An Unforgettable Father's Day

My dad, like many his age that grew up in the 50s/60s, became a fan of the most dominant team in baseball.  They won World Series titles in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961 and 1962.  10 Titles from birth to high school graduation.  I've got to celebrate 1 World Series with the Cubs in 42 years.  That's just dominant.

Not to mention they had probably the biggest array of stars to grace a baseball field.  You can name them off with out looking them up.  DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Berra, Larsen, Ford, and Martin.  They are players immortalized in baseball.  Why not be a fan?

In all that time though, dad had never gone to a game at Yankee Stadium.  The House that Ruth built were all those legends played.  It's a cathedral.  Well was.  2008 was the last year the stadium would host games and then would be replaced by New Yankee Stadium, the House that Jeter built.  I suggested to mom and Mike that we needed to get dad out to New York and we had to get him to a game there.  

We started to get things into motion.  Looking at the schedule and things going on in the summer, we aimed for a later in the year trip, and well who else to go see the Yankees play but the Boston Red Sox?  Dad HATES the Red Sox.  The game Mike got us the tickets for just happened to be the last time the Red Sox would play a regular season game there too.  Perfect.  

Father's Day 2008 the family gathered at Mike's house to unleash the surprise on dad.  This was June, the trip would be at the end of August.

Flying out of Cedar Rapids we landed got to New York during midday Wednesday August 27th.  The plan the first day was to see sights after checking into our hotel at the Waldorf.  Our first sight we hit was a hot dog stand, because of course.  After that the first day we hit Grand Central Terminal, and then made our way up to the top of the Empire State Building.  

The hilarious part of this was dad was commenting about all the people on their cell phones the time we were walking around the city, when we got to the observation deck, he got on his phone and called some buddies about how great the reception was up there.  

First night after the ESB, we ended up at a beer hall for some cold ones.  I ended up chatting with a guy from Seattle in town for the Yanks-Sox series.  Then had my ear chatted off by a lady who was a professor of psychiatry at Columbia.  She was world famous, her dead husband was too and so were her kids.  As she repeated many times in our conversation.  Mike and dad still think if i kept talking to her we had free drinks all night.  I did end up getting us a free round due to my attire of Cubs/Bears gear.  A manager at the place we were at was from Chicago, and gave us a round.  

Mike and I then dropped dad off at the hotel and he and I went out to venture around Times Square.  Hit all the usual spots that make New York famous.  We stopped by Mickey Mantle's sports bar for some beers and watch a lil baseball.  We ended up talking to a guy from Kansas City who was in town for the US Open, was arrested for scalping tickets and ended up having to come back in October to go to court.  We ended the night with "mystery" pizza from Ray's Pizza.  

GAME DAY!  I tell my kids when we travel to wear something Iowa one day and you'll hear a "Go Hawks" wherever you are.  Walking down to the subway that's what we heard.  Dad had his Hawkeye cap on and it ended up coming from a guy from Fort Dodge heading to the game himself.  Small world!  We walk out of the subway and you see the mammoth of the New Yankee Stadium.  It dwarfed the old building.  I haven't been there yet but it is on my list of stadiums to see.They closed off Monument Park and that's the only thing of this day that I would change.  It would have been cool to be able to get in there and see that.  We did get to see it from a distance.  

During the 2008 season, the Yankees were not great and with the way the Rays and Red Sox were playing, they were not going to make the playoffs so we knew this was going to be the last Red Sox-Yankees game in the building.  

During the game dad made conversation with a group of guys from Uruguay who buy and sell alcohol all over the city.  We all ended up talking to them most the game.  As for the game, it was mostly dominated by the Red Sox until the the 7th inning.  Down 2-0 on the first pitch he saw Jason Giambi launched a ball 420 feet over the center field wall.  The place went nuts.  Tie game 2-2.  No action till the 9th.  The Yankees loaded the bases with 1 out, and up again came Jason Giambi.  The Red Sox brought in their closer Jonathan Paplebon.  On an 0-2 pitch Giambi slapped a liner to center field scoring Brian Gardner.  Queue up Ole Blue Eyes and some New York, New York!

I've seen dad pretty happy after some Iowa games (Iowa-Mich 85 comes to mind) but this was awesome.  The ending was great and dramatic, and then to be able to be there and see his reaction, priceless.

If you looks closely I think you can even see a tear of joy.  It was as fun there soaking up the stadium after the game as it was after being in Wrigley in 2016 when the Cubs clinched the Central Division (that post to come).  Just amazing.

Then the aftermath of the game may have been just as fun.  Heading out of the Bronx getting on the standing on the subway platform waiting for the train I got "mugged" by coworkers from back in Des Moines.  My dad's reaction of 'What's going on' was priceless, as was I bet my face.  I knew they would be there but who knew we'd be on the platform at the same time.  

Once we got back downtown we needed to go eat and celebrate.  Walked a few blocks away from the Waldorf to a little Italian joint called Mimi's.  We score the corner table there and spend a good chunk of time there with drinks and celebrating.  Fun Fact, I had my first cannoli there.  I'm pretty sure our bill was doubled due to celebrating with drinks. 

After that we walked toward the hotel and hit a lil Irish pub, Naills.  We walk in and we are the only ones there, order our drinks and start to talk with the bartender.  You could tell she wasn't a fan of our test in music as she kept skipping the country music songs I played on the jukebox.  Then the fun really started.  A couple of guys walked in to the bar, and we struck it up with them.  They were Chinese street volleyball players, born in South America, worked on German cars and drinking Irish beer.  How's that for a combo?  

If Facebook would have been around then Mike and I would have had 2 new friends.  They were on a quest to get a drink at every bar from where they started back to Chinatown, AND be ready to play street volleyball in the morning.  We have no idea if they made it but dad semi adopted two new kids that night.  

Mike and I ended up dropping dad off at the hotel and then went back toward Times Square that night.  Time was a blur but when we strolled into the room at what was about 2 am the best part was dad was still awake and drunk dialed mom back in Iowa.  This day will always be a top 10 day best ever in my life.

The next day was spent hitting tourist spots.  Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty, Rupert's Deli, and getting as close as we could to Ground Zero.  Mike shot down to the Bull and Bear bar to try to get on MSNBC before we returned to Mimi's for another supper.  We must have made an impression the night before because the bartender remember our drinks and dad ended up getting a free tshirt.  We didn't get as rowdy as the night before but Mike and I did go back out after dropping dad off at the hotel again.  About 11 pm dad called my cell phone to remind us that we had a 5 am flight the next day.  

The next day we got home, Iowa and Hawkeye football.  

Fast forward to Father's Day 2009.  First off there's now way to top 2008, but the 2009 gift had a hint of the year before.  I got dad a framed picture of the 3 of us after the game at Yankee Stadium that dad's ticket stub is now in with it, along with a Yankees tie fleece blanket.  

I haven't been to the new Yankee's stadium or Citi Field but I'm going to go out on a limb that it won't beat the first trip there.

Up Next :  Prelude to a Championship

A Family First

Back when the kids were very little, our family vacations were pretty simple.  Clear Lake to play in the sand and in the water.  A drive up to the Dells and some time there at the water parks.  There were other road trips that maybe one of the kids went on but nothing huge with all 4 of us.  We hadn't really got to go out and see the world.  I was waiting for them to be close to all being old enough to enjoy the trip, and also where I could afford it and plan it.  

My goal with our vacations is to get them out to see things that I never saw as a kid.  My vacations where like theirs.  Clear Lake, had a trip to Chicago, Mt Rushmore and Florida a few times in there.  So we kinda mapped out places we wanted to go and that were drive able.  Our first destination would be St. Louis in 2015 and the Gateway Arch.  We had picked out places to go see such as the City Museum, the Zoo, Science Center, and of course the Arch.  I also checked the calendar out to see if we could hit up a Cards game too.  Lucky enough, they were in town hosting the Reds.  (Was hoping for the Cubs - that will come later)

We packed up the family truckster and shot down early in the morning.  In all our vacations I request that there aren't any electronics brought along.  They read, journal or do activity books in the car or just enjoy the ride and do what i did, watch out the window.  For the most part it has worked well.  Along the way we hit up roadside stops of the American Gothic House, Lover's Leap and Tom Sawyer's Cave.  The game was the first night of our trip, so I wanted to give us time to get there early to walk around the Arch and Busch Stadium.  

The area around New Busch is pretty cool, and this is coming from a Cubs fan.  Ball park village was fun venue to grab some kind of a supper.   It reminded me of Power and Light District almost in Kansas City, but more indoors.  The Cardinals have had a lot of legends pass through St Louis and you see that with all the statues around the outside of the stadium.  Jack Buck, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Dizzy Dean, Stan Musial, Bob Gibson and Rogers Hornsby. Shockingly in 2020 2 of those have passed on.  (Brock and Gibson).  It's always cool to see the history like that around the stadiums.  

The view with the Arch in the background is one of the better ones in a stadium I've been too.  The way it opens up right to that view.  I never was at the old Busch, but the cookie cutter stadium seemed like you couldn't see the Arch as clear.  

My son had already been to a MLB game with me, but as a family and for the girls, this was their first baseball game.  Sadly about the game I really don't remember a lot of the details.  I think we picked the hottest night, and it seems on vacation that happens.  The kids went through big drinks and ice cream.  I think I spent most the night just trying to take in their reactions.  The area we were in seemed to have a lot of families too, which I thought was a good pick for the kids first game.  There were a couple of moms that had brought their kids to the game and we talked to them for a few innings.  As for the game play, the Cards won 4-1 on a Kolton Wong grand slam.  They really didn't do to much but for that.  

The rest of the trip included our trip up to the top of the Arch, a full 8 hours in the City Museum and then a trip to the zoo and the Science Center.  I think that the kids favorite stop was probably Fitz's on the way out of town for root beer floats the size of their heads.  

That was my first trip to St Louis along with the kids and something must have clicked on that vacation because Ryleigh has since asked to go back to St Louis and to the Arch every year since, and also to a game.  This past July her and I were supposed to have a little get away vacation there and had tickets to watch the Cubs in St Louis; Covid-19 and 2020 cancelled that.  I have promised her that we will get it done in 2021.  

Up Next : An Unforgettable Father's Day

You Only Have One First

 

They say there is nothing like your first; first kiss, first beer, and well first MLB game.  Time to jump in a time machine back to 1988.  

Years earlier my parents took my older siblings to Chicago for a vacation.  I was to young to really appreciate it, and well probably was left to not be in the way at a young age, and was left with Grandma & Grandpa.  A few years later I found a white haired, big glasses wearing guy who sang on cable TV and had become a Cubs fan.  

Outside of going to Clear Lake every summer I can prob count on my hand the vacations we went on. (The Dells, South Dakota, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale)  Now a little older and since I didn't get to go on the previous trip, in June of 1988 I was going to get to go to Chicago.  

A few things stick out from the drive there.  Before we got started, I set my suitcase out in the driveway since the car was locked and a small rain shower came through and my suitcase got soaked.  Somewhere about in Western Illinois on the interstate into town dad hit a duck and I remember turning around in the back seat to see it flop around on the road.  Finally looking out the front window for the first time at the Chicago skyline in awe.

We hit the tourist places throughout the city.  I remember the dolphins and otters at Shedd Aquarium, remember dad getting excited going through the submarine at the Museum of Science and Industry.  We stayed at the Essex Inn and had breakfast every morning in the little restaurant there on Michigan Ave.  Had pizza at Gino's East and I always thought it was such a huge place and all the graffiti on the wall.  All i really wanted was though to get to Wrigley.

I remember getting up that morning, getting my Cubs gear on, got my glove ready.  We went down to the Subway and I got my first ride on the L.  Dad was counting down the stops from the map in the train car and said "Wrigley is next" and then I got my first glimpse of the friendly confines.  I had been to Iowa football games before and always got goose bumps walking into Kinnick, I got the same goose bumps seeing Wrigley.  

Wrigleyville wasn't what it is today and well I was 10 then so we didn't stay out of the stadium long after getting off the train.  We walked over and saw the marquee and then went in to the stadium through the front gate.  

The Cubs were playing the Phillies so the game became a bragging rights game with my brother. I remember our seats were on the 1st base side under the second deck, so we had shade.  Dad said that was a good thing since Sutcliffe was pitching and he usually adds 30 minutes to any game.  While they were warming up, dad and I went down to the front row where Andre Dawson (the 1987 NL MVP) was warming up.  Along with about 10 other kids we were trying to get his autograph, alas that didn't happen.  I would get his autograph 28 years later.  

I remember some sailors sitting in front of us in their dress whites.  It was a hot day, and on the concourses in Wrigley some tar had got bubbly and made its way to the bottom of my shoe.  I put my foot up on the back of the seat in front of me and as one leaned back, a black smudge made its way to his back.  From watching movies, a part me thought I just earned this guy some push ups because of a dirty uniform.

Most plays from this game don't stick out as much 32 years later as big plays but for a few midway through the game.  Davey Martinez had got a hit to get on base.  Up came Shawon Dunston.  He smacked a homer run into the basket in about left, left center.  That was it for the scoring.  Being 10 I was all over the place.  I remember the vendors coming up and down the stairs and seeing all the souvenirs.  I wanted one of those foam hands, but eventually settled on a baseball.  Playing with the ball and looking all over the rest of the game seemed like a blur but for the 7th Inning Stretch.  I finally got to sing in person with Harry.  Looked up over my left shoulder I got to watch him wave the mic around like I had on tv.  

The Cubs won 2-1.  The day, the trip was made.  I've been to Wrigley 10 times since that day in 1988.  I'm glad I got the ball especially now that I eventually started to collect them.  Looking in the case that first one will hold a special place in the memory bank being there with my dad and mom as it sits next to the ball from my son's first trip to Wrigley with me.  

Up Next : A Family First

People Will Come Ray...

I walk by this case a few times a day. It reminds me of pre-2020 and how I miss traveling to cities and baseball stadiums and watching baseball in person.

Each one of these balls is a story. The people met, the people that may have traveled with, the cities and locations and the food and beer.

With thinking about that a little more I thought it would be cool to write about these moments and stores and get those memories out. With that I created this group. I know that life is busy but over the next weeks and months I hope to get some of them down and written. I don't want to rush getting them all out there quick because I feel that won't do them the justice that each one deserves.

Like a lot of stories over time some memories get skewered and become a bigger fish than they really were. Some of these may do that, some may not but there are some great memories in that case. When ball parks open up again I look forward to adding more to this too.

As for were to start, well no better place to start but the beginning. Look for the first pitch sometime soon.