{"id":1379,"date":"2013-06-07T21:36:00","date_gmt":"2013-06-08T02:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.baseballroundtable.com\/?p=1379"},"modified":"2013-06-18T10:47:58","modified_gmt":"2013-06-18T15:47:58","slug":"ballpark-tours-and-memory-lane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/ballpark-tours-and-memory-lane\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballpark Tours and Memory Lane"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>Yesterday (June 6), BBRT took off on its annual Ballpark Tours Trek \u2026 aboard a coach with 45 other baseball fans and, Julian, our intrepid operator and Phillies fan.\u00a0 This is a shorter trip than usual (BPT has done as many at 13 games in nine cities in ten days).\u00a0 This year it\u2019s a long weekend \u2013 four games, in three cities (Milwaukee, Chicago, Appleton) in four days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Blogging from the lobby of the Palmer House Hilton … Ballpark Tours Travels in Style.<\/p><\/div>\n

The theme, at least for BBRT, is Blues, Brews and Baseball \u2013 not necessarily in that order.\u00a0 We are in town for the 2013 Chicago (free) Blues Festival, in Grant Park, just a few blocks from the Palmer House Hilton.\u00a0 (I\u2019m writing this blog in the lobby); our trek includes a brewery visit (Sand Creek Brewing Company in Black River Falls, WI); and there is, of course, the aforementioned baseball.<\/span><\/p>\n

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First stop – a brewery – makes sense to me.<\/p><\/div>\n

We departed Saint Paul, MN at about 10:00 a.m. and reached the Sand Creek Brewery just before lunch time.\u00a0 Good tour of the history brewery \u2013 and good tasting as well.\u00a0 It was then a picnic-style lunch in nearby Field of Honor Park (a bit of a gloomy day), before heading off for a night game (Brewers\/Phillies \u2013 I noted our tour operator is a Phillies fan) at Miller Park in Milwaukee. It was a gloomy day, and roof at Miller Park, was closed, giving you the feel of watching the national pastime in a warehouse or airplane hangar.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t help that the crowd was small (announced at 21,851 but looking considerable smaller in the cavernous Miller) and subdued (the Brewers are in last place and fell quickly behind the Phillies.\u00a0 Still, it was baseball, the brats were tasty, the Bloody Mary spicy, we received free Norichika Aoki \u201cfan masks.\u201d\u00a0 We also saw ex-Twin Delmon Young take one yard and ex-Twin (and hot hitting) Carlos Gomez exhibit the warning-track power we so often saw when he was with the Twins \u2013 as the Brewer went down 5-1.\u00a0 (It was also BBRT\u2019s first chance to see Brewers\u2019 phenom Jean Segura \u2013 who looks like the real deal.<\/p>\n

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Johnny Logan … highlight of the Brewers’ ga,e.<\/p><\/div>\n

The real highlight was the induction of former Milwaukee Braves\u2019 shortstop Johnny Logan into Miller Parks\u2019 Milwaukee Hall of Fame. Logan \u2013 known as scrappy ballplayer \u2013 remained feisty even at age 87.\u00a0 In his acceptance, he shared stories about such notables as Billy Bruton, Hank Aaron and Stan Musial with enthusiasm \u2013 until emcee Bob Eucker had to cut him off. \u00a0\u00a0Logan, whose MLB career stretched from 1951 to 1963, was a four-time All Star and a key player on the Braves 1957 World Championship team and 1958 NL Champs.\u00a0 For trivia buffs, he was the first batter to face HOFer Sandy Koufax (delivering a single) and \u2013 playing in Japan in1964 as a member of the Nankai Hawks \u2013 was the first player to play on a MLB World Series champ and a Japanese Baseball championship team.\u00a0 The return to Japan was a natural for Logan, who had played service ball (for the Army) in Japan in 1945-46.<\/p>\n

Former Brave utility man Felix Mantilla was called upon to help present Logan\u2019s honor not only shared stories about Logan\u2019s exploits, but brought back some memories for BBRT.\u00a0 Mantilla, who eleven-year MLB career included only 89 homers and 330 RBI, made quite a mark in Boston.\u00a0 After six seasons with the Braves in Milwaukee (1956-61) and one with the expansion Met, Mantilla joined the Red for the 1963-65 seasons.\u00a0 In a line-up that included such sluggers as Dick Stuart, Tony Conigliaro and Carl Yastrzemski, Mantilla, in 1964, finished second on the team in homers with 30 (to Dick Stuart\u2019s 33) and led the Red Sox in RBI with 94 in 1965 (earning his only All Star selection).\u00a0 In those two seasons, Mantilla hit 48 of 89 career homers and collected 156 of his 330 RBI \u2013 while playing 2B, 3B, SS and all three outfield spots.\u00a0 Mantilla was traded to Houston in after the 1965 season and was released after the season (and did not play in the major again).\u00a0 For trivia buffs, Mantilla\u2019s groundball to Pirates\u2019 third baseman Don Hoak leading off the 13<\/span>th<\/sup> inning (on which Hoak made a throwing error), broke up Harvey Haddix\u2019 \u00a0May 26, 1959 perfect game.\u00a0 Mantilla was sacrificed to second by Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron was intentionally walked and Joe Adcock hit one out of the park.\u00a0 The elated Braves messed up the base running (Aaron ran off the field, and so was passed by Adcock) resulting in Adcock\u2019s homer becoming a double and the final score reading 1-0.\u00a0 Still, after retiring 36 consecutive batters, Haddix ended up losing the \u201cperfecto,\u201d the no-hitter, the shutout and the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Milwaukee game, out intrepid trekkers were back on the bus, swapping baseball tales, as we rolled into Chicago \u2013 and a late check in at the Palmer House Hilton.\u00a0 A long, but truly enjoyable day.\u00a0 Thanks to Ballpark Tours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Old stadiums, like Wrigley, have their faults … but are still the best place to see baseball.<\/p><\/div>\n

Day two of our trek found us in Chicago, taking the subway\/el to Wrigleyville, where we enjoyed a neighborhood of sports bars and baseball-themed shops before the Cubs took on the Pirates in the \u201cfriendly confines\u201d \u2013 a great place to enjoy a ball game. \u00a0It was a good one \u2013with the Pirates winning 2-0.\u00a0 Ex-Twin Francisco Liriano started for the Pirates as was effectively wild (it didn\u2019t seem that effective, but he went seven scoreless innings, with two hits, 5 walks, a wild pitch and eight strikeouts).\u00a0 We also got a look at NL saves leader Jason Grilli. The six-foot-four Grilli, who looks even larger on the mound, logged his 23<\/span>rd<\/sup> save \u2013 but made it interesting.\u00a0 He notched three strikeouts in the inning, but also gave up two hits to bring the winning run to the plate.\u00a0 Oh yes, another freebie today \u2013 Cubs\u2019 floppy hats.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Supper, by the way, for food geeks, was great.\u00a0 Decided to stay in tonight, at the Hilton\u2019s lobby bar. Had a great grilled flat bread with Mergeuz sausage, Manchego cheese, smoked paprika olive oil and chervil with a very good Garnett Pinto Noir.\u00a0 Nice finish to the day.\u00a0 \u00a0Next on the agenda \u2013 Chicago Blues Fest and tomorrow\u2019s Cubs game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday (June 6), BBRT took off on its annual Ballpark Tours Trek \u2026 aboard a coach with 45 other baseball fans and, Julian, our intrepid operator and Phillies fan.\u00a0 This is a shorter trip than usual (BPT has done as many at 13 games in nine cities in ten days).\u00a0 This year it\u2019s a long […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13,11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n