There are a few things I've learned in life, some all on my own, and some took a while to sink in. For one, if you want to know a person's true character, play a round of golf with them, and for another, hangovers are perfectly avoidable (this one took way too long). Some of the things I've learned are more philosophical, such as when it comes to politics, no one is a moderate, and some are more to the technical -- optical zoom is better than digital zoom.
And while I am quite convinced of all of those things, I'm not nearly as sold on them as I am on this undeniable truth: it is impossible for one's mood to not be greatly improved by entering a baseball park. I first reached this conclusion a couple of years ago when I went to a spring training game for the first time.
On the drive to Osceola County Stadium from our hotel in Orlando, I was feeling a bit rough from the night before (I told you it took me too long) and we sat through what felt like seven hours of traffic. I was not a happy camper, but the very second we walked inside the stadium and saw the emerald-colored grass enhanced by the strong sun, the two teams playing catch, shagging balls and stretching, well, I was a new man.
At our local park here in Philadelphia, there are any number of things to get your motor running. There's great food, great drink, great views, and often great feats. From behind home plate, you can see the ever-changing skyline of Center City, the smoke from Bull's BBQ, fellow fans milling about in Ashburn Alley, relief pitchers warming up in the double-decker bullpen, ivy climbing the batter's eye, and of course, the playing field itself and all of the intricate action that takes place there.
Each park is interesting in its own way, little pieces of flavor that endear it to some group of people. Believe it or not, I've spoken to Twins fans that get a smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye when they talk about the Metrodome. Phillies fans should identify with this, the Vet held a certain place in our hearts too, even when we knew it was time to for it to go.
I consider myself lucky to have gotten a chance to see major and minor league games in parks around various parts of the country. The list of parks wouldn't remind you of the lyrics to Johnny Cash's version of "I've Been Everywhere", but its a decent size. Through the magic of Google's new personalized maps, you can see the interactive list and map by clicking here. Click the map below to enlarge.
Have some fun, create your own map.
