Tour article in today's QC Times

A summary of my baseball tour was published in today's Quad City Times. An online version of the article is available here.

This photo was with the print version.

And now that it's playoff time, go Phillies and go Rays!

Tour favorites

On the way to Washington, D.C., a ballot was handed out on the bus for us to vote on our favorites of the tour. Here are mine, with a few variations.

Best ballpark overall
Yankee Stadium
This was the place where I stopped during the game to think “oh my God, I’m really here.”

Best new ballpark
Nationals Park
We visited several new ones on the tour – Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Philadelphia – but the best was last.

Best food
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

Best beer
Fenway Park

Best fans
Red Sox

Best baseball moment
John Lackey’s near no-hitter

Best non-baseball moment
The “Sweet Caroline” experience

Place I most want to return to
Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown


Wow, there are a lot of Red Sox references on my list! Perhaps I can list that as “biggest surprise” – I couldn’t hate everything there as much as I’d intended.

All in all, after the thousands of words describing it, the one word that kept coming to mind while anticipating the trip still describes it most accurately: incredible.

And I’m very fortunate to have been able to go on the trip with Marybeth and Eileen. Their generosity, and being able to share all these experiences with them, is something I’ve very grateful for.

Game 8 – August 1, 2008

Red vs. Nationals
Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Nationals 5, Reds 2

Home runs: Jay Bruce (Reds)

Beer: $7

Photos

We’d now reached the day of our last game. In some ways, the trip went by so quickly. Yet, as someone said on the bus that morning, it seemed like a month ago that we’d been in Pittsburgh.

The drive back from Cooperstown was thankfully uneventful (no bus trouble), just long. We arrived at our hotel in Voorhees, N.J., outside Philly, around 1:30 a.m. Luckily, we didn’t leave the next morning until 10:30 – a little later than our usual departure time. But I still fell asleep after the bus started moving Friday morning. (The hardest part about going back to work was not taking at least one nap every day!) And our ride through New Jersey and Maryland to Washington, D.C., also was uneventful.

Once in D.C., we had time for lunch at the Old Post Office – now filled with restaurants and shops – and then our guide joined us for a city tour. Since I’d never been to Washington yet always wanted to go, it was terrific to see all the sights – even just the glimpse from afar we had of many. We did have the chance to get out in front of the Capitol and the White House. Interesting to see the war protesters in front of the White House and also the cameras and equipment for the various television networks kept off in the distance under tarps. Our guide explained this is so they can have the White House in the background for reports yet not have to haul equipment back and forth. Then it was to the World War II Memorial, which was beautiful and expansive. After that, we had our choice to visit the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial or Vietnam War Memorial. The Vietnam one was the farthest walk, and it was really hot that day (the only hot day we had, 90+ degrees) but that was my choice to see. The guide went with us, and his stories and explanations added much. It was so impressive to see, although very somber as the flags and flowers and letters that people left along the wall were both touching and sad. A man from the other bus, someone we’d shared the airport shuttle with in Pittsburgh, was standing a distance away and just looking at the wall. He caught up with our group several minutes later and said he was thinking about his friends who’d been killed in Vietnam.

After a welcome opportunity to visit a concession stand and get something to drink, it was off to Nationals Park for the Reds-Nationals game. With neither team having much success this season, a lot of people had been looking forward to seeing Ken Griffey Jr. play in this game. That wasn’t to be, however – he was traded the day before to the White Sox. Such is baseball at the trading deadline! Before going in, we all gathered on the steps for a group photo.

This is the first year for Nationals Park and it is definitely one of the nicest stadiums we visited. Very comfortable for fans – wide seats, wide aisles, wide concourse, big variety of food. I had my first nachos of the trip, and they were covered with chili, cheese and salsa. Very messy, yet very good. Our seats were great, down the left field line and maybe 20 rows up from the field. The game – the Nationals won 5-2. They had a lot of hits and scored all five runs in the first two innings. Odalis Perez (who the Cardinals always score a ton of runs off of) pitched into the eighth inning and allowed only one run. The crowd – there wasn’t much of one, which is too bad. Because it’s definitely a great ballpark.

The Nationals have four mascots, all presidents – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. And, as you might expect, they have a President’s Race. George and Abe were wandering in the stands a bit near our section after the race. At first, they seemed pretty cool as far as mascots go. But the more I looked at them, the creepier they seemed with those giant heads. (Look at the pictures and see for yourself!)

There was one special treat for us at the conclusion of the ballgame: fireworks! Definitely the perfect ending for the final game of the tour.

And then it was one more long bus ride (for us, anyway) to our hotel. Along the way, Stevette passed around the microphone so everyone could share their favorite memories or thoughts in general. It’s amazing how much we experienced in those nine days!

The next morning, it was officially over – those leaving that day boarded the bus for the airport, we took a taxi to our hotel for the night and a day of further sightseeing with my friends Michael and Tammy. Yet before departing the tour group, there was a flurry of hugs and photos and goodbyes – and birthday wishes for me. To honor the occasion, I received a baseball that said “Happy Birthday” on it with the Yankees logo – purchased by Marybeth and Eileen at Yankee Stadium. An appropriate way to acknowledge and remember a special day that concluded such an amazing trip!

Cooperstown, N.Y. – July 31, 2008

National Baseball Hall of Fame

Photos

The longest day of the trip, but in many ways the most special – we were headed for Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. Since we had plenty of bus time, Stevette brought along a collection of baseball movies. The morning’s selection: Fever Pitch. I watched it, and didn’t hate it (especially since the 2004 World Series was basically a footnote at the end). The best moment, though, was the scene where “Sweet Caroline” was played at Fenway in the movie – everyone on the bus sang along.

The bus had a tough trip to Cooperstown, chugging along very slowly up all the hills. While it gave us a great opportunity for an extended look at the beautiful scenery, it was a little worrisome and caused us to arrive about an hour late. But John our driver had everything taken care of during the day – the bus needed a new fuel pump.

Cooperstown is a lovely little town. Main Street is filled with all kinds of shops, many (not surprisingly) baseball-related, along with some restaurants. Lots of people everywhere. It took a while to get lunch but, finally, we made it to the Hall of Fame.

Our first stop was the Grandstand Theater, to see a movie called “The Baseball Experience.” The theater itself had ballpark-style seats. The movie was an appropriately sentimental overview of baseball and its history. The quotes from Roger Angell (a baseball writer who wrote the book I was reading on the bus) moved me to tears. Oh well, it was only the first time that day.

We split up to tour the Hall of Fame, so we could each take our time at what we wanted to see. I started on the third (top) floor, in a section called Sacred Ground that covered a fan’s experience at the ballpark. There were displays of different kinds of memorabilia from stadiums (I took photos of several) plus a section on concessions and even music played at games. That included a recording of Harry Caray singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” which was a delight to hear (and almost made me cry again). Another section had recordings of songs that are known for being played at certain stadiums. Yes, of course, Boston was there, as was “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” played at Camden Yards (which we heard when there).

In the next area, there was a full-wall display of small portraits and baseballs from all pitchers who have thrown no-hitters and perfect games. Very cool to see the signed ball from Bud Smith, whose no-hitter for the Cardinals was on Labor Day 2001. It was right next to one from Randy Johnson’s perfect game in 2004. (The display was in order vertically, which is how they were next to each other.) Beyond that area was one on the post-season, which had different artifacts on display. A large case in the center of the room contained World Series rings from each year. Of course they’ve evolved over the years, getting bigger and more elaborate. Everyone standing at the case – no one I knew – commented on the gaudiness of the Marlins 2003 ring, far bigger than any others and tacky looking in its ostentation. The rings that have followed – the Red Sox two, White Sox, Cardinals – all are classy looking. (So at least Josh Beckett has a nicer one from last year to go along with his Marlins ring. Because I’m sure he wears them all the time!) I tried to take photos, but the glare from the case was too much.

Another memorable area on this floor played the original Abbott and Costello “Who’s on First” routine. Classic, and it had the big crowd standing there watching laughing hysterically. (Here’s a link to it – the magic of YouTube!) There also was the George Carlin bit comparing baseball and football. I’d read about it recently, when Carlin died, but it’s much funnier to hear him deliver it. (Find that here.)

Down to the second floor, where I ended up spending the most time. The history of baseball is brought to life here, through a variety of artifacts like uniforms and equipment and photos. It starts back in the 1800s and moves along to today. Uniforms and equipment have changed tremendously through the years, not surprisingly. But it was the items from specific players that were the best part of this section. Seeing plaques and monuments honoring Babe Ruth in New York and Boston was one thing; seeing his locker and his actual uniform was amazing. The displays are chronological, finishing with an area called Today’s Game that has cases filled with items from each team. I enjoyed that a lot too, just seeing what was represented.

On the first level was the gallery with the Hall of Fame plaques for all the inductees, in chronological order for the year of induction. It was by far the most crowded area, since it’s the essence of the Hall of Fame’s existence. Such a history lesson too, reading about the tremendous accomplishments of so many – almost more unfamiliar to me than known – throughout the game’s history.

Beyond this, and away from the crowd, was a section that honored broadcasters and writers. There also was a little gallery called Baseball at the Movies that had walls lined with posters, photos and a list of all the baseball movies through the years. Clips of movies also were shown, and I managed to catch those of my two favorite baseball movies: Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. Seeing the clip of the latter, being surrounded by so much baseball history and such a love for the game, had me ready to cry yet again.

As I walked back through the plaque gallery, I saw a Field of Dreams moment come to life. There were some fathers and sons on our tour, on the other bus. One group had two teenagers, though I was never sure if the boys were brothers or friends. The youngest (around 13) was embracing his father in the middle of the gallery and saying something into his ear. Having just seen the movie clip, this made my eyes fill with tears. The older boy then spoke to the younger, with the result being the younger punching him on the arm. Relationship now established: brothers. Later, as everyone from our bus was gathering on the sidewalk outside the Hall of Fame, I saw the mother and 18-year-old daughter from our group. The daughter said something to the mother and they hugged for a long time as well.

It turns out I wasn’t the only one moved to tears that day. The following night, as everyone on the bus shared memories from the trip via the passed-around microphone, a man who’s a baseball coach in North Carolina said he was glad he didn’t run into any of us at the Hall of Fame, because we would have seen him crying.

I know I’m a hopeless romantic when it comes to baseball – more Field of Dreams than Bull Durham, or the opposite of what Bob Costas calls himself in his book Fair Ball. But it’s the history, the sharing of baseball through generations and through friendships that means the most to me. That’s what made visiting the Hall of Fame so special – an entire museum, and much of a town, devoted just to this. I can’t wait to go back.

Game 7 – July 30, 2008

Angels vs. Red Sox
Fenway Park, Boston

Angels 9, Red Sox 2

Home runs: Garrett Anderson, Torii Hunter (Angels), Coco Crisp (Red Sox)

Beer: $7.75

Photos

Day two in Boston began with a city tour. While it was interesting to see the sights, our guide left much to be desired as far as telling us what we were driving past. We did stop on the Northeastern University campus to see where Huntington Avenue Grounds had been. This was where the Red Sox played prior to Fenway, and also the site of the first World Series game between the Sox and the Pirates in 1903. There is a plaque where home plate was, as well as a statue of Cy Young where the pitcher’s mound was located. (My photo of that is of knees. Oops. It was really sunny and, obviously, I couldn’t quite see what I was doing!)

Following that tour, we had time for a quick lunch – pizza from a little stand across the street from the ballpark – before the Fenway Park tour. It was impossible not to compare it to the Yankee Stadium tour, given that it was just the day before. Plus we heard about the Yankees plenty during this tour, since the guide mentioned them 10 or so times throughout the hour – when talking about Babe Ruth, of course, but also in several snide comments. Seems like, even with two World Series victories in the past four years, Boston still has an inferiority complex when it comes to New York! This tour also was different than the Yankee Stadium one, mostly covering a variety of different seating areas throughout the park. It started in the centerfield party area seats – tables of four that are sold for each game and include waitress service. To the direct left of these are so-called premium seats that were added, and which we would be sitting in that night. More on those in a bit. Then it was up to the Pavilion Club, where seats are $160 each. (For one game.) The view is great, right behind home plate on the second level. With those tickets, you also get the chance to go into the bar/restaurant on that level.

Beyond the bar/restaurant is the Red Sox Hall of Fame, which we passed through on our way to the Green Monster. I will resist the temptation (unlike our tour guide) to compare it to anything else I might have seen, oh, 24 hours or so before and just say it was pretty small – a couple of rows of plaques on a wall, other plaques with memorable moments in Sox history (but only the good ones) and then a long wall filled with magazine covers. I had to hurry past some of those, like the ones from 2004 …

Through a doorway and up some steps, we were at the Green Monster (the high left field wall that’s green, in case you don’t know). Seats were added atop it five or so years ago and they are wildly popular. Sitting there for batting practice and a game (there’s a lottery when tickets go on sale to be able to purchase the seats) almost guarantees that you will leave with a ball. And even I have to admit that would be very cool.

The final stop was some grandstand seats down the left field line that have been there forever – very tight, with your knees hitting the row in front of you. It was after 3 p.m. and some of the Angels were meandering out onto the field before doing some exercises with a trainer. Three others came out with a soccer ball and started kicking it around. And that was it for the tour. Apparently, on non-game days, you get to go to the dugout and clubhouse.

So then we had a couple of hours before we could go back in for the game. We decided to eat at the bar/restaurant at Fenway, on the corner of Landsdowne and Brookline right across from Cask & Flagon. It had outdoor seating and we were lucky enough to get a table there. Highly entertaining watching the tons of people walking by, especially as game time got closer. There were several Angels fans amidst the parade of every kind of Red Sox shirt imaginable. And among the Angels fans were two guys carrying brooms, since – with a victory – their team would sweep the series. Somehow I bet they weren’t able to take those into Fenway.

After eating and people-watching, it was time to go back into the ballpark. I walked down around the home plate area, just to check it out. The ushers were very friendly, saying hello and asking if I wanted to come into the section and watch batting practice. I did for a few minutes and saw Mark Texiera in his brand-new Angels uniform. (We’d already watched him play on Saturday, in Philly, as a Brave.) I also noticed a large group of kids next to the Red Sox dugout, hoping for the chance to get autographs. Several of them were over the wall, laying on the rolled-up tarp. I was surprised they were allowed to do that, yet it made a cute scene.

As mentioned, our seats for this game were adjacent to the party area in center field. They were called roof box seats on our tickets, which led me to expect a good view. Not exactly – couldn’t see center field or the scoreboard at all thanks to the wall underneath the party section directly to our right . Oh well. I COULD see Josh Beckett starting his pre-game preparation, though. And I could see him even better through the binoculars! After his stretching was done, he began tossing the ball – make a few throws, step back a few feet and toss a few more. He started maybe pitcher’s-mound distance away from the catcher (honestly, I was so caught up in watching Josh that I don’t know if it was Varitek or not), who was standing at the edge of the warning track in right field. When Josh finally quit backing up, he was standing on the warning track in center field, tossing all the way across the field. Wow.

Even with eight strikeouts, it ended up not being Josh’s night – although he was good until the fourth inning, when the Angels started hitting him well and scored three runs. Coco Crisp homered for the Sox in the fifth to make it 3-2. But then came the highly entertaining top of the sixth. The Angels scored five runs, Josh left the game, the Sox made three errors (one by Josh himself) and I couldn’t help but laugh as a ball dropped in between the shortstop, second baseman, centerfielder and rightfielder in shallow center as they all raced for the ball yet no one caught it. For different reasons than the night before, it was a great game!

It ended up being a monumental game of sorts – the last one on the Sox for Manny Ramirez. He received mixed boos and cheers every at-bat both nights. During a pitching change in the top of the eighth inning, I saw him walk toward the Green Monster and a door open. He went inside, which we learned he does frequently. On the Fenway tour, someone asked what he does in there but the tour guide didn’t really give much of an answer. When the game was ready to resume, out came Manny.

Then it was the middle of the eighth inning, so of course Sweet Caroline time. I will admit it was definitely a highlight of both games. As was seeing the Angels win – hmmm, maybe I’m a curse to the Red Sox when I’m at their stadium. That would be a shame …

However, I will say this about Fenway and Red Sox fans: despite my huge bias, I liked Fenway and enjoyed to a degree seeing the Red Sox fans. Their devotion to the team is definitely genuine. So I can appreciate the whole Sox experience, even if my hatred for the team didn’t change. Because they still beat the Cardinals in 2004.

Game 6 – July 29, 2008

Angels vs. Red Sox
Fenway Park, Boston

Angels 6, Red Sox 2

Home runs: Garrett Anderson (Angels), Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox)

Beer: $7.75

Photos

Visiting Fenway Park was eagerly anticipated by many on our tour, but I arrived with a bias: I don’t like the Red Sox. The simple reason is because they beat the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series, and I hold grudges. (Even though I’m no longer a Cubs fan, I still detest Steve Garvey for game four of the 1984 National League playoffs.) To top it off, we were going to two games at Fenway – the only time on the tour we attended more than one game at a stadium. At least Josh Beckett, one of the few Sox I do like (thanks to his Marlins days), was pitching the second night.

The drive to Boston was nice, through Connecticut and briefly in Rhode Island then into Massachusetts. Boston was pleasant – traffic didn’t seem too bad, city looked interesting. Lots of Dunkin Donuts. We arrived at the bus parking lot around 5:30 p.m. and walked toward the ballpark. Right away, the Fenway area reminded us very much of Wrigleyville – shops and bars and people all around Yawkey Way. The exterior of the ballpark, I have to admit, was very picturesque with its red brick and decorative touches. There also were World Series and American League championship banners along here too, which weren’t quite as picturesque (to me, anyway).

We went into a gigantic team store across the street. I did end up buying something there, but it was a t-shirt for my Mom. She’s not a Red Sox fan, but the shirt had a shamrock on the front and a gigantic one adorned with the Sox logo on the back. And she is a bit Irish – her maiden name was Pat O’Brien and her birthday is St. Patrick’s Day. After Marybeth and Eileen also bought Red Sox t-shirts, it was across the street and into the ballpark.

There is one thing Fenway and Yankee Stadium have in common: narrow, crowded, dark concourses. And since we were going to be at Fenway for two games, plus have a tour the next day, I didn’t wander around this first night like I had been at the other ballparks. After the long walk through the concourse to find our seats, which were in the right field bleachers, it was time for dinner. Stevette raved about the Fenway Franks before we arrived, saying they were the best in the major leagues, so we had to try those. Mine was good, especially since I knew in advance about the white bread-like bun, but the one in Philly was far better. However, Fenway definitely had the best beer selection of any stadium. Sam Adams (of course), Guinness, Harp’s, Smithwicks, Heineken – and those were just at the two stands closest to our seats.

That’s another difference at Fenway: no beer vendors in the stands. Anything else, you could get without leaving your seat – and they even had girls going around collecting beer cups and other plastic items to be recycled.

The view from our seats was OK, yet so far away since we were near the top of the right field bleachers. For anyone familiar with Fenway, we were about 10 or so rows and one section over from the red seat – so designated in the midst of all the green ones because Ted Williams hit a homer to that spot in 1946. At 502 feet, it was the longest home run hit at Fenway. (More info on it here.)

It was a hot night – game time temperature, 87 degrees, according to my photo of the scoreboard – and the sun was shining directly into our eyes for the first couple innings (and glaring off the signs atop the Green Monster in particular). And for every other game of the tour except this one, I’d bought a program and kept score. (I was going to do so the next night.) So it figures this game would almost be historic …

Since I wasn’t keeping score, I didn’t realize the Sox had no hits until I heard it from the radio broadcast while I was waiting in line for beer in the sixth inning. John Lackey walked his first batter of the game and the announcer said that was only the second base runner of the night for the Sox. Up until that point, I was just happy the Angels were winning and the Sox weren’t. There were several Angels fans on our tour, and a couple of them were cheering so I joined in – although not as loudly.

In the middle of the eighth inning, Lackey was going strong and the Sox still had no hits. And anyone familiar with Fenway Park knows that point of the game means one thing: Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. I vaguely knew that they played this song at Fenway, but had no idea about the tradition. But I, and everyone on our tour, quickly caught on. In fact, it became the theme song for our bus. Since the tour ended, there have been countless e-mails back and forth to the entire group with links to Sweet Caroline ring tones, YouTube videos and this history of the tradition.

That night, however, with a no-hitter in progress, the crowd decided to serenade John Lackey even after the music stopped and he was on the pitcher’s mound warming up for the bottom of the inning. But it didn’t affect him – one, two, three outs.

Jonathan Papelbon came on to pitch the top of the ninth for the Sox, an odd spot to use their closer since they were losing 6-0 at the time. Last year, I remember (unfortunately) seeing a video somewhere of him dancing a jig in one of the Sox victory celebrations. Given that, I wasn’t surprised that the music blaring as he took the field was some jig-like tune – although it quickly turned into a heavy metal version of a jig. Inspired by the music, I’m sure, he retired the Angels in order.

So, there we were, going into the bottom of the ninth, three outs away from a no-hitter – with about 80 die-hard fans on a baseball tour in attendance. How incredible for the baseball gods to give us this rare gift as part of our trip – provided Lackey could get three more outs. And he had to get those three outs, right? First up: Jacoby Ellsbury. A strikeout! This was amazing. Next: Dustin Pedroia. And – damn, a single to left field. SO close … Still, Lackey can have a one-hitter. But Kevin Youkilis took care of that, hitting a home run. Damn again. (Actually, that wasn’t the word I was thinking at the time.) But, Lackey still had the chance for the complete game – which he did get. Angels win, 6-2.

A few days later, when I had a chance to check my e-mail, I had a message from my uncle Jim that perfectly summed up the evening: “I bet you were going crazy in the bottom of the 9th. Would have been a great story: “Red Sox hater sees the Sox no-hit in first game at Fenway!!!!!”

Yankee Stadium Tour – July 29, 2008

Photos

July 29 was our earliest-starting day, leaving our hotel in New Jersey at 7:30 a.m., to head back to the Bronx for a Yankee Stadium tour. Our bus was divided into two groups, and ours went on the tour first.

Inside the stadium, we waited a few minutes for the tour guide. That gave us the opportunity to stand in a mostly empty, silent Yankee Stadium on a sunny morning and look around. The infield grass glistened from just being watered, the flags atop the frieze blew in the breeze – it was a beautiful sight. Then it was out to Monument Park, which honors the Yankees greats. First are plaques that recognize those whose numbers have been retired. There are quite a few, as you might expect. Beyond that is a section with monuments honoring the greatest of the greats – Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. There’s also a monument honoring the victims of 9/11, which was dedicated on the first anniversary of the terrorist attack. As the tour guide was describing Monument Park and the individuals being honored, she was very respectful and referred to everyone as “Mr.” – Mr. Lou Gehrig, Mr. Babe Ruth, Mr. Yogi Berra, etc. But there wasn’t nearly enough time to look at everything out there, or maybe it was because I was taking pictures of all the 1960s-era plaques for my Dad since he was a big Yankees fan then. Monument Park will be moved to the new stadium, of course, and more information on it, if you’re interested, is here.

We then walked along the warning track from left field to our next stop, the Yankees dugout. A security guard was there to make sure no one walked on to the field or even touched the grass. One older man from our bus, a Yankees fan, bent down to scoop up a bit of dirt and rocks from the warning track a couple of times.

I was one of the last to the dugout (since I was taking pictures along the way) so I didn’t get to sit on the bench as the guide was talking about the dugout. So I stood at the dugout entrance nearest home plate, the spot where Yankees manager Joe Girardi had been standing the night before. Not a bad view! But the dugout seemed pretty small, and the ceiling very low above the bench. If it hadn’t been a game day, our tour would have continued on into the Yankees clubhouse.

Then it was up to the press box. It reminded me of the old Wrigley Field press box from my internship days in 1988 – which was replaced the following year by a bigger, new one. The tour guide pointed out the various broadcast booths and, at the end past those, George Steinbrenner’s booth with blue leather chairs.

We went back down to the main concourse and that was it, end of tour and a time for any last questions. One question our guide received: where was George Costanza’s office? Our guide laughed, said she was asked that question on every tour and that George was off today. She also handed out a gift for each of us, a “final season” keychain. We also received a keychain the night before.

Then we had an hour or so of free time while the rest of our bus went on the tour. We ate breakfast and went to some of the souvenir shops, at last finding Yankee Stadium postcards and a “final season” t-shirt in a size other than small (which was all the gift shops in the stadium had).

During the All Star Game coverage, there was so much talk about Yankee Stadium and its historical significance, that it’s “baseball’s cathedral” and the like. The tour definitely gave us a better look, and better understanding, of the stadium and a greater appreciation of the Yankees. The game (despite the outcome) and the tour were definitely highlights of the trip for me.