May 2008
Boston
Yawkey Way is a great place for fans to enjoy themselves before the game…bands, food, etc. Named for Thomas Yawkey, who owned the Red Sox for many decades.
Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912…five days after the Titanic sank. At that time, sitting behind poles that supported ballpark roofs was fairly common. I think it’s called an “obstructed view seat.” I’m sure there have been more colorful descriptions from patrons over the years.
This is the left field foul pole from on top of the Green Monster. This pole became famous during the 1975 World Series when Boston’s Carlton Fisk was “waving” his home run fair to win Game Six. The 12th inning, game-winning homer actually struck the pole. Of course the Reds still won the series. Fisk once jokingly told me “we won that series, 3 games to 4!” The right field foul pole is, of course, named for Johnny Pesky .
Fans sit in the “Monster Seats,” during batting practice. I was there when they opened at the beginning of the 2003 season. I have the distinction of having broadcast as a visiting announcer for three different teams at Fenway: Baltimore, Cincinnati and now the Royals. I still don’t think I’ve been on the winning side yet.
They’ve got “Monster” food on top of the the Green Monster. Dogs, peanuts, whatever monsters eat.
There’s the Green Monster, 37 feet high. You get the feeling they could add anything they’d like to this ballpark, as long as they painted it that same shade of green.
On the field, Joey Gathright was just a couple of days removed from colliding with teammate David DeJesus in the outfield down in Florida. Joey stretching the shoulder that popped out of its socket.
Here is a shot of the field from the visiting radio booth at Fenway Park.
Sean Casey may be the nicest player in all of baseball, surely one of the nicest. Here posing with some fans who were lucky enough to be on the field at Fenway before the game.
If these walls could talk! The tunnel from the visitors cramped clubhouse down to the dugout. Just think of all the great players who have made their way down this tunnel over the decades.
The stairs then take you up to a small dugout.
Fans aren’t the only ones sitting behind poles..sometimes a player has to try to peer around pole in the dugout.
Miguel Olivo and Zach Greinke waiting to do some pregame work at Fenway Park.
Manager Trey Hillman and Billy Butler chatting hours before the game.
Here a security guard helps me show you just how tight it is down the foul lines in the outfield at Fenway Park.
The standings on the outfield wall making Red Sox fans happy on this day. Especially with New York in last place.
A DAY AT THE BEACH
I walked up and down the beach….a lot of folks having fun…but our hard-working, selfless group of Royals players must have been at the ballpark…preparing each day to face the first-place Marlins. But don’t feel sorry for me, even as I spent so much time safeguarding our young team…at the pool and the beach. Hey, whatever I can 
It is cavernous to say the least. Dolphin Stadium. It’s had many names. It’s hosted Super Bowls, Orange Bowls. It’s also hosted the World Series twice. But as its current name suggests, it’s a football-first stadium. Doesn’t have the intimacy the Marlins would like for baseball, or a roof and air conditioner that are really necessary much of the year down here. Again, they hope to have a new home within 3 years.
Weekend at The K
Members of the KCrew making sure John stays on his feet. An hour or so later, the Royals had a victory, and capped off a fun weekend at the K.
For those of you who follow such things, Relish won…Mustard came in second, and Ketchup finished third, but he did finish! (Thanks Joey!)
Everything’s Big in Texas!
When the Royals recently visited Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, it was my tenth (out of 14) American League ballpark. It’s a very nice “yard,” but one word you would never use to describe it is “intimate.” It is very large, totally enclosed (with offices used by various local businesses stacked in the outfield).
This park opened the same year as “The Jake” (now Progressive Field) in Cleveland, 1994. Still looks new.
They modeled parts of this ballpark after other classic stadiums, including Tiger Stadium. The right field porch with the posts holding up the overhang is very similar to the Tigers’ former home.
Troy Aikman used to have an office here. Plenty of offices in center field. Nice view out your window if you can afford the square footage.
Trey Hillman grew up in the area, and it was old home week for him in Texas.
Of course, these are new friends: Joel Goldberg and Paul Splittorff on the field before the game.
There are seemingly a million luxury suites on more than one level wrapping around Rangers Ballpark. They are named after baseball Hall of Famers. This is the Bob Gibson Suite.
I couldn’t find a George Brett suite, so the closest KC tie I found on my quick look around, was the late, great Catfish Hunter, who spent his first three seasons as a Kansas City Athletic, before winning championships in Oakland and New York.
When you look at the levels of suites stacked on top of one another, the word “Titanic” immediately came to mind. Fortunately the media level is up closer to the top. No leaks were apparent, fortunately.
Right next to the Ballpark is Six Flags over Texas…the amusement park predates the stadium by many years. And, yes, a baseball season is a roller coaster.
A few blocks from the Rangers stadium, is another amusement park of sorts. Some of the locals call it “Jerry World.” That would be Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys. This incredibly large structure dwarfs the Cowboys’ current home, Texas Stadium. The Cowboys move into their new home in time for the 2009 season. They’ve already booked a Super Bowl. It will have a retractable roof, and hold more than 100,000 for events such as the Super Bowl and the Cotton Bowl, which will move from, well, the Cotton Bowl.
I lived in Dallas for six years, including my years at Southern Methodist University. Great city. You can see the skyline from the Ballpark. The growth in the area since I left is truly unbelievable.
This is the Rangers’ mascot…Ranger Captain. Ranger Captain was born in 2003. The name comes from the Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Agency. Captains were the leaders for that group. When Ranger Captain was born, he (?) was sworn in by the mayor of Arlington (“Put your hoof on the bible and repeat after me…..”). When I had laryngitis I was a little hoarse…but nothing like this…sorry…
A shot of the Rangers Ballpark at night. Although it was incredibly windy (see picture below of the umbrella going through the car windshield), we at least came to Texas before the 99 degrees and high humidity hits! (any day now…)
How Windy?
And you thought the “wind comes sweepin’ down the plain” in Oklahoma? Check out this unbelievable picture taken by the Royals Senior Director of Team Travel/Clubhouse Operations, Jeff Davenport. Wednesday was an incredibly windy day in Arlington, Texas.
How windy? This is an actual photograph of a Starbucks umbrella that was blown out of its table base…and right through the windshield of this parked car. Davy’s booked a lot of flights in his day, but never has he seen an “unscheduled landing” quite like this one.
I hope the owner of the car had umbrella coverage. Seriously, it’s very lucky no one was in the passenger seat when this flying spear came through the windshield. Thanks for the pic, Davy…
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