The Baseball Trip 2025

 Day 4 - Monday, July 21

We leave the Cleveland area, headed to Erie, Pennsylvania and Presque Isle Downs. The ponies await.

Random Observation From Randy: 89 will take us to 5, and 5 will take us right into Pennsylvania. Then we can get the hell out of Ohio.

Presque Isle is also a casino, so yes, that will show up in the stats.

Favorite sign: Vicious Biscuit      That is also the name of the place we stopped for breakfast. The food was good, but, to our chagrin, it turns out it's a chain. Randy noticed their franchise license on the wall.

Here's a couple of pictures from the track:

Infield tote board.

Stables.

Paddock area.

The 4 horse won me some of my money back.

I ended up down $25.00. But I went to the casino and left after I got it back. (+ $15.00 for the two Sam Adams I had.)

Favorite Town: Lucinda, PA.

Favorite Signs:  Wiggle Butt Inn

                           Peace, Love & Flat Fees

                           Dead Nuts Taxidermy

Things we cannot hang around for:  Greek Fest - Warren, OH

                                                              Paddlefest - Conneaut, PA

Casinos - 1 - see above.

Unique People - 1 - Lady talking to a horse in the paddock area. Hi baby! Hi! How are you baby?

Cybertrucks - 0

Random Observation From Randy: I have to ask my doctor why I have such ups and downs with my alertness. He'll probably tell me it's just my body fighting off death.

Tomorrow: Harrisburg, PA, and the AA Senators vs. the Akron Rubber Ducks.

 The Baseball Trip 2025

Day 3 - Sunday, July 20

We need only a short hop from Avon into Cleveland for a day game. The Guardians are hosting one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, the Oakland A's.

But first: I forgot to post the counting numbers from yesterday, so here they are:

Casinos - 0

Unique people - 0

Cybertrucks - 0

Maybe that's why I forgot.

The Guardians plated a run in the first and second innings and never looked back. They also scored in the 4th, 7th, and 8th to post an 8-2 victory over the lowly A's.

David Frye, who is batting only .172, drove in a career high four runs. Gavin Williams pitched 7 innings of one-run ball and struck out 11 while walking one.

Here are a few snapshots from Progressive Field in Cleveland:

Right field gate.

Right field stands.

Center field.

The view from center field.

Home plate from the 3rd base line.

Left field videoboard.

By the way, Rocket Arena is just across the street. (Home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.)

Favorite Town Name: Vermillion, OH

Favorite Signs: Beer for People

                          Who is Jesus?

Random Observation From Randy: I don't believe it! A white pickup truck actually let you merge!

Things we cannot hang around for: WWE Smackdown at Rocket Arena.

Casinos - 1 - Jack Casino, Cleveland.

Unique People: - 1 - Barista at Bigby Coffee with permanent hiccups. The manager told me it's been going on for over an hour.

Cybertrucks - 0

Tomorrow: Erie, PA and the ponies at Presque Isle Downs.

The Baseball Trip 2025

Day 2 - Saturday, July 19

We are on our way to Avon, Ohio to watch the Lake Erie Crushers take on the Evansville Otters. This is the Frontier League, so there are no Major League affiliations.

Along the way:

Exotic jerky, anyone?

The Otters took an early 2-0 lead, but the Crushers exploded for nine runs in the later innings to win running away. Included in the barrage was a massive home run from first baseman Scout Knotts. The ball sailed over the left field fence, the outfield berm, and out of the park.

Some pictures of the park, Crushers Stadium:

Left field videoboard.

Home plate and the right field line.

The Crushers bullpen down the left field line.

Front gate, Crushers Stadium.

                                                         Me with Stomper, the Crusher mascot.

Favorite Town Names:  Napoleon, MI

                                         Bono, OH

Favorite Signs: Freedom Plasma

                         Alternative Plumbing

Random Observation From Randy: Alternative Plumbing? I can't imagine what that could possibly mean.

Things we cannot hang around for: Stow Summer Sunset Blast in Stow, Ohio.

Tomorrow: Major League Baseball - Cleveland Guardians.

The Baseball Trip 2025

Day 1 - Friday, July 18

There are only two rules on the Baseball Trip: no interstate highways and no chain restaurants.

We - and by we I mean myself and Randy, navigator extraordinaire - like to count things along the way. Usually we count things like women on riding mowers, personal injury lawyer billboards and Confederate flags and other signs of the apocalypse. This trip we are counting casinos and cybertrucks. but we are also noting a somewhat more cheery subject - unique people.

The first stop is Lansing, Michigan to see the beloved Lugnuts. Since Indiana and Michigan are part of the corn and soybeans tour, there's really nothing to discuss as far as roadside attractions go. The Lugnuts are a high A affiliate of the Oakland (Sacramento, Las Vegas?) A's. Their opponent tonight is the Western Michigan White Caps team, a high A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

The Lugs jumped out to an early 2-1 lead, but the White Caps bounced back late with two home runs of Ruthian proportion. They came away with the victory, 4-2.

Here are a few pix from the stadium:

Outside the front gate, Jackson Field.

Left field video board.

Apartment lofts behind the ballpark.

                                                               Stands along the left field line.

                                                 Left and center field from behind home plate.

 

By the way, the Lugnuts mascot is Big Lug. He big-timed me and everyone else...nowhere to be seen.

Favorite town names: Paw Paw, MI

Favorite signs: Willing Workers Church

                         Mr. Food Food Mart

                         Uncle Pig's Breakfast and Lunch 

Casinos -  2 - Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN

                       Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, IN

Cybertrucks - 0

Unique Individuals - 2 - Dancing construction worker directing traffic.

                                         ZZ Top looking dude riding a mower wearing nothing but swim trunks.

Things we cannot hang around for: Joey Chestnut Bobblehead night at Jackson Field.

Tomorrow: The Lake Erie Crushers in Avon, Ohio.

Random Observation From Randy: We have some free time tomorrow. Should we go to a wine tasting?

 The Baseball Trip 2024

 Day 14 -  Monday June 17

The day started with breakfast at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Galion, Ohio.

Me: "Everybody in this town is so friendly."

Random Observation from Randy:  "Yeah, well, they don't really know us."

Well,, this is a drive home , so nothing's happening, nothing to see here. Through Ohio and the width of Indiana. Corn fields and soybeans, Winnebagos and windfarms.

But there are a few odds and ends that I'll add because I forgot them along the way.

• Randy grabbed a foul ball at a minor league game. It ricocheted from above and behind us and he happened to be pointing at something in the outfield. The ball struck him in the back of his hand as it was on a path straight for the head of this little kid in front of him. He picked up the ball and slapped it into the kid's mitt! The kid and his parents were crazy overjoyed.

         Random Observation from Randy: "I need a picture of the kid holding the ball or no one will ever             believe me." Mom agreed, but he had to wear his cap over his face. Internet safety, you know.

• The Cincinnati Reds have Thirsty Thursdays every week. You can get a box seat down the first base line for $34.00 plus a ten dollar voucher at the concession stands! Randy also found $34.00 seats at the Nationals game on Stub Hub, but of course with an extra ten dollar fee,

• There were three teenage boys in front of us at one of the minor league games acting like ass-hats, slapping each other with water bottles and jumping around like idiots. I know I just retired, but I jumped back into teacher mode when I couldn't take it any more. "Hey, drug addicts, sit down and shut up."

Favorite Town Names:     Bippus, IN

                                            Disko, IN

                                            Toto, IN

Favorite Signs:  It's almost parade season - get your shirt now!

Over-sized Objects - 0

Confederate Flags - 1

Things we cannot hang around for: Marvel Park Fish Fry.

So, here's the recap:

3000+miles

   States:   Illinois. 

                Indiana

                Kentucky

                West Virginia

                Virginia

                Maryland

                Delaware

                New Jersey

                New York

                Connecticut

                Pennsylvania

                Ohio

2 - Major League Baseball games

8 - Minor League Baseball games

Over-sized-Objects - 11

Confederate Flags - 5

There you have it : The Baseball Trip 2024!

                

                

            

 The Baseball Trip 2024

Day 13 - Sunday June 16

Today we stopped for breakfast at the Four Corners Cafe in Eden, New York. The Four Corners is one of those restaurants with a train running around overhead.

After breakfast, we headed to East Lake, Ohio for a High-A minor league game between the Great Lakes Captains and the Fort Wayne, Indiana Tin Caps. The Captains are an A Ball affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, and the Tin Caps belong to the San Diego Padres.

The Captains jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but the Tin Caps scratched and clawed back to tie it in the 8th inning, including a two-run homer. The game went into extra innings, and the Tin Caps scored twice. The Captains had no answer in the bottom of the tenth and lost a heart-breaker.

As an aside, the Tin Caps name is an homage to Johnny Appleseed, who, as legend would have it, wore a tin pot on his head as a hat.

Some photos from Classic Park:

The parking lot is across the highway from the ball field. You have to cross on the bridge to get to the park.

Front gate.

Center field scoreboard.

Right field stands.

Down the third base line.

Left field.

Skipper, the Captains' mascot.

Favorite Town Names:  Eden, NY (I admire their optimism.)

                                         Busti, NY

Favorite Signs:    Planet of the Vapes

                             (Amish) Buggy for sale - like new!

                             Old Johnnycakes Road

Things we cannot hang around for:    Hamburg Sesquicentennial Celebration Days

Over-sized Objects = 0

Confederate Flags - 1

Next: Home.

 The Baseball Trip 2024

 Day 12 - Saturday June 15

We are on our way to Buffalo, New York to see the Buffalo Bisons vs. the Worcester Red Sox. But first, breakfast at Terry's diner.

More chrome and glass!

Down the counter.

The Bisons are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, and Worcester, well, you know who they are affiliated with.

By the way, the plural of bison is bison. It's not Bisons.

The Bisons lost a tough one, 4-2. A few pictures:

Front gate, Sahlen Park.

Right field stands.

Center field scoreboard.

Expressway behind fight field.

Behind home plate.

Left field.

Down the third base line.

Native American Night at the ballpark.

Favorite Town Name:    Tonkhammock, PA

Favorite Signs:        Fresh oil and chips

                                 Junk and Disorderly Antiques

                                 Laps of Love

Random Observation from Randy: "Laps of Love. Must be some sort of charity race. At first I thought it was a gentlemen's club."

Things we cannot hang around for:    Allentown, PA Gun Show

Things we did not expect to see:    A dj spinning rap tunes on the front porch of a funeral home.

                                                          A giant inflatable Frosty the Snowman on someone's 2nd story balcony.

Over-sized objects: 1- giant waiter

Confederate flags - 1

Next: East Lake, Ohio and the Great Lakes Captains.