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MLB ROAD TRIP 2001
2001.6.7 <VOL.17> Days 47-54
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*We are in Reading, PA
Index
1. 50 Days
2. Rain helps us out
3. Philadelphia
4. Mike joins us for a game
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50th anniversary
Monday was the 50th day of the trip. I guess that's not really news, but for us it was something to celebrate. So we drove from Philadelphia to Trenton and watched a ball game, the first AA game for us. We even got our first batting practice home run - we were walking along the outside of the park before the gates opened and looked up to see a ball heading for us. Aya was very quick and barehanded the ball on a bounce before it entered the river. Good catch!
Some stats from our first 50 days: we have seen 16 major league games and 14 minor league games, been rained out twice (once was good, once bad, see #2), suffered through 4 rain delays, driven 7500 miles (only averaging 150 miles a day - it certainly seems like more!), been in 16 states and 1 province, and checked into 31 hotels. So far the trip has been going pretty much as planned, with a couple of changes to see more games. In Philadelphia, we hit the easternmost point of the trip so far, and now we are on our way back west, hoping to arrive in Seattle for the All-Star Game in July.
By the way, the following are the top 3 English phrases that Aya has learned while attending so many ballgames - a big thanks to all the fans around us who are helping her with her English studies:
1. You suck <player name>!
2. Awww, c'mon blue!
3. Chhhhaaaaarrrggggge!
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Rain is our friend, sometimes
Saturday, June 2 found us back in beautiful PNC Park. We enjoyed a great meal at the Outback Steakhouse before the game was to begin, and as we sat there, it began drizzling. No problem, it would clear up in time for the game, which was still 2 hours away. As usual, my prediction was completely wrong, and at 7:05 it was raining harder than ever. We gathered on the concourse with the other 30,000 other fans and waited out the rain. Around 8:00, it stopped raining, off came the tarp, and we went to our seats. 10 minutes later, the rain came back, on came the tarp, and we returned to the concourse. Finally at 9:30pm, the game was called. It looked grim as we wouldn't be getting our money back on the seats, but then they announced that the game would be made up as part of a doubleheader the next day. OK! Although we had planned to drive to Philadelphia with a stop in Gettysburg, we decided to forget about that and watch the first game on Sunday. Then they announced that the game tomorrow was already sold out! What to do?
When we got back to the hotel, we checked for tickets on the net, and there were plenty. I think that the staff just wanted to go home early, so they told people that the game was sold out to get them out of the stadium. Anyway, we went back to the ballpark on Sunday and exchanged our tickets and got even better seats. As it turned out, the rain allowed us to see bonus baseball from great seats. The weather was good and we watched Tom Glavine for the second time on the trip. He was not his usual self, but the Braves offense was clicking and they won 11-7. We decided to stay for half of the second game before our drive, and that one was not so good as the Braves stormed to a 7-0 lead. We left in the fifth inning and listened to the rest of the game on the radio. The Braves held on for an 8-3 win, sweeping the series, while we drove until after midnight, checking in to our Philly hotel amidst the remnants of a party that was being held for the Sixers, who had just beaten Milwaukee in game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
By the way, for those of you looking for cheap parking for Pirates games, park in the $3 lot at the corner of Fort Duquesne Blvd and Clemente Bridge. You can then enjoy a leisurely stroll across the bridge, with PNC Park providing a great backdrop. It's a lot better than the $15 parking across the street from the stadium.
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Philadelphia
We spent only 2 days in Philadelphia, but saw the great history the city has to offer. Of course, there is the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and Franklin Court, but one of the better sights is the city hall tower. Located right in the city center, the City Hall is undergoing renovations, but the tower is still worth the trip up. The views of the city are great, and there are some interesting stories about the development of the building. On the top is a statue of William Penn; it is the largest statue on top of a building in the world. If you are in Philly, make sure to see it.
Another good place is the Reading Terminal Market where locals buy their produce and where you can go and enjoy lunch right in the heart of downtown and the tourist area. Located between City Hall and Independence Park, it is a good place to take a break from all the walking that you will be doing.
The best thing about Philly: the best attractions are all free. The second best thing: cheesesteaks. We got ours after the game on Wednesday from an outdoor stand near the Vet - Tony Luke's at Front and Oregon St. Very good and cheap too! It was very strange sitting outside at 11:00 pm on a Philadelphia street eating a sandwich. There are a number of famous cheesesteak places around the city, so you should have no problem finding a good one.
One of the bad things in Philadelphia is Veteran's Stadium. Although the turf is new, the rest of the stadium is not. However, like cookie-cutter counterparts Cinergy and Busch, it is not long for this world. The Phillies will be building a new baseball-only stadium for play in 2004. I guess we will have to do another trip that year to see all the new ballparks that will be built by then.
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Another baseball fan joins us
During our travels, we are always looking for baseball fans to enjoy a game with. Yesterday, another ballpark traveler joined us for the Phillies-Mets game. Mike McCann is on his own quest: to see every major and minor league team at home- obviously this is a multi-year plan. His webpage can be found at http://www.netcolony.com/sports/bunko/ - check out the history of minor league ball link as well as his quest page. I enjoyed talking baseball with someone so knowledgeable about the game and learned a lot about the Phillies and sports in Philadelphia as well. Even better, the Phillies won.
If any of our readers are interested in seeing a game with us, just send us an e-mail. Our schedule is on-line, check it out, find a good game, and let us know!
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Baseball or Hockey?
Finally this week, we had a tough decision to make. We were going to see Portland in Akron on Saturday night. But today, the Colorado Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils, thus forcing a game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals, also on Saturday night. Hmm, should I skip the game to watch the first Finals' Game 7 in 7 years? Or should I forget about hockey (it is June after all) and see another Eastern League game? Well, the Canadian in me won out, and Akron will have to wait until next time - we will drive straight through to Detroit to watch the hockey game on TV somewhere. To make up for this slight to baseball, I will try to see a doubleheader in LA on July 28th - Rockies at Dodgers in the afternoon and Orioles at Angels in the evening.
Talk to you later,
Sean and Aya
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