2006 MLB ROAD TRIP

September 13th: A trip to NY occurs at the same time as the NY Penn League championship series. I take the ferry to Staten Island for game 2 with the Yankees leading the Tri-City Valley Cats 1 game to 0. Unfortunately, Tri-City broke out with 3 runs in the first and a grand slam in the 7th to win 9-2 and force a deciding 3rd game, which takes place after I am back in Tokyo. 

September 4th:A scheduled doubleheader on the last day of the season turns out to be just 7 innings as the Portland Sea Dogs clinch a playoff game before the first game even finishes. Boo! The game itself is great though, as Portland scores two in the seventh to defeat New Hampshire 3-2.

September 3rd:A rainy day in Boston ends happily as the Blue Jays defeat the Red Sox 6-1.

September 2nd:My hometown Lynx lose 5-0 to Pawtucket in McCoy Stadium. The Red Sox are helped by 3 rehabbing players from the majors, but the story of the game is starter Charlie Zink with 7 scoreless innings.

August 31st:A beautiful drive from Ottawa and a ferry ride across Lake Champlain takes me to Centennial stadium in Burlington, VT. Considered the oldest stadium in the minor leagues, it is home to the NY-Penn League's Vermont Lake Monsters. Unfortunately, the visiting Hudson Valley Renegades defeated Vermont 9-4, but it was great to finally see a game here.

June 18th:MLB Stadium rankings are updated.

June 14th:Google satellite photos are updated for all MLB parks.

June 10th:The 2006 trip ends with another last inning victory for Chicago. After Victor Martinez gave the Indians a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th, the Chisox responded with some timely hits, capped off with Tadahito Iguchi's game winning single with two out in the bottom of the inning. A great 4-3 victory and a fitting finish with Japanese star Iguchi winning it for the World Champs.

June 9th:Jermaine Dye smacks a two-run single in the 8th inning to lead Chicago to a 5-4 victory over Cleveland on a chilly night at US Cellular Field.

June 8th:It doesn't get any better! A perfect afternoon in Milwaukee and a great ballgame. After Khalil Greene boots a potential game-ending grounder, Milwaukee ties the game on a Brady Clark single. Derrick Turnbow shuts the Padres down in the 10th, leading to walk-off king Bill Hall slamming a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the 10th to give the Brewers a 4-3 victory.

June 7th:Good seats are tough to come by when the team is the World Champion White Sox. I watch from the nosebleeds as the White Sox move within a half game of the Tigers with a thrilling 4-3 victory.

June 6th:The Reds win 7-0 to move within a game of first place St. Louis behind Eric Milton's 7 shutout innings and homers from Felipe Lopez and Adam Dunn.

June 5th:Ken Griffey Jr. smacks a 3-run home run off Cards closer Jason Isringhausen in the 9th leading the Reds to an 8-7 victory and putting them 2 games back. Busch is the 43rd stadium that Griffey Jr. has homered in.

June 4th:No Pujols - no problem for the Cardinals. Jim Edmonds returns to replace Pujols and goes 3-3 leading the Cards to a 9-6 win over the Cubs and salvaging the final game of the series. Greg Maddux fails to get win 325.

June 3rd:Nightmare in St. Louis! NL MVP and home run leader Albert Pujols is injured in the 2nd inning. The Cardinals are shaken so much that they commit 3 errors in the 4th and lose 8-5 to their arch-rivals. Pujols goes on the 15-day disabled list - how will St. Louis do without their leader? Answer: They would do fine, going on to win the World Series, with Pujols contributing all the way after his return.

June 2nd:Terrible umpiring is the story of the game as several bad strike calls lead to frustrations on both sides. Mudhens catcher Maxim St. Pierre is ejected after arguing balls and strikes. The game itself features lots of hits as Ottawa holds on for an 8-7 win after a 1 hour rain delay.

June 1st:Brian Burres pitches 7 shutout innings and Keith Reed contributes a 2-run double as Ottawa defeats Toledo 5-2 in International League action.

May 27th:A return to Wrigley Field ends with the Cubs losing another close one. Horacio Ramirez returns from the DL to hold the Cubs to 1 run over 7 innings in front of the largest Wrigley Field crowd in nearly 30 years as Atlanta wins 2-1. Ramirez contributes offensively as well with a key single in the Braves 2-run second inning.

May 26th:A 38-hour day starts with work in Tokyo, a 12-hour flight to Chicago, and then a 1-hour drive to Elfstrom Field, home of the Kane County Cougars. The Cougars don't disappoint, holding visiting Wisconsin to 3 hits in a 5-2 win, their 9th in a row on a beautiful Friday evening. MLB Road Trip 2006 has begun!