Bonding with Baseball

Celebrating my late dad with America's pastime

Bonding with Baseball

He loved baseball. Born and raised in The Bronx, he cheered for the Yankees. Eventually, he fell in love with the darling New York Mets with Dwight Gooden and Daryl Strawberry. This is the final game we shared together. To honor my dad and our mutual love of America’s pastime, I will visit all 30 stadiums.

In 2021, hubby accompanied me to four ballparks. The journey started in Philly and concluded in San Diego.

1. Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. A prolonged rain delay didn’t stop our excitement and enthusiasm. It’s a great ballpark nestled in the city. Seats were affordable and we had access to the Hall of Fame Club amenities.

2. Nationals Park was an adventure. We parked in a sketchy residential area. Residents allocated spaces behind their row homes for visitor parking. While I appreciated the hospitality the area was poorly lit. Thankfully, the car was still there after the game. We had dope seats and home fans were chill. I rocked my Mets gear and didn’t have to worry about irritating Nationals fans but the Mets lost a close game.

3. Dodger Stadium welcomed us. We watched the dreaded Houston Astros face the World Series champs. The home crowd was raucous, and energetic. Best of all, we saw Max Scherzer‘s Dodgers’ pitching debut and he was outstanding 👏🏾👏🏾. It’s a great ballpark and I highly suggest taking the trip to Los Angeles. ✈️🏝

4. Perfect weather at Petco! While the Padres, lost the game we had a great time with fans and enjoyed the atmosphere. The stadium is in the heart of the city with easy access to restaurants, shops and entertainment. We had a great time and met up with friends before the game.

Five ballparks down, 25 more to go.

⚾️Chase Field Arizona Diamondbacks (2017) ✅

⚾️Citizens Bank Park Phillies ✅

⚾️Nationals Park Washington Nationals

⚾️Dodger Stadium Los Angeles Dodgers ✅

⚾️Petco Stadium San Diego Padres ✅

With only two months left in in 2021, I am reflective. I miss my daddy and his passion for local New York teams. With each new ballpark, it’s a new adventure and chance to remember good times.

Here are the ballparks I plan to see in 2022.

· American Family Field Milwaukee Brewers

· Truist Park Atlanta Braves

· Wrigley Field Chicago Cubs

· Guarantee Rate Field Chicago White Sox