Archives for June 2014

Note:  This is the last of four posts related to my annual BallPark Tours baseball trip.  For those who may find these reports a little self-serving, my apologies.  For those who enjoy them, my thanks.  These posts are intended to give you a look at what goes on during a BPT trip – as well as to entertain some of my fellow travelers. Back to the usual topics in a few days. For more info on BallPark Tours click here. 

Day Five – Sunday, June 22

What the properly attired fan is wearing these days.

The BallPark Tours’ crew was clearly fired up for the final day of the Show Me State Ramble.  The bus was slated to depart for Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium (from the Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza) at 11:30 a.m. (1:10 p.m. game time), but the hotel lobby began to fill up with individuals in baseball t-shirts, jerseys and hats by 11:00 a.m.

While we waited to board the bus, we traded stories that focused primarily on the previous evening’s activities – which took most people to the nearby Country Club Plaza shopping, dining and entertainment district. The 15-block area – walking distance from the hotel – featured 150 shops and more than three dozen restaurants – and provided ample opportunity to enjoy a final “night on the town.”

Once at the stadium, we were pleasantly surprised by our loge seats, in the lower second deck overhang along the third base line.  A great view, protection from the sun (another hot and steamy day) and a free Royals Baseball Insider magazine.  And, there were other surprises.

Tour participants soon discovered and passed on the word that a visit to the Royals Hall of Fame (left field corner) was well worth the time for several reasons:

• It was air-conditioned;
• The displays were interesting and informative;
• Former MLB pitcher Marty Pattin (114-109, 3.62 in a 13-season MLB career with the Angels, Pilots/Brewers, Red Sox and Royals) and outfielder Jim Eisenreich (.290-52-477, with 105 steals in 15 seasons with the Twins, Royals, Phillies, Marlins and Dodgers) were signing autographs.  Note:  Our primarily Minnesota-rooted group was especially excited to see Eisenreich, a Minnesota native who also spent time with the Twins.
  

  Make Your Own Bloody Mary brings out the creativity among our BPT crew.

  Word that Sunday is “Make Your Own Bloody Mary Day” in the 309 Bar and Grill (just down the hall from our seats in Section 306) also  spread quickly – and tour participants put together some dazzling combinations, complementing generous vodka pours with selections from the available assortment of mixes, spices, vegetables (peppers, onions, asparagus, celery), olives, pickles, pepperoni and more. (All for $9.25 plus tax, basically a ten-dollar bill.)

BBRT Note:  In yesterday’s post, I proclaimed the regular Bloody Mary at Kauffman the worst on this trip.  However, if you are in the stadium on Sunday and make your way to “309,” your Bloody Mary experience will – like the 1991 Twins and 2013 Red Sox – go from “worst-to-first.”

The final game of the trip was another low-scoring affair that didn’t go well for the home team – with the visiting Mariners besting the Royals 2-1.  The hits were even at seven apiece, but the Royals’ safeties were all singles, while the Mariners banged out three doubles and a difference-making home run (Mike Zunino, seventh inning). The Royals did take an early lead (second inning), scratching out a run on singles by LF Alex Gordon and C Salvador Perez and a sacrifice fly by RF Justin Maxwell.  Meanwhile, Royals’ starter Yordano Ventura gave up only a walk and a double over the first four innings. In the fifth, however, the Mariners tied the game on a pair of doubles (Zunino and number-nine hitter 2B Willie Bloomquist).  After that – other than Zunino’s 7^th homer – it was pretty much a chess game, with the Mariners using four relief pitches to hold off the Royals and a pair of ninth-inning pinch-hitters.

Some observations:

• I did buy some souvenirs for my family, and it would appear the Royals overestimated the return from the 2012 All Star Game, since I received my purchase in a 2012 All Star Game “logoed” bag. Waste not, want not.
• The Royals’ fans, while once again (to their credit) did not attempt a “wave,” did bounce a beach ball around the seats behind the plate during the fourth-inning action.
• As the relief pitchers walked in from the bull pen, I found myself missing the little golf carts (designed and painted to like giant baseballs) that so many ball parks once used to deliver relievers.
• I made a “call,” although that was not necessarily my intention, in the second inning.  As Royals’ number-nine hitter SS Alcides Escobar came to the plate to face the Mariners’ Roenis Elias, the scoreboard informed the fans that Escobar had hit his first grand slam off Elias.  At the time, I said that if I was the pitcher and they put that message up in big letters on the scoreboard behind me, I’d probably nail the batter.  Elias then hit Escobar on the next pitch.
• Zunino, who hit the game-winning homer and also scored the Mariners’ first run after a fourth-inning double, was an unlikely hero.  He came into the game hitting just .219, with 18 strikeouts in his last 35 at bats.
• The Royals have lost four straight, by a total of five runs – including three 2-1 losses.

BallPark Tour Show Me State Ramble group – and our home on the road.

After the game, it was back on the bus for the long ride home – we got back to Saint Paul after midnight.  This leg of the trip started out strong, lots of laughter, some singing and occasional chants of “USA, USA!” when positive news of the USA-Portugal World Cup soccer match were reported by those following on their smartphones.  About midway through the ride, we stopped for a dinner break (again a strategic location with lots of fast food choices).  Then, in the parking lot of a KFC, the tour operator handed out this trip’s “awards” – special pins for stellar first-timers (the Rookie Award), Veterans Pins for those completing their third BallPark Tours’ trip and other awards for various notable performances over the previous five days.  Then it was time for a group photo (taken by the KFC hostess) and back on the bus.

During the last leg of our journey, the group, as usual, seemed to get quieter.  As darkness fell and the miles added up,  the books, headphone and “tablets” came out in force – at least among those who were nodding off (presumably with sweet dreams of 6-4-3 double plays)

One final thought.  This tour may be in the books, but I, for one, can’t “Wait until next year!”  For more on BallPark Tours click here.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.

Note:  This is the third of four posts related to my annual BallPark Tours baseball trip.  For those who may find these reports a little self-serving, my apologies.  For those who enjoy them, my thanks.  These posts are intended to give you a look at what goes on during a BPT trip – as well as to entertain some of my fellow travelers. Back to the usual topics in a few days.

Day Three – Diverse Amusements

A key advantage to BallPark Tours is that tour operator Julian Lescalzo likes to give his clients a chance to enjoy more than just the ball parks in the cities they visit.  He provides “in-port down time,” so that his band of travelers can enjoy the local sights, tastes and culture.  By the way, if you are ever considering a traveling baseball adventure, BPT is the way to go – more info here.

On the morning of Day Three of the Ramble (a free day in St. Louis), our BPT band headed out in many directions.  Among the popular attractions were the:  St. Louis Art Museum: ride to the top of the St. Louis Arch; trolley tours of the city; Missouri History Museum; and, of course, the Saint Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum proved a great stop.

After breakfast and a 45-minute work out in the hotel exercise room, I made my way to Ball Park Village and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum. Well worth the trip – and the ten-dollar (senior) admission charge ($12 regular adult charge).  There was, however, a bit of a burn.  They young woman selling tickets asked for my identification, saying “I’ll need to see your ID” … pause … “Not for the senior part.”  I told her she could have said it was for the “senior part,” just to make me feel better about myself.  She then went into an embarrassed explanation of the fact they don’t check for ages, just to make sure your ID matches the name on your credit card.  The longer she talked, the deeper she dug. She declined to have her picture taken for this blog.

The museum is loaded memorabilia from Saint Louis baseball history – not just Cardinals, but also from the AL’s Saint Louis Browns, the Negro League’s Saint Louis Stars and a host of other professional and semi-pro baseball operations.  Overall, there are more than 16,000 artifacts and hundreds of thousands of photographs, films and videos.  It is, in fact, the largest collection of baseball memorabilia outside of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I even had a chance to pose with a Stan Musial game-used bat (they do make you wear clear plastic gloves). If you ever visit the museum make sure to take time to watch some videos.  They cover a lot of ground – from Red Schoendienst and Ozzie Smith giving their views on turning the double play to past managers commenting on the DH.

World Cup soccer was popular at Ball Park Village.

I’d also suggest at least taking a stroll through Ball Park Village, which opened this March.  It’s right across from Busch Stadium and bills itself as the first-ever sports-anchored entertainment districts. Plenty of restaurants, bars and entertainment to enjoy.

From the museum, it was on to lunch.  Three of us took a $15 cab ride to Pappy’s Smokehouse (3106 Olive Street), one of Saint Louis’ top spots for barbeque (ribs, pork, chicken) Memphis-style.  We arrived shortly after noon and the line was already well outside the entrance.  We knew we were in the right place, however, when we offered a customer picking up a take-out order$500 for their bag of ribs and were told “Not even for that!”   I had a lunch of a half-rack, with sides of coleslaw and fried sweet corn ($15.99) – and used Pappy’s Original and the Holly’s Hot sauce.  Delicious and well worth the cab ride.  A talk with the owner revealed that, in 2013, Pappy’s served 100,000 slabs (240,000 pounds) of ribs and a total of 320 tons of meat (not to mention 41 tons of sweet potato fries).  I am a statistics guy after all. On a side note, our esteemed tour leader headed for the restroom after we finished eating and when he hit the button on the air blown hand dryer, the power went out in the entire restaurant.  It was still out when we caught our cab back to the hotel.

Great spot for lunch.

This trip is about baseball, so let’s get to it – the Cardinal’s/Phillies tilt in the evening.  The Phillies topped the home town Red Birds (who are trying to chase down the surprising Brewers) 5-1. The game started out as a pitchers’ duel between the Phils’ A.J. Burnett and the Cards’ Jaime Garcia, with Saint Louis up 1-0 after four innings.  The run came in the third on a hit batter (3B Matt Carpenter), a single by CF Jon Jay and a run-scoring single by LF Matt Holliday. The Phils (now winners of nine of their past eleven) answered with two in the top of the fifth – on a lead-off double by John Mayberry, a one-out double by pitcher A.J. Burnett (ending the debate on why we didn’t see a pinch hitter), and an RBI double by SS Jimmy Rollins.  The Phils then broke the game open with three more runs in the sixth (RF Marlon Byrd led off with a home run, CF Dominic Brown doubled, Mayberry singled him home, Cards’ first baseman Matt Adams made a nice play to retire 3B Cody Asche, Burnett worked a walk and SS Jimmy Rollins hit a sacrifice fly.

A few observations on the game:

• A.J. Burnett threw a complete game seven-hitter (Don’t see those much anymore) and gave the game ball to his grandmother, who was seeing him pitch in person for the first time ever.
• There was about a 50-minute rain delay (that started at least fifteen minutes before the rain arrived). One BPTer remarked that the FORD in Ford Plaza (site of many pre-game festivities, might stand for Fear-Of-Rain Delay. Everything did look brighter after the rain.
• It was Bob Gibson jersey night (first 25,000 fans) and I arrived early (about 5:00) to stand in a crowd outside the gates – in 90+ degree heat – to make sure I snagged my prize.  Turned out, they still had jerseys at 6:00 (7:15 game time).
• I got my 4-6-3 double play in the bottom of the first inning.
• Our seats were in the outfield (metal, bench-style), yet the tickets cost about twice as much as the previous game.  (Not a fan of baseball’s premium pricing strategies.)
•  I don’t know why I notice these things, but the top six spots in the Cardinals’ line-up were Matt, Not Matt, Matt, Not Matt, Matt, Not Matt (Matt Carpenter, Jon Jay, Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, Matt Adams, Yadier Molina.) The Matt/Not Matt order may be the latest version of the left/right strategy.
• As USA Today, Fox News, MLB.com and other media outlets reported, players, umps and fans alike were set upon by swarms of annoying and not very tasty bugs. In the words of the MLB.com report, “From every which way, the small creatures swarmed upon Busch Stadium, and there was no escaping.”
• The A.J. Burnett on the mound was not the one that pitched for the Twins.
• The Cardinals need to revamp their score card – it only has lines for nine players, and this is in a league that does not use the DH.  Oh, and if any Cardinal executives are reading this, an on-screen replay now and then wouldn’t hurt.
• My box score oddity for the game – a 3-1-3 out.  Phillies’ 1B Ryan Howard hit a grounder to first, off the glove of Cards’ 1B Matt Adams.  The ball bounced back toward pitcher Trevor Rosenthal, who stumbled, but managed to shovel the ball back to Adams at first as Ryan jumped over the Cards’ closer.

Day Four – On to Kansas City

Day four of the Ramble began with free breakfast (thanks again, Julian) – and an 8:00 a.m. departure time, as we hustled down the highway to make a 1:10 start in Kansas City.  The time passed fairly quickly, thanks to the early opening of the “Back of the Bus Bloody Mary Bar” and the stand-up (actually sit-down) comedy team of Chatterbox, Cliff and Brillo. We were regaled with stories on every topic from every era.  There were, in fact, “no awkward silences.” There was also a dice game with sports and entertainment books as prizes, an announcement of the early winners of the runs scored prediction contest and a reappearance of the “Jimmy” buffet.

The arrival at Kauffman Stadium reminded many of our group of the old Metropolitan Stadium.  Located in the suburbs rather than right in the city, there was lots of parking – and lots of tailgating.  Brats were being grilled, Frisbees were flying and cold beer was disappearing across the parking lot.

It was of course, another hot and steamy day (a scorcher in Minnesota parlance) and so we all lathered up with sun screen. Then it was across the parking lot to the gates, where we had to have our bags searched, water bottles emptied and pockets emptied of cameras, cell phones, etc. – before raising our arms and being “wanded” by security personnel with hand-held metal detectors.  Kansas City must be one tough town. Then it was on to our (great) seats, lower level, behind the first base dugout – in the shade. 

The ball park itself, which opened in 1973, is the sixth-oldest stadium in major league baseball.  It’s been remodeled (2009), but still has that ‘70s feel (a little more toward stadium than ball park).  Still, it seemed more intimate then Busch (we were closer to the action), has a great scoreboard video screen and the fountains offer a unique look. What I am saying, I guess, is that it may have a ’70s look, but it works.  It’s a good place to watch a ball game.

Wow! I coulda “shoulda” had a V8!

Once in the park, I scored by Bloody Mary at the Boulevard Pub (for rating purposes only). This one got a two on a scale of ten. Very mild mix (almost just tomato juice), a small 1/4 slice of line -no pepper, tabasco, celery salt, olives or other add-ons – at a cost of $9.25.  This trip, Busch Stadium won the Bloody Mary wars.

The Royals/Mariners game was a crisply played (that’s what we say now when a game goes under 3 hours – 2:42) 2-1 Mariners victory – featuring Seattle’s 6’ 10” Chris Young versus the Royals’ (undersized at just 6-feet) Jason Vargas. The Mariners scored first (in the third inning) on a single by the number-nine hitter (SS Brad Miller), a single by CF James Jones and a run-scoring base hit by LF Cole Gillespie. Meanwhile, Young was perfect through four innings. When he finally gave up a hit, it almost looked like he couldn’t stop. The Royals’ LF (and clean-up hitter) Alex Gordon led off the fifth with a home run, which was followed by a single from C Salvador Perez (thrown out 8-4 trying to stretch it into a double) and another single by RF Justin Maxwell.  Young then settled down and gave up only a walk over the next 2 2/3 innings. The winning tally was scored in the top of the ninth. Mariners’ 3B Kyle Seager rapped a two-out double.  Catcher Stefen Romero hit a hard hopper that was bobbled by Royals’ 2B Pedro Ciriaco (but ruled a hit), as Seager moved to third.  DH Jesus Montero brought Seager home with a single.

Some observations:

• There were four 6-4-3 or 4-6-3 double plays.
• My odd score card notation for the day: 2-5-1-2-3-6.  Yes, you read that right.  In the top of the ninth, with Stefeno Romero on third and Jesus Montero on first (Hmm, the Romero-Montero Show/), Montero broke for second and Romero (don’t get confused here) came down the line “a bit” from third.  It turned out to be a bit too far. (Any one catch the movie reference?) Royals’ catcher Salvador Perez fired to third baseman Mike Moustakas and Romero was caught in a run- down that went from Moustakas to pitcher Fernando Rodney, back to Perez, then to first baseman Eric Hosmer and, finally, to shortstop Alcides Escobar, who put on the tag.
• There were only two “first pitches,” a low (high for me) for this trip.
• The Royals fans, bless them, did not attempt the wave.
• We almost saw a second consecutive complete game, as the Royals’ Jason Vargas went 8 2/3 innings.
• The score card had plenty of room – 12 lines, each divided by two. (Try to visualize it, too hard to explain.)
• The game, which proved “clean” from a score-sheet perspective, didn’t start that way.  Within the first three batters, we saw an error and a balk.
• I made a bad pre-game decision to go “old school” and buy a hot dog from a vendor in the stands. Never saw a hot dog vendor. Did they go the way of rotary phones?

Impromptu Car Show at the Holiday Inn.

After the game, we checked into the Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza – very near a great (if, perhaps a tad upscale for a baseball trip) dining, entertaining and shopping district. There is a classic car show in town and, with some or the participants staying at the same hotel, we did enjoy an impromptu preview.

Final thought for the day.  Four-dollar house wine at the Holiday Inn and one more game to go. Are we having fun yet?  Yep, we are having fun still.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Show-Me-State Ramble … Day 2 … June 19, 2014

The second day of the BallPark Tours Ramble (see day one here) took us to Saint Louis, the Crowne Plaza Hotel and beautiful Busch Stadium – but I’m getting ahead of myself.  We left Des Moines at 9:00 a.m., with an ETA of 4:00 p.m. for Saint Louis (game time: 7:15).  As we boarded our deluxe motor coach, it was clear our group had been a boon to the Iowa economy the night before.  Among the most often heard phrases as we got underway were:  “Where were we?  What time did we get in?  Did I dance? “My favorite though was “Do you remember ________________?” (Fill in the blank.)

It was eerily quiet (at least for a BallPark Tours’ trek) in the early morning hours, until Bob (aka “Chatterbox” – BPT loves nicknames) broke out the Bloody Mary’s.  Things then perked up, with actual reminisces of the night before, plenty of baseball talk, Chatterbox actually getting to the point, and smart-phone photo snapping of those hardiest of revelers who remained asleep in their seats. (As one traveler noted, “They’re so cute at that age.”)

There was a strategic, 45-minute lunch stop along the way – the bus parked within strides of McDonald’s, Long John Silver’s, Taco Bell and other health-focused fast food establishments.  Despite traveling through rain (an omen?), we made Saint Louis on time.  Our rooms, however, were not all ready, so we spent a bit of time in the lounge, waiting for our pass keys.  Once we got to the rooms, however, the wait proved worth it. The Crowne Plaza is a very nice hotel in a great location – maximum ten-minute walk to the ball park, even closer to the St. Louis Arch.  My room is large, with a working balcony (room for multiple chairs) and a view of the river.  Kudos to tour operator Julian.

Seats at Busch Stadium on Day Two.

Then it was off to Busch Stadium, which took me right past Ballpark Village – the nation’s first-ever, sports-anchored entertainment district, which opened this March. (More on that in a future post.)

What strikes you most as you approach the stadium is the “sea of red.”  They love their Cardinals here and team garb – much of it rejoicing in the Redbird’s 11 World Series championships – is everywhere.  Once in Busch Stadium, the outfield view is clean and colorful – blue sky, bright red seats, crisp green grass and, beyond the outfield, a view of the St. Louis arch.  Good place to watch a game, and I’m sure the 42,106 in attendance would agree.

Bob and Trish made a solid Bloody Mary and good conversation.

After making my way to my seat – second deck down the left field line – I went in search of a Bloody Mary to rate (wanting to get the bad taste of my Des Moines Principal Park experience – see yesterday’s post – out of my mind).   Hallelujah, Bob and Trish at “The Cabana” – second deck behind Section 265 – saved the day.  They make a solid Bloody Mary, fairly priced at ten dollars, served in a “keepable” glass.  Bob asked if I wanted it spicy, whether I wanted celery salt around the rim and tossed in two olives and a slice of lime.  The drink proved to have enough bite, the celery salt added flavor that was missing in Des Moines and the olives provided a tasty finish.

Even better, Bob and Trish offered advice on local offerings in the areas of eating, drinking, live music, museums and more.  Hearing I was from Minnesota, Bob (a fan of Irish music) even provided a couple of recommendations for spots in Minneapolis/St. Paul.   Clearly, this pair enjoyed working “The Cabana” and had pride in their city and their Cardinals. If anyone in Busch Stadium management is listening, I nominate Bob and Trish for employee(s) of the month.

BBRT Note:  I heard later from other BPT trekkers that friendly service is the norm, rather than the exception, at Busch.  Lots of good experiences – congrats to the Cardinals.

The game got underway at 7:15, after about a dozen “first pitches,” and renditions of both “God Bless America” and the national anthem.  While the weather forecasts had threatened rain, it was sunny and 91 degrees at game time. BPT has had only one rain out in its long and storied history.

Pretty good contest.  Scoreless through three, with Jon Jay hitting into a 4-6-3 double play in the bottom of the first (BBRT loves the 4-6-3 and 6-4-3 twin killings.) The Phillies, who have won eight of their last ten games, broke through with two runs in the top of the fourth – on a double by catcher Carlos Ruiz, a single by 2B Chase Utley, an RBI single by 1B Ryan Howard and a sacrifice fly by LF Dominic Brown (all off Cardinals’ starter Shelby Miller). Howard, a Saint Louis native, was the star of the Phillies’ 4-1 victory (or would have been, if stars were awarded), adding two more RBI on a home run in sixth. Not far behind was rookie pitcher David Buchanan, who pitched the best game of his career (well, just six starts and a 3-3, 4.95 record). Buchanan, who had given up seven home runs in his first five starts (28 2/3 innings), went 7 2/3, giving up just four hits and one run.

A few observations from the game:

• After yesterday’s game in Des Moines, it is clear (pun intended) that major leaguers get to play under much better lighting than minor leaguers.
•  Second guessing is one of the best parts of being a fan.  In the bottom of the sixth, with the Cardinals trailing 4-0, there was considerable discussion of why Cards’ manager Mike Matheny didn’t pinch hit for pitcher Shelby Miller.  Miller promptly lined a rope of a double to left center.  (Just another reason why I hate the DH.)
• I have an unusual notation in my score book for the bottom of the fourth … 4-1 (second base to pitcher for the out).  Yadier Molina led off the inning for the Cards with a grounder to the right side. Phillies’ 1B Ryan Howard and 2B Chase Utley both went for the ball – with Utley making the play and tossing to Buchanan (covering first) for the out.  I usually only see 4-1 on those scorecard Bingo games popular in so many parks these days.
• While I am still not into mascots, at least the Cardinals’ mascot is actually a Cardinal. So many teams boast oversized stuff creatures that have nothing to do with the team name. Yes, Julian, that includes the Phillies’ Phanatic.
• The BPT group did themselves proud when a good portion of the pre-game and early-game chatter focused on trying to name the players attached to the displayed Cardinals’ retired numbers.
• Cardinals’ fans embarrassed themselves in the seventh inning (during the inning, not between frames) with ten minutes of the “wave” – and they weren’t even in leisure suits. Let me say it one more time, “Ban the Wave!”
• The scoreboard operators violated a (and this is ironic) cardinal rule of fandom (don’t stand up and block the view) when, during the eighth-inning action, they filled the scoreboards with “Stand Up and Get Loud.”  In deference to the fans behind me, I declined to stand.
• From an informal survey of the crowd, Cardinals’ fans paid too much for the Pujols jerseys to retire them now that he is an Angel.  Jersey of the Day – two rows in front of us, “Spezio.”

Breakfast is served.

Mid-game, our illustrious tour operator passed out (bad choice of words, maybe distribute is better) coupons good for a free buffet breakfast in the Crowne Plaza’s Earth Grille.  I made it there this a.m. – the offerings included lots of fruit, cereal, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy and hash browns.  Possibly a mea culpa for the delayed check-in?

Final thought, mostly for my fellow trekkers, and this may be part of the Kwiz tie-breaker.  It seems appropriate as we enjoy the hospitality of Busch Stadium.

What Baseball Hall of Famer was married to the daughter of Anheuser-Busch brewery owner August Busch, Jr.? 

That would be my favorite player of all time, Braves’ slugger (512 HRs) Eddie Mathews. Elizabeth Busch-Burke was the third of his four wives.

Well, breakfast and this post complete – on to Day 3 – Cardinals Hall of Fame on tap.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.

Today was Day One of my nearly annual baseball trek with BallPark Tours – my 25^th excursion with Julian Lescalzo’s traveling baseball festival.  This year’s trek (the first of two for BallPark Tours in 2014) has been labeled the “Show Me State Ramble” and is taking us from Saint Paul, MN to:

• Des Moines – for an Iowa Cubs/El Paso Chihuahuas (now there’s an imposing team mascot) game.
• Saint Louis – for two Cardinals/Phillies tilts.
• Kansas City – for a pair of Royals/Mariners match-ups.

(For more information on BallPark Tours, click the BPT icon on the right-hand side of the page.)

As in the past couple of seasons, I thought I’d report on our progress occasionally, just  to give you a feel for the BPT experience.

Wednesday, June 18

Approximately 45 of us left Saint Paul on the coach bus a little after noon – renewing old friendships and making new ones (all based on a passion for our national pastime). The specially designed tour t-shirts were distributed (photo in a later post), as were the traditional baseball trivia “Kwiz” and entry forms for a contest based on predicting how many runs will be scored across MLB during our travels.  Beverages, snacks and lively conversation all flowed freely – and loudly – as we rolled on toward game one on the tour.

Jimmy Buffet made an appearance. Thanks, “rev.”

About an hour out of Saint Paul, we were introduced (courtesy of a tour participant who has earned the title “Lunchmaster”) to the newly constructed “Jimmy” buffet – which made the rounds of the bus smoothly and tastefully.  We were required to sing a couple verses of “Lunchmaster, Lunchmaster” (to the tune of “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”) before being allowed to partake.

We arrived in Des Moines about 4:30, got our tickets and checked into the historic Hotel Fort Des Moines.  Once we were checked in, a good percentage of the group made their way to the Racoon River Brewing Company – conveniently located right next door to the hotel – and even more conveniently featuring (upon our arrival) a happy hour with microbrews Bandit IPA, Tallgrass Light, Homestead Red, Vanilla Cream Ale and Stonecutter Stout for just two-dollars a pint.  A good – and cost-effective – time was had by all.

From there it was on to the ball park, the 11,500 seat Principal Park, for a 7:05 game between the AAA Iowa Cubs and El Paso Chihuahuas (a Padres’ farm team).  Depending on your preference, you made the journey via a healthy (if somewhat hot and humid) walk, the free hotel shuttle or taxi. (I chose to walk to the game and shuttle back.)

It might have been the weather (hot and humid), day of the week (Wednesday) or the Iowa Cubs’ 34-35 record), but the park was less than half full (announced attendance 4,802).  And it was even Iowa Oaks night, when the team wore throwback Iowa Oaks uniforms and offered one-dollar hot dogs (of which our group consumed many). For those of you who care about such things, the Iowa team was known as the Oaks from 1969-81 (an Oakland A’s farm club 1969-71) and its most famous alumni from the period is new BB HOFer Tony LaRussa, who played for the Oaks (1969-71) and managed them in 1979.

Uninspiring Bloody Mary at Principal Park.

I always like to review each stadium’s Bloody Mary offerings in this blog and the review will be brief for Principal Park.  First, the beverage of choice is available in “The Bottom of the Fifth” bar. Catchy name, but that’s as far as it goes.  As much as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Bloody Mary Bar was awe-inspiring (see here), Principal Park’s offering was uninspiring  – vodka, mix from a bottle, with no pepper, Tabasco, celery, olives or pickles.  Hoping for better in Saint Louis.

Now to the baseball, the game offered a little something for almost everyone, as Iowa took an early lead and held on to beat El Paso 3-1.  The Cubs scored first with speed, as shortstop/leadoff hitter Arismendy Alcantara (one of several “name game” tongue-twisters in the game) drew a seven-pitch walk, then stole second (his 13th steal in 16 attempts this season), moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on single by C/clean-up hitter Rafeal Lopez. Alcantara would pick up his 14^th stolen base after a fourth-inning single.  They added to the lead later in the inning, when Lopez scored on a single by 1B Josh Vitters (who came into the game hitting just .214, but would collect three hits).  For those who prefer a power display, Vitters scored and drove in the Cubs’ third run with a fifth-inning home run to left.

Meanwhile, Iowa starter Dallas Beeler kept the Chihuahuas’ bats from barking, holding El Paso scoreless through six – thanks in part to (what later proved game-saving) a running/diving catch by Cubs’ right fielder Bret Jackson with runners on first and third and two outs in the sixth. Beeler, who evened his record at 3-3, left the game after being pinch hit for in the bottom of the sixth – and not too long thereafter, the fans who prefer a little “tension” in the contest got their wish.

The seventh inning was pretty much uneventful, but when Cubs’ reliever Zac Rosscup (sporting a nifty 2.77 ERA) came in,  El Paso began hammering the ball. Although he gave up just one run on two hits, four of the five batters Rosscup faced laced the ball.  There was more excitement in the eighth, as Cubs’ closer Blake Parker came in to seek his 14^th save. He got it, but brought the fans up out of their seats (which they were  stuck to by the humidity) by giving up two singles and a walk (after retiring the first two Chihuahuas he faced) to load the bases with two outs and a two-run lead.  He ran the count full on El Paso’s Jonathan Galvez (the club’s leading hitter at .316) before retiring him on a fly to right.  Good game. good night and – as we saw on some pale faces in the a.m. –  it was just beginning for  few of our group.

Now, about those names:  Three who took the field that BBRT found interesting – the previously mentioned Arismendy Alcantara, El Paso starting pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne, and Cubs’ LF Matt Szczur (pronounced See-Zer).

On a side note:  Manny Ramirez, signed as a player-coach on May 25, did not make an appearance and did not seem to be in the ball park. Appropriately, one of our intrepid touring group was wearing a “Manny being Manny” t-shirt (and she eventually showed up on the big scoreboard – much to our applause).

As is usually the case at AAA, a few players who have seen limited time in the big leagues were spotted on the field (like Iowa’s Ryan Kalish, Zac Rosscup, Chris Valaika, Josh Vitters, and Casper Wells.  The most notable former MLBer who played in the game was El Paso’s Jeff Francoeur (who appeared in a pinch-hitting role), whose nine-season MLB journey includes the Braves, Mets, Rangers, Royals, Giants – and soon, he hopes, Padres.  For all of the Twins’ fans in our group, former Twins’ catcher Brian Harper coached a perfect game at 3B

More tour posts to come – pardon any typos, hard to post on the bus.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT