A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

the baseball guide

A journey to ballparks helps create a web presence

There’s something to be said about a baseball journey, as compared to other major sports.

Though attending other sports live is a great thing, baseball stadiums seem to draw people more than, say football, basketball, or hockey. Those other sports have great venues, but do people make trips just to see the stadium or arena?

I’m not so sure.

Maybe for the atmosphere. Or for tailgating. Or in a few instances, the history. But none of them compare to baseball.

Malcolm MacMillan, founder of Ballpark Guide, at a recent game in Binghamton.

For many baseball fans, wanting to see as many stadiums — in the majors or minors — is a goal many will share.

One big goal is to his every Major League stadium. Others just like to go to different stadiums and see what is offered.

Stadiums are unique in most instances and often have different dimensions and looks. It’s part of what makes baseball so great.

Then there are people who chronicle these trips. Some will give reviews, or just talk about their trips, or share tips and such. It might be just using social media. It might be something bigger like a blog or a website dedicated to these journeys.

This allows readers and followers to get a sense of what you were seeing and experiencing on your baseball trip.

For Malcolm MacMillan, the journey includes visiting parks, and doing all of the above — social media, a website, and a blog — to share is love and fandom of visiting baseball parks around the United States and Canada.

To make it even more interesting, though, MacMillan is a Canadian who lives in Eastern Ontario, so it’s not the easiest to try and plan longer trips because of travel time.

“I was interested in seeing games in as many stadiums as possible,” MacMillan said during a recent trip to Binghamton to see the Double-A Rumble Ponies. “As a writer, I wanted to try and turn it into a website. It snowballed from there. … It’s a long-term project for sure.”

MacMillan, who has a background in newspapers, has developed a following for his social media and blogs. He takes photos, selfies, and shoots videos talking about his trips.

For some people, though, trips aren’t too hard. They can get to many stadiums at the minor or major level in just a couple of hours. But for MacMillan, it takes some more in-depth planning, considering where he travels from.

“I enjoy looking at a map and schedule and figuring out a route,” he said. “It’s a challenge to get six teams in a row, all in a reasonable drive.”

That’s also part of the fun as he gets so share his trip with those reading his website, blog, and social media site.s. It allows people to follow along what he is doing.

For something that isn’t a career, it’s done as love. He loves the game of baseball, as well as meeting and chatting with people along the way.

Take for instance one story where MacMillan retrieved a home run ball and had one heck of a whirlwind where the ball eventually ended up back to the player who hit the ball and the two developed a friendship. It’s much easier for you just to read his account of everything.

Stories are what trips like this are about, though. As are the people and the games. MacMillan has visited more than 60 stadiums, chronicling his travels along the way.

“You find stories about travels,” he said. “Baseball seems to be the sport you want to see as many stadiums as possible. You don’t have to be glued to your seat. I like to share that experience.

“One thing I love is you never know what to expect,” he said. “They all have their own experiences. It’s always an adventure at a ballgame.”

To see more about MacMillan and his travels, see his information below:

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!