Game Over

Wow!! I did it! I actually visited all 30 Major League ballparks in 63 days! I did not see a game in Detroit but I did see the exterior of Comerica Park. I saw the first pitch at 26 games and the last pitch at 28 games. I saw the home of the Durham Bulls and caught a Mudhens game in Toledo

The last game was the best by far. I had a flock of friends with me, I had a great group of seatmates, I was in the most beautiful park in baseball, and my Giants were victorious.

I was overjoyed to have a great group of friends go to the final game with me. Robin and Scott who traveled with me, St. Michael Borelli who carried me through the first day disaster, my good friend George who stayed in Penn Valley and provided Homeland security, and Mark who has provided baseball companionship for years, including the dark ages of Candlestick. A last minute addition to the group was Scott’s oldest son and my nephew, J who drove up from Riverside for the game. We all converged at the Willie Mays statue in front of the park. It reminded me of the poem about why dogs sniff butts. The poem starts “The doggies held a meeting, they came from near and far; some came by motorcycle, others by motor car.” This refers to the many modes and routes of transportation and does NOT mean my friends sniff butts.

Sitting in front of us was a great group of fanatics. Rachel, Julie (fantastic shoes, Julie), Alison, and Brooke, a first-timer to Major League baseball. They were really into the game I had to be fast to see the big plays because they were on their feet immediately. A few rows behind us were a group who played Moundball, the first Moundball players I encountered on my odyssey. Many do not realize that I held the domain name for the National Moundball Association, but that’s another story.

You can call me a homer but AT&T Park is the most beautiful MLB park. Many parks were real nice, a couple were gorgeous. Minute Maid in Houston was quirky but no view. Yankee stadium had a great view but the playing field was pretty routine, Oriole Park was beautiful but the view was of warehouses. PNC in Pittsburgh was very nice and had a fantastic view of the skyline. AT&T had a quirky playing field and a spectacular view of the Bay and Oakland Hills.

My Giants played a great game. Tim Lincecum settled down in the third inning and pitched well until he left at the end of the 8th. Buster Posey played a top-notch first base, showing he is ready to stay in the Bigs. A hustling triple didn’t hurt him either. Newly acquired Pat Burrell and long-time Giant Benji Molina both hit homers. As usual, the bullpen took a comfortable lead and turned the game into a nail-biter before the G-men got the third out in the 9th.

I will make a few more posts before I hang up my blogging pen. I want to reflect on the parks, the cities, and the attractions I visited. I also want to give credit to the many wonderful folks I met on my journey.

So for now I will sign off, get caught up on my honeydews, and collect my final thoughts about this amazing odyssey.