:05pm.<br />
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With a few things left to nail down for sure, that's what I am looking at. I am fairly certain that I won't have to buy the A's tickets until I get to town, cant imagine its gonna be that crowded, especially mid-week vs the Blue Jays. The Angels and Dodgers tix I will get as they go onsale and then I will pick up the Giants tickets as soon as I know what's going on for sure with that portion of the trip. :)<br />
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WOOHOO Baseball!!Our New 2010 Road Trip Schedule....tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2009-10-25:1681163:BlogPost:199452009-10-25T17:56:41.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
Been meaning to post this for a while. I got an email from Chuck that said he wanted to make a few changes to the schedule cause he hates having a day of vacation where he doesn't get to see a game/ball park and I fully agree! So below is our new schedule and a few stats about it...<br />
<br />
June 22 – Drive from Lacey to Denver<br />
June 23 – Red Sox vs Rockies @ Coors<br />
June 24 – Red Sox vs Rockies @ Coors<br />
June 25 – Cardinals vs Royals @ Kauffman<br />
June 26 – Cubs vs White Sox @ US Cellular<br />
Mariners vs Brewers…
Been meaning to post this for a while. I got an email from Chuck that said he wanted to make a few changes to the schedule cause he hates having a day of vacation where he doesn't get to see a game/ball park and I fully agree! So below is our new schedule and a few stats about it...<br />
<br />
June 22 – Drive from Lacey to Denver<br />
June 23 – Red Sox vs Rockies @ Coors<br />
June 24 – Red Sox vs Rockies @ Coors<br />
June 25 – Cardinals vs Royals @ Kauffman<br />
June 26 – Cubs vs White Sox @ US Cellular<br />
Mariners vs Brewers @ Miller Park<br />
June 27 – Mariners vs Brewers @ Miller Park<br />
June 28 – Tigers vs Twins @ Target Field<br />
June 29 – Rays vs Red Sox @ Fenway (drive from Mpls to KC, fly to BOS)<br />
June 30 – Mariners vs Yankees @ Yankee Stadium (after a few hrs at HOF)<br />
July 1 – Brewers vs Cardinals @ Busch (after flying in to KC from BOS)<br />
July 2 – Giants vs Rockies @ Coors<br />
July 3 – Drive from Denver to Lacey<br />
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Again, the doubleheader on the 26th is gonna depend on what time that game is at U.S. Cellular and if we will have time to make it to Miller for the night cap, as they usually start games at 6:05pm on Saturdays. Our plans are to hit that Cubs vs White Sox game no matter what time it starts, the earlier the better though.<br />
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8 Parks, 11 games, 13 teams…<br />
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<b>Ballparks we’ll see:</b><br />
Coors Field<br />
Kauffman Stadium<br />
U.S. Cellular Field<br />
Miller Park<br />
Target Field (current ballpark #30 for both of us)<br />
Fenway Park<br />
Yankee Stadium<br />
Busch Stadium<br />
<br />
<b>Teams we’ll see:</b><br />
Red Sox (x3)<br />
Rockies (x3)<br />
Cardinals (x2)<br />
Royals<br />
Cubs<br />
White Sox<br />
Mariners (x3)<br />
Brewers (x3)<br />
Tigers<br />
Twins<br />
Rays<br />
Yankees<br />
Giants<br />
<br />
For you travel geeks, like myself, this trip will also include seeing 20 different states…<br />
<br />
<b>States we’ll see:</b><br />
Washington<br />
Oregon<br />
Idaho<br />
Utah<br />
Wyoming<br />
Colorado<br />
New Mexico<br />
Nebraska<br />
Kansas<br />
Missouri<br />
Illinois<br />
Wisconsin<br />
Minnesota<br />
Iowa<br />
Massachusetts<br />
Vermont<br />
New York<br />
New Jersey<br />
Connecticut<br />
Rhode Island2010 Road Trip planned!!tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2009-09-28:1681163:BlogPost:190002009-09-28T23:52:33.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
Since MLB announced their 2010 schedules the week of September 15th, it was time for all of us "Ball Park Geeks" to sit down and start planning our 2010 Baseball Road Trips. 2010 will be very different than I had originally pictured it. I only need to pick up Target Field in Minneapolis to (re)complete having seen all 30 current MLB ballparks. I had planned a quick run over to Minnesota for a game, or two, then back home. I got to talking to Chuck Booth about it a while ago and we decided to…
Since MLB announced their 2010 schedules the week of September 15th, it was time for all of us "Ball Park Geeks" to sit down and start planning our 2010 Baseball Road Trips. 2010 will be very different than I had originally pictured it. I only need to pick up Target Field in Minneapolis to (re)complete having seen all 30 current MLB ballparks. I had planned a quick run over to Minnesota for a game, or two, then back home. I got to talking to Chuck Booth about it a while ago and we decided to make this run together. This mounted from there and I am very excited to say that I will be doing a really cool road trip with "Mr. World Record" himself next June!!!<br />
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This trip came about from the need to see a game at Target Field and the fact that Chuck didn't like that I have the new Yankee Stadium ranked at #24 on my "Top 30!" So after some discussion, this is the trip Chuck has planned for us for next summer, assuming the schedules hold as previously announced.<br />
<br />
June 22 - Drive to Denver from Lacey, WA<br />
23 - Rox vs Red Sox @ Coors<br />
24 - Rox vs Red Sox @ Coors<br />
25 - Royals vs Cards @ Kauffmann<br />
26 - CHW vs Cubs @ US Cellular<br />
Brewers vs Mariners @ Miller<br />
27 - Mets vs Twins @ Citi<br />
28 - Cooperstown<br />
29 - Yankees vs Mariners @ Yankee<br />
30 - Twins vs Tigers @ Target<br />
July 1 - Drive rest of the way home<br />
<br />
I have to give up seeing the Cubs in Seattle for 3 games to do it, but getting to see my Red Sox @ Coors for 2 makes up for that. On the 26th, the time for the Cubs vs White Sox at US Cellular has not been announced, but most often those games are at 1:10pm EST, so if that's the case we will be able to make that game and the nightcap in Milwaukee @ Miller Park. If the White Sox/Cubs game is scheduled differently we're talking bypassing Chicago completely and hitting "The Field of Dreams" in Dyersville, IA on our way to Milwaukee :)<br />
<br />
We would be driving from Lacey, WA to Denver (1370 miles), then to Kansas City (about 610 miles), then to Chicago (530 miles) and up to Milwaukee (92 miles) then over to Minneapolis (337 miles). From Minneapolis we would fly to New York (LGA) for the Mets game, then drive to Cooperstown (223 miles), and back to New York (223 miles) for Yankees game before flying back to MPLS for the Twins game and hitting the road shortly after the game (1697 miles from MPLS to Lacey). Since it's a 12:10pm start it will allow us a few hours of drive time after the game before finishing the drive on in to Lacey the next day.<br />
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On the 28th, after a FULL DAY at the Hall of Fame, we are hoping we can add a minor league game in somewhere, like maybe Binghamton. That would be cool.<br />
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Should be an awesome trip and to get to share it with "Mr. World Record" will be awesome!The Top 30... As I See It!tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2009-08-19:1681163:BlogPost:177022009-08-19T23:01:57.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
I have never actually sat down to rank my "Top 30" before, but here it is. These are based on everything that goes into going to a game, not just the park itself. It's the overall experience... As I See It :)<br />
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1. Chicago Cubs-WRIGLEY FIELD<br />
2. Boston Red Sox-FENWAY PARK<br />
3. Seattle Mariners-SAFECO FIELD<br />
4. Baltimore Orioles-ORIOLE PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS<br />
5. Philadelphia Phillies-CITIZENS BANK PARK<br />
6. Detroit Tigers-COMERICA PARK<br />
7. San Francisco Giants-AT&T PARK<br />
8. New York Mets-CITI FIELD<br />
9.…
I have never actually sat down to rank my "Top 30" before, but here it is. These are based on everything that goes into going to a game, not just the park itself. It's the overall experience... As I See It :)<br />
<br />
1. Chicago Cubs-WRIGLEY FIELD<br />
2. Boston Red Sox-FENWAY PARK<br />
3. Seattle Mariners-SAFECO FIELD<br />
4. Baltimore Orioles-ORIOLE PARK AT CAMDEN YARDS<br />
5. Philadelphia Phillies-CITIZENS BANK PARK<br />
6. Detroit Tigers-COMERICA PARK<br />
7. San Francisco Giants-AT&T PARK<br />
8. New York Mets-CITI FIELD<br />
9. Pittsburgh Pirates-PNC PARK<br />
10. San Diego Padres-PETCO PARK<br />
11. St. Louis Cardinals-BUSCH STADIUM<br />
12. Milwaukee Brewers-MILLER PARK<br />
13. Colorado Rockies-COORS FIELD<br />
14. Texas Rangers-THE BALLPARK IN ARLINGTON<br />
15. Washington Nationals-NATIONALS PARK<br />
16. Cincinnati Reds-GREAT AMERICAN BALLKPARK<br />
17. Cleveland Indians-PROGRESSIVE FIELD<br />
18. Atlanta Braves-TURNER FIELD<br />
19. Los Angeles Dodgers-DODGER STADIUM<br />
20. Kansas City Royals-KAUFFMAN STADIUM<br />
21. Arizona Diamondbacks-CHASE FIELD<br />
22. Houston Astros-MINUTE MAID PARK<br />
23. Chicago White Sox-US CELLULAR FIELD<br />
24. New York Yankees-YANKEE STADIUM-NEW *<br />
25. Los Angeles Angels-ANGELS STADIUM<br />
26. Toronto Blue Jays-ROGERS CENTER<br />
27. Minnesota Twins-METRODOME<br />
28. Tampa Bay Rays-TROPICANA FIELD<br />
29. Florida Marlins-LAND SHARK STADIUM<br />
30. Oakland Athletics-MCAFEE COLISEUM<br />
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* - Could have been just the day we went, was rainy and nasty, but this is where it ranks as for right now.Chuck Booth's 30/23 (24) Attempt... (Updated: 8/14/09)tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2009-08-15:1681163:BlogPost:164522009-08-15T01:35:53.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<b><u>August 14</u></b><br />
<b>6:27pm (PST)</b> - CONGRATS CHUCK BOOTH!! You are the World Record Holder!! With a walk-off HR by Brandon Inge in the bottom of the 9th, the game has ended in Detroit and thus Chuck has officially seen 30 games in 30 MLB parks in 24 days!!<br />
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Just got a call from Chuck, he is celebrating! What a way to end your World Record breaking trip with your 4th walk-off if the trip! He and 35,000+ Tiger fans got to see an awesome 2 hour and 20 minute game that ended 1-0 thanks to…
<b><u>August 14</u></b><br />
<b>6:27pm (PST)</b> - CONGRATS CHUCK BOOTH!! You are the World Record Holder!! With a walk-off HR by Brandon Inge in the bottom of the 9th, the game has ended in Detroit and thus Chuck has officially seen 30 games in 30 MLB parks in 24 days!!<br />
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Just got a call from Chuck, he is celebrating! What a way to end your World Record breaking trip with your 4th walk-off if the trip! He and 35,000+ Tiger fans got to see an awesome 2 hour and 20 minute game that ended 1-0 thanks to Brandon Inge.<br />
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<b>3:11pm (PST)</b> - With just under an hour to go until game time, I have confirmation that Chuck is at the ball park with the Salters. Here is a couple pix, more later...<br />
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<img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203054400?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/><p style="text-align: left;"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203061623?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></p>
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<b>12:18pm (PST)</b> - The day is finally here... today Chuck Booth will make history as he becomes the fastest person to see a home game at all 30 Major League Ball Parks. I can only imagine how he is feeling as the game draws near...<br />
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I did get a call from him a few minutes ago. He let me know he was about 25 miles outside of Detroit and would be meeting up with some friends there to hang out before time and then head to the game together. Funny story is that this family, the Salters, met Chuck at a game last year when he made this attempt. They had read an article about him in the Detroit Free Press last year and then saw him at a game and introduced themselves. They have been big supports of his on both of his attempts. What's really interesting is that they were all supposed to get together for game # 2 on Day # 1 of the trip, but after missing his plane in Pittsburgh bound for Detroit, he reluctantly had to tell them he wouldn't be there. Now, because of that, the Salters family gets to be with Chuck as he attends game # 30, at Park # 30 on Day # 24!! You really gotta love how things all work out like that.<br />
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Game time is 7:05 pm (EST) at Comerica Park, Royals vs Tigers (Greinke vs Washburn). As soon as I get confirmation he is at the game, I will post it!!<br />
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<b><u>August 13</u></b><br />
<b>9:45pm (PST)</b> - I just got a call from Chuck, he is in Wilkes-Barre, PA, about 70 miles from Williamsport. He called to let me know that he will be on CKNW Sports Talk Radio at 10:10pm (PST). So in just a few minutes you can go to www.cknw.com and listen to Chuck... maybe even call in and ask a question!!<br />
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<b>2:00pm (PST) -</b> The rain held off, thankfully, and the game is over, # 29 is in the bag and Chuck is on his way to Detroit for # 30 and the World Record. He was able to get his rental car, a Toyota Yaris, without any issues this time and will be making a stop tonight in Williamsburg, PA, home of the Little League World Series, which puts him right about 440 miles outside of Detroit.<br />
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Next up: Game #30 - Comerica Park, Royals vs Tigers (Greinke vs Washburn)... history will be made!!<br />
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<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203061597?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203061597?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><b>10:49am (PST)</b> - A Yankee fan in Beantown... Chuck has made it to Boston! Tigers vs Red Sox (Verlander vs Bucholtz). This was originally scheduled to be game # 30 in 23 days, but is now # 29 in 23 days. He had been worried about the weather and so far so good. He is under cover in case it starts raining, sitting in the right field grandstands.<br />
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He got to see an interesting pregame ceremony as today is "Tickets for Troops" day and they saluted the military with over 1,000 tickets being donated to members of the armed forces by both regular fans and season ticket holders. I got to watch the ceremony on TV here at home and it was quite touching, including having the father of a local soldier that was killed in Afghanistan throw out the first pitch.<br />
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After the game he has to get outta town right away and head to Detroit for # 30 in 24 days. He had a decent drive ahead of him, just over 850 miles or so to do in about 25 hours or less. The World Record is in reach now... as long as the rain holds off in Boston!<br />
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<b><u>August 12</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203061862?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203061862?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: right;"/></a><b>3:37pm (PST)</b> - Chuck made it to Atlanta just after 3pm (EST). After having issues, yet again, with trying to get a rental car from Thrifty (some problem about his credit card being used too much, too many times, with the difference between CA meaning Canada and CA meaning California... whatta hassle), he grabbed a cab and headed into town. With a quick stop at the nearest Best Western to use their internet for free, he made it to Turner Field for tonight's game, Nationals vs Braves (Stammen vs Lowe). He got his tickets when he got to the park and was able to pull 2 upper deck seats, behind home, for $11! Day of game tickets can be an awesome way to go...<br />
<br />
After talking to him for a while I got to thinking about a few things, so I asked some questions. There are things that he has to deal with that most of us, meant American citizens, wouldn't have to deal with on a trip like this, such as: When booking cars or hotels online as a Canadian citizen you have to deal with the exchange rate. So if you book something in advance, the price you pay when you use that reservation may be more than when you booked it.. talk about a pain in the wallet! This is why he has booked as much as he could on Priceline and prepaid for it, the problem with that is if your schedule changes, you're out. But if everything goes smooth, your set and you dont have to worry about the exchange rate.<br />
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Another issue is that after tomorrows game in Boston, Tigers vs Red Sox (Verlander vs Bucholtz), he has to drive to Detroit. It's not the fact he has to drive, it's the way he has to drive. Most of us, would just go the quickest route, which takes you from Boston to Detroit, via Buffalo and in Canada. No big deal, right? However, as a Canadian citizen, he can not drive a U.S. rental car into Canada. So he has to take a different route that, according to my mapping software, adds just over 2 hours of drive time!! It really makes you think about how hard this trip would be for anyone to do, yet when you add to that the fact that there are things that he simply can not do, it makes it that much more difficult as well as much more impressive!<br />
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<b><u>August 11</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069593?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069593?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><b>6:38pm (PST)</b> - Chuck's World Record attempt has him in the Twin Cities tonight for a game at the Metrodome, Royals vs Twins (Davis vs Blackburn), where he will be seeing the Royals for the 4th time in 3 weeks (plus he will see them in Detroit on Friday to complete the trip).<br />
<br />
He had an easy flight in, finally. He took the light rail from the airport to the game, and will take it back as well. Was able to get a cheap seat for the game, $10, out in the home run porch. He's got an early flight out in the morning headed to Atlanta for the Nationals vs Braves (Stammen vs Lowe) game.<br />
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Speaking of the light rail (public transportation), he told me that he has found so far that for less than $10 R/T you can take public transpo to and from the parks in Minneapolis, Cleveland, Arizona, San Diego, Baltimore, Oakland, Pittsburgh and for both parks in both New York and Chicago. Got to appreciate that, much cheaper than getting a rental car, and more than likely, faster.... plus no fee for parking at the game!<br />
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On his trip so far the home teams are 19-7. With a quick look at the Twins game right now, its the top of the 4th, Royals are up 9-1... Twins got a long ways to go if they are gonna give Chuck another home team victory.<br />
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<b><u>August 10</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069626?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069626?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: right;"/></a><b>6:37pm (PST)</b> - He's made it to the desert! He was scheduled to make it to Chase Field in Phoenix a couple hours before game time, but thanks to flight delays (yet again!) and being thankful he wasn't picking up a rental car (cause it would have taken too long), he arrived at the park via cab with only 10 minutes to spare! Had he needed to get a rental car, he would have been toast! Thankfully he had done his homework and knew it would be better to just cab it... being prepared and knowing the lay of the land pays off yet again!<br />
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Tonight's game is the Met's vs D'Backs (Pelfrey vs Davis). He has certainly been getting his fill of the Mets as this is his 4th or 5th time seeing them on his trip.<br />
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Chase Field is ballpark # 26 in 20 days! Tomorrow marks the 3 week mark of the trip and he will be at the Metrodome for the Royals vs Twins (Davies vs Blackburn).<br />
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<b><u>August 9</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069870?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069870?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><b>2:17pm (PST)</b> - Got a great call from Chuck just a few minutes ago... he's at Safeco and was justifiably excited about getting parking a few blocks from The Safe for $7 to go along with his $7 bleacher seat and his amazing Garlic "Rally" Fries! We talked about the Mariners and how Ichiro always has a great game when he is there.<br />
<br />
But let's back up a bit... last night at the Dodger game, he finished his interview with CKNW and ended up falling asleep in his car in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. Much to his surprise nobody came b y to wake him up and tell him to move along. Luckily he woke up in time to get to John Wayne Airport at 6:20am for his 8am flight. He made it but never anticipated the full hour it would take to get through security!! He made his flight, which was slightly delayed, and he got to Seattle, a bit late, but with his buddy waiting at the Denny's across from Sea-Tac airport with a meal ready for him, he had a bite to eat and headed for the ballpark.<br />
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After the game tonight he heads home for a bit and with some clean clothes he will head to Phoenix tomorrow for a game at Chase Field, Mets vs D'Backs (Pelfrey vs Davis). Minneapolis and the Metrodome await him on Tuesday...<br />
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<b>12:43pm (PST)</b> - "Home Sweet Home"... Chuck is in Seattle at Safeco Field and ready for game # 25 of his trip, the Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners (Kazmir vs Rowland-Smith). The end and World Record is in his sights now with Arizona, Minnesota, Atlanta, Boston and Detroit left on the schedule in the next 5 days.<br />
<br />
<b><u>August 8</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069963?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203069963?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: right;"/></a><b>11:05pm (PST)</b> - Just listened to Chuck's interview on CKNW via www.cknw.com. If you missed it, he was on his cell phone still at the Dodger game because it was a long one as it went into extra frames. He was live on the air as he told us that the Braves won it, and broke his streak of 12 home team wins by beating the Dodgers. Was a really good interview, too short though really.<br />
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For those of you that missed it, or those that want to hear it again, I was able to record it and you can listen to at the following 2 links. It is in 2 parts cause I didn't want to record commercials. Part # 1 starts partially into the interview, sorry about that...<br />
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<a href="http://www.seeall30.com/misc/Chuckboothpart1.wma" target="_blank">Chuck Booth CKNW interview Part # 1</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.seeall30.com/misc/Chuckboothpart2.wma" target="_blank">Chuck Booth CKNW Interview Part # 2</a><br />
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<b>6:30pm (PST)</b> - Got a call from Chuck around 4pm, he was on I-5 headed to Dodger Stadium after a quick game at Angel Stadium. He told me he got a tip on some free parking that was close to the interstate and only about 1/2 mile walk to the park. He gave it a shot and it worked out great! As it is, he had just over 3 hours til the night game and I told him he had plenty of time to go to Disneyland if he wanted lol :) He didn't want to take the chance with the LA freeways lol, don't blame him!! :)<br />
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This was the last doubleheader of his trip! He nailed it! Tomorrow it's Seattle for the Rays vs Mariners (Kazmir vs Rowland-Smith). I was hoping to join him for the game, but will be unable to do so, sadly. However, I will be here to update everyone :)<br />
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<br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203109263?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203109263?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><b>11:31am (PST)</b> - In La La Land... Chuck has made it to the land of Halos... Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Should be a great game, Millwood vs Weaver... national TV at that! :)<br />
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<b>8:16am (PST)</b> - Chuck will be on CKNW 980AM in Vancouver at 10:40pm (PST) TONIGHT!!! He will be live from the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. They stream online at http://www.cknw.com/, tune in and listen to Chuck discuss his trip!<br />
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<b>7:52am (PST) -</b> A few interesting stats: With San Diego's walk-off win last night, Chuck has now see 3 walk-off wins on his trip. The other 2 were in Pittsburgh (his 1st game of the trip) when Brandon Moss hit an HR to win 8-7 and in Florida where Cody Ross and Dan Uggla went back-to-back for the tie and then the win. The Padres win also continues his streak of home team wins to 11 straight now with an overall home team record of 16-6.<br />
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<b><u>August 7</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203114635?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203114635?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><b>10:12pm (PST)</b> - Chuck is on the West Coast....he had a pretty uneventful day today. His morning flight to San Diego went as planned, he checked into a hostel which is 1 block from the ballpark and got to the game early. I got my call in about the 8th inning with the Mets leading 2-1. Chuck said it was actually a pretty boring game, figured the crowd had a lot to do with that... even if they were celebrating Rickey Henderson's HOF Induction there in San Diego this weekend (the 2nd time on his trip he got to take in a celebration for Rickey, the last time was in Oakland a few days ago). He also told me that this is the 4th straight year he has caught a game at Petco Park and it's kinda lost its magic. He said he honestly thought that might have something to do with the caliber of team on the field as well, but either way, Petco has dropped some in the rankings!<br />
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Tomorrow he heads to Los Angeles for a battle of the top 2 teams in the AL West in the afternoon game at Angel Stadium, Rangers vs Angels (Millwood vs Weaver). Then he heads across town for the night cap at Dodger Stadium for the Braves vs Dodgers (Kawakami vs Kershaw).<br />
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As I am typing this, his game in San Diego just ended... whatta finish! The Padres came back to tie in 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th with no outs. Then they loaded the bases, which included an intentional walk, and Everth Cabrera took a 3-2 pitch, the 10th of his at-bat, and jacked it for a game-winning grand slam!! Don't get much better than that and keeps his streak of home teams winning alive for another game!!<br />
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<b><u>August 6</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203115232?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203115232?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><b>4:42pm (PST)</b> - Kansas City, Kansas City here he comes... Chuck is in KC and getting ready to see the Mariners vs Royals (Vargas vs Chen). We had a great chat about the game in Cleveland, a 2-1 Indians win, in 2 hours and 37 minutes, where Kerry Wood shut down the Twins in the 9th for his 15th Save. After the game he had to sprint darn near a full mile to get to the subway station in time, he barely made it, to ride the train out to the airport for his flight to Kansas City.<br />
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In KC, he had no problems making it to the park and after sending me his pix, he called and we chatted about things, ball park food and his upcoming schedule. Tomorrow he flies to San Diego for the Mets vs Padres game (Perez vs Correia), then it's a bus ride to Los Angeles for a doubleheader that includes Dodger & Angel Stadiums.<br />
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<b>8:55am (PST)</b> - Chuck has made it to Progressive Field aka "The Field Formerly Known As Jacobs". He'll be seeing the Twins take on the Indians (Blackburn vs Carmona).<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203119034?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203119034?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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<u><b>August 5</b></u><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203118984?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203118984?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a>6:51pm (PST) - The Phillies won 7-0 (Happ tossed 8 innings of 4 hit ball and even had a double that had the crowd going crazy!), which gave Chuck 2 home team shutouts today! Not only that, the home team has won the last 8 straight games he said. He loved the Philly Phanatic and says that he is one of, if not the best, mascots in the majors... I totally agree, even though I am partial to the Moose lol :)<br />
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As for food, he had a cheesesteak and called it, "The single best ball park food." Other places might offer a better selection, but the Philly Cheesesteak is the best single item anywhere. I didn't get to ask him, but I am assuming he is referring to the "Campos" cheesesteaks there in center field. Ironically, I saw Campos on "Road Tasted" with Paula Dean's boys today, and man they did look awesome!!<br />
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He's headed back to Baltimore for a flight to Cleveland tomorrow, then on to KC in yet another doubleheader.<br />
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3:44pm (PST) - He has made it to Citizens Bank Park with plenty of time to spare... stay away from the Crab Fries man, they aint worth it! :)<br />
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1:50pm (PST) - Chuck just called from the Amtrak Station on his way to Philly, having got there in time, he should be in to Philly at 5:55pm (EST), which gives him 1 hour and 10 minutes to make the 25 minute drive with his brother to Citizens Bank Park. As for Citi Field, he felt it was ok... most certainly an improvement over Shea Stadium, but in his opinion a step down from Yankee Stadium. He still ranks it in the top 10, but not as high as AT&T or Busch Stadium. The game he saw was kinda a bummer, as the Mets won going away 9-0! It took 1 hour and 15 minutes for the first 2 innings alone! But it sped up after that and he got out of there in plenty of time as we know.<br />
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Worst off, he is now fighting a pretty nasty cold, or so it sounds like on the phone, and he did say that he is sick... and with a couple more doubleheaders coming up too... UGH!<br />
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11:02am (PST) - Chuck has made it to Citi Field in Queens for the Cardinals vs Mets game... he has now seen all 30 current MLB Ballparks! CONGRATS CHUCK!<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069446922?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069446922?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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<b><u>August 4</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069447053?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069447053?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a>7:45pm (PST) - Just got a really excited voice mail from Chuck. He said that the game he was at at Nationals Park was awesome and between that and the 25K+ that was there the overall experience was great and that he's going to have to move National's Park up on his overall list now.<br />
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He is currently driving towards NJ, where he will meet up with his brother for a doubleheader tomorrow... Citi Field for the Cardinals vs Mets (Lohse vs Niese) in the morning (the last of the current parks he needs to see to have seen them all) and then a train ride to Philly puts him at Citizens Bank Park for the nightcap of the Rockies vs Phillies (Del La Rosa vs Happ). After the doubleheader he drives back to Baltimore to drop off the rental car before hoping a 6:59am flight to Cleveland for an afternoon game, Twins vs Indians (Blackburn vs Carmona), then its a quick ride to the airport for a flight to MCI in Kansas City where he will have less 53 minutes to make it to Kaufman Stadium for the nightcap of the Mariners vs Royals (Vargas vs Chen). The Cleveland/Kansas City doubleheader is the one I personally felt will be his toughest. When he nails it, he's got this thing in the bag baring any PPD's!<br />
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1:53pm (PST) - Chuck has made it to our nations capital. Got a quick text saying he got in at 1pm (EST) and had time to check out the town a bit, go see the White House, and then head Nationals Park. I told him he better have a "Chili Half Smoke" for me at Ben's Chili Bowl. It's "Free T-Shirt Tuesday" and he got a free t-shirt for the 4th time on this trip... gotta love free clothes! :) Tonight's game is Marlins vs Nationals (Johnson vs Martin).<br />
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<b><u>August 3</u></b><br />
9:00am (PST) - Chuck is at Tropicana Field for the Royals vs Rays game...<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069446896?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069446896?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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<b><u>August 2</u></b><br />
4:22pm (PST) - Got a call from Chuck in the bottom of the 9th, with the game tied at 1-1. As we talked about the ballpark, he told me that Jake Fox jacked a shot to put the Cubs up 2-1 and we figured this game was over. We kept talking about his upcoming schedule, with a 1:30am greyhound ride to Tampa, then it's off to Washington DC for Nationals Park, with 3 doubleheaders in 4 days looming in the not so far off future. As we talked it hit us both that Land Shark stadium is the 1/2 way point for him, he has now officially seen full games in 15 parks in 12 days!!<br />
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Shortly after we got off the phone I saw where Gregg gave up back-to-back jacks to Ross (his 2nd of the game) and Uggla to win it in the bottom of the 9th! Whatta finish!... on to Tampa!<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203122288?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203122288?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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<b><u>August 1</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069447002?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069447002?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a>8:54pm (PST) - "AT&T Park is the best ball park anywhere, especially with that scenery. I must have taken 70 picture of the park tonight" is what Chuck told me tonight on the phone, with some really happy Giants fans yelling in the background. He didn't get to spend much time there as this was the fastest game so far on his trip. The game, a 2-0 Giants win in 2 hours and 14 minutes, saw Lincecum get his 12th victory by only giving up 7 hits in 8 innings and striking out 8! He was part of a crowd of 42,694, which included about 300 dogs in the bleachers taking part in the "Dog Days presented by Milk-Bone and Kibbles 'n Bits". They even had a pregame doggie costume competition. That must have been a sight to see!<br />
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Tomorrow he jumps on a plane bound for Miami for the Cubs vs Marlins game (Dempster vs Nolasco), where hopefully he will be able to meet up with Bob DeVries, who is also on a Quest to see all 30 this summer and Landshark Stadium is #26 for him. He then heads for Tampa via Greyhound, for the Royals vs Rays and a great pitching match-up of Greinke vs Kazmir at Tropicana Field.<br />
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5:00pm (PST) - Chuck has made his way across the bay to AT&T Park...<br />
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<b><u>July 31</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203122580?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203122580?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a>7:06pm (PST) - He was looking for blue skies, especially no rain, and he found it in Oakland on the first night of Ricky Henderson weekend. Kinda cool to be there when they salute one of the newest Hall of Fame members.<br />
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Oakland Coliseum - "Whatta dump!" Parking cost $17, which was twice the price of his ticket! The Blue Jays are in town to play the A's (Richmond vs Braden), so he even got to hear the Canadian National Anthem tonight.<br />
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Interesting morning for Chuck, as he sat on the plane, on the tarmac in Chicago at O'Hare for 2 1/2 hours waiting to take off for SFO! Because of that he barely had time to make it to the Oakland airport to pick up his girlfriend and get to the ballpark by 5:30pm (PST). Had he opted for a little more rest and taken the 12:00 pm (CST) flight outta Chicago, he would have missed this game because of the delays! "Always take the first available flight!" he says, which makes perfect sense, especially after this.<br />
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Tomorrow he just has to cross the bridge into San Francisco for the Phillies vs Giants (Blanton vs Lincecum). He missed seeing Cliff Lee's Phillies debut by 1 game, but he does get to see the wonder kid, 11-3 Tim Lincecum.<br />
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Sunday he hops a non-stop flight to Miami for the Marlins vs Cubs game at 5:05pm (EST) (Dempster vs Nolasco).<br />
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<u><b>July 30</b></u><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124079?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124079?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a>5:20pm (PST) - Chuck's flight actually made it to O'Hare on the north side of Chicago about 20 minutes early, however they didn't have a gate ready so there they sat! Once he deplaned, grabbed a cab and told the driver he needed to get to U.S. Cellular before game time, the cabbie laughed. He finally got close to the park, thanks to some great driving by someone that obviously knows the streets of Chicago well, and got out of the cab at 35th street and start his run in (with duffel bag and briefcase in hand) towards the gate. As he was running, he could hear the National Anthem being performed. After a quick deal with a guy at the gate to let him in to a section he shouldn't have been in, he got in to get his picture at 7:09pm, just 2 minutes before the scheduled 1st pitch!! However, as he saw the field he saw it covered by a tarp still and found out the game has been delayed about 20 minutes, so he was good to go! What is it with all this rain lately??<br />
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In the morning it's back to O'Hare for a flight to San Francisco, then it a short drive to Oakland for the game tomorrow night and San Fran on Saturday with a flight to Miami looming on Sunday.<br />
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12:20pm (PST) - Rain, Rain go away! And stay the heck away! Got a message from Chuck and about 1 hour into the game today at Great American Ballpark, Padres vs Reds (Stauffer vs Cueto), it started raining cats & dogs! He said he was actually very surprised that they didn't call the game, but they got through it as it cleared up in the 8th inning. That game is just now in the bottom of the 9th with a score of 7-1 Padres, with the park almost cleared out, which works great for Chuck with less traffic to deal with plus he has a great parking spot for a quick getaway. His flight from Cincy to Chicago is at 5:54pm (EST), so he should have plenty of time to make that flight as the game should be over any minute now.<br />
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Last night he was in St. Louis at Busch Stadium and saw a 15 inning, 4 hour and 53 minute, marathon that ended when Pujols singled in the winning run off Jeff Weaver (former Cardinal no less). Needless to say, on the drive to Cincy this morning he was using all of the tricks he could think of to stay awake.<br />
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12:34pm (PST) - Game is over in Cincy, 7-4 Padres, after the Reds put 3 on the board in the bottom of the 9th... too little, too late... and he is off on his way to the airport, bound for Chicago and the Yankees vs White Sox (Pettitte vs Colon).<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124228?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124228?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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<b><u>July 29</u></b><br />
4:05pm (PST) - Got the following picture from Chuck, looks like he has made it to Busch Stadium and best of all... look at the blue skies!! :)<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124279?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124279?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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9:40am (PST) - Just got a message from Chuck, he is on I-70 heading towards Indy on his way to St. Louis after having flown into Dayton. No surprise to him, as things have gone, he is getting rained on! That rain seems to follow him wherever he goes! A look at weather.com says 78 degrees with a 10% chance of precip at game time, then again it said that in Baltimore also and there were t-storms right up til game time! (Side note: the irony of this rain for him is that here in Western Washington and up in Vancouver, his home town, its been freakin' hot lately! It was 104 here in Olympia yesterday!)<br />
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So, Dodgers vs the Cardinals tonight at Busch Stadium (Kershaw vs Pineiro) then it's an all night drive to Cincy for the Padres vs Reds (Stauffer vs Cueto) before hopping a flight bound for Milwaukee, which has a stop in Chicago where he will walk off the plane and use a sedan service to get to U.S. Cellular in time for the Yankees vs White Sox (Pettitte vs Colon) game. He mentioned how, since he will have time, he is gonna map out the drive from Great American Ball Park to airport and drive it a few times, just to make sure he has it down and knows alt routes if needed. When he makes the doubleheader tomorrow, that means the worst he could do is tie the record set by Josh Robbins at 30/26... barring any PPD's!<br />
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Here are a few more pix:<br />
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<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124371?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203124371?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155632?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155632?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155646?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155646?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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<b><u>July 27</u></b><br />
9:15pm (PST) - Just talked to Chuck as he is in the great state of Texas. He made the game in Arlington, a 5-2 Rangers win vs the Tigers, and is now on his drive back to Houston where he will catch a flight to Baltimore for Camden Yards and the Royals vs the Orioles tomorrow night.<br />
<br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155673?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155673?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a>He sounds like he is really having fun. Last night he stayed in Oklahoma, though he was already in Texas, just so he can say that he has been to the state of Oklahoma... so he is knocking off states, as well as ballparks!!<br />
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The rain has been following him around though, first it was in the Bronx, then Denver and as he made his drive towards Arlington he was listening to the weather on XM radio and told me from the sounds of it, he honestly thought they were going to call this game before it even got started. Then the clouds parted just long enough to get the game in, with it actually starting to rain in about the 8th inning (I was watching on MLBEI and couldn't believe he was getting rained on again!). As we were talking he said it was starting to storm pretty good and due to the lightning we were actually losing cell service. It don't storm anywhere like it does down south!<br />
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He has had a few problems though, not just missing his flight in Pittsburgh due to a terrible sedan service and lots of traffic, but he has been double charged by rental car companies which have really made things hard on the bottom line as well. The way he is doing this trip he will be using several different rentals, so to be 2x charged for even a couple of them is a nightmare. Worst part is that he is 3,000 miles from home so it's not like he can just sit down and call the bank and rental company and say "HEY!" On his time schedule finding time, or the place, to use the internet is tough as well. He told me last night that he has even taken a few moments as he drove down the road to stop at a Best Western and feed off their free internet for a few minutes before hitting the road again... clever if I do say so myself :)<br />
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Oriole Park at Camden Yards tomorrow - Royals vs Orioles (Bannister vs Berken) - a look at weather.com shows 86 degrees, partly cloudy only a 10% chance of rain at game time... should be no problem getting this one in.<br />
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<u><b>July 26</b></u><br />
10:44am (PST) - Chuck is at Minute Maid Park in Houston seeing the Mets vs Astros (Hernandez vs Moehler). He was excited to find a parking spot for $3, instead of the usual $18, so he treated himself to some "Gourmet" food at McDonald's... gotta love life on the road! He had a great 45 minute interview with CKNW Sports talk 980am, a station from his hometown in Vancouver on Saturday night.<br />
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Yesterday he was in Denver for the Giants vs Rockies (Sanchez vs De Le Rosa), which was a 8-2 Rockies win. He did get rained on though and at one point in the 4th it looked like they were gonna have to bring the tarp out, but they got through it and he got another game in.<br />
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He heads to Oklahoma tonight, staying the night in Ardmore, then it's on to Arlington for the Tigers vs Rangers (Galarraga vs Hunter) at Rangers Ballpark!<br />
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He's now seen 7 games in 7 parks in 5 days!!<br />
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Here are a few pix from the trip so far...<br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155792?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155792?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069447041?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069447041?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a><p style="text-align: left;"><a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069446866?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2069446866?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300"/></a></p>
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<b><u>July 24</u></b><br />
5:10pm (PST) - Talking to Chuck right now, he made it to Milwaukee, just 3 minutes before first pitch... had actually sent me a video clip of him there just as the first pitch was being thrown. Was a crazy one coming up from Wrigley for this one, but he made it and sounds really excited about it. Said that Miller Park is packed tonight and the crowd is really loud, which I could hear over the phone!! He's gonna enjoy this game, Braves vs Brewers, then it's on to Coors Field in Denver for tomorrow night.<br />
<br />
5:36am (PST) - Just got a message from Chuck, he is in Milwaukee about to pick up his rental car and head down to Chicago. Sounds like he has a good game plan on where to park to be able to get out of there fast after the game and beat the traffic on his way back to Milwaukee for the nightcap.<br />
<br />
As for Yankee Stadium, he said, "It ROCKED! It's my new # 1 ballpark now!"<br />
<br />
<b><u>July 23</u></b><br />
<a class="noborder" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155869?profile=original" target="_blank"><img width="225" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2203155869?profile=RESIZE_320x320" alt="" width="225" height="300" style="float: left;"/></a>The only update I got is that he has made both games, was expecting a call but it was really late after the Yankees game. I had been keeping an eye on the game in the Bronx last night leading up to game time because it was raining. Ironically I had told him Wednesday that I missed my game there cause of rain and I was worried I might have jinxed him. I did get a text message last night at 7:39pm (PST) that read "I am so lucky game didn't start until 9:40pm, arrived at 7:45pm with flight delay". Since they got that game in, a 6-3 Yankees win (their 7th in a row), sometimes a little rain can be a good thing.<br />
<br />
It's on to Chicago for the Red vs Cubs at 1:20pm (Harang vs Wells) and then to Milwaukee for Braves vs Brewers at 7:05pm (Vazquez vs Parra) on Friday.<br />
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<b><u>July 22, 2009</u></b><br />
3:40pm (PST) - Just talked to Chuck and he let me know that due to a bad car service, combined with a ton of school buses picking up kids on field trips at the game at PNC, he missed his flight from Pittsburgh to Detroit, so it's now a 30 in 24 attempt! He knew going in that this would probably be the toughest doubleheader of the trip (of the 7 of them he will be doing), so far it looks like he was right. So now what? Well, he will be catching a Greyhound bus to Toronto in about 2 hours, which will get him in up there around 9am and with a 12:37pm game tomorrow afternoon, he should have plenty of time to make it for the Indians vs Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre as the bus station is only about 1/2 mile from the park. As for the game in Detroit, it gets pushed back to the last game of the Quest, August 14th vs the Royals, where he will be coming in via Boston.<br />
<br />
Btw, the game Chuck caught in Pittsburgh was exciting. I had been keeping an eye on it and when I noticed it was 7-7 going into the bottom of the 9th I texted him about it and as I went to look and see what was going on, I noticed Brandon Moss hit a 3-1 pitch to deep CF for a game-winning HR and just then my phone beeped with a message "Game Over". He had been standing by the gate, ready to go, watching the end of the game.. little did he know that the game wouldn't be the problem, it would be the traffic. I guess that's why he has back-up plans... on to Toronto! :)<br />
<br />
P.S.. the game he missed in Detroit was the Tigers vs Mariners, with "King" Felix Hernandez on the hill for the M's... BUMMER!<br />
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<b><u>July 21, 2009</u></b><br />
I have been emailing back and forth with Chuck for a while now and he asked me if I would keep everyone up-to-date about his World Record attempt of seeing a game (complete games) at all 30 Major League Baseball Ballparks in 23 days. He starts his record attempt tomorrow, July 22nd, in Pittsburgh and he will be calling me daily to let me know how it is going so I can keep everyone apprised of where he is and how things are going. He is in Kansas City tonight for a game, but it's not going to count for his record attempt unless things go badly and he has to go back make the trip retroactive to this game. Hopefully that wont happen though.<br />
<br />
Should be fun. As soon as he calls me I will be posting things right here!!<br />
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GOOD LUCK CHUCK... and HAVE FUN! :)Change in schedule!! WOOHOOO!!!tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2009-05-15:1681163:BlogPost:120292009-05-15T00:20:14.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<b>WE'RE GOING TO FENWAY!!!</b><br />
<br />
How I missed this, I dunno, but I can say that after looking at <a href="http://www.baseballtripplanner.com/">www.baseballtripplanner.com</a>, I noticed that on June 18th we could do an afternoon game at Yankee Stadium (1pm vs the Nationals) then get outta there ASAP and make it to Fenway for the night game (7:10pm vs the Marlins). It's gonna be tight, but we'll do it :) WOOHOOO! Gonna grab a couple SRO's and have a great time!<br />
<br />
New schedule is as follows:<br />
<br />
June…
<b>WE'RE GOING TO FENWAY!!!</b><br />
<br />
How I missed this, I dunno, but I can say that after looking at <a href="http://www.baseballtripplanner.com/">www.baseballtripplanner.com</a>, I noticed that on June 18th we could do an afternoon game at Yankee Stadium (1pm vs the Nationals) then get outta there ASAP and make it to Fenway for the night game (7:10pm vs the Marlins). It's gonna be tight, but we'll do it :) WOOHOOO! Gonna grab a couple SRO's and have a great time!<br />
<br />
New schedule is as follows:<br />
<br />
June 16th - Orioles vs Mets - 7:05pm @ Camden Yards<br />
June 17th - Phillies vs Blue Jays - 7:05pm @ Citizens Bank Park<br />
June 18th - Yankees vs Nationals - 1:05pm @ (new) Yankee Stadium<br />
June 18th - Red Sox vs Marlins - 7:10pm @ Fenway Park<br />
June 19th - Mets vs Rays - 7:10pm @ Citi Field<br />
June 20th - Nationals vs Blue Jays - 7:05pm @ Nationals Park<br />
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This will be awesome!! 6 games, 5 days... and now FENWAY!Gearing up for the 2009 Ballpark Road Trip! (Updated: 3/27/2009)tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2009-02-25:1681163:BlogPost:90722009-02-25T17:30:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
The schedule is set:<br />
<br />
June 15th - Lv Sea @ 10:30am Non-Stop to BWI Ar @ 6:29pm<br />
June 16th - Orioles vs Mets - 7:05pm @ Camden Yards<br />
June 17th - Phillies vs Blue Jays - 7:05pm @ Citizens Bank Park<br />
June 18th - Yankees vs Nationals - 1:05pm @ (new) Yankee Stadium<br />
June 19th - Mets vs Rays - 7:10pm @ Citi Field<br />
June 20th - Nationals vs Blue Jays - 7:05pm @ Nationals Park<br />
<br />
Got tickets to the first 2 games already. Just waiting for the others to go onsale to try and get them that way vs Stub Hub/eBay.…
The schedule is set:<br />
<br />
June 15th - Lv Sea @ 10:30am Non-Stop to BWI Ar @ 6:29pm<br />
June 16th - Orioles vs Mets - 7:05pm @ Camden Yards<br />
June 17th - Phillies vs Blue Jays - 7:05pm @ Citizens Bank Park<br />
June 18th - Yankees vs Nationals - 1:05pm @ (new) Yankee Stadium<br />
June 19th - Mets vs Rays - 7:10pm @ Citi Field<br />
June 20th - Nationals vs Blue Jays - 7:05pm @ Nationals Park<br />
<br />
Got tickets to the first 2 games already. Just waiting for the others to go onsale to try and get them that way vs Stub Hub/eBay. Hotel rooms are book/paid for as well as our rental car. Waiting on buying our plane tickets for a bit to see if we can get a deal, hopefully they wont go up any more.<br />
<br />
Since my buddy Bob is going with me we are really gonna make the most of this trip and do the tourist thing all around. I am really looking forward to showing him around Washington D.C., Philadelphia and our trip to Gettysburg, which we have been talking about doing since we were in 7th grade! Bob's not even a big baseball fan but after this trip he will have been to 8 current parks (all with me)! I told him the other day, "I know some huge fans that its their dream to see them all that haven't been to that many!" It will also give him 6 more states, so that's awesome also!<br />
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More details and they become available...<br />
<br />
2/27/2009 - Update: Our Orioles tickets arrived in the mail today. I also switched from Sirius to XM radio today, that means all the baseball games on radio when I am on the road... WOOHOO! :)<br />
<br />
2/28/2009 - Update: Bought our Yankee tickets on Stub Hub today. Not sure what they would have been normally, but I got them for $15/each... bleacher seats, on the aisle. Cheap seats in Philly was $18, so $15 on Stub Hub is pretty good I guess :)<br />
<br />
Speaking of Yankee tickets... if you haven't been by the Yankees web site and did the virtual tour deal of the new stadium (3d Seat Selector), you gotta go do that, it's pretty cool. Here is a link to that: <a href="http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/new_stadium_seat_selector.jsp">New York Yankees 3D Seat Selector</a>.<br />
<br />
3/3/2009 - Just bought our Nationals tickets. I got them all now except for the Mets and still not sure of an onsale date for them :)<br />
<br />
3/13/2009 - Got our Nat's tix in the mail today. Still gotta get Mets tickets, they are putting them on sale weird, only April and May right now, more later... so gotta wait.<br />
<br />
3/14/2009 - Bought our plane tickets last night. Got a non-stop flight from SEA to BWI on Air Trans. Leaves Seattle at 10:30am and get in to Baltimore at 6:29pm. That gets us in about 14 hours earlier than we had originally planned... which gives us more time to enjoy our nations capital. As soon as we get in we will head straight to DC, enjoy dinner, a few local brews and tour some of the monuments.<br />
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3/27/2009 - Still waiting on Mets tickets to go onsale, fully. They have April & May onsale now, but I need June tickets... still waiting. Still haven't got my Yankee tickets from StubHub yet either, soon hopefully. Other than that, pretty set. Just waiting for June 15th... 11 weeks from Monday :)Hi! My name is Ken and I'm a ballpark addict!tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2008-06-25:1681163:BlogPost:31722008-06-25T20:30:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step on your way to recovery. Well, I have been an addict for years and I don't see my "problem" going away any time soon. Just last night I commented to my wife, as we watched "I Survived A Japanese Game Show", "It would be fun to go to Tokyo, we could catch a game at the Tokyo Dome!"<br />
<br />
My addiction started so innocently. It was 1977 and after a few months of listening to Seattle Mariner games on radio (as they were only on TV 1-2x a year…
They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step on your way to recovery. Well, I have been an addict for years and I don't see my "problem" going away any time soon. Just last night I commented to my wife, as we watched "I Survived A Japanese Game Show", "It would be fun to go to Tokyo, we could catch a game at the Tokyo Dome!"<br />
<br />
My addiction started so innocently. It was 1977 and after a few months of listening to Seattle Mariner games on radio (as they were only on TV 1-2x a year those first several years), my Dad asked my brother and I if we would want to go to a game? OF COURSE WE DID! Our first game was vs the Yankees at the Kingdome and as we walked up and into the dome and could see the field for the first time, I was hooked! I know how people talk about their first ever game being at Wrigley or Yankee Stadium, Fenway or Tiger Stadium... mine was at the Kingdome and I loved it! The grass may have been fake, the sun certainly didnt shine on the field and you couldn't feel the wind blow, but it was a beautiful sight for a 4 year old, that's for sure.<br />
<br />
Over the next 10 years we went to several Mariner games. My parents would take us up for weekend games where we would see the Saturday night game and double back for the Sunday afternoon game. We only lived an hour from Seattle, but we would stay in a hotel just south of Seattle on those weekends. I can still remember them like they were yesterday. Even after my father passed away in 1986, Mom would make sure we still went to games and did our weekends without fail.<br />
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In 1987 as we were visiting family in Northeast Oklahoma a group of us decided to go to Kansas City and catch a Royals game. It's a 3+ hour drive from Picher, OK to Royal Stadium and I couldn't hide my excitement. Until that day I had never thought I'd get to see a game anywhere other than at the Kingdome. The experience was incredible! It was hotter than blue blazes, but we had a great time. We sat in the front row, down the 3rd baseline directly by the foul pole. Bo Jackson was playing left for the Royals then and I got a great picture of him waving in our direction. I can remember the beauty of the ballpark vividly, but all I recall of the game is that the Royals beat the Twins and Dan Gladden hit a HR for the Twins.<br />
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Even though I got my first taste of another ballpark in 1987 it was 10 more years before I did it again. In June of 1997 I was in Dallas, TX with a friend attending a concert for a gal we did a web site for. We decided that the day before the concert we would go to Arlington and catch a game. I am so glad I did cause I love The Ballpark in Arlington! We sat up in the rafters basically and even though I developed a fear of escalators after taking a ride on the one there up to the upper deck, the "Escalator to Heaven" as I call it, I still loved the park. The design was so different than any of the other few I had been to at this point. The way they used the history of Texas in its design was incredible. I loved the green steel and red brick! It was that very night, June 14, 1997, that I decided I wanted to see all the Major League ballparks!<br />
<br />
In 2000 I went to visit some friends in California and they took me to see my Mariners play the A's at the Coliseum. While the ballpark is a real dump (this coming from someone that loved the Kingdome) I loved being there. To see the park, to taste the local foods, to see how different fans react to the game. The M's won, spanked the A's big time! It was this trip that make me realize that I could go see other ballparks, that I could see them all... eventually.<br />
<br />
In July 2000 I took my Mom to Austin to see family. We ended up going separate ways as she went north to Oklahoma for our family reunion and I went to Nashville for Fan Fair. We were to eventually meet up in Alabama a couple weeks later, but after Fan Fair I ended up back in Texas and decided to make th drive to Houston to see Enron Field. While I had seen countless games at the Kingdome with its roof (and Safeco Field after it opened the previous year), I never felt like I was watching baseball indoors, but at Enron, with the roof closed, it felt like we were watching a game in a warehouse. I really enjoyed my walk around the park, seeing how they used the old train station in its design and all, but that roof really spoiled it for me. It wasn't until the end of the 7th when they finally opened the roof and as you felt the rush of the hot air coming in from the beautiful Houston night, the game changed completely. All of a sudden we were watching a game the way it was supposed to be watched at night, under the stars. After eventually meeting up with Mom and the rest of my family in Alabama, I found myself with a few days on my hands so I decided to go to Atlanta, see Stone Mountain and go by Turner Field. As per my luck, the Braves were out of town that day and wouldn't be at home any day that I could catch them. I still made the best of it. Took the time to see the park from the outside and was sure to visit the remains of Fulton County Stadium, as I had watched a ton of Braves games from there since living in Oklahoma and the Braves via TBS was all we got on TV. This just fed my fire. I was so bummed I didn't get to see a game at Turner Field, that I vowed to make it back one day!! On my drive back to Austin I was able to take in a game at The Ballpark in Arlington, Mariners vs Rangers on July 3, 2000. The Ballpark is a great place to watch games. If it wasn't for the incredible heat of July, I would love to have stayed for a few more games. This was my 2nd game at The Ballpark and was strange to me to be back, but I loved it this time through just as much.<br />
<br />
I was planning a trip to the Chicago area to see a friend for a few days in May of 2002 when I realized that while she was busy the first couple days, I could catch me some games! So I flew into Chicago and made the drive up to Milwaukee to catch a Braves vs Brewers game at Miller Park. It was awesome! The land of brats & kraut didn't disappoint! I was enthralled with the way their roof opened (having just had Safeco and its retractable roof for not quite 3 seasons yet). The sight lines are great, no matter where I walked, I could see the action really good. I even stayed in town that night and caught the afternoon game the next day before driving to the South Side of Chicago to catch a White Sox vs Mariners game at Comiskey Field. May 2, 2002, was the first day I ever went to 2 games in 2 parks in 2 states! What a thrill that was! 1 American League and 1 National League game even! To top it off, in the nightcap I got to see history made as Mike Cameron hit 4 HR's (tied 12 others for this feat and was only the 4th from the AL to do it and only the 5th in history to do it in 4 consecutive AB's... his last 2 AB's, he was plunked on the backside and in his last AB he hit a drive that had the right fielder literally against the wall reaching up to make the catch!) and Cammy and Brett Boone went back-to-back with HR's TWICE in the same inning for the FIRST time in MLB history! That feat still hasn't been beat or matched. One of the greatest parts of going to different ballparks, for me anyway, is meeting the people who go to those games. The couple that sat next to me at this game just happened to realize the White Sox were playing that night as they got to town on their drive to Iowa for a wedding and decided to stop early and catch the game. What a game they got to see.. MLB history! I had been warned by my friend about wearing my Mariners gear on the South Side, but I had no problems... actually had a great time kidding around with the White Sox fans and even 1 usher that kept dropping by to comment on the game.<br />
<br />
July 2002 found me back in Oklahoma with family. After our family reunion, I was hitting the road on my first ever "Baseball Road Trip"! My addiction was getting the best of me. After careful planning I mapped out a route that would take me to games in Cincinnati (Cinergy Field), Cleveland (Jacobs Field), Detroit (Comerica Park) and a weekend of Cubs vs Cardinals in St. Louis at (old) Busch Stadium. 5 games in 4 ballparks in a week. This is what life is all about, yeah? It was incredible! But this just fed the appetite for my addiction and left me wanting more.<br />
<br />
Later in 2002, a friend of mine, Bob, and I planned a trip we had wanted to do for a few years and that was a trip to see "The Field of Dreams". As we were planning this trip Bob told me to plan it all and put in as much as we can do in the few days that we had. So I naturally added a White Sox vs Angels game at Comisky Field and my 3rd game at Miller Park. I usually go to games on my own, so this was a treat to get to share other ballparks with a friend of mine and to show him what I liked and disliked about them. I even took him by Wrigley to see it, though the Cubs were out of town. We had a great time on our baseball weekend and I couldn't wait to do more.<br />
<br />
My Mom asked me in early 2003 to take her to see family in Oklahoma, so I decided that I would drop her off and plan a trip that was bigger and better than I did the previous year. I spent days working on a schedule, getting everything planned out and when we hit the road on July 9th, I was ready to do it, even with a stop at Coors Field in Denver on our drive to Oklahoma. Before we could leave I had 1 last thing to do as I asked my brother if I could take my 16 year old nephew, Sean, with me. His wife agreed and he told me I could. I made sure to let him know its not just about the ballparks, cause while we are in town for games, we'll do other things, historical things. So July 15th we left for a trip that would have us seeing: The Negro Leagues Museum, Kauffman Stadium (no game), the Field of Dreams, Wrigley Field (no game), US Cellular Field (no game), Louisville Slugger Museum (did the tour), Great American Ballpark (Astros v Reds), PNC Park (Brewers vs Pirates), Yankee Stadium (Monument Park, Old Timers Day game and Indians vs Yankees, with my favoirte Yankee David "Boomer" Wells pitching), Fenway Park (Blue Jays vs Red Sox - 1st row Green Monster seats), Baseball Hall Of Fame (only 3 hours worth), Veterans Stadium (Mets vs Phillies), Oriole Park @ Camden Yards (Rangers vs Orioles), Turner Field (Marlins vs Braves) and Old Busch Stadium (Pirates vs Cardinals). 8 games in 8 different parks! It was amazing! My first trips to Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium, I cried like a baby! Along the way we took in the Gettysburg battlefield, toured New York City and Washington DC as well. We also got to see both new and old Durham Athletic Parks as well as Shoeless Joe Jackson's grave. That trip was so incredible! I was so glad to get to share it with my nephew cause I know he will NEVER forget this trip! We did so much and got to see so much. It was awesome!.<br />
<br />
While on the 2003 trip, in Philly at The Vet, is when I realized that I was going to marry my girlfriend. I even told Sean that and he just laughed. The day after I got back, I proposed to her and we planned a July 17, 2004 wedding. As we were thinking about our honeymoon she, Yvonne (who is not a sports fan, but goes to games with me occasionally at this point), says "We should go to California, we can split the trip between me showing you things I love and you can take me to the ballparks you haven't seen yet." I knew I loved the woman and she just proved to me again why I did! So for our honeymoon, along with Disneyland, Sea World and Sedona, we caught games at SBC Park (Padres vs Giants), Dodger Stadium (Padres Vs Dodgers), Bank One Ballpark (Rockies vs Diamondbacks), Petco Park (Giants vs Padres - got my 1st ever BP HR ball at this game!) and Angel Stadium (Mariners vs Angels) and even saw the Peoria Sports Complex, where the Mariners and Padres hold Spring Training. I am so addicted that even my future wife knew what I would want to do, though I would have never dreamed that we would do that on our honeymoon, we loved ever moment of it!<br />
<br />
In 2005 my wife asked me if I would take her to do an East Coast trip so she could finally go to New York. I was game cause to me that meant more ballparks and she agreed! This trip found us at games at Oriole Park @ Camden Yards (D'Rays vs Orioles), Citizens Bank Park (Marlins vs Phillies), RFK Stadium (Mets vs Nationals), Shea Stadium (on 05/05/05, Phillies vs Mets), Fenway Park (roof box 1st baseline seats, Mariners vs Red Sox) and Yankee Stadium (a tour 1 day and Mariners vs Yankees the next). The games at Citizens Bank Park and RFK Stadium were the same day, an afternoon and night game. I just love doing that! Later that year in we went to Florida to see Yvonne's Nana for her 80th birthday, I took a day to go see 10 different spring training ballparks: Knology Park (Blue Jays), Bright House Networks Field (Phillies), Progress Energy Park (D'Rays), Legends Field (Yankees), McKechnie Field (Pirates), Ed Smith Stadium (Reds), Joker Marchant Stadium (Tigers), Chain Of Lakes Park (Indians), Osceola Stadium (Astros) and Champion Stadium (Braves) along with Tropicana Field. Later in that same run I got to take in the huge Dolphin Stadium.<br />
<br />
For our trip in 2006 my wife really wanted to take her mom to see New York in December with it all decorated for Christmas. While I would have enjoyed that alot, going in December meant no baseball. She informed me she really wanted it to be a "Girls Trip" so I could go on a ballpark trip on my own if I wanted in exchange... WOOHOO! So I planned a run that had me seeing the rest of the parks I needed to see to complete my tour of all 30 current MLB Ballparks. I caught 2 games at the Metrodome (Indians vs Twins), Miller Park for my 4th game there (Astros vs Brewers), 3 games at Wrigley Field (2 Cardinals vs Cubs, and 1 Phillies vs Cubs night game), Comerica Park (White Sox vs Tigers), Rogers Centre (A's vs Blue Jays), PNC Park (Astros vs Pirates), 2 games at New Busch Stadium (Cubs vs Cardinals), The Ballpark in Arlington (Orioles vs Rangers - picked up my brother in Oklahoma and took him with me to this game, we BOTH got BP HR balls at this game, in our seats, didnt even have to try, they came right to us!) and Coors Field (Mets vs Rockies). I had seen all 30 Ballparks when I got to St. Louis on August 25th!!<br />
<br />
Even though you have seen them all, when you are as addicted as I am, that don't mean you stop, that just means you get to enjoy those ballparks even more. When Nationals Park opened on March 30, 2008, I had another ballpark to see. I have not been able to do that yet, we are waiting for the 2 new ones in New York to open and we'll do them all on the same run. Besides, this year my wife wanted me to take her to see her Dad in Knoxville, TN for our trip. So I planned it, with stops at the Metrodome (White Sox vs Twins - where Tony Oliva left us his tickets for the game), 2 games at Wrigley Field (A night game and a day game vs the Brewers) and Rogers Centre (White Sox vs Blue Jays). I am so addicted that I made sure to show my wife US Cellular (no game), Comerica Park (no game), PNC Park (no game), Great American Ballpark (no game) and toured the Louisville Slugger Museum.<br />
<br />
2 days before we left for our trip this year the company I work for, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, held our 'end of the tax season' dinner and awards banquet. It was then I found out that they were sending me to Orlando in August to the Jackson Hewitt Corporate Management Summit. My addiction is so strong that all I could think was "BASEBALL IN FLORIDA IN AUGUST! WOOHOO!" Needless to say our plans have us seeing games at Tropicana Field (Blue Jays vs Rays) and Dolphin Stadium (Mets vs Marlins) as well as seeing the other 7 spring training ballparks I need to see to complete the Florida parks.<br />
<br />
My name is Ken and I am a ballpark addict...BallParks I have seen.... (updated: June 22, 2009)tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2008-06-19:1681163:BlogPost:29442008-06-19T01:30:00.000ZKen Lee (30/43)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/kedogn
<b>Current Parks:</b><br />
Safeco Field - Seattle, WA<br />
Fenway Park - Boston, MA<br />
Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL<br />
Yankee Stadium - Bronx, NY<br />
Citi Field - Queens, NY<br />
Nationals Park - Washington DC<br />
Angel Stadium - Anaheim, CA<br />
Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, CA<br />
AT&T Park - San Francisco, CA<br />
McAfee Coliseum - Oakland, CA<br />
Petco Park - San Diego, CA<br />
Coors Field - Denver, CO<br />
Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ<br />
Metrodome - Minneapolis, MN<br />
Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI<br />
U.S. Cellular Field - Chicago, IL<br />
Comerica Park -…
<b>Current Parks:</b><br />
Safeco Field - Seattle, WA<br />
Fenway Park - Boston, MA<br />
Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL<br />
Yankee Stadium - Bronx, NY<br />
Citi Field - Queens, NY<br />
Nationals Park - Washington DC<br />
Angel Stadium - Anaheim, CA<br />
Dodger Stadium - Los Angeles, CA<br />
AT&T Park - San Francisco, CA<br />
McAfee Coliseum - Oakland, CA<br />
Petco Park - San Diego, CA<br />
Coors Field - Denver, CO<br />
Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ<br />
Metrodome - Minneapolis, MN<br />
Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI<br />
U.S. Cellular Field - Chicago, IL<br />
Comerica Park - Detroit, MI<br />
Rogers Centre - Toronto, ON<br />
Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA<br />
PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA<br />
Camden Yards - Baltimore, MD<br />
Turner Field - Atlanta, GA<br />
Dolphin Stadium - Miami, FL<br />
Tropicana Field - St. Petersburg, FL<br />
Ballpark in Arlington - Arlington, TX<br />
Minute Maid Park - Houston, TX<br />
Jacobs Field - Cleveland, OH<br />
Great American Ballpark - Cincinnati, OH<br />
Kauffman Stadium - Kansas City, MO<br />
Busch Stadium - St. Louis, MO<br />
<br />
<b>Former Stadiums:</b><br />
Yankee Stadium - Bronx, NY<br />
Shea Stadium - Queens, NY<br />
Old Busch Stadium - St. Louis, MO<br />
Kingdome - Seattle, WA<br />
Tiger Stadium - Detroit, MI<br />
Qualcomm Stadium - San Diego, CA<br />
3Com - San Francisco, CA<br />
Veterans Stadium - Philadelphia, PA<br />
Cinergy Field - Cincinnati, OH<br />
RFK Stadium - Washington DC<br />
Astrodome - Houston, TX<br />
<br />
<b>Spring Training Parks:</b><br />
Peoria Sports Complex - Peoria, AZ - Seattle Mariners & San Diego Padres<br />
Knology Park - Dunedin, FL - Toronto Blue Jays<br />
Bright House Networks Field - Clearwater, FL - Philadelphia Phillies<br />
Progress Energy Park - St. Petersburg, FL - Tampa Bay Rays<br />
Legends Field - Tampa, FL - New York Yankees<br />
McKechnie Field - Bradenton, FL - Pittsburgh Pirates<br />
Ed Smith Stadium - Sarasota, FL - Cincinnati Reds<br />
Joker Merchant Stadium - Lakeland, FL - Detroit Tigers<br />
Chain Of Lakes Park - Winter Haven, FL - Cleveland Indians<br />
Champion Stadium - Kissimmee, FL - Atlanta Braves<br />
Osceola County Stadium - Kissimmee, FL - Houston Astros<br />
City Of Palms Park - Ft. Meyers, FL - Boston Red Sox<br />
Hammond Stadium - Ft. Meyers, FL - Minnesota Twins<br />
<br />
<b>Minor League Parks:</b><br />
Cheney Stadium - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Rainiers<br />
Durham Bulls Athletic Park - Durham, NC - Durham Bulls<br />
Old Durham Athletic Park - Durham, NC - Durham Bulls<br />
Dell Diamond - Round Rock, TX - Round Rock Express<br />
Louisville Slugger Field - Louisville, KY - Louisville Bats<br />
Memorial Stadium - Everett, WA - Everett Aquasox<br />
Greer Stadium - Nashville, TN - Nashville Sounds<br />
AT&T Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City, OK - Oklahoma Redhawks<br />
PGE Park - Portland, OR - Portland Beavers<br />
Knology Park - Dunedin, FL - Dunedin Blue Jays<br />
Bright House Networks Field - Clearwater, FL - Clearwater Threshers<br />
Joker Marchant Stadium - Lakeland, FL - Lakeland Flying Tigers<br />
Ed Smith Stadium - Sarasota, FL - Sarasota Reds<br />
Legends Field - Tampa, FL - Tampa Yankees<br />
Ripken Stadium - Aberden, MD - Aberdeen Ironbirds