"Buy me some sushi and baby back ribs"

One of my life goals is to attend a game at each of the major league baseball parks in the US. I've been to 14 so far, and have plenty yet to go. (Especially if they keep building new stadiums!)

This article gives some advice on what food to order at each park ... I used to always order the Gordon Biersch garlic fries at AT&T Park in San Francisco, but eventually realized I liked the smell of them more than the taste.

Colleen, our retirement trip will be to travel across the country, seeing a game in every major league park.

If you haven't been to Yankee stadium (or Shea), you should really get to NYC this summer - last chance for both!

I second the authors recommendation for Philly.
At Citizen's Bank Park (don't you hate these corporate names?), try the roast pork Italian sandwich (sharp provolone & broccoli rabe) at Tony Luke's (Ashburn Alley) or a Schmitter Sandwich(Section 139). The schmitter is NOT named after Mike Schmidt but is basically a fancy variation on a cheesesteak, using 3 pieces of cheese separating some fried salami, steak, tomatoes, and a special sauce.
Wash these down with a Yuengling lager (from America's oldest brewery) or some other local (micro-)brew such as:
Dock Street Amber,
Flying Fish Extra Pale Ale, or
Victory HopDevil

Confession time. I have never been to a baseball game... although we did play rounders at school in England!

However, this summer (having had to cancel Italy) we are planning a short trip to California - with a stop on the way in Seattle to attend a Mariners/Red Sox game! So your post was very welcome Colleen.

I also appreciated the Chihuly exhibit info as we will be in San Francisco on this trip. I'm a Chihuly fan so this really is an experience not to be missed!

Keep it coming Colleen!

Kim, I think we have the same retirement trip in mind! Ours will be light years before yours, however. And we will miss seeing those old parks.

Right now we're just excited that the LA Dodgers are moving spring training to Arizona which means we might get to check out the minor league facilities next spring.

And if anyone is ever in the Dodger Stadium area, we are less than 10 miles from that ballpark (where we now just have a margarita and feast on stuff we bring from outside - ballpark food gets old after many seasons).

Thanks for sharing, Colleen - I agree with you that those garlic fries smell better than they taste - well, a few are great, and then you have this pile of greasy garlic . . .

Sheena - have a great trip, and if you need another baseball fix, and the Giants are in town, their new stadium is a very sweet place to spend an afternoon.

I am a season ticket person,and eat lots of ballpark food. My favorites are fish tacos from the Rubio's stand,but in cold night i get clam chowder in a bread bowl from Anthony's stand. Last night i had THE PADRES SLICE from Oggis. We played the Dodgers and lost but will win it tonight!!

Susan

I forgot to tell you about the ball park in San Diego, it's PETCO PARK, it has a park within the ballpark with blanket seating and a sandbox for kids! It is right downtown with trolley going by for transportation. A fun thing to go to, so make the trip down from L.A. to San Diego!

quote:

Originally posted by Kim:
Colleen, our retirement trip will be to travel across the country, seeing a game in every major league park.

If you haven't been to Yankee stadium (or Shea), you should really get to NYC this summer - last chance for both!

Kim,
I like your retirement trip plan!

I'm lucky enough to have a friend who also likes baseball, and we took a couple of "ballpark tour" vacations together. One year we went to both parks in NYC, then drove to Baltimore (inaugural season at Camden Yards!) then over to Philadelphia. Is the Philly Phanatic still around?

Another trip was to both parks in Chicago (inaugural year of the new Comisky!), then up to Milwaukee. I think there's a new park in Milwaukee since I was there. Sigh ... those were fun vacations, for sure.

Sheena - thanks for letting me know you're finding these posts helpful! I hope your California trip goes well, and you enjoy your first taste of baseball in Seattle. (That's a great ballpark, btw.)

avvocato - yes, I HATE the corporate names for stadiums. Who can keep them straight? The San Francisco ballpark started as PacBell Park in 2000, then was SBC Park and is now AT&T Park. Yuck.

I hadn't heard of the "Schmitter" until I read this description of it in the linked article. It cracked me up!

quote:

It was the unhealthiest thing I encountered on my cholesterol-gathering trip, an unholy alliance of meats, cheese and mayonnaise tucked into a Kaiser roll. It was also impossible to stop eating after the first bite.

quote:

Originally posted by Colleen:

quote:

Originally posted by Kim:
_______Is the Philly Phanatic still around?

______

Yes he's still around. As Whitey Ashburn would have said: "Unbelievable, Harry!"

A week ago tomorrow, we spend the day in 98 degree heat at Yankee Stadium as I wanted to see one more in the old ballpark I went to as a kid before they knocked it down.

You WANT a stadium hot dog WITH sauerkraut!!! I had one at the park and (they were out of mustard; like the Pope being out of communion!!!)even without the mustard is was GREAT!!!

Nothing better!!

EXCUUUSE ME, Colleen! But what major league team in what city has one of the richest histories in baseball? And, your own Bay Area neighbor as their manager??

I don't see that particular city or it's team mentioned ANYWHERE in your posts or that article.

There is absolutely NO experience like opening day when you watch the wagon gates open and the Clydesdales take a turn around the warning track!

And, you would have free room and board as well.

quote:

But what major league team in what city has one of the richest histories in baseball? And, your own Bay Area neighbor as their manager??

Deborah... you're photo's wrong. It's the house that RUTH BUILT and that's the one in the Bronx!!

We took photos of the old park with the El running behind it and photos of the new one across the street (literally) that looks like the original 1923 version!

Besides, I don't know anybody who can beat Sinatra singing "NY, NY" at the end of every game

Besides if we retire any more numbers of Yankees they'll be in triple digits on the players!!!!

26 World Championships!! Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mantle, Ford, Maris, Berra... now that's history!!

quote:

Originally posted by Doug S & Judith G:
Berra... now that's history!!

And just WHERE is Yogi's hometown?
Oh, yeah, that's right...ST. LOUIS

Where did he grow up as a member of the knot-hole gang?
Oh, yeah, that's right...ST. LOUIS

Where did he get his start in baseball?
Oh, yeah, that's right...ST. LOUIS

Where is his number retired and what team made him a Hall of Famer??

Not St Louis.... NY YANKEES!!

Oh, we could argue this one forever!!!

Either way... nothing better than Baseball!! I'll be in Atlanta on July 5 and will see Brave/Astros....

....wearing my Yankee hat and shirt of course!!

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There is absolutely NO experience like opening day when you watch the wagon gates open and the Clydesdales take a turn around the warning track!

[St. Louis] I'd love to see this! I adore seeing the special, local traditions at each ballpark.

I forgot to include several games in Atlanta in my count (during the Tom Glavine, Steve Avery, and John Smoltz pitching era), so I'm up to 15 parks now.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Colleen,

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Besides, I don't know anybody who can beat Sinatra singing "NY, NY" at the end of every game

Actually, he doesn't - sometimes they play Liza. We tried to figure out if they play Liza when they lose, but it doesn't always seem so - no pattern.

Oh, and after the Yankees, don't the Cardinals have the most World Series wins? As a former season ticket holder for the Cardinals and a current one for the Yankees, I think you've got two great teams, steeped (sp) in history.

Colleen - you have a great start - I'm trying to think how many (which) stadiums I've been to and it's not that many: Yankee, Shea, Philly, Candlestick, Busch, wherever the Royals play, wherever the Marlins play, Fenway, the old Expo stadium. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

I will say this much, I would love to hit as many ballparks as I can as each one has a 'feel' to it.

So far, I have been to Shea, Yankee Stadium, Atlanta, Miami, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh (old one).

I really would like to see Fenway and Wrigley as they are the older ballparks. The newer ones, with the exception of Houston and Baltimore, lack a lot of the charm the old parks had.

However, after last weeks visit to Yankee Stadium I must admit, I do miss Bob Shephard's voice as the announcer. He was not there that day but his replacement is not that far off his tones... but he's not Bob!!