The Year of Baseball

5/5/12

There is no professional sport I really follow like Major League Baseball. I don't have a favorite football team, but I do pull for the Hokies in the league. The NBA and NHL don't appeal to me much, and NASCAR isn't considered one of the "Big Four".

It's hard to believe it's been five years since graduating from Virginia Tech, but one of the things I have set out to do in my lifetime is to watch a home game and buy a team hat at every franchise in Major League Baseball. Sure, I could visit ballparks when not in season, but you don't get the real flavor unless it's game day.

As what I'm calling "The Year of Baseball" continued, my father and I traveled to Cincinnati for Opening Day and visited Fenway Park to see the Red Sox take on the rival New York Yankees.

The trip to Boston is featured above in the photo gallery. Fenway Park truly is what baseball in America is all about.

Much like how I view a NASCAR race, Fenway Park hits all five of your senses. There seems to be a billion different shades of green spread throughout the park, from the grass to the distinct Green Monster wall. The smell of the concessions and the taste of the famous Fenway Frank add some delectable spice to the cheering crowd that rises and falls with the ebbs and flows of each inning.

Dad and I didn't go on the 100th Anniversary day, but we did see the strangest baseball game ever. The Sox jumped out to a huge lead and the Fenway crowd was having an amazing time. But with a snap of the fingers, the Yankees turned a nine-run deficit into a six-run lead. The radio crew we listened to couldn't believe what they had witnessed...and neither could we.

The whole experience is one that will never be forgotten. The park is over 100 years old, but feels modern just as much as it is classic. If you are a casual baseball fan, this is the one place to go to a game.

The trip to Fenway marked the ninth stadium on my post-graduation quest. That makes 22 to go, but hopefully I'll visit Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee and both Chicago stadiums before the summer is over. Throw into that mix maybe another trip to Washington and Atlanta and you'll understand why I'm calling this "The Year of Baseball".

The Virginia Tech Football Uniform Builder had no change this month. Tech has that special camo helmet for the Bowling Green game, so check that out.

Orange Helmet
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I've started on the football stadium cup designs for the upcoming season. So far I've worked on all four of the white 6-color print versions. The designs are tough to do because of the color limitations, but they'll be unique this season.

May
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Stay cool.