Iowa Cubs @ Tucson Sidewinders Game Wrap Up

Yesterday my dad and I went to the final Thirsty Thursday ever for the Tucson Sidewinders. We mainly went to get at least one more game in before the end of their 40th and final season in Tucson, as next season they will be moved to Reno, Nevada. We almost went to the game on Tuesday, but decided it would be cheaper to go Thursday with the $1 sodas and beer. Big mistake the more expensive drinks would have been worth it because it would have meant less annoying drunks in our section and beer would not have been spilled from the row behind us stockpile onto my bag.

Anyways it was not an enjoyable game atmosphere wise, but the baseball action was at least eventful. The Iowa Cubs basically slaughtered the Sidewinders by winning 15 to 7, but at least the Sidewinders did hit a Grand Slam in the 3rd inning and that is the first one I have ever seen in person.

I love going to the AAA games since it is a local team and will definitely miss having a team. I can remember going to them as early as 1994 when we moved to Tucson and the team was the Tucson Toros playing at Hi Corbett Field. Since then they became the Sidewinders, we got two more Major League teams Spring Training here, and we have had a professional softball team. The softball team failed after its 2nd year (the league is still going well, just the AZ team failed). The Sidewinders are being moved away and the White Sox are moving their Spring Training to the Phoenix area. Basically it is sad that baseball action is quickly diminishing here, but at least there is at least some Spring Training action staying here.

Backyard Baseball 2009 for Nintendo Wii

I tried this game out today and thought it would be something good baseball related to post about on this blog, as I do not have any updates to the trip planning at this time.

I am not much into playing baseball video games because I find them too complex, especially on most console gaming systems, however, I have been a fan of Backyard Baseball for years. I used to play it on my computer, but stopped when the version I had no longer worked on my newer operating system. When I saw the Wii version it seemed like it could be an interesting way to play it.

It was fun for a little while, but it is not as good as the computer versions I have played. The graphics are not any better after all these years and the Major League player selection continues to disappoint me even though it has gotten better. The one thing I do like is the controls have remained relatively simple. The thing is, though, that it does not use the Wii sensor capabilities much at all. You do not even swing it like your batting, but rather just flick it in the same motion as pitching.

Overall it is more enjoyable than Wii Sports Baseball, as you actually get to control your fielding and there are some fun batting and pitching power ups. It is, however, not all that amazing and only worth actually purchasing if you find it for under $20. I for one I am glad I just rented it and did not buy it. I think the computer versions of this game remain great, but their move to the console has yet to create a parallel quality playing experience.

Baseball Smashed Penny Locations

One of the things I have collected over the years is smashed pennies. I tend to just find them along the way when traveling. Having found many over the past week on a cave road trip I thought for next summer's All the Ballparks Road Trip I am actually going to look up what places have smashed pennies. Thus today I went through the Penny Collector Location Database and found all the baseball related penny locations as listed below.

Chase Field/Bank One Ballpark - There used to be a machine here with Randy Johnson, Curt Shilling, Luis Gonzalez, and 2001 World Series pennies, but it has been removed for being out of date. Not a big loss to me, though, since I do already have at least most if not all of those smashed pennies.

Mickey Baseball Player @ Disneyland Paradise Pier Hotel - Do not know if I will get around to getting this one on the trip, but figured I would include because it is baseball themed. Actually think I have this one, but not sure since I know I did not get it at Paradise Pier Hotel.

ESPN Zone at Disneyland Downtown Disney - Another one I probably will not get to one this trip, but including it because it has Los Angeles Dodger and Los Angeles Angels pennies.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - This machine has Angels Logo, Go Angels Rally Monkey, Angels #27, and The A Team! Anaheim Angels pennies.

Dodger Stadium - This one has 2 current machines, as well as two retired machines. The current machines pennies are Dodger Stadium, Bat and Ball L.A. Dodgers Baseball, Heart L.A. Dodgers, Dodgers Fan, Player Dodgers Baseball, Dodger Baseball Established 1958, Dodgers Logo, and My Lucky L.A. Dodgers Penny.

Giants Baseball Stadium - They used to have an Old Navy Splash Landing penny with the name of the series on the other side, but it was removed when the park changed names from SBC Park to the current name of AT & T Park.

Safeco Field - This machine has three different Seattle Mariners logo designs and a Safeco Field penny.

Coors Field - This park used to have two, but now only has one machine, which is better than nothing. This machine has Colorado Rockies logo, Rockies Lucky Penny, Colorado Rockies Baseball Club, and Dinosaur Colorado Rockies penny designs.

Busch Stadium - This park seems to have gone through a lot of different machines between the self serve and attended ones. I have some of the retired ones. The current self serve machine has St. Louis Cardinals mascot, Busch Stadium Est. 2006, St. Louis Arch Cardinals Baseball, and St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Logo pennies. There seems to be a new attended machine every year, so who knows what it will have next year if there even is one.

ESPN Zone Chicago - Will probably try and stop in here for the pennies when in Chicago. They have a Chicago Cubs penny and a Chicago White Sox penny.

Comisky Park - They used to have a machine here, but no longer do.

Wrigley Field - The machine here has three Chicago Cubs logo designs and a Wrigley Field design.

Navy Pier - Should be easy to get over here since we will be staying right next to here when in Chicago. They have a machine with a White Sox design.

Miller's Park - This machine has a Milwaukee Brewers logo design, Mascot design, and two Miller Park designs.


Comerica Park - This park has two machines. Designs include Tigers Number 1, Established 1901 Tigers Logo, Tigers Lucky Penny, Detroit is Tiger Town, Heart Tigers, Tigers Logo, and Comerica Park Home of 2005 All Star Game.

Railcats Baseball - This penny in Gary, Indiana, is one we will not be getting, but thought I would include it since I noticed it.

UPMC Sports Works at Carnegie Center: They have some baseball science exhibits and maybe we will go if we have some free time in Pittsburgh. One of the penny designs is of a baseball.

PNC Park - This machies has Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Logo The Way Baseball Should Be Played, PNC Park Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park Logo, and Pirate Logo pennies.

Progressive Field - This machine has some famous Indian player, Indian Logo, Jacob's Field, and Cleveland Indians designs. I kind of wonder if it is really still there, though, since it is no longer Jacob's Field.

Cooperstown - There are two what I think are stores in Cooperstown that have penny machines with Hall of Fame and baseball designs. Will probably try and stop to get the pennies. One place is called National Pasttime and the other is Pioneer Sports Cards Store.

Fenway Park - This machine has two Boston Red Sox logo designs, a mascot design, and a Fenway Park design.

Yankee Stadium - They do currently have a machine, but with there being a new ballpark next year it potentially will not be there. Current designs are Yankee Stadium Logo, Yankee Stadium 1923 - 2008, New York Yankees Est. 1903, and All Star Yankee Stadium design.

ESPN Zone New York City - This place has a penny for each of the New York baseball teams, but I doubt we will try to get to this ESPN Zone just for the pennies.

Shea Stadium - Another one that potentially will not be there next year when they have a new stadium. The designs are Mr. Met, Mets Logo, Mets NY Logo, and New York City Skyline "Ya Gotta Believe."

Citizen's Bank Ballpark - There used to be a machine here, but it has been removed.

ESPN Zone Baltimore - They have an Orioles penny here, but probably will not get it.

Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum - They have four Babe Ruth Birthplace & Museum designs here.

Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards - This machine has three Sports Legends Museum designs and a Camden Yards design.

Camden Yards - This one has a ballplayer design, ship design, mascot design, and Orioles Park at Camden Yards design.

Nationals Park - Oh, I am so annoyed I went to at least five games in the first month of the season at the new ballpark this year and never noticed they had a machine in the Strike Zone area. Anyways they have four designs and I hope to get them when I go to the end of regular season games in September this year.

Turner Field - The four designs here are Turner Field Established 1997, Mascot, Atlanta Braves 1966, and Braves Logo.

Minute Maid Park - The four designs here are Houston Astros with Texas Outline, Houston Astros with Train, Houston Astros pennant, and Ballpark.

International Bowling Museum and Cardinals Hall of Fame

Just found out that this museum is closing by end of 2008 and moving to Arlington, Texas. Of course, that is just the bowling part and not the Cardinals baseball part. I read the area will be used in the development of Baseball Village, but it appears it will not be open next summer even though St. Louis is hosting the All Star Game. Who knows if, when, and where exactly they will reopen the Cardinals Hall of Fame part, but it looks like it will not be on the 2009 All the Ballparks itinerary anymore. Oh well, at least we did get to this museum a few years ago. Perhaps the new location in Arlington, Texas will be open and we will go to the bowling part while in the area since the three of us all like bowling and bowl in leagues.

2 New Things I Found to Add to Route

I am currently on a different road trip and as we were traveling I was looking through some tourist things and discovered two more baseball themed things to work into next summer's All the Ballparks road trip.

The first is the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame and nearby League Stadium, where they filmed A League of Their Own. This is a little out of the way to add to the trip, but somehow we will work it in. Perhaps make it a really long day trip out of Cincinnati to the Lousiville Slugger Museum and here or maybe head to Indiana from Cincinnati and then spend a night in Lousiville see the Slugger Museum and continue back on planned route.

The second is the Pujols Westfront Grill in St. Louis. Now this is an easy thing to work in or at least it should be considering it is a place to eat and in it in a city already on the route.

The Road Trippers

Here is a brief intro to the three of us going doing the All the Ballparks Summer 2009 Road Trip.


Kj

Nickname: "The Documenter"

Favorite Team: Washington Nationals

Collects: Souvenir Baseballs

Her/My Role: I am the doing most of the planning and trip documenting. I am making the route and will be putting together how we can do it in Mik's summer vacation once the MLB schedules are all released. I am also the one documenting the trip through things like blogging and taking photos.



Mik

Nickname: "The Taste Tester"

Favorite Team: Arizona Diamondbacks

Collects: Mini Bats

His Role: Mik is my little brother. He will turn 15 during the road trip. I am giving him the nickname "The Taste Tester" because over the years I have photographed him eating foods when we travel. It started as a him eating his way through Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and a Disney Cruise, but has now developed into him posing with different foods in his mouth on all our travels. He will be adding to his food scrapbook by trying different ballpark foods, especially things unique to certain ballparks. Also, he loves to narrate videos with his camera and may be entertaining readers with some video clips as we visit the ballparks. Lastly, Mik has cerebral palsy and, though, he is working on at least walking with his walker again, he will probably mostly use his wheelchair on the trip. Thus he will be helping to give accessibility reviews of the ballparks and other sites we hit along the way.


Joe

Nickname: "The Driver"

Favorite Team: Chicago Cubs

His Role: My dad is the one doing the driving. He is also the one who will have to call 30 different ballpark ticket offices to get wheelchair seats to the games.

All the Ballparks Route Outline

Here is the route outline of the ballparks and other baseball stops that I have come up with so far. Plus, a few natural places of interest I added because I figured we might as well hit them while we are near them.

Leg 1: Tucson, AZ to Phoenix, AZ
Team 1: Arizona Diamonbacks

Leg 2: Phoenix, AZ to San Diego, CA
Team 2: San Diego Padres

Leg 3: San Diego, CA to Los Angeles, CA
Team 3: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Team 4: Los Angeles Dodgers

Leg 4: Los Angeles, CA to San Francisco, CA
Team 5: Oakland Atheletics
Team 6: San Francisco Giants

Leg 5: San Francisco, CA to Seattle, WA
Redwood National Park
Team 7: Seattle Mariners

Leg 6: Seattle, WA to Denver, Co
Dinosaur National Monument
Rocky Mountain National Park
Team 8: Colorado Rockies

Leg 7: Denver, CO to Kansas City, MO
Team 9: Kansas City Royals
Negro Leagues Hall of Fame

Leg 8: Kansas City, MO to St. Louis, MO
Team 10: St. Louis Cardinals
International Bowling Museum and Cardinals Hall of Fame

Leg 9: St. Louis, MO to Chicago, IL
Team 11: Chicago Cubs
Team 12: Chicago White Sox

Leg 10: Chicago, IL to Milwaukee, WI
Team 13: Milwaukee Brewers

Leg 11: Milwaukee, WI to Minneapolis, MN
Team 14: Minnesota Twins

Leg 11: Minneapolis, MN to Detroit, MI
Team 15: Detroit Tigers

Leg 12: Detroit, MI to Cincinnati, OH
Team 16: Cincinnati Reds
Day Trip to Louisville Slugger Factory

Leg 13: Cincinnati, OH to Pittsburgh, PA
Team 17: Pittsburgh Pirates

Leg 14: Pittsburgh, PA to Cleveland, OH
Team 18: Cleveland Indians

Leg 15: Cleveland, OH to Toronto, Canada
Niagara Falls
Team 19: Toronto Blue Jays

Leg 16: Toronto, Canada to Boston, MA
Baseball Hall of Fame
Side Trip to hit Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (to say we have been to all states except Alaska after this road trip, I guess we will then have to do the Alaska road trip we have always talked about another summer)
Team 20: Boston Red Sox

Leg 17: Boston, MA to New York City, NY
Team 21: New York Yankeees
Team 22: New York Mets
Sports Museum of America

Leg 18: New York City, NY to Philadelphia, PA
Team 23: Philadelphia Phillies

Leg 19: Philadelphia, PA to Baltimore, MD
Team 24: Baltimore Orioles
Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum and Legends Hall of Fame at Camden Yards

Leg 20: Baltimore, MD to Washington, DC
Team 25: Washington Nationals

Leg 21: Washington, DC to Miami, FL
Team 26: Florida Marlins

Leg 22: Miami, FL to Tampa Bay, FL
Team 27: Tampa Bay Rays

Leg 23: Tampa Bay, Fl to Atlanta, GA
Team 28: Atlanta Braves

Leg 24: Atlanta, GA to Houston, TX
Team 29: Houston Astros

Leg 25: Houston, TX to Dallas, TX
Team 30: Texas Rangers
Legends of the Game Museum