Parents took me to Cleveland's Lakefront (huge) where I saw Feller, Luke Easter, Jimmy Piersall et al, then on to New York, where we went to the Polo Grounds (Giants) and Ebbetts Field (Dodgers).
Those stadia are long gone now, but I remember them clearly.
A little later, my brothers took me on train excusrions to Briggs Stadium in Detroit, where we saw guys like Williams, Mantle and Colavito bang them over the short right field bleachers onto Trumbull Ave. And later on, Al kaline with that infield combo of Whittaker and Trammell. I think I like Briggs Stadium best...$4 to sit in the bleachers and watch guys like Nolan Ryan firing fast balls past just about whoever they faced. Great hot dogs too.
Later on, took a summer vacation with my kids and we attended games at Wrigley, Busch and the KC stadia. Easy to get into.. just walked up to ticket booth before games started.
Have also seen Blue Jays at their original and later dumps, Exhibition Stadium and Rogers Centre (once called Sky Dome). Horrible sight lines.
Also the great Expos team at Olympic Stadium the year of the strike. The Quebecois refused to stand even for the Canadian National Anthem, let alone the American. Saw a Montreal pitcher dust back Pete Rose, who got up, glared at him and hit the next offering over the fence. This was when Rose played for the Phillies.
Have gone to Pittsburgh to see the Pirates play Expos at Three Rivers, but don't remember much.
Recently, I've restricted attendance to minor league stadia wherever the Syracuse Chiefs play, like Rochester (great food), Buffalo Bison's Coca Cola Field and Toledo's Fifth Third Bank Field, which has sold out over 300 games in a row and has an amazing way of attracting families and kids.
I've also attended the fine Harrisburgh Senators stadium and the field in Hagerstown, where I saw Harper hit one that took two seconds before it struck the right field foul pole for a HR. I go to see Auburn Doubledays when they play in Batavia, NY, and the most impressive recent player there has been Matt Skole.
I love baseball (still play it) and those weekend nights at the minor league stadiums with the moths flying into the lights, hot dog vendors plying their trade, beer flowing and the bats cracking balls into the night sky are my idea of how to spend your summers.
So thanks to my parents for starting me off early.
Sorry for the long post, but what else is there to do on a cold winter night?
