The Great Ballpark Chase – Page 4 – The Sports Fan Project

The Great Ballpark Chase: Guaranteed Fun

September 14, 2022July 31, 2023timothynrussell1 Comment

Guaranteed Rate Field Scoreboard — **^{The centerfield scoreboard at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field. (Photo by Tim Russell).}**

Most people on the quest for 30 usually collect some sort of memento from each ballpark.

For some, it could be a logo ball, a mini bat, or a team patch. For others, they could choose the home team’s hat or a uniform.

But for Father Steve, who was a member of the Diamond Baseball Tours group, he collected something different – socks.

“I try to collect something that I would need, and who doesn’t need socks,” said Father Steve, who is pastor of a Catholic church in Illinois and a Cubs’ fan.

Myself, I have taken to collecting lapel pins, usually with a representation of the stadium emblazoned on it. I also have a few special edition pins, like one for Miguel Cabrera’s 500 home runs and 3,000 milestones.

In addition, I have a scratch off poster of all 30 parks. So far, I have been able to scratch off 16 parks. I have been to 20, but four have since been retired. Those are Tiger Stadium, Houston Astrodome, Turner Field, and the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Park. Globe Life Field is their current, domed stadium.

Another way to help commemorate visits is the MLB Ballpark Pass-Port. Similar to the National Parks Passport, you collect stamps at each park you attend. Stamps, which are usually available at guest services or the team store, have the date of the game you attended, as well as the name of the stadium, city and zip code.

It is a private company that was granted the MLB license. There are several types of books. The main is the MLB leather bound book, which is best for first visits to each park. It includes an entry for each team with info about the park, as well as blank pages to put game info and any memories. For more frequent visits to parks, there is a smaller gameday version with just blank pages for the stamp and game info. There is also a minor league book and a spring training book.

There is also a Facebook group for people to share their stamps. That is one of several groups out there dedicated to ballparks. The group I share the most with is called Ballpark Chasers. There are some members that have attended more than 400 different ballparks (major, minor, collegiate, and independent leagues).

Most stadiums offer a “First Game Certificate,” commemorating the first visit with their name and date. In recent years, some parks have started shifting that online, giving the fan a web site address to print out their own certificate at home.

Another keepsake that seems to have gone by the wayside is ticket stubs. I have several envelopes of stubs from many sporting events. With the advent of cashless parks and digital tickets, stubs have almost become extinct. Some parks will print you off a stub for a nominal fee, which could range up to $10.

Back to the tour, our next ballpark was one I had already visited, although it had been more than 15 years and endured several name changes, so it still felt somewhat new to me. I also had lower-level seating in June. During my first visit, I sat in the upper deck, where the seats are at very steep incline. Now, maybe that could just be my perception, but they could definitely be a problem for someone who doesn’t like heights.

**^{The view from my seats at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

Guaranteed Rate was built in 1991 next to the old Comiskey Park site, which is now a parking lot next to the stadium. There is a plaque marking where home plate was in the old park. It was the first major sporting facility built in Chicago since Chicago Stadium in 1929. It was also the last MLB stadium built before the wave of “retro” parks started in the late 1990s.

HOK Sports (now Populous) had wanted to eliminate some of the overhang problems in older stadiums, where the upper deck was set on top of the lower deck with gradual inclines. HOK moved the upper deck further back. This created better sight lines, but also created one of the highest upper decks in MLB. The first row of seats in the upper deck of the new stadium is as far from the field as the highest row of seats in the upper deck at the old stadium.

Another quirk at the Chicago stadium is the inability to explore the ballpark if you bought upper-level seating. That is an ownership decision that could date back to when a Chicago fan attacked Kansas City first base coach Tom Gamboa. The following year, the Sox also had problems with rowdy fans entering the playing field.

But the new park did retain some of the old features. The front facade of the park features arched windows. In the original park, then-owner Bill Veeck installed an exploding scoreboard with spinning pinwheels. The new park’s scoreboard is very similar in design, although it doesn’t have the ‘exploding’ aspect. The pinwheels do spin and light up after home runs and victories.

Newer technology allows the White Sox to use flicking LED lights for whenever the team takes the field before the first pitch, hits a home run or wins a game.

Shower — **^{The old Comiskey Park shower, with some modifications, made it to Guaranteed Rate Field. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

There is a nice center field concourse with party areas, statues honoring past ballplayers and one of the more unique items you’ll see in a ballpark, an old shower stall from the old Comiskey Park. And it actually works. It will provide a mist to help fans cool off on hot days. There are also ‘rain rooms’ to provide fans’ relief from the heat.

Like most parks, the stadium pays homage to some of its past greats. Guaranteed Rate is no different. There is a plaza out in center field with several statues.

It starts out with former owner Charles Comiskey as well as Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox, located behind Section 100. Harold Baines, a recent National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, is behind Section 105.

Billy Pierce, Minnie Minoso, and Carlton Fisk all take up residence behind Section 164. Recent stars Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko are set up behind Section 160.

On the center field fan deck is a plaque honoring the first player, Jim Thome, to hit a baseball on to the fan deck on June 4, 2008 as the Sox beat the Kansas City Royals. Later that year, he did it again, as Chicago beat Minnesota, 1-0, in a one-game playoff to win the American League Central Division.

There are also two blue seats, marking two different accomplishments during the 2005 World Series. Konerko’s grand slam (left field, section 159) and Scott Podsednik‘s game-winning home run (right center field, first row of section 101). Both seats are the original blue seats.

Guaranteed Rate Field is known as a hitters’ ballpark. Here are the dimensions: 330 feet down the left field line, 375 to left center, 400 feet to center, 375 in right center and 335 down the right field line. The backstop is 60 feet from home plate and the outfield wall height is eight feet.

On the ramp heading to the upper decks are two great photo opportunities and a great view of downtown Chicago in the distance. One sign says Southside in script letters, the other says Chicago.

Food-wise, you can’t go wrong with a nice Italian beef sandwich, by Buona Beef. There are also plenty of options for dinner before or after the game, although most are not very close to the stadium. Portillo’s is a hot dog, hamburger, Italian beef place, originating in Chicago, but has recently expanded into Michigan with a Sterling Heights location. Deep-dish pizza is also an option.

The game featured the White Sox hosting the up-and-coming Baltimore Orioles, who ended up with a 4-0 victory. Dean Kremer pitched into the sixth inning, allowing seven hits with four strikeouts.

Former No. 1 overall draft pick Adley Rutschman hit the second home run of his career for all the scoring the Orioles would need. The 2019 draft pick had just been called up about a week before this game. Current Tiger center fielder Riley Greene was drafted fifth in the same draft.

The Great Ballpark Chase: Milwaukee’s Best

September 7, 2022July 31, 2023timothynrussellLeave a comment

Baseball has always been meant to be played in the great outdoors.

The air seems fresher. The sounds seem clearer. The smells seem more fragrant.

So when we pulled into Milwaukee on the Diamond Baseball Tours‘ Rockies Plus College World Series Tour in June and saw the roof open at American Family Field, it brought a smile to my face.

Pulling in from I-94, you can’t miss the stadium. It definitely stands out, especially the hulking roof, which is unique itself. Most retractable roofs go from one side to the other, in a rectangular shape.

At American Family Field, the roof is fan-shaped, with the roof panels opening and closing simultaneously in a sweeping manner from the first and third base sides toward center field.

The stadium didn’t open to the best of beginnings, though. After groundbreaking in 1996, construction was delayed after three workers were killed in an accident on July 14, 1999. A crane, nicknamed Big Blue, collapsed while lifting a 450-ton roof section during windy conditions. Repair work and the investigation forced the Brewers to play one more year in County Stadium, until 2001.

The workers, members of Iron Workers Local 8, are remembered with a statue called Teamwork in front of the main entrance. The three fallen workers were William DeGrave, Jerome Starr, and Jeffrey Wischer.

Outside American Family Field, there is plenty to see. In addition to the Unity statue, there are also statues of former stars Robin Yount and Hank Aaron. There is also one of Bob Uecker, famed Brewer radio announcer.

Robin Yount Statue — **^{The statue of Brewers’ legend Robin Yount in front of American Family Field. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

Walking up to the field, you see the Brewers Walk of Fame, which was created in 2001. It is on the plaza near the home plate entrance. There are 18 honorees. The walk honors both former Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Braves.

Not far from there is the Wall of Honor, created in 2014, on the outside wall of the stadium, near the Hot Corner entrance. This commemorates players, coaches, and executives based on club or career accomplishments. There are 15 honorees.

Milwaukee is known for its tailgating atmosphere. Fans will show up hours before game time, pitching their canopies and firing up their grills, long before gametime. In that tailgating lot sits a plaque in the exact spot that Aaron hit his 755^th home run.

You might also notice another oddity not far from there. There is a baseball field in the middle of the parking lot. Helfaer Field is a youth baseball facility, where the infield is laid out on the former footprint of the County Stadium infield. It was named in honor of the Evan and Marion Helfaer Foundation, which was founded in 1974. Evan Helfaer was an original investor in the Brewers.

Moving inside the park, one of the more popular aspects of the park is the Sausage Race, which is run during the middle of the sixth inning. It used to be in the bottom of the sixth, but was moved to create more excitement as the Brew Crew came to bat.

The current roster of sausages is the Bratwurst, the Polish, the Italian, the Hot Dog, and the Chorizo. The Chorizo, which became a full-time participant in 2007, is the most recent addition to honor the growing Latino population in the region.

There are plenty of other fan interactive attractions. Bernie Brewer is the team mascot and has a club house above the left field seats, called Bernie’s Chalet.

Bernie Brewers' Chalet — The famed Sausage Race.

After Brewers’ home runs and victories, Bernie slides down the slide onto a platform to wave a Brewer flag and celebrate. In the old County Stadium, Bernie would slide into a giant mug of beer. During the home run celebrations, you’d get a brief burst of fireworks and hear famed radio announcer Bob Uecker and his catchphrase, “Get Up, Get Up, Get Outta Here, Gone!”

Speaking of Uecker, you can sit a spell with him up in the cheap seats. Up on the Terrace Level in Section 422 sits the Uecker “Last Row” statue. It was installed in 2014 as an homage to the popular Miller Lite All Stars ad, which featured Uecker’s famous line, “I must be in the front row.” But he always ended up in the last row.

During the seventh inning stretch, you’ll get the traditional “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” but you also get a rousing rendition of “Roll Out the Barrel,” a nod to the beer-making roots of Milwaukee.

If you get tired of game action, you can visit The Selig Experience, located on the Loge Level, in the left field corner. It features about 1,400 feet of exhibit space. There is a 15-minute documentary film, detailing the life of the former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner emeritus, Bud Selig. You can also see a replica of his office in County Stadium, as well as artifacts and memorabilia.

Bud Selig Statue — **^{The statue of one-time team owner Bud Selig. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

American Family Field was built with plenty of windows to allow natural sunlight into the stadium, even when the roof is closed. You do get a sense of openness, as you are able to look out. There is no grand skyline, like at Comerica Park or Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, though. But it is nice that the game is played on natural grass.

The dimensions are about average by MLB standards. In left field, it is 342 feet; in left center, 371 feet; in center field, 400 feet; right-center, 374 feet and 337 feet down the right field line. There is only 56 feet to the backstop behind home plate.

Food-wise, how could I go to Milwaukee and not get a brat, which was quite tasty and fairly economical, by ballpark standards.

Some of the other food options include: a hot dog with fried cheese curds; a peppered brandy burger, as well as breakfast sandwiches available all game long.

As far as the game, it was a chance to see St. Louis Cardinals’ icon Albert Pujols in his final season. It was a back-and-forth game with three lead changes. The Cardinals took a 2-1 lead in the first inning. Cardinals came back for a 4-3 lead in the fifth, before St. Louis’ Nolan Arenado ended the scoring with a two-run home run in the sixth. It was one of four homers in the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, Milwaukee put two men on base with two outs, without the aid of a hit (a walk and hit by the pitch). But Brewer outfielder Christian Yelich grounded sharply to second to end the game.

The Great Ballpark Chase: On Target

August 31, 2022July 31, 2023timothynrussellLeave a comment

For most people on a baseball bus trip, a visit to the mall probably wouldn’t be the most dreamed about destination.

But for Gary, who was a part of the Diamond Baseball Tour group, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Gary, who hails from Australia, lost his luggage during a layover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). He made his flight from LA to Denver, where the tour began, but his luggage did not.

A quick stop at a Denver-area Walmart helped gather some necessities for a couple days, before arriving in Minneapolis and the Mall of America, where he was able to gather a few more items.

Now, the Mall of America isn’t just your average mall. In addition to the requisite shopping, there is also an amusement park and aquarium. It is the largest shopping mall in total area and largest in total store vendors, when it opened in 1992. It sees about 42 million visitors annually, eight times the population of Minnesota.

On September 4, 1995, the mall hosted the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro. But that is not the only sports-related notable, especially for baseball fans. The mall was built on the former site of Metropolitan Stadium, former home of both the Minnesota Twins and Vikings.

It takes a little bit of searching, but you can find the exact spot Harmon Killebrew hit a mammoth 520-foot home run, marked by a chair from the stadium on the wall in Nickelodeon Universe. While the chair is somewhat easy to find, it’s a little harder to find is home plate and the 50-yard line, both marked by a plaque on the floor.

While there is a nod of history at the Mall, and even in the new stadium, Target Field is quite full with modern-day amenities.

There are eight party areas, bars, and restaurants where fans can access to watch the game, in addition to the traditional seating areas. The Budweiser Roof Deck features the only open-air bonfire in MLB.

Some of the other restaurants and bars include Hrbek’s, the Twins Pubs, and Town Ball Tavern. Hrbek’s (section 114) is named after former Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek, The Town Ball Tavern is in reference to the popular sport of town ball in the state. Town Ball is similar to baseball, but features amateurs representing different towns and cities.

At Target Field, the Town Ball Tavern (Section 229), also has a bit of history. The hardwood floor is the same hardwood floor that was in the Minneapolis Armory, where the Minneapolis Lakers played before leaving for Los Angeles.

Being a downtown ballpark, there were some constraints to the land, based on what was available, and city streets. It is one of the smallest stadiums, only covering 8.5 acres of prime real estate. That is about the same size as Fenway Park. It may feel like 10.5 acres though, because parts of the stadium cover roadways. The stadium capacity is 38,544, which is also similar to Fenway’s 37,731.

Being in the Great White North, there was concern about building an open-air stadium, but after years of discussion and even more years being inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, they settled on the current design.

The design includes local limestone, prevalent throughout the park. The limestone is sourced near Mankato, MN. It doesn’t have a roof, but it does have heated viewing areas and a heated field. There is also a canopy over the top deck. That canopy is unique to Major League Baseball. Instead of just seeing beams and girders, there is a finished look to it.

In right field, part of the seats overhang the playing field, similar to the upper deck in Tiger Stadium.

Dimension-wise, Target Field is 339 down the left field line and 377 to left-center, 411 to center field left corner and 403 to center field right corner, 367 feet to right-center and 328 to right field.

The admission gates also honor former Twins greats. The left field gate is No. 6, honoring Tony Oliva, who entered the Baseball Hall of Fame last month. Oliva’s statue is nearby. Killebrew is honored in center field with gate no. 3. The Target Plaza gate, in right field, is No. 34 in honor of Kirby Puckett.

Another right field gate is No. 29, honoring Rod Carew. The home plate gate is No. 14, honoring Hrbek, along with his statue.

In addition to the Twins legends another noteworthy icon is represented at Target Field – Charlie Brown. No, he’s not there because he was a hapless also-ran like the Twins were for many years, but rather because Charles Schulz is a Minnesota native. Only one other MLB ballpark is able to display a Peanuts character. Oracle Park in San Francisco is the other because Schulz was a Bay Area resident in his later years.

One of the most prominent features is the huge Twins logo out in center field, of Minnie and Paul shaking hands over the Mississippi River. When the Twins first moved to Minnesota, then-owner Calvin Griffith didn’t want to alienate fans from Minneapolis or St. Paul, so he was going to name the new team, the Twin Cities Twins. MLB didn’t like that name, so they became the Minnesota Twins, but Griffith was determined to have the two cities represented.

**^{Twins’ legend Kirby Puckett is well-represented at Target Field. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

The team’s logo shows two men, one in a Minneapolis Millers uniform and one in a St. Paul Saints uniform, shaking hands across the Mississippi River. They are affectionately known as Minnie and Paul.

**^{Minnie and Paul shaking hands. (Photo by Tim Russell)}**

During a game, various events will spark the logo board to flash: a run scored, a strikeout, a scoreless inning, and of course, a home run. When the Twins win, the T and S flash on and off, conveying the message “Twins win.”

Next year, the left field scoreboard will become the fourth largest among MLB stadiums, and the fifth to be HDR capable. It will feature more than 10,000 square feet of LED display. Daktronics will install it this offseason.

The Minnesota light rail system has a stop built into the stadium, behind the left field wall. Also, along the Fifth Street side, there are knotholes, which allow fans from outside to catch a glimpse of the game without a ticket.

Just over the right field wall is the Target Center, where the NHL’s Minnesota Wild and NBA’s Timberwolves play. Overlooking the stadium in neon lights is the Target dog, Bullseye. His tail wags in relation to the loudness of the Target Field fans, especially during key moments.

Like most stadiums, they bring parts of the old into the new. Target Field is no different. After Game 3 of the 2009 American League Division Series, they dug up home plate and eventually installed it at Target Field.

Now, this next bit of trivia, may or may not be true: Killebrew died a year after Target Field opened. Rumor has it that a picture of Killebrew was placed under home plate after his death.

During our tour of the park, the tour guide mentioned the story and added that he asked head groundskeeper Larry DiVito if that was true. DiVito just laughed and said there was no truth to it.

True or not, it’s a nice legend to have.

The Great Ballpark Chase: The Overview

August 10, 2022July 31, 2023timothynrussell29 Comments

People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.
Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) to Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) in Field of Dreams

Baseball is a special game.

There’s just something about it that makes it magical. At times, it may lack action, but watching a 1-0 game can be more fun than a 32-20 football game or a 5-2 hockey game.

The majesty of the perfect pitch. The art of turning a 6-4-3 double play. Watching the arc of a 3-run home run.

It’s what makes the game worth watching and following. And why I have always been a baseball fan. And what made me start chasing ballparks.

How do you chase a ballpark, you ask? It’s simple. It’s the quest to see all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. Some do the feat in 30 days, some in one year, and some a park or two per season. Some even expand it to Minor League stadiums as well.

^{Baseball Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, right, and Phil Niekro participate in the last first-pitch at Turner Field in Atlanta on October 2, 2016. Author Tim Russell was in attendance for this game. (Getty Images Photo)}

Officially, my chase started in winter 2015, when my brother and I made the trek to Lakeland, FL, to watch Tigers’ spring training. Obviously, we had watched many games before at Tiger Stadium and Comerica Park, but it was the first time we had decided to see more ballparks.

After the spring training trip, we spent a week in Baltimore and Washington, DC, since the Tigers were also spending a week there in 2016. We also saw the final game in Turner Field that season, which was the second time we saw Justin Verlander lose, 1-0.

Unfortunately, the chase ended in 2017. Our last trip together was San Diego for two games at Petco Park. Later that year, my brother passed unexpectedly. Although it’s not the same without him, I have continued the chase the past five years.

There are some personal rules as to what constitutes being able to check off a stadium. First and foremost, I have to see a game in the park. I also have to be there for first pitch and stay until the final out.

There are exceptions though. For example, in 2016, when we were in DC and Baltimore for back-to-back series it began with sightseeing in DC before we settled into the Tigers-Nationals game. It just happened to feature Max Scherzer pitching against the Tigers. It was the game he fanned 20, although I was only able to see about 15, since we had to catch the last Amtrak train back to Baltimore, where we were staying for the week.

In total, I’ve been to 43 stadiums, including major league, minor league, college, summer collegiate, and independent leagues. To break it down even further, I have been to 20 MLB stadiums, although only 16 active. Of the retired stadiums, it includes Tiger Stadium, the Houston Astrodome, Globe Life Park (Rangers), and Turner Field (Braves).

This year, I took my first baseball bus tour, through Diamond Baseball Tours. Over seven days, 21 like-minded baseball fans started in Colorado and proceeded to Omaha for the College Baseball World Series, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis, and before ending in Kansas City.

Throughout the remainder of the season, each Wednesday, I’ll recap a ballpark from that trip, including highlights, lowlights, food, and other curiosities to experience.