Arlington, TX - Rangers Captain

05/13/2010 - Texas Rangers - Ameriquest Field

I truly don't know what would possess two college-educated individuals to fly halfway across the country with a four month old (sorry fellow Delta passengers!) but one thing led to another and we found ourselves in Dallas with a free afternoon. Fortunately for us, Major League Baseball has been trending lately towards a "getaway day." These games occur when both teams are leaving town after the game and don't particularly want to play a night game and then hop the redeye to Toronto or Oakland. They typically lead to poor attendance (most people work or are in school on a Thursday afternoon in May) and although I first wrote them off as another way pro athletes were getting soft, I realized that what they really were was an opportunity to snatch up some good seats cheap. Thanks to our old pal StubHub, we paid $9 a ticket and landed in the second row of club level.

Ameriquest Field - formerly called The Ballpark at Arlington - opened in 1994 and serves as the home of the Texas Rangers (MLB). It is easily recognizable by the grassy batter's-eye and the white steel facade office building beyond it in center field. Between the two lies an expansive children's play area, complete with whiffle ball stadium, speed pitch booth and other random kid-friendly activities. Views of the field are good from most areas that I walked around to, including a neat view from beyond the left center field wall where you can both watch the game and peer into the visitor's bullpen.

The game itself was a pitcher's duel, won by the Rangers in extra innings. The highlight of the game for me occurred as the teams were taking the field. Most teams show a montage of their franchises greatest moments - no hitters thrown, pennants won, etc. While the Rangers did that, they finished the video with probably the greatest fight of all time. You know the one that ended with the batter, Robin Ventura of the White Sox, ending up in a headlock administered by non other than team president and baseball hall-of-famer Nolan Ryan.

The people were very friendly and the large number of students in attendance (they claimed to be on field trips) made for a fairly enthusiastic bunch. We tracked down Rangers Captain around the 6th inning after he had finished leading everyone in singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas." I wanted to ask him why his name wasn't Walker (you know - Walker, Texas Ranger) but his handler mumbled something about being scared of Chuck Norris so I decided to let it go. The food options were mostly standard ballpark fare but I was impressed at the oversized bottles of water for only $3. I guess everything is bigger in Texas.

This game brings me to 12 major league parks (9 current). While I am certain to be adding to that total in the near future, I am focusing my immediate efforts towards writing a travel book about baseball, food and fun in the mid-atlantic states. If you want to follow my progress or contribute any ideas or insight (please do), you can find all you need at baseballtravel.blogspot.com. Whether or not it ever makes it to print is anyone's guess but as usual, I'm going to just enjoy the ride and see where it takes me. In the meantime, I'll be checking in here whenever I end up someplace not destined for the book.

-MH

Hagerstown, MD - Woolie

04/30/2010 - Hagerstown Suns - Municipal Stadium

Our never-ending tour through the minor leagues continued last night in Hagerstown, MD, home of the Hagerstown Suns. Even though it is only the end of April, it is our 4th minor league game so far this year and our 3rd different stadium. The Suns are the Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals and play in one of the oldest minor league ballparks in the country, Municipal Stadium. The stadium was built in 1930 and despite a few recent renovations it is still truly a glimpse into the old days of minor league baseball.

If you've ever watched Bull Durham - and if you haven't please stop reading now and go rent it - walking into Municipal Stadium gives you the immediate feeling that Crash Davis is about to jog out of the home dugout. The seats only extend from first base to third base and only the first 3 rows are actually seats. The rest are grandstand benches and a recently-added, standing room only beer garden in left field. The press box? Well, Mrs. Mascot Hunter described it as a trailer parked on the roof and I can't really come up with a better description.

The field itself had some unique nuances as well, most notably in left field. As you approach the warning track, the ground starts to go uphill until you reach the wall. The wall itself is probably around 30 feet tall, presumably to help protect the homes and businesses on the other side of it, and straight away left field has a manual scoreboard where the scoreboard cowboy hangs giant numbers on pegs on the front of the board. This place is seriously old school.

Not only did Crash Davis not jog out of the dugout but Nook LaLoosh wasn't starting for the Suns tonight either. The second batter of the game hit one so far that it should have had a flight attendant on it (seriously folks, watch the movie). The visiting Augusta Green Jackets jumped all over the home team early and coasted to a 14-6 victory. Even though the crowd couldn't have totaled more than a few hundred people, they were very vocal and even cheered loudly for Mrs. Mascot Hunter when she took the field in the eighth inning to race in the shopping cart derby. Although she lost the race back to the on deck circle, we left with a bag full of complimentary groceries for her troubles.

And of course, there was Woolie. Listed at 7 feet, 9 inches tall and 593 1/2 pounds, Woolie seems to be some sort of caterpillar. I don't know how that ties in with the Suns nickname but I've learned not to question things with that much of a size advantage on me so we just tracked him down and smiled for the camera.

Note: This was Junior's second mascot picture but the first that he was awake for. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the mixture of fear and uncertainty towards his parents.

New York, NY - Mr. Met

06/19/2009 - NY Mets - Citi Field

I've had the privilege to travel into NYC on many occasions in my lifetime and as travel cities go, I can't imagine anywhere exceeding the experience that the Big Apple has to offer. There are

Broadway shows and some of the best (not to mention diverse) restaurants in the world. You can spend days just being a tourist - wandering around Times Square, taking the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Depending on the time of year, you can witness the ringing in of the new year or the downing of dozens of Coney Island hot dogs. No matter what you enjoy, you can find it in New York City.

This trip to New York was courtesy of my birthday present from Mrs. Mascot Hunter and consisted of a dream weekend for me. We got into the city Thursday night and spent Friday just being tourists. We stayed in Queens and rode the subway into the city. After walking through Central Park and heading to the Top of the Rock for some very picturesque views of the city, our stomachs led us into Times Square and right to John's Pizzeria. This pizza shop is located in an old church and between the views of the stained glass and the smells of the brick ovens, has

unbelievable ambiance (yes, a pizza joint can have ambiance). After trekking through the city for most of the day, we took the subway to Flushing and right to Citi Field, the brand spanking new home of the NY Mets.

First of all, I love taking mass transportation to a sporting event. It seems to build a feeling of camaraderie amongst the fans. Instead of fighting someone for a parking space that you just paid $20 for, you can talk about the starting pitcher or the cleanup hitter with a complete stranger - a unique experience that you won't find too many places. Upon exiting the subway, any baseball fan with a sense of history will be floored by Citi Field's first impression.

The facade of the park was designed to mimic the old Ebbets Field, home to the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913-1960. Once inside, you walk through Jackie Robinson Rotunda. This area is dedicated the man who broke the color barrier in major league baseball 63 years ago today. Quotes and pictures of the baseball legend fill the great hall and in the center is a sculpture of his retired jersey number. As a interesting side note, it was the first time I have ever stood in front of an eight-foot tall statue broadcasting my pant size.

The stadium itself is magnificent and, as you would expect, well attended. Our Pepsi Porch tickets (right field - upper deck) cost upwards of $90 each on the secondary market but due to the unique overhang of the section over the field, ended up being pretty nice seats. We were treated to a home run by the home team and an appearance by the home run apple in center field (a tradition carried over from the team's days at Shea Stadium). Unfortunately, the closest we got to Mr. Met was his appearance on the Jumbotron. Although the mascot picture is our calling card, its hard to be disappointed since Mr. Met's elusiveness just means we'll have to go back again.

Despite the late night, we rolled out of bed early Saturday morning and drove out Long Island to Bethpage Black and the rain-soaked second/third round of the US Open (told you it was a dream weekend). It was my second trip to a PGA event (first major) and despite muddy conditions reminiscent of Woodstock, good times were had by all.

After two days and well over 20 miles of walking, we retired to our hotel room with some Chinese takeout and something to clean off my shoes. We left town Sunday morning completely

exhausted and with the list of things we didn't get to do far exceeding what we did. Which poses the question: what to do next time we're in town? Katz's Deli, a Broadway show and a Yankees game? A Rangers game at MSG followed by ice skating at Rockefeller Center? I think the point is that you can't go wrong in New York as long as you show up with a thirst for adventure... and machine washable shoes.

Me and the Oriole Bird in 1984

I found an old picture in the archives. Turns out this all started a long time ago...

1984

2007

Jupiter, FL - Hamilton R. Head

05/17/2009 - Jupiter Hammerheads - Roger Dean Stadium

On our trip to meet Billy the Marlin last summer, we found ourselves with a free evening in central Florida. And while Florida is best known to baseball fans as a Spring Training destination, those stadiums that welcome Major League stars each spring also serve as summer-long homes to the Florida State League (Single-A). While teams are spread throughout the state, Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL is home to two of the teams (Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals) which assures that there will be baseball here almost every night of the summer.

I'm not sure if it was the single-A nature of the product of the field or the fact that there is nightly baseball but to say that this is not a tough ticket is an understatement. We pulled up about 30 minutes before first pitch hoping that it wasn't a sellout. What we found was a crowd that paled in comparison to some of my little league games growing up. After we took our seats (5th row behind the dugout and the only people in our row), I decided to start counting heads. Most attendance figures that teams publish are bogus anyway so I started in the right field corner and by the time I got to home plate, I was right around 100 people. And two of them were crash test dummies!

I'm an atmosphere guy so I will admit that the lack of fans was a bit of a disappointment but it did allow for some unique experiences. For instance, we were able to hear the infielders communicate on plays up the middle and could even hear the pitchers back foot drag on the mound as he completed his delivery. Oh, yeah, and the knowledge that the players would be able to hear each and every one of my snarky comments was kind of fun too. We enjoyed some $1 hot dogs, snagged a few free tee shirts and had no problem meeting up with Hamilton R. Head (get it, Ham R. Head) for a picture.

I wouldn't suggest driving a few hundred miles out of way or anything to check out Roger Dean Stadium but if you're a true baseball fan who wants an unobstructed view of the action or dreams of being able to call off the third baseman on a popup and have him actually hear you, its not a bad place to spend a few hours.

Goodbye February, Hello Baseball

For all you hearty souls that have survived the winter, keeping your spirits up with college basketball or the Olympics, fear not, you have made it. When the sun rises tomorrow it will be March and with March comes Spring Training Baseball. Pitchers and catchers reported to camp earlier this month and all across Florida and Arizona, baseball players are shaking off the winter rust and preparing for the long season ahead.

I encourage you to grab a schedule and plan a road trip this summer. Pick your favorite team or one in a city that you've never been to, check out the promotional calendar (everyone likes free stuff) and get out there. Because that's what it's all about - hitting the open road, meeting some new people, tasting new foods and just taking it easy for a few hours. By my count, we are at 11 MLB parks so far (8 current, 3 defunct). We'll keep working our way towards all 30 stadiums but in honor of Spring Training, I'll do my best to post a recap today from last year's excursion to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. It's home to 2 minor league teams during the season and the Spring Training home of the Florida Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Lawsuit Claims KC Mascot Blinded Fan With Wiener

Please raise your hand when this officially seems like a bad idea...

Take your costumed mascot.

Arm him with an air powered gun.

Wrap hot dogs in tight foil wrappers.

Load hot dogs into said air powered gun.

Let him stand on the dugout and fire the tubed meat into the crowd.

Sluggerrr, the crown-wearing, lion mascot of the Kansas City Royals (MLB) apparently had some aiming issues last fall at a Royals game and mistakenly hit a fan in the eye with a hot dog during this promotion. According to that fan, the hot dog caused a detached retina and he is suing the team for $25,000 for negligence and battery.

Not that I am condoning such lawsuits, but someone had to see this coming. Well, someone other than the guy who took the wiener to the eye. I've been to many games where they do this promotion at a break in the action. Below is a picture of Captain Jolly Roger doing this at a Pirates game last July and he was getting them into the upper deck! I'm all for free handouts and getting food to people as quickly as possible but this never seemed like it was going to end well. Now if they offer to wash it down with a beer hose after the next half inning, maybe then we'll talk.

Oh, and just so you know, it officially seems like a bad idea at the words "arm him."