After a good night sleep in my own bed, I had a chance to digest the past 5 days I spent in the Midwest. I have come up with a few things that are worth noting in this blog for all of you.
I can reasonably say that Wrigley Field is the best baseball stadium in the World. That includes Major and Minor Leagues. I know that it is a rather dubious distinction, but the ambiance, charm, and atmosphere at Wrigley is second to none. I am so glad that the Cubs organization has realized the gem that they have in Wrigley. Everything about that stadium, besides the weather, was top notch in my book. The closeness of the seats to the field, the concessions, the old feeling of the ballpark, it just all makes sense. OK...I'll go out on a limb...Wrigley Field is better than Civic Stadium. Yes, it is. Even in my unbiased opinion.
Pittsburgh is a wonderful city that has an even more wonderful ballpark. Coupled with Wrigley Field, I can say that I visited the two best ballparks in all of the Major Leagues. PNC Park is a diamond in the rough that every baseball fan should experience. The Pirates got it right when designing a new ballpark. I can only hope that other teams that are building new parks (*cough* Oregon *cough*) look to the Pirates and use PNC Park as a template.
I'm going to be hard on Busch Stadium. It just does not match up with Wrigley or PNC. It was just too big for my taste. Either way, the view of the St. Louis skyline is magnificent and, unlike the Cubs and Pirates, the Cardinals are consistently putting out a winning team.
As for the cities, my favorite had to be Pittsburgh. It seems that Pittsburgh is set off all by itself for it's own identity. There aren't a lot of outside influences on Pittsburgh. They have cleaned up a lot of the city from the old steel mill days, and have created a pristine urban habitat in an isolated section of the country.
Chicago, in my opinion, is too much like New York City. They just seem to be alike. I don't know why.
St. Louis is very, very, hot. The Arch is gorgeous and the city is laid out in such a way that it is easy to get around to the major points of interest.
That being said, I don't think I could ever live in one of these cities. Even with their positives, they still can't match up to the environment we have here on the West Coast. After all the experiences I had the past five days, it made me realize just how lucky I am to live here in Oregon and all of the things I take for granted here.
Some of you may be asking what's next for me. Well, I don't know. I start Grad School on August 13, so my Vancouver trip will not be happening. Baseball Roadtrips are expensive, require lots of planning, and are very draining. But they sure are fun! Here's what I know for sure: I will be going to the Triple-A All Star Game in Portland on July 15. After that, it is up in the air. I'll be sure to let all of you know when I think of something.
The Eugene Emeralds begin their season tomorrow night. I will be working and attending that game, and I will update my blog afterwards for all of you.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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