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Tony Gillen

  • Blue Jays vs. Reds

    Blue Jays vs. Reds

    • 1st visit to Rogers Center (MLB Ballpark #26)
    • 3rd different ballpark watching the Toronto Blue Jays
    • 5th different ballpark watching the Cincinnati Reds

    This is Game 1 of a two-day trip in Toronto. I had not intended to go to Toronto when I was making my plans for 2024. However, over the summer I got an ad for cheap airfare to Canada and I jumped at it. I had bought my flight before I knew I was going to Texas for work. If I had known I was going to Texas, I might not have bought the tickets to Canada. Ultimately, I am happy I made the trip to Toronto.

    I’d shared in previous posts that I had met Ian from Canada who was watching five of the same games I was attending. I’ll bet meeting up with him at this home ballpar this time.

    Unexpectedly, I would also meet up with the creator of the MLB Ballpark Passport program, Tim Parks, who shared that he would be there the day of.

    Seat Selection

    • Section 525 (upper deck)

    When I planned to buy tickets for my two Blue Jays games, I decided I would buy cheap for one game and value for the other. Game 1 was the cheap ticket and a walk-the-ballpark kind of game.

    Highlights of the Game

    Despite the walk-the-ballpark kind of a game for me, there were still plenty of highlights for me to catch.

    The Blue Jays started the game with a 6-0 over the Reds at the end of the 3rd inning. However, the Reds would come back scored two run in the 4th and five runs in the 5th toward a Blue Jays collapse.

    During the game, Elly de la Cruz would steal his 60th base in the 5th inning for a rare 20/60 season.

    Finally, for the first time in MLB history, four Reds players (Spencer Steer, Noelvi Marte, Jonathan India, and Elly De La Cruz) each hit a home run and stole a base in the same game.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    • Maple Bacon Footlong Hot Dog

    If you are going to Canada for ballpark food, it’s a good time to find foods that are uniquely Canadian. The footlong hot dog is stopped with maple syrup, bacon crumbles, and cinnamon roll frosting.

  • Rangers vs. Twins

    Rangers vs. Twins

    • 1st visit to Globe Life Field (MLB Ballpark #25)
    • 2nd different ballpark watching the Texas Rangers
    • 5th different ballpark watching the Minnesota Twins

    A trip to Texas was not planned when I was deciding which ballparks to visit in 2024. However, a work project brought me to Arlington and that night gave me free time to make the visit to Globe Life Field. The best coincidence of all was getting to see my hometown Minnesota Twins.

    I was staying in downtown Arlington, which is not exactly walking distance to the ballpark. Fortunately, there was a local bar that offered shuttles to the game. For a small fee, it was great to go without paying more for an Uber or trying to drive and park.

    The first game of the series against the Twins was also Nathan Eovaldi World Series ring giveaway day so I got to go home with a souvenir.

    At the ballpark, I got to meet up with a group of Texas Rangers who are Ballpark STAMPeders. Part of my ballpark journey has also included stamping my MLB Ballpark Passport book with each ballpark visit.

    Seat Selection

    Globe Life Field view from section 101
    • Section 101 (lower level down third base line)

    For an impromptu trip where I do not necessarily care where I sit, I was able to snag a cheap ticket of SeatGeek the morning of the game and the location still left me with a good view of the game.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    • The Boomstick

    The Boomstick, named for former Texas Ranger, Nelson Cruz, is an 18-inch long hot dog topped with grilled onions, jalapenos, chili, and melted cheese and big enough that it really requires a fork and knife to eat. The Boomstick was the only food I bought for the game and I could not finish it before the end of the game.

    Highlights of the Game

    The game started with two runs from the Rangers in the 1st inning but the biggest highlight of the game was Kyle Farmer’s hit in the second inning that looked like an inside-the-park home run but was officially a triple and an fielding error to bring in two runs and tie the game. The game remained tied until the top of the 9th inning when a sacrifice fly from Carlos Santana would score the winning run.

  • Nationals vs. Blue Jays

    Nationals vs. Blue Jays

    • 2nd visit to Nationals Park (Last visited in 2012)
    • 2nd different ballpark watching the Toronto Blue Jays

    Nationals Park was the final stop of the seven-day, seven-game East Coast baseball trip.

    Tim and I started the day off with a drive from his place to the Greenbelt Metro Station. The Metro (subway) is a very convenient option if you are driving from outside the Washington D.C. area. The Metro line from that station will take you directly to Nationals Park.

    The ballpark is just as good as it was 12 years ago. The surrounding neighborhood is much different. The statues that used to be inside the gates now reside outside the front entrance (opposite of the outfield plaza).

    The rain from Philadelphia must have followed us to Washington D.C. This time, the game delayed an hour 30 minutes. It was Star Wars weekend and we got Star Wars reversible (light side/dark side) beanies.

    Seat Selection

    • Section HP119 (behind home plate)

    A non-marquee matchup and a home plate not expected to contend (even in May) leads to some great value opportunities for tickets on the secondary market.

    Highlights of the Game

    While the Nationals scored the first run of the game, it looked like the Blue Jays would bust it open with a massive Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grand slam in the 2nd inning. With the Blue Jays having the 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the 3rd inning, the Nationals would start to make their comeback. Both teams would go back and forth with an 8-8 tie going into the 7th inning, but the Nationals would eventually pulled away with an 11-8 win.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    • Ben’s Chili Half Smoke
    • Ben’s Chili Cheese Fries

    Ben’s Chili is a staple in Washington D.C. and it’s worth going out of your way to get if you are looking for ballpark food at Nationals Park. I had the chili bowl during my visit in 2012. This time, it was the half smoke and chili cheese fries.

  • Phillies vs. Giants

    Phillies vs. Giants

    • 1st visit to Citizens Bank Park (MLB Ballpark #24)
    • 2nd ballpark watching the Philadelphia Phillies
    • 4th ballpark watching the San Francisco Giants

    I started the day leaving my hotel in Secaucus, NJ to meet my friend, Tim, at the 30th Street Train Station in Philadelphia. A time in Philadelphia also afforded us time to enjoy the history of the city. When in downtown Philadelphia, make time for the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Old Philadelphia, and all of the historic sites in range.

    It had rained all day in Philadelphia and the rain continued to Citizens Bank Park. The game itself started a little more than an hour late. We would also meet up with Ian from Canada during the rain delay.

    Seat Selection

    • Section 127 (lower level to the left of home plate)

    Philadelphia is a hot team. Giants fans travel (as I had witnessed in Boston a few days before). It’s Saturday night. We were not finding a cheap ticket for this game but scouring SeatGeek in the weeks before opened up a pair of seats for us in a prime location.

    Highlights of the Game

    Last year, I was in San Francisco to watch the Giants beat the Phillies.

    This year, I see the Giants and Phillies again in Philadelphia. The Phillies dominated this game with nine runs in the first two innings. Ranger Suarez pitched six innings and all of the Phillies starters had at least one hit on the way to a 14-3 win.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    • 1883 Burger and Fries
    • Philly Pretzel

    The 1883 Burger, names for the Phillies’ debut season, was a pretty good burger for ballpark. I didn’t not pay much attention to the other offerings. I’m sure there was cheesesteak somewhere. Still, I recommend the 1883 Burger for anyone looking for options.

  • Yankees vs. Tigers

    Yankees vs. Tigers

    • 1st visit to Yankee Stadium (MLB Ballpark #23)
    • 5th different ballpark watching the Yankees
    • 3rd different ballpark watching the Tigers

    This is the fifth day of the seven-day, seven-game East Coast road trip.

    I started the day from my hotel in Secaucus, NJ. A bus runs regularly from Secaucus to the Port Authority Terminal in Manhattan to make getting into New York City easy without having to deal with traffic and paying the NYC toll. The subway trains from the Port Authority Terminal could take me directly to Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. But with plenty of time before the Yankees night game, I spent my day walking through Manhattan, through Times Square, through Rockefeller Center, stopping at the MLB Shop, and through Central Park before taking the subway again to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium.

    The subway is very convenient and cheap for any traveler. You just need to tap in or tap out with your credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay and you are only charged $2 for the whole day. The subway will take you anywhere in New York City. If you decide to go exploring before the game, it’s simple to get to back to the subway and make your way to the game in time.

    Yankee Stadium is one of the very few (if not the only) that let’s you bring in your backpack. The security process is easy; you just walk through the scanner and, if the signal goes off, they check your bag. Again, if you are wanting to explore New York City and traveling by train or bus, you can still get into Yankee Stadium without having to find a locker offsite.

    Seat Selection

    • Section 434B (about the farthest spot in the third level left field)

    Out of all of the games on my trip, this was the only game where I bought my ticket the day of. Prices never dropped on the third-party sites so I bought this one directly from the team website.

    I didn’t say in the upper deck left field for long. This turned out to be a walk-the-park kind of day and did that again with Ian from Canada. Yankee Stadium has a Hall of Fame exhibit on the second level behind home plate with a display of autographed baseballs from throughout the club’s history, including one of Lou Gehrig. By the time the game was done we’ll have circled the park on every level and ending up in the second level left field seats in time for the walk off ending.

    Highlights of the Game

    Most of the game was lacking offensive from both teams. The Yankees went into the bottom of the 9th inning trailing 1-0. What looked like could be a Tigers win in New York turned into what looked like could have been a second extra-inning game for this trip with a Giancarlo Stanton double to tie but ended with an Anthony Rizzo single to get the 2-1 walk off win.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    • King’s Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich

    This was really just a case of getting something close to me where the line wasn’t long. Yankee Stadium does have a wide variety of foods and I’ll have plenty to choose from on my next visit.

  • Mets vs. Cubs

    Mets vs. Cubs

    • 1st visit to Citi Field (MLB Ballpark #22)
    • 2nd different ballpark watching the New York Mets
    • 3rd different ballpark watching the Chicago Cubs

    This game was the fourth of the seven-day, seven-game East Coast trip. I drove straight from my hotel outside of Boston for a day game in Flushing. Generally, I prefer to park somewhere away from the ballpark and take transit but, because of the timing of my trip and my hotel reservation on Secaucus, NJ, the parking lot at Citi Field was, unfortunately, my best option and it was a $40 option to park.

    Again, I would meet up with Ian from Canada a second time to hang out before the game for a bit.

    Section Selection

    • Section 103 (lower level right field)

    Sometimes, I will actually buy a ticket directly from the team website and will do so if the deal is right. In this case, the Mets ran a no fees promotion before the season began that made buying from them directly a sound option.

    The section in right was shaded at the start of the game. As the game progressed, the shade kept falling further back and, in this extra innings game, the presence of the sun was more pronounced.

    Highlights of the Game

    This final matchup of the series went 11 innings. The Cubs took a lead at the top of the 11th but the Mets came back in the bottom half with a Francisco Lindor double that score the Mets’ final two runs.

    From right field, we saw Starling Marte throw a bullet to home to get the final out of the top of the 11th.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    • New York Pizza

    If you are going to get pizza in New York City, DO NOT get it at the ballpark.

    Apparently, any other choice of food would have been better and Citi Field has a huge variety of foods.

  • Red Sox vs. Giants

    Red Sox vs. Giants

    This game is the third of a seven-day, seven-game East Coast baseball road trip. With the previous day in Worcester, I was close enough to drive in early and take the train straight to Fenway to take in an early Fenway Park tour.

    Between the tour and the game, I spent the time taking the train further into downtown Boston and starting my walk on the Freedom Trail.

    Back in time for the game, I would meet up with Ian from Canada who was happening to do five of the same games I was seeing on this road trip.

    • 1st visit to Fenway Park (MLB Ballpark #21)
    • 3rd different ballpark watching the Boston Red Sox
    • 3rd different ballpark watching the San Francisco Giants

    Seat Selection

    Fenway Park view from right field

    Section B89 Row JJ (Lower level right field)

    SeatGeek is my go-to for tickets when I’m willing to wait for a good value. I knew that most seats along the first base side to not face home plate or the pitchers mound so I avoided those but I held out for a good deal in right field. For outfield seats, they are pretty much at field level and close to the field of play.

    I bought this ticket solo but chatted throughout the game with a family of three from Iowa.

    Back to Ian from Canada, I met up with him before the game and then again after the game and on the train back to the park-and-ride.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    Steak Burrito Bowl

    Sure, the burrito bowl might not be what you think of when you think of ballpark food. The food stand was close and the line was short so that’s where I went.

    Game Highlights

    The Red Sox pretty much had control of the game with a 6-2 win over the Giants. Kutter Crawford pitched seven innings to get the win and six different players: Rafael Devers, Rob Refsnyder, Emmanuel Valdez, Jarren Duran, Domonic Smith, and Connor Wong each drove in a win for th Sox.

    The biggest fan highlight for me was experiencing Sweet Caroline for the first time in the 8th. Red Sox fans stay very engaged from first pitch to final out.

  • Orioles vs. Yankees

    Orioles vs. Yankees

    This game is the first of a seven-day, seven-game East Coast baseball road trip. I had just flown into BWI that afternoon and met up with my fellow Team Collector, Tim to stay at his place while I was in town. We took the light rail directly to Camden Yards.

    During the fifth inning, I met up with another Stampeder, Henry, to share my custom stamp.

    • 3rd visit to Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Last visited in 2009 and 2015)
    • 4th different ballpark watching the New York Yankees

    Seat Selection

    Section 28 Row 15 (Lower level behind home plate)

    I bought these tickets from SeatGeek. Typically, about 2-3 weeks before the game, I check SeatGeek for value seats, tickets is prime locations with a lower cost. I jumped that these two tickets as soon as they became available at a price I wanted to pay. For a key AL East matchup, I thought they were a great deal.

    We chatted on and off with a couple of Yankees fans to our right who made the drive from New York. They didn’t like the Gunnar homer but a tight game kept it fun for all of us.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    Oriole Park Maryland dog

    Maryland Dog

    The Maryland Dog is one of a number of different hot dogs sold at OPACY. The Maryland Dog brings the Baltimore Bay flavor with a hot dog topped with crab dip, Old Bay seasoning, and crab chips.

    I kept hearing about the Warehouse Dog and walked around the entire lower level looking for it. I never found it but the Maryland Dog was still a good choice.

    Game Highlights

    Gunnar Henderson led off the Orioles half of the first inning with a home run in right field that nearly made it to Eutaw Street. (It didn’t stop me from telling my Yankees friends that he made it to Eutaw.)

  • Cardinals vs. Marlins

    Cardinals vs. Marlins

    • 3rd visit to Busch Stadium (Last visited in 2010 and 2022)
    • 1st time watching the Miami Marlins

    The two-game Saturday-Sunday stretch of Royals and Cardinals games are starting to become common. While the game against the Cardinals was part of the Eclipse Trip, it was also a familiar place for my kids who joined me when we visited in 2022. They would also get to meet my friend, Jenn, who lives in the St. Louis area and who I haven’t seen in more than 20 years.

    Sundays are also free street parking days so it is very convenient if you are driving. Get there early if you want a good spot.

    Seat Selection

    • Section 703D (703 Club in the second level right field)

    The Cardinals ran a lot of promos during the Christmas season touting their premium area. The 703 Club, in honor of Albert Pujols, is the new all-inclusive area with all you can eat ballpark fare as well as other premium food items like pasta, tacos, and ice cream.

    Highlights of the Game

    The Marlins pretty much ran the game starting with a six-run 1st inning. The game was rain delayed for about 30 minutes in the middle of the 9th inning with the Marlins having a nine run lead. The Cardinals would score two runs in the bottom of the 9th before the game ended.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    The 703 Club offered just about everything. I purposely did not feed the kids that morning because of what I expected would be available in the 703 Club.

  • Royals vs. White Sox

    Royals vs. White Sox

    This was game 1 of a two-day, two-game stretch that I like to call the Eclipse Trip. The solar eclipse would be taking place on April 8 and southern Missouri would be the best place to watch it. As long as we are making an out of town trip, might as well through in some baseball.

    This trip to Kaufmann would be a revisit for my kids, as well.

    This Saturday evening game was Michael Massey bobblehead giveaway. We showed up early to be sure we got a bobblehead but they were still handing them out at the gates close to game time.

    • 2nd visit to Kaufmann Stadium (Last visit in 2022)
    • 3rd different ballpark watching the Chicago White Sox

    Seat Selection

    Section 420 Row KK (Upper level behind home plate)

    Upper level behind home plate is my kids’ favorite place to watch the game. They like being high above and enjoy looking at the overhead view of the field and the backdrop beyond the fences.

    The 400-level seats behind home plate offer a bird-eye view of the field and a scenic view of the waterfalls beyond the outfield wall and the surroundings past the ballpark.

    Ballpark Food of Choice

    Brisket 'Achos

    Beef Brisket ‘Acho Helmet

    The Brisket ‘Acho are tortilla chips mixed with beef brisket and topped with corn, baked beans, cole slaw, and barbeque sauce. It’s unique to Kaufmann Stadium and my guaranteed must try. You can find these in the outfield plaza.

    Belfonte ice cream in a helmet

    Belfonte Ice Cream

    Do not underestimate the ice cream at the Belfonte stand also in the outfield plaza. Whereas most ballparks serve soft-serv, you can get real ice cream at Kaufmann Stadium.

    Game Highlights

    The Royals had the better offensive but the score remained tied for most of the game until the two-run home runs from M.J. Melendez in the bottom of the 7th inning that would lead to a 3-0 shutout over the White Sox.