Like many people, I make New Years' resolutions. Unlike most people mine aren't about losing weight, spending more time with family, getting organized, or any of the other most common resolutions that people end up breaking a few weeks into the new year. Instead, my resolutions are about travel related to baseball teams. Specifically, I tweet my resolutions about the baseball teams/stadiums I hope to visit during the upcoming year.
So as 2016 is nearly coming to a close, I've taken some time to sit down and look at my success of accomplishing my New Years' resolutions. Since 2014, I've written four resolutions on January 1st of each year. So without further ado, I'll review how I did accomplishing my resolutions for 2016.
Attending a Thirsty Thursday game hosted by the Asheville Tourists was easily accomplished as part of my trip to the Carolinas following my engagement. It was the second stop of our trip through the Carolinas, and we did indeed took advantage of the beer specials that night (read about it here).
It's tough for me to assess this resolution because I did not get to see all four South Carolina Minor League teams play at home, but I did make it to all four towns and had the intent of attending a game at all of the stadiums. However, the Greenville Drive's home game was rained out on the night I was in town as part of my #SCMiLBTour. So I ended up seeing the other three Minor League teams in the Palmetto State. You can read about my experiences in Myrtle Beach (here), Charleston (here), and Columbia (here).
Since 2014, I've tried to see all three Kentucky Minor League teams in action, and have failed to accomplish that resolution. Sadly, this past year was no different. In early August, Katie and I attended a Bowling Green Hot Rods game (read it here), but we were unable to incorporate visits to Lexington or Louisville into our trip.
In 2016, I resolve to see a @Braves game during their final season at Turner Field. #PlayBall
I hoped to make it to multiple Braves games at Turner Field during the 2016 season, but had to settle for just one ballgame before the club moved out. However, in late May on the way back from the Carolinas, Katie and I watched the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Atlanta Braves in Turner Field.
As I've previously mentioned, trying to assess whether I accomplished all four of my resolutions is a bit difficult. However, if I apply a black-or-white filter things become much clearer. In a black-and-white world, I accomplished two of my four resolutions by attending a Braves game at Turner Field during their final season there and by attending an Asheville Tourists game on a Thirsty Thursday. So overall I finished the year 2-for-4 (0.500 average).
If I break down the individual components of the resolutions my average climbs to 0.667 or 6-for-9. As usual, my eyes are often bigger than my schedule when it comes to attending baseball games. But now it's time to consider my resolutions for 2017...
I usually write the recap of my baseball stadium visits in September or October at the latest, but unfortunately I got behind with my responsibilities and didn't get to reflect on the past season until recently. So it seems appropriate that during the chill of December, I think about the various ballparks I visited during the 2016 season.
I visited three MLB stadiums, and wrote about two visits. I visited Kauffman Stadium (home of the Kansas City Royals) for the second time, but the first time since I started seriously blogging about my baseball stadium visits (read it here). I attended an Atlanta Braves game at Turner Field during the club's last season as the ballpark, but wrote about my 2015 visit. Although I attend one to two games at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati during my week in town for the A.P. Human Geography Reading, and decided to write about my visit this year (read it here) to watch the Cincinnati Reds because so much changed at the stadium as it hosted the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.
I visited four new MiLB stadiums and revisited four ballparks during the season. The most exciting part of my summer revolved around a week-long trip to the Carolinas with my now fiancée Katie. After departing from Nashville, we stopped near Knoxville, Tenn., and saw a Tennessee Smokies game. Although I've seen the Smokies twice at home before this stop, I had never written about my experience at the ballpark (read it here). The remainder of the ballparks we visited on the trip were all first-time experiences for me. The next night we attended a Thirsty Thursday game in Asheville, N.C., where the promotion originated with the Asheville Tourists (read it here). The following night we were supposed to watch the Greenville Drive, but the game was rained out. So our next ballgame was in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where we saw the Myrtle Beach Pelicans host a Military Appreciation Game (read it here). After an evening off and my in-person audition to be a contestant on Sports Jeopardy!, Katie and I attended a Charleston RiverDogs game (read it here). The last leg of our #SCMiLBTour brought us to Columbia where we saw the newly relocated Columbia Fireflies play in the newest ballpark in MiLB (read it here).
Although not technically part of our trip through the Carolinas, Katie and I concluded our journey by attending the previously-mentioned Braves game. Concluding my visits to Minor League ballparks, the other parks I revisited besides Smokies Stadium were First Tennessee Park (home of the Nashville Sounds), Regions Field (home of the Birmingham Barons), and Bowling Green Ballpark (home of the Bowling Green Hot Rods). I did not write about my visits to see the Sounds or Barons, but did write about my visit to see the Hot Rods because Katie and I enjoyed the game from a pair of Club Level seats and dined at the Stadium Club (read it here).
In keeping with my map making from last season, I have continued to add my stadium visits to my Story Map. I made a change to the design of the map, instead of showing the main entrance to the stadium I changed the primary image to the first pitch as seen from behind home plate. You can see the updated map here.
Screen capture of my updated Story Map.
As the 2016 season enters the height of the Hot Stove Season, I wrote about eight baseball stadium visits and attended 14 games at 11 ballparks across the MLB, Triple-A, Double-A, Advanced A, and Class A levels. The only level of affiliated baseball I didn't watch this past season was ShortSeason-A/Rookie level.
These trips now bring my stadium tally to:
MLB = 21 (14 active)
Triple-A = 10 (8 active)
Double-A = 21 (16 active)
Class A-Advanced = 6 (6 active)
Class A = 11 (8 active)
Class A-Short-Season = 6 (5 active)
Independent = 5 (2 active)
Spring Training = 10 (9 active)
I have now seen professional baseball games (including Spring Training) in 30 states, the District of Columbia, and one Canadian province (British Columbia). I attended games in nine states during the 2016 season, and added North Carolina and South Carolina to my list of states.
Coming into the baseball season I thought I was going to have the opportunity to visit all three Minor League Baseball teams in Kentucky. Unfortunately, scheduling prevented me from making the trip. However, in early August things started to come together that would allow fiancée Katie and I to make the trip to see the Bowling Green Hot Rods over her birthday weekend.
I started by reaching out to Alex Cohen, the team's broadcasting and media relations manager, about securing a pair of tickets to the Club Level. I also got assistance from Telia Butler with the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, who helped me find a great hotel in town. I ended up staying at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, where Katie and I were upgraded to a king suite. The hotel is only a year old and featured newer design elements, and has all the amenities people expect from the Fairfield Inn brand: a great breakfast, indoor swimming pool, and gym. The next time I stay overnight in Bowling Green, I will definitely stay at this hotel.
After a trip to the Historic Railpark & Train Museum (photos can be seen on my Instagram account), Katie and I ended up exploring some of the local beer and liquor stores in town. We ultimately ate dinner at El Mazatlan, which was good, but nothing spectacular.
The following day Katie and I went to Mammoth Cave National Park, ate lunch at a Bosnian café/grocery store, and had some beers at White Squirrel Brewery. Then finally we got to the primary reason we made the trip from Nashville to Bowling Green: to watch the Hot Rods play ball.
Approaching the main entrance of Bowling Green Ballpark.
I previously attended a game a Hot Rods game in 2014, and blogged about that experience (read it here). So this time I wanted to do something different, and thanks to a pair of tickets to the Club Level at Bowling Green Ballpark Katie and I got to do just that.
Main gate of the ballpark.
There's a lot to explore at any ballpark, but my focus on this visit was on new additions to the stadium and specifically the Club Level. The first difference between my visits that I noticed was the starting lineups and Midwest League standings alternating on a flatscreen TV.
Starting lineups for the West Michigan Whitecaps and Bowling Green Hot Rods.
Midwest League standings entering play on Saturday, Aug. 6.
After taking the elevator up to the Club Level, Katie and I got to enter the Stadium Club.
Entrance to the Club Level.
Upon entering the club there is a collection of home plates along the wall, which isn't unusual considering it's a baseball stadium.
Home plates in the Stadium Club.
However, upon further inspection it becomes apparent that the home plates are autographed. Most of the home plates are not autographed by former players, but my notable guests or music performers who have been to the stadium. My favorite home plate was the one autographed by former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods, who was best known for his touchdown celebration: The Ickey Shuffle (see video here).
Home plate autographed by former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods.
Past the home plates on the wall is the bar that serves the Stadium Club. It looks like this...
Main bar at the Stadium Club.
As the photo illustrates, there is a full bar with a few beers on draft. As the craft beer scene has grown in Kentucky, I hoped you find a few on draft, but that was not the case. Instead the beers I found on tap were Michelob Ultra, Blue Moon, Bud Light, and other domestic macro beers.
While we mulled our beverage options, Katie and I went out to our seats and saw something you don't see at many Minor League stadiums: both teams in uniform in the stands. As MiLB.com's Ben Hill previously detailed (read his story here), Bowling Green sits on limestone, which makes the area susceptible to sinkholes. So when it rains the dugouts are prone to flooding, which was the case before tonight's game.
Bowling Green Hot Rods hanging out in the stands while water drains out of their dugout.
While the Hot Rods hung out in the stands, the umpires had declared that the game must go on. So while sitting high above home plate I was able to capture my usual first pitch photograph.
Bowling Green Hot Rods starting pitcher Jose Mujica delivering the first pitch to West Michigan Whitecaps center fielder Derek Hill.
We watched a bit of the action I captured some views of the seating in the upper level, too.
View down the first base line.
View down the third base line.
After awhile of watching the game, Katie and I decided we should order something to eat. While we could have ordered anything from the main concourse and brought it back to our seats in the Club Level, we decided it was best to stick with the options available on that level.
There are two menus in the Stadium Club. The Club Grill Menu is what I would call the usual ballpark items with chicken tenders, a jumbo hot dog, the wings basket, and other items you'd expect to find at a baseball stadium. The Past Specials Menu is what it sounds like it would be. It is a menu featuring a variety of specials that have been available at the club such as a Meatball Sub, a Taco Bowl, and a BLT Chicken Wrap among other items.
As Katie and I wanted to eat something unique we wouldn't traditionally find at a baseball stadium, we ordered from the Past Specials Menu. We decided to split the bacon mac-n-cheese bites and the BBQ shrimp burger.
The BBQ shrimp burger (left) and bacon mac-n-cheese bites (right).
Both items were undoubtedly unique, as I've never seen a BBQ shrimp burger at any baseball stadium. The bacon mac-n-cheese bites are a food item that has gained notoriety recently as people experiment with ways to macaroni and cheese, but there was a unique twist with diced jalapenos mixed in with the mac-n-cheese. Katie and I agree that we'd get both items again.
After letting our meal settle, we decided we needed something to "close our stomaches." We didn't need to explore or debate any choices, as the Hot Rods had been promoting their funnel cake fries during the MiLB Food Fight.
After finishing up the funnel cake fries, we decided to watch the remainder of the game from the field level. As we walked around the stadium, I felt obliged to take a photo of the grandstand from the outfield to provide an overall view of the ballpark.
A view of the grandstand from right field.
The amenities at Bowling Green Ballpark haven't changed since my first visit in 2014, which is good because it is a park that has everything a fan needs. I wouldn't normally splurge on club level tickets, but can say from my first experience (thanks to Alex Cohen) that the additional expense is well worth it. The food that is exclusively available at the Stadium Club was excellent, and the views were great. Additionally, the staff at the stadium really is #FanDriven.
Final Score: West Michigan 3, Bowling Green 7 Box Score
Over the past two years I've made some baseball-related travel resolutions for the new year (Read 2015 resolutions here). I've continued that trend into 2016, so before the semester gets away from me I wanted to sit down and recap my goals for the upcoming baseball season.
Getting right to the point, my first Minor League Baseball travel resolution is to...
I've previously made resolutions to see specific teams, but I have not made a resolution to attend on a specific day of the week or to attend a specific promotion. I have avoided these resolutions for two reasons:
#1, most teams do not release their complete promotional schedules until February or March at the earliest;
#2, my goal is usually to visit multiple teams on a trip, which means that in order to visit multiple teams on a trip that I may visit a specific club on a Tuesday because another team is on the road and I have to visit them on a Wednesday.
However, I have already been planning a trip through North Carolina and South Carolina, so I know that my schedule permits me to attend a game in Asheville on a Thursday. So my resolution is more about sticking to my plan than making a special effort to attend a game on a Thursday night. While many MiLB teams have a Thirsty Thursday promotion, it is unique in Asheville because the promotion originated with the Tourists. You can read about the origins of the promotion from MiLB.com writer Ben Hill here.
I have previously aimed to see all the Minor League teams in a state before, and so far I've had mixed success in achieving the goal. In 2014, I made separate resolutions to see all the teams in Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky. While I saw teams in each of those states, I did not come anywhere near reaching my goal. However, last year I made only one resolution to see all the MiLB teams in a state. I was able to meet that goal when I visited all four teams in Georgia.
My girlfriend, who thankfully enjoys baseball and many of my other interests, has not yet visited South Carolina, so she and I have been discussing taking a trip to the Palmetto State after the spring semester. So it seemed natural to me that we try to visit all of the teams in South Carolina because each of the cities represents a different region of the state, and allows us to see the variety that the state offers visitors.
The added bonus is that I have never seen any Minor League games in South Carolina, so I would visit four new ballparks and add another state to my tally.
For the second time in three years, I have set the goal to see all three Kentucky MiLB teams. In 2014, I saw the Bowling Green Hot Rods, but did not see the Bluegrass State's other two teams in action (read about my visit here). My motivation for seeing all three Kentucky teams in based primarily around proximity. My girlfriend lives in Nashville, and wants to see Mammoth Cave National Park, which is approximately 90 minutes away. As I have never seen the Lexington Legends in action nor have I written about visiting the Louisville Bats, I'm aiming to make a short trip to the Commonwealth to explore baseball, bourbon, and beer.
The past two years I have made four MiLB-related resolutions, one often ties into my travel to the AAG Annual Meeting. In 2016, the conference takes place the last week of March, which is before the start of the Minor League season. So for the first time ever, I limited my MiLB resolutions to three, and made my first MLB-related resolution.
I've written previously about growing up an Atlanta Braves fan, and the club plays its final season at Turner Field before moving to a new stadium in the suburbs for the 2017 season. So while Turner Field is not a particularly historic venue, it holds special significance to me as a fan and as someone who worked at the stadium for many years. So I would like to see at least one more game at the stadium before it is replaced.
With my resolutions set, now the planning and working to ensure they happen really starts. While I upheld three of my four resolutions from 2015, we will see what 2016 holds and how many of my baseball-related travel resolutions I can uphold.
In January, I made four resolutions related to visiting Minor League Baseball stadiums. As 2014 comes to a close, I wanted to revisit my resolutions and see what I accomplished.
I visited the Gwinnett Braves in July (read about my visit here), but did not succeed in visiting the other three teams. I spent a majority of my summer working on my dissertation, and did not get to visit Augusta, Rome, or Savannah. So I was only 1-for-4 in completing this resolution. Now that my dissertation is completed, I hopeful will visit those teams during the 2015 season.
I was 2-for-4 with my goal of visiting all the Minor League teams in Alabama. I visited the Birmingham Barons in early May (read about visit here), and visited the Huntsville Stars in August while meeting up with a gang of former Stars coworkers (read about visit here). I did not make it to Mobile or Montgomery though. Again, working on my dissertation prevented me from fulfilling some of my travel goals for 2014.
I actually accomplished this resolution. On the first day of the AAG Annual Meeting, I made a trek from downtown Tampa to Clearwater for a game between the Threshers and Tampa Yankees (read about visit here). The game and meeting Phinley lived up to expectations. I went on a Tuesday night, but the Threshers had a beer special so I enjoyed a few Yuengling lagers.
I was 1-for-3 on completing this resolution. I saw my first Bowling Green Hot Rods game (read about visit here), but did not get to visit the Lexington Legends or Louisville Bats. I had hoped to visit the Bluegrass region before going to Cincinnati for the AP Human Geography Reading, but at the risk of sounding like a broken record I did not get to do that because I was working on my dissertation.
Of my four resolutions, I only completed one. Maybe I was too ambitious with my resolutions, but at least I tried. Tallying up the individual components of my resolutions, I was 5-for-12, which depending upon how you look at it is amazing or decidedly mediocre. It means I accomplished 41.6 percent of the tasks to complete all four resolutions. By normal standards of excellence that's not good, but by baseball standards I'd be batting .417 which is Hall of Fame caliber stats.
Ultimately, I'm disappointed I didn't complete more of my resolutions, but I knew that some of them were overly ambitious. Regardless of my results, I am glad that I set some travel resolutions to keep myself motivated and my mind churning with ideas of places to visit. I will set some travel goals for 2015 and post about those within a few weeks.
As the Minor League Baseball regular season comes to a close with the Labor Day weekend and the Major League Baseball regular season concluding at the end of the month, it is only appropriate that I post an update about the stadiums I've visited this season.
I visited five new stadiums this season, re-visited five ballparks, and blogged about nine of them.
Most of my visits were done in clusters as I made other trips. I visited the three Florida stadiums while in Tampa for the AAG 2014 Annual Meeting. I visited Bowling Green and Nashville while returning from Cincinnati, Ohio, after attending the AP Reading. I visits AT&T Field and Joe W. Davis Stadium because I attended a reunion of former Huntsville Stars employees. My excursions to Regions Field and Coolray Field were solo trips to visit with friends.
These trips now bring my tally to:
MLB = 20 (13 active)
AAA = 9 (8 active)
AA = 18 (14 active)
High A = 5 (5 active)
Low A = 4 (2 active)
Short-Season A = 6 (5 active)
Independent = 5 (4 active)
Spring Training = 10 (9 active)
Depending upon how you count Joe W. Davis Stadium in Huntsville, my count for active Double-A stadiums is 14 or 13. As the Stars will play in this season's Southern League playoffs, the stadium is active as of this post. Additionally, as the opening date of the team's new stadium in Biloxi, Miss., is up in the air it is possible the Stars franchise may play part of the 2015 season in Huntsville. Until the team's move comes to fruition, I am going to count Joe W. Davis Stadium as an active facility.
As of this post, I have seen professional baseball games (including Spring Training) in 27 states, the District of Columbia, and one Canadian province (British Columbia). I did not visit stadiums in new states this season, but attended games in six states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee).
As a geographer, my life isn't complete without a map. So for those who want to see my stadium visits in a map, you can check out this active map I created using Google Maps.
In my quest to get a picture with as many Minor League mascots as possible, I probably should discuss the mascots I got pictures with this season. However, I'm going to save that for another post when I can take the time to tally the photos I got during the 2014 season along with the mascots I got pictures with in previous years.
I have participated in the AP Human Geography Reading since 2011, which has taken place in Cincinnati each year. I regularly attend Cincinnati Reds games while there, but also try to catch a game at a stadium I haven't visited before or watch a contest at a stadium I have not blogged about previously.
On my drive back to Georgia this year, I decided to make two stops: Bowling Green, Ky., and Nashville, Tenn. I've been through Bowling Green and visited many of the sights in town, but my last visit was prior to the Hot Rods moving there in 2009.
As MiLB.com's Ben Hill detailed last spring, the stadium is at the center of a revitalized downtown. If you want to read about his visit, you can click here for details. I parked my car by Fountain Square Park, snapped some pictures of the park, and then walked over to the stadium. There is plenty of parking on the streets around the stadium, if people prefer to park closer. I wanted to visit the park, so chose to park there and make the short walk to the ballpark.
The stadium's entrance is unique because it doesn't scream out "baseball stadium here." The most unique part of the entrance is the painting on the side detailing how to swing a baseball bat.
Main facade of the ballpark with its address.
Part 1 of 2 detailing how to swing a baseball bat.
Part 2 of 2 detailing how to swing a baseball bat along with the main gate.
By the ticket office is the only imagery outside the stadium displaying the Hot Rods logo.
Only spot on front of the stadium with Hot Rods logo.
The team draws its name from the General Motors Assembly Plant, which is home of the Corvette, but instead of incorporating a sleek, modern hot rod-style the team went with the 1930s and 1940s models for its logo.
The car theme is evident throughout the stadium, such as Chuck's Liquor Outlets Garage. It wasn't until the next day that I realized the local sponsorship because I really focused on the name "Chuck's Garage" and the baseball bat hanging below it. I also made a stop at Chuck's Liquor Outlets and bought two 750ml bottles of Voodoo Doughnut Maple Bacon Ale made by Rogue Ales. The unique part about the bat is that it appears as if it was dipped in red wax like a bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon.
Signage for Chuck's Liquor Outlets Garage features a baseball dipped in red wax like a Maker's Mark bottle.
Close-up of the hot rod pickup.
Unlike Ben Hill's designated eaters, I did not have access to the Stadium Club. Therefore, I did not get to sample the Grand Slam Burger. The burger choices on the concourse level can be seen below...
The burger selection.
All the above burgers are available at Black Mountain Burgers.
The burger stand on the main concourse.
I really wanted to try the Grand Slam burger, and asked multiple employees about it. Unfortunately, nobody was able to tell me where I could find it. However, on my quest for burger heaven I was able to get my picture taken with both of the team's mascots: Axle the Bear and Roscoe the Grease Monkey.
Me with Axle the Bear.
Me with Roscoe the Grease Monkey.
Between my mascot photos and trying to decide on what to eat for dinner, I watched some baseball and took my seat behind home plate for the first pitch.
First pitch between the Fort Wayne TinCaps and Bowling Green Hot Rods.
I previously mentioned the ballpark as part of a revitalized downtown, and before I continue to neglect that topic I should include a picture of Hitcents Park Plaza. It contains office space, but most notably has numerous restaurants on the first floor. I had a beer at Mariah's before entering the stadium, but there were several other restaurants on the ground floor of the building. None of the restaurants appeared packed, but on the Monday night I attended a game the restaurants all had a crowd of people dining and drinking before the ballgame.
The kids' area of the ballpark with Hitcents Park Plaza in the background.
Here is a shot of Hitcents Park Plaza from a distance.
View of Hitcents Park Plaza from the third base line.
Despite perusing the choices at Black Mountain Burgers, I could not decide on what to eat. So I continued to explore the ballpark while watching the game.
Hot Rods starting pitcher Jaime Schultz.
Hot Rods designated hitter Armando Araiza.
Steakadelphia mobile stand down the third base line.
In the 3rd inning, I finally made a decision about my meal. I decided to order a Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich. I've had a Hot Brown many times because I spent two years of my undergraduate education at the University of Kentucky. However, I've never had a Kentucky Hot Brown at a baseball game.
I've gotten very good over the years at the one-handed photo of my ballpark food.
The Hot Brown was served on a hoagie roll, so instead of having it in the customary open-face fashion I folded the sandwich together after taking my picture. It was good, and for those who are unfamiliar with a Hot Brown I highly suggest ordering it. However, as a purist I would have preferred to eat it as an open-face sandwich with a knife and fork. Admittedly eating food with a fork and knife while sitting at a baseball game isn't easy, so I don't blame the Hot Rods for tweaking the sandwich.
In addition to the very good food variety, the beer selection at Chuck's Liquors Outlets Garage was good. There were the standard craft beer choices, but no particularly interesting local or Kentucky choices. Maybe I was just being picky after spending a week in Cincinnati, where I had a plethora of unique options available. Regardless, beer aficionados should be able to find something to suit their tastes. I opted for a Goose Island Honker's Ale.
I have to admit I didn't pay a lot of attention to the between innings promotions, but when I was watching they seemed to be standard fare for a minor league team. Two things that did stick out were the scoreboard and the retired number above the Hot Rods bullpen.
High-definition scoreboards have become common place at minor league stadiums, but note the Corvette Assembly sponsorship. Not many teams would swing that sponsorship deal.
Minor league teams do retire numbers, although it's not often. While Jackie Robinson's #42 was retired throughout Major League Baseball in 1997. Minor League Baseball is not bound by this retirement, but some teams have chosen to honor Robinson's legacy by retiring his number.
"42" in honor of Jackie Robinson above the home team bullpen.
Bowling Green Ballpark does not have a flashy exterior and it's interior fails to meet any grandiose, extravagant designs of some newer stadiums. However, if you want to visit a beautiful ballpark in a re-born downtown where the team places an emphasis on #FUNNER then this is the place for you.
Last year I hoped to visit a handful of Minor League Baseball stadiums, and hit the mark on a few but missed on some others. This year I set some rather ambitious goals, but I've always aimed high when it comes to traveling. To make sure I'm accountable, I want to disclose my stadium visit goals for 2014.
I've posted a handful of tweets breaking down my goals, and will share them here.
The first goal is close to my heart as someone who grew up in Georgia.
My first minor league game was between the Greensboro Hornets and Macon Braves at Luther Williams Field in Macon, Ga., with my dad on Aug. 2, 1992, so it is only fitting that I attend a game at each active minor league stadium in Georgia for my blog. I have been to a Gwinnett Braves game at Coolray Field, but it was prior to me blogging about my gameday experiences. I have not seen the three teams that play in the South Atlantic League - Augusta GreenJackets, Rome Braves, or Savannah Sand Gnats.
I currently teach at The University of Alabama, so my second goal is to watch a game at the four minor league stadiums in the Yellowhammer State.
I have been to three Minor League Baseball stadiums in Alabama, but two of my visits occurred before I started blogging about my experiences and one ballpark no longer houses a team. My first minor league game in Alabama was between the Greenville Braves and Birmingham Barons at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium (later named Regions Park) in Hoover, Ala., with my dad on Aug. 1, 1993. Not surprisingly, I did not take photos from that trip, but I visited the stadium during its final season in 2012, and documented the experience for my blog.
To complete the requirements for my master's degree in sports administration at Georgia State University, I interned with the Huntsville Stars during the 2003 season. I attended a Southern League playoff game as a fan, but that was long before I considered blogging about my baseball stadium visits. With rumors swirling about the Stars being sold and moving to Biloxi, Miss., I feel that it's critical to capture the gameday experience.
My other resolutions relate to trips I typically make each year.
Since 2010, I have attended the Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting. The conference is in a different city each year, which aides my quest of visiting new ballparks. Three of the four years I have gotten to visit a new ballpark; 2012 was the lone exception because the conference was in New York in February. So I am hoping to visit some ballparks around Tampa, Fla.,
Last summer during MiLB.com's Mascot Mania promotion, I became enamored with the Clearwater Threshers mascot: Phinley. So I'd like to visit that ballpark and get my photograph taken with him. I hope to visit a few other ballparks in the region, but have not committed to visit any beyond the Threshers' Bright House Field.
For the past three summers, I have spent a week in Cincinnati, Ohio, working as an AP Human Geography reader, and on each trip I try to visit at least one new stadium. This year I want to visit each of the minor league teams in Kentucky.
I have previously saw the Louisville Bats with my mom on June 13, 2005, which was well before I started my blog. I have never seen the Bowling Green Hot Rods or Lexington Legends play a game. When I was an undergrad at the University of Kentucky in the mid-90s there was a lot of discussions about bringing a minor league team to the city, but the Legends didn't come to the Bluegrass until after I had left UK.
At the end of the summer, I'll recap and see how successful I was in keeping my New Year's resolutions.
