"6.4.3" There are three statues down the block from Detroit's Comerica Park, whose striking boldness herald the serene beauty of the ballpark. Not that, that was their intended purpose. Instead, they were placed on Madison Avenue in front of the Detroit Athletic Club to commemorate its 100th anniversary. The statues "commemorate the role the club has played in amateur athletics and professional sports since its inception in 1887." "Running Back" The statues stand on a landscaped median in the middle of Madison Avenue's wide boulevard. The one on the far right-hand side is the "Running Back" to celebrate Detroit's football heritage. A statue that similarly recognizes the city's baseball past, titled "6.4.3," is located on the other side. One might think that this statue of the baseball player, making his through across the diamond, would speak to me. However, it was the one in the middle that I remember fondly. "The Finish" "The Finish" depicts two runners straining to cross the finish line of a tightly contested race. I also felt that my race was over. In Detroit, I reached the finish line. It was the triumphant and to my summer long, thirty ballpark journey. The day before, I left Tucson on a predawn drive to Phoenix to board my flight bound for Detroit. I had spent the previous two days relaxing and visiting with my brother. Now I was meeting Mrs. Nomad for the final ballpark of my trip. Detroit We enjoy the Detroit area because we have family in Ann Arbor, just a short drive away. My sister (who previously joined us for a game at Wrigley), has lived there for many years. Additionally, Mrs. Nomad's older brother and his wife moved back to Ann Arbor about ten years ago. They met at the University of Michigan when they were students. They returned when my sister-in-law accepted a position at the University. Their homecoming became even better when their eldest daughter, her husband, and two boys moved there from Scotland. In turn, I scheduled the Detroit stop for late September, so Mrs. Nomad could join me. We both wanted the chance to see our family. However, she tends to be busy from late July through August and wouldn't be available at that time. Also, I wanted her to join me on my last ballpark visit. So, September was a good time to go. My plane landed first, and I was waiting at the SkyClub when Mrs. Nomad arrived. On the way to Ann Arbor, we bought supplies to make signs that would announce my achievement at tomorrow's game. Later, we spent a wonderful evening with my in-laws, niece, and her family. Sunday morning, we had bagels at my sister's house and made our signs. Then the three of us drove off to see the Tigers at Comerica. However, this wasn't our first visit. The three of us had been there a few years earlier. In the following years, I had forgotten how impressive Comerica is. While some might…

“Well I hit the rowdy road And many kinds I met thereAnd many stories told me on the way to get thereSo, on and on I go, the seconds tick the time outSo much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out"Cat Stevens - "On The Road To Find Out" Saturday, September 21st, 4:00 AM, Tucson Triumphant, Predawn Drive to Phoenix I start driving west on I-10 back to Phoenix, at the crack of dawn. I'm a little ahead of schedule since Phoenix is only about 90 minutes or so from Tucson. But I have to gas up and drop off my rental before my 8:00 AM flight. It's not atypical for me to leave earlier than necessary since I always worry about being late. However, I'm also excited to get to Detroit to see Mrs. Nomad, who's joining me for the triumphant end to my journey. Detroit's Comerica Park is number thirty! I've done it! Although I’m not officially done, it's not too early to celebrate my accomplishment. When I planned my 42 stop journey, I had no idea if I could finish my quest. To do so, would take persistence, fortitude and a little luck. But, this morning, it's clear that I'll complete my journey successfully. In a sense, I'm like a golfer, walking triumphantly up the eighteenth fairway at Augusta. His ball is on the green, it’s clear that he will sink his last putt and win the Masters. As he walks, he waves to the cheering crowd that is offering its appreciation and congratulations. Similarly, I have one more ballpark to visit to meet my goal of visiting all 30 MLB ballparks. However, it will be almost impossible to miss my last game in Detroit. The game starts more than 24 hours from now, and I have a nonstop flight to Detroit. I can even miss a few flights and still make it to the game. My predawn drive to Phoenix is my personal victorious walk up the 18th fairway at the Masters. More Miles Left to Go Not that my trip is totally over. I still plan to return to Phoenix in a few weeks for the Arizona Fall League. The AFL will be my forty-first of forty-two stops on this epic journey. It will also be the last one of the season. I've already decided that I won't go to the World Series as I originally planned to do. However, I'm fine ending my journey one-stop short of my original plan. My main goal was always to visit thirty ballparks in one season. I did what I said I would do and what I wanted to do. The Ties That Bind To complete my baseball journey, I dropped out of the life I knew and spent money that I wasn't sure I had. Moreover, I committed to a mission that only I valued and have difficulty justifying. Most of all, I'm willing to live with whatever consequences arise from doing so.…

My last trip of the regular season was a whirlwind through the West. Seven days, six games, in five ballparks: On Thursday, September 16th, I took a late flight to Seattle, arriving after midnight Friday night, I saw the White Sox play the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Early the next morning, I flew to San Francisco and saw the Mariners play the Giants that night. Sunday was easy. Just an afternoon rematch between the Mariners and Giants at Oracle Field. I was still in San Francisco on Monday. After lunch with a friend, I went to Oakland via BART to see the Royals play the A’s. Now it was Tuesday, September 17th. I took an early morning flight to Denver to see the Mets and Rockies play at Coors Field. It was to be a short, eighteen-hour stay in Denver. The next morning, I would leave on a 6:00 AM flight to Phoenix. The Marlins were playing the Diamondbacks at noon. Coors Field This wasn't my first visit to Coors Field. Nomad the Younger, and I visited it a few years ago when she lived in Colorado Springs. I was looking forward to seeing it again. History Coors and St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field, the stadium I visited on my previous trip have an interesting connection. St. Petersburg built Tropicana Field in 1990 with the hopes of luring a team to the area. As they did so, they also attempted to win a new expansion team. In 1991, they expected to win one of the two new national league teams. However, they lost out to Miami, who landed the Marlins. Denver was the other city awarded a franchise. In 1989, Denver formed the Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District to create a plan to build a new ballpark. This plan was a requirement to win their expansion franchise. The following year, voters approved a .01% sales tax to fund the ballpark. The fee would eventually provide $168 million - about 78% of the project's cost. The owners provided the other $47 million. Since Coors Field would not be ready until 1995, the Rockies played their first two seasons at Mile High Stadium. Mile High is the football stadium where the Broncos play. As such, there are many more seats than the standard baseball stadium. The Rockies fans made good use of the extra space. In 1993, almost five million excited fans came to see the Rockies' inaugural season. The following year, another three million attended games during a strike-shortened season. Over the two years, the Rockies drew over fifty-eight thousand fans per game. This demonstration of fan support encouraged the Rockies to add seven thousand seats to Coors Field. It opened with a capacity of fifty thousand. A Neighborhood, Retro-Classic, Big Ballpark Coors Field is a classic neighborhood ballpark, located in Denver's LoDo (Lower Downtown) district. It's just a short walk from Union Station and is bordered on at least two sides with stores, restaurants, and bars. As such, it helps…

Pittsburgh isn't fancy, but it is real. It's a working town and money doesn't come easy. I feel as much a part of this city as the cobblestone streets and the steel mills, people in this town expect an honest day's work, and I've it (sic) to them for a long, long time." Willie Stargell Pittsburgh has shed its working-class roots and is now a shining example of a post-industrial city. However, my love of baseball's history makes it hard to separate today's modern city from the hard-nosed players of the past, who made Pittsburgh into such a storied baseball town. These were the ones that lived up to the fan's expectations for an "honest day's work." Guys like Honus Wagner, Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and members of the city's Negro League teams, certainly fit the bill. The Wrong Pitch "I don't know what the pitch was. All I know is it was the wrong one." Ralph Terry pophistorydig.com At 3:36 PM on October 13, 1960, William Stanley Mazeroski hit Ralph Terry’s 1 - 0 pitch over Forbes Field’s ivy topped, left field brick wall to make the Pittsburgh Pirates World Champions. His home run shocked the world and gave Pittsburgh a bright moment to always savor. In 1960, Mazeroski was in the fifth year of his seventeen-year Hall of Fame career. Mazeroski played for what was essentially his hometown team. He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, roughly sixty miles from Pittsburgh and raised in nearby Witch Hazel, Ohio. Bill lived with his parents and sister in a small one-room dwelling with no indoor plumbing or electricity. pophistorydig.com Similar to Honus Wagner, the other iconic Pirate infielder, Mazeroski's father was a coal miner of Eastern European descent. Mazeroski was of Polish descent, while Wagner's parents were German immigrants. The lifetime Pirate was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee based on his defensive prowess. He wasn’t flashy, was a mediocre hitter, but was a superior second baseman. The Weird 1960 World Series The mighty 1960 Yankees were the favorites to win the Series. After all, they had just won their eleventh American League pennant in fourteen years. On the other hand, the public had few expectations for the Pirates. Their pennant was just their first in thirty-three years and only their fifth of the century. They were known as the "Battlin' Bucs" since they had won 28 games after being tied or behind after the sixth inning. They were a fighting and scrappy bunch. It was a weird and exciting Series. When the Yankees won, they won big. In their three winning games, the scores were 16 - 3, 10 - 0, 12 - 0. Moreover, they outscored the Pirates 55 - 27 in the seven games. Yet, for all their dominance, they couldn't shake the Pirates. They left New York to play the final two games of the Series behind three games to two. The Yankees had to win game six to force…

Day two of my five days drive through Ohio, to Louisville, and finally, Pittsburgh. I was on my way to Cincinnati. These were possibly some of the best days on my long journey to all of the major league ballparks and associated landmarks. Why? Why would the ballparks in Ohio and Pittsburgh excite me more than the more exotic locales I previously visited? Undeniably, San Diego and San Francisco are beautiful places to watch a ballgame. San Diego, situated next to the Gaslamp District and just a few blocks from the ocean creates a memorable and unique experience. San Francisco with its beautiful view of the bay and the sea breeze is breathtaking. However, the little ballparks in these forgotten Midwest cities that used to be part of the "rust belt" have a lot of charm. Cleveland's Progressive Field is close to the Cayuga River and has views of downtown, highlighted by the ornate Terminal Tower. Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark is on the Ohio River near the historic Roebling Bridge. It also has excellent views overlooking the city. Finally, Pittsburgh's PNC Park is an extraordinary ballpark. From most seats, the panoramic views of the skyline, the Clemente Bridge, and the Ohio River are riveting. It may be the second-best exterior view after San Francisco's. These great ballparks, in their often maligned cities, prove that the game can be beautiful anywhere. Thursday - August 15th - Cincinnati My hotel in Cleveland was right next to the highway on Orange Place. We previously stayed in this area when we visited my father on family visits. We liked that the area was close to where dad lived and convenient to restaurants and, of course, the highway. Thus my baseball stay was fraught with memories of life's passing. The proximity made it easy to get on the road early Thursday morning. However, the Nomad needed sustenance. I first, stopped at McDonald's for a couple of Egg McMuffins before I started the four-hour drive to Cincinnati. I ate them while I drove. I arrived at my hotel in Cincinnati by the early afternoon. It was located downtown, just a few blocks from the river and Great American Ballpark. I decided to spend the afternoon walking around that part of the city on my way to the game. The Roebling Bridge My first stop was the Roebling Bridge, originally named the “Cincinnati - Covington Bridge.” The bridge spans the Ohio River and connects Cincinnati with Covington, Kentucky. When it opened in 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1,057 feet. More importantly, John Roebling designed the bridge before he created the East River Bridge - more familiarly known as the Brooklyn Bridge. I love the Brooklyn Bridge for its beauty and historical significance. Although I’d driven by the Roebling Bridge on other trips, I’d never explored it up close. I was very interested in seeing it. I started my walk from my hotel on East 4th Street to Vine Street and took…

As my trip entered mid-August, I’d been on the road (off and on) for five months. I’d already traveled to Spring Training, Mexico, London and Canada, but still had thirteen more stops on my baseball journey. I’d already made my August trips to New York and Boston when I left for Cleveland. It was the start of a five day drive through Ohio, to Louisville, and finally, Pittsburgh. This journey was not just a baseball trip for me. It was also a quest, my chance to find relevance after ending a second career. I needed to find a new path, a new reason for being. Coincidently, and certainly not by design, my first August trips retraced essential stages of my life. They fell in an order that allowed me to see where I came from and would help me decide where I was going. Journey Through My Past Yankee Stadium - The Bronx The first weekend in August was my trip to Yankee Stadium, located near where I was born in the Bronx. That Saturday, I met my eldest cousin for breakfast on 86th street in Manhattan. It was near where we lived when I was in high school. We took the number four train to the old neighborhood in the Bronx. She grew up there, but I hadn't been there in decades. Yet, there we were, next to Lebanon Hospital, where I was born. Then, walking down the hill, we passed the library to the corner where my grandparents, Aunt, and cousins lived. Across the street was where a building whose wall we used to play handball while making fun of Barry Goldwater's name when I was six. As we walked the few blocks down to Claremont Park, I remembered that fateful day when I broke my ankle. It was Father's day in 1971 and I was thirteen. We'd just moved back to New York from St. Petersburgh, FL. The Long Island contingent of cousins was visiting, and we were playing baseball using trees as bases. I slid back to first, caught my foot in some roots, and the rest is history. Then we walked up 174th street, along the Cross Bronx Expressway where there used to be little shops where my grandparents purchased groceries in one store and kosher meat in another. These were the days when we didn't know what supermarkets were. We walked to blocks to Weeks Avenue where PS 70, the first school I ever attended was. Finally, we walked under the Grand Concourse to the building, my family lived in before we moved to Florida. After that, I went to Yankee Stadium, a facsimile of the ballpark my father took me to when I was small. Fenway Park - Boston My second weekend in August took me to Boston. Years ago, I met Mrs. Nomad in New Hampshire and started my career in retail while she earned her Ph.D. (Dr. Nomad?). We lived in New Hampshire and Maine for nearly ten years. During our…

As July turned to August, my trip of a lifetime was entering the final stretch. In the five months since my trip started at Spring Training in March, I: traveled 33,740 milestook 41 fightsvisited 36 of my planned 42 stopswatched 41 games at 18 major league stadiums as well as London Stadium, Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey, and two minor league parks I planned four trips in August. Of course, the trip would take its toll. It required that I be on the road for 15 days and at home for only 16 days. Stop number one was a trip to the Bronx, the land of my birth and home of the Yankees. Later in the month, I would spend almost a week traveling through Ohio, Kentucky, and Western Pennsylvania. MOREOVER, On that journey, I was looking forward to seeing the Indians, Reds, Pirates, and the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory and Museum. The following week, I would travel back to Pennsylvania for the Little League World Series. Before my trip west to Ohio was my weekend at Fenway, baseball's "uncomfortable" nirvana. Fenway is one of the very best ballparks to visit. I've enjoyed my many trips there and hope to go back often. However, for all its beauty, history, and charm, Fenway's seating can be awkward and uncomfortable for the 21st-century sports fan. These are the things one has to deal with when traveling through the baseball world. Fenway Enchants "There's nothing in the world like the fatalism of the Red Sox fans, which has been bred into them for generations by that little green ballpark, and the wall, and by a team that keeps trying to win by hitting everything out of sight and just out-bombarding everyone else in the league. All this makes Boston fans a little crazy, and I'm sorry for them." Bill Lee In the wake of recent Red Sox successes, Fenway's patina of futility is slowly fading. However, for the longest time, Fenway had a tragic aura due to so many heartbreaking Red Sox failures. Through it all, Fenway has enchanted baseball fans for generations. It certainly caught Nomad the Younger’s eye when she was small. Soccer Hall of Fame? It all started in 1998 when the family Nomad drove to Cooperstown to spend a relaxing few days. Mrs. Nomad and I love Cooperstown and try to go back there anytime we can. It's a great place to rest and reflect as we sit on the Otesaga Hotel's veranda overlooking Otsego Lake. Cooperstown has excellent restaurants and, of course, baseball, baseball, baseball. At the time, Nomad the Younger was an eleven-year-old soccer player. Although Mrs. Nomad and I would be content to hang out in Cooperstown, eleven year old's need a bit more entertainment. To keep things interesting for the youngest nomad, we decided to drive over to Oneonta to visit the Soccer Hall of Fame. I have no idea why the Soccer Hall of Fame was located in out of the way Oneonta, New York.…

Do they still play the blues in Chicago When baseball season rolls around? When the snow melts away, do the Cubbies still play In their ivy-covered burial ground? Steve Goodman - A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request I've always wanted to go to Wrigley Field and couldn't consider my baseball life complete without at least one visit. This summer was my chance. I was ten or so when I first learned of Wrigley Field. I saw a Sports Illustrated cover with a player and beautiful ivy walls behind him. How can a baseball stadium have ivy-covered walls, I wondered. What is this place that is so much different than others? Later, as a teenager, I lived in New York and saw many Mets games televised from Wrigley. This enchanting, quaint ballpark on Chicago's Northside was not like any other I'd seen. I loved that fans sat on roofs across the street to watch the games. Furthering my intrigue was the unfortunate team that played there. The Cubs hadn't won a World Series since 1918 and a pennant since 1945. He told his friends, "You know, the law of averages says Anything will happen that can" that's what it says "But the last time the Cubs won a National League pennant Was the year we dropped the bomb on Japan Steve Goodman - A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request Balls would fly out of the little stadium, especially when the wind was blowing out. When they did, fans would run after balls in the streets behind the outfield walls. Occasionally balls would hit houses across the street from the park, I especially remember one of those long balls by Dave Kingman vividly. Wrigley intrigued me for decades Missed Opportunities Occasionally I'd go to Chicago for business but could never find the opportunity to see Wrigley. My latest attempt prior to this year, was over the July 4th holiday in 2015. My nephew planned to drive up from Indianapolis and join Mrs. Nomad and me for the fun. Additionally, Mrs. Nomad and I were going to include our first visit to Citi Field in the trip. The plan was to see the Mets play the Cubs at Citi on Thursday afternoon. That night we'd fly to Chicago to see the Cubs play a day game on Friday at Wrigley. We planned to go to at least one of the weekend games as well. Unfortunately, my old friends, the Grateful Dead, got in the way. That weekend, the remaining members of the band scheduled concerts to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of their last gig with Jerry Garcia. Since the shows were planned for Chicago's Soldier Field, hotel rooms and flights were scarce and expensive. Thus we changed our plans and stayed in New York. That weekend we saw the game at Citi Field and then spent July 4th at Yankee Stadium. What can I say? I'd seen so many Dead shows when Jerry was alive and have hundreds of shows on my computer…