Birmingham Barons at Regions Field

Towards the end of the season we were able to catch a game in Birmingham! 

This is one of those baseball towns I have wanted to get to for some time, but I FINALLY got there!

AND, you may or may not know, there are now 3 significant ballparks in town with some major history to them!

I did stop by all 3, though I was only able to physically get in to the current park, Regions Field.  More on the other 2 later.

There is a lot to like about this roomy park.  It is big, but it doesn't feel big.  Plus, there is a great skyline view!

One thing that I really love about the city of Birmingham is the MASSIVE statue Vulcan.  Look him up if you are not familiar with him but he is one of the largest statues around, and he is spectacular.  You can see him from the park.

And this park had a nice community vibe going on.  I chatted with several of the staff and locals. 


Birmingham has so much baseball history, it almost seems odd that they built ANOTHER park, but Regions Field is just so comfortable.  Somehow, the Barons were able to bring some of their history with them to this park.

This is definitely a park that I would like to try to get to often.

Chattanooga Lookouts

I really enjoy getting down to Chattanooga because Chattanooga is a great town.  I especially love getting to the area when the Lookouts are playing!

I was able to make it to AT & T Field at the end of the season this year and I was able to catch a game that could only occur in Tennessee as the Lookouts played the Smokies (another favorite team of mine).

Chattanooga is the perfect town for catching a minor league game.  You are in a major city, with a lot to do, but you know that you are still in Tennessee.  The town is hopin' but I never feel overwhelmed here.  You get all of the big city sites but none of the big city attitude.  Its almost like Chattanooga doesn't realize how big it is!

The park is an easy walk from any of the downtown attractions.

If you live within a 6 hour drive from this area, take a 3 or 4 day weekend and make it down, especially when the Lookouts are playing at home.

OR, take a few days and drive to the area when the Smokies are also playing at home!  Catch the Smokies one night, and the Lookouts the next, AND you can spend time in Chattanooga, Gatlinburg, AND enjoy some time in the National Park!

clevescene.com

http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2013/09/17/lake-erie-crushers-play-for-survival-in-the-frontier-league-championship

A HUGE tip of the hat goes to my pals at the Cleveland Scene again!  These guys are still giving some mention to their local Frontier League team!!!!

CLASSY!

I have mentioned here before that I lived in Cleveland for about 10 years, and clevescene.com is where I go to keep up with some of the more interesting stories in that area.

AND, when I travel, I always pick up the local free magazines when I can just to get a feel of an area.  I wish more magazines would work to be as good as the Cleveland Scene!

Baseball Grounds- Chicago

The Baseball Grounds Chicago.  Postmarked 1911.  "nuff said.

Metropolitan Stadium- Home of the 1965 American League Champions

The back of this old postcard reads-

Metropolitan Stadium Bloomington, Minnesota

Aerial view of the "Capitol of Baseball" hosting the 1965 All Star Game.

Check out all of that green farmland right next to the park!

Baseball is a Funny Game by Joe Garagiola

I picked up Baseball is a Funny Game by Joe Garagiola at an antique book store signed recently!

This book came out in 1960!  Well over 50 years ago, which gives this book a fun and unique perspective. 

This really isn't a biography or anything like that, but it is Joe talking about baseball.  He talks about playing as a kid, how he was scouted and signed, and how he acquired/made/improvised his equipment.

He talks about pitchers, umpires, and the other people who work in the sport.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book is the fact that the game has changed so much.  I enjoyed hearing about the budget of an umpire half a century ago!

I think good used copies are readily available so you should check this old treasure out!