Baseball Roundtable

Welcome to the final post from BBRT’s annual Ballpark Tours baseball trek. This year’s trip (Bleacher Bums XXXIII … A Rock and Roll Adventure) took us to Schaumburg, IL (minor league), Chicago (Cubs/Giants), Cleveland (Twins/Indians), Detroit (Tigers/Red Sox) and back to Chicago (White Sox/Angels). For reports from earlier in the trip: Day One, click here. Day Two, click here. Day three, click here. Days Four and Five, click here.

Day Six – White Sox Rock Angels

At “The Cell” we sat in the lower deck, right field. BBRT suggests lower deck seats at U.S. Cellular – it’s where the action is.

Day Six saw us back in Chicago (Hotel Indigo again, see Day One) for a White Sox/Angels contest at U.S. Cellular Field – known by locals as “The Cell.”  Let me begin by saying you’ll find the Sox fans more serious than their Cubs’ counterparts, and you’ll also find far fewer “baseball tourists” at The Cell. (On the way there, I had a conversation with one Southside local who wondered why we wanted to go to a Sox game).

The game wasn’t particularly compelling – with the White Sox topping the Angel 8-2. It did have its moments though:

• Sox’ RF Avasail Garcia, went two-for-four with two home runs (lighting up the A.S. Cellular scoreboard) and four RBI.
• We broke a BPT 2015 trend, seeing only five pitchers – after seeing 45 pitchers in the first four major league games.
• White Sox Cy Young candidate Chris Sale went 7 1/3 innings for the win (his tenth), giving up just two runs on five hits and two walks – with seven strikeouts.
• I finally saw my 6-4-3 double play in the fifth inning, off the bat of Angels’ C Chris Iannetta. (Alexei Ramirez to Carlos Sanchez to Adam LaRoche).
• Sox CF Adam Eaton made a great running catch in deep center field – off the bat of Albert Pujols.

Avasail Garcia lit up the sky and the scoreboard with a pair of home runs.

BBRT Survey

BBRT conducted an on-the-bus survey regarding a handful (minus one) of baseball issues.  Given the venue in which the survey was taken, it’s safe to assume the respondents were all baseball fans with some knowledge of and passion for the game.  In general, the group supported the DH as is (AL only), doesn’t want to see Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame, is split on the use of a clock in MLB and supports challenges and replays as part of the game.  Here are the detailed results.

When asked if Pete Rose should continue to be banned from baseball:

Maintain the ban           57%

Lift the ban                  35%

No opinion                   8%

On-board opinions on the DH:

Keep as is – DH in AL, not in NL         48%

Eliminate DH (both leagues)                  22%

DH or no DH, just make both leagues the same 17%

Use DH in AL and NL                         13%

On the proposed rules on the use of a clock in baseball:

Support            48%

Oppose            44%

No opinion         8%

On MLB’s challenge and replay system:

Support            57% (13% stipulated only with adjustments)

Oppose            39%

No opinion       4%

U.S. Cellular Field

The Cell has a bit of a blue collar feel – not a lot of frills, but good sight lines (at least from the lower deck).  BBRT would recommend holding out for lower deck seats for a couple of reasons: 1) The Upper Deck is steep and high; 2) The Sox restrict the ability to move between decks and there is more going on (in terms of food and entertainment on the lower level).  A few other observations:

• The White Sox three video boards (left, center and right field) provide plenty of information for fans. (I also found the left field – old school – video board enjoyable.  Basically, black and white (yellow, actually), it reminded of the Twins-O-Gram at old Met Stadium.
• The White Sox are keeping pace with MLB’s trend toward the honoring of former greats, with the White Sox Legends Sculpture Plaza. In the concourse between Sections 100 and 164, you’ll find tributes to: Louis Aparicio; Harold Baines; Charles Comiskey; Carlton Fisk; Nellie Fox; Paul Konerko; Minnie Minoso; Billy Pierce; and Frank Thomas.
• If you go to the ballpark not just for the game, but also for the food, US. Cellular is a little slice of heaven. You’ll want to make a trip around the concourse just to see what the offerings are. They range from sausages of every ethnicity (with plenty of tasty toppings) to Corn off the Cob (highly recommended by BBRT) to unique items like an Avocado/Bacon Grilled Cheese  sandwich with Tomato-Basil Bisque.  For sheer volume, the Nachos in a Helmet should keep you busy for the whole game.  Not only are the choices plentiful and tasty, U.S. Cellular has some of MLB’s most reasonable concession prices.
• BBRT also recommends the two-tiered, open-air, right field Bullpen Sports Bar. A great place to enjoy a beverage and the game in the company of passionate baseball fans.

The Cell’s Bloody Mary

The Cell’s Bloody Mary – appropriately spiced and priced.

U.S. Cellular’s Bloody Mary – purchased at the lower-level, right-field corner Infinity Zone Bar was the best and cheapest (at $8.25) of the trip.  Rather than just vodka and a prepared mix, this one included Worcestershire sauce and celery salt added by the bartender (and you did have a choice of levels of spice), a pair of olives, a lime wedge and a lemon wedge. Not quite as tangy as Detroit’s pickle-brine flavored mix, but appropriately spiced and priced.

The Trip Home

After the White Sox game, it was back on the bus for the trip back to Saint Paul.  Along the way, we made a stop at the Mihas Brewery (Monroe, WI) and Beer Memorabilia Museum – which has added a distillery since our last visit.  There was plenty of beer tastings, as well as the opportunity to sample spirits (tequila, rye, vodka and more). We had about a two-hour stop in the town of Monroe population about 10,000.  For most trekker the schedule went:  1) Taste a few of Minhas’ beers; 2) Lunch in nearby “downtown” Monroe (which has a surprising number of choices, from home-style cooking to deli sandwiches to barbeque to Mexican specialties). I was in a group that chose Poncho and Lefties Outlaw Grill; 3) Sample the spirits at the Minhas Distillery (I especially enjoyed the tequilas); and then back to the bus.

Wrapping Up – with a Brewery and a Distillery

The final few hours, were spent swapping stories from this year’s trip (and previous trips) in a bus filled with laughter.  We rolled back into Saint Paul by about 9:30 p.m. and the 2015 Ballpark Tours Bleacher Bums XXXIII trip ended in much the same way it started – with lots of hugs and handshakes.   The final touch – a round of applause for tour operator Julian Loscalzo – who once again delivered a memorable baseball (and social) experience.

A visit to the Minhas Distillery had us in high spirits for the ride home.

The Babe would have approved of our Ballpark Tours journey.

Ballpark Tours Bleacher Bums XXIII – our rolling group traded miles for memories, and it was a good trade.

Welcome to ongoing coverage of the Ballpark Tours 2015 … Bleacher Bums XXXIII … Rock N’Roll Adventure.  Looking at Day Four (last half) and Day Five in this post  For Day One. click here; Day Two, here; Day Three, here.   I do apologize for any typos, editing on a moving bus.

 —— BPT Day Four – Cleveland ——

 The Game

Pre-game action included a fire in a nearby building. Indians’ bats ptoved hotter.

Day Four included a morning/afternoon visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (included in the Day Three report) before the Saturday night Twins/Indians contest, as well as a second consecutive night of Rock N’Blast post-game fireworks.  It turns out that FIREworks was the theme of the evening.  It started with a pre-game fire in a building near the ballpark; moved on to the Indians’ explosive offense; and finished with another round of what BPT trekkers agreed was best ballpark fireworks display the group has ever seen. (At least the best since the night before.)

On a baseball tour, the game – of course – is the thing.  So, let’s start there. The Indians shellacked the Twins 17-4 in a contest that wasn’t even that close. The Cleveland bats were so hot, in fact, the Indians did not even have to worry about their number-one key to the game – Stopping Torii Hunter.

Scoreboard old the story. Today’s Indians’ strategy. Stop yesterday’s hero -Torii Hunter.

(Hunter, the hero of Friday night’s Twins’ win was reported by the Indians’ PA announcer as having the most hits versus the Indians of any active player. Before Saturday’s first pitch, the Indians scoreboard posted “Stop the Hunter” as the number-one key to the game.)

Here are a few observations (clearly, not highlights).

• The Indians collected 19 hits, including four doubles, a triple and two home runs (PH-RF Jerry Sands; CF Abraham Almonte). Twins hurlers also gave up eight walks, while fanning four. Indian pitchers walked three and whiffed 12. Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) probably could have scored for Cleveland Saturday night.
• In keeping with the trend on this trip, we saw 35 players (19 Twins/16 Indians), including 11 pitchers. In the three MLB games on this trip so far, we have seen 35 pitchers take the mound (actually 34, Minnesota’s A.J. Achter appeared in both games in Cleveland). This is definitely not “crisp, clean” baseball.
• The final Twin to take the mound did not come in from the bullpen. Shane Robinson came in from right field to record the final three outs for the Twins (bottom of the eighth inning).  A. J. Achter started the eighth and gave up three singles, a home run and a walk to the five batters he faced, before Twins’ manager Paul Molitor made the call to … right field (cell phone in Shane Robinson’s pocket?).  Robinson walked the first hitter he faced, then recorded a ground out to shortstop, fly out to center and a strikeout (Jerry Sands on a 64-mph knuckleball). Of the seven pitchers who toiled for the Twins, only Robinson and Kevin Jepsen did not give up at least one earned run.
• The Twins did rap three home runs in the contest: Joe Mauer, Kurt Suzuki and Eddie Rosario,
• It was Michael Brantley bobble head night – and he responded with three hits, two runs, one RBI and a stolen base. The star of the game, however, was Indians’ CF Abraham Almonte (acquired from the Padres on July 31). Starting his first game as an Indian, Almonte went four-for-five, with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored and two RBI.
• To soothe Twins’ fans. Consider this – the Indians scored 26 runs in two games – and only got a split.  Conversely, the Twins gave up 26 runs in two games and still earned (earned may be too strong a word) a split.
• Selective hearing? The PA announcer seemed to have a slightly unusual accent. Each time Indians’ catcher Roberto Perez came to the plate, I could have sworn he was introduced as “Rubber Toe Perez.”

Progressive Field

God seats. Game for Twins’ fans – not so much.

I got to the game early to collect my Brantley bobble head (which I later gave to a youngster who hadn’t arrived early enough to grab one of the popular promos).  That gave me time to visit Heritage Park (right field corner), with its plaques of past Indians’ stars, as well as the Bob Feller display in the Terrace Club (second deck, left field corner). Both are well worth a visit, and will provide you with a sense of Cleveland’s long MLB history.

Our seats were in the upper deck between home plate and first base – great view of what turned out to be a less than great game. These seats were considerably less expensive ($29) than last night’s left-field, lower-level seats, but offered a better view of the scoreboards and game action. Pre-game entertainment included a live rock band on the concourse level (right field) and a building fire about a half block from the ballpark.

Cleveland knows how to do fireworks,

Then came the game (already described above) and, finally, the Rock N’Blast fireworks and laser display. As I noted yesterday, Cleveland knows how to do fireworks – and tying the display to the history of rock and roll made it “more Cleveland”  and a treat for nearly all the senses.

I shared my observations on Progressive Field and its Bloody Mary yesterday, so we’ll move on to Day Five and Detroit.

——Day Five Detroit—–

We departed Chicago for Detroit (Day Game versus Red Sox) at 9:15 a.m. and, apparently, a couple days in Cleveland were reinvigorating.  The “Back of the Bus” was in fine form. (Sorry, “front of the bus,” but loyalty is a virtue.)  Lots of baseball talk, the sharing of stories from past BPT tours and, of course, the classic rock sing-alongs.  On the way to the Motor City, we weren’t just rolling – we were rocking and rolling.  It was at this point that a new idea (stolen from Field of Dreams) was born:

Question: “Is this heaven?”

Answer: “No, it’s the back of the bus.”

We also had the announcement of the winner for Friday’s contest to guess how many total runs would be scored in MLB’s 15 games.  I missed by one – but that was good enough to earn a twenty-dollar bill.  (One trekker, who entered only the free, just for fun, competition actually hit the run total – 118 – right on the mark.)

The Game

I have a lot to say about Detroit’s Comerica Park, so I’ll keep game comments brief.  The Red Sox topped the home town Tigers 7-2 in a contest that was tight (3-2 Red Sox), until Boston broke loose for four runs in the top of the eighth – much to the disappointment of most of the crowd of 38,766. A few observations:

• In the “It’s why we play the game” category – Boston was led by an unlikely hero. Number-nine hitter, CF Jackie Bradley, Jr., came into the game hitting just .121, with one home run and four RBI in 24 games. His output Sunday? Two-for-three – with a double, home run and five RBI.
• A sign of the times: We reached double-digits in pitchers used for the fourth straight game. Contest-by-contest pitcher count for our major league games: 12, 12, 11, 10.
• In the fourth inning, we were treated to a beautiful, full-tilt, back-to-the-infield, over-the-shoulder catch in deep center field by – you guessed it – improbably hitting hero, Red Sox CF Jackie Bradley, Jr.
• The game featured just 13 hits, but – unfortunately – also eleven walks (only two of those eleven “walkers” came around to score).

Comerica Park

Count me, officially, as a fan of Comerica Park.  The park, which opened in 2000, seems to have something for fans of all ages – while also “displaying” a great respect for Detroit baseball history and tradition.

Comerica Park …offers a unique baseball experience: lots to offer for fans of all ages.

First, our seats were in the lower deck, right field. Despite the distance, the sight lines were good and you still felt close to the action.  (If I had any complaint about the seating – and this seems true of most ballparks’ outfield seats – we seldom saw a vendor in our area.  This may not be an issue for most fans, but I prefer to remain in my seat, scoreboard at the ready, during the game.)

My suggestion for Detroit is that you get to the park early and walk the concourse.  You will not only find a diverse range of food choices (including, in-season, strawberry shortcake), but also solid evidence of Detroit status as a baseball city.  You will find displays of photos and memorabilia commemorating each decade of Detroit baseball throughout the concourse, as well as some of the most detail “legends” statues (Ty Cobb, Hal Newhauser, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg, Al Kaline, Willie Horton) beyond the left field fence.  These are some of the most detailed ballpark statues I have seen – and well worth the time to take in.

Detroit baseball history documented throughout the park.

Detroit’s legends beyond LF fence.

Willie Horton – Detroit’s Home Town Hero

As I was looking at the Detroit Tigers’ legends statues at Comerica Park, I heard one fan (from out of town, I presume) questioning why Willie Horton was up there with the likes of Ty Cobb and Al Kaline.  That experience prompted me to share this story about Horton.  First, Horton is a Detroiter – moving to the city with his family at the age of nine and later starring at Detroit’s Northwestern High School.  A four-time MLB All Star, Horton was a star on the field for his home town Tigers. In 15 seasons with Detroit, he hit .276, with 262 home runs and 886 RBI … and he hit .304 in the 1968 World Series.  Horton, however, secured his status as a true home town hero (and Detroit legend) not on the field, but in the streets.

On July 23, 1967 – as the Tigers faced the Yankees in a Sunday afternoon double header (remember those) at home – race-related rioting, looting and arson was lighting up the city of Detroit’s streets (ultimately, there would be 43 fatalities, more than a thousand injured and more than 2,00 buildings destroyed).

After the close of baseball action, with smoke from burning areas of the city visible from the ballpark, players were warned to avoid certain neighborhoods, including the area where Horton had grown up.  Horton took the warning as a call to action, and followed his home town heart.  Still in uniform, Horton rushed to the streets of his old neighborhood, climbed on roof of his car (in an area later described in the media as a “like a war zone) and pleaded for calm.  Detroit has not forgotten that effort – or Horton’s still ongoing commitment to the city, his city.  And, there is more to that recognition than the Horton statue at Comerica Park. Every year, on October 18 (Horton’s birthday), per legislative  decree, the state of Michigan officially celebrates Willie Horton Day.

Two more Willie Horton facts: Horton is the youngest of 21 children in his family. Horton hit his first home run in Tiger Stadium at the age of just 16 – playing in a Detroit All City High School game.

• 

  Kids love the Ferris wheel and tiger-themed carousel at Comerica.

  Plenty for the kids at Comerica, including a Tiger-theme carousel and a baseball Ferris wheel.

• The Big Cat Court has some great food items – including (in-season) strawberry shortcake.
• There are tigers – the striped cats – statues and images, in many art forms, almost everywhere you look, adding to the home town feel of the park.
• Tiger fans are knowledgeable and loyal.
• The Amsterdam 416 Bar, above the right field bleachers, is worth a visit.

Comerica Bloody Mary

Not a World Series Champ, but Comerica’s Bloody Mary makes the first division.

The Comerica Bloody Mary ($10) uses McClure Bloody Mary Mix – a Detroit product – developed by the McClure (family) pickle company as a use for its leftover pickle brine. It also contains a sharp combination of spices, tomato paste and fresh-pressed cucumber juice. At Comerica, the drink is topped with a stick of three olives and a pickle.  It is a first-division Bloody Mary, unique in its combination of pickle-brine tartness and peppery spice.  One of the most “refreshing” Bloody Mary’s I have enjoyed at a ball park.  It truly awakens the taste buds. One suggestion, add a dash of celery salt.

Kalamazoo

BPT trekkers have been known to occasionally enjoy a refreshing beverage (Okay, maybe more than one and maybe more than occasionally). )

We bussed to Kalamazoo after the game and BPT delivered again.  The Radisson Plaza there proved a great hotel. Comfortable rooms, great bars and restaurants, outstanding breakfast buffet (try the Greek omelet). My evening meal was a pulled pork sandwich with bourbon and Sriracha BBQ sauce, smoked Gouda and jalapeno slaw – with truffle, which cheddar fries on the side. We really rough it on these BPT trips.

Next, back to Chicago (White Sox/Angels).

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.  Follow to get notifications of new blog posts.

Our Ballpark Tours (BPT) Bleacher Bums XXXIII – Rock N’Roll Adventure – tour group rolled out of Chicago at about 9:30 a.m. on Friday, leaving Wrigley Field behind and heading for Cleveland’s Progressive Field and two days of watching the Indians take on the Twins.  For more on BPT 2015 Day One, click here; Day Two, here.

Progressive Field – lots of fireworks, early and late.

Clearly, the entertainment options available in The Windy City took the wind out of the sails for many of our group.  It was a relatively quiet bus ride.  We arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in downtown Cleveland about 5:30 (great hotel, large rooms, complimentary breakfast, ten-minute walk to the ballpark – see photo at the end of this post), so our group rushed to get settled in an off to view some baseball – not to mention $2 Budweisers in right field until 7:00 p.m.

We arrived close to game time, so there wasn’t a great deal of time to explore the ballpark (more on that in my next post). I will pass on a few observations on the ballpark later in this post – but first, the game:

• We were promised post-game “Rock N’Blast” fireworks, but the Twins and Indians delivered their own fireworks much earlier. In the third inning, BOTH teams batted around.  The Twins sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring six runs; the Indians had nine batters step into the box, while scoring four times.
• Overall, it was an exciting (especially for our group of Twins fans) back-and-forth contest. The Twins took a 6-0 lead early, then fell behind 9-7, and, finally won, 10-9 on a Torii Hunter homer in the top of the ninth.
• The two teams used six pitchers each. So, in the past two games on the tour (Cubs/Giants – Indians/Twins), we’ve seen a total of 24 pitchers.
• Going back to the fireworks theme, Friday’s game featured 29 hits – including seven doubles, two triples and four home runs. For those on the bus who love offense, this may prove to be this year’s best stop. A Twins’ win and 29 hits, that’s like dinner and a show.
• Forty-year-old Torii Hunter started in right field and had a single, double, (game-winning) home run, three runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base for the Twins. Almost prophetically, the PA announcer had told the crowd before the game that Hunter had more hits against the Indians in his career than any other active player. He certainly stayed active last night.
• Recent Twins’ call-up A.J. Achter got off to a rocky start in his first 2015 major league appearance (relieving in the bottom of the fourth) – giving up a walk and a home run to the first two hitters he faced (Indians’ DH Carlos Santana and C Yan Gomes). Achter then settled down and struck out the next four batters (before being lifted at the end of the fifth inning). Achter was 4-2, with a 2.82 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings in 40 appearances at Triple A Rochester this season. In six minor league seasons, he is 22-18, with 31 saves, a 2.91 ERA and 383 strikeouts in 365 innings. He pitched in seven games for the Twins last year, going 1-0, 3.27.

In Baseball, We Keep Track of Everything … Well, almost.

It’s often been noted in this blog that “In baseball, we keep track of everything.” That generic “we” – at least yesterday – did not include the umpiring crew.  Last night, with the Twins’ CF Aaron Hicks’ facing Indians’ right-hander Cody Anderson with one on and one out in the third inning, home plate umpire D.J. Rayburn “lost track” of the count. (It was either 2-2 or Hicks had fanned on a 1-2 pitch.) Apparently, Rayburn wasn’t the only one off track out there on the field.  The four-man umpiring crew met behind the mound, but couldn’t agree on just what the ball-strike count was.  So, the “powers that be” in New York were called upon (during an official delay of 1:58) to review the video and determine the proper count, which was confirmed from New York at 2-2. Hicks went on to hit a single to center, part of the Twins’ six-run third.  Ultimately, we ended up seeing an umpiring crew needing the help of reviewers some 460 miles away not to make a judgment on a close call, but to determine the ball-strike count. It doesn’t seem like keeping track should be quite that hard.

A Few Observations on Progressive Field

Progressive Field is a good place to watch a ball game.  Fine sight lines; a feeling of being close to the action; a nice city skyline back drop; solid and fairly priced concessions; and knowledgeable, involved and loyal fans.  In addition, Progressive Field’s downtown location is close to plenty of pre- and post-game food, beverage and entertainment possibilities.  The overall architecture does feel a bit industrial, however, when compared to newer designs. We arrived too close to game time to explore much of the park (although I have been here before), but I’ll provide more detail after Game Two of the series.

While Progressive Field is a good place to watch a ball game, it is not a good place for scoreboard watching. The large video board in centerfield is the primary source for almost all game-related info (and the Indians seem to provide less info than most teams) – and it is hard to see from the outfield seats.  There are narrow LED panels along the bottom of the upper deck, but they are hard to read – and the information keeps changing – so you need to be looking at the right panel at the right time to get the information you want.  (Scores from other games, for example, come up periodically and one at a time.) Also, any detailed information on the panels (like an inning-by-inning line score of the Indians’ contest is pretty small and hard to read.  I thought that might be my 68-year-old eyes, but a twenty-something tour participant said he had the same issue.

BBRT Note/Correction:  Since this post was written, I have taken in a game from Progressive Field’s infield section seats – with a view of the big center field video board and lower video panel.   On that board and panel, the Indians do provide more info on each hitter/pitcher and  an inning by inning line score – and show the score more like eight games at a time.  Still, that board is difficult, if not impossible to view from many outfield seats. (In fact, while we had tro strain to see it from our $45 left field area seats Friday night, we could view it easily from our $29 second-deck, infield section seats on Saturday. Also  even though the CF board shows the games about eight at a time, they do not leave the scores up – so you still have to be looking when they are posted.

It is also worth noting that , when it opened in 1994 (April 4, with President Clinton throwing out the first pitch), it was considered one of finest ballparks in the nations.  And, the Cleveland fans agreed. The Indians sold out every game from June 12, 1995 to April 4, 2001 – 455 consecutive home sellouts. 

The Terrace Club – give it a try when in Cleveland.

Final Progressive Field thoughts for now.

• The Indians know how to put on a Dollar Dog Night. You can have up to six and there are plenty of vendors, both at concessions stand and traveling the concourse and seating area.

• Cleveland also knows how to do fireworks. BPTers generally agreed that the post-game Rock N’Blast Show – fireworks and lasers set to rock music – was the best ballpark any had witnessed.

• Two-dollar Bud night is very popular, get to the “Right Field District” early if your goal is to maximize this opportunity.

• I’d recommend visiting the Terrace Club – in the left field corner.  It’s a glass enclosed bar and restaurant open to any ticket holders.  (It’s where I purchased my Bloody Mary for review.) Get there early enough to get a seat (counter or table) near the “glass” and you can watch the game VIP style.

• You also may want to try the right field Corner Bar –a two story bar with more than three dozen beers on tap.

• If it’s a night game, take a light jacket. It gets windy at Progressive Field.

Progressive Field Bloody Mary

Special note: I did drink responsibly.

The Bloody Mary ($9.75)  at Progressive Field (Terrace Club) beat Wrigley’s disappointing offering, but still did not crack BBRT’s first division.  On the plus side: a generous pour; I was asked if I wanted it spicy, and tobasco and pepper were added (the final product did have the appropriate “bite”); the Terrace Club proved a great (and classy) place to consume a Bloody Mary and still keep an eye on what’s happening in the ballpark.  Negative:  The only condiments offered were a slice of lime or lemon. I am told, however, that on Sundays, they offer Bloody Mary’s loaded with such items as shrimp and bacon. Wish I was going to be here then.

Diversions

Saturday (today), we had time (it’s a night game) to explore Cleveland.  As usual our bus travelers split off to take part in the pursuits of their choice. Popular destinations were the Cleveland Museum of Art; Cleveland Baseball Heritage Museum; the nearby Horseshoe Casino; and, perhaps most popular, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (a must for music lovers visiting Cleveland.)

A baseball from the Rock and Roll Hal of Fame … an appropriate symbol for BPT’s Rock N’Roll Adventure.

I chose the Rock and Roll HOF (even though I’ve been there twice before). What a day. Those who know me will recognize how much I would appreciate free breakfast, rock and roll and baseball ALL in the same day.  I discovered two bonuses at the Hall: 1) They’ve lifted the ban on picture taking. 2) There was a special Everly Brothers (my all-time favorites) exhibit on the third floor.   BBRT side note:  One of the staff told me that after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lifted the photo ban (you actually had to check your camera at the entrance and pick it up when you left), a number of artists pulled their display items.  She declined to name names, however.

Tonight more baseball, but first a nice late lunch/early dinner.  Given our schedule, late game, early a.m. bus departure for Detroit (Tigers/Red Sox), you’ll probably be spared a post tomorrow. But, I’ll be back.

Oh yeah – and here’s our room. Ballpark Tours delivers again!

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.  Follow me for notification of new blog posts.