Memorial Day

     Memorial Day was established to remember our fallen soldiers who gave their lives to preserve our freedom and our way of life.It is the kind of recollection which sometimes takes a back seat in its importance to so many of us, no matter how reverently we observe the day. There are statues commemorating our war dead. Parades occur yearly, which end at those sites where wreaths are laid in honor of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. The Commander-In Chief heads to Arlington National Cemetery for the solemn ceremony which leads the nation in its caring for its fallen. Taps from a solo trumpet is a mournful dirge--for a dignified reason. Flags draped at half staff are a telling reminder of what happens when soldiers are in battle.

     When I was young, there were actually living soldiers from the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. The wounds of the greatest conflict in our nation's history were still raw nearly 100 years later. We had the Greatest Generation from the epic fight against totalitarianism in World War II. The Korean War came not very long after the global battle. Then there was Vietnam, which tore open new holes in our consciousness. Iraq and Afghanistan have since followed. Too many wars, too many lives lost. Even in peacetime.

     As much as Memorial Day is supposed to be a holiday for us to recall those who perished in this country's service, there are other thoughts which occur on this day. Sports, beach going, barbecues and merchants' sales are the ones that resonate with those who choose to recognize Memorial Day in their own manner.

     Once I became a sports fan, I thought that baseball had a great idea with the Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day doubleheaders. For that matter, I loved Sunday twin bills as well. Two games, on special days. That, I thought, was tradition. And baseball was a game very much steeped in tradition.

     Sadly, holiday doubleheaders have ceased to exist, as MLB teams have learned that they can fill their ballparks with fans for one game and line their coffers with more money than would be derived from a "gimmick." This season, there are a few games which start at 1:05 in their respective time zones. But there also are night games, something which was foreign to this day many years ago.

     MLB does recognize servicemen and women on a daily basis. On this Memorial Day, the lettering for each jersey is black, while camouflage hats are worn in the field. A small token, but one which smells of gimmickry and jersey and hat sales, too. Much more appropriate is the Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 for afternoon contests.

     Another sport which has ties to Memorial Day is auto racing. For years, the Indianapolis 500 was synonymous with Memorial Day.  Nonetheless, that tradition has also seen better days, as the race was held yesterday. NASCAR held its Coca Cola 500 in North Carolina on Memorial Day; alas, that was also completed on Sunday. If those organizations are content with holding the events a day before the holiday, that is their choice.

     The NCAA, no stranger to making a buck, has hosted its Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship on Memorial Day for awhile now. These big venue games draw the largest crowds for the sport.

     On all sorts of levels, people are out and about--enjoying their unrelenting freedom--that those who are remembered on this day fought to insure. Memorial Day means the first day of the summer beach season--although summer is actually more than three plus weeks away. Sun worshipers, seeking to change the color of their skin to a bronze tone, with or without protective lotions and against the pleas of dermatologists, clog roadways, creating massive traffic jams. Such is big business here in New Jersey as well as down the Atlantic Seaboard and along the Gulf of Mexico, which I saw in person this past week.

     Cities are alive with events. Having been in Atlanta through yesterday, there were festivals including a big Jazz Festival in Piedmont Park and throngs at the city's biggest tourist venues. To many, it is a three or four day weekend; a time to forget about work and to decompress a bit.

     Again, this ability to enjoy, to meet with friends, try new things and to eat outdoors, is the product of protecting our way of life against our enemies, who still abound in large numbers throughout the world, threatening humankind's existence.

     To not hold baseball games or other sporting events (the start of the Stanley Cup Finals begins tonight in Pittsburgh) stands in contrast to what we, as a nation, do and cherish. We have Veterans Day and Armed Forces Day for the war survivors and for those currently active in our military, and we do not stop living then, either.

     Just do not refer to the Ohio State-Maryland lacrosse title match as a "war," or equate any football game in that way. It is not war and all the blood and gore and terror it provokes. Ask the survivors. Ask the families of those who did not return home.

     Play all the games our country wants to watch or attend. Have fun. It is not a time for the living to stop living. Do not demean or diminish the day by desecrating the valor and dignity associated with those thrust into battle. On this day, keep a place in your mind and in your heart for the long line of valiant guardians of democracy we embody who are no longer with us.

     To me, that is the message of what Memorial Day is really all about.

   

No Triple Crown For Me

     There are a lot of things I will NEVER do. Yes, there have been a lot of things I have done. This goes for sports as it does for life. Since this is a sports-oriented blog, I will confine my don'ts and wont's to sports.

     I will never make it to Augusta for the Masters. For that matter, having seen the U.S. Open in 1993 just a mile away from my home for 7 hot days, I will never see another golf tournament. I will never see the French or Australian Opens and probably not Wimbledon. I have been to the U.S. Open numerous times in Flushing Meadows, but my inclination is not to go there again for a hot, draining day. I like to play tennis, not to watch it in the heat for hours and hours.

     No more MLB playoff games or World Series games for me. Been there, done that much earlier in my life. No more All-Star games in the Big 4 sports--I have seen hockey and baseball and leaving it at that is okay with me.

     I have seen the NBA Finals in Philadelphia, the subject of a previous blog post. Ditto the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I saw the New Jersey Devils raise the Cup after winning in 1995, so there is nothing more to see.

     I would dearly love to be in the stands when the New York Jets host an AFC Championship game or are in the Super Bowl again.  The prospects for that to happen are more than dim.

     I will not see NCAA Division I Men's Championship Regional or Final in most every sport except for the outside possibility of attending the College World Series in Omaha. Nor is the College Football Bowl Championship on my radar. I most likely will not go to another college bowl game--we went to the 1996 Peach Bowl in Atlanta with Clemson and LSU as opponents (a whole lot of Tigers there). And outside of Rutgers football home games, I most likely will not see another FBS game except if I get to see the University of Georgia play--a bucket list item for my birth state team or Penn State hosting Rutgers--a second, special bucket list event based on my allegiance to RU and my daughter being a PSU grad.

     I don't see me going to a conference championship tournament for Division I basketball teams--I went to many a Big East Tournament game at Madison Square Garden in the 1980's into the early 2000's. I especially do not think I will make the ACC Tournament, the biggest and best of all of the conference showdowns.

     It is highly doubtful that I will be going to a WNBA game soon, if ever. As much as I might like to see UConn's women's team, I do not believe that I will see the Huskies play real soon--if at all.

     I will not make it to a major international soccer match (men's and women's) nor even a Major League Soccer event. Rugby, cricket, badminton fail to interest me enough to go watch. College squash was a significant sample of that sport for me.

     Auto racing has a different dilemma for me. I have an interest to see the spectacle of a race, but the fact that it goes on for hours with the same loud engine noise and being stuck in a particular spot for so long causes me great angst about ever attending. That applies for Grand Prix or NASCAR. I cannot see myself at Funny Car or motorcycle races.

     Forget about beach volleyball or surfing competitions. Not my cup of tea. Winter sports are not in my sights, either. Who needs the cold?
   
     Gymnastics and fencing--I have seen a lot of low level gymnastics thanks to my daughter and I did attend a college fencing tournament at Drew University when my nephew participated as a member of Duke's team. I can confidently state that I will not see anymore of those sports.

     The Olympics and the Pan American Games--simply not interested in the sports or the prices or the venues.

     A title fight in boxing--especially the heavyweight division--is not going to happen. I saw some fights in New Jersey--at lower weights and involving heavyweights and that was more than enough for me.

     WWE wrestling--if it truly is wresting--is another thing I will pass on. It look great on TV, but being there is another story. I do love Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson.

     Poker tournaments--I find them boring and besides, when I go to a casino, I play draw poker on a machine which invariably beats me. Who needs more of that? Chess or checkers--I am not very good at either.

     Jet skiing,  boat racing, sumo wrestling, martial arts, curling, paint ball, pool, darts. Nah. Australian Rules football--a leap of faith if I ever get to Australia. Any kind of animal fighting is insane and barbaric. I will not participate in hunting or fishing contests for the same reason. Shooting of weapons does not thrill me at all. I have seen dog racing. No more for me. Same goes for Jai Alai, which I think is fixed.
   
     While I have seen careening bobsleds and ski jumping, they are no longer an attraction for me.

     I have been to or seen the New York Marathon a number of times while on my way somewhere. Going
to the Boston Marathon is not something I yearn to do. I cringe at the thought of the carnage.

     The lists and explanations go on ad nauseam. So let me discuss why I am writing this piece. It is about horse racing and the 3 big races in America. And where I will be when they take place.

     I don't go out of my way for horse shows despite the gracefulness of the animals. I grew up watching elite equestrian performers at Johnson Park in Piscataway in my youth and I more recently saw some competition at the New Jersey State Fair. My niece is a top trainer in Maine, so if she makes it to this area or if I am in Maine when she is at a show, then I could see a horse show. That is more of happenstance than anything else.

     I have seen the quarter horses perform. I have been to harness racing at Johnson Park, Freehold Raceway and the Meadowlands. However, no rodeos on the horizon

    Additionally, I have been to Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands to see thoroughbred racing.  What I have not been to and will never go to is the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing--the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. For the record, I will not go to another horse race because I do not feel like betting on races when I have no idea who might win. Such, to me, is mindless and dumb.

     Yet this weekend we just completed the second leg of the Triple Crown--The Preakness Stakes in Maryland. The pageantry for all three races is steeped in tradition. The Run of the Roses at venerable Churchill Downs. A laurel of Black-Eyed Susans for the Preakness winner. This is not the time of year for those flowers, so they are not the real thing. White carnations adorn the horse who wins at Belmont Park. Those 700 flowers for the Belmont wreath are imported from Colombia.

     It is a pageant from start to finish. Fashion is big and so are mint juleps for the Kentucky Derby. The walk from the stables to the saddling of the horses to the post parade is imbued with history. The songs of the 3 races are equally ingrained in our heads. "My Old Kentucky Home' and "Maryland, My Maryland" (sung beautifully every year by the Unites States Naval Academy Glee Club are anthems. So was "The Sidewalks of New York," until the New York Racing Authority decided that "New York, New York" fit better--and that came with a side trip to the Alicia Keys' "New York State of Mind" in 2010.

     The Belmont Stakes is the oldest of the three races. It is also the longest--a mere 1 1/2 mile endurance test for the horses. Invariably, the hype leading up to the Kentucky Derby as to the eventual winning horse is morphed into a quest for the Triple Crown if that horse can win The Preakness. It becomes gripping sports news when the horse has won the first 2 races, with the speculation as to whether or not there will be a Triple Crown winner this year. Moreover, the Belmont Stakes, "The Crown Jewel of the Triple Crown," is in the economic and media capital of the United States. You win in New York, it has been said, you win BIG.

     In my lifetime, there have been four Triple Crown horses--the great Secretariat in 1973; Seattle Slew in 1977 followed by Affirmed in 1978 until a long drought ended with American Pharoah's win in 2015. Because so few horses have attained this lofty goal, the media gets the public into a frenzy. Combined with betting away from the track, there is seemingly a vested interest in having a Triple Crown champ.

     Make no mistake--thoroughbred racing is a world-wide, billion dollar industry akin to the NFL, NBA, MLB and NBA. It is, first and foremost, and industry. Tons of money is to be made with investments in young horses who have a lineage which is linked to racing success. Stud fees for winning horses are outrageous.

     There are major pitfalls within horse racing. There is an epidemic of cheating and drug abuse. Some of the people involved with horse racing have been from a shady element. Horses are abused. PETA monitors the situation closely. Plus, as much as the big races attract fans, the everyday races are not drawing as well as in other years. Thoroughbred horse racing's upside is in the money, not in the sport itself.

     I know this--that I would be hard-pressed to attend these spectacles. Large crowds at Met Life Stadium, for Yankees games or even at the RAC annoy me. When you are talking about 100,000-150,000 coming together for revelry for hours on end in the heat and humidity, the rain or the chill, with long lines at the rest rooms and over-priced concessions, I can feel the excitement the way NBC Sports portrays the action on my HD television in the comfort of my very regulated and comfortable den. With food of my choice, and all the liquid I require to avoid dehydration. My idea of watching the three great American races differs greatly from those who go to the track--just like the revelers who populate Times Square in cold and sometimes wet conditions to ring in the New Year.

     It was great to watch the crowds at Pimlico Race Track for the Preakness. But would they have rather have been at home, able to watch the Yankees battle the Rays? The Ducks and Predators meeting in the Conference Finals? Or seeing the Golden State Warriors take on the Spurs in San Antonio in Game 3 of their 7 game series? I think not. I found myself to be right in my happiness zone with the remote readily available.

     So this is why I will no longer go to a horse race nor be at a Triple Crown race in my lifetime. Too many other sporting events have priority in my world. Or for that matter, a nice meal, a good movie or some sleep will substitute just fine. Even on the first Saturday in May, the third Saturday in May and the first Saturday in June. I will be at my television as late afternoon turns into early evening. Watching and hoping for another Triple Crown winner.

     That suits me just fine. Because there will be no Triple Crown winner in 2017, rendering the Belmont Stakes a non-event for me anyway.

Derek Jeter Number 2

     I am a New York Yankees fan. Unabashed since the mid-to-late 1950's. My allegiance started with the good squads of the 1950's and early 1960's. The bad times that followed. Then the revival in the mid 1970's. To somewhat leaner times. Through to now, which might be the emergence of a new group of Yankee stars.

     But the period from 1995 until 2014 stands out above and beyond all of the other eras.
Sure, I idolized Mickey Mantle. Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford were deserved Hall of Fame inductees. Thurman Munson died way too soon and Reggie Jackson was indeed the straw that stirred the drink. And there were Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Paul O'Neill and Jorge Posada. Alex Rodriguez, too. I marveled at their play day after day.

     As much as I have liked every other Yankee to wear the famed pinstriped jersey, one stands out from the rest. Derek Jeter. The Captain. Number 2.

     Whenever I think of Derek Jeter, my mind automatically fixates on the mellifluous, booming voice of the legendary, long-time Yankee Stadium public address announcer, Bob Sheppard, as he introduced the Yankees' shortstop.  Jeter loved that intro so much that when Sheppard no longer could handle the mike, he still introduced Number 2 to a whole legion of adoring fans based on Derek's wishes. Which kept a link to the past glory of the Yankees alive for another generation to embody.

     On Sunday, the Yankees retired the Number 2 jersey. It now stands proudly in Monument Park in the new Yankee Stadium, along with all of the other retired numbers. So many great Yankees' players have had their jerseys retired that, with Number 2 now out of circulation,  no single digit number will ever be worn again. This is the result of 27 World Championships, far and away the most in MLB history. Another is inevitable; just it is unknown when that might occur. I digress because the Yankees are synonymous with winning, and Derek Jeter epitomizes winning.

     Derek Jeter grew on me with his first game as the full time starter in 1996. It was opening day in then Jacobs Field, the home of the Cleveland Indians. Batting ninth, the 21 year old rookie shortstop hit a hanging slider over the left field wall for a home run, off of aging veteran Indians pitcher, Dennis Martinez. Add in a stellar catch in short left field and he was on his way to garnering American League Rookie of the Year honors.

     Jeter batted .314 in 1996, along with hitting 10 homers and driving in 78 runs. He was not cocky; instead he was confident beyond his years. The addition of this young shortstop to the veteran chemistry on the Yankees led them to win the 1996 World Series in a tremendous comeback against an Atlanta Braves team which boasted three Hall of Fame pitchers.

     The Yankees may not have made the 1996 World Series but for another signature Jeter moment. In Game 1 of the A.L.C.S., he hit a high a high fly ball to the right field wall of Yankee Stadium in the 8th inning. Baltimore Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco was camped under it, ready to make the catch. Except that a boy from New Jersey,  Jeffrey Maier was his name, stuck his glove over the wall in an attempt to catch the ball. To the dismay of Tarasco and the Orioles, the ball was ruled to be a home run and not fan interference and, naturally, the Yankees won the game due to the heroics of Jeter. And by the way, Jeter bated .417 in that A.L.C.S.

     Being in the playoffs and winning world titles is not an easy thing. It is a cauldron of pressure. Yet in the Jeter years, he played in 16 A.L.D.S., 10 A.L.C.S. and 7 World Series, with his Yankees teams capturing 5 Series wins. During the post-season, he batted .321 overall, collecting an astounding 200 hits.

     Still, it is not simply an accumulation of regular season and post-season hits that made him famous. It was how he played the game and his penchant for being in the right place at the absolute right time.

     In 2000, the city of New York was in a frenzy, at least baseball-wise. Both of its teams, the Yankees and the Mets, made it to the World Series. Game 1 in Shea Stadium was tension-packed. Leading off the game was Derek Jeter. On the first pitch of the game he smacked a home run over the left field wall. Even though a lot more baseball had to be played, it was game, set and match for the Yankees. The Mets were crushed , four games to one. The World Series M.V.P. was Derek Jeter.

     Let's check into Oakland for Game 3 of the 2001 A.L.D.S. The A's Jeremy Giambi was on first base when Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina gave up a double to right field to Terrence Long. Right fielder Shane Spencer overthrew the cut off man and Giambi rushed towards home plate. Out of nowhere, Derek Jeter appeared on the first base side of the field, far removed from his shortstop position. He grabbed the ball and seemingly in one motion flipped it to catcher Jorge Posada who applied the tag to Giambi. Giambi was called out on an unbelievable play. When asked later how he could be so instinctively at the right place for this incredible, game-saving feat to occur, Jeter merely said that the team practiced this during spring training. Sure.

     The Yankees drew the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series. While the Yankees would lose the Series in Game 7 in Arizona in a heart-wrenching way, Derek Jeter provided another highlight. On October 31st, Game 4 in New York went into extra innings. The clock had struck midnight and the World Series was being played in November for the first time. It is the 11th inning and Jeter stepped up to the plate, whereupon he deposited a home run over the right field wall to end the game.

     In a town where the New York press gives names to its baseball heroes, Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson was dubbed Mr. October for his home runs in the post-season. Since the game had traveled into a new month, Derek Jeter became known as Mr. November for this game-winning home run.

     July 1, 2004, Yankee Stadium. the arch rival Boston Red Sox are in town. Yankees-Red Sox games are always played at a higher, more intense level than other regular season games. A pop up was hit down the left field line. The only player capable of making the catch was Derek Jeter, running full tilt from his shortstop spot. Jeter indeed made the catch and his momentum caused him to dive headlong into the nearby stands. He came up bloodied and shaken up, continuing to hold the ball in his glove as the umpire recorded the out. The play kept Boston from taking the lead. New York won the game in 13 innings, in no small part due to Derek Jeter. Another incredible fielding play. By no one else--except Derek Jeter.

     September 11, 2009. 8 years after the attacks on this country which destroyed the World Trade Center towers, significantly damaged the Pentagon and led to a plane crashing into a field in Pennsylvania, killing the heroic passengers as well as the terrorists. Emotions are always raw in New York on September 11, the result of the devastation in lower Manhattan.

     On this night, Derek Jeter, drove a third inning pitch from Baltimore pitcher Chris Tillman into the outfield for career hit 2722. With that single, he became the Yankees' all-time hits leader, surpassing Lou Gehrig, who had held the record for 72 years. That night became another part of the healing from the horrible events of 8 years earlier. As only Derek Jeter could do.

     In 2009, batting a robust .409, Jeter and his teammates won the fifth and final ring in his illustrious career. When the Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1, this would be Derek Jeter's final World Series. He continued to play in the post-season through 2012, never again reaching the goal that every Yankees' team seeks to attain.

     July 9, 2011. the Yankees were hosting the Tampa Bay Rays on a Saturday afternoon. Derek Jeter was two hits away from the milestone of 3,000 career hits. The Rays threw star left-handed pitcher David Price at the Yankees. A capacity crowd was on hand in the new Yankee Stadium.

     In the first inning, Jeter stroked a single off of Price. Now at bat in the third inning, Jeter created history with an exclamation mark, mashing a long home run into the left field stands. Not only did Derek Jeter collect his 3,000 hit that day; he went 5-5 in the Yankees' victory. Another signature moment for the Yankees' captain.

     Now it is September 25, 2014. Derek Jeter's final home game as a Yankee. Bottom of the 9th inning, up stepped Jeter to the plate against the the team he liked to torment, the Baltimore Orioles. In what turned out to be his lat at bat at home, in Hollywood fashion Derek Jeter lashed a single to right field, driving in the winning run in a walk off, 6-5 victory. A valedictory moment in an extraordinary career which will obviously land him in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

     Twenty years as only a New York Yankee. 3465 hits, historically placing him sixth all time. A lifetime .310 batting average. 13 All Star appearances. Although no American League M.V.P. awards, he would gladly trade that for the 5 World Series titles. Derek Jeter and his number 2 jersey are iconic.

     It was the way he comported himself. The stance. The wave of his hand until he was ready to hit. His unique crouching on deck. Being the first out of the dugout to greet a teammate. The ever-present smile. His leaping throws from shortstop which rarely were errant and usually beat the runner to the bag, thus earning him 5 Gold Gloves. He won 5 Silver Slugger awards for the best batting average at his position. Jeter amassed 11,195 at bats, seventh in MLB history. Rarely injured. Never in trouble on or off of the field. Female fans swooned over him. Yankee Stadium crowds called out his name numerous times. Part of the Core 4--along with  Pettitte,  Rivera and  Posada. Host of Saturday Night Live. The charitable endeavors of the Jeter Turn2 Foundation. Dating models and TV stars. His chiding President George W. Bush before throwing out the symbolic first pitch for Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, mere days after the 2011 attack, warning the leader of the Free World to throw from the mound and not to bounce the toss or "they'll boo you."

     This, my friends, is Derek Jeter, A kid born in Pequannock, New Jersey to a mixed race couple, who were highly-educated and very supportive parents. He was raised a Yankees' fan from his summers in New Jersey with his maternal grandparents. A star athlete in Kalamazoo, Michigan who was sought after by his beloved Michigan Wolverines. Friends with the likes of mega star Michael Jordan, both having their own brand of Nike footwear. Worshiped by so many athletes around the country and the world who emulated his mannerisms. As well as adored by countless fans and even those who casually observe baseball.

     Derek Jeter lived the dream and embodied the best of it. Even today, he believes he simply was a ballplayer. To us who have watched him, Derek Jeter was so much more. He has deservedly earned his place in Yankees lore and in MLB annals. For years it was predestined that number 2 would be enshrined on the wall of Yankee Stadium, joining Babe Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Ford, Berra, Rivera among the others who have made Yankees baseball history.

     Take a moment to savor the ceremony and to reflect on his legacy. Read his article in the Players Tribune, his forum for athletes to express themselves in words. Watch the moving Budweiser commercial which debuted to coincide with the retirement of number 2. http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/watch-budweisers-stirring-tribute-to-derek-jeter-as-the-yankees-retire-his-number/

     Most of all, be glad that you were able to see this night and every night that Derek Jeter played for the New York Yankees. He was truly a generational ballplayer. One of the all-time greats.

     Derek Jeter is my favorite all-time Yankee. No question. No doubts. I think you can easily tell this by the tenor of this article.

     Best of all, we get to revisit Derek Jeter and his meaning to baseball in 2020 as he is inducted with the baseball immortals in Cooperstown. I wish we didn't have to wait.

   

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: A Traveling Man

RetiredLawyerSportsOp: A Traveling Man:      Let's get this out at the beginning--I have a strong affinity towards seeing stadiums, baseball games, colleges and universities...

A Traveling Man

     Let's get this out at the beginning--I have a strong affinity towards seeing stadiums, baseball games, colleges and universities--their campuses and athletics facilities--and state capitals--the Capitol building and the Supreme Court. I had this idea to see all 50 states by age 50--which I did accomplish with trips to Hawaii and Alaska. Now I am on this kick to see as many state capitals and Supreme Courts as possible (I think I am going to miss North Dakota and South Dakota and I need to go to 7 others), as well as many major universities in the power conferences plus complete the Division III University Athletic Association by seeing Washington University in St. Louis.  It also is my goal to see a baseball game in each team's home park of that particular moment before I turn 70 in just under 3 1/2 years.

     Which is why I found myself with my very understanding and appreciative wife sitting in Chase Field on April 27, a day removed from flying to Phoenix. The game was featuring the-then first place Arizona Diamondbacks hosting the sub-.500 San Diego Padres. This would be home field number 20, leaving me 10 ballparks to go. Those would be Houston, St. Louis, Kansas City, Miami, Tampa Bay, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee, Boston, Detroit and Washington. The last is a sort of footnote--I had seen many games at RFK Stadium in 1971 when the Texas Rangers were called the Washington Senators--not to be confused with the first Washington Senators team which relocated to Twin Cities in 1961 and became the Minnesota Twins.

     This baseball stadium odyssey is not unusual--there are fans who do all 30 stadiums in a calendar year. That has NEVER been my goal. I try to attach a reason to see an area when we go to a game. This trip was to meant to allow my wife see the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in Arizona and the under appreciated White Sands National Monument in New Mexico--my favorite National Park. Additionally, we would take in the New Mexico state capital in Santa Fe and head north for a look see at the famed ski resort town of Taos. Although it snowed in New Mexico and we had to deal with the melting in Santa Fe the day after the city received 8 inches, the snow-capped mountain peaks and the deserts of both states were magnificent.

     Moreover, this trip would allow me to go to Albuquerque to see the University of New Mexico once more and its sister school, New Mexico State University, located in Las Cruces.  Neither school is in a Power 5 conference--UNM is in the Mountain West Conference of which I have two schools to see--Hawaii and Boise State. New Mexico State is a member of the Western Athletic Conference for all sports except for football, which the WAC dropped in 2012-13, forcing the Aggies to join the Sun Belt Conference as a football member. As to the WAC and Sun Belt, it will be more by accident or happenstance if I will see all of their members.

     NM State has very nice facilities. A nice looking football stadium and lots of grounds for its other programs . The Pan American Center is a nice home to the basketball programs. The academic and agricultural portion of NM State looked very nice too. Exactly what I would expect from a low to mid-major school: nice.

     More impressive was UNM. It was clear that this was the flagship school for the state. The buildings were nicer; there is the sizable and newer-looking UNM Medical Center, which is home to their medical school. The school itself is located on a small hill overlooking Albuquerque, the largest city in New Mexico with an estimated population near or around 550,000. The area adjacent to the school is both independent of the school yet replete with establishments which cater to the student population. I thought it was a fine mix of town and gown.

     As much as I liked the academic side of UNM, the athletic facilities on  its South Campus were first rate. The 56 year old football stadium seats a shade over 39,000 but has held  as many 44,000 patrons for games versus NM State. The first game there was a drubbing of the University of Mexico--I never knew they had a team!! As a footnote, I did see the Lobos play at Rutgers this past season, so the trip back to UNM--which I first saw in 1959--was a timely one.


     Located across the street from the stadium is Isotopes Park, a fairly new 15,000 seat minor league ballpark which is home to the Albuquerque Dukes of the Pacific Coast League. UNM baseball played its home games there for a number of years and in 2012 its attendance was 38th best in the nation. Now the Lobos call Santa Ana Star Field their own ballpark. The City of Albuquerque has a velodrome in that area as well.

     WisePies Arena a.k.a The Pit is the most well-known of the UNM facilities. Just over 50 years old, the basketball arena has hosted a number of NCAA men's basketball tournament games and one Final Four in 1983--where the upstart underdog North Carolina State University team defeated the more heralded and heavily-favored University of Houston Cougars team on a miraculous winning shot at the buzzer. Led by their mercurial and outspoken coach, Jim Valvano, the unfortunate but heroic creator of the V Foundation to combat cancer, the Wolfpack win is one of the signature moments in NCAA tournament history. I always like the irony that the Wolfpack would naturally win a championship in the home arena of a team nicknamed the Lobos.

     The Pit holds now holds about 15,000 fans, down from its 19,000 plus crowds before significant renovations took place. The venue is called The Pit for good reason--the playing surface is located well below ground level, where all fans enter the building. More daunting is the atmosphere--UNM fans are rabid and noisy, which is in part due to the architecture of the building. Then there is the other unique and somewhat intimidating feature of The Pit--it is located 5,100 feet above sea level, a fact which is advertised boldly throughout on its walls. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named The Pit 13th of the Top 20 Sports Venues of the 20th Century--ahead of more well-known facilities such as Notre Dame Stadium, the Rose Bowl and Daytona International Speedway. While we used the restrooms in the foyer of WisePies Arena (really?), it was a pleasure for this basketball junkie to peer through the locked gates and see the floor of the arena way below ground.





     Chase Field, the Diamondbacks' home since the team's inaugural season in 1998 and then called Bank One Ballpark or the BOB, is the first stadium with a retractable roof over a real grass field. Given the torrid summers in the Valley of the Sun, a roof and air conditioning for the D-backs games was a necessity. a really different feature of the stadium is the swimming pool located beyond the right field fence, available as a suite package for those who believe going to an MLB park warrants a good swim. Right by the Phoenix Convention Center and across the street from the Phoenix Suns' home court, Talking Stick Resort Arena, Chase Field is easily accessible. It took us approximately 20 minutes to drive 3.8 miles from our hotel in the Biltmore section of the city and park the car; our return trip was 15 minutes since it was after rush hour.

   The D-backs do not draw well. The night before, an all-time low attendance of 14,000 plus saw the Padres beat the home team. The night we were at Chase Field, there were just over 15,000 fans in a stadium designed to hold over 48,000 people. I thought that the stadium was charming. It was very fan-friendly and had ribbon bands as well as giant screen scoreboards which kept the fans completely informed. There are retired numbers above the outfield wall plus memorial tributes to Joe Garagiola--the baseball player/ childhood friend of Yogi Berra, turned announcer, turned Today Show host and D-backs' broadcaster in his "retirement"--and Joe Black, the Plainfield, NJ-born former Negro League and Major League hurler who was the first black pitcher to win a World Series game while with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1952 and was a cherished member of the D-backs' organization. Of course I bristled when I saw the plaque commemorating the D-Backs' World Series win in 2001 over the New York Yankees--when a broken bat flare against soon-to-be Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera won Game 7.

     We were lucky that the weather was cooler, allowing the rarity of the roof being open. The game was as indistinguishable as any other game-- a few home runs by the D-backs and one from the Padres plus an 11 strikeout performance by the D-backs' starting pitcher. The game seemed to fly by. And just like that it was over.



     I have plans to see Comerica Park in Detroit and Minute Maid Park in Houston this year, bringing my total to 22. Plus my annual trip to PNC Park in Pittsburgh--simply the greatest view of a city from any stadium in the US. I may make another foray to the Bronx this summer to see the resurgent Yankees play in the palace disguised as the new Yankee Stadium, and I never know if my good friend Murray is desirous of driving 3 hours up and back to see the Baltimore Orioles play in retro Oriole Park at Camden Yards. I expect to see the University of Alabama and Louisiana State University this month and both the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University along with Texas A&M when we go to Houston in September; this will leave me only the University of Missouri to complete the Southeastern Conference. We will pick up two state capitals--Montgomery and Jackson, too. Much to my chagrin, we will also stop in New Orleans--my least favorite city in the US so my wife can experience it. At least I will see the Superdome, the home of the NFL's Saints, recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Make that a side trip on the stadium tour.

     I love this portion of my retirement. Touring the U.S. with a purpose. Certainly not everyone's way of seeing the country. Yet it is mine. Imagine if I included going to game at each site--as my wife rightfully would have either divorced me or had me declared mentally unstable and subsequently institutionalized for treatment.

     Thankfully this addiction, unlike a substance abuse one, is less harmful and a lot saner. Relatively speaking.