2013 Ballpark Visits

I had the chance to visit two Major League ballparks this season, bringing my total to 29. In April, I took a trip to Miami and got to see a game at Marlins Park (above). It's the newest of all the parks and it definitely showed, although the attendance for a Friday night was paltry at best. In September of 2013, I was able to take a long-awaited journey to Portland, Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Washington and Oregon became the 40th and 41st states I have spent time in. Portland blew me away as a city, was not expecting it to be that exciting of a place. Seattle was also a great city, and Safeco Field (below) didn't stand out as much as I had hoped, but was a good place to see a game. Just one more ballpark left-- Tropicana Field, which I hope to check out in 2014! When I finish I'll be sure to rate all 30 parks here in my blog.

2012 Ballpark Visits

In 2012, I got a chance to visit 3 Major League ballparks on 2 separate trips. In April, I spent a week in Arizona and Nevada, and got a chance to see a game at Chase Field (see below).

In September of 2012, I took a trip to Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota. This included a game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis (above) and Target Field in Minneapolis (below). Busch Stadium was a nice venue, but Target Field was an absolute gem, one of my top-10 favorite ballparks. I also got a chance to check out the "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville, Iowa, on this trip. It was completely worth the trip and I'd recommend it to anyone who has a remote interest in baseball or the movie.

It was St. Louis that impressed me most as a city in my travels of 2012. Along with Kansas City, it's one of the most underrated cities I've visited in the United States. Missouri as a state definitely surprised me on my two visits there, and I hope to make a return trip to Kansas City and St. Louis in the future.

2011 Ballpark Visits

 In 2011, I took a weeklong trip to Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Kansas City was one of the most underrated cities I have visited. A lot of good BBQ to try, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, a great brewery in Boulevard, and one of my favorite ballparks in Kauffman Stadium (above).

Texas was a good time as well. I wasn't overly impressed with the Ballpark in Arlington (above) but Minute Maid Park (below) became my favorite of the retractable roof stadiums.