Week Six: Two Stadium Visits in One Day!

Ever since I gave Andrew the task of planning our weekly trips, he's been excited about this one! Through thorough research (the only kind he does!), he found a single-day, two-stadium doubleheader.

We started the day with the drive to Coca-Cola Park to see the 11 a.m. opening pitch between the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs and the Durham Bulls. Durham has long been the idolized minor league baseball program, but let me tell you - Lehigh Valley is doing it right! The early start time on a Thursday allowed the sales staff to reach out to local day camps. They had about 40 groups with thousands of day campers in the stadium. In fact, the game was a 10,000-seat sell out. And it was not all campers. There were families and adult groups and lots of fun. From a marketing standpoint, this visit was a home run for the variety of quality concessions items, to the obvious community support from the large number of signs, to the activation of sponsorships through every aspect of the game (sponsorship of the national anthem, for example) to the endorsed use of the "pig" mascot. Andrew had identified this park as the best in minor league baseball. Although we did not like the location as well as many of the downtown parks, the atmosphere and stadium were both top notch. It was a great visit. It was easy to see why since the team debuted in 2008, they have won ball park of the year (Baseball Digest), organization of the year (baseball digest), business of the year (Lehigh Valley Chamber) and LV Tourism Award (LV Convention Bureau).

Since we had a doubleheader on our schedule, the baseball gods sent us an extra inning game for the opener! In this "Year of the Pitcher," it was a quick moving game, with only eight base hits between the two teams entering the bottom of the ninth with hometown hero John Mayberry hit a solo home run to tie the game at 1. The only Durham run came in the sixth with Angel Chavez slapped the first hit of the game off of starter Brian Mazone, then moved to third on back-to-back well placed bunt singles. He scored on a fielder's choice, then Mazone got out of the jam. The Ironpig fans left disappointed, however, as Durham rallied for the game winner in the 11th inning when J.J. Furmaniak (the Ehrlich Pest Control player of the game) hit a double to score Desmond Jennings.

After the game, we raced over to Lehigh University for Andrew's fifth college visit. We both enjoyed walking (and climbing the stairs) on the very traditional campus with great buildings. We had a fun tour guide and learned a great deal about the campus.

After a quick pizza stop in downtown Bethelehem, we headed to Scranton to go from one of the newest minor league programs to one of the oldest. The organization in Scranton has been around since the stadium (now PNC Field) opened in 1989, but Scranton and Wilkes Barre are credited with having some of the first organized amateur clubs in the 1860's. Since 2007, the SWB team has been affiliated with the Yankees after 17 years as the top Phillies affiliate when the team was known as the Red Barons.

We started our visit with a nice dinner in Bo Brothers, a restaurant in the park with a view of the field down the right field line. However, the park shows its age with a smaller concourse and an outdated video board. Other than the restaurant, the concessions offerings were basic (although we did enjoy the traditional ice cream in the batter's helmet!). (If you look closely at the pictures, you will see evidence that Andrew had ice cream products at both stadiums!) At SWB, the connection with the community and the stadium atmosphere paled in comparison to Lehigh Valley. The announced attendance was 3,778 in the 10,900 seat venue (which seemed much bigger!). The next morning, the local newspaper ran a front page story about the community's effort to update the stadium to keep the team in town. After our visit, it sounded like an appropriate discussion. Despite the comparisons to Lehigh Valley, we did enjoy our trip to Scranton and our unexpected exploration of two parks in one day!

The Yankees were hosting the Norfolk Tides and the Orioles' top minor league team played much like the varsity - pitching was ineffective, allowing seven runs on 12 hits, while the offense did not score a run until the ninth. It was a 7-1 Yankee win.

We stuck around after the game and had the chance to catch up with former Ohio State outfielder Matt Angle, who is playing for the Tide. During his season in Aberdeen, he stayed with one of Andrew's best friends. Angle, who hit the ball well, but went 1-5, including the last out of the game, was kind enough to spend a few minutes chatting before jumping on the bus. He's hitting .273 and leads the team with 18 stolen bases.

Just to complete the trip, we stayed in Scranton and took auto tours of the University of Scranton and Muhlenberg College, as well as a traditional visit to Lafayette College. We enjoyed the visit to Lafayette more than that we thought we would. It was Andrew's sixth college visit and I think he's starting to get a good idea of what he will look for in a college. Now, if we can just find the right high school for him!

That wraps up a long, two-day, two-stadium, four-college trip for us. Check back next week for Week 7!

Mike

Week Five: Camden Yards

With an impending family trip to Bradford, PA for a weekend camping outing, we opted to make this week's exploration a short one. We decided to explore Baltimore and wrap up the day with an Orioles game. Our plans had a curve ball when Andrew's trip to the Goddard Space Flight Center, originally scheduled for Thursday morning, was pushed into the afternoon. Then, we took another hit when the bus that was scheduled to return the group from Goddard to Baltimore would not start and the return was delayed by more than 90 minutes.

Anyway - the theme of these trips is "unexpected." We just had to adjust our plans and deal with it.

Just as we had unexpected trip challenges, we also had unexpected treats! One of the first was our ticket location. A good friend, Rich Frank, left us seats in one of the suites at Camden Yards. With the 95 plus temperatures, the air conditioning was much appreciated! Since I arrived downtown much before Andrew, I decided to go into the stadium and watch the Twins hit batting practice. Camden Yards remains one of the best ballparks in the country and it's sad to see empty seats. Those that were there, we having a great time!

After a walking tour of the stadium, I purchased a chicken sandwich and retreated to the suite where I found a second unexpected treat. The suite was located next to the one for the Baltimore Sun and I had a chance to visit with Pat Sweeney and her husband, Gene. We struck up a wonderful conversation and she invited me to share the fare in the Sun's suite.

In the first inning, I watched O's pitcher Kevin Millwood get the first two batters out before issuing two walks sandwiched around a double, loading the bases. He then gave up another double - this one clearing the bases for a 3-0 Twins lead. Shortly after the inning ended, I got word from Andrew that he was back in Baltimore and I met him with his ticket.

He and I both enjoyed the food and friendship from the Pat. Andrew could not believe his good fortune when he found that the suite was serving crab cakes!

We watched Twins hitter Michael Cuddyear add a solo home run in the fourth and the Twins scored an insurance tally in the seventh. The story was pitcher Carl Pavano who pitched a complete-game five-hit shutout for the 5-0 win, improving his record to 12-6.

The last unexpected treat came in the seventh inning. Andrew found a friend from the National Aquarium, Gordon. He has been working Orioles games for 48 years. Amazing. As we were visiting with him near home plate, the Orioles first baseman, Ty Wigginton disagreed with a tag play at first and was tossed out after a strong argument (He later received a three-game suspension for bumping the umpire). Before the inning ended, pitching coach Rich Kranitz and manager Juan Samuel were also tossed out. Samuel made the most of his opportunity, including Frisbee tossing his hat toward the pitcher's mound as he left the field.

Our last chance for a unexpected treat came up a little short as a foul ball ricocheted off one of the stadium walls and rolled toward our seating area. I missed the catch behind my seat and the ball ended up under our seats. Unfortunately, the guy seated to my right was too quick and our chance for a MLB foul ball was gone!

All in all - a fun night at the yard - despite Andrew's late arrival, the lack of Oriole offense and the missed foul ball. The reason? The people - Rich Frank (thanks for the tickets!), Pat Sweeney (thanks for the fellowship) and Gordon (thanks for letting us watch the last three innings from great seats!). Next week, we have a much longer trip planned!

Mike

Gettysburg!

The idea of a trip to Gettysburg was sparked by our proximity and our appreciation for history. We once drove through the city for a quick respite, but never toured the battlefields. The Gettysburg trip 2010 was spur of the moment and had us drive to Gettysburg early Thursday morning. We arrived at the Gettysburg National Visitors Center and watched a video and saw the Cyclorama, a 360 degree painting done in the early years after the battle. The Cyclorama was a unique and fascinating aspect of our trip. We then went through the museum in the Visitor's Center and found that it was much larger than it first appeared. It reminded me of the Smithsonian exhibits! It was very large and had lots of interesting artifacts and interactive stations that made the museum an enjoyable experience. Did you know that the Gettysburg National Visitor's Center cost about $103 million to build?

Dad and I hopped on the 12:30 bus tour that was 2 hours in length. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and had a passion for history. Looking around the bookstore occupied the next 20 minutes and then we drove to check in to our cabin at the Gettysburg KOA. The cabin consisted of one full size bed, a bunk bed, desk, and mini refridgerator.

Dad and I hung out at the pool, played shuffleboard and mini golf, and made dinner. That night we made a marvelous fire and had smores.

We woke up early to run in downtown Gettysburg. My 3.8 mile run was through the main streets of Gettysburg and parts of Gettysburg College. It is a nice little town. We drove back to the campground to shower and change. Breakfast was at the Lincoln Diner in Gettysburg. After a filling breakfast, we departed for the Eisenhower Naitonal Historic Site. The 92 acre farm home to the retiring house of Dwight D. Eisenhower, had a full barn and a simple, but comfortable house overlooking the Pennsylvania mountains.

A tour of Gettysburg College filled up the next 2 hours. The tour showed off the beautiful campus that had many environmentally friendly features, while having history in almost every building. The college has a great Environmental Studies program with outdoor activities. I really liked the campus and will surely keep it on my list of possible colleges.

All in all, I discovered things about Gettysburg and Dwight D. Eisenhower that I never knew, all with an appreciation of the men who fight and fought for our country. I hope to come back someday for a 5 day trip and discover everything there is to know about the battle and the city of Gettysburg.

Andrew

Week Four: We Head To The Gettysburg Battlefields!

Do you have things you always plan to do every summer, but never get around to it? Making the 90-minute drive to Gettysburg, staying overnight at a neat campground we found a few years ago when we were searching for a family campsite and visiting the Eisenhower House was one of those trips.

Unexpected Explorations gave me the chance -- and -- lucky for me, my soon-to-be 15-year-old son, Andrew, agreed to the two-day trip that would be heavy on history!

The new Visitor Center at Gettysburg is fantastic and the the video presentation provides enough education on the battle for an informative visit. The museum is outstanding and the bookstore has a wide selection of Civil War titles.

I had done the car audio tour with Paula years ago, but Andrew and I settled on an air-conditioned bus tour. It was an excellent choice! The guide was great, sharing great anecdotes throughout the two-hour tour. He even confirmed that the Dobbins House would be a great place for lunch and shared his standing order - Rubin sandwich and french onion soup.

As you visit the battlefields, the thoughts I have range from (1) trying to picture more than 50,000 men involved in this conflict, (2) the fierce battle and painful death by both sides fighting for belief, (3) the impact on the town as churches and public buildings were turned into hospitals and (4) what a great job the community has done in keeping the battlefield intact so that visitors can get a great sense of what happened on the field. It was a harsh reminder not to take this freedom and lifestyle that we have for granted.

Around 3 p.m., we adjourned to the KOA campground near Gettysburg and settled into our cabin - or as they say "kabin". It was a relaxing few hours, filled with swimming, mini golf, shuffle board, chess, reading and working together to make a nice barbecue chicken dinner. Not bad! We enjoyed sitting around the fire after dark and called it a night around 10 -- for we had early plans for Friday!

Around 6:30 a.m., we parked at Gettysburg College and went for a 30-minute run through the community. After a shower and breakfast at a local diner, we took the shuttle bus to the Eisenhower Home. For as long as I can remember, I've had an interest in visiting Presidential homes. It helps when you grow up in Ohio -- where there are several. With this visit, I've been to homes of 24 of the first 34 presidents, and McKinley does not have a home to view.

The house was a great study in life in the 1950's. It has many of the original furnishings. In addition, there is a golf green (put in by the PGA) and a skeet shooting area on the farm. Eisenhower also raised prized Black Angus cattle and Andrew and I stopped by to see the show barn and saw the display of ribbons. As a guy that paid for my high school tuition by raising beef cattle to show and sell at the country fair, I enjoyed seeing the layout at the barn. It made Eisenhower (who was the President when I was born) more real. I think that why he brought so many dignitaries to the farm when he was President - to build a relationship on another level.

We finished our two-day visit with a tour at Gettysburg College. In fact, the admissions office is located in the Eisenhower Building, a former house on College Avenue where Eisenhower once wrote his memoirs. Andrew was matched perfectly with a tour guide with an Environmental Studies major and he enjoyed the visit. In addition to the strong academic programs, the food service program and the fitness center were highly regarded.

It was our first overnight Unexpected Exploration and it lived up to the increased time and expense. I'm glad we finally took the time for the tour of the battlefield and even more glad to have a couple of extra days with Andrew! Believe it or not, one of the next things we want to do this summer is watch the four-hour history drama movie, Gettysburg!

Since we are headed to the family camping event next week, we'll keep the Unexpected Exploration a bit more local! See you next week!

Mike

2 Days, 1 College, 2 Parks

So... Our next venture was to Ripken Stadium for the Aberdeen Ironbirds game last Monday. I had been there about 6 times before last Monday. My good friend Ryan hosted Ironbirds players for 4 years and has been to over 120 Ironbirds games. He has taken me to a couple of games. He tagged along on this trip.

It was unexpected because on Friday of the previous week, we received a call from a family friend who had an Ironbirds package he got through work. The package was complete with AMAZING seats and being able to throw out the first pitch. He was going on vacation so he could not go to the game. I was awestruck because I have never thrown out the first pitch. Even though I played baseball for two seasons as a kid, I still preferred to watch more than playing.

4th of July weekend was filled with good food, family fun, and throwing the baseball to prepare for the game. I was pretty nervous. On the day of the game Dad and I went to the local high school to throw the ball on the diamond. I was confident in my abilities to not embarrass myself.

We picked up Ryan on the way, who lives just around the corner and headed off to the game. We had to get there extra early because I was throwing out the first pitch. I was SO excited! We got on the field met the players and got ready. In fact, there were two other people throwing out the first pitch! I was to be second. Before I knew it, the moment came when I had to throw the pitch. It was a pretty good pitch, a little left but at least I didn't embarrass myself.

The rest of the game was great. We got a tour of the upper level and I have to say it is one of the nicest facilities in the Minor League. For Short-season Class A, they have sold out the amazing Ripken Stadium for an astounding 8 straight years! Fun, fun, fun!

We got home late, but we knew what the next day was....Harrisburg Senators game. I had originally planed that we would drive up to tour Juniata College in Huntingdon and then drive to Harrisburg for the game. Earlier in the day Dad told me it would be too much driving. I was disappointed because I wanted to see Juniata.

I woke up ready to go to the local YMCA with my Dad, and my parents told me that we ARE going to Juniata and my Mom is tagging along. I said, "All right, sounds good to me!" After an intense 45 minutes of Cardio Blast we raced home to pack and found everything already packed. My Mom is always ahead of the game! We left early and arrived at Juniata around 2, just in time for the 2 o'clock tour. I was the only one. The small, quaint Juniata College is situated overlooking the beautiful Central Pennsylvania mountains and the small, friendly town of Huntingdon. The college has roughly 1,600 students and has a newly built science center. The tour was great, and Juniata is still on my list of possible colleges. I thought McDaniel was nicer but because I want to go to college in a new environment, because of that Juniata beats out McDaniel.

We then drove the short 2 hours to Harrisburg. Harrisburg is a run-down city with old buildings. It needs some help. I am afraid that without all the Pennsylvania government jobs there, Harrisburg would be a whole lot of nothing! The city is situated on the Susquehanna River and has an AMAZING ballpark. The ballpark is on an island and just renovated. It is undoubtedly one of the best in Class AA baseball. The 6,000 seat stadium was filled with about 1,000 people on the Tuesday night game. The environment was sad. It was a beautiful stadium and I long to see it packed to the brim. There are a lot of party areas and people can sit on the counter that lines the outfield and watch the game. It was fun. Their best promotion was the Rally Roni which was for the Harrisburg Food Bank and whenever the cow mooooooo... SHAKE YOUR RALLY RONI!!! My Mom thought it was a great idea which I agree with. We had a good time. It was another late night arriving home just after 11pm. Can't wait 'till the next one......Gettysburg.

Andrew

GUEST BLOG: TAGGING ALONG TO THE CAPITAL

After hearing about how much fun the "boys" were having on their day trips, I decided to tag along on the trip to Harrisburg, PA. I'm not a huge baseball fan, but it was an opportunity to spend some quality time with them and visit a college that I'm often standing next to a college fairs (John Carroll and Juniata). By the way, it is pronounced "June-e-oughta." The mountains provided a beautiful backdrop for the college. We had a great tour guide, and overall, I was impressed with the school. The baseball stadium in Harrisburg was outstanding! It's located right on the river, it was clean, and as I'm finding at most minor league ballparks, the entertainment factor was great. The promotions were fun, and they had two very enthusiastic mascots. My favorite promotion of the evening was purchasing two boxes of Rallly Roni (macaroni & cheese disguised in a red box with the Senators logo on it) for $1. The dollar went to the local food bank. At designated times during the game, we were instructed to shake our Rally Roni boxes! As we exited the stadium, we deposited our boxes into a bin which then was taken to the food bank as well. I loved it! I also enjoyed playing BINGO during the Senators time at bat. It helped keep me focused on the game. Despite the fact that I had sat through two minor league baseball games in two days that reached record temperatures of 100 degrees, I actually enjoyed myself (plus, I didn't get hit by a flying ball!).

I was glad I tagged along but will let Mike and Andrew enjoy the remainder of their explorations as a father and son team.

Paula

Week 3: A Visit to Pennsylvania's Capital

On Tuesday, we embarked on the real "unexpected exploration" of the week. However, like Monday, our travel party included Paula. She had a bonus holiday (a.k.a. furlough day) and so we headed to Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, followed by a ball game at the New Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg to see the Class AA team of the Washington Nationals.

It was about a three-hour trek to Huntingdon and we made it right at 2 p.m. for the final campus tour of the day. Like McDaniel the week before, I was surprised and impressed with the campus. The new science building, exclusively for chemistry and biology, and the theatre building were the most impressive buildings. I was also impressed with the wide open spaces as the campus layout took advantage of the small town location. Folks were very friendly as we visited our second of the 40 Colleges That Change Lives.

After a quick respite at Dairy Queen (it was 100 degrees or so!), we began the two-hour trip back toward Harrisburg. We drove around Harrisburg and settled on an Irish pub in an entertainment district on Second Street for dinner. Since we requested non-smoking, we were seated upstairs in a wonderful setting -- all by ourselves. We enjoyed sandwiches and hustled back to the car for the short trip across the bridge to the island in the middle of the Susquehanna River, which is the home to the ball park and a modest professional soccer venue.

Thanks to box office manager Dave Simpson, we had three great seats behind the Senators dugout. I understand the stadium has been undergoing renovations for about three years and the end result is outstanding. The club is hosting the Eastern League All-Star Game on July 14 and it will be a fitting location. I was most impressed with the variety of hospitality options - dugout suites, a concourse level club room, new upper level suites, outfield beer gardens with seating along the outfield fence and the Ollie's Outlet cheap seats. All great stuff. I don't know if it was the hot weather, but many of the hospitality areas were unused on this night. It was a real missed opportunity for the Harrisburg community!

After participating in an on-field contest at Hagerstown and throwing out the first pitch at Aberdeen, one could only wonder what opportunity might be waiting for Andrew on this night. Sure enough, he caught one of the Harrisburg Senator t-shirts in the toss in the fifth inning! Fortunately for me, it was an XL. I'm now the proud owner and will be advertising the Senators in the Perry Hall area!

Shortstop Danny Espinosa was the offensive hero for the Senators on this night. He hit a two-run homer in the third inning to post a 2-1 Harrisburg lead, then broke the 2-2 tie in the seventh with an RBI triple. The third-year pro player was a collegiate star at Long Beach (AD Vic Cegles), before he was drafted by the Nationals in 2008. Harrisburg won the game over the Richmond Flying Squirrels (the new team playing at The Diamond in Richmond), 3-2.

With this ballpark appearance, Andrew and I have not completed the Western Division of the Eastern League. We have seen games at Altoona (too long ago for Andrew to remember), Bowie, Akron, Erie and Richmond (VCU game). I think it's our first six-team division! Of the group, Altoona, Harrisburg and Akron are the ones not to miss!

It was an amazingly quick ride home. We left the ball park at 9:30 p.m. and were back at home on Forge Acre Drive before 11. It's great to live so close to so many entertainment options! Off until next week!

Mike

Bonus: Andrew Delivers First Pitch at Ripken Stadium!

On Monday, we got a bonus in our unexpected explorations schedule. Good friends, Bill and Denise Shade, parents of Alex Shade, a 2010 Calvert Hall alum and classmate of son #1, Alex, offered us four tickets to the Monday night Ironbirds game. The Shades were headed to the beach for the weekend. As the Shade Construction representative, we also had the chance to throw out the first pitch and get a behind-the-scenes tour. Of course, we were happy to do it! Andew was elected to be the pitcher! I snapped this photo of him right after this pitch!

Andrew has been to plenty of Ironbird games. We picked up his friend, Ryan. He was even more familiar with the stadium since his family had hosted Ironbird players when he was younger. After we arrived at the ball park, we picked up sub sandwiches, which were a great choice!

Before we knew it, Andrew, Ryan and I were down on the field, waiting for the first pitch. Since we had some time, I looked up a couple of Ironbird players with college connections. Michael Rooney, who was the 2010 CAA Defensive Player of the Year in his final season at North Carolina-Wilmington, was the first "find." We had a great chat about his transition to Aberdeen and the great race in the CAA this season. We both agreed that the league should have a minimum of six teams in the baseball championship.

We also connected with former Indiana standout Kipp Schultz and former Mount Olive player Jeremy Nowak. Nowak, who hit .446 for Mount Olive in his only season for the Trojans, led his team to the top batting average in the country. His director of athletics at Mount Olive, Jeff Eisen, is a good friend of mine. I'm not sure of our conversation with the former college players was inspiring, but Schultz and Rooney both collected four hits on the night! Unfortunately, Nowak did not get to play.

Andrew was one of three fans throwing out "first pitches." He tossed a great strike to "catcher" T.R. Keating, a three-year pro pitcher. It made those tutoring sessions at Perry Hall High worthwhile! It was fun to see Keating pitch in relief later in the game, and he did not allow a run in his two innings of work, despite the possible bruised hand from Andrew's fastball!

Rooney got the scoring going for the Ironbirds in the second inning when he singled in Michael Flacco (yes, it's Joe's younger brother). The game was quite a contrast to the last one we watched (a 2-0 affair) as the two teams combined for 30 base hits and Aberdeen rallied for a 9-6 win. Rooney, who had four singles, two runs scored and two RBI was selected as the player of the game. It was nice to see a former CAA star do well.

After the fifth inning, we got out tour of the press box and club level. The Ironbirds do have lots of great hospitality options. Andrew and I had been on the club level previously, thanks to the generosity of Cal Bowman, who worked for the Ironbirds during the 2006 season. Good luck to Cal as he runs for delegate in Maryland!

All in all, it was a good night for the Hermann family and a memorable experience with Andrew on the mound. Thanks to the Shades for a great evening and a bonus road trip!

Mike