April’s Lost Weekend I had to find way my way back to Florida. My first trip to Florida was early in my summer’s thirty stadium journey. I’d been to Spring Training, Opening Day in D.C and the Jackie Robinson Celebration in Philadelphia. Two ballparks down, twenty-eight to go, and I felt the pressure to stay on schedule. I worried that if I missed a stop, I wouldn’t be able to find a way to get back to that ballpark. Of course, if I didn’t go back, I’d fail in my attempt to visit all the ballparks in one season. On Friday the 19th, just a couple of days after I returned from Philadelphia, I took an early morning flight to Miami. I was going to see the Marlins that night. That night went as planned, although I felt a little tired and a little out of it. On the other hand, I started early that morning. I should feel tired. When I woke on Saturday morning, things had changed. Tired and dizzy, I wondered if I could make the three-hour drive to St. Petersburg. I soldiered on and started to drive to St. Petersburg. However, an hour north of the city, I realized I couldn't go on. I slowly drove back to a hotel near the Miami Airport and, all the time, feeling defeated and doubtful. Would there be a way to get back to St. Petersburg? Would I be able to get to all the stadiums? I slept the rest of the day until the next afternoon, and then the somewhat defeated Nomad flew home. I knew that I had to find my way back to Florida. Going Home Over the summer, I revisited my past haunts. In August, I walked through the Bronx neighborhood where I was born, and my extended family lived. The following week, I went to Fenway. Mrs. Nomad and I have fond memories of our visits there when we lived in New England. Earlier in the summer, Nomad the Younger and I drove by the house where we lived in St. Louis. Then we drove by the office I worked in, near where she went to daycare. Finally, I went to Cleveland, where my father lived, and we saw so many games together before he died. Now I was in St. Petersburg, where we lived when I was young. We moved to St. Petersburg when I was five. At the time, we were a family of four. The year after we moved, a new baby brother arrived. Eighteen months later, another brother came. Bettman Archive I went to elementary and middle school in St. Petersburg. It's where I played little league baseball and went to spring training games at Al Lang Field with my father. I remember sitting in Mr. Wilson's Earth Science class in 1969 when they announced that the Mets were World Champions. The Mets were the closest thing I knew to a "home team" since they trained in St. Pete. Of…

After our three day Wrigley Field sojourn, Mrs. Nomad and I visited Milwaukee's Miller Park and Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field. If you go, to either expect the standard visuals presented in various forms and quality. There are statues, retired numbers, some brick, good food, and baseball. Milwaukee’s Miller Park Miller Park I enjoyed Miller Park - and rank it relatively high on my list of favorite ballparks. It's the kind of ballpark I would be happy to live near so that I could go often. It's easy to get to, comfortable to sit in, the food and beer are plentiful, all in all, a lot of fun. Then, of course, there is the tailgating. Tailgating Only 17 of 30 ballparks allow some sort of tailgating. However, of those, four don't allow alcohol, and I'm not sure it's really tailgating without beer. Others have restrictions as to where one can tailgate and if open flame/ charcoal is allowed. However, at least four ballparks not only encourage your tailgating event, but they will also cater it. Late afternoon tailgating before the game Then there are places like Wrigley that allow tailgating, but why would you miss the fun in the surrounding neighborhoods. Others like Coors and Camden Yards don't allow tailgating, but the great activities around the stadium offset the loss. With that said, Milwaukee is known as the best: Finally, an MLB organization and ballpark that not only permits tailgating before games but openly encourages it! It's been stated that Miller Park is one of the, if not the best, greatest places to tailgate in all of baseball. The tailgating rules are pretty simple: parking lots open 3 hours before game time, tailgating ends 30 minutes after the game starts, it's permitted in all lots (except for Logan and Front Office), no open flames are allowed but you're able to use gas/propane or self-contained charcoal grills, and of course all tailgating activities must coincide with the law.Baseball Tailgating – A Quick Guide for Pregaming This Summer History - Statues Hammerin' Hank outside Miller Park Statues of the Brewers' most celebrated players, broadcasters and executives surround Miller Park. Hank Aaron, albeit a nominal Brewer, but Milwaukee legend is there. Nearby, stand Hall of Fame members shortstop Robin Yount, and former owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig. I appreciate statues at ballparks. It's nice to see the players that I respected so much when I was growing up honored and remembered this way. Selig has a mixed reputation. Some fans appreciate his work to reinvigorate the game after the 1994’s player strike. In those years, he played an instrumental role in returning baseball to financial stability and profitability. However, others criticize him for failing to stop the widespread use of steroids that ultimately marred the game. Mr. and Mrs. Nomad in the "front row" with Bob Ueker If Selig is controversial, Hall of Fame announcer Bob Uecker is not. Everyone loves Bob Uecker, and he has two statues, one inside the stadium and…

Historic Camden Yards There is a statue of young George Herman Ruth, Jr., at the intersection of Eutaw and West Camden Streets. He is looking toward the sky and dreaming of greatness. Behind the statue called “Babe’s Dream” is Baltimore’s revolutionary Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The ballpark abuts "Pigtown," the historic neighborhood where "The Babe" was born. Ruth's father ran a saloon located near what is now Oriole Park's centerfield. When the stadium was under construction, the team asked archeologists to survey the area to see if there were any artifacts. They found a few bottles and dishes, but nothing noteworthy. Ruth's birthplace - now a museum - is just a few blocks from the ballpark. The house is small, clean, and orderly. If one did not know better, they would assume that it was a happy home. It wasn't happy, and neither is the current day Oriole Park. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a revolutionary ballpark distinguished by many unique elements. However, its beauty unsuccessfully camouflages many of the Orioles and baseball’s problems. The Babe The romanticized version of Ruth's life is like the story of his statue in front of Oriole Park suggests. It's the story of the always hopeful boy who perseveres through life's challenging obstacles to realize his dreams of baseball greatness. At St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, young George meets Brother Mathias, who teaches him baseball. From there, he on his way to fame and fortune. Babe's birthplace. Ruth's childhood was far more traumatic than the romantic legend suggests. His parent's troubled marriage ended in divorce with allegations of his mother's infidelity. His father was an alcoholic. George Jr., the eldest of seven children, felt that his parents blamed him for the loss of the five siblings that died in infancy. The family was poor and relocated often. Young George Jr. (back row center) at St. Mary's.Baltimore Sun George Jr.'s relegation to St. Mary's was akin to parental abandonment. He rarely saw his parents after he moved there. Life at the school was harsh. Food was rationed, all activities were controlled, he slept in a large dorm with little privacy. These experiences colored the rest of the young George's life. Ruth's Rosary that he carried all his life. Ruth was America's first and possibly greatest sports celebrity. The poor kid from Baltimore set extraordinary baseball records and commanded record salaries. However, a realistic view is that his outward gregarious behavior hid a sad and somewhat lost existence. Ruth was a womanizer, likely alcoholic, and died an old man at the young age of 53. Moreover, despite his legendary career, he never garnered the respect needed to realize his dream of managing a major league team. Eutaw Street and Statues Just past the "Babe's Dream" statue is a gate that leads to Eutaw Street. This section of the busy street became a pedestrian thoroughfare that runs between the 120-year-old Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse and the outfield when the ballpark opened. On game days,…