Game #20-Busch Stadium-St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals

It was a very warm and humid day in St. Louis on Tuesday, May 30 therefore, we were very happy to be attending an evening game. We began our visit to Busch Stadium at the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum a few hours before game time. The museum opened in 2014 and is right across the street from the stadium in an area called St. Louis Ballpark Village. The Ballpark Village was built on the site of the demolished Busch Memorial Stadium. As we entered the Ballpark Village it was bursting with Cardinals fans all gathering to eat, drink and play the many games available, such as cornhole. The museum is located on the third floor of the Cardinal Nation Restaurant. Interestingly, on the top of this restaurant is a rooftop with more than 300 ticketed bleacher seats for fans to watch the game. We made our way to the third floor with a planned hour to go through the museum, which we determined was not near enough time. The Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum contains over 15,000 artifacts and over 80,000 photographs, second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the largest collection of baseball memorabilia. It was fascinating to see the replicas of the former Busch Ballparks. The current Busch stadium is number three and opened in 2006. We also appreciated the many baseball jerseys displayed from the 140 year history of Cardinals baseball. When the Cardinals first began in 1882 they were known as the Browns and were renamed the Cardinals in 1900. One feature within the museum was interactive and allowed Jim and I to hold an actual bat used by Stan "The Man" Musial. See our Instagram for photos @ourfieldofdreams2023. Seeing the old baseball equipment made me really appreciate the legends that played baseball back in the day with this antique equipment. It was just so mind boggling to see the old baseball gloves, bats and baseball cleats and to think of what the players were able to accomplish with this equipment. I think the area of the museum that showed this best was the room that housed display cases from each of the 11 World Series Championships. Each display case held a scorecard, program, jersey, a bat, baseball, glove and a photo of the team from that year. The St. Louis Cardinals are the second winningest baseball team next to the Yankees who have 27 World Series Champion titles. The Cardinals won titles in 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006 and 2011. In addition to these winning years, the Cardinals have only once this century had a record under .500. One of my favorite things I saw was the pocket watch given to the 1944 World Series Championship Cardinals. Years ago instead of rings players were given pocket watches for championships. These are just a few highlights from our short experience in the museum. If you are ever in St. Louis I strongly recommend a visit to this treasure. After our visit to the museum we walked to view the many statues just outside the ballpark. There are eleven statues of former St. Louis Cardinals that appear to be in action in various poses. The statues are smaller than other statues I have seen at other ballparks but then again there are so many! The statues are of #45 Bob Gibson, #6 Stan Musial, #9 Enos Slaughter, #20 Lou Brock, #2 Red Schoendienst, #17 Dizzy Dean, #1 Ozzie Smith, #23 Ted Simmons, Rogers Hornsby, Cool Papa Bell, George Sisler. Baseball players did not have numbers in the early years of baseball so some players do not have numbers. In addition to having a statue most of these players have retired numbers. Players in addition to those mentioned above who have retired numbers are: #10 Tony LaRussa, #14 Ken Boyer, #24 Whitey Herzog, #42 Jackie Robinson, and #42 Bruce Sutter. Additionally in 1984, on the 85th birthday of August Busch, President of the Cardinals they retired #85 in his honor. After several pictures we entered security and of course had to answer questions about the hot dog hat. Once we got inside the ballpark we did a walk around to see the stadium which has a capacity of 44,494. The attendance for this Tuesday evening game was an impressive 38,406. The stadium is built in a "retro-classic" style with a view of the downtown St. Louis skyline and the famous Gateway Arch. As we walked the concourse area we were overwhelmed by the number of food and drink options available. Jim had asked several people along our path for recommendations on a hot dog. Hands down everyone told Jim he must get the Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog. We found the hot dog stand and met the great people behind the stand, Kawanda and Percy. We told them about Jim's reviews and asked them if they would be a part of the review to which they agreed. It was great to have them as part of the review even having Percy describe the ingredients which were spicy mayo, french fried onions, dill pickles, a cured bacon-wrapped beef hot dog all on a french roll. Is your mouth watering yet? Jim gave it one of his highest ratings, an 8.5. As for me, I had a bratwurst because I am still dreaming about that delicious one in Milwaukee. I have to admit the Cardinals bratwurst was not as good as the Milwaukee bratwurst. It was close to game time so we went to our seats in time for the lineup and National Anthem. We met our usher Jan and asked her to take our picture which is the one on this blog. Thank you Jan! It was wonderful to see the stands filled with so many enthusiastic fans all being led by the Cardinal Mascot Freebird. That mascot has some energy! First pitch was at 6:45pm and after the previous nights shellacking by the Royals, the Cardinals came out in full force. Tonight's game was definitely a pitchers game as Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas held onto a shutout for 8 innings. The Royals starting pitcher was Zack Greinke and he pitched 5 scoreless innings. It wasn't until the 6th inning when the Royals replaced Greinke with Carlos Hernandez that the Cardinals would see a score. Paul Goldschmidt hit a single and then Nolan Arenado hit a double bringing home Goldschmidt. Score Royals 0 - Cardinals 1. Then in the bottom of the 8th inning a pitching change by the Royals led to another score for the Cardinals. Tommy Edman walked followed by a line drive single by Brendan Donavan. With runners on the corners and one out, Nolan Gorman would hit a sacrifice fly to bring Tommy Edman in to score. Score Royals 0 - Cardinals 2. Top on the 9th inning brought in the Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos to replace Miles Mikolas who pitched an amazing scoreless 8 innings with 102 pitches thrown. Gallegos gave up a double to Vinnie Pasquantino to start the inning. Next to the plate was Salvador Perez who hit a single. Now with no outs and runners on the corners and the go ahead run at the plate it became a little tense in the stands for the Cardinals fans. Bobby Witt Jr. came to the plate and grounded into a force out scoring Vinnie Pasquantino. Score Royals 1 - Cardinals 2. MJ Melendez would fly out making it two outs. Michael Massey came to the plate with 2 outs and struck out swinging. GAME OVER with a score of Royals 1 - Cardinals 2. The game was over in just 2 hours and 19 minutes. That is what happens when you have great talent on the mound. I do like to see more hits and runs but it is certainly amazing to see pitchers throw a great game. I wondered if Greinke stayed in a little longer if things would have been different. Great pitching from both ball clubs! We are off to Kansas City where we will see the Royals again as they take on the Colorado Rockies on Friday night. Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game #19-Target Field-Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays

WHAT A DAY!!!! On Saturday, May 27th we set out from our RV park in Mystic Lake to get to the game early. It was a day game with first pitch at 1:10pm so we planned on an 11:00am arrival. Target field opened in 2010 and has a capacity of 38,544 and today 29,111 were in attendance, but I am sure none were as excited as Jim and I on our 19th ballpark visit of 30. Several statues are just outside the gate, Tom Kelly who was the manager of the Twins, and players Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett. There is a big golden glove just outside Gate #34 that is exactly 520 feet from home plate commemorating the longest home run hit by Harmon Killebrew. We sat in it for our picture. See our Instagram @ourfieldofdreams2023. We arrived at the Main Gate #34 which is a tribute to Kirby Puckett. In fact all the admission gates are numbered according to former Twins legends and located close to the positions they played. The left field gate is #6 honoring Tony Oliva, center field gate is #3 honoring Harmon Killebrew, right field gate is #29 honoring Rod Carew and home plate gate is #14 honoring Kent Hrbek. We entered the main gate which led into the Target Plaza. This plaza was full of energy with fans and families playing corn hole and a DJ playing great music. The energy was electric! Most of you that are following our journey on this Field of Dreams know that I wrote letters to all of the MLB Guest Relations explaining our trip and asking for any recommendations or tips on making our visit to their ballpark a home run. Well I have to say the Minnesota Twins knocked it out of the park, or shall I say Patrick Forsland, Senior Director, Guest Experience hit a grand slam! Patrick called me as soon as he received my letter back in January. There was no generic email or canned response, he picked up the phone and personally called me! I must admit there were three other teams that called me, but Patrick, well he was different. He was so personable and took a great amount of time asking questions about our trip and working with me to ensure our visit to Target Field was amazing. He gave me his contact information and said as the day drew closer we would be in touch. Patrick was good on his word because the day before the game Patrick called me to make a plan on where to meet before the game. We sought out a person who looked official and asked if they could radio Patrick to let him know we had arrived. We were directed to a wonderful man, Ryan who asked us if Patrick was expecting us. We told him yes and he quickly radioed Patrick to let him know we were at the main gate. We chatted with Ryan who agreed with us that Patrick was one of the best ever at connecting fans to the Twins. Patrick has been working for the Twins for 25 years and it definitely shows that he is passionate about this team. When he arrived we quickly exchanged our greetings and were gifted with Twins baseball hats and Purple Twins Prince Jerseys. We set out on a walk around and through the ballpark. We saw so many great parts of the stadium and were taken to places that the general public do not have access to. Target Field is the smallest in Major League Baseball with a footprint of only 8.5 acres. Due to this they really did not have room to create a Hall of Fame or special place for recognizing some of the greats of Twins baseball. Therefore, the Twins placed memorabilia in several places throughout the stadium. This was done exceptionally well! Please see our Instagram for a few photos of these treasures, @ourfieldofdreams2023. Next stop the Champions Club where members enjoy complimentary fine dining and the best seats in the house. The front row seats are at field level just 50 feet from home plate. After our time in the Champion Club we moved through the hallways and stairways to the most thrilling experience....a trip to the field. Patrick put wristbands on us so we would be official and let us walk out from 3rd base to home plate. We were able to see inside the dugouts and look at the stadium from the players vantage point. It was remarkable! We snapped several pictures and just took it all in. I loved the nostalgic Minnie and Paul 46-foot tall sign that stands over center-field and lights up after every Twins home run. Oh how I was hoping to see this happen! Also, new this year is the dugout celebration of the Twins when a player hits a home run. Players get welcomed back into the dugout with a tan "Land of 10,000 Rakes" fishing vest. Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez started this as a unique way to have fun and also as a way to represent Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. It just kind of adds a little spark to the celebration of a home run. I was hoping to see this after having read about it. We also had a bird's-eye view of the retired numbers just below the left-field Budweiser roof deck. Retired numbers are: # 3 Harmon Killebrew, #6 Tony Oliva, #14 Kent Hrbek, #29 Rod Carew, #34 Kirby Puckett, #28 Bert Blyleven, #10 Tom Kelly (manager, leading Twins to their first World Series Championship), #7 Joe Mauer, #36 Jim Kaat and #42 Jackie Robinson. Patrick left us for a while and came back to offer us seats in the Champion Club, 2 rows behind home plate. WOW!!!! He then walked us up to the Champion Club only to find out that he was given the wrong tickets and that they were for tomorrow's game. We graciously thanked him and expressed our gratefulness for all he had done for us. We walked together to our seats and Patrick said he was going to get us food vouchers so we waited for his return. Patrick quickly returned with great news! He did have the seats for us and had received the wrong envelope. WOO HOO! We then walked together to the Kramarczuk stand to get the polish dog Patrick recommended while he set off to get our tickets to the Champion Club. The Kramarczuk family has famously served Minnesota for over 60 years making all of their sausages by hand with quality ingredients. Jim decided he needed to expand his palate after I convinced him that my bratwurst in Milwaukee was way better than his hot dog. I did let him have ONE bite and he agreed. So if you see his Instagram reel please note that he made that disclaimer, so please do not post any harsh remarks. By the time we purchased our Kramarczuk Polish Dog, Patrick was back with our tickets and escorted us to the club. We said our goodbyes and thanked him and then ventured into the Champions Club. We felt like royalty! Before indulging in the vast array of delicious food and drinks available, we ventured out to our seats to do the hot dog review or shall I say sausage review. We were just two rows behind home plate with the stands filling up quickly so Jim was center stage. He put on his hot dog hat with hundreds watching and away he went giving his review. The Kramarczuk Polish Dog had loads of kraut and onions. Jim gave it an 8.0 which I tasted and agreed that it was one of the best so far. It was very close to first pitch so we settled in and waited to go back and experience some of the great food of the Champions Club. The Twins are playing the Toronto Blue Jays which makes this the third time on this road trip we are seeing the Blue Jays. First pitch was at 1:10 and it did not take long before the Blue Jays made their way on the scoreboard with Bo Bichette hitting a homer in the 1st inning. Score Blue Jays 1 - Twins 0. The Twins answered back in the bottom of the 1st with a walk by Joey Gallo, double by Edouard Julien and a groundout by Alex Kirilloff to score a run. Score tied with 1 apiece. Willi Castro came to the plate not expecting the plunk he received so it was off to first base for him and then eventually a steal to 2nd base. Next up Matt Wallner who singled driving in Julien and Castro. Score Blue Jays 1 - Twins 3. Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez was lights out in the 2nd inning putting down the batters in order. In the bottom of the 2nd Kyle Farmer singles and Edouard Julien doubles bringing home Kyle Farmer. Score Blue Jays 1 - Twins 4. Top of the 3rd the Blue Jays Tyler Heineman walked and George Springer hit a single before the muscle hit the plate. Bo Bichette hits a triple bringing in two runs. Score Blue Jays 3 - Twins 4. The Blue Jays were not done and in the top of the 4th Cavan Biggio hit a four-banger to right center field. Score now tied at 4. Twins mascot, TC Bear got the crowd going with some shenanigans on top of the visiting dugout. It was hysterical. You have to see the video on Instagram. It was a real nail-bitter until the bottom of the 5th inning when all heck broke loose. Alex Kirilloff hit a single right out of the chute bringing up Willi Castro who homered! We got to see the home run celebration complete with lights flashing and the special, new this year, "Land of 10,000 Rakes" vest being placed upon Castro as he entered the dugout. Score Blue Jays 4 - Twins 6. Castro did not get to wear that vest long because the next batter up Mat Wallner hit a moon shot to center field. Score Blue Jays 4 - Twins 7. A pitching change by the Blue Jays put an end to this rally. No more action would cross home plate until the bottom of the 7th inning when Willi Castro once again hit a homer. I guess he wanted the vest back. LOL Score Blue Jays 4 - Twins 8. Well in the bottom of the 8th poor Willi Castro had to give up that vest once again as Edouard Julien knocked one out of the park. Score Blue Jays 4 - Twins 9. The Blue Jays were not giving up and they put up a fight with the Twins closer Jorge Lopez. Whit Merrifield hit a single followed by a homer by Daulton Varsho. Score Blue Jays 6 - Twins 9. Cavan Biggio was hit by a pitch and then Alejandro Kirk hit a single. That brought the hook out for Lopez being replaced by Brock Stewart. With no outs and runners on 1st and 2nd and the tying run at the plate, Stewart went to work. George Springer flied out making it one out. Unfortunately the next batter was power hitter Bo Bichette hitting a single to bring in a run. Score Blue Jays 7 - Twins 9. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would fly out and the final out Brandon Belt (One of Shannon's favorite former Giants players) would be called out on strikes. Final score Blue Jays 7 - Twins 9. What an amazing experience we had at Target Field thanks to Patrick Forsland for making our Field of Dreams Tour extra special. Jim and I decided we are both now TWINS FANS! With 19 games in our Field of Dreams Tour the score is 9 wins and 10 losses for the home team. Next up is game number 20 at Busch Stadium to see the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Kansas City Royals. Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game #18-American Family Field-Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Francisco Giants (Shannon's favorite!)

It was a rather chilly and windy day in Milwaukee on Thursday, May 25 with high temperatures in the low 50s. I know for my Canadian family that's not cold, but for this SO CAL girl it's cold. When we arrived to American Family Field they must have thought it was cold too because they closed the roof. Actually when the temperature is below 60 they keep the roof closed. I have to admit I was not unhappy at all about the cold because I have a new Giants jacket that will keep me warm. American Family Field opened in 2001 with a fan-shaped retractable roof that can open and close in less than 10 minutes. It is a marvelous work of engineering. When we arrived to the stadium two hours before first pitch, the Brewers fans were setting up their tailgates in the parking lots complete with saugages and beer. Boy did those sausages barbecuing smell good! We walked around the perimeter of the stadium to look at the statues, monuments, and dedications to former Milwaukee players. We learned some new things about the Brewers on our journey. Jim discovered one of his long-time favorite players, Rollie Fingers played for the Brewers. Jim remembers when Rollie Fingers played for the Oakland A's and won three World Championships. I learned about Allan (Bud) Selig the former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. I remember hearing his name as the former Commissioner of Baseball but did not know his story. More on Selig later in this blog. The Brewers have statues of Robin Yount "The Kid" who played for the Brewers for 20 years holding many records and having 3,142 career hits and Hank Aaron "The Hammer" who is one of the most iconic players of all time playing for the Brewers/Braves for 23 seasons. These men have made so many contributions to baseball history it is fitting for there to be large statues outside the gates of American Family Field. Also outside the front entrance, is a statue of Bob Uecker, longtime radio broadcaster and former Milwaukee Braves player. That is not a typo....Milwaukee's team used to be the Braves before they left for Atlanta. Bob Uecker was known as "Mr. Baseball" and appeared on many late night talk shows. This year is his 53rd season calling the Brewers games. From the front gates we walked around to view "The Walk of Fame." There are 22 home plate shaped granite stones commemorating players, coaches, executives and broadcasters who have made significant contributions to Major League Baseball. Each granite stone has the names, uniform numbers, signature and years associated with Milwaukee baseball. I say Milwaukee baseball because the first team was the Braves from 1953-1965 before the Brewers began playing in 1970. Additionally they have a "Brewers Wall of Honor" honoring those players, coaches, excutives and broadcasters who have made significant contributions to the Milwaukee Brewers Major League Baseball team. See our Instagram for pictures @ourfieldofdreams2023. It was getting close to the gates opening so we made our way to the gate. While at the gate we made a few friends, you know how shy and introverted we are. There were several Giants fans whom we made it a point to speak with and find out their story of what a Giants fan was doing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was getting close to the gate opening when we were approached by a woman named Mary. She asked us if this was our first time to American Family Field to which we said yes. That is when Mary's eyes lit up and the information began to pour. Now Mary looked very official sporting her bright yellow safety vest, thus Jim and I both assumed she was a guest services employee. After about 10 minutes of free-flowing information from Mary the gates opened and she quickly said meet me on the other side after security and I will take you to those places I mentioned. My thoughts were how nice that American Family Field has such friendly and helpful guest services employees. Once we got through security which took a little extra time due to having to explain the very large hot dog hat hanging out of my bag, we met up with Mary. She quickly wisked us off to Guest Services to pick up our First Time Certificate and other gifts from a Guest Services employee. It was at that time that we realized she was not an employee at all but what we would call an ambassador for the Brewers. Mary LOVES the Brewers and it was as if she was showing off HER own house. She took us from place to place giving us many details and even pointed us in the right direction of the hot dog stand that was recommended from Bob at Guest Services. We graciously thanked Mary for her escorted tour and were off to buy our hot dog from Topped Hot Dog. Once we got to our seats Jim did his hot dog review of the Badger State Dog, topped with Wisconsin Sharp Cheddar, Cranberry, Jalapeno, Ketchup, Bacon and Tater Tots. He gave it a 7.5. See his reel on Instagram. I tasted it too and it was delicious, but not as delicious as my Johnsonville Bratwurst! That "Brat" was a 10 in my book. After we settled the beasts in our bellies because we had fasted all day in preparation for some great ballpark food we went to the Selig Experience. The Selig Experience is an exhibit inside the ballpark that shows a 15-minute documentary of Bud Selig's life and work for the Milwaukee Brewers. As a young boy Selig grew up loving baseball and attended many minor league baseball games with his mom. When the Boston Braves relocated to Milwaukee in 1953 Selig became a major stockholder. Selig was devastated with the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1965 and thus began his mission to get another major league team to Milwaukee. He fought tirelessly for five years and in 1970 he bought the bankrupt Seattle Pilots bringing them to Milwaukee and renaming them the Brewers. Following the documentary a screen went up and a life-sized 3D encounter took place where it appeared Selig himself was talking to us from his office. It was amazing! When we exited the theatre there stood the office that was behind the screen which was an authentic reproduction of Selig's office and a smoking cigarette in the ashtray. All I can say is that technology is fascinating! In fact, this 3D technology is only found in a handful of exhibits around the world. If you are ever in American Family Field this is a MUST see! Another fan favorite feature is Bernie's Chalet complete with a slide that Bernie Brewer, the team's mascot, slides down when the Brewers hit a home run. Years ago Bernie would slide into a huge beer mug of beer now he just slides onto a platform. The mascot stands on the platform the entire game holding up signs to lead the crowd in cheers. It is a great crowd pleaser. The Brewers proudly display their retired numbers on the left and right field walls. Retired numbers are: #1 Allan "Bud" Selig, founder; #4 Paul Molitor; #19 Robin Yount; #34 Rollie Fingers; #44 Hank Aaron; and #42 Jackie Robinson. Something unique to the Brewers games is during the 7th inning stretch they not only sing, "Take Me Out To The Ball Game," they sing, "Roll Out The Barrell." It was great to see the fans cheerfully singing this song. Now on to the game with 24,536 in attendance of a 41,700 seat capacity stadium. The rule is we cheer for the home team but not tonight because the Brewers are playing one of our teams. This is the second time on this road trip to see the Giants. They won in Miami so we were hoping for another win by the Giants. Well at least I was hoping for a win not so sure about Jim. LOL The Giants were coming off a tough loss the night before to the Minnesota Twins. But as they say in baseball PLAY BALL! It was all about the pitching tonight and first pitch was at 6:40pm. Starting pitcher for the Brewers was Julio Teheran who kept the Giants off the board for four innings. The Giants have lost their fifth spot in their pitching rotation due to an injury so they had to rely on their bullpen to essentially fill that fifth spot. Scott Alexander pitched a perfect 1st inning for the Giants before passing the baton to Taylor Rogers in the 2nd inning. Jakob Junis came out in the 3rd inning to replace Rogers and would stay until the 5th inning. In the top of the 5th inning it was a scoreless game until Giants Casey Schmitt hit a single. Schmitt stole a base just before LaMonte Wade Jr. came to the plate. "Late Night LaMonte" had a hard hit single that brought Casey Schmitt in to score. Giants 1 - Brewers 0. Bottom of the 5th inning Giants pulled Junis and put in Sean Manaea to strike out the side. Brewers brought in a fresh arm replacing Julio Teheran with Hoby Milner who did not last long before being replaced by Trevor Magill. In the bottom of the 7th inning Giants brought in Tyler Rogers, twin brother of Taylor Rogers who did a fantastic job. Can you imagine being the parents of twin boys who not only pitch in the majors, but are on the same team! Top of the 8th inning the Brewers pitching just could not control the bats of the Giants. First to bat was Michael Conforto who hit a deep home run to center field. Score Giants 2 - Brewers 0. Mike Yastrzemski hit a single to get on base and then Blake Sabol was hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second Casey Schmitt hit a double bringing the runners home. Score Giants 4 - Brewers 0. Next up Giants newbie catcher, Patrick Bailey who hit a double bringing home a run. I love this kid! Score Giants 5 - Brewers 0. John Brebbia replaced Tyler Rogers to close out the game. Giants pitching served up a shut out! Giants fans and especially me were delighted! We are off to Minneapolis where we will see the Twins take on the Blue Jays on Saturday. We have seen the Blue Jays play more than any other team on this trip. Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game # 17-Wrigley Field-Chicago Cubs vs. New York Mets

This is one of the stadiums Jim and I have most looked forward to visiting. There is just something about going to a place that has over 100 years of baseball history. This is Jim's first visit to Wrigley Field and my second. I was at Wrigley Field in 1987 the summer before the lights were put in and when Harry Caray was still singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" in the 7th inning stretch. Now here Jim and I are together on this Tuesday, May 23, 2023 living Our Field of Dreams! We were so thrilled to have our great friends from Southern California, Scott and Lina join us for this game. Everyone who has been to Wrigley Field knows that parking is a huge problem and they look for a variety of options to get to the park. Our friend Scott is an expert at navigating these challenges and so he came up with a plan. We thought we would just Uber but instead we went with Scott's plan. He found parking at a private residence online and paid for it through an app. People who live near the stadium sell their driveway or residence parking spots on game days for a nice fee. So we found the house he bought the parking spot from and parked under the famous Chicago "L." I must say I was a little tense walking down the alleyways to get to the stadium. We arrived at the stadium full of excitment and anticipation for a great experience. My heart raced as we came around the corner and saw the iconic marquee outside Wrigley Field. This marquee is bright red with big white letters "Wrigley Field Home of Chicago Cubs. I have to beleive this is one of the most photographed spots ever. We took several pictures in front of the marquee which you can view on our Instagram @ourfieldofdreams2023. We thought it would be beneficial to take in a tour of Wrigley Field prior to the game. We had a 3:15pm tour which was hosted by a terrific guide Kevin. He was extremely informative about Wrigley Field and even gave us a hot dog suggestion and where to go for pregame beverages after the tour. Kevin gave us a very extensive timeline of the second oldest major league baseball park, which first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park. Weeghman Park was home to the Chicago Whales of the Federal League which folded after 1915. The Cubs played their first home game at the park on April 20, 1916. William Wrigley, Jr. bought the Cubs in 1921 and the stadium was called Cubs Park until 1927 when it was renamed Wrigley Field. As of 2020 Wrigley Field was designated a U.S. National Landmark and with good reason! The Cubs have been owned by the Ricketts Family since 2009. In fact we saw Thomas Ricketts at the game sitting just 15 rows in front of us. I just can't wrap my head around being the owner of a baseball team! My family tree is just not that wealthy. Maybe Jim and I could start a Camp Brayville Baseball Team with our grandkids. We will have to negotiate their contracts. LOL. Our tour guide Kevin gave us so much information and shared so many great stories of Wrigley Field. Did you know that Wrigley Field is the only Major League Baseball field to NOT have padded outfield walls? They have ivy covered bricks which do not cushion so well when fielders hit them while going for a ball. In fact, the warning track is made of crushed brick so when a fielder is going backwards for a fly ball they can hear they are getting close to the fence by the sound under their cleats. Interestingly if a ball goes into the thick ivy it is ruled a ground-rule double but only if the fielder puts his hands up in the air. If they go for the ball it remains in play. Some of the rookies have been hurt by that rule if they don't know to put their hands up. One thing that really showcased the history of the park is the old hand-turned scoreboard. I just kept thinking how many people over the decades have put up numbers on that scoreboard to record some of the greatest players of all time home runs. So nostalgic! Wrigley Field was the very last MLB park to have lights installed which happened in 1988. Until that time all games were played during the day. This brings me to the really funny stories shared by Kevin about this time period. Have you heard about the "Bleacher Bums?" They are Chicago Cubs fans who sit in the bleacher section of Wrigley Field. The reason they were originally referred to as "bums" is because, due to their ability to regularly attend day games the assumption was that they did not have jobs. Soon because of this men started attending wearing hard hats and carrying lunch pails like they just got off work. It is too bad those bleachers can't talk because some of the things that went on are hysterical. Kevin told us of a race that was done by the "Bleacher Bums" two men, one atop the left outfield wall and another atop the right outfield wall would wait for a woman holding a beer on the centerfield wall to drop a hanky indicating the start of the race. The men would run atop the outfield fence and who reached her first got the beer. This was just one of many stories he told us. Because of the exuberant fans who would frequently fall out of the bleachers onto the field they installed a long chain-link fence strip running the entire length of the outfield wall. They call this feature "The Basket" because it catches fans before they fall to the field. When you look beyond the bleachers and into the community next to the stadium you will see bleachers on top of the roofs of neighboring buildings. I was amazed to see these bleachers filled to capacity on this Tuesday evening game! There are sixteen rooftops of residential buildings which have bleachers on them to view the baseball games. One of the stories our tour guide Kevin shared with us was that many years ago, next to the stadium near left field was an insane asylum. One day they heard some screaming from the insane asylum during a game and they said, "That came out of left field." I am sure there are so many stories and probably books have been written about these stories of Wrigley Field. Next to the bleachers the foul poles are both marked with a "Hey, Hey" in honor of Jack Brickhouse, who was the play by play voice of the Chicago Cubs from 1948 to 1981. Wrigley Park has many flags flying on the outer roofline. Currently they fly 24 flags reading the last names of Cubs Hall of Famers. They also fly flags for players with retired numbers on the right and left field foul poles. But the most amazing spectacle and long-time tradition of the Cubs is to fly the "W flag" or "L flag" following a win or loss. The win flag is white with a big blue W and the loss flag is blue with a big white L. Also drenched in tradition, is the singing of "Go, Cubs, Go" upon a Cubs win. Another tradition is that if an opposing team player hits a home run into the bleachers you must "THROW IT BACK!" The crowd will continue to scream "THROW IT BACK" until the person who caught the ball throws it back onto the field. Also, if the Cubs get a home run not only do the lights flash but the crowd breaks out into singing "Whoomp! There it is!" All of this information and we are bursting at the seams to watch the game and hope to see some of these traditions take place. Once the tour had ended we took the advice of our tour guide Kevin and set out to find the famous Murphy's Sports Bar across the street from the Harry Caray Statue. We went into this famous tavern and where amazed at the amount of memorabilia hanging on the walls not to mention the spirited fans crowding the place. We had a before hot dog drink and then made our way into the stadium. First order of business was for Jim to buy the Kosher Chicago Dog and do his review. He gave the hot dog an 8.0 and gave an excellent description. You will have to see his reel on Instagram. Scott, Lina and I had a very delicious burger with fries complete with cheese dipping sauce. We all thought the burgers were great. Now on to the game and boy what a game! I was blown away by the attendance for a Tuesday evening game 35,958! That is almost a sell out crowd. It wasn't long before we got to see one of the Cubs traditions because in the botton of the 2nd inning Seiya Suzuki hit a homer! The lights flashed, the fans cheered and they all sang, "Whoomp! There it is!" Mets 0 - Cubs 1. A walk by Christopher Morel and a single by Yan Gomes would bring in another run. Mets 0 - Cubs 2. Then a smashing 2-run homer by Matt Mervis would bring the fans once again to their feet singing, "Whoomp! There it is!" Mets 0 - Cubs 4. It would take the 4th inning for us to see the other Cubs tradition of "THROW IT BACK." When Mets Pete Alonso hit a homer into the center field bleachers, a large eruption of "THROW IT BACK" came until the fan threw the ball back onto the field. It was so funny! Next in the bottom of the 4th inning the Cubs offense was not done putting scores on the board. Matt Mervis singled on a sharp ground ball and an unsuccessful play at home plate and then a throw to second calling Matt Mervis out was overturned. Score Mets 1 - Cubs 5. Then singles by Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson would drive in a run making it Mets 1 - Cubs 6. The top of the 6th inning started pretty rough for Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly with singles by Mets Brandon Nimmo and Eduardo Excobar and then a walk by Francisco Lindor before the Cubs got the hook out. Cubs pitcher Jeremiah Estrada came out to face Mets Pete Alonso who is a force to be reckoned with. Alonso grounded into a force out bringing in a run. Score Mets 2 - Cubs 6. Then in the bottom of the 7th inning, because we had not seen it enough, the Cubs Christopher Morel hit a homer! We just loved seeing how the Cubs celebrate a homer! Score Mets 2 - Cubs 7, where the score would remain until the end of the game. Then we were able to see first hand the huge celebration of the WIN by the Cubs fans. The large white flag with the big blue W was carried around by the Cub's mascot on the field as the crowd broke out into the song, "Go, Cubs, Go!" We were all so overjoyed to be at a game where we could witness these strong Cubs tradtions. Now we are off to Milwaukee and our friends Scott and Lina are homeward bound. We will be seeing the Milwaukee Brewers face the San Francisco Giants. Right now the Field of Dreams Tour record is 8 wins and 9 loses for the home team. Our rule is that we always cheer for the home team unless they are playing the Giants or Dodgers. So for me I will be cheering on my Giants and Jim will be quietly cheering for the Giants......probably not! Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game # 16 Guarantee Rate Field-Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals

We are back on "Our Field of Dreams Tour" after a quick flight home to celebrate our darling grandson Jax 1st birthday. Once back in Detroit we picked up our RV and made our way to Chicago. We were joined by longtime great friends Scott and Lina who flew in from California to meet us. It was a perfectly gorgeous day on Sunday, May 21 for a ballgame with bright sunny skies and temperatures in the 70's. We arrived at Guarantee Rate Field at 11am, two hours before game time to explore the stadium. The "New Comiskey Park" as some of the Southside fans refer to it opened in 1991 replacing the former Comiskey Park which had been the home of the White Sox since 1910. It has since been demolished to make room for a parking lot however, the location of the old home plate is represented by a marble plaque on the sidewalk next to the park. We saw many fans tailgating in the parking lot and getting game ready with barbecues and games of cornhole. As we walked to the main gate we were greeted by several pillars displaying the retired numbers of White Sox players and Hall of Famers. Some of the players were way before my time so I had to read up about their amazing contributions to America's favorite past time. White Sox retired numbers are: #2 Nellie Fox 2B, #3 Harold Baines RF, #4 Luke Appling SS, #9 Minnie Minoso LF, #11 Luis Aparicio SS, #14 Paul Konerko 1B, #16 Ted Lyons P, #19 Billy Pierce P, #35 Frank Thomas 1B, #56 Mark Buehrle P, #72 Carlton Fisk C and #42 Jackie Robinson 2B. Additionally, at this gate entrance is the White Sox Champions Brick Plaza. This plaza is dedicated to the 2005 World Series Champion White Sox and their fans. There are several legacy bricks with inscribed personal messages from fans. The most impressive feature of this plaza was the enourmous white, bronze and granite sculpture celebrating the White Sox 2005 World Championship. Players on the sculpture are Paul Konerko, Joe Crede, Orlando Hernandez, Geoff Blum and Juan Uribe. Jim and I love the fact that former Giants and Dodger player Juan Uribe was a part of that championship team and on the sculpture. We took some pictures which you can view on our Instagram @ourfieldofdreams2023. Once inside the gate we continued our journey of exploration. In the outfield concourse are several bronze statues of several former White Sox players which I have put pictures of on our Instagram. A very unique feature is the Rain Room where fans can cool off during hot game days. Also, something I have never seen before in a ballpark is an outdoor shower! This was brought over from the old Comiskey Park and used by fans to cool off on hot days. Today is a warm day but NOT warm enough for me to try! The White Sox fans are very passionate about their team and they are definitly not fond of Cubs fans. It is kind of like the Dodger vs. Giants rival only a thousand times more. We made our way to our seats on the first base side of the field and met a couple of lifelong White Sox fans Tom and Teresa who were sitting behind us. They gave us lots of fan history of the White Sox and really taught us how to cheer for the home team, including the song they sing when the opposing team's pitcher is replaced. "Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye." Tom and Teresa were great to sit by as they kept us laughing as we enjoyed the game. I really think Tom is a comedian of if not he should be! He said he would read this blog and comment....well we will see. Now on to the fan favorite, the food. Jim did his usual scouting to find the best hot dog in the park. Our very kind usher, Victor recommended the Comiskey Hot Dog. The Comiskey Hot Dog is a foot-long hot dog with toppings of mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, and peppers. It really was a great looking hot dog so much so that our friends Scott and Lina got one as well. Jim gave this hot dog a 7.5. See his Instagram reel if you haven't already. I decided to go with a hot meatball sandwich which was delicious but messy. It had loads of onions and peppers and a very tasty sauce on the meatballs. Yummy! Now on to the game. One thing I heard about was the LED lights and how they flicker when the White Sox get a home run or win the game, for this I was hopeful. The White Sox had Lance Lynn on the mound who started off well with a little struggle in the 2nd inning when Royals player Michael Massey hit a two-run homer. Score Royals 2 - Sox 0. All I could think of was we can't have another home team loss. Our Field of Dreams record is 6 wins and 9 losses. Well the White Sox came to life in the 4th inning with a HOME RUN by Luis Robert Jr. YEAH!!! We got to see the LED lights flash as the fans celebrated this explosive home run. Score Royals 2 - Sox 1. Then in the bottom of the 5th inning the White Sox bats got busy with Clint Frazier and Gavin Sheets hitting singles, Hanser Alberto hitting a sacrifice bunt and a huge triple by Romy Gonzalez scoring two runs. Then to top it off Andrew Benintendi hits a sacrifice fly to bring in a run. Score Royals 2 - Sox 4. White Sox made a pitching change at the top of the 7th inning after an excellent performance by Lance Lynn in 6 innings. The Royals just could not bring the offense and it was lights out for them the rest of the game. To add insult to injury the White Sox used up the Royals bullpen as they tried to shut them down but that did not happen. In the bottom of the 7th inning Tim Anderson and Romy Gonzalez have back-to-back singles bringing up Andrew Benintendi who had a hard hit single to bring in the final run. Score Royals 2 - Sox 5 where the game would end. It's a win for the home team making it 7 wins and 9 losses on Our Field of Dreams Tour. Hopefully this will continue as we go see the Chicago Cubs take on the New York Mets on Tuesday evening. We are really looking forward to our visit to historical Wrigley Field with our good friends Scott and Lina. Until next time, PLAY BALL!

Game #15-Comerica Park Home of the Detroit Tigers--Half Way There!

What an extra special time for us to celebrate the very important women in our lives who have been impacted by breast cancer. Tonight's Detroit Tigers game, Friday, May 12 was "Pink Out The Park." This indeed was a time when my heartstrings where pulled as my forever friend, Kat Gelardi, who is a breast cancer survivor was with us. Additionally, Jim's sister, Cyndi Skye is currently battling breast cancer and Jim's first wife, Sue Bray lost her life to breast cancer 13 years ago. So we will just say it was pretty emotional for us all. It was incredible to see so many people unite for a cause that has touched so many lives. The baseball field was lined with hundreds of breast cancer survivors in the pregame ceremony. The National Anthem was sung by a breast cancer survivor and the first pitch was thrown out by a breast cancer survivor. The Detroit Tigers pulled out all the stops in "Pinking Out The Park." There were banners, large pink ribbons, pink balloons and pink decorations that covered the ballpark. Even the scoreboard was lit with pink. The staff, grounds crew and players wore pink and they gave the fans pink pullover zip shirts as they entered the gate. What an amazing night! I must say when I was planning the baseball trip I had a totally different picture of Detroit than I do now. We toured downtown Detroit before the game with our friends Tom and Kat who were born and raised in Detroit. We were very surprised by how clean it was and how safe we felt. We never saw one homeless tent or homeless person laying in the streets of downtown. The same was true for our arrival at Comerica Park. The area around the ballpark is well kept and beautiful. The ballpark is located between two historic churches and across the street from the historic Fox Theatre which opened in 1928. Outside the stadium we were greated by a very large tiger statue which we snapped a picture by, see our Instagram for pictures. @ourfieldofdreams2023. There are also 33 tiger heads with baseballs in their mouths that light up on the brick walls outside the park. As we entered the ballpark we were given a pink zippered shirts for breast cancer awareness. Once inside the gate we could not believe our eyes as the entire stadium was decorated in pink. Just inside the gate there were many tables set up by Karmanos Cancer Institute with loads of information and literature on breast cancer awareness. One table had signs for fans to write the name of people they know who have been impacted by breast cancer. We all got signs to acknowledge those loved ones impacted by breast cancer. We then took our walk around the ballpark to see the many special features of this park. They have large poles set up by decade through the concourse, each have artifacts about that particular decade of the Tigers. Also, as we walked around the concourse in left-center field there are statues of almost all the players whose numbers have been retired by the Tigers. Who were these amazing people? Lou Whitaker #1, Charlie Gehringer #2, Alan Trammell #3, Hank Greenberg #5, Al Kaline #6, George "Sparky" Anderson #11, Hal Newhouser #16, Willie Horton #23, and Jack Morris #47. We loved the way the statues appeared to be in action with dirt flying up. See the pictures on Instagram. It is very impressive as you sit in the stands to look out into left-center field and see these statues and their numbers on the brickwall. Fantastic display! A new thing I learned is that way back in baseball history the players did not have numbers like Ty Cobb who played for the Tigers from 1905-1926. So you will see in our pictures that Ty Cobb's name is on the retired numbers wall without a number. If you want to read about some remarkable records (90 MLB records in his career) and interesting facts look up Ty Cobb. The stadium also has a fountain in center field known as the Chevrolet Fountain. This fountain goes off when on a Tiger player hits a home run or the Tigers win. We were told the tiger's eyes on the scoreboard light up on a homerun but we did not see that. We did witness one Tiger home run and saw the fountain go off. Another very unique feature and boy I wish I had my grandkids with me, was the carousel with tigers and Ferris Wheel with twelve cars designed like baseballs. We could have filled the Ferris Wheel with our grandkids! Really cute you must see the pictures on Instagram. And finally the feature that you will only find at the home of the Detroit Tigers is the "keyhole." A keyhole is a distinctive dirt strip between home plate and the pitcher's mound. This was very common in the early ballparks but is rare in modern facilities. Now on to the food.....WOW do they have loads of options at Comerica Park! I have never seen so many food vendors in a ballpark in my life. There was something for everyone! Of course for Jim it would be a hot dog. Jim got a sausage dog with peppers and onions. He gave it a 7.5. See the reel on Instagram. It was so hard for me to make a food choice but anyone who knows me know that tacos is high on my list of foods I love. So it was the steak tacos for me. They were deliciously spicy and so very good! Now on to the game. It was a tough one for the Tigers! Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd struggled and left the game in the middle of the 2nd inning. In the 1st inning Boyd allowed a walk, and two singles by Ty France and Jarred Kelenic which scored a run. Score Mariners 1 - Tigers 0. Then in the 2nd inning it all went to heck for poor Boyd allowing three walks, singles by Jose Caballero, J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodriguez making it 5-0 Mariners. That was the end for Boyd when Tigers brought in Mason Englert to try to stop the Mariners. Not so easy for Englert as Jarred Kelenic grounded into a force out bringing in a run. Score Mariners 6 - Tigers 0. Englert's time was short being replaced in the top of the 5th by Will Vest. Then in the bottom of the 5th inning the Tigers showed some life with a 2 run homer by Tigers catcher Jake Rogers. Score Mariners 6 - Tigers 2. The Tigers would blow through their bullpen with another pitching change in the top of the 6th placing Will Vest on the mound who held the Mariners at bay. Another pitching change came in the top of the 7th for the Tigers as two singles by Mariners Julio Rodrigues and Eugenio Suarez put pressure on the bullpen. Jose Cisnero came in and the Mariners scored again when Teoscar Hernandez hit a single. Score Mariners 7 - Tigers 2. Then the final scores came in the top of the 9th when the Mariners Ty France hit a single followed by a home run by Julio Rodriguez. Score Mariners 9 - Tigers 2. It was definetly Julio Rodruguez that was the star of the game with three hits, including a homer, and driving in four runs. Well that makes it 6 wins and 9 losses for the home team on our tour. We are taking a small break to fly back home and give our house sitter a break. We will be back to continue our "Field of Dreams Tour" on May 21 in Guaranteed Rate Field where we will see the Chicago White Sox take on the Kansas City Royals. We are thrilled to be joined in Chicago by our dear friends Scott and Lina Ingalls. Let's hope they bring some luck for the HOME TEAM! Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there and until next time PLAY BALL!

Game #14-Great American Ball Park-Cincinnati Reds vs. New York Mets

It was certainly a beautiful day for a baseball game with bright sunny skies and temperatures perfectly set in the 70s. On Wednesday, May 10 we made our way from our RV site to the ballpark. I have been corresponding with Craig Warman, Director of Customer Service for the Cincinnati Reds since January. Thank you Craig for setting us up for a great experience at the Great American Ball Park. We were given complimentary tickets to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame along with a few bobbleheads, four Reds baseball caps, four Reds key chains and a miniature replica of the stadium. We were blown away by the hospitality of the Cincinnati Reds! Everyone we encountered greeted us with a warm welcome and were very helpful when we had questions. We went to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and saw so many wonderful exhibits that showcased the Reds history. The first exhibit we saw was the Women in Baseball exhibit with over 200 artifacts. This exhibit displayed the many contributions women and girls have made to America's favorite pasttime. There were newspaper articles back from the very early days of women playing baseball. See our Instagram for photos. @ourfieldofdreams2023. A very interesting exhibit of the "Great 8" held many artifacts and 8 bronze statues of all eight legendary players. It was Johnny Bench behind the plate, Tony Perez at first base, Joe Morgan at second base, David Concepcion at shortstop, Pete Rose at third base, with outfield Ken Griffey in right, Cesar Geronimo in center and George Foster in left that made up this "Great 8." They were legendary winning two back-to-back World Championships in 1975 and 1976. Another fascinating exhibit was the Pete Rose Ball Wall. This wall has 4,256 balls which is the number of hits Pete Rose had in his career. Additionally, the Hall of Fame has a very extensive timeline of the Reds history with thousands of artifacts organized by decade. Here is a question for all the readers of this blog. Did you ever collect baseball cards? If so do you still have them or did your mom throw them out because you continually left them out laying around the house. Jim forgives his mom and wishes he would have been better at picking up after himself. We were greatly impressed with the extensive collection of Reds baseball cards in the museum, over 5,000 original Reds baseball cards from 1869 to present day! The Hall of Fame plaques are displayed beautifully in a room complete with touchscreen databases that allow you to play the honoree's film. Also on display are the World Series Championship Trophies. The amount of interactive displays and exhibits are very enjoyable. Jim and I even tried our hand at game announcing and decided we should keep our day jobs. Oh wait we are retired! I strongly recommend if you are ever in Cincinnati please take the time to visit this captivating museum! Thank you again Craig Warman! Following our visit to Reds Hall of Fame we walked around the exterior of the ballpark. At the main entrance are statues of Joe Nuxhall former pitcher and broadcaster, catcher Ernie Lombardi, first baseman Ted Kluszewski and outfielder Frank Robinson depicted playing an imaginary baseball game. Really neat concept! Once inside the gates we did our usual walk around joined by our friends Tom and Kat Gelardi. The ballpark is situated next to the Ohio River with a large walking area. The stadium has some unique features one is the lone seat in the outfield that has been placed there in honor of those MIA and POWs who served our country. Being a huge patriot I felt this was a very special tribute. The stadium also has a 35-foot break in the stands in the upper decks between home plate and third base known as "The Gap." This gap provides views from downtown into the stadium. In right center field are two smokestacks, reminiscent of old steamboats that traveled the Ohio River. These smokestacks shoot flames high in the air when the Reds strike out a batter. Apparently they also have fireworks that shoot out when the Reds hit a home run or win the game. We unfortunately never saw this spectacle. Just as you enter the park you are greeted by two very large mosaics. One of the mosaics depicts "The First Nine" the 1869 Red Stockings who were the first major league baseball team in history with a record of 57-0 in their first season. The other mosaic is of "The Great Eight" who won back-to-back World Series in 1975 and 1976. The mosaics are beautiful and very well done. See the pictures on Instagram. After our walk around the stadium we arrived at our seats greeted by our very friendly usher, Andy. He was quick to dust off our seats and welcome us to the Great American Ball Park. Then it was the time all those Instagram viewers were waiting for......Jim's hot dog review. We have good friends who are native Ohioans, Angie, Jackie and Cindy and they were waiting on pins and needles for his review and even gave some recommendations. Jim got the Cheese Coney with Skyline Chili. The first comment Jim made was this dog is so small! Maybe it was small in relationship to the foot-long dogs he has reviewed at other ballparks. Moment of truth came when he took his first bite and gave it the lowest review of a 5.0. As the lady behind the camera I was shocked and knew that our good Ohio friends would not take to kindly to the rating. Well I was right as my phone started blowing up after the Instagram post with such things as, " this is bullcrap...the Cleveland Slider Dog topped with fruit loops got a 7.0". Let's just say I hope we still have friends in Ohio! Now on to the game. In a ballpark built for 43,500 there were 14,515 in attendance this Wednesday evening. It was a fantastic night for New York Mets pitcher Justin Verlander and one that would end up placing him alongside of 20 other pitchers who have beat all 30 teams. The one and only score for the Cincinnati Reds came in the 1st inning. Jonathan India hit a single and Jake Fraley hit a double to drive in a run. Score Reds 1 - Mets 0. It didn't take long before the Mets would get on the board. In the top of the 2nd inning the first batter, Pete Alonso hit a mile-high homer to left field making it a tie game. Then in the 4th inning the Mets would score again with Luis Guillorme hitting a double and Brandon Nimmo hitting a single bringing in a run. Score at the end of 4, Mets 2 - Reds 1. That would also be the final score of the ballgame due to the excellent showing of Verlander who only allowed the Reds two hits. Once again the visitors prevailed making our Field of Dreams Tour 6 wins and 8 losses for the home team. Were are off to Michigan now where we will visit Tom and Kat's family and take in the Detroit Tigers game Friday. Let's hope the home team wins! Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game # 13-Progressive Field-Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers

We have arrived in Cleveland and are joined by our dear friends, Tom and Kat Gelardi. We began the day with a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which conveniently is located near the baseball stadium. We spent a few hours touring the building which held many exhibits on the roots of rock and roll. There are also exhibits on cities that have had a major impact on rock and roll such as Memphis, Detroit, London, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. They also have exhibits that focus on individual artists. Jim enjoyed seeing his favorite Neil Young and I was delighted to see the Elvis exhibit. They had a very extensive Beatles exhibit which held many artifacts such as pianos that Paul McCartney and John Lennon used to practice and write music. Interestingy, they had a giant hot dog hanging from the center of the entryway to the museum. Not sure what that is about but we just chalked it up to a welcome sign for Jim Bray the Hot Dog Man. See the picture on Instagram! All in all it was very well done and worth the side trip prior to the game. Now on to the ballpark which opened in 1994 as Jacobs Field but in 2008 Progressive Corporation bought naming rights for $58 million. Is that why my insurance is so pricey? Progressive Field has a capacity of 34,788 but this Monday evening the attendance was low with only 12,509 fans. The stadium reminded me a little of Camden Yards in Baltimore with kind of a retro-style. The ballpark has a nice view of the Cleveland city skyline but not nearly as impressive as PNC Park skyline in Pittsburg. The stadium has a steel design with several large white vertical light towers. At the entrance of the ballpark are statues of Bob Feller, who holds the record of three no-hitters; Jim Thome who holds the record of the longest home run hit at Progressive Field, 511 feet; Lou Boudreau, MVP in 1948; and Larry Doby, first African-American to play for the Indians. We made our way through the gates with plenty of time before the first pitch to explore the stadium. As we were walking Jim was stopped by an usher, James, who wanted to know about our shirts. He explained we were on a journey to see all the MLB ballparks this season. Then Jim asked him the most important question, "What is the BEST hot dog in the ballpark?" He proceeded to recommend the "Slider Dog" at Happy Dog. This hot dog has mac 'n' cheese, bacon and Fruit Loops! Yes, Fruit Loops!! He gave the "Slider Dog" a 7.0. See the reel on Instagram @ourfieldofdreams2023. My choice of food was a good old fashioned hamburger which was pretty tasty. We made our way to our seats before the National Anthem and met up with our friend and fellow MLB Roadtrip buddy, Guy. This might be the last game we are at together as he is moving at a faster pace than us. We hope our paths cross again! We were happy to have our longtime friends Tom and Kat Gelardi with us for game #13. They will also be with us for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers (their hometown) games. We were overjoyed to receive a gift from the Guardians Guest Relations Department delivered to our seats in response to the letter I sent explaining our stadium tour. They gave us Guardian water bottles, Jose Ramirez photo sticks and a very nice handwritten welcome note. Thank you Guardian Guest Relations! The Guardians started off the 1st inning with great momentum. Steve Kwan doubled, followed by Amed Rosario's single and then Jose Ramirez sacrifice hit to score a run. Score Guardians 1, Tigers 0. The 3rd inning was where it all blew open for the Tigers. It was singles by Andy Ibanez, Eric Haase, Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez along with a double by Nick Maton that drove in 3 runs. Score Tigers 3, Guardians 1. Once again the Tigers bats were swinging in the 4th inning with a single by Eric Haase and double by Riley Greene bringing in a run. Score Tigers 4, Guardians 1. The bottom of the 4th the Guardians opened the inning with a hard hit home run by Jose Ramirez. Score Tigers 4, Guardians 2. Then in the top of the 6th inning the Tigers put a home run on the board with Andy Ibanez hitting a screamer over the left field wall. Score Tigers 5, Guardians 2. The Guardians bullpen was struggling giving up four singles by Miguel Cabrera, Eric Haase, Zach McKinstry and Riley Greene in the top of the 8th inning bringing in another run. Score Tigers 6, Guardians 2. During the 8th inning a light drizzle began and Jim began his ploy to exit the game. One thing Jim knows is that I do not like leaving games early ever! So my subtle look gave him the answer to his ploy. Thank goodness because in the top of the 9th inning the BEST PLAY OF THE GAME took place. Tigers Nick Maton hit a foul ball that was caught by JIM BRAY! His first Major League Baseball foul ball ever caught. He was ecstatic and now I have even more ammunition to stay until the end of the game. What a way to end the game! Also, during the game just as our friend Tom wearing his Detroit baseball cap left for the bathroom, Jim, Kat and I made it on the big screen. We gave Tom a hard time upon his return and told him the cameraman had to wait for him to leave because of his Detroit hat. Well that's a wrap and our next stop is the Cincinnati Reds as they take on the New York Mets. Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game #12-PNC Park-Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates-A Game to Remember!

On Saturday, May 6th we set out early, or what we thought was early to PNC Park. We arrived at 3:00pm for a 6:35pm game. When we got to our reserved parking area it was full of Pirate fans tailgating. These Pirate fans know how to tailgate. It was surprising to see so many Toronto Blue Jays fans at the game. Ths is the second game in a row for us where the Blue Jays were the visiting team and those Blue Jay fans show up! This is a very special park for Jim as the company he worked for, PPG/Vitro for 42 years has its headquarters in Pittsburgh. In fact their building is part of the beautiful skyline in the backdrop of PNC Park. Jim has been to Pittsburgh countless times over the years and has been to a few Pirate games. Now that he is retired his employer gave us the PPG Home Plate Club seats along with dinner at the Home Plate Club. What a very special treat! We are so thankful for Jim's former boss, Mark Seaton for his generosity and to his former workmates and friends, Isaac and Julie who joined us. Jim and I took our usual walk around the exterior of the park where almost all of the features such as statues and tributes to Hall of Fame Players are displayed. The ballpark sits along the Allegheny River with a picturesque view of Downtown Pittsburgh. It was built in the "retro-classic" style with limestone and large steel truss work. As we walked around we saw four statues surrounding the stadium, Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Bill Mazeroski. There was a grassy area that held retired Hall of Fame numbers of Pirate players. Additionally, along the riverwalk they have placed large baseball statues to commemorate Hall of Famers. You can see the pictures on our Instagram @ourfieldofdreams2023. PNC Park opened in 2001 replacing Three Rivers Stadium. The seating capacity is 38,747 and tonight's game was nearly a sell out with 34,882 in attendance. We were fortunate to not have to wait in the very long lines to get into the stadium because we held the special Home Plate Club tickets. We entered the restaurant about 5pm where we were joined by Isaac and Julie. We had a fantastic dinner with a vast assortment of food to choose from. I had a nice salad, pasta, pierogies, and fruit. The pierogies were fantastic! Jim had a small plate to allow room for the hot dog review. After dinner we made our way to our seats via a tunnel. I could not believe my eyes when I saw we were sitting 4 rows behind home plate. We were able to hear and see everythng! Even the choice words Toronto player Brandon Belt (former Giants player) had for the home plate umpire when he called him out on a strike. Let's just say the umpire did not appreciate his words so he threw him out. Experincing the game from this vantage point is a unique and memorable experience. I could get use to this but not on a retirement budget. Now on to the hot dog review....Jim was a bit nervous about doing his hot dog review in those fancy seats and was unsure of how he would be received. Well it was a big hit and several people were clapping and laughing as he did his review wearing his hot dog hat. He gave the Pirates Hot Dog a 7.5. Now on to the game, a very lopsided game with Toronto winning 8-2. The Blue Jays came to play scoring 4 runs in the 1st inning. A few singles loaded up the bases when Toronto's Daulton Varsho singled bringing in the first run. Brandon Belt was the first to put big action on the board hitting a double brining in two runs. Making it 3-0 Toronto. I was thrilled to see Toronto's Brandon Belt, former Giant playing. He was the DH and did he do his job! Another double by Alejandro Kirk brought in another run making it 4-0 Toronto. The Toronto bats were on fire and in the 3rd inning they scored another 3 runs with singles being hit by Alejandro Kirk, Caven Biggio and Kevin Kiermaier. 7-0 Toronto. The Pirates tried hard to fight back and in the bottom of the 6th inning Bryan Reynolds doubled bringing up Connor Joe who singled and drove in a run. Score Toronto 7, Pirates 1. In the top of the 7th inning the Pirates had a struggle with pitching, walking Brandon Belt and Alejandro Kirk being hit by a pitch. Toronto would score another run with Kevin Kiermaier hitting a single. Score now Toronto 8, Pirates 1. In the bottom of the 7th inning we got to see a Pirate HOMER with Jack Suwinski hitting a monster home run. Score Toronto 8 and Pirates 2 and that is where it ended. It was a tough loss for the Pirates. After the game we stayed for the firework show and what a show it was. The music they played while entertaining us for nearly 10 minutes was magnificent! Truly an enjoyable game in a gorgeous setting! Next stop Cleveland to see the Cleveland Guardians take on the Detroit Tigers. We will be picking up our great friends Tom and Kat Gelardi who will join us for the next three games, Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. They are originaly from Detroit so they should enjoy the games. Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game #11-Fenway Park-Oldest MLB Stadium-Red Sox vs. Blue Jays

What a fantastic visit to Boston! Jim and I were able to connect with family who live in Boston and had a great visit. We had dinner at my cousin's house where we enjoyed visiting with cousin Katrina and husband Erik, their children Sophia and Felix and my Uncle Phil and Aunt Linda. They certainly made us feel welcome with Felix entertaining us on the keyboard as we arrived and an absolutely fabulous seafood dinner! The day of the ballgame, Wednesday, May 3 we were thankful for Uncle Phil taking us to the train station so we could take the public transportation, the best way to get to Fenway Park. We arrived to Fenway Park at 4pm to take the stadium tour. We met with Dave the tour guide who gave a very detailed account of the history of Fenway Park. Fenway Park is the oldest Major League Baseball park opening in 1912. The ballpark had a major rennovation in 1934 and some more recent renovations and modifications. One of the features that really scream "I'm an old ballpark," is the hand-operated scoreboard. Seeing this really brought back memories of attending baseball games as a child. The scoreboard is updated by hand from behind the "Green Monster" wall. The upper deck of the ballpark was added in 1946 which included adding the needed large steel pillars which obstruct some of the views. In 1947 the lights were added to Fenway Park. In 1976 the first electronic message board was added over the centerfield bleachers. In 2000 a large video display was added in center field. Seats were added to the "Green Monster" in 2003. For years there have been talks of building a new Fenway Park which has been met with loads of controversy. In 2010 Fenway Park underwent a major renovation headed by Janet Marie Smith, Red Sox Vice President of Planning and Development. The Boston Globe called Smith, "the architect credited with saving Fenway Park." It is reported that Fenway Park remains usable until as late as 2062. After visiting the park and sitting in those uncomfortable yet historical seats while seeing the scoreboard changed manually, I hope this park never changes! Please keep this piece of baseball history as it is! A funny story we were told is when pitcher Roger Clemens arrived to Boston for the first time he took a taxi from the airport and was certain the driver misunderstood the directions when he thought he was bring dropped off at a warehouse. The driver pointed to the light towers of the ballpark and said no this is a ballpark. I can't describe the feeling I had when I saw the "Green Monster" for the first time! That giant left field GREEN wall is huge and felt even larger when we were taken to the terrace-style seats on top of the wall. We sat up in the seats of the Green Monster and watched batting practice hoping to catch a fly ball. One person in our tour group did catch a fly ball. Another feature at this park is the lone red seat in the right field bleachers, all the other seats are green. The red seat signifies the longest homerun hit by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946 which officially measured 502 feet. It is told that the ball hit a man on top of his head and he said, "How far must one sit to be safe in this park?" The right field foul pole is named "Pesky's Pole" after Johnny Pesky who was a light-hitting player for the Red Sox in the 1940's having hit just 6 home runs near the pole. The left-field pole was named Fisk Foul Pole in honor of Carlton Fisk. In Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with the score tied at 6 in the 12th inning, Fisk hit a long fly ball down the left field line. The ball appeared to be going foul when Fisk threw his hands in the air motioning for it to go right and the ball ricocheted off the foul pole winning the game for the Red Sox. See the pictures on our Instagram of the many beautiful and historic features of this ballpark. @ourfieldofdreams2023. The tour of the ballpark was rich with history and a time alloted for us to go on the field to watch players warming up and batting practice. While we were touring the ballpark of course Jim always looks for someone to ask, "What's the best hot dog to eat in this park?" We were told the Jumbo Fenway Frank was the best option for Jim's review. We found our way through the food concourse which has very low ceilings and dark concrete hallways. I just kept thinking about all the millions of people who have walked this concourse in search of a hot dog. We finally found the Jumbo Fenway Frank and I was even talked into getting one by the server. We made our way to the seats and Jim did his review with historic Fenway Park as a backdrop. He gave the Jumbo Fenway Frank a 7.0. I actually enjoyed the hot dog too! The drink of choice for us was HOT CHOCOLATE as it was a very chilly night. Ten dollars for a hot chocolate seemed reasonable in this cold weather. I think the Canadians brought the cold weather as there were many Blue Jays fans in the stadium. What was extremely interesting in this ballpark was the amount of food vendors in the aisleways. There was a steady steam of vendors selling food and drinks. The hot chocolate vendor was my favorite and I felt sorry for the ice cream vendor! Now on to the game. The Red Sox have been on a winning streak having won the last four games. The first score of the game came in the 2nd inning when Blue Jays Daulton Varsho homered. 1-0 Toronto. Then in the 3rd inning a rocket was launched by Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He hit a 450 foot homerun! 2-0 Toronto. It wasn't long for the Red Sox to answer back scoring two runs in the bottom of the 4th inning. Red Sox Jarren Duran and Triston Casas both gaining RBIs. Score now tied at 2 each. Then in the top of the 5th inning Blue Jays Kevin Kiermaier scored on a balk and the Red Sox fans went crazy! I have never heard that loud of booing! Score now 3-2 Toronto. That certainly brought some fire in the bellies of the Red Sox players because in the bottom of 5th they came out swinging. Red Sox and former Dodger Justin Turner hit a double that was close to a homerun. Bases were loaded when Triston Casas hit a single bringing in a run. Score tied at 3 a piece. There were two outs but the Red Sox were not done yet. Emmanuel Valdez hit a single bringing in two runs. The inning ended with the Red Sox up over the Blue Jays 5-3. The Blue Jays would not score again but the Red Sox had to put an exclamation point on this win adding 3 more runs. In the 6th inning Masataka Yoshida hit a screamer to hit the pitcher (OUCH) bringing in a run. Score 6-3 Red Sox. Then in the 7th inning Masataka Yoshida once again scored an RBI with a hard-hit double. Score 7-3 Red Sox. Finally in the bottom of the 8th inning, Enrique Hernandez singles driving in the final run of the game. Final score 8-3 Red Sox. We actually left the game in the 8th inning because I could not feel my toes and it began raining. I never like to leave games early but I felt like I would soon be treating frostbite if I didn't. We watched the last inning on our phone while making our way to the train station. All in all it was an absolutely magnificent experience to see a game in historic Fenway Park! And did I mention they should NEVER get rid of that ballpark! Next stop Pittsburg to see the Pittsburg Pirates take on the Toronto Blue Jays. I certainly hope those Canadians don't bring that cold weather. If they do I plan to be prepared. Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game #10-Yankee Stadium to see Yankees vs. Guardians

How about this two games and two stadiums in one day! Monday, May 1 we rushed via very expensive taxi from Citi Field to Yankee Stadium. Don't ask what that 30 minute taxi ride cost! We got to the stadium early because I had been corresponding with Kevin in Guest Services who offered us a free stadium tour. The tour was scheduled to start at 5:30pm and we had an hour so we walked the exterior of the stadium which much resembled the original stadium. The walk was a little sketchy to say the least. Glad it was daylight. We slipped into the Hard Rock Cafe for a pregame beverage and to get out of the wind. Oh that wind! When 5:30pm approached we entered the stadium and quickly found guest services. I told them Kevin had offered a stadium tour and soon we were on our way with a very lovely public relations person, Heather. She has been working at the stadium for 15 years through college and now still works there as a second job or should I say love. Jim and I felt like celebrities as she whisked us around all the back hallways and private elevators. The new Yankee Staduim opened in 2009 and like the New York Mets fought a big battle to get their stadium. Yankee Stadium is often referred to as "The House That Jeter Built." The capacity in Yankee stadium is 47,309 and the third largest in Major League Baseball. Tonight's game was very well attended for a chilly Monday evening with 33,414 energized fans. The New Yankee Stadium had big shoes to fill having to replace the original stadium that operated from 1923 to 2008. Talk about history and baseball legends that were a part of the original stadium. For this reason the architects and designers worked extremely hard to replicate some of the design elements of the original Yankee Stadium. One of the things that the architects did was incorporte the "frieze" lining to the roof of the stadium. It looks like a white picket fence along the top with flags from all the MLB teams. See the pictures on our Instagram @ourfieldofdreams2023. This stadium is also the most expensive stadiums ever built, costing $2.3 billion dollars. I know where some of the money went....every gate has gold-leaf lettering YANKEE STADIUM. The stadium is kind of shaped in a bowl and not necessarily into stacked-tiers like most stadiums. Felt a little like Ancient Rome as we looked down from our seats in the third level. Poor Jim does not like heights and hung a little tight to the handrails, so did I! The Great Hall is something to see which is better seen in pictures than me trying to describe it. It is a very large concourse with seven-story ceilings that is just jawdropping. Heather our tour guide took us in through a private entry to see Monument Park. This features all the Yankees retired numbers. Did you know that 1-9 are all retired numbers for the Yankees? Only 0 remains as a single digit number on the Yankees team. We were told that way back in the early days of baseball that players numbers were their batting order. Okay you asked, well maybe you didn't but here is the list of Yankee retired numbers: 1 Billy Martin, 2 Derek Jeter, 3 Babe Ruth, 4 Lou Gehrig, 5 Joe DiMaggio, 6 Joe Torre, 7 Mickey Mantle, 8 Yogi Berra, 9 Roger Maris. WHAT A LIST OF BASEBALL GREATS! One little detail Heather pointed out is that the Yankees bullpen has a door that connects it to Monument Park making it accessible to Yankee relievers. Next Heather took us to the New York Yankee Museum which displays a wide array of Yankee memorabillia. There is a very large "Ball Wall" featuring hundreds of balls autographed by past and present Yankees. On each side of the Ball Wall are statues, one of Yankee pitcher Don Larsen pitching to Yogi Berra commemorating the perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Another feature in the museum is Thurman Munson's locker having been brought over from the original Yankee stadium. They also have the final pitcher's plate used at the old stadium and the first pitcher's plate used at the new stadium. One thing we found facinating was that in the early days players used to get pocket watches to commemorate their vistory in a World Series. On display was the pocket watch from the Yankees 1923 World Series win. So much to see in this museum dripping with baseball history. One word overwhelming! Finally Heather walked us to our seats and took a few pictures for us. What a pleasant time we had with Heather, she made it a very memorable experience. Now off to the hot dog vendor. We were told to get the foot-long Yankee Hot Dog. Jim connected well with the people at the hot dog stand so they agreed to be in the video review. He gave the Yankee Hot Dog an 8. I was still full from the last stadium but not to full for french fries. My french fries were nothing special just plain old fries. Boring! Now on to the game. Getting to our seats as I mentioned was a little challenging if you don't like heights. I'm not fearful but held tightly to the railing. This game started off as one of the fastest games I have ever been to and probably was with game time being 2 hours and 3 minutes. It was three up and three down until the bottom of the 3rd inning. Yankees Jose Trevino hit a homer and we got to see the lights flash on the stadium in celebration of the home run. Then DJ LeMahieu knocked in a run with a single making it Yankees 2 and the Guardians 0. It remained here until the final inning when the Guardians showed some life. Top of the 9th inning the Guardians got a few singles and then Guardians Josh Naylor hit a single bringing home two runners to tie the game. Unfortunately for the Yankees their pitching struggled and they ended up walking in the winning run. The Yankees final at bat did not serve them well. Game over! Yankees 2 Guardians 3. Now that is two losses in a row for the home team. Let's hope the tide turns when we head to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Until next time PLAY BALL!

Game #9-Citi Field New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves

After a few cancelled games due to rain we are back on track. We missed the Nationals but will fly back this summer for a game. Thankfully the Mets game that was cancelled on Sunday was rescheduled to 1pm on Monday, May 1 and we were able to get tickets. Our tickets we held would not be permitted because it was going to be a doubleheader and the held ticket would only be allowed at a later date. Anyone need a couple of good tickets? It really was not a disappointment because when God gives you lemons (rain) you make lemonade (fun)! We ended up getting the last two tickets to see "A Beautiful Noise" a broadway play based on Neil Diamond's life. WHAT A SHOW!! Highly recommend! We had a very wet and chilly walk in Times Square and a delicious dinner at Carmines Italian Restuarant. Remember that lemonade I spoke of, well it was turned into some fantasti Chianti! Now on to game #9 in Citi Field where the Mets took on the Braves. The stadium was completed in 2009 the same time as Yankees Stadium together their cost was over 3 billion dollars. There was a very big controversy due to the cost on the taxpayers but eventually the stadiums won out and now I know why it is so costly to live in New York. The Mets moved from Shea Stadium to Citi Field and worked to bring some of the feel of Shea Stadium to the new park. The famous Apple from Shea Stadium is outside the main gate with a new Home Run Apple inside the stadium. A very large statue of Tom Seaver is located near the Shea Apple. Tom Seaver also known as "Tom Terrific" was the most iconic player in Mets history having won many awards throughout his career with 10 years of them being with the New York Mets. Jim met a cute little friend out front of Citi Field while we waited for the gates to open. There was a cute little dog all dressed in Mets gear, hat included waiting for a friendly pet and of course a few dollars if you take your picture with him. Always a hussle in New York City. We entered the stadium via the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. The rotunda is excellently designed having Robinson's nine values etched in the archways: Courage, Excellence, Persistence, Justice, Teamwork, Commitment, Citizenship, Determination and Integrity. They also have his very famous quote engraved on the upper ring of the rotunda, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." WOW such an inspirational place! Additionally, there is an 8 foot sculpture of Robinson's number 42. See pictures on Instagram @fieldofdreams2023. After our admiration of the rotunda we visited the Mets Hall of Fame and Museum where we were pleasantly greeted by Alicia the musuem curator. She gave us lots of great information and a great education on the Mets. We took many pictures of the historic jerseys, baseballs, trophies and even the original Mr. Met costume. Then it was off to a walk around the ballpark. We were impressed with the bridge motif in the ballpark's architecture having a pedestrian bridge named Shea Bridge in the outfield. You all know there are bridges everywhere in New York so why not in the ballpark! While we were on our walking journey we stopped by guest services for a hot dog recommendation. They also recommended we take advantage of our club tickets and visit some of the club areas. You can see picture on Instagram of me enjoying a very large beer looking out over the stadium. Then it was that magical time for Jim to do his hot dog review. We were at the very top of the stadium and the wind was blowing wildly when we came upon the hot dog stand. Jim talked with the people working the hot dog stand and got their take on the very best hot dog. They were very excited about his review and wanted Jim to do the review so they could watch. Good thing Jim's hot dog hat had a strap or it would be in the Hudson River. Jim donning his hat gave the hot dog an 8 whhich created lots of cheering from the hot dog stand. I decided to try a piece of New York style pizza. I found Patsy's Pizzeria, a famous pizzeria in East Harlem near the hot dog stand. I got my piece of pizza and the wind reeked havoc with my plate causing the pizza to adhere itself to the front of my sweatshirt. After a stint in the bathroom I was good as new...almost. The pizza was average and a bit too greasy (sweatshirt captured most of it)for my liking. I should have had the hot dog. Now on to the game....it was the first game of the doubleheader but we only stayed for the first game because we had tickets for the Yankees night game. The game was definitly an offensive game with a final score of Braves 9 and Mets 8. The Braves wasted no time getting on the board when in the 1st inning Atlanta Braves Sean Murphy hit a 3-run homer. The Mets answer back with Brandon Nimmo hitting a triple follwed by Francisco Lindor hitting a single driving in a run making it Braves 3 Mets 1 in the bottom of the 1st inning. Atlanta wasn't having any of that and got their bats moving to score 3 more in the 2nd inning. Kevin Pillar and Ronald Acuna Jr. both got homers. Braves 6, Mets 1. A ray of sunshine for the Mets in the bottom of the third with Pete Alonso hitting a 3-run homer, making it Braves 6, Mets 4. We were thrilled to see the Home Run Apple out in center field rise up. The Mets were not done and Brett Baty hit another home run in the 6th inning making it a one run ballgame. Braves 6, Mets 5. They say that history repeats itself, well it did in the 7th inning as Sean Murphy once again hit a 3-run homer, making it Braves 9, Mets 5. The Mets did not let that stop them in the bottom of the 7th they sacraficed their bodies with two players in a row being hit by a pitch. This brought up Daniel Vogelbach who grounded into a force out and scored two runs. Score now Braves 9, Mets 7. Those New York Mets are determined and in the 9th inning with two outs, Eduardo Escobar homered bringing up that Home Run Apple. Score now Braves 9, Mets 8 where it would end when Brett Baty lines out for the final play of the game. I have heard that Citi Field is a "pitcher's park" but it did not appear that way today with 9 hits for each team. We are now off to Yankee Stadium for the 7:05pm game. Until next time PLAY BALL!