Seattle: Mariners 4, Rangers 3

Well, I did it. All 30 stadiums in 31 days, and I missed only one game -- the rainout in Cleveland early in my trip. It was certainly an exhausting trip and despite my enthusiasm about the trip I most likely would not have been able to complete it on my own and am therefore very thankful that Steve, Todd, and Rachael all took time out to accompany me on their respective legs on the trip.

The game was a great ending to my trip for me... it featured a powerful, although wild, Felix Hernandez, a comeback win for the Mariners, and ,most memorable for me, what might have been Ken Griffey Junior's final game of his career. The crowd was unbelievably emotional for each at-bat, and the place went nuts when he singled in his final time to the plate in the 8th inning. Griffey was replaced with a pinch-runner and was given a 2-minute ovation as he walked to the dugout and came back out to salute the crowd. I've never been to a game with that type of underlying meaning and it was awesome and emotional for me to see a great send-off to a player that I've respected all of his career, even through that 2-month period I cursed his name after he scored the winning run to knock out the Yankees in the '95 playoffs.

The ballpark in Seattle is definitely has all of the elements of a top ballpark for me and will most likely end up in my top-10 list when all is said and done. I will be compiling rankings of the different ballparks for different criteria, and if you have any suggestions please forward them on to me.

San Diego: Padres 2, Giants 0

My second-to-last game on my trip saw a great pitching duel in San Diego last night. One half of the matchup, Matt Cain, was expected while Wade LeBlanc of the Padres put up a much stronger performance that I had expected and I definitely did not expect him to outduel Cain. The game moved very fast, as most National League games do, and before we knew it it was time to move on to our other evening activities.

My friend Dave joined Rachael and I at the game and afterwards for drinks in the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego's bar and restaurant district located adjacent to the ballpark near the waterfront downtown. It was my second chance to enjoy this upscale dining area - I had been in San Diego for a conference several years ago - but as with last time I passed on the upscale and pretentious clubs in the area and settled on Dick's Last Resort for some great bar food and drinks, as well as the unique back-and-forth with the bar and wait staff that I couldn't get enough of.

Rachael and I flew to Seattle this morning and are currently at a bar in the waterfront neighborhood waiting to make our way over to Safeco Field and my last game and stadium for the year.

Los Angeles: Rockies 4, Dodgers 3

Tonights victory over the Dodgers by the Rockies took the Dodgers' lead in the NL West down to 1 game. It'll make for an interesting end of the weekend, and it's a shame I won't be around to see the end of the series. I honestly can say that today's experience converted me from an impartial baseball fan to someone that will root against the Dodgers in any situation I possibly can. They've secured a place in my heart that has been reserved for the Red Sox only for my entire life, and that's a pretty major accomplishment in my eyes.

My entire experience with the game today was a complete mess, and I honestly don't know how folks can ever look forward to going to a game at Dodgers Stadium. There was a 10-mile backup to get to the stadium down highways 110 and 101 and it took over an hour to go the last 5 miles of our trip from San Diego. Parking was unmanagable for us and not one person that we encountered, from fellow fans to staff working at vending, had a nice thing to say to us. I've heard broadcasters state on TV that people file into Dodgers games in the 4th inning and leave in the 7th because its the hip thing to do, but I am here to say that its because the traffic is so horrendous that folks show up late and leave early to avoid a similar logjam after the game.

Our arrival to San Diego had been delayed on Tuesday because of snow in the Colorado and Utah mountains, so I had to switch my schedule around a little bit. We will instead be doing the Padres game tomorrow and flying to Seattle on Sunday to watch the Mariners game rather than driving tomorrow. It will give me a chance to spend an extra day with my buddy Dave and someone else to accompany to my final California game tomorrow evening.

Denver: Rockies 7, Brewers 5

Last night started off very well -- Rachael flew in from DC to join me for the rest of my trip and we had dinner with two of her friends/work associates that she doesn't have a chance to see very often. They were gracious enough to treat us to dinner at a very nice restaurant near the ballpark and I enjoyed meeting them and sharing my story about my trip.

The game was very much a playoff atmosphere - the Rockies are playing to lock down the National League Wild Card and got themselves one game closer last night with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th inning, the third of my trip. The stadium is a top-10 for me... theres nothing outstanding about the stadium itself but it does have a great view of the Rocky Mountains in left field and is located downtown near several nice bars and restaurants.... this is essential to a great ballpark experience, in my opinion, and something that many MLB parks lack.

Rachael and I are now about to enter Nevada on our way to San Diego for the Padres-Dodgers game this evening. I'm hoping that the Dodgers manage to clinch the NL West today or Friday... it would definitely be cool to see an on-field celebration at one of my games.

Houston: Astros 3, Reds 2

I was truly disappointed that the Astros decided to go with a closed roof for the game today. I had been perfect so far on getting stadiums open with retractable roofs and I didnt really feel that the weather warranted having a closed roof. It was 90 degrees and partly cloudy with no inclimate weather in the area. Having the closed roof definitely makes for a different atmosphere at games and coupled with a relatively sedate crowd and a relative lack of game action, the game was not terribly exciting.

Minute Maid Park is one of the more interesting stadiums in baseball, though... There is a sharp hill in center field with brick archways in left field with a train that comes out on tracks after an Astros home run. I was fortunate enough to see this, so I cant necessarily say the day was a complete miss.

One interesting thing I did notice over the past three weeks is even with some tight baseball races coming down the end of the season, there are an awful lot of folks at the baseball games that are obsessed with checking football scores during the game. Half of the tv's in the concourses were tuned to the Texans game today and most of the tv's I saw in the suites were the same. Guess that shows how much football has taken center stage on Sundays in the US these days.

Dallas: Rangers 15, Rays 3

Tonight's game contained one of the biggest offensive performances I've seen on my entire trip. The Rangers scored 11 runs in their half of the fifth inning including a grand slam by Marlon Byrd, which was his second of the evening. There were close plays at the plate on three plays in the inning and Matt Garza was rocked in his loss.

The ballpark is in a great location -- Six Flags and the new Cowboys stadium are all located in the same complex and they all share the same parking facilities. A great weekend would have been a trip to all three, but I will have to reserve that for a future date.

I really liked the architecture of the Rangers' stadium... it is one of the older newly remodeled stadiums and still lacks the great views from the promenades but the center field grassy area and grandstands added some great character to the ballpark. It's more than I had expected and would love to have been at this stadium for a playoff game.

Phoenix: Padres 4, Diamondbacks 0

With all of the star pitchers that I've seen on my trip so far, it seems pretty ironic that the best pitching performance was turned in by someone I had never heard of. San Diego's Kevin Correia pitched a 6-hit shutout on a perfect baseball night. The weather was in the low 90's with the roof open and the air was that wonderful temperature where you dont even notice it. The stadium is one of my favorites... the people are all nice and most of the fans stuck around for the end of the game even though they were losing. I'd like to think that it wasnt exclusively due to the fireworks that were held after the game.

Now that Todd has left to head home, I will be off to Texas tomorrow for the Rangers game and Houston on Sunday. Im looking forward to it -- I dont know anyone thats been to either of the Texas parks and I havent been to Texas since basic training in the Air Force eight years ago. I'm hoping the weather system in the south has moved far enough east to not affect either of my games... its been nice to not have foul weather for my games lately.

San Francisco: Cubs 3, Giants 2

This was my first taste of playoff atmosphere in a long time, and I absolutely loved it. San Francisco is playing for their lives and hoping to catch the Rockies for the National League Wild Card and the crowd was into the game all the way until the end.

It was a great pitching battle until the end, and the Giants could have won the game 2-1 had it not been for a Scott Baker home run in the top of the 9th with two outs that put the Cubs ahead for the win. It was incredibly deflating for the home crowd to see the ball leave the park, and the Giants quickly bowed out in the bottom of the 9th to give the Cubs the victory.

There was a layer of fog that had settled into the area that provided for a surreal environment for the game, and it proved to be a factor in the first inning when a ball was popped up into the fog and a Cubs player lost track of the ball. I wish I had been there for a nice day game, but the fog provided a cool atmosphere for the game.

Tomorrow Todd and I will be driving to Phoenix for Todd's last game on the trip, and the forecast is for a high above 100. Its nothing compared to Iraq but still hot relative to my weather recently.

Oakland: A's 12, Rangers 3

Earlier this afternoon we watched the first game of our Bay Area doubleheader. The A's put on a hitting clinic against the Texas Rangers on a warm afternoon game. Unfortunately for me I wasnt permitted into the upper deck to take my photograph because equipment for the Raiders game was being staged there, so I had to settle for a second deck shot today.

Todd and I are currently at Fisherman's Wharf looking to grab some food as soon as I finish this post. Its very foggy in San Francisco today so unfortunately photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge does not look to be in the cards for me. AT&T Park seems to be spared the fog, so Im looking forward to seeing and photographing what has been described as the nicest stadium in all of Major League baseball.

Anaheim: Yankees 3, Angels 2

Yesterdays game was a great showing for my beloved Yankees. AJ Burnett had the type of performance that the Yankees need from him for the playoffs with 11 strikeouts and showed his ability to pitch out of jams. The Yankees bullpen struggled a bit, but managed to get the ball to Mariano Rivera for the save. It was the Yankees' first series win in Anaheim in 5 years and is important for them if they face the Angels in the playoffs this year.

After the game my friends Joe and Dawn took Todd and I on a drive through Los Angeles to see some of the tourist attractions and then to Santa Monica for some drinks and dinner. We had a great time with them and are extremely grateful for them being good hosts to us and showing us their city. Joe's one of the best baseball fans I know and I thoroughly enjoyed talking shop with him for the day.

Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada

Yesterday Todd and I drove nearly 1200 miles from eastern Kansas to Las Vegas. It was definitely the most driving I've ever done in a day, and its amazing to look back at the different climates and geological features I experienced. We started the day on a chilly, rainy morning in the flat plains of Kansas, spent lunch in the snow in the mountains of Colorado, dinner in the canyons of southern Utah, and spent the night in the oasis that is Las Vegas in the deserts Nevada.

We are just arriving in Los Angeles to meet up with my buddy Joe and his fiance Dawn for the Yankees-Angels game in Anaheim. Im looking forward to a relaxing afternoon off before we start an early day on the way to the Bay area for a doubleheader tomorrow.

Kansas City: Royals 12, Red Sox 9

Last night was my second trip to Kauffman Stadium, but my first to the renovated version of the home of the Royals. I definitely like the upgrades that were added for this season... an outfield concourse and new HD screen highlight the changes to the 40-year-old facility.

The game was a wet and wild affair -- it started raining in the 2nd inning and intensified through the middle innings of the game as the Royals mounted a comeback from a 6-0 deficit to beat the Red Sox. The rain was a welcome experience for me though -- after so long in the desert I enjoyed sitting out in the downpour and feeling the rain run down my face and back. Steve and Todd thought I might have been a bit crazy, and I might pay for it with my health if the cold and wet catch up to me, but it was worth it.

Last night Steve left to go back home and Todd came in to accompany me through Phoenix on Friday. We're currently at the west end of Kansas about to enter Colorado and are looking to make it to Las Vegas for the evening. We will be meeting up with my buddy Joe and his fiance Dawn in the morning for the Angels-Yankees game in LA and will be looking to enjoy some west coast weather for a bit.

Minnesota: Tigers 6, Twins 2

Yesterdays game in Minneapolis was a crucial game for the Twins that they really needed to win... but didn't. Nate Robertson pitched a good game for the Tigers and the Twins weren't able to mount a comeback off the Tigers bullpen. Steve is a Tigers fan and was happy with the outcome and even got his Tigers cap signed by Carlos Guillen before the game started.

We spent the day with my friend Kristen who was a gracious host and went out of her way to make sure that we had a good time. We had some great sushi for dinner in the uptown area and watched the Giants beat out the Cowboys at her place last night over some drinks -- a great end to the day for me. Steve and I both had a great time and couldn't have asked for anything more from her.

Today we are driving to Kansas City to meet Todd for the Royals-Red Sox game. Kansas City is also having a "halfway to St Patricks Day" party that we're looking to crash, provided the weather doesnt get in the way of things.

Milwaukee: Brewers 7, Astros 2

Ah, Milwaukee -- the land of cheese, tailgating, bratwurst, and Miller. Oh, and one of the most unique stadiums in baseball. I love the retractable roof of Miller Park and the industrial feel to the inside of the stadium and these features and the near-sellout game makes this a top-5 stadium for me. You cant really go wrong in a city where sausages and beer define the cuisine of sports and people love their tailgating.

The game was fast-moving and mostly uneventful until a breakthrough inning for the Brewers in the bottom of the 7th. By this time Steve and I had decided to beat traffic and make our way to Madison to check out the bar scene of this college town. It definitely didnt match up with our time in St Louis and we caught a few of the college football games on tv with a few beers before moving on to a hotel west of Madison for the evening.

Tomorrow will be a great divisional matchup in Minneapolis with the Twins and Tigers in the 4th-to-last game ever at the Metrodome.

St. Louis: Cardinals 3, Cubs 2

For my second trip to St Louis I had the fortunate opportunity to see the Cubs visit for a great game. The game last night was probably one of the best games I've had the opportunity to see in person, both for the game itself and the back-and-forth between Cardinals and Cubs fans. The game was a great defensive matchup that was started by Smoltz and Lily and ended in a walkoff homerun by Matt Holliday in the bottom of the 9th inning. I was lucky to have my buddy Steve fly in for the game to share the experience and will be with me until Kansas City on Monday.

There were some great fans on both sides of the matchup that were near us that showed us an absolutely great time. We met up with some of them at a local bar outside the stadium and was treated to an evening of drinks and dancing. The DJ was tipped off that I had just returned from Iraq and I ended up on the stage being toasted and singing Sweet Child O Mine for everyone in the bar. It was a great experience for me and definitely the best evening I've had since I returned back to the country.

Today Steve and I will be traveling to Milwaukee for an evening game and will be heading to Madison after the game to check out the town and some of the bars.

Cincinnati: Reds 3, Marlins 2

Finally some success for the home team... the Reds won a good pitching matchup last night against the Flordia Marlins in front of less than 10,000 fans on the riverfront in Cincinnati. Its a shame to see that fans of smaller markets bail on their teams once they're out of playoff contention... I'm assuming this won't change much in markets like Seattle and Phoenix later in my trip.

I do have to say that in the two games I've been to in Cincinnati I've had a lot of fun -- college towns tend to have young crowds with more of a festive atmosphere and last night was no different despite the poor attendance. I was fortunate enough to have the company of my friend Nate during the game and his girlfriend Julie and his friends afterwards for some drinks and TV after the game.

I went ahead and purchased tickets for our game this coming Sunday for the Twins and Tigers -- now that the AL Central is suddenly a race again and the Metrodome is closing, I figured it would be best to ensure that we have seats before we arrive at the stadium. This weekend is now shaping up to be a good few days of baseball and something I'm definitely looking forward to.

Chicago: Brewers 9, Cubs 5

Chalk up another loss for the home team. Last nights game at Wrigley Field saw the Cubs lose to the Brewers in a game that should have been a decent pitchers duel but descended into a game of sloppy defense mixed with missed opportunities for the Cubs. I think the Brewers middle infielders single-handedly beat the Cubs in this game with two stellar double play turns in key situations. The Brewers have had great defense up the middle for a few years now and with their offense they're just a few pieces away from having a playoff team again next year.

Detroit: Royals 11, Tigers 1

It seems that the home teams have not been able to catch much of a break on my trip. To this point the home team is winning just over 25% of the games, including tonights spanking of the Tigers by the Royals.

Tonight I ended up getting seats a dozen rows from the third base dugout, perfect for getting photos with my telephoto lens of the action. The stadium was quite nice-- definitely a top 5 candidate for me. I was disappointed that a playoff contender did not come close to selling out their stadium so close to the end of the season, but I'm assuming that the economic difficulties of the area contributed to the issue.

Tomorrow I will be visiting Chicago Cubs for the third time and will have an opportunity to see my friend Jamie for the game. Im definitely looking forward to attempting to get a good pizza in this time around -- I hadnt been able to my last time in Chicago.

Baltimore: Rays 8, Orioles 4

Third times the charm for the Rays at games I've been to. Last night the Rays pulled out a win against the Orioles in one of the most poorly attended games I've been to on this trip. I think it's a real shame - The O's have come a long way since the sellouts they commanded in recent years. They seem to be on track to turn things around in te next few season though - with Markakis, Roberts, and Wieters they have a great core of young talent to build their trleam around. They just need to drastically redo their pitching staff - and soon.

Today i'm in Detroit with Todd and Kristin for the Tigers game. We're conducting our own pub crawl of sorts and we're currently in bar #5 on our way to the stadium. The area the stadium is in seems to be nice enough, with a heavy emphasis in Greek restaurants and sports bars. I'm hoping for some decent views for photography tonight and definitely looking forward to Chicago tomorrow.

Philadelphia: Phillies 5, Mets 4

The game in Philly was my first decent weather in days, and a great game made it one of the nicest baseball days I'd had all trip. The weather was 80 degrees, and although Rachael and I had driven all morning to make it to the game, we still managed to arrive 15 minutes late because of traffic in NYC due to, ironically enough, the Yankee game. We met with my old supervisor from Iraq, Phil, and his daughter for the game and I definitely enjoyed the company. It was nice being able to catch up outside of work and that environment, and it was good to see that things are going well for everyone.

The game itself was great -- two pitchers in Kendrick and Maine coming off rehab and both turned in good performances. Both bullpens gave up some runs, and Brad Lidge managed to work in a save despite giving up two runs with a three-run lead. The Phillies fans were definitely gratious for the win and seemed, for the time being, to want to support him while he struggles to regain his edge.

Boston: Red Sox 9, Rays 1

Fenway Park was everything I had imagined it would be. From the moment I set eyes on Yawkey Way and smelled that wonderful food being grilled outside I was sold on the place. I loved every square inch of the stadiums old time structure and feel and was reminded very much of Wrigley. Despite the poor view of the field from the grandstands I couldn't have sat anywhere else - it was perfect.

The game itself was quite miserable - the game start was delayed by 2 hours because of rain and was called after the 5th inning. The Sox scored 8 in a big inning and Josh Beckett turned in a strong performance. Despite my personal allegiance to the Yankees it was great to see good baseball and to have someone there to share it with.

New York: Witnessing History

Last night was an absolutely amazing baseball experience for me and was, without a doubt, my best baseball experience in my life. That's saying alot, considering the fact the Yankees were stomped by the Orioles on a cold and rainy night.

By the time I actually made it to Yankee Stadium after picking up Melissa, Don, and Helena I had been on the road for 4 hours and we were an hour late for the game. Most fortunately for us the start of the game was delayed by am equal amount of time and we got to our seats in time for the 9/11 ceremony at the beginning of the game.

Derek Jeter passed Lou Gehrig as the Yankee all time hits leader in the third inning in a moment I can only describe as awesome and amazing to experience after all the time I had spent in Iraq waiting for an opportunity to see my home stadium again with my own eyes. I was thrilled to have shared the moment with good friends and most likely will not forget that night for as long as I live.

Today I'm off to Boston with rachael for my first game at Fenway park, which i've been looking forward to for many many years.

New York: Marlins 13, Mets 4

Last night's game was most definitely a demonstration of all of the things that have gone wrong with the Mets season this year. Poor pitching, numerous errors, and bad baserunning all led to the Marlins upending of the Mets at their new stadium, Citi Field.

The new stadium is quite beautiful in a lot of ways - the stadium has open concourses with the ability to see the game from almost anywhere and lots of great modern amenities which are contrasted nicely with old-time feel of the stadium. The exterior of the stadium is made to resemble Ebbets Field, which is where the Brooklyn Dodgers played until 1958 when they moved to LA. There is also a great rotunda in the entranceway which pays tribute to the great Jackie Robinson, another homage to the Mets' predecessor team.

My mother attended the game with me and my sisters friend Suzanne , and it was nice to have the chance to take her to the new home of what was her father's favorite team. It seems that our driving through Flushing also evoked old memories for her attending the World's Fair there when she was a child and her previous trip to see the Mets when she was younger.

Toronto: Twins 4, Blue Jays 1

Toronto's stadium is a lot nicer than I had ever thought it would have been. It's full of flat-screen plasma TVs, upscale-type bars, and pleasant employees. The only real knock I have against its not very easy to get from one level to another. The ramps and elevators are tucked away off the concourses and the ushers will not allow fans to move down to lower levels.

The Rogers Centre is in the shadow of Toronto's CN Tower and makes for an amazing view during games when the domed roof is open. I couldn't not stare at it, especially when nightfall game and I was able to look at the changing colors on the tower.

Last night was also big for me as a Yankee fan -- Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig as the all-time Yankees hits leader. The good news is that the Yankees next scheduled game is Friday, which happens to be the night that I will be in attendance at the stadium. Definitely looking forward to seeing history.

Chicago: A's 11, White Sox 3

Last night was a great game for me to get photos -- I moved to a few rows behind the dugout and, despite the lower lighting of a night game, was able to get some pretty nice photos. I've only managed to process and upload a few -- I'm on my way to Toronto and I believe I might be running a little late -- but I had to get one up and share it with everyone.

Off to Canada for the first time for me.

Cleveland: Rained out

Last nights game in Cleveland was rained out. It took them several hours of hot dog eating and beer drinking before the decision was made, but in the end there was no baseball to be played. Quite unfortunate for me, and I need to see about how I might be able to juggle my schedule to squeeze in Cleveland later in the trip.

My trip so far has been a lot of fun, though, and I'm hoping that yesterday was just a minor bump in the road rather than a trend-setter.

I'm currently outside Sandusky, Ohio on my way to Chicago for the A's - White Sox tonight. I'm looking forward to have the opportunity to spend a few hours in Chicago and perhaps have some deep dish before the game.

Pittsburgh:Cubs 4 Pirates 2

I just got to Cleveland after spending the early afternoon watching the Cubs play the Pirates. It's been a pretty miserable day so far ... It rained during the whole game at Pittsburg and is now pouring here in Cleveland. I'm dreading a rainout, which would effectively mean I will not get to all the parks this year since I have no built-in days for cancelled games. I knew the risk but that doesn't make me feel better about it. Wait and see, I suppose.

Walking-off in Washington

Today was another great game to have witnessed. This time, the home field Nationals gave up two late runs to the Marlins and seemingly gave away the game on a costly baserunning error. Instead, in the bottom of the 9th inning, Ryan Zimmerman belted a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 9th to give the Nats a win.

I took Rachael to the game with me, and after the game we were able to meet up with Rico and Julie in Herndon so I could see Rico's band, Knee Deep, perform. The show was amazing, despite a rough crowd, and Rico proved again how great of a singer he is.

After the band we went to Nik and Sandras place for some Barbeque,Shrimp cocktail, and beer. It was great to be around them again, and Im hoping to catch up with everyone soon.]

Atlanta: Reds 3, Braves 1

Turner Field in Atlanta was definitely the best of the three stadiums I've been to so far, although it was expected. The stadium is modern with some retro aspects to it, much like other stadiums that have been built in this decade, but lacks some of the exceptional qualities that some of the other new stadiums have such as the ability to see the game from all of the promenades that Philladelphia sports for Citizens Bank Park.

The Braves fans were very enthusiastic about the game, and in my opinion are some of the best that I've seen in baseball. With a few good acquisitions this year, it seems that Atlanta is poised to make a strong push in the NL East in the next year or two and it excited me to think about what that stadium would be like come playoff time.

The game itself was enjoyable - another pitching duel that was decided by a big inning late. My friend Jessica that I worked with in Iraq came into town with her husband Steve and met up with me for the game. It was nice to enjoy the game with some folks I knew, and I also had the opportunity to share some tips about photography with the two of them.

Tomorrow I will be arriving in DC for an afternoon game at Nationals Park against the Marlins. I'm looking forward to that -- the Marlins have won 4 straight and are in the hunt for a playoff spot. Theres nothing like good September baseball to brighten a man's day.

Tampa: Tigers 4, Rays 3

What a great day. Yesterday was the polar opposite of the day that I had had in Miami, and I'm now as motivated as ever about my trip and the time I might have while I'm here. And on top of that, Tropicana Field far and above exceeded my preconceptions about the place.

The ride to Tampa was great for me, aside from the small inconvenience of getting a sunburned scalp from having my convertible top down. A throwaway hat at a rest stop took care of that and the rest of the drive was exactly what I was hoping for - me, my thoughts, and the open road.

The first thing I did when I arrived at the stadium was to check out the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame, which was exceptional and a must-see for any baseball fan that makes it to the Tampa area. There is a large collection of Ted Williams photos and memorabilia, as well as memorabilia for the great hitters of all-time. There are several places in the museum where you could watch documentaries or listen to audio of Williams talking about the game, and it was amazing to be there.

While I was in the museum I ran into a group of Rays fans that were discussing some of the older teams in baseball like the Senators and Browns, and I managed to contribute to the conversation with my own knowledge of the game. Apparently I made some kind of impression because they asked me to spend the rest of the evening with them. One of the women is a researcher for one of the major newspaper publications in Tampa, and she insisted on introducing me to Todd Kalas, father of longtime Phillies broadcaster and the host of the Rays pre- and post-game shows. He was a very nice guy and took interest in my trip and experience, but my time with him was cut short because he also seems to be a pretty popular guy. I was also introduced to Rich Herrara, who does the radio pre- and post-game shows for the Rays. He also was a really nice guy and we spent a few minutes discussing my trip as well.

After all that pregame excitement, the game itself didn't fail to provide an enjoyable end to the evening. It was an amazing pitchers duel until the 9th inning when the Tigers posted just enough runs to stay out of reach of a Rays comeback attempt in the bottom of the inning. I spent the last 3 innings of the game in the lower deck walkway getting some decent photos with my 200mm lens with 2x extender.

I've got my photo of Tropicana Field above, but you can see some of my other photos from the game here. Now off to Atlanta!

Miami: Marlins 8, Braves 3

Well, my trip definitely got off to an interesting start. My flight was delayed by almost 3 hours because of mechanical issues and we had to fly through several thunderstorms to finally land in Miami. I did still manage to make it to the stadium in time for the game but still had other issues to contend with.

It seems that the Marlins can't seem to get their policy straight on camera lenses. The security guard told me I would be unable to bring in my telephoto lens, which is something I expected from time to time... some stadiums dont want you snagging professional quality photos of players... they have a paid staff to do that. What I didnt understand was when the security guard also told me I wouldnt be able to bring in any of my other lenses because they dont allow more than one (attached) lens on an SLR. I had to do some haggling with the security and PR staff before they agreed that they would allow me to bring in all my lenses except my telephoto lens. Unfortunately I lost a lot of good lighting and the first few innings of the game going through this.

I did manage to convince the Marlins staff to allow me into the upper deck to take my fisheye photo, even though it was closed for the game. It took a lot of smiling and batting my eyelashes to get it done, but it was totally worth it. Being able to show them my previous photos on my iPhone definitely helped... technology definitely saved my ass on that one.

The game itself was a good one. A good pitching matchup early on, followed by an offensive outburst by the Marlins off of Braves relief. The attendance looked way less than the announced 13,000 ... Im very surprised that the team and city of Miami are going forward with plans for a new stadium in 2012.

On my way

Here I am, sitting in Reagan national airport and waiting to leave on the trip of a lifetime. I just got back from Iraq this past weekend after a year as a contractor. I figured now was as good a time as any to reward myself for my hard work and also to enjoy the game of baseball that I've missed so much while i was away.

I arrive in Miami tonight for the first of my games and will see games in all 30 ballparks during the next month, culminating with the season-closing game in Seattle on October 4th. I will have the company of many great friends along the way, but this trip is really designed for me to reconnect with myself and readjust to living life again.

My hope is to come away from this trip with a new sense of self, a new love for the game, some great memories, and photos to share for a lifetime.