An Outlander at AT&T Park, San Francisco

After our three games in Denver, we hopped a plane headed west - to San Francisco to see the Red Sox play three games versus the San Francisco Giants. Our flight was delayed getting into SFO due to fog - so we barely had time to drop our bags at our friend Kate's apartment, and head to the Park. The gates were just opening, so we watched batting practice (Ortiz had his son with him, which was adorable). Then we grabbed some dinner at the California Grill - and I got my garlic fries. I swear the aroma of garlic permeates the Park, which isn't a bad thing. I was really impressed with the array of concessions at the Park - standard fare like hot dogs,sure, but also a Chinese food stand, Ghirardelli hot fudge sundaes, a California wine cart, real Irish coffees - there was even a farmer's market on the Club level!

Our seats were in the section right behind the Sox bullpen, which was fun. When someone was warming in the pen, as he tossed, the fans would make this "wooo" sound, on a rising note. Then when the ball was tossed back, the "woo" was on a descending note. As for the game, we lost - and we also lost Pedroia for 4-6 weeks. He fouled a ball off his foot and broke it. Imagine going from 3 home runs one night to the disabled list the next.

A sharp contrast in temperatures during that 24 hour period. Game time temperature in Denver on Thursday had been 92 degrees. Friday night in SF it was 59! Yikes! Now I know why there was a long line at the Irish Coffee cart.

Game 2 was broadcast on Fox, so that meant a 4pm start - not much time to do any sightseeing. So we took a cable car ride and wandered along the Embarcadaro to the Park. We had planned to find a place to watch the US in the World Cup soccer tournament, but we couldn't get in anyplace - everything was "at capacity." So we sat at a sidewalk restaurant, ate pizza and enjoyed the California sunshine.

Game 2 was special: they were retiring the number of Monte Irvin, a Negro League player who also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers. All the Giants stars were there to honor him: Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda - very, very cool. It was a beautiful sunny day, which made the whole ceremony that much more spectacular.

We sat at the Club Level, again on the second tier. It was a nice spot, with access to all the Club Level extras (less crowded ladies' room, better concessions). We won 4-2, although we lost another player to injury: Buchholz left with a pulled hamstring.

We met our buddy Lydia for dinner at Joe DiMaggio's restaurant - a really nice spot in North Beach. We had a great meal - and a lot of laughs. And the trip back to the hotel was highlighted by a gorgeous full moon over the Transamerica Pyramid.

Day 3 - Sunday - was an interesting and fun day. It began with a stroll along the beginning of the route for the city's annual Gay Pride Parade. Yes, there were naked men and men dressed as women, but we also met some pit bill owners showing off their "babies" and librarians from the SF Public Library. It was a wonderful salute to human rights, the right for each person to be themselves. Very cool. Then on to the Park - our freebee today was a Panda mask, in honor of SF third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who is called Kung Fu Panda. My lunch today was the Crazy Crab sandwich, recommended by the NYTimes. Very good.

We sat on the Field Level, about a dozen rows behind the SF dugout. It was a really hot day - lots of sunblock was used - but the seats had their own concessions area below the stands. It was a handy spot to get out of the sun. As for the game, the billed star was two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum - who the Sox battered into submission by the third inning. Ortiz even hit a homer into McCovey Cove! The REAL star was on our side: Jon Lester threw a complete game, looking very strong. Who would have predicted that Giants pitchers would get 15 strikeouts - and lose 5-1? Bad note: we lost another player to injury - Victor Martinez left with a broken thumb!

After the game, we had dinner in Chinatown - yum! Then, it was time for me to pack up - I took the 1:30 am red eye back home. Ack.

Other notes on AT&T: at the end of the game, maybe within 10 minutes of the last out, the seagulls come swooping in. You can see them perching on the roof, on the giant glove in left field, waiting for the crowds to disperse so they can get their dinner. Very Hitchcock-esque! Great concessions - an incredible variety of food and drink. A gorgeous setting on the Bay - we were lucky to have such clear weather so we could enjoy it. They have a female public address announcer, who is excellent!

I'm now up to 12 major league parks. And already thinking about next summer. Pittsburgh? Philadelphia? Toronto? Maybe some of the midwest parks like Kansas City or Chicago? We'll see!

And photos!

An Outlander at Coors Field, Denver

My second Red Sox road trip of 2010 began in Denver, for a three game series vs. the Colorado Rockies. This was the first trip to Denver for the Sox since the 2007 World Series - which the Sox won in 4 straight games. You got a sense almost immediately that the Rockies wanted to prove something - to show that they were capable of taking a few games from the Sox.

We got in Tuesday morning - I beat Kelly to the airport, and saw just-called-up-from-Pawtucket Josh Reddick arriving. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Downtown - nice, free breakfast, etc., but about a mile from Coors Field. Many RS fans there - well, there were many RS fans all over the city. Every game was a sell out, with more than 48,000 in attendance. I guess that makes sense. If you are a RS fan living in Idaho or South Dakota (and we met folks from both of those places), this was your only chance to have seen them play in three years.

We met up with our SG pal, John from New Zealand, at Wynkoop's, a local watering hole, where I ate some elk sausage. From there, we wandered towards Coors Field, and hit the Falling Rock Tap House. Wow! Over 80 beers on tap - and tons of Sox fans soaking them up (of course).

As for game 1: oh, well. We couldn't get any offense going, leaving the bases loaded twice. It was also very hot - I was surprised that the weather turned out to be so warm for the whole trip. We also discovered how easily you can become dehydrated at the mile high altitude. We quickly learned to drink a lot of water!

Day 2 was fun. We did the tour of Coors Field. Pretty standard stuff: dugout, special club dining areas, etc. One fun moment was when we were in the visitor's dugout. Terry Francona wandered out, clearly peeved that a bunch of tourists were milling around! Our seats for game 2 were on the Club Level, which is on the second tier. We also sat there for Game One, and felt too far away from the game action. So Kelly did her magic on Stub Hub, and quickly sold our tickets and bought two more down behind the RS dugout. Yeah!

Game 2 was a ♥ breaker. Colorado had their young ace Ubaldo Jiminez pitching, and he held the Sox scoreless thru the 6th. Then we went crazy and scored four runs to lead. Papelbon came in to close it out - and promptly gave up two home runs. I do not like that kind of drama! We lost - worse yet, one of the homers was a walk-off by our old nemesis Jason Giambi. Ugh.

Day 3 was a day of no plans that turned out fun. We discovered a Belgian pub called the Cheeky Monk, which we really enjoyed. We also visited the Great Divide Brewery - a great place for some pre-game libations. Yes, Denver is a city of beautiful vistas and wonderful beers!

Game 3 joins my "game-dropper" file. We had great seats behind home plate, thanks to my godfather who knew a season ticket holder who owed him a favor! The Sox scored early - the Rockies came back - the Sox went ahead again. The Sox used every player on the bench and every pitcher but one (this only confirmed my love of the DH) The Rockies tied it in the bottom of the ninth (again, Papelbon gave up 3 hits and 2 runs), but then the Laser Show arrived. Dustin Pedroia hit his THIRD homerun of the game, Papelbon came back and convincingly closed it out (a nice bit of redemption for him), and the Sox won 13-11. Phew!

A really fun trip (we continued on to San Francisco, but that's in the next installment). It was really hot the whole time (in the 90s), which was surprising. Denver has a free trolley that runs all the way down 16th Street - which has lots of restaurants. So we were able to ride from the hotel to close to Coors Field. Very handy. As for Coors Field, I would recommend not sitting on the first base side if you can help it - that side of the field gets the full afternoon sun, which can be brutal. They also placed their restaurant above the right field side - again, full afternoon sun would make a nice dinner there uncomfortable. I was impressed with the fans, though. They seemed very knowledgeable about baseball, and I saw many keeping score in their own scorebooks.

We also accumulated some "swag" at each game - I was surprised they offered giveaways at games that you could predict would be sell-outs. Tuesday night was hat night, and we got a really nice Rockies ball cap. Wednesday was player shirt night - we got a Carlos Gonzalez tshirt (which several fans waved in our faces as Giambi was circling the bases). But Thursday's gift was the best: a Coors Light cooler bag. Perfect for lunch!

Of course, tons of photos. Here are some of the best:

An Outlander at Progressive Field

It's been a pretty busy month of June - two big Red Sox road trips, and an overall record of 5-4. Not bad!

Our first trip of the year was to Cleveland, to see the Red Sox take on the Cleveland Indians for three games (they actually played a fourth, but we only attended three). My erstwhile companions - Kelly & Steve T. Ferret - met me at the terminal in Cleveland on Tuesday morning, and we headed to our hotel. If you're going to see the Indians play, I highly recommend the hotel: the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown. It's kitty-corner to Progressive Field, and close to restaurants, watering holes, and only a mile to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We got the B&B package, which included a full, made-to-order breakfast each day - great!

We grabbed some lunch at a spot we would visit a couple of times: the Winking Lizard Tavern. A nice spot - close to Progressive Field - with good pub food. Everything I had for lunch had bacon on it: wedge salad, chicken club sandwich, fries smothered in cheese and, yes, bacon! No cholesterol counts on a Red Sox road trip!

We headed to Progressive and watched batting practice from the right field bleachers - Kelly even got bopped by a well-hit ball! For our first game, we had pretty good seats - behind the plate, up a bit, but a good perspective on the field. And the Sox won!

Day two was one of our best yet! Our morning was spent searching for the Great Lakes Brewing Company.Google maps showed it to be 1.3 miles away - however, due to some incorrect directions (thanks Barry & Erik from Boston), we went on the Bataan Death March II. Our hike included a walk over a wonderful bridge: the Hope Memorial Bridge, named in honor of Bob Hope's dad, a local stone mason. Very cool art deco sculptures called the "Guardians of Traffic,"
(Photo from wikipedia)
several of which were sporting LeBron headbands!

The early afternoon was spent on a tour of the field. I love touring the various parks and seeing some of the behind-the-scenes things. We saw several of the Sox getting in some extra work in the batting cages, Jerry Remy in the Press Box, but most interesting was the stop at the indoor batting cages, behind the 3rd base dugout. The Indians' "vision coach" was working with a young player, and he demonstrated some of the ways they help players sharpen their view of pitches at the plate. They had one machine that pitches tennis balls, all with colored numbers, and they ask the player to call out what type of pitch they've seen based on what color and number is on the ball. Oh, and it's being pitched at 100 mph or so. Wow.

The late afternoon was our splurge: we bought tickets for the "Ultimate Batting Practice Experience." We entered the park at 4:30 and were allowed down on the field, to stand behind the cages and watch both teams take batting practice. So, so cool - very close to the players! Victor Martinez (a former Indian) had his 5-year old son with him on this trip, and Victor Jr was all decked out in a complete RS away uniform. It was so fun to watch all the players playing with him - hitting him pop ups, playing catch, wrestling with him. Aww. But the absolute highlight was getting to talk to Justin Masterson! Justin was traded by the Sox to Cleveland last summer for Martinez, and Kelly had followed his career up thru the minors. The look of pure delight on his face when he saw her was so cool! He came over, hugged us, and talked to us for quite a while about the state of the Indians, the baby he has on the way... ♥ A special shout-out to Megan and Maggie for letting us hang around until the end of BP.

Oh, and the Sox took game 2 - we sat just beyond the screen on the first base side. We also discovered Strickland's Frozen Custard. Wow! And we got free Progressive umbrellas!

Day three! It was raining, but the hotel offered us a ride to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via their courtesy van. Yeah! The building was designed by I.M. Pei - very recognizable! - and we spent three hours there. The special exhibit was on Bruce Springsteen, tracing the Boss' rise to R&R fame. We also enjoyed the permanent exhibit of artifacts from Hall inductees. Costumes from Fleetwood Mac, U2, Parliament Funkadelic! We also saw a very cool 12-minute multi-media/film presentation called "Video Killed the Radio Star," tracing the ever-increasing importance of video and MTV. In one section they highlighted four influential video artists. Two are no-brainers: Madonna and Michael Jackson. The third was Peter Gabriel - I guess you can argue that he did push the envelope. But the fourth made me scratch me head: Tom Petty. Now, I love Petty - have a bunch of his CDs - but I'm not sure I'd say his videos were "influential." I would argue that Duran Duran is a better choice: they learned early on how to use video to market themselves, and used it to make themselves a worldwide phenomenon.

Our last game! We had chatted with a season ticket holder at Wednesday's game, and he got us passes for the Terrace Club, the large restaurant and bar perched on the left field side of Progressive which is for season ticket holders only. We arrived early, and sat in the "pit" - a counter area overlooking the field. Quite a different vantage point for b.p.! For the game, we sat behind the Indians' dugout on the third base side - a perfect spot to watch Masterson pitch a 2-hit, complete game shut-out. The Indians won 11-0 (the 8th inning included a grand slam home run) - a bittersweet result. Sorry to see the Sox lose, but so proud of Justin.

So, a terrific trip! I really enjoyed seeing Progressive Field, and the other sites in Cleveland - and felt like such a VIP on Tuesday! Another Major League ball park ticked off my list!

Here's an album of some of my best shots from the trip.


Click on the corner to get a full-size version!

An Outlander goes to Berlin

So, most people go someplace warm for Spring Break. Cancun, Florida, the Caribbean. My buddy Susan and I like to buck the trend and head east - way east. We've hit many of the great cities of Europe, and decided that this year we would visit Berlin. Former capital of the Prussian and Austria-Hungarian Empires, and now capital of the reunited Germany.

We spent 6 days there, and what a great time! Everything went so smoothly - easy plane connections, a terrific (if bare bones) hotel, great food, great beer!, and great sites. Some of the highlights:


Everyone agrees that one of the "must-sees" is the newly renovated Reichstag. It was famously burned in 1933 and occupied by Soviet troops in 1945. It was right next to the Berlin Wall for all those years. But when Berlin was made the new capital in 1999, Germans knew they had to return to the Reichstag. My big tip on visiting: the Dome is one of the most popular sites in Berlin: there were over 200 people waiting in line at 11 am on Sunday morning. I wrote ahead, and got spaces on a guided tour in English at 10:30. We went thru the whole building - I learned a lot about German government - and at the end, we were put on a special elevator to the Dome, bypassing the crowds. The view was spectacular - we wished we'd done in the first day we were in the city.

Museum Island is awesome! All of the major museums are on this small island in the middle of the city, and one museum pass gets you into all of them. The Pergamon Museum is incredible - some really large scale pieces scavenged from ancient Greece and Rome (which makes me slightly uneasy). One of the highlights in the Egyptian Museum is the famous bust of Nefertiti


No photo I've ever seen does her justice. The bust is truly beautiful - a fully mature woman captured in the prime of life. Wow.

The Germans do not downplay the Holocaust and their part in it. In fact, they seem to have gone out of their way to celebrate those cultures that Hitler tried to eradicate. The Jewish Museum is phenomenal! You enter below ground, where the halls are tilted and curved - as disorienting as life was in Germany in the 30s. The same feeling is found at the Holocaust Memorial near the Brandenburg Gates. We also stumbled upon a memorial to the homosexuals murdered by Hitler. The irony is that Hitler tried so hard to eliminate all of these cultures - and now his city celebrates them.

We marveled at the seemingly old churches and palaces - all heavily damaged during the bombing of WWII and now reconstructed. Especially moving is the Kaiser Wilhelm Church, which the citizens elected to leave in its bombed state as a monument to WWII and to the hope for peace


Very moving.

Everywhere we went, everyone spoke English - or at least could understand us! Luckily, beer is the same in both languages. And I had some awesome beer. I love a wheat beer, not hoppy - and that seems to be a Berlin speciality. We also sampled the famous "currywurst" - which is basically chopped up wieners doused in a ketchup and curry sauce. Not as spicy as I would have guessed. There was a curry stand close to our hotel - they were at least 10 deep from the time it opened at 11ish until late into the night.

We loved out hotel, the Hotel Transit. Okay, I admit, I was a little scared when we arrived. It's in a dingy neighborhood in Kreuzberg (we later discovered that pretty much ALL of the neighborhoods are dingy in Berlin!) - and on the top two floors of a former factory. The rooms were tiny - picture a very small college dorm room - with no tv and no telephone. But the staff was incredible! So nice, helpful, fun. We ended most nights sitting in the lobby and enjoying a beer or tea, and chatting with them while we checked email. I celebrated my birthday while we were there - on my birthday, we returned to the room to find a bottle of champagne and a card wishing me a happy birthday from the hotel staff! Nice! And a terrific breakfast every morning. It was perfect for the traveler who isn't interested in spending much time in their hotel!

The only negative: I hate the Charles de Gaulle airport!! We had to change planes there on both legs of our trip. On the return, the wheels of our flight from Berlin touched down on the tarmac at 8:45am. We had a 10:40 flight to Atlanta. By the time we taxied in the plane, took a bus to the terminal, took another bus to the other terminal, went thru passport control 3 times as well as a full security check - we got to the gate area at 10:30! Then we had to stand in a chaotic mess (I can't call it a line) to have our boarding passes checked and to be given our immigration forms (which they could easily distribute on the plane)....We weren't on the plane until 10:45! (Luckily, they didn't dare close the door early or I would have hurt somebody). Needless to say, I took advantage of that drink cart when it passed by. I will make every effort to NOT fly thru de Gaulle again!

Two things I purchased for the trip more than paid for themselves. This Travel Rest pillow is fantastic - it was really comfortable to sleep on. And the Sennheiser Noise Canceling Headphones are AWESOME! I will never travel on an airplane without them. The emit a white noise that totally erases any sound - including the engine. When I took them off to hit the loo, I was assaulted by the noise. I slept so soundly on the trip over!! (And I did NOT pay this much for them - surf around the net for a better price)

So, loved Berlin! Where to next??

And here's an album of photos:


If you click on the logo in the lower right, it'll lead you to the full-sized album

An Outlander returns to Turner Field

So, continuing our second Red Sox road trip. We flew from DC to Atlanta, and were hit by a massive heat wave. The game time temperatures on Saturday and Sunday were in the mid-90s, quite a shock to the system for my Boston-based buddy! We were so glad that we were staying in a hotel that was literally steps away from Turner Field - we went back after each game and threw away our clothes! :)

Friday, we had another awesome experience. We purchased tickets for a new adventure that the Braves are offering, something they call the "VIP Batting Practice Experience." Kelly and I (and 48 of our closest friends) met up with a guide at 5:15. We were led down onto the field, and we were able to stand behind the batting cages while the teams took batting practice! Several players came over and signed autographs, although we were much more interested in photographing our boys. It was ssssoo cool! We were able to stay down there for over an hour, snapping away.

Our tickets for the game were, as described by Kelly, "in the Park." In the second tier - really too far to take pictures. But we had a fun time - we could just relax and enjoy the Red Sox victory, 4-1. David Ortiz hit a home run, which is always good, and Beckett had 6 Ks over 7 innings. Did I mention that it was hot?

We started the day Saturday at a regional Red Sox Nation gathering, hosted by the Georgia "Governor." Fun to meet folks from all over the south - South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia. The game had been picked up by Fox, so that meant a 4:00 start - yes, not high noon, but still 95 degrees! Yikes! It was a pitchers' duel - Wake vs. Vazquez - and Sox won 1-0. Did I mention that it was hot?

Sunday's game was a 1:35 start, with Tommy Hanson facing Brad Penny. Game time temp was 91 degrees, so we waited as along as possible to get into our seats. We were seated in the "Hank Aaron Seats," which allowed us entrance into the 755 Club. A very nice (cool) spot to literally chill before the game. It was so hot, that I didn't even take my camera out! The Sox came out on the losing end that day, 2-1. And did I mention that it was freakin' hot? Thanks heavens for Nutragena Sunblock SPF85!!

This was my third Red Sox-Braves series at the Ted, so I'm beginning to feel like an old hand. Even on three hot days, there was a nice breeze when you strolled the concourses, which was a great break. I love their Tomahawk Ale - I think it's Bud, but... My only complaint is that there's nothing around the park. We stay right there, but that means you have to have a car and head to downtown or further for something to eat. I guess we get spoiled with how Fenway is set-up with Yawkey Way - but, for me, that is one of the nicest situations.

Here are the pictures!


Remember, if you click on the Picasa icon in the lower right, it'll lead you to the entire album. Enjoy!

An Outlander at Nationals Park

My second Red Sox road trip of 2009 took me to Washington DC, to see Interleague play between the Red Sox and the Washington Nationals. The game took place at the one-year-old park that the Nationals call home, Nationals Park. It's a beautiful place! Lots of those open concourses, enabling you to watch the game and still enjoy the concessions. They have a great spot in center called the Red Porch - it opens a half hour before the regular beer concessions, so we became quite familiar with it! And it has cool, circular signage on top. Also fun is the Race of the Presidents! Poor Teddy Roosevelt always finds a way to lose.

We went to two of the three games. The Sox had won Tuesday night, and Wednesday's game was another victory, 6-4. Lester pitched well, and even laid down a sac bunt. Nick Green was nearly killed by a flying broken bat - he actually had to fend off the bat, which ended up, jagged end down, next to him. Scary. Hitting Coach Dave Magadan was tossed out of the game for arguing balls and strikes, and then coming out of the dugout onto the field. Exciting! And it beat the record-setting attendance of the night before, with a paid attendance of 41,530 - a new record.

Thursday, we did the Park tour. This is one of my favorite things to do when I'm on the road. You get to see all the places a "regular" fan doesn't see -- the Press Box, the dugout, the ritzy party suites. Invariably, when we do one, the tour is packed with Red Sox fans -- and this was true in DC. As for the Park itself, it was opened in 2008 - but there is a long-standing tradition of baseball in Washington. But because they were without a team for so long, many of the locals have shifted their allegiance to the Baltimore Orioles. The Nationals have a great venue, and hopefully, the fans will start to come.

After the tour, we wandered past the White House - so we DID see a non-baseball site! As we walked back to our hotel (the Red Roof in Chinatown - good location near a Metro), we stumbled onto this oasis for a short break: the Capital City Brewing Company. Traveling with Kelly is a beer education!

The Thursday night game was absolutely awesome! The Nationals had handled the sales for this game via a lottery - you registered for the opportunity to buy the tickets. We missed out - but when they did a second wave of ticket sales, we got in. The pairs were sparse - but Kelly managed to score two in the President's Section. We were in the first row behind home plate!! Our tickets also allowed us to have a "free" dinner in the Lexus Presidents' Club, of which we took full advantage. We spent part of our pre-game time enjoying an incredible buffet: prime rib, pork tenderloin, awesome vegetables, a huge cheese tray, desserts... Enjoyed while seated in an air-conditioned dining room, cloth napkins and all!

The game itself? Well, it was John Smoltz' debut as a Red Sox pitcher! I had been waiting for months for it - and it didn't disappoint. Oh, I know, Smoltz gave up four runs in the first inning. But he settled down after that - striking out the side in the 5th. Unfortunately, the offense was absent - even Rocco's homer in the 9th couldn't save us. Oh, well, if you can take 2 out of 3 in a road game series = good!

After the game, the President's Club was open for over an hour. Which was great, since the crowd of 41,985 (a new record) was all headed to the Metro at the same time! We sat and had some refreshments, and were able to watch the post-game press conferences through a window in the Club! Cool! And then head to a much less crowded subway.

A fantastic road trip - but it didn't end there. Friday morning Kelly and I hopped planes for Atlanta - and three games against the Braves!

Here are some photos:


Note: If you click on the picasa icon in lower right of frame, you can go to the full-sized album.

An Outlander at Comerica Park, Detroit

I've tried to be productive during the All Star Break - and finally got around to downloading a ton of pictures from several trips. I realized that I had never posted on any of my trips in summer 2008 - so look for those shortly. In the meantime, here's a little bit about my trip to see the Sox play the Detroit Tigers June 2-4, 2009

I actually went up to Detroit a day early, and met some old friends from my days at the U of Michigan. We went over into Greektown for dinner - it was yummy and we had a lot of laughs. Then my wonderful travel buddy, Kelly, arrived on Tuesday. We were staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, just a few blocks from the park - a great spot that I recommend. Kelly and I ended up having lunch at Hockeytown - the Stanley Cup finals were going on then, so you can imagine that a hockey bar would be a hot spot!

We had great seats for all three games. Tuesday night, we were 4 rows behind the Red Sox dugout - the perfect vantage point to watch a crazed squirrel roaming the outfield during two different innings. The climax occurred when the Grounds Crew chased it into the RS dugout - you should have heard and seen the mad scramble among the players and photographers! NESN had some great video of it - but it seems to have been removed now. Oh well.

As for the game, Daisuke got his first victory - only pitched five innings, however. Papelbon nearly had a meltdown in the 9th - gave up three singles before striking out the side. Gasp! Final score: 5-1

Wednesday, we literally stumbled upon a great little spot for breakfast - crazily enough called the Detroit Breakfast House! It was on a forlorn block of Woodward - really the only thing that seemed open. Detroit has been hard hit by the economic slump, and it's really sad to look around at all the empty storefronts and out of work folks on the streets. But we had a great breakfast - as did Manny DelCarmen and his family, sitting at the next table! We explored the downtown a bit - rode the People Mover, which takes you on a circuit of the area. We actually saw a bunch of the players on their way to the park, which was very cool. On our way back, we stopped in at a place we found post-game the night before, the Detroit Beer Company. Great micro brewery - one that we managed to visit every day!

We discovered that if you purchase a game ticket for over $59, you can get early admission to Comerica through the Beer Garden or the Tiger Den - they open a half hour early for refreshments, then you enter when the gates open. So we took advantage of that!

The Wednesday game was terrific. We sat on the opposite side from the previous night, this time behind the home dugout. Beckett was very strong - had a no-hitter going through 6 2/3 innings. I had to go the bathroom from about the 3rd, but I refused to disturb the mojo! Youk got run over by a base runner in the 8th and had to come out - but was okay. And Lowell got tossed in the 9th - very rare for him. The 8th wasn't pretty - the Tigers scored 5 runs. But the Sox managed to hold on and won, 10-5 And we got a text in the early innings to say that our buddies had seen us on NESN!

Thursday was "get-away" day - meaning an afternoon game so that both the Sox and Tigers could head out afterwards for their next road game. We hit the Tiger Den for "breakfast" = a chili dog and beer! Not staying the WW program, obviously! We had great seats again - right behind the Tiger dugout. And it was another gorgeous day for baseball! The game marked the return from the DL for Dontrelle Willis - but it wasn't a great outing for him - only 2 1/3 innings and 5 earned runs. For us, Wakefield had another strong outing - the second time I've seen him pitch this summer! The Sox won, 6-3!

After having a beer at the Detroit Beer Works ($1 drafts with your Tigers' ticket!), we were steered to a great pub by the bartender, Foran's Irish Pub. A whole array of craft beers, and nice Irish fare.

I really liked Comerica - it's another in the retro line of ball parks. Kind of an old-fashioned feel, but with plenty of amenities to make it comfortable. Wide open concourses, so you never have to miss any of the action. Some cool things for kids to enjoy - the tiger carousel and a little Ferris wheel with baseball shaped carts. Celebrations of their past - statues of the great players like Kaline in the outfield. I was amazed when I first saw it, because it is shoehorned into a city block next to Ford Field, home of the football Lions. But once inside, it doesn't feel crowded.

Here are a few photos from another great road trip!

"I must be sitting in the front row"

Picture by Jere.
I'll post more later about the Atlanta leg of my road trip. But I had to share this photo - posted by one of Kelly's LJ friends. You can clearly see us sitting in front on Thursday night!

Red Sox Road trip: Detroit

I'm headed up to Detroit today - my second RS road trip of 2009. I'm going to see the Red Sox and Tigers play three games, in the company of my travel buddy Kelly. I've never been to Comerica - so I can check another ML stadium off my list. I did go to a Tigers game in 1982 at the old Tiger Stadium - it was a "staff outing" with my fellow dorm staffers at U of Michigan.

Strangely, even though I spent two years in Ann Arbor, I only went into Detroit on a couple of occasions. So I'm looking forward to poking around downtown - maybe going to the top of the Renaissance Center and eating in Greektown (maybe hitting the casino??) Unfortunately, a tour of Comerica is out of the picture - they only offer them on non-game Tuesdays. I'll try to get around and look, though.

I'm armed with my netbook and free wifi at my hotel, so I'll try to post an update along the way. In the meantime, the Sox are 3-4 on this road trip - I'm hoping to bring them luck so that we can at least go home with more losses than wins.

Better baseball news

Yes, I'm trying to ignore the past two evenings. Okay, we lost two out of three at the Trop - I'd hoped this might be our last visit there this year, but I'm not so sure now. We're still seven games ahead in the Wild Card race, so I think our playoff chances are pretty good. As they say, it's not the car you drive, it's how you finish the race.

Meanwhile, two bits of good baseball news...

Yesterday, all of the MLB teams announced their 2009 schedules. Yes, I know we still have tons of baseball left to play in 2008, but I have little or no chance of seeing another game in person this year. Hence, it's fun to start dreaming and planning for next year. By bedtime last night, I already had hotel reservations in two cities - Baltimore and Atlanta - and a line on a place in DC. Woot! But that might not be all - I've got a nostalgic hankering to see some games in Detroit - and that series in June looks pretty inviting! I know, ten months away - but a girl can dream!

The local baseball news is interesting. Our AA team, the Lookouts, has been the farm team for the Cincinnati Reds since 1988. Yesterday, they severed ties with them - and became the AA team for the LA Dodgers. Not that I think I'll get a chance to see Manny or Nomar play here in Hooterville, but we'll certainly get a look at some of their young prospects. It could make for some fun baseball next year!

Some pics....

A few photos from my New England trip:

I like to think of this one as the past intersecting with the present.



The view at the North Bridge, Concord.


As much as I love photographing the team, when I'm at Fenway, it's hard not to take tons of pictures of the park. It's so beautiful - what an incredible view. This one from the State Street Pavilion seats - RS vs. Yankees, 7/25/08


The iconic Citgo sign


The Bull Pen Band trying to help get the rally started. Cyn wondered, when do they practice?



One of my favorite subjects - Mike Lowell.

I'm sure I'll post more later, but here's a few to wet the appetite!

And in the end, the love you take...

Yes, I was there at the end....

The Manny era is over

Still on vacation in New England. Which is a fun place to be when there is all kinds of stuff swirling around the Red Sox. Listening to the talking heads on the local sports radio, reading the local press -- I suspected Manny would be out post-haste. And that's what happened yesterday just as the trade deadline was reached. A multi-team, multi-player sent Manny Ramirez to the LA Dodgers, Hansen & Moss to the Pirates. And we got 2004 Rookie of the Year Jason Bay.

It's been a trying few weeks for the team. Hearing some of the reports today from Gordon Eades and Jerry Remy - the whole team got pushed over the edge in the past few weeks. Eades even reported that, after the series in Oakland, Manny had refused to get on the team bus to leave for Seattle. It had taken several team members to convince him to go. Then there was his refusing to play those games in Seattle and against New York last Friday. His pitiful performance in the games I saw this week. Not the Manny I've always loved and defended.

What changed? I'm not sure we'll ever know. Did Scott Boras whisper something in his ear? Did he misinterpret it? The question clearly came down for the Front Office: can we rely on Manny to continue to perform for the rest of the season?

Reports are that Tito and Theo called in several of the veteran players and asked their opinion. The overwhelming sentiment seemed to be that the players were tired of his antics and tired of having to answer for him in the press. That was clear in the post-game interviews Wednesday night. And look back to Mike Lowell's very uncharacteristic explosion on a third strike call Friday night. You never see him explode like that (last game he was ejected was 2002) - was that frustration we saw?

Meantime, tonight is Jason Bay's first game as a Red Sox. A wonderful, warm ovation for him - and he has a walk and a hit-by-pitch so far. And how can you not love a guy who admits his dad had him wearing a Red Sox onesie?!

Otherwise..

Did the Concord literary sites today. Loved Orchard House, the home in which Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, and the Wayside, home to the Alcotts, Hawthorne and Margaret Sidney (author of The Five Little Peppers and how they grew). Also visited the Gropius House home of the Bauhaus mainstay Walter Gropius. Big thumbs up on that one.

And I don't think I mentioned one of my favorite finds in Boston: Sweet Cupcakes. YUM! You can get mini-cupcakes, which are a perfect size - or the full sized (I've just enjoyed a dark chocolate one!) If you're in Boston, check it out!

Brief update

Yeah, I'm Boston and having a great time so far. Spent a few days with two of my sisters - one in CT and one in NH - then came into the Hub on Monday morning. I've been eating too much - drinking too many beers - and enjoying the sights.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I visited the Museum of Science for the first time. It would be a great place to take kids - lots of interactive exhibits - but I was there to see their "Baseball as America" exhibit. They brought in a ton of stuff from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, including Schilling's Bloody Sock and Lowell's hat from the '07 World Series - and it was great fun. I think I spent over 90 minutes soaking it all in. At one point, I was asking an employee a question and she said, you must really be enjoying this. I saw you earlier with a big smile on your face!

And a note for those wishing to go: they have some great discounts available IF YOU ASK! When I did, I discovered that teachers get in FREE! I just had to show a faculty ID and I saved the $19.50 admission. Wow!

After I walked over to the North End and had "the best pizza in America" (according to a fellow tourist outside) at Pizzeria Regina. Good - but heavy. That didn't stop me from visiting Mike's Pastry for an incredible tiramisu! Then pre-game at the Cask 'n' Flagon with friends from Surviving Grady.

Of course, I nearly got to see a no-hitter last night - but not by the Red Sox, unfortunately. I must admit that by the 8th, I was kinda hoping John Lackey would get the no-hitter - it would have been fun to have seen one in person (One of those Bucket List items, I think).

Karma must change tonight. I've been to 5 losses in a row - 2 in Tampa, then Friday's loss to the Yankees (although I had a great time and have great seats), then these two vs. Angels. WE WILL WIN TONIGHT!

Home again

Blogger is acting sssoo bad! I can't seem to upload any photos, so you'll have to wait for shots of Jacoby, Lowell and Bronson...

But I had a great trip to Cincinnati! I took the ballpark tour - was actually the only one who showed up Thursday morning for it, so I had a personal tour. Saw the Sox lose Friday (boo), but then had two exciting wins on Saturday (10 innings, 6-4) and Sunday (9-0 baby!)

I got some great photos, I think Kelly secured excellent seats for us all three days - but the best were Sunday, 3 rows behind the Sox dugout. Plus, Justin Masterson walked by us on the street! Woo...

Now, only two weeks til I get to see the heavyweight rematch, Sox vs. Rays in Tampa!

JD!

I have to admit, I haven't always been JD Drew's biggest supporter. I've never been a JD-basher, but I just haven't embraced him and cheered for him. I know he had a lot of things going on last year - adjusting to a new league, a sick child - but I did question Theo's judgement a few times.

But JD has really stepped up his performance level - which we desperately need with David Oritz out of the lineup. Today, Drew hit his 8th HR - and he's been an offense machine this weekend.

And his defense --
AP Photo by Michael Dwyer
Awesome catch in today's game!

So maybe, maybe, we might make it through all these DL stints by our star-starters.

As for Cincinnati, I've been trying to figure out the pitching matchups. It looks to me like it'll be:

Friday - Harang v. Wakefield
Saturday - Volquez v. Masterson
Sunday - Bailey v. Beckett

Lazy Sunday (& Sat. & Fri...)

Yes, I've been an idle blogger. I keep thinking I'll post a bunch of my Baltimore pics - as well as a trip report - but I can't get it together. And now I'm packing for another RS road trip - this time to Cincinnati!

Yes, I'll be at Great American Ball Park for the Reds-Red Sox series - Friday thru Sunday. I've never been to that park, so I'm psyched to see it - and see some friends who live in the area. I'm meeting up with my favorite baseball traveling pal, Kelly - as well as another SGer, Becks.

Good times, folks, good times!

(And there's no game tomorrow night - and nothing good on tv - so I'll TRY to post some stuff tomorrow!)

David Aardsma is a doll

After the pitchers stretched on Sunday afternoon, and after most had headed in to the Clubhouse, David Aardsma stayed behind and signed a ton of autographs. But his instruction to those waiting: "I'll only sign for the kids." (I think a lot of MLB players try to do that nowadays, because of the resale market on signatures). He ran over to right where I was standing and started signing. Tex would have loved that someone made a derogatory comment about Texas (he went to Rice) and he quipped that he'd have none of that. I started snapping, and complimented him on his great pitching performance (and win) the night before - for which he thanked me. I asked if he'd been lonely out in the bullpen Friday night (he was the ONLY guy left out there at the end of that 13 inning marathon!), and he said no. They'd left him out there on purpose, to scare the Orioles!

I love that he wears the high socks - I have a special fondness of that retro look. And are those killer eyelashes or what??

Oh Hai!

I've gotten back from seeing three of the four game series in Baltimore. An absolutely fantastic weekend - good weather, good friends, cold beer - and three wins! And top that off with Manny hitting home run #500 - awesome!
I was going nuts when Manny hit the homer Saturday night, knew I couldn't really capture it, but here he is crossing home plate. The stadium absolutely exploded - not only the Sox fans, but the Orioles' fans really showered Manny with love. The ovation continued non-stop thru Lowell's short at bat, and as Manny came back out to Right Field. Chill inducing.

I'll have more later - share some photos and anecdotes. Here's start - when I went thru security in the Chattanooga Airport, the TSA guys were kidding me as they looked at the xray. Hmm, two cameras, binoculars...are you a bird watcher? I said, no, but I was going to watch the RS kill some birds this weekend!

Tomorrow!

Okay, so not really. But I couldn't be more excited if I WAS on "The View"! I'm headed to Baltimore (Balmur) tomorrow morning for the first three games of the Red Sox series vs. the Orioles. The weather looks good - only slightly threatening day is Saturday, and the Sunday afternoon game looks to be in the 80s and sunny. (Yes, I've got the #30 sunscreen packed). We're doing the tour of Camden Yards Saturday, and I hope to see Edgar Allan Poe's Grave and the Babe Ruth Museum. And drink some beer. And eat some of Boog's BBQ (and see Boog Powell!) And see some great baseball. I'd really like to see this:


Reuters Photo
Here's Manny hitting #499 Tuesday. The stars would appear to be aligned for him on Friday: He's been hitting well, it's his birthday, and he's expressed a wish to hit #500 away from Fenway. So I HOPE we'll be seeing this scene Friday night. Imagine being present at such an historical moment. A player's 500th career homerun. A sure ticket to Cooperstown. And I MIGHT be there to snap a photo of it!! Woot!

Expect reports on Monday!