Kevin's 2005 All-Star Game Trip

Bottom picture is Cal Ripkin pitching to a little Little Leaguer

Kevin's Highs and Lows

Top Five Ballpark Experiences (BIB Trips Only):

• Seattle's Kingdome: for all the same reasons as the other Brothers, plus the noise the fans make while opponents' pitchers warm-up (Whoop! when the pitcher throws it, Wuuuu! when the catcher tosses it back)
• San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium: It'll always be the Murph to me, but I won't give it first until the Pads return to their rightful yellow and brown uniforms
• Milwaukee's County Stadium: The sausage races were the wurst!
• LA's Dodger Stadium: just too cool the way the stadium uses the terrain
• Fenway: Ah, the memories of 1975 Game 6...

Bottom Three Ballpark Experiences (BIB Trips Only):

• Baltimore's Memorial Stadium: Damn good thing that Camden Yards came along
• Philadelphia's Veterans' Stadium: A close second. Scott's right - sterile is the word. Maybe if they had cheesesteak races...
• New York's Shea Stadium: A distant third, but my beloved Reds lost that night.

Top Minor League Ballpark Experiences (BIB Trips Only):

• Yakima Bears: Toolson on the crapper when he is announced as between-innings promo participant
• Rancho Cucamonga Quakes: Bunches of near-miss foul balls and my favorite ballcap, major or minor league

Bottom Minor League Ballpark Experiences (BIB Trips Only):

• Portland Rockies: Most excitement of evening was PA announcer trying to get illegal parkers out of fireworks launch zone.
• Wisconsin TimberRattlers: Thrill of free caps tainted by the dropped shirt incident

Why Baseball is Cool:

• Nachos
• Foul balls in the stands
• Pete Rose
• Bull Durham
• Asymmetrical fields
• No clock
• Managers wear uniforms
• Cooperstown
• John Kruk
• Hecklers

Why Baseball is "Suck":

• Astroturf
• The DH
• Pete Rose isn't in the Hall
• Ty Cobb is
• Peter Gammons
• Spring Training 1/4 as long as the season
• High Salaries
• The 1994 Strike
• Stadium naming rights
• Too few doubleheaders