Kyle's Thoughts

Now that we’ve had time to reflect on the magnitude of our trip, it is really quite remarkable what we did. Just looking at some of the numbers amazes me: 6,000 miles driven, 4 groups of relatives visited, about 100 hours on the road, and lots of threatening rain. I can not believe we were crazy enough to dream up this trip and then actually go through with the plan. We as brothers got closer (even though we got on each other’s nerves) and it was just all a great time. I’ll take a closer look at some of our experiences, as I list my top 5 experiences.

5. Texas Rangers vs. Washington Nationals, Day 11 (June 21st)- I love Washington DC, so I had some good expectations for this experience, and I wasn’t disappointed. The brand new stadium was beautiful, as expected, and our seats were great because we were right next to the Rangers bullpen. We were around a bunch of Rangers fans so that made the game more fun. The famous President’s Race was hilarious, as Teddy Roosevelt, the loveable loser of the event, had an early lead but got last after getting distracted by a kangaroo. The Rangers winning the game was awesome, and the beautiful stadium and easy access to the Metro help this get in the top 5.

4. Baltimore Orioles vs. Chicago Cubs, Day 15 (June 25th)- We hoped we could get tickets to Wrigley Field, one of the most classic stadiums in the MLB, and our relatives delivered. We got to go to the game with our aunt, uncle, and cousins who live just outside Chicago, so that was fun. Also, the Cubs winning made this experience amazing, because when their team wins, Cub fans go insane. Everyone brought out their W towels, which was cool to see. We got to see Kerry Wood close out the game, which was fun because he has come back from countless injuries to finally make a name for himself in the league. Wrigley Field was cleaner and nicer than I thought it was going to be, too.

3. San Diego Padres vs. New York Yankees, Day 9 (June 19th)- Going to historic Yankee Stadium was the reason we started talking about the trip, so this has to go in my top 5. Also, Joba Chamberlain, the next big thing in baseball, was pitching for the Yankees, so the buzz around the stadium was electric. We had the pleasure of sitting in front of a lady with a classic New York accent, so that was fun to listen to the whole game. Also, someone from Seattle (I think) was sitting next to us. He said he brought his kid to see the stadium before it was gone. The game was an exciting pitcher’s duel, and, in the end, New York won and the fans went crazy. Going to Yankee Stadium in it’s final season alone would rank this in the top 5, but a Yankee win and a chance to see Joba live bump it up even higher. Plus, the rest of the day in the city was fun, too!

2. Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals, Day 2 (June 12th)- This ranks up there for a multitude of reasons. One is, of course, because the Rangers were in the game. This made the game much more interesting for us because we actually cared who won the game. Also, the starting pitcher was Eric Hurley, a great prospect who was making his first major league start. He did a pretty awesome job for his first major league start, but the Rangers ended up losing which is why this is not higher up on the list. Being in Kansas City (one of my favorite cities) helps this rank higher than it would if it was in Cleveland or something.

1. Houston Astros vs. Baltimore Orioles, Day 7 (June 17th)- This is number one no doubt to me. The stadium was awesome, the fans were awesome, the game was awesome, and the city was way better than expected. Baltimore won the game in the 8th inning after fighting back and forth with Houston the entire night. Miguel Tejada was making his return to Baltimore after betraying them in the offseason by demanding a trade. He got a mix of boos and cheers from the fans that were crazy for their Orioles. I never knew Baltimore loved their team so much. We sat in our seats for a couple innings, but then we went down to the standing room only area in right field and had an amazing view for the rest of the game. This was the best stadium and experience by far.

So there you have it, my top 5 experiences in a trip I will never forget. The trip is something I will talk about for the rest of my life, and every time I watch Baseball Tonight and see a stadium I have been to, I can say, “Hey, I’ve been there!”

-Kyle

Day 19 - Arlington

Start: Jackson, TN
Stop: Arlington, TX – Rangers Ballpark in Arlington – Philadelphia Phillies at Texas Rangers
Finish: Cedar Hill, TX

We had to get up early to make it to the game on time. We also had to drive about 9 hours, so we drove in shifts. Jason got up last and drove the first 2.5 hrs. Then Kyle drove until lunch and I finished off the drive. We were glad to be back in Texas, and even happier to be back at The Ballpark in Arlington.

Once we got to the stadium, we parked and walked up and met up with Mom, Dad, Stephanie and Jake. We had to avoid the retail booths because Jason got scheduled to work today because of a miscommunication with his boss. Because of that, Mom went and bought Kyle and Jason’s souvenirs.

The game was good…the Rangers young starter (Eric Hurley) did very well, and a recent call-up (Chris Davis) hit his second Major League home run. We were glad to be back in a familiar stadium and enjoyed all the things about the Ballpark that make it unique, including the dot race, good nachos, and the best PA announcer in the game, Chuck Morgan. One thing we realized on the trip is that the scoreboard at RBIA is by far the smallest we saw. Hopefully it will be getting an upgrade soon, and the Ballpark should start ranking at least in the upper half of stadiums around the league.

We got home and gave our family and friends their gifts we had picked up along the way, and then went to bed. As you can see, it’s Tuesday and I’m just now posting this, and that’s because we’ve needed a couple of days to get back and get settled in. In a few days, we’ll post our reflections on the trip as a whole and our rating system for the 12 major league stadiums we visited.

Result: Rangers win 5-1
Final Record: 8-7 (0.533)