Well, it's finally here. I leave out tomorrow whenever I roll out of bed and head for Houston. Baseball is a game of numbers, so I can think of no better way to start things off than to spit out some trip statistics and
my predictions from what will happen at the 30 regular season games I attend.
S T A T I S T I C S
MLB Games
31
Days
85
Estimated Driving Miles
18,735
Estimated Gallons of Gas
1,102
Hot Dogs to Eat
30
Nights Under the Stars
14
States
35 + District of Columbia
Border Crossings
2
Crystal Light Singles to Drink
450
Hours of Car Talk Podcast
48
Hours of Handel on the Law Podcast
120
Hours of Board Review Lecture
36
States I'll Spend the Most Time In
Pennsylvania
New York
(2 weeks each)
State I'll Spend the Least Time In
Maryland
(less than an hour)
Cheapest Ticket
$21
Rogers Centre, Toronto
Best Bargain
$25 to see the Red Sox/Yankees @ Fenway
Park I Can't Wait to See
AT&T Park, San Francisco
P R E D I C T I O N S
(30 Regular Season Games)
Runs
249
Hits
512
Errors
36
Home Runs
65
Doubles
101
Triples
10
Sacrifices (Hits & Flies)
31
Strikeouts
415
Walks
189
Home Team Wins
17
Complete Games
1
Shutouts
2
Saves
15
Blown Saves
7
Balks
2
Wild Pitches
19
Hit Batters
18
Walk-offs
2
Stolen Bases
40
Caught Stealing
15
Ejections
4
Smallest Crowd
Sun Life Stadium, Miami
Atlanta v. Florida, September 21st
Largest Crowd
Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia
Arizona v. Philadelphia, August 18th
B A L L P A R K R E V I E W S
My reviews in each park will encompass several areas, and will ultimately there will be a Top 5 in the following areas:
Atmosphere
This is essentially a culmination of the items below. Kind of hard to put it in words just yet. If you've ever been to a Red Sox game, then you know what "atmosphere" is. The same goes for a Cardinals game at Busch, but Red Sox fans are wicked passionate. The stadium itself goes into this and its accessibility. Does the stadium take you back to years gone by? Can you get to field level pre-game to take in batting practice without a $300 ticket? Are the sounds of "cold beer here" and "get your scorecards" heard? Is there a smell? And by that I mean a good one. You could smell the grills going a mile away at old Busch.
Crowd
Not necessarily numbers. Does the crowd know their baseball? Is at least one person keeping score? Does anyone walk around wearing a radio to listen to the game? Do they arrive on time? Leave early? Sorry, Dodger fans...I think you've already lost. Does everyone get up to pee just because the star player flied out and won't bat again for at least an hour? Do people get up in the MIDDLE OF THE INNING to get something? Baseball has at least 16 scheduled breaks, so there is ample opportunity to leave your seat when the game isn't going on.
Scorecard
It's a lost art, but when I go to a game, I've got a scorecard and pencil in hand. Scorecards vary widely from gloss paper that smears to real paper you can actually write on. Some charge you an arm and a leg. Some only let you get a scorecard if you buy a $10 program. Can you write on it with a pencil? Does it account for extra innings? Extra pitchers? Room to write down random stats and thoughts? Reasonably priced?
Hot Dog
I wouldn't say I'm a hot dog connoisseur but when you got to the ballpark, you should be able to get a good dog. I'm a little more picky than some. I don't care for a crunch and I HATE mustard. I don't care what those people at the hot dog place in Chicago say...ketchup belongs on a hot dog. Obviously, this rating will be pretty subjective. There are just too many factors. Most stadiums offer multiple types of hot dogs, different brands, off the grill, out of the boiled water (an automatic rank at the bottom), and there a whole lot of different vendors, some of who care that the dog is hot and fresh and some of who don't. With onions? Without? Wrapped in paper? Wrapped in foil?
Broadcasters
Every game I go to at Busch, there is a headphone in one ear listening to Mike Shannon and John Rooney call the game. If my battery dies, I'm lost. There's a lot that goes into this. Not just how they call the game, but do they have good radio voices? It took me years to be able to tell the difference between Jack Buck and Mike Shannon. Why? Because they had the same radio voice. It's like good background music. It's there to facilitate, not dominate. They've got to have a descent home run call, too. "Get up baby, get up, home run" and "It's a goner" belong to my hometowners.
Entertainment
Of course, you're there to watch the game. But, for years, clubs on all levels have tried other things to entice fans to attend baseball games. The minor leagues are more known for extravagant things like "Captain Dynamite" and "Clunker Car Night". The majors do some things, though, to try to keep up. The sausage race at Miller (why else would you go see the Brewers play? Granted, they are winning now). "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway. Some random celebrity singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Wrigley. Kiss Cam--you never get up during the 6th inning at Busch or you'll miss out. I will say this...the cap dance has got to go. It's 2011 and technology should be advanced enough to come up with something else besides guessing which cap the ball is under. And the t-shrt gun? Seriously folks...it's a t-shirt. You're wearing a t-shirt.
T H E G A M E S S T A R T S U N D AY !
