A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

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Can of Corn Challenge: Dream baseball road trip

Dream road trip

If you are a baseball fan – you’ve likely come up with that one dream road trip. It could be to see your favorite team or maybe see the team you’ve cheered on for years.

Maybe you want to just hit certain stadiums, or see two select teams play one another.

Or, it could be that you want to see the lowest of minor leagues on a warm summer night, with not much else around besides the sounds of the game.

No matter what your trip is … it’s all about the game.

Though I’ve taken some small road trips in the past to see baseball, I’ve never really taken a lengthy trip. I’m doing a couple of decent ones this year – one with a major league game scheduled, the other with nothing but the minors. I’ll have a post about this trip soon enough.

But the dreams of a baseball road trip…

Honestly, I’ve wanted to take a summer where I did nothing but travel around, take photos and watch baseball. I’d hit every MLB stadium during this trip, as well as hitting up as many MiLB stadiums as possible. Add in several Hall of Fames and other baseball stops and it would be glorious.

Alas, I am not sure when or if that will ever happen.

I have a couple of dream road trips, though – ones that I believe are possible during my lifetime.

Trip 1: California

It would likely take some planning, but I’d want to hit every MLB stadium (and any MiLB games I could fit in) in one trip – Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles Dodgers AND Angels, and the San Diego Padres. It, of course, would require flying to the opposite coast and then renting a car and plotting things out, but it would be glorious.

Trip 2: Wrigley Field

I am pretty sure this is on the bucket list of most baseball fans. Why wouldn’t it be? Though, in the past, I would add on sitting in the bleachers during a day game as part of this – that’s not really required for the road trip, rather a dream part of it. Instead, it’s just about getting there.

For some reason, I always thought it would be fitting to go to Chicago via train for this one. Then go to the stadium, soak up the history and watch the Cubbies play. I’m sure I will get there one day, but we shall see when.

Trip 3: Fenway Park

It’s almost comical I haven’t been to a game there yet. It’s only about four hours away or so and I can easily make it down and back in a day, if I want to. Things just haven’t aligned up for me to go yet, and I know it will happen eventually.

Trip 4: Just going

I’m kind of doing this in August – going on a trip for a week for the sake of watching baseball. Sure, I’ll do a few other things, but the goal of this is watching baseball – away from my home area. Nothing but baseball.

In the end, this post doesn’t detail the trips as much as I would have liked to, but honestly, the best trips are more of setting up an area, and then seeing what you can fit in (depending who is home etc.) and then go from there.

How about you? Do you have a dream baseball road trip? If so, link up your blog post below and join us!

If you want more information on the season-long Can of Corn Challenge, please visit this page. I am co-hosting this challenge with Kasey at Kasey at the Bat, so go visit her, too! The more the merrier, so please feel free to visit all the others and join up! Also, feel free to grab the button below!

Can of Corn Challenge

Can of Corn 2016 – Dates

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Can of Corn Challenge: The best promotion you’ve been to

Baseball teams are known for promotions.

It could be dollar dog days, or hats, or something for kids, or adults. There are posters and jerseys, and shirts, and all sorts of greatness.

Usually, it’s limited to a certain amount of people coming through the gates who get the item if it is a giveaway night. The other nights, such as dollar dog days, or something for a decade (80s night, 50s night etc) or something else can include everybody.

My favorites were two simple bobblehead nights, but they meant so much more to many.

I’m not the biggest fan of some theme nights as I’m not one to “dress the part.” I’ve been to many different ones, such as superhero night, but I kind of just go for the baseball night.

Giveaways, on the other hand, I love.

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to get some cool giveaway promotional items. But when it comes down to a favorite, it’s not something easy to pick out.

But I think I am onto this one.

In my area, there used to be a long-standing minor league team. For years, they were affiliated with the Yankees. Then for 10 or so years, they were with the Tigers. It was the Tigers that I covered for six seasons, fulfilling a goal of covering professional baseball.

For the majority of those years in Oneonta, the team was owned by a small group of local people. At the end, two remained – Sam Nader and Sid Levine. They sold the team when both were in their 80s/90s and the following season, the new ownership celebrated all they had done for the area with bobblehead nights for each.

I love bobbleheads, but these two were a little more special because of the owners and how I had dealt with them for many years.

Because the paper I worked for at the time sponsored those nights, I ended up being given a few extra of these bobbleheads from the publisher at the time. So I have those stored away in safety.

Bobbleheads are normal giveaways for many teams each summer, but for this team it was rare.

Further, there were many leftovers because the crowds on each night were low, which allowed me to write a column discussing my thoughts about the city not supporting the former owners on those nights (I was rather harsh in it). That column was one of three submitted to the New York Associated Press for column writing in our circulation class. I ended up winning first place that year, so the promotion helped me win my final award in my newspaper career.

How about you? What were some of the best promotions you’ve been to? If you took part in this month’s challenge, link up below! I look forward to seeing what others think about favorite promotions!

If you want more information on the season-long Can of Corn Challenge, please visit this page. I am co-hosting this challenge with Kasey at Kasey at the Bat, so go visit her, too! The more the merrier, so please feel free to visit all the others and join up! Also, feel free to grab the button below!

Can of Corn Challenge

Can of Corn 2016 – Dates

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Can of Corn Challenge: Favorite ballpark

This one is a tough one as it could go many ways.

I could talk about covering minor league baseball for six seasons at Damaschke Field, a place where barnstorming teams went through in the first part of the 1900s. Legendary players graced that field. John Elway played his lone season of baseball on that field.

The Bank.

The Bank.

There’s Coca Cola Park in Allentown, which might be the nicest minor league park I’ve been to. So many amazing food options and what a place to watch a game.

What about Camden Yards? Talk about an amazing place. From the outfield area to where you watch the game, it’s fully a fan-friendly stadium and one where you feel like you are part of the action and the food there? Oh my.

There are so many other great parks — in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre or Rochester, New York. From Lakewood, NJ to State College, PA. Citi Field in New York is pretty amazing. Old Yankee Stadium was something else.

In the end, it came down to two for me — one MLB, one MiLB.

The MiLB stadium was great. It sits on the campus of the University of Vermont. Centennial Field is pretty awesome. It’s old, and it feels it. The stands are all outside of the main field area. But people packed it in for a short-season Single-A team. They loved their baseball and the stadium was really interesting and unique.

Then there’s the one I like the best and this shouldn’t come as a shock — Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

I was at the first regular season game at the stadium and I’ve loved it ever since. An open concourse, great food offerings, pretty comfortable seats, and not really a bad place in the house to watch a game. I’ve had seats all over the place in that stadium and I’ve loved it every time.

I think of all the games I’ve seen there and know it’s my favorite place. I’ve seen games all over the place and every stadium has something I can take away with me for a memory. But Citizens Bank is something a tad more special. And being a Phillies fan definitely makes me biased, but I’m ok with it.

How about you? What’s your favorite baseball stadium? If you’ve blogged about it, link up below. If not — what are you waiting for?

If you want more information on the season-long Can of Corn Challenge, please visit this page. I am co-hosting this challenge with Kasey at Kasey at the Bat, so go visit her, too! The more the merrier, so please feel free to visit all the others and join up! Also, feel free to grab the button below!

Can of Corn Challenge

Can of Corn 2016 – Dates

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Can of Corn: Best baseball memory

This one isn’t easy for me.

Baseball, for me, is like a religious experience. I’m a baseball nerd. When I go to games, I go to watch. I rarely have a beer. I eat hot dogs. I usually only spend an inning taking a walk around the park. I get there early. Oh, and I’m one of those people who keep a scorebook.

Yes, that’s me.

For six years, I covered professional baseball as well as the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It was by far my best baseball experience. I had the chance to cover future major leaguers, including Brennan Boesch.

Every. Single. Game.

And ask me to leave a game? Very rare. Ask those who went me to a Phillies game (against the Mets) and sticking it out through a three-hour rain delay. It was totally worth it, though, as Jayson Werth homered off Billy Wagner to send it to extras. The Phils lost… but still.

So baseball memories are plenty. Trying to figure out the best one? It’s really tough. I wish I could say it was the 2008 Phillies playoff run and being there as I was selected for tickets in the first round. Alas, when I saw the e-mail an hour later and tried to buy tickets (without knowing if I’d actually be able to pull it off), the ones offered were sold out. So while the Phillies winning the World Series was an amazing memory, I wasn’t there during any of the run. Same with the 1993 Phils and that amazing run they had.

There’s a lot of minor league memories, from excellent parks to cool experiences (covering the first New York-Penn League All-Star Game in Brooklyn was awesome)

So where can I go with this?

I thought about talking about the opening of Citizens Bank Park in 2004 as I was there. But, honestly, the Phillies lost that game and it was miserable out.

So my favorite baseball memory? Getting paid to watch the game.

I grew up working at newspapers. When I was in college to get the degree to help get to the next level, my goal was simple — cover professional baseball. It didn’t have to be the major leagues — but I wanted to cover pro ball.

My first full-time daily newspaper was my “hometown” paper. When I was hired, I was told that the job included the beat of the Oneonta Tigers, the short-season Single A team for Detroit. Apparently, others didn’t enjoy it as much.

One of the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies I covered.

I. Loved. It.

For six seasons, it was my beat. It also included many things at the Hall of Fame (inductions, induction tours, other events etc.), so I was in heaven. Over the years, I covered many future major leaguers (including future All-Star Matt Joyce), some great players on other teams (Hunter Pence for one), and had the chance to see local kids do well at the pro level and also cover some colorful coaches. Tom Brookens managed Oneonta for two years and I really enjoyed covering him. For a few years, former major leaguer Bill Monbouquette was the pitching coach. Apparently he didn’t like many reporters (his words), but I was OK by him.

With Hall of Fame things, I had some great one-on-one interviews with legends such as Bob Feller, Phil Niekro, Mike Schmidt, and Ozzie Smith, among others.

I got to live a dream for six years.

I’m no longer in newspapers, but those six years are hard to top. Even when I go to games now, I think about how amazing those years covering the game was. I didn’t get to travel much (twice — inaugural NY-Penn All-Star Game, and one opener in Troy), so it was a home game beat. I didn’t cover every game, but when I was there — it was magical.

And easily my best baseball memory.

How about you? What’s your best baseball memory? You have time to link up, so get a post and come back and link here and visit the others who link up! Baseball season is here!

I look forward to seeing other people’s favorite baseball memories and for the rest of this year’s Can of Corn Challenge! If you participated this month, please link up below! Please remember to try and check out other people’s posts and leave them some baseball love, too!

If you want more information on the season-long Can of Corn Challenge, please visit this page. I am co-hosting this challenge with Kasey at Kasey at the Bat, so go visit her, too! The more the merrier, so please feel free to visit all the others and join up! Also, feel free to grab the button below!

Can of Corn Challenge

Can of Corn 2016 – Dates

  • March 17: Your favorite baseballism (saying, quote, jargon etc.)
  • April 14: Best baseball memory
  • May 12: Favorite ballpark (minor or major)
  • June 16: The best promotion you’ve ever been to
  • July 14: Dream baseball road trip
  • August 18: A current rule you’d change
  • September 15: Favorite player of all time
  • October 20: Favorite tradition/superstitions

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Can of Corn Challenge: Favorite Baseballism

The Can of Corn Challenge is here!

For those of you joining in, welcome! I am co-hosting this challenge with Kasey over at Kasey at the Bat, so for all who have come to take part, I’m super pumped for this season-long challenge!

Before this starts, though, I’d like to say Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all! A pint of Guinness will be on the plate later tonight for me!

Baseball is one of those sports full of slogans and catchphrases. Those who play the game often are characters in many ways, so that lends to some great interviews. Cliches are aplenty, that’s for sure.

Let’s first learn about cliches:

That’s how you learn them, that’s for sure.

But what is my favorite? There’s so many out there. Whether you go back in time to some of the classics, or something even newer, it’s hard to pick out a favorite, that’s for sure.

I almost went with “rub some dirt on it” as it’s something I say often during softball season. But I think that’s a saying that has a wider appeal, so I had to go back to the drawing board and really think about it.

Then I got thinking about one I saw a year or two ago and I’ve always liked it because it’s so true. For those who have played or love the game, you can probably attest to the truth of this.

Close up of a baseball threads with room for copy

I look forward to seeing other people’s favorite baseballisms and for the rest of this year’s Can of Corn Challenge! If you participated this month, please link up below!

If you want more information on the season-long Can of Corn Challenge, please visit this page. The more the merrier, so please feel free to visit all the others and join up! Also, feel free to grab the button below!

Can of Corn Challenge

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!