Take Me Out to as Many Ballgames as Possible: A Five-Stadium Tour with Teens

Thanks for sharing, I'm loving it!

CONS:
- Everybody wants to do it again next year

Ha! That's a "pro" in my book. (We've done this twice, although not last minute -- once to Tigers, Cubs, White Sox, Milwaukee and Cleveland, and once to Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Orioles. We've also been to lots of other stadiums but not on concentrated trips).

(P.S. This year we're bonding with our kids in Egypt!)

So glad to see you're posting this, crosscheck! I'll be watching for the next installment.

My son would love to do something like this; he's a big Red Sox fan, and we took him to his first major league game this year in Colorado. I'm looking forward to the rest of your report.

Lee Ann

Ooo, fun! I can't wait to hear more!

Thanks, everyone.

dmlove - It sounds as if you approached your tour rationally, sticking to one area of the country. We were all over the place...But it turns out that added to the fun.

PROCURING TICKETS:

Because we didn't finalize our plans until about a week before the trip, we ended up getting tickets in just about every way possible.

Braves - Stubhub
Cubs - Craigslist
Yankees - Ebay
Tigers - Cousin's boyfriend
Indians - Ticketmaster

All transactions were easy - and all seats were excellent. If anyone wants to know exactly where we sat, I can ask my husband. (I have a limited baseball vocabulary, but I believe Cleveland was the only place where we did not have field level infield seats.)

The Yankees tickets were EXTREMELY pricey, but worth every penny because they were under an overhang that protected us from the elements. We stayed dry during the rain delay, which turned out to be entertaining, watching the ground crew guys rolling and unrolling the tarp, wrestling with it as it blew around in the wind. (I'm asssuming that the new stadium will have a more high-tech way to cover the field.)

The best seats were in Detroit. My husband and I missed that game, but our kids went with someone who had incredible season tickets - two rows behind the visitors' dugout. (That's where my younger son caught a ball.)

HOW WE RATIONALIZED SPENDING AN ARM AND AN LEG ON TICKETS:
- Last chance to see Yankee Stadium
- Saved a lot on dinners by eating multiple hot dogs
- Skipped the theater and shopping in NY
- Rented a Honda Accord for the road trip portion of the trip. Not great for the back, but impressive on gas mileage - Used only three tanks of gas for 1100 miles.

NEXT: HOTELS

There is no such thing as a high tech tarp. Same method will be used. They weigh ~2500 lbs. Having worked at a minor league park, they are difficult to drag around.

FUN report and awesome parents--Can't wait for the next installment!

Glad you had a good time! Can't wait to hear more.

sounds great, I've always been a football fan, however our church organized a trip to watch the rangers, and for $3 i thought we would give it a try, the Ballpark in Arlington, really was beautiful, and I might learn to appreciate baseball!!

This is great, crosscheck!

I love your posts (and we have 14 and 17 year old boys so I can relate even though baseball is not their favorite). We are in the midst of college visits and may be giving up our thoughts of an "exotic" trip for next summer because the boys are leaning towards a hiking/rafting/outdoorsy family road trip (probably Alberta/BC).

Thanks for posting.

DISCLAIMER:
Because of a work crisis, I ended up missing the first two stops on the trip - Atlanta and Chicago, and met the rest of the family in NY. It was very difficult getting any details from the boys, so please forgive me if this report is not accurate.

ADVANTAGE:
All rooms, except NY, were extremely reasonable (some under $200 for junior suites).

ATLANTA - The Ellis House
Chose this downtown boutique hotel because it looked cool and offered a Braves package (which we ultimately did not use.) Mr. Crosscheck said I would have loved the suite but would have hated the view, which was of a brick wall.

HOTEL EVACUATION:
Several hours after the boys arrived, an alarm sounded and the hotel was swiftly evacuated. Turned out that alarm was triggered by excessive smoke in the kitchen.

EERIE COINCIDENCE:
The boys later found out that the hotel, once called the Winecoff, in 1946 had been the scene of the deadliest hotel fire in American history, known locally as "Atlanta's Titanic."

CHICAGO - No Hotel
Everyone loved the novelty of flying in and flying out just for the game. Boys left Atlanta at 8:30 AM, arrived at Midway at 10:30, took the El to Wrigley and checked their luggage at an oversize parcel room right at the field. After the game they got back on the El and headed to O'Hare, arriving in plenty of time for their 7:00 PM flight to NY.

NEW YORK - Affinia 50
All-suites hotel on 50th and 3rd. Not fancy (halls desperately need new carpeting), but has wonderful club room and is an excellent value. We had a one-bedroom apt. with a full kitchen, large enough for entertaining. Minutes from the Lexington line (No. 4 Train), which goes to Yankee Stadium.

COOPERSTOWN - Otesaga Hotel
Grand lakefront resort. Booked the day before our arrival (Saw online that there was plenty of availability). Was able to get out of the "mandatory" meal plan (which would have been way too formal for us - jackets required for men.) Didn't have time to properly make use the facilities - boats, pool, etc., but breakfast on the lake was lovely.

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE - Pillar and Post Hotel. This Ontario town, for which the word "quaint" was invented, is the perfect antidote to the cheesiness of Niagara Falls (where, shockingly, the Canadian side was more tacky and embarrassing than the American). Couldn't get a room at the Prince of Wales on the town square (which had been recommended) - Our place was part of the same Vintage Hotel Group. Offers huge junior suites and a nice spa with a natural hot spring, where we spent the whole morning.

DETROIT - Stayed in Grosse Pointe with relatives. Most relaxing part of the trip.

CLEVELAND - Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. Classic hotel built in 1918. Way too elegant for a baseball tour (is this getting to be a theme?), but the price was right and the entire 10-minute walk to the stadium was through an indoor mall! Our fellow guests were all underdressed Cincinnati fans.

NEXT: THE GAMES

"It was very difficult getting any details from the boys, so please forgive me if this report is not accurate."

I have a husband and a son. I understand!

Actually, that's why, after asking advice from Fodorites on their NCAA trip to Detroit in late March, I didn't try to post a trip report. Just pulled up the original post and added a few details.

So I admire your courage in attempting to cover that part of the trip!

I want to hear about the college visits too!

kelliebellie,

We visited only four schools on this trip (more about that later). But for college visit reports and a satirical look at the process in general, check out my college angst blog (click on "March" for highlights and lowlights of our eight-state spring break tour):

www.theneuroticparent.com

CAPH52,

I haven't yet posted the details about the games we saw because I lack the skills to describe sporting events, especially ones I didn't attend. I will solicit the help of Mr. Crosscheck and report back tomorrow.

Your blog is witty and beautifully written. Bravo!

Lee Ann

okay, when I find a moment I am so sitting down with a nice cup of tea and diving into the blog. At first perusal it appears hilarious! My brother-in-law is applying to colleges soon too. I have to e-mail this to his mother. If only there was some real life reason to study beer pong. Perhaps an Olympic sport someday?

Oh, and I was sure that "crosscheck" was a hockey reference.

"I haven't yet posted the details about the games we saw because I lack the skills to describe sporting events, especially ones I didn't attend"

I understand! Even when I'm really into a game, I have a hard time remembering the details later! Can't speak for others, of course, but I think just stuff like how hard it was to get to the stadium, what you thought of the stadium, how your seats were, how the food was, etc. are more than sufficient. As I said, I admire your attempt at any type of report on their part of the trip as I know how hard it can be to get guys to say much!

Thanks for the kind words about the blog. I must say that it is very easy to find humor in the college admissions process.

"Crosscheck" is what the pilot says before a plane lands. I'm not sure what they are checking at that point.

Caph - Thanks for reprieve about posting game details. I am much better at describing hot dog quality. So, here goes:

THURSDAY - TRAVEL TO ATLANTA,
Hotel Evacuation; Dinner at Steakhouse (Mr. C. can't remember name)

FRIDAY - ATLANTA
Emory Visit
(This was like a tree falling in the forest - Couldn't get much info, except that the tour guide crashed into a trash can while walking backwards.)

Braves vs. Mariners (7:35 PM)
Boys took a free downtown shuttle bus to the game. Braves lost (which meant Younger Son, a huge fan, finagled invitations to three more Braves games when we returned to LA - one Angels, two Dodgers...Atlanta finally won).

Highlights, according to Mr. Crosscheck:
- Fireworks
- A very un-P.C. "Tomahawk Chop" (Fans wave foam tomahawks and chant a war dance melody). A huge cow mascot on the field does the same.

OFF-TOPIC: An MLB/NFL Dilemma to Ponder - Tradition vs. Respect - Why are teams still called the "Braves", the "Indians" and the "Redskins"? Even if Native Americans have signed off on this, I guarantee this would not happen with any other U.S. minority group.

SATURDAY
Cubs vs. White Sox (Sat, 12:05 PM)
A trip highlight for the boys, who later said NY fans were "tame" compared to Chicago fans. (But of course, this game was automatically more spirited because of cross-town rivalry). Guys loved their seats - 39, Aisle 216, Row 12. It was a high-scoring game, 13-10 and someone (Edmunds?) hit two home runs in the same inning. Boys took the El to Wrigley from O'Hare and back to Midway. They were gently teased by fans for having their luggage with them ("You guys came prepared - Did you expect a 24-inning game?")

SUNDAY
Yankees vs. Reds (1:05 PM)
My sister joined us for this game - It was a challenge getting five seats - splurged on ebay. (MVP - Gate 4, Section M13, Box A.)
Closest possible seats under an overhang, which proved to be the perfect position. I want to stay in touch with the seller because he'll have great seats for the new stadium (which we caught a glimpse of - shaping up excellently, and I'm sure they'll have more up-to-date ladies rooms. The current ones were a flashback to the ones in my high school.)

Took the No. 4 Train on Lex - on the way back, nice NYPD officer opened gates and let everyone in for free.

Highlights:
- Rain delay was a hoot - Loudspeaker blared every rain song known to modern music (from "Who'll Stop the Rain" to "Let the Rain Fall Down") for over an hour while crew battled with ground tarp
- Madonna was present, at the height of her scandal
- Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 60th HR of the season
- Hot dogs - Nathan's - These put Dodger Dogs to shame.

NEXT: A DAY WITHOUT BASEBALL

crosscheck-loving your trip report. mom of 2 college young men (3 boys if you count their dad) who love watching and playing baseball (or pretty much any other sport, including the game of hockey where crosschecking is a penalty). I havent seen a play on Broadway since BC (before children), but I've been to a Yankees game everytime I've gone to NYC with the guys! They are dreaming of a multi-city ball trip like yours. Next goal-chicago for Wrigley Field.

Loving it, crosscheck. Keep it coming!

MONDAY - DAY OFF

What could be a better activity on a beautiful summer's day in New York than to get up at 6:30 AM and hop on the train to...Philadelphia.

Yes, we spent our one free day visiting Penn. Took the 8:10 Amtrak and arrived back in the city by 5:00. It was a whirlwind, but everyone loved it, even with no baseball.

Highlights:
- Train was relaxing and pretty much on schedule (except for brief electrical failure)
(OFF TOPIC: Dunkin' Donuts in Penn Station now displays caloric values for all of their offerings; bagels and muffins are WAY higher in calories than glazed donuts.)
- Our tourmates at Penn were a group of 44 Korean students from the Minjok Leadership Academy (where the average SAT score is 2200), about which I had previously blogged.
- Boys loved cheesesteaks at Pat's. I had a few bites and can't understand why this would be the regional dish of a city as awesome as Philly, (especially served with Cheese Whiz), but to each his own. Good thing there were no calorie postings here.
- Liberty Bell/National Constitution Center - Our kids are not museum lovers by any stretch of the imagination, but we had to drag them out of the interactive Constitution Center in time to catch our train.

NO METS - Arrived back at our hotel at 5:30 PM. Younger Son found out that the Mets were playing against the Yankees that night at Shea. After numerous pleas to get back on the subway, we ended up having an early dinner at a cafe on 2nd Avenue, then watching the game on t.v. (But now I'm a little sorry that we didn't go.)

NEXT: COOPERSTOWN

Loved reading your posts! My sister says she doesn't think my family can take a vacation without baseball being involved. My boys (21 and 14) would love this tour. Also loved your blog, especially about college visits - been there, done that - round one. Will start round two next year or two. My husband and I felt we could actually give the admissions talk after hearing the same basic thing about sixteen times. Makes life interesting! Agree with your "qualifications" for a student tour guide - lol!

When in Boston a few weeks ago, my husband and I did the Harvard tour. It was lovely and very informative. But there were two people that stood out. One group of parents grilling the tour guide about the application process and their kid was like 12. He had a "Future Harvard Grad" shirt on. Sheesh!

The other was a really dopey looking and talking guy also enquiring about the admissions process. I kept thinking, "yeah, right!"

When on the tours do you look around and think, "there is no way that guy is getting in"?

We also often include at least one baseball game in our family trips. And it's always a lot of fun.

I also enjoyed the college trips. We didn't always do the tours. But we looked at a lot of colleges. Actually, because our son is a college basketball fanatic, we've looked at a lot of schools because he liked their bb team and wanted to get t-shirts! But it's all been interesting. However, since our daughter graduated in May from Hampshire College and our son is about to start his second year at UW - Madison, the application process is, thankfully, behind us.

Just wish I could say the same about the loan process! Assuming there are no more glitches in this year's loan, we still have two more years of FAFSA and all the rest of it. Not my favorite thing to do!

But I will be forever grateful that both of our kids found schools that really suited/suit them in every way. Unfortunately, both have had friends who weren't as lucky.

Good luck to you and your sons with all of that, crosscheck!

Thanks, everyone, for your kind words.

mma and Caph, you're lucky to be on the other side of the process.

kellie - Did you go the Harvard tour without a prospective applicant? I didn't realize one could do that - Sign me up!

You asked:

Q: When on the tours do you look around and think, "there is no way that guy is getting in"?

A: I try not to pass judgement on the kids. But some of the parents' questions are truly beyond belief.

TUESDAY - COOPERSTOWN

Easy drive from NY (less than 4 hours). Arrived at around 2:30, then walked to town from the Otesaga. Shoppers' paradise if you want baseball cards or jerseys - Other than that, it's just a few shops with quaint embroidered pillows. Started an unmemorable meal trend that would continue until Detroit.

THE HALL OF FAME:
Really well done. Three floors of emotional memorabilia presented so creatively that the curators should consult on how to make all museums palatable for kids. They had to drag us out at closing time, and stamp our hands so we could back the next day.

THE COOPERSTOWN CVS PHARMACY:
Sadly, I had left my ziplock of creams and gels at home, and needed to replace a prescription ointment. Explained the situation to the pharmacist who phoned my doctor in L.A.(normally impossible to reach), then called ME on my cell (while I was in a bookstore) to say my prescription was ready. The whole transaction took 15 minutes. Hands down the best service I've ever had in a pharmacy. This guy needs to get on the consulting circuit with the HOF curators.

COLGATE:
Did a drive-by when we realized that were just a few herds of cows between us and Colgate. Had already visited, but couldn't see much because it had been during an ice storm. Did I mention that upstate NY is gorgeous in the summer?

NEXT: NIAGARA FALLS

I love your report. Having a 17 year old son who mostly just grunts in response to questions, I understand that it would be hard to get details of the games that you didn't attend. We've been trying to go to a variety of ball parks, so can relate to both that and the college references.

>>(This was like a tree falling in the forest - Couldn't get much info, except that the tour guide crashed into a trash can while walking backwards.)

I had to laugh out loud at this one. We just went on a college visit where the tour guide was very good at walking quickly backwards. She wasn't so good at projecting her voice so that we could actually hear anything that she said.

Luckily my oldest is four, so we are still taking college tours and looking backward at our own experiences (GO BLUE!) and not quite worried about our future ones. And I just now realized that we do own a "Future Wolverine" t-shirt.

One serious bit of advice for your son. I know it seems overwhelming now, and I hate to make it more so, but he needs to consider some his postgraduate future. We began relatively near our college and settled near our college. Many of our friends did the same. Those life-long type of friends. My brother-in-law zipped around the country collecting degrees and now doesn't really have those life-long friends. Just a thought.

Now hurry up and get to the Detroit part already!

NIAGARA FALLS - As mentioned earlier, I'm very disappointed in the Canadians for using a Natural Wonder as an excuse to build a gazillion casinos. And I'm proud that the American side seemed understated in comparison. The Maid of the Mist, which was exactly as I remembered from my childhood, and The Cave of the Winds, are must do's with or without kids. We also liked the walk through the State Park on the NY side. Had dinner at a well-situated spot on the Canadian with forgettable food across from the light show.

NIAGARA ON THE LAKE - Our intention was to do the Jet Boats, but a thunderstorm appeared to be moving in. So was relaxed in our hotel's hot springs instead, which was probably just as dangerous.

Couldn't interest the boys in shopping for quaint things in the quaint village, but I did manage to spend a few moments in a terrific wine shop.

THE DRIVE ACROSS ONTARIO - Not as scenic as expected, but quick, with well-appointed roadway stops.

NEXT: DETROIT

NO EXCUSE FOR TARDINESS:

I was at the Dodger game a few days ago and realized, in horror, that I had not completed this trip report. I hope everyone forgives me and that the Fodors editors do not ban me from this board.

Will post the conclusion tomorrow.

Still...hanging...on...

Must...read...rest...of...report...

You hadn't had enough of ballparks!!! Good for you. What did you think of Dodger Stadium?

Oh you are such a tease!

I have been traveling again - less interesting trip...Will post as soon as I return.

Thank you for sharing your trip with us, and please do finish the report. I am going now to read your college blog, as we are way behind in prepping my high school senior for college (despite having bought the advice books when he was a freshman).

I am mortally embarrassed that I have not finished this report, and alas, I have forgotten most of the details, but here goes:

DETROIT -
Not an exotic destination, but the most relaxing stop on the trip because we stayed with relatives in Grosse Pointe where we did laundry, barbequed, swam, etc. There were also severe thunderstorms, which gave us license to stay in and read, play games and watch movies without feeling guilty (Here in SoCal, land of perfect weather, there's always pressure to be active.)

Rain miraculously let up minutes before the game.

TIGERS VS. ROCKIES -
Did I mention that I did not actually attend the game? Our teen cousin's boyfriend had amazing seats behind the visitor's dugout. The boys went without us, got autographs and caught a ball. I believe the Tigers won. All in all, a peak experience.

DETROIT INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS -
Must do a plug for the fantastic Diego Rivera murals, and the whole museum in general, even though we did not visit it on this trip.

NEXT: CLEVELAND

crosscheck

I wish you would have detailed my city a little more and as for staying in Grosse Pointe which part did you stay in? The park, woods, city, shores or farm? DIA is fantastic. The re-vamp is better than I thought it ever would be. Comerica Park was voted one of the top ten parks in the country. Did your boys like it? Did you ever make it over to the BLVD to see the Motown museum. Where you in GP while Clint Eastwood was there filming? My Brother is the Sup. of the DPW in GPP and had his pic in the paper with Dirty Harry.

Look forward to hearing your info on Detroit/GP

Mamaw,

I wish I had more to report about Detroit, but on this trip, we barely left our relative's home (in Grosse Pointe Park), except for wonderful walks on the lake.

My kids, of course, would never describe Comerica, but I did see the exterior recently (on another trip) and it looks extremely cool and retro.

I was just reading something about the World Series and realized that I never finished this trip report. I hope I don't get penalized.

Two days before we were scheduled to return home, Older Son found out on Facebook that he was missing a camp reunion in LA, so he ended up changing his ticket and flying home a day early from Detroit. We left him at DTW (a foreshadowing of what's to come when he leaves for college - suddenly there were just three of us) and drove to Cleveland, passing through Oberlin on the way to give me material for my blog (a college visit without the prospective student).

CLEVELAND:

ROCK 'N ROLL HALL OF FAME - A trip highlight for me. You can see John Lennon's and Jim Morrison's report cards, Jimi Hendrix's childhood art work, Janis Joplin's Porsche, and hear actual broadcasts of the DJ's you grew up with. We all felt that five hours was not enough. Left the museum in a torrential downpour, certain the game would be cancelled.

Stayed at the Renaissance - old world elegance which seemed incongrous in Cleveland, lovely suite at a bargain price, looking out on a faux European courtyard. Too fancy for baseball tour, but lobby was full of beer-drinking Cincinnati fans, the same ones we had seen a few days earlier in New York.

Everyone we met in Cleveland was exceptionally nice. Concierge walked us into an indoor mall adjacent to the hotel to make sure we were headed in the right direction to the game. This was the ultimate all-American expedition: Hotel through mall to baseball stadium, all without ever going outside. As we emerged from underground, prepared for the last game of our trip to be cancelled, the sun came out.

So amazingly, although it rained the entire week of our June baseball tour, we didn't miss a game.

Indians vs. Reds
Can't remember much about the game except:
- we had great seats (through Ticketmaster, no broker)
- the Indians lost
- obnoxious college students behind us
- blatant un-PC Indian logo all over
- live marriage proposal on video screen.
- many enthusiastic fans in interstate rivalry, but happy laid-back midwestern vibe prevailed.

The next day, Younger Son and I enjoyed an easy flight home. But Mr. Crosscheck, who had to go to NY, was stuck at the Akron airport all day because of thunderstorms.

WRAP-UP:
Every family with sports fans must do a version of this trip. There are so many stadiums that we still haven't seen, that we are considering making it a yearly father's day tradition.

This will give me the option of opting out on occasion and checking into a spa.

No penalties, just high marks for coming back to finish!

Very nice report, crosscheck. Thanks. I'm glad it turned out to be such a good trip for all of you.