Column: Wanted: MLB road trip
Published March 16, 2010
I'm not too big on traveling or road trips, but something I definitely want to do before I die is see all 30 Major League Baseball ballparks. However expensive and unlikely it might be, it has always been somewhat of a goal of mine, but never have I really given it serious thought until things recently started to pick up dramatically.
In the sports world, a particularly scary concern of many amateur athletes is the fear of "burning out." Be it from perceived physical or mental overuse, the discouraging (and frankly disturbing) thought is you have already peaked athletically. I've heard being around the sport to the extent you begin to lose interest and the overexertion of certain muscle groups are two possible explanations, but to be honest, the very notion freaks me out. Just like anyone else, I hope my magnum opus isn't behind me; rather, my best is yet to come.
Well, in light of the increased school workload and intensity due to my impending midterms and class projects, I've just decided I'm not taking any chances. I've boldly taken it upon myself to remove anything associated with school from my desk and take a nice, long break starting now. Classes have been in session for nearly two months now, and if I expect not to get burnt out by the time I graduate, advanced measures must be taken. I mean, that is how it works, right?
Now, with all this new time on my hands, I can't just sit around and watch movies all day (though that idea is in serious contention for plan B). I have to get started on something worthwhile, something I won't regret for the rest of my life. Ballparks, here I come.
Although I would be pretty darn happy to go to any stadium, MLB ballparks have always made me the most excited. They generally house only one team, so everything is often specifically tailored for that home team (i.e. the two cardinals above the Jumbotron at Busch Stadium) as opposed to the personality-less multipurpose convention centers or arenas. Having a separate stadium for each basketball or hockey team might be counterproductive and would be far too expensive for metroplexes with multiple professional teams, but even so, some of the home-team feel and atmosphere that many ballparks enjoy is lost.
It helps that, out of the four major sports, baseball boasts the cheapest tickets. It also doesn't hurt that baseball season takes place in the summer months, and 29 out of the 30 stadiums can be enjoyed at least partially outdoors (retractable roof stadiums included, Tropicana Field not).
What's this, you say? Spring training is barely underway, let alone baseball season. Couldn't I wait until summer? What about class? I can't. I have to buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. I don't care if I ever get back.
Sorry Mom and Dad; opportunities like this don't come around too often, and I need to take advantage of the moment at hand. Sure, the sweet freedom of spring break is only a week and a half away, but now that you mention summer, if I start now, I think the notion of being burnt out will be sufficiently combated by the time I come back for school in August.