Thursday, May 28, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Quest Day 53

 



When comparing the Bay area ballparks Mikey put it best in a text to me – AT & T Park in San Fran is like Ginger (though I am in the Mary Ann camp) and the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland is like Mrs. Howell. What a perfect analogy – maybe Mikey should start writing my blogs for me.

I had a first happen after landing at San Fran Int’l Airport – my luggage was waiting for me when I got to the baggage claim area. I didn’t dilly dally (I have never used that phrase in my life until today) and went straight from the plane to the baggage claim area. Note to every other airport in the world – visit San Fran and copy what they do – it works. Driving around San Fran is very funky – all one way streets that never lead where you need them to lead and the hills – oh my - what an adventure they are. I was driving up this one mountain in San Fran and came to a red light. It was so steep I felt like I was on the space shuttle waiting for blast off. As the light turned green my only thought when I took my foot off the brake and onto the accelerator was please oh please move forward. As I am typing this I am getting that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach all over again – or it could be the fish burrito I just had for dinner.

As you can see in the heading on this page is that we have a new clubhouse leader in ballpark ranking and it is Ginger Park or Mary Ann Park – whichever side of the fence you are on. Actually that makes for a new poll – I have updated the poll (finally after a month) and please visit and place your vote.

AT & T Park is an amazing park right on the bay and has really cool features. On the outside of the ballpark on the Wall of Fame they have plaques commemorating various players in S.F. Giant history that made an impact on the franchise. Each entrance gate to the ballpark is named after a former Giant and after entering that gate they have a display featuring stuff from that player. At the Willie Mays Gate they had his Gold Gloves and Silver Slugger Bats on display. The ballpark is open to be able to walk the entire concourse and for a few innings I watched the game from right field with the field on one side and the bay on the other with maybe 30 feet separating the 2. The various food offerings were great ranging from Dungeness crab sandwiches to shaved roast beef subs and the beer selection was just as robust. The one thing that almost kept AT & T from taking over the ballpark lead was they have wine stands throughout the ballpark. Didn’t Tom Hanks once say “there is no wine in baseball” well I guess he didn’t but he should. And the wine isn’t ballparkie wine like Boone’s Farm or MD 20/20 – but the foo foo kind from local vineyards. I overhead this one couple comparing the nose and tannins of their wine at a ballgame – the only comparing at a ballgame is does the hot dog taste better with Gulden’s brown mustard or yellow mustard and maybe throw some kraut on that dog. Instead I get Biff and Buffy Snodgrass trying to pair their Dungeness crab with a nice dry white.

So if I am so turned off by the whole wine fiasco why rank AT & T number 1 you ask? Great question (I have some really intelligent readers of my blog – yes Andy even you) and the answer is the view from the upper deck with the bay as a back drop. If you ever get to AT & T make sure you get to the upper deck and take in the view.

On Wednesday it was time to visit the Mrs. Howell Coliseum and like Mrs. Howell there was a time that the McAfee Coliseum was a beautiful ballpark that was the envy of ballpark goers everywhere. Just like there was a time when Mr. Howell would be walking around with Mrs. Howell on his arm with that “I’m the poop (gotta stay PG 13 here) “look on his face and later in life he just walked around with the “I have the poop in my Depends” look on his face. I warned you that Mikey should start writing the blogs for me. There is not much to say about the McAfee Coliseum – it’s just there and one of the 30 that have to be visited to complete the Quest. The only cool thing was my seat for this game was in the first row down the 3rd base line right next to the bullpen. I made sure I gave Trevor Cahill the starting pitcher for the A’s pointers on how to pitch to Russell Branyon of the Mariners and he must have listened as Branyon hit a ball that still hasn’t landed. I really thought we could fool him with the hanging curve down the middle.

I did meet a fan of mine though at the MAC (they don’t call it that but they should). I met Bill from Sausalito, CA (if I lived in the Bay area I would live in Sausalito – cool name) when I was walking around the concourse of the ballpark. Bill had stumbled across my website back in April and had been following the Quest ever since. On whim he decided to take in the game on Wednesday afternoon and was hoping he would spot me in my Cub shirt. Bill shared stories of his own Quest to see all the ballparks and during the past 3 years has been to 26 of them. He said he was hoping to make it to NYC for Labor Day weekend and join in for the final game of the my Quest and at the same time to finish his Quest. Hope you can make it Bill it would be great for both of us to finish our Quests at the same time.

These past 6 days of 6 games in 5 ballparks was the first trip that I planned back in November with the goal of completing the Cali 5 in one swoop. The plane reservations were booked back in January and the tickets to most of the games obtained in March. I knew the trip would be fun and a bit daunting but what I didn’t anticipate was that I would meet so many people that are now friends. I even met a few people that I went to different high schools with. That was always a great gag to use in college near the end of a good party – find a drunk girl or 3 and say all excited to them “it’s you – I can’t believe it’s you” and she would look at me all drunk eyed and I would say “don’t you remember me – we went to different high schools together”. If she started scratching her head wondering what class we might have had together - I would then drop the pet piranha line on her.

When I was hanging out with the 30/30 guys in Phoenix – Travis told me how amazed he was that once people found out what the boys were doing they wanted to be a part of it in any way they could, from buying them a hot dog, beer or ticket to the game to sharing stories to one girl asking if she could ride along for the final part of their trip – that Joey sure has game and he wasn’t even in his Puma suit. I am finding the same to be true except for a girl asking to come along – I guess I need a Puma suit. Along the way these past 6 days I have met some incredible people who went out of their way to be assist me with the Quest – as well as a WWII vet who I was truly honored to meet. To everyone that I met and hung out with in Cali – I say thanks and I promise that we will find cool actors to play you in the movie version of “The Quest”.

Next up is Arlington, Texas this Sunday which will complete all the ballparks west of the Mississippi by May 31st - which was the first benchmark goal that I set for myself back in November. So for now this is so long and good bye to all the folks out there that I went to different high schools with and if you are scratching your head wondering what class you had with me – then to you, would you like to come to Pittsburgh with me - I do know the stadium host at PNC Park….

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Day 52

 



I have met many people on the Quest and I hope and pray that many of these folks will become lifelong friends. In Anaheim I met many more nice people from Doug who told stories of being at over 50 ballparks in his life – to Jim and Mary Ann who are recently retired and want to someday soon have their own ballpark Quest driving around the country – to Ray who I met while standing on the concourse watching the game and sharing great ballpark stories. On Memorial Day in Anaheim I met someone who I am truly honored to have met – Oscar who served in the 101st Airborne in World War II from 1942 to 1945.

I will give a quick rundown of Angel Stadium – it’s a nice older ballpark that was once used for football by the Rams. The park has been renovated with nice touches and an open concourse at the field level. The coolest part to Angel Stadium is the trophy case on the main level right behind home plate. The Angels display their World Series Trophy as well as the W.S. ring and other memorabilia. This is the first ballpark I have been in that the World Series Trophy is on display. Very cool especially for a Cub fan that at first didn’t know what that shiny thing was.

I was doing my normal pregame thing – taking photos from behind home plate when I met Jim and Mary Ann – a wonderful couple who are recently retired and shared with me their goal of getting to all 30 ballparks in one season. Just rent a motor home and drive is how Jim described it. When you are out driving the country Jim and Mary Ann – I hope to be able to meet up with you at a ballpark and hear all about your stories.

I next met Tony who was thrilled by the Quest and a bit jealous as he put it. We talked for some time and then introduced me to his lifelong best friend Andy, Andy’s son Joshua and Oscar. Tony told me that they wanted to have Oscar attend the Angel game on Memorial Day knowing what a special day it would be for him. Three generations of Oscar’s family were here as Tony told me. Their seats where down by the dugout but would not be comfortable for Oscar – the Angel staff went out of their way to ensure Oscar was taken care of and found him a seat on the main concourse. We spent the next 5 innings talking sports, life – whatever except the game. I can’t tell you too much about the game other than the White Sox won 17 to 5. Tony is a high school football coach at his alma mater in Orange County and those young men on his team are truly fortunate to have him as a coach.

Driving back to my hotel after the game I was struggling with how I would blog about the night. This game was the most special of the 16 to date and I knew I would have a hard time putting into words the experience I had meeting Oscar, Tony, Andy and Joshua. When I got to my room and checked my email there was one from Tony – and he perfectly summed up the night. I hope you don’t mind Tony but I will finish this blog with your email – not only does this email sum up the night, but might just sum up the Quest that I am on. I know I will see Tony again – sooner than later for sure!!!

Hey BOB,

This is Tony from the Angel Game tonight!

I just wanted to tell you thank you and God Bless you for taking the time out of your evening to share your story and your hearts concerns of life! You have an amazing story and a tender heart that is blessed by GOD and your Wife’s spirit. I thank you for opening up and confiding in me with your faith and your story of her passing, it touched me and help provide even more validity for my faith in our Lord and Savior!

Our walk on earth is a mere passage to a safer place and along that passage we have some heart ache that allows us to learn to appreciate the Lil things and the BIG thing of Salvation! I firmly believe that our meeting was no coincidence, yet a God sent Must!

I pray we stay in contact and that we can become friends in this world’s journey on to heaven!

Your wife must have been such a wonderful woman because she picked a great man as yourself to love and give herself too. Be proud of who you are and walk tall as you gave her a life time of memories love and embraces that will extend into heaven till the day you see her again and beyond! She knows you loved her and know she "LOVES" you and is so proud to forever be your wife!

Take care my friend, and plz keep in touch as you live a dream for so many more than just yourself! May every trip be memorable and more enjoyable than the next! God Bless, n again, Thank you for sharing and stopping by to help me have a memorable night!

God Bless,

Tony Bentley

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Monday, May 25, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Day 50 - Halfway Home

 



At 8:26 pm when Ryan Theriot grounded out to end the Cubs half of the 5th – the game was official and with that the 15th ballpark could be booked. The halfway point of the Quest had been reached in 48 days – not quite the pace of the 30/30 guys but still respectable in my book. Another milestone was reached tonight when the paid attendance was announced at 38k – that brought the total paid attendance for my Quest games to over 500k and on pace to go over a million in the 30 Quest games.

I have to apologize to Detroit for cheating on you with San Diego this weekend. San Diego is a wonderful city with lots to do – weather is great – the Gasslamp Quarter is a less risqué version of the French Quarter in New Orleans and it has a Tilted Kilt Pub right next to Petco Park. As my new friend Michael put it – the place tilted his kilt. If you have the chance to visit San Diego make sure you give yourself an extra day or so – you will love it here.

My hotel is 12 blocks to the ballpark and can see right into the ballpark from the entrance to the hotel. Walking there was easy but coming back would not be as my hotel is on a hill – not just any hill – but “the” Hill as my new friends’ Jason and Andrew put it (more on them later). As with most Quest days I get to the ballpark about an hour before the gates open so I can take pictures and what not. Today the what not was the Tilted Kilt Pub. I could probably type 1,000 words about the Tilted Kilt but it would be easier to go to their website – tiltedkilt.com. I find a seat at the bar and meet Kevin from Norfolk, VA who is in town visiting his buddy Chad. Kevin and Chad become the first of many new friends I will make this weekend in San Diego.

The ballpark opens and I have to drag myself by the collar out of the Kilt. At every ballpark I work my way behind home plate to take pictures and today while doing that I met Mel – an 85 year old fan attendant who has been working for the Padres for over 20 years. Mel and I are talking baseball and all about Petco Park. I am fascinated by Mel’s stories and that after retirement he has put another 20 years in with the Padres. If you ever get to Petco work your way to the field level around section 101 to 105 and you will find Mel. The picture I attached to this blog is Mel and I and you can see he doesn’t look a day over 65 - San Diego living is what he told me is his secret. The entire staff at Petco was friendly just like at Chase and Comerica and it’s not a fake friendliness – it is genuine. On Sunday I met Fred who is the fan attendant in section 202. We talked prior to the game and just like Mel had great stories about the Padres and Petco. As the game on Sunday was coming to an end – Fred tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a pin from the Padres. I had not told Fred I was collecting pins from each ballpark (and hockey arenas lately) but he wanted me to have a little trinket from Petco. As with the hockey stick Sarah gave me last week in Detroit – this pin will be a reminder of a great weekend in San Diego.

The Padres decided to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 1984 NL Champion Padre team this weekend – very cool idea but WHY DO IT WHEN THE CUBS WERE PLAYING HERE WITH ME IN ATTENDANCE. The 1984 Cubs team was the team that year that should have won it all. We won the first 2 games of the NLCS and only needed 1 more win to go to the World Series. The Cubs lost the next 2 games in San Diego which set up a game 5 winner take all. The Cubs were up 3 to 2 in the bottom of the 7th when a ground ball went thru Leon Durham’s legs at first which opened a flood gate of runs for the Padres. The Cubs lost 6 to 3 in what is still my most painful sports memory. To assist with that pain – the Padres handed out tee shirts to all in attendance on Saturday – THANKS. Then the pregame ceremony with highlights of the series and about 100 angles of the ground ball thru Durham’s legs – AGAIN THANKS. The announcer says as the ceremony was taking place “are you over it yet Cub fans?” No we are not over it and if I see you walking around the concourse you will see how much I am not over it Mr. Jackass Announcer Guy.

My seat for Saturday’s game was in the upper deck so I took in 5 innings there and then walked around Petco. Petco is a wonderful park and I learned much more about it on Sunday when I met Coach (more on him later). Petco has this little hill out in left field where you can pay $5.00 and lay out a blanket to watch the game. The bleachers cost $8.00 and have a sand pit area right at the outfield wall for kids to play in during the game. They also have a smaller baseball field near the hill for kids to play ball while their parents watch the game. Petco also has that Aztec look on the outside – very fitting for the area that it is in. The views from the park overlook the city to the outfield side and the bay as you walk around the concourse. All in all a beautiful park and one that I am having a hard time not ranking number 2 ahead of PNC – the one thing that Petco doesn’t have is a cool stadium host like Joe at PNC so for that one reason PNC stays number 2.

I watched the last 2 innings of Saturday’s game from the concourse down the right field line and that’s where I met Andrew, Jason and Michael. They had flown in from Chicago for the weekend. Andrew works for United and was able to get Jason and Michael a standby ticket to LA – only issue is it took 13 hours for them to get on a flight. They had funny stories (well for me they were funny) of running all around O’Hare just trying to get on any flight that went west. The 4 of us talked Chicago sports, the Quest and the fact that Jason’s sister will be doing her own 30 ballpark Quest later this summer. As we were leaving the ballpark I realized we hadn’t swapped info and it would have been great to meet up with them on Sunday – fate would take care of that.
The walk back to the hotel was a nice 10 minute walk and then “the” hill. After conquering the hill I needed a beer so into the hotel lounge I go. There I met Debbie and Joey who drove down from LA for the games. Joey is originally from Chicago and like all of us who are originally from Chicago have great pride in that fact. We Chicago bond – give the secret Chicago handshake – and just enjoy talking. They are season ticket holders for the Dodgers – Debbie admits that the Dodgers are her team first and the Cubs second – just like Shawn was a Yankee fan first and like she used to say legally bound to be a Cub fan second. Meeting Debbie and Joey was the perfect end to an almost perfect day - thanks to the Padres for the 1984 ceremony.

But the story doesn’t end here – we still have Sunday’s game. I get to Petco at 11 am in time for batting practice but (I should know this) there is no batting practice for a day game following a night game. My seat for Sunday is in the club section which affords me access to bars in Petco for club ticket holders. The bar I chose is the Bistro Bar which is where I met Coach. I asked Coach how he got his nickname and told me it was given to him by Larry Lucchino (present CEO/President of the Red Sox and former CEO/President of the Orioles and Padres). Coach told of how Larry wanted Petco to be family friendly and priced with families in mind. Larry had been with the Orioles when Camden Yards was built and with the Padres as Petco was. When coach got out of the Navy in 1980 he just stayed in San Diego – has been working for the Padres for years as well as a PGA rules official for tournaments in the area. It is well worth the few extra bucks for a club seat at Petco and head to the Bistro Bar and say hi to Coach.

As for the game the Cubs lost again – my seat in the club section was great – just to the 3rd base side of home in perfect foul ball territory. In the first inning Adrian Gonzalez hit a foul that was coming right at me – I was ready even a little nervous not to drop it to the deck below me and get booed by 39,000 people and just as it is at me a gust of wind came and it fell inches short and went to the deck below. If only I hadn’t clipped my finger nails before the game. Padre pitcher Chris Young has been a Cub killer for years and today he took a perfect game into the 5th – this is the longest into a game so far on the Quest for a no hitter. I had been exchanging emails lately with Ken Lee from Seattle who is a ballpark Questor (is it Questor,Quester or Questie?) himself and has his own website – seeall30.com – and says the same thing when the perfect game and no hitter are broken – there goes the no hitter. Ken has his ballpark trip coming up in a few weeks where he will be going to the 6 northeast ballparks in 5 days. Good luck Ken and hopefully we can meet up in either Boston or DC.

Sunday is also military appreciation days at Petco. The Padres wear their camouflage uniforms and invite a unit of the military to the game – today it was the 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Lima Company and DI’s. Between innings in the 4th the Padres made the announcement of them in attendance and were greeted by a 5 minute standing ovation – including players from both teams. Of all the cool traditions I have seen at ballparks to date – this was the coolest and most touching.

I will finish (thankfully I know) with fate. I got back to the hotel on Sunday and went into the hotel lounge around 8:30 pm. The lounge was empty and as I was walking to a seat at the bar there was Andrew, Michael and Jason. The night before while we were talking we never mentioned the hotels we were staying at and I had been mad at myself for not exchanging info with them. I will not question why fate brought us back together – I will just go with it. We had a wonderful time talking and they bought me my burger and beer which I am thankful for. Right after they did that the karma police repaid their kindness – the Superman of free beers just popped up next to our table and handed Andrew coupons for 4 free drinks at the lounge and all he asked is we take care of the bartender. Before we could say thanks he was gone – so thanks to the Superman of free beers.

Next up tonight is Angel Stadium as I kick off the 2nd half of the Quest. So for now this is so long, good-bye and thanks to all the wonderful people I have met this weekend and made the trip to San Diego a very memorable experience and to the Padres for dredging up a really bad one – THANKS AGAIN and I have the tee shirt to prove it.

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Quest Day 48

 



Last we spoke I was in Warren, PA and this morning I wake up in San Diego – what a last 30 some odd hours it has been. Flying from east to west you pick up 3 hours which makes for a 27 hour day and it seemed like I used all 27 hours for everything but sleep.

So in a nut shell this is the last day and half or so – Thursday afternoon 3 hour drive from Warren to Pittsburgh – have a few minutes to rest at the hotel then drive into Pitts for game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference Final – see Malkin get a hat trick, encounter 6,000 homeless people watching the Pens game from the plaza outside the Igloo, get up at 4:30 am EST to fly from Pitts to LA with a connection in Vegas (ultimate tease), miss connection in Vegas because of a sick guy on the plane, 2 hour layover in Vegas (bigger tease), land in LA and drive to Dodger Stadium (1.5 hours to go 18 miles), see Dodgers lose 3 – 1 to Angels, get one word text from Jeff that says “YES” during the game which means Hawks beat the Wings in overtime (woo hoo), then drive 127 miles from Dodger Stadium to San Diego and check into the Sheraton Suites at 1:30 am PST which means I have been up for 24 straight hours. Holy Cow as only Harry could say it.

So let’s rewind to the Pens game. Since I had to fly out of Pitts on Friday morning and the Pens were home Thursday, I had to catch the game. Years from now when I look back on the Quest there will be this 5 day period where I saw 2 hockey playoff games in the oldest arenas in hockey. The Mellon Arena otherwise known as the Igloo is old and rickety but really cool. It’s one of those arenas that have history – hell Lemieux and Jagr skated here and won Cups actually beating the Hawks in ’92 for one of them. As for the game the Pens won 7 to 4 in a game Evgeni Malkin was a man on a mission. He scored 3 goals and his 3rd goal was this backhanded shot that has to be one of the top 10 goals in Pens history. The crowd was great all 17,132 which is a standing room only sell out for the Pens. That is where the 6,000 homeless people on the plaza come into play. The Pens set up a huge Jumbotron right outside the arena and allow fans to bring chairs and watch the game. It was really cool – if only those people would go to a Pirate game every now and then and support your other team. Heck you’ve got the best stadium host in baseball – well at least better than the 13 others I have seen so far. I had to get a plug in for Joe who really is the best stadium host in the “bigs” and I’m not just saying that because he hooked me and the family Cowan up with tickets to PNC.

On Friday morning I get to the airport early because it is Pittsburgh International Airport and it does suck and you need to make sure you are there days ahead of your flight. I am walking to my gate and I hear “Bob” – I look around and there is Fast Willie Parker (RB for the Steelers) running over and asking if he could have a picture with me. He says he is a huge fan and a regular reader of my blogs. Well not really but when I hook up with Travis, Joey and Pedro to make a movie about the Quest that is how it will be scripted. In reality Willie was on the same flight as I was to Vegas and having his picture taken with a bunch of people. I could tell Willie is good people. When I was getting on the plane Willie was having problems getting his bag in the overhead – he also could be called Short Willie Parker – so I gave him a hand with his bag. I will never wash that hand again – well until we land because there was this guy who got sick on the plane just as we were to take off. The pilot comes on the speaker and says we have to go back to the gate and have the plane cleaned. There goes the short connection in Vegas. Connecting planes in Vegas is the ultimate tease – you can see the strip, almost reach out and touch it but a 2 hour layover is not time to do anything but drool. Come to think of it connecting planes in Vegas is like going to a strip club (not that I have ever been to one – I only go to Candy Stores – my buddy Van will attest to that).

We land in LA at 12:30 – please note 12:30. It takes no time at all to get my luggage and get to the Budget counter for my rental car. One hour later I finally get my car. Yes Mike – I know rent from Hertz and pay for the Gold Club thingie and your car is waiting for you but I Pricelined a full sized car for $10 a day – you can’t get on the Hertz bus to the rental area for $10 a day. I had my route all plotted out – take “the” 405 (really funny story about the 405 but I can’t tell it – so why mention it, because the 4 people who are reading this that know the story are now LOL’ing) to “the” 10 to “the” 110 to “the” 101. It’s funny but only in Cali do they put “the” in front of the highway number. It takes 1.5 hours to go 18 miles on the so called freeways of LA. That’s a pace of 12 MPH on a FREEWAY. I was hoping to go into Hollywood and walk around – do the tourist thing. Now I just want to find Dodger Stadium and a bar close by for a beer and a burger. And I do find a really cool Brew Pub on the Sunset Strip about 5 miles from Dodgertown – all are welcome at Dodgertown BTW, at least that’s what Vin Scully kept telling me over the loud speaker.

I had been to Dodger Stadium last season for game 3 of the NLDS and saw the Cubs get beat. But as I pulled into the parking lot I started thinking that game 3 of the NLDS was the start of the Quest. Game 3 was about 4 weeks after Shawn passed and for me that weekend was a victory as it was the first thing I did alone that was for me and me only and was the catalyst for what is now known as the Quest.

As for Dodger Stadium – I decided to anoint Dodger Stadium with legendary status. It is the place where Jack Buck couldn’t believe what he had just seen – where Orel pitched most of his 60 consecutive shutout innings (this is bigger than 56 straight games with a hit BTW) and where Bob Welch struck out Reggie in Game 2 of the 78 World Series. Dodger Stadium is built into a hill so depending on which level you are seated at you have to either walk up or down a big ass hill to get to your seat. For me it was walking up the hill because for this game I went cheapo tickets. Only $9.00 for a top deck seat. I was closer to the international space station than to the field. But the view from up there was great – with the entire field and the mountains as a backdrop. As for the game the Angels won 3 – 1 which was attended by 55,053 (the largest crowd by far of the Quest to date). The game also took 3:33 which I totally blame on home plate umpire Mike Riley who has a pee shooter sized strike zone. 11 figgin walks in the game. I think Riley gets a cut of the concession receipts. The Dodgers had fireworks after the game so many stayed for that which made my getaway from Dodger Stadium easy. The 127 miles only took 2 hours but I did have to take a couple of safety breaks driving as the eyelids they were getting a bit heavy.

The Quest reaches the halfway point tonight with ballpark 15 – Petco Park with the Padres hosting the ever underachieving Cubbies. I have 2 days now to explore San Diego while taking in 2 Padre – Cub games to boot. So for now it’s so long, goodbye from cloudy and cool (63 degrees, what’s up with that) San Diego where I am off to Sea World and as Andy F. McRae pointed out – make sure I stay out of the “Splash Zone”. That is good advice for the Candy Store as well. Thanks Andy!!!!

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Quest Day 46

 



After my 2 part gushing blog about my adventures in Detroit I need to go back and blog about the Cub - Brewer game from May 10th. Note to self – don’t fall behind on blogging.

When I was in college I loved going to Brewer games at old County Stadium. It was about a 45 minute drive from my home and County Stadium offered 3 things that Wrigley could not – tailgating, 18 year old drinking age in Wisconsin and Brewer Plumpers with the secret stadium sauce. Upon arriving at Miller Park I see that the tailgating is still going strong – nobody tailgates better than people in Wisconsin. As for the 18 year old drinking age – not an issue anymore since - well - I am a little past that age.

I park in an area of all Cub fans but heck Miller Park is known as Wrigley Field North. There are Cub fans everywhere – if you have ever been to a Yankee or Red Sox game at Camden Yards then you get the drift on how Miller Park is when the Cubs roll into town. Miller Park is a cool looking retractable roof ballpark that is all brick and in that throw back style that every park now seems to look like. Thank God for the tailgating because Miller Park is in the middle of nowhere – so if planning a trip to Miller Park you need to tailgate.

I enter the ballpark and head to the first hot dog stand I see and order a Brewer Plumper and the young man behind the counter gives me that “tailgated too much did you “ look. He has no idea what a Brewer Plumper is. When we were in college – we would tailgate, drink way too much and then head into the ballpark and get Brewer Plumpers only when you are 19 and drink too much you can’t say Brewer Plumper – it comes out Blewler Klumpers. Luckily back then at old County Stadium the hot dog counter people spoke drunk 19 year old and would get us our Brewer Plumper with the secret stadium sauce. So this kid has no idea what I want so I jokingly say how about a Blewler Klumper figuring he was 19 and maybe spoke the language – he did not. The counter guy down the way says down here sir – I used to work at County Stadium and here you go and hands me a hot dog. A hot dog – the Brewer Plumper was not just a hot dog – it was a culinary experience. So I say “secret stadium sauce” and he points to the condiment area for hot dogs. What is the secret stadium sauce you ask? Well we don’t know – it is a secret. It is red and might be ketchup mixed with BBQ sauce – who knows but you have to have it on your hot dog. Only now the secret stadium sauce has been added to the condiment area with mustard and ketchup in one of those push thingies that squirts the stuff on your hot dog. Back in the day the secret stadium sauce was in a metal dish next to the grills and was warm. Now it’s just another condiment and I am sure somewhere you can find the “secret” to the sauce. Way to go Bud (Selig) – you ruined a piece of history. First Yankee Stadium is gone and now Brewer Plumpers with the secret stadium sauce.

For today’s game I paid a whopping $1.00 for my ticket. All obstructed view seats at Miller Park are $1.00. I head to the upper deck to see how obstructed my view was. Well it was not just obstructed view – it was obliterated view. My seat was right behind the foul pole in left field. All I saw was yellow – that was it. I knew going in that I wanted to walk around for this game. See all the areas of Miller Park. After walking around the upper deck for a bit I got on the elevator to go to the first level. The Brewers had won the first 2 games of the series and were looking for a sweep of the series. Right after me onto the elevator was this Brewer fan that saw my Cub shirt and says “how is it going to feel being swept today?” and my response which came out so fast it shocked me was “I guess kind of like living in Wisconsin.” There was silence for the next minute as the elevator went down to the first level. When the guy got off the elevator he turned to me and said “good one”.

The rest of the day was spent walking around and seeing all there is to see at Miller Park. The Cubs ended up winning the game 4 to 2 with my man Alfonso Soriano hitting a home run. I am now 3 for 3 at Cub games with Soriano hitting a home run. I liked Miller Park and ranked it the best of the roofed ballparks. Hard to say why – could be the tailgating before the game, Bernie the Brewer sliding down the slide after a Brewer home run or the sausage race in the 8th inning.

Next up for the Quest is the California run of all 5 ballparks over a 6 day span. But first as fate would have it I will be in Pittsburgh tonight and was able to score a ticket to game 2 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals.

Lastly my thoughts and prayers go out to Arizona Diamondback pitcher Scott Schoeneweis and his family, friends and teammates.

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Monday, May 18, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Quest Day 43

 



I could probably write a dozen blogs of my experiences this past weekend from Detroit but I will only bore you with 2. If you missed the first one – scroll down a bit and boom – there it is.

It’s the little gestures in life that can have a major impact on your day. It can be buying someone a beer for no reason at a game, a handshake or smile when that person could really use a one. Or it’s a souvenir miniature hockey stick that is given as a gift – more on that later.

The hockey game is at 3 – so I have some time to kill in the morning and have a few things to check off my list. The first is visiting the site of old Tiger Stadium. It is a very surreal feeling pulling up to the remains of the ballpark. All that is left are the stands behind the infield section and the infield grass. There is a big chain link fence around the “field” to keep people out. Travis told me a story that when they were in Detroit a few weeks ago Joey snuck thru the fence and ran around the bases. When Joey was done – Travis said “you do know that’s the same field that Ty Cobb ran on?”

Next up was to do some recon on Joe Louis Arena – find the best place to park for my getaway after the game since I did have a 5.5 hour drive to Warren, PA right after the game. I found that there was really no good place to park and figured the best place was to park at Comerica Park and take the free shuttle from the Hockeytown Café to the Joe. This one little decision is one that I will be thankful for a long time – more on that later.

I park at Chris Chelios’ bar next to Comerica and go in to have a beer. Chelios was one of my favorite Hawks and even though he became a trader later in his career and played for the Wings – I still like him and have the need to have a beer at his bar. Only problem it is 11 am and they don’t sell beer until noon on Sunday. WHAT?!?!?!?! This is the Midwest – we have beer in our baby bottles. Beer is our water which explains Miller, Bud and Coors light. Oh well – Chelios was a trader so he doesn’t get any of my beer money then.

I walk across the street to Comerica and run into my new friend Darrin. We exchange a greeting like we have been lifelong friends but in truth had just met the day before. Darrin gives me pointers as to what cheap ticket to get since I am not staying for the game – I just want to walk around the park again and video all of it. I get a $10 ticket and head into the park. Yep – still has that feel. I notice the field is packed with people. I ask an usher “what’s up?” He says its photo day and anyone can go on the field even people wearing Blackhawk jerseys. Ahhh – the lost art of sarcasm – I love it. I have never ever been on a MLB field before – this was so cool - beautiful sunny day – just walking around the outfield at Comerica. All of the Tigers players were having pictures taken with fans, signing autographs and just chatting with their fans and you know what – they truly were having as much fun as the fans. The only Tiger I wanted to meet was their manager – Jim Leyland. Like a little kid I got up near the ropes and along came Leyland. He shook my hand, made a comment that I was a brave man for wearing my Hawk jersey in Detroit. This was a cool day and a cool way for the Tigers to give back to their fans. The Tiger organization “gets it” and I can see why their fans have pride in their team.

I finish walking around the field and then the concourse. I get a few heckles regarding the Hawks but overall it was good nature teasing. It’s now 12:30 – time for a beer at the only place to go before a Red Wings game – the Hockeytown Café. Hockeytown is across from Comerica and they run a free shuttle to and from the Joe. What a cool place if you are a hockey fan – they have custom made choppers on display all with Red Wing themes to them as well as autographed Red Wing stuff everywhere. I was a little nervous walking into Hockeytown wearing my Hawks stuff – this feeling was gone immediately when I walked into the bar and saw a father – son from Chicago who I had met the night before at Comerica. They were all Hawked out and ready for the game. As I was talking to them – I looked around the bar and the Hawks fans had taken over Hockeytown. It was a 4 to 1 ratio of Hawks fans to Wings fans. I work my way to the 3rd floor roof bar – high fiving Hawk fans along the way and get my first beer of the day and head to the outdoor deck to just soak it all in. What a great view of Comerica and Ford Field and the city skyline. Hawk fans had taken over the roof and the DJ gave in and started playing the Blues Brothers and Sweet Home Chicago.

I noticed this couple taking pictures of each other – I offered to take a photo of them and after a few tries (I am photographically challenged) I finally got it right. We talked for a bit and they asked me to join them. This is where that little decision to park at Comerica comes into play. Jeff was in his Hawks shirt and Sarah in her Wings shirt. I immediately thought of Shawn and me – whenever we went to a baseball game I would always wear my Cubs stuff and Shawn in her Yankee stuff. I saw many similarities with Jeff and Sarah that I had with Shawn. Talking with them brought back a flood of great memories, memories that I will cherish forever. Being able to share them with such a wonderful couple was the reason fate had me on the roof top bar – so many small decisions had to occur for me to be there – heck I was supposed to be in Toronto.

As for the souvenir miniature hockey stick I know you all are wondering about – when we got to the Joe we had to go different ticket windows to get our tickets from Will Call. Jeff said there is a statue of Joe Louis in the arena and we will meet there. Only problem I found out – the Joe Louis statue was moved next door. Houston we have a problem here – only fate took care of that for us. There are statues of hall of fame Red Wings on the concourse so I figure – might as well try there and sure enough out of the blue there was Jeff. He said Sarah was off getting a Red Wings jersey of her favorite player – Henrik Zetterberg. When we found Sarah she handed me the miniature hockey stick. I had told them that I get pins from each ballpark I go to and I was hoping to find a pin from the Joe that had Western Conference Finals on it. Sarah was unable to find a pin – but she did find the hockey stick that said Western Conference Finals.

As for the game and the Joe experience – it was all I could have hoped for from the awesome crowd, to the octopus being thrown on the ice before the game to the fire breathing scoreboard that shoots fire every time the Wings score a goal. The only problem for us Hawk fans is that the Wings scored 5 times and I got sun burnt from that damn scoreboard. The Hawks only scored twice and there was no fire when they scored. But there are worse things in life than your team losing a game and better things in life then your team winning a game – such as making new friends.

A few people have asked recently what’s going to be the next Quest. I really have no idea – but I do know that I will be back in Detroit next season – I will keep it touch with all the wonderful friends I made this past weekend and have a tailgate party before a Tiger game.

The Cali 5 are next for the Quest – 5 ballparks – 6 games - 6 days – (and 6 blogs). I can’t wait. So for now this is so long, good bye from Warren, PA where I am resting up because California here I come.

BTW – I did find that pin at the game yesterday and it is now on my Cubs hat with the 15 other pins I have gotten so far on the Quest. But that hockey stick will be in my office in full display to remind me of a wonderful weekend in Detroit where I made many friends and met a wonderful couple who have all helped me answer the question – “why am I doing the Quest?”

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Sunday, May 17, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Quest Day 42

 



I know I owe a blog from last Sunday in Milwaukee but since this is my site and I am the CEO of the Quest I can do as I please which means I will blog about today’s game in Detroit. I figure this season in Lost they can time jump all over the place that I will do the same. So I will jump over last Sunday’s game in Milwaukee and blog about today’s game in Detroit and whenever John Locke gets the Orchid all straightened out – I will time jump back to last Sunday.

This weekend was supposed to be a “link” weekend where I see a game on Saturday in one city and travel to another city for Sunday. This was supposed to be Detroit and then Toronto – but something funny happened on the way to Detroit – the Red Wings and Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Final and fate would have it that on Sunday my beloved Chicago Blackhawks are playing here in Detroit a city that I am currently in. It’s been 17 years since I last saw a Hawks playoff game live so I cannot go against fate – so Toronto I know you have a big Quest parade set up for Sunday but I won’t be there. The Boston Bruins have nothing to do – maybe they can take my place. Sorry Andy – it was there so I had to take it.

I won’t bore you with the ride from Pittsburgh to Detroit – right Bob like the first 2 paragraphs have been riveting. There have been days on the Quest that I get that sense of “why am I doing this?” Today answered that question and here are the reasons why:

1. I get to the ballpark early like most Quest days and meet this wonderful ballpark attendant – Darrin. Darrin went out of his way to make me feel at home – gave me pointers on things to do in and around the ballpark. Darrin told me his stories of getting a picture with the Stanley Cup and being on the field during the Super Bowl and a picture he has standing next to Mick Jagger. It’s funny how the first impression of anything can have a big effect on the balance of that day and meeting Darrin was a great way to start my day at Comerica.

2. Parked next to me was this group of Tiger fans tailgating who noticed the “All 29 Ballparks + the Metrodome” Cub shirt I was wearing and started asking questions about the Quest. What a wonderful group and what a wonderful time I had talking with them. We swapped stories about sports and life. First I meet Darrin and now this group of new friends – at this point the day is a huge success and the ballpark hasn’t even opened yet.

3. It’s now time for the gates to open and my ticket allows me entrance into the cigar bar at Comerica. Yes folks – a cigar bar in the ballpark. I am the first one in the cigar bar which affords me the time to talk with Jennifer the lovely bartender at the cigar bar. Jennifer is a loyal Tiger fan and loves baseball and has been working at Comerica since 2003. She never misses a game and told me a story that during the 2006 playoffs the Indians needed additional staffing at Jacobs and Jennifer was lucky to be chosen to do that. As a true baseball fan she jumped at the chance.

4. The next 2 patrons into the cigar bar happen to sit next to me at the bar. I notice the tattoo that this young man had on his arm so I ask him what branch of the military he was in. Kyle told me he was in the Army and his specialty was blowing crap up. Kyle is there with his girlfriend Kristina and we spend the next hour and half just talking and having a wonderful time. Kyle and Kristina will be seeing U2 on September 12 in guess where – Soldier Field in Chicago. I had recently downloaded a bunch of U2 songs on my iphone and was listening to them the other day and thought how cool would it be to see U2 in concert. I think fate just happened again. Kyle and I exchange numbers and we text each other during the game to meet up afterwards for a “hit the road” beer back in the cigar bar.

5. At the end of this wonderful day back up in the cigar bar I meet Tony and Rob who saw my shirt and asked “how many?” We talk some – share stories and at the end of a wonderful day I meet 2 more really nice people. Jennifer walks by and asks “how was the experience?” I tell her Comerica is now ranked as my number 1 ballpark. Her face lights up with pride in her ballpark and her team.

Comerica Park has a feel to it – a feel that I have only gotten at Wrigley and Fenway and the old Yankee Stadium. I think you have to pay extra now at the new Yankee Stadium to get “feel”. It’s the energy that the ballpark and the life around the park have. While I had been talking with Darrin and my tailgating friends – I had noticed 5 bridal parties stop for photos. On the most important day of these young folks’ lives – they made it a point to come to Comerica and take pictures with the Tiger statues at the main entrance. Only at Wrigley and Fenway have I seen this.

Now here is why Comerica is now the number 1 ballpark in my rankings. It’s the attention to detail that the park has. All around the outside of the park there are tiger heads holding a baseball in its mouth at the top of the stadium. There is the main entrance with all the Tiger statues. As you walk around the concourse of the park there are displays with the Tiger’s history from each era of baseball. There are play areas for kids with a merry go round with all Tigers for the kids to ride. The top of the scoreboard has 2 Tiger statues with them looking like they are on the prowl. And the number one thing that Comerica has – is the shelf above each urinal in the men’s room that you can put your beer on while taking a leak. That my friends is attention to detail. I recently read an article that ranked Detroit as the number 1 sports town in America. I was like “yeah right” what about Chicago. After relaying the 5 stories above and countless others – I agree, Detroit is the number 1 sports town in America and the reason is the pride the fans of the Detroit teams have. That pride comes across with any Detroit fan you talk to.

I may have a different opinion today after wearing my Blackhawk stuff at Joe Louis Arena for the Hawks – Wings game. Remember Detroit – I wear my Hawks stuff with PRIDE.

Today – May 17 – is a bittersweet day for me. One year ago today Shawn and I saw our last baseball game together at the old Yankee Stadium. The plan was for me to be at the new place today – but I doubt I could have handled that. Instead I am in Detroit and made many new friends who I truly hope will become lifelong friends that I will be lucky to see again in my travels. I also today get to see a hockey playoff game at ‘The Joe’. Seeing a hockey playoff game at the Joe is like seeing a playoff game at the old Yankee Stadium or Fenway. As a true sports fan – this is a top 10 moment plus the Hawks are here. And finally today - my friends Travis, Pedro and Joey finish the 30 ballparks in 30 days in San Diego. If you haven’t checked out their website – please do so and send them a note of congrats. Their site is 30ballparks30days.com.

Well I think I have gushed enough about Detroit. Time to suit up for the hockey game, but first I am going to buy a cheap ticket and walk around Comerica again today. I didn’t get a chance yesterday to check out all the displays and statues honoring the Tigers history – I was having too much fun making new friends. So for now it’s so long, good bye from room 522 at the St. Regis Hotel in Detroit where Comerica Park has just become the number 1 ranked ballpark and current clubhouse leader.

LET’S GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!

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Thursday, May 14, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Quest Day 39

 



So after 2 uninspiring days in Houston and Minneapolis I was ready for some “inspiration” and going home to Chicago was just what was needed.
Saturday started with a puddle jump flight on the airline formerly known as Northwest – did you know that Northwest is no longer around and is now part of Delta? I did not. We land in Milwaukee and as I get off the plane I am handed my free sample of Wisconsin cheddar – it is Wisconsin and cheese is free here. Not really – but wouldn’t that be cool that when you land in a different part of the country as you get off the plane you get a free sample of what that area is known for. In Hawaii they give you free lei’s – maybe they could in Vegas as well. (Pause here so Cousin Jim gets the joke).

Ok – on to Chicago. After driving 38 miles from Milwaukee I come upon the greatest sign in the world – Welcome to Illinois. I am home – during my life I have lived in many places but there is only one “home” and Libertyville, IL is it. The part of the Quest that gets frustrating at times is that I don’t get to stop and just take it all in. Today I wish I could have hung out in Libertyville – but I had other stuff on the agenda. First was to go to Gunzo’s and get my official Blackhawk jersey. Gunzo’s is the official hockey supplier of the Hawks and a Hawk jersey has to be bought at Gunzo’s – it just does. I get my jersey and next is to go to the shrine – Wrigley Field. No the Cubs are not home – but no trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the shrine and have lunch at the Cubby Bear.

After lunch as I was leaving the Cubby Bear this trolley car bus thingy pulls up in front of Wrigley and out pops a wedding party to have wedding pictures taken at Wrigley. Here is where fate comes into play and my personal story can have an effect on someone or in this case a newly married couple. One of the folks in the party notices my “All 30 Parks” Cub shirt and starts asking about the Quest. They introduce me to the newlyweds and the groom asks - how did the Quest all start and the motivation behind it? Many times I do not go into my story – I figure why be a buzzkill. But today I told them the story and gave them one piece of advice – never ever leave mad at each other. I tell them of the last time I saw Shawn and how she blew me a kiss as she walked away. That one memory is what I go back to often and has helped me have an ounce of peace in all of this. They ask me to be in a photo with them and I told them I would as long as they promise me they would never ever leave mad at each other.

Best of luck Sheila and Jeff – hope Maui was great. When you get that photo of the 3 of us please forward it so I can post it on this site!!!

Now on to US Cellular Field formerly known as Comiskey Park - home of the White Sox or for the rest of this blog – Cellskey Park. There is one thing that all White Sox fans have in common – their absolute hatred of the Cubs and everything Cub related including Cub fans. So for today – the “All 30 Parks” Cub shirt will stay in the trunk of the car and I will go Chicago neutral and wear my new Blackhawk jersey. The things that Cub and Sox fans can agree on is that we love the Bears, love the Hawks and are now starting to love the Bulls again. That’s it. End of story.

But not the end of this story – sorry. I had been to Cellskey a few times, but I had been to the old joint many times as my dad’s company had season tickets to the Sox. I saw Greg Luzinski and Ron Kittle hit roof shots in the same game at Comiskey. I also caught my 2nd foul ball of my career at Comiskey off the bat of Harold Baines. The first was when I was 16 at Shea Stadium off the bat of George Hendrick. The 3rd was actually Shawn’s ball that she “caught” at RFK off the bat of Jeremy Burnitz. There are 2 things I always do when I go to a game – the first is I rank the possibility of getting a foul ball and plot the course to said foul ball from the seat that I have. The second is root for a no-hitter by either team. When I was hanging with Travis, Joey and Pedro the other day – both Joey and I say the same thing when each team gets their first hit – “there goes the no-hitter”. Could be the first pitch of the game which is hit and I say “there goes the no-hitter”. Some day in the future I will blog about David Wells and David Cone’s perfect games. Shawn’s whole family was witness to me missing Cone’s perfect game as they were the reason I missed it, but meeting your future wife’s family for the first time is more important than seeing a perfect game!!! Plus it gives me a cool story to tell.

As for Cellskey it is a really cool ballpark. I love the outfield area under the scoreboard that is all open and has a street sidewalk feel to it with food and beer stands all over the place. The scoreboard shoots fireworks whenever a Sox player hits a home run – which didn’t happen during this game – and they still sing “Na na na, hey hey hey, good bye” when an opposing pitcher is taken out of a game. The thing about Cellskey though, is that you go to the game, see the game and then go home. No cool bars to hang out at before or after the game and even though the area is under an “urban renewal” plan – it is the south side of Chicago and not always the safest place to be. As for the game the Sox won 3 to 2 in a well pitched game and luckily fast game as the temperature at the end of the game was 41 with a brisk wind coming off of the lake.

After the game I figure I should go visit the home office of the Quest – Mickey Finn’s in Libertyville. Finn’s was that bar when you were growing up that you said “when I turn 21 I am having my first legal beer there”. Finn’s was jumping on Saturday night with a band playing upstairs – but the Hawks playing the Canucks on every TV downstairs. Chicago like Boston are great hockey towns and it would be really cool if they played each other for the Cup in a few weeks. I had a great time at Finn’s – made a few new friends and had to call it a night around midnight to rest up for Sunday and the highlight of this 4 day trip – Cubs vs. Brewers at Wrigley Field North (Miller Park) in Milwaukee.

Hopefully tonight I will get some time to blog about the game in Milwaukee while watching game 7 of the Red Wings – Ducks and Bruins – Hurricane series. There is only one phrase in sports better than ‘Game 7’ and that is ‘Cubs Win’. So for now this is so long, good bye still from Tucson, AZ where the only thing hotter than the temperature is well nothing – it’s friggin hot here and taking off all your clothes as the song suggests doesn’t help!!!

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

 

Bobby D's Blog - Quest Day 37

 



4 ballparks – 4 days – 4 flights and 2 Cub victories thrown in there somewhere. I decided that this past weekend I would do the very natural Houston to Minneapolis to Chicago to Milwaukee back home to Tucson jaunt. These 4 days were my most daunting (and tiring) run of the Quest. Oh and add to that on Monday my ballpark traveling buddies Travis, Pedro and Joey were in Phoenix to catch their Dbacks game so of course I had to drive up from Tucson to join them.

Let’s start in Houston on Thursday where the weather was 88 degrees with 75% humidity. You blink an eyelid and you sweat. I am having a hard time right now writing about Houston because well – it’s Houston. I didn’t have the time to really investigate the area – my flight landed at 2 pm, got my rental car and checked into the hotel and then got to Minute Maid Park at 4 pm and in that 2 hours nothing happened. I found a bar across from Minute Maid and hung out there for an hour or so and again nothing happened – just me having a beer watching Around the Horn and PTI. That’s it. Luckily the bar was no more than 40 yards to the entrance to the ballpark so only my undershirt got soaked with sweat walking there. Minute Maid itself is a strange ballpark – reminds me of when I was a kid and we played whiffle ball. We made up ground rules as we went along – kind of like Minute Maid. The strangest part to the park is the little hill in deep center field with a flag pole in the corner of the hill – this is all in play. The hill is supposed to pay homage to ballparks of yesteryear – such as Forbes Field. I think it is just dumb.

The best part to the ballpark is the retractable roof – does that mean if the roof in on it is in a tractable state? Well if it does then the roof was thankfully tractable tonight – means the AC was on baby. Overall Minute Maid was nice – but nothing stood out to make it great like some of the other ballparks I have been to. As for the game – Alfonso Soriano hit 2 dingers (luckily he isn’t nickname like Arod or else he would be Asore) and the Cubbies won 8 to 5.

Friday brought a connecting flight thru Denver (awww – Denver, have I told you how much I loved Denver?) to Minneapolis for my spinach ballpark - the Metrodome. What is a spinach ballpark you ask? Well remember when you were a kid and your mom made you eat your spinach and you would say “why?!?!?” and she would say “because I said so” – well going to the Metrodome was like eating spinach. But mom – do I have too? Yes dear – it is o