3GamesToLove

Anyone have anything planned for this summer or soon? Done any recently that you'd like to share? I know a lot of people talk about doing a ton of stadiums all one one trip but that seems a bit crazy to me. I prefer to break it up into more bite-sized pieces. Each summer I like to get to a new park or something of the like. Since I got back into going to Sox games I've done something most summers... Back in '02 we had a full family trip to San Francisco, and my dad and I went to a game at then-Pac Bell. Bonds was day-to-day with an injury. Pinch-hit with two out in the bottom of the ninth and struck out. All I ever saw of him in person. The Giants have traditionally been my NL team of choice (my favorite historical player has always been Mays), though a recent ex from the Bay Area has kind of soured me on them...though that's another story. '09--dad and brother and I stopped at PNC Park on our way back from a trip to Gettysburg. Great seats for dirt cheap, still my favorite park. '11--On a family trip to the Black Hills, we stopped in Minneapolis on the way back. Dad and brother and I saw Target Field. My friends and I also drove all the way to NYC that August. One of my best friends is a Yankees fan who wanted to see the new park, and it just so happened that the days we chose was the only week both teams were in town. It was a real whirlwind...drove there all day Monday, saw Manhattan a bit on Tuesday followed by a Mets game, then hung out in Queens on Wednesday followed by the Yankees that night. Drove straight home through the night from Yankee Stadium. '13--Did down to St. Louis and back with a couple of friends for a Sunday Cardinals game, and also went to one of the Sox exhibition games at Miller Park that March. '14--this was the big one, though only really part road-trip. Dad and I had been saying since '10 that we'd go to Cooperstown when Frank got in. We went as a family back in 2000. I've also wanted to go to Fenway since I was old enough to know what it was, so we made a big thing of it: flew to Boston, rented a car and drove to Cooperstown for induction weekend, then back to Boston with a game at Fenway on the Monday night. It was pretty great. This summer my girlfriend and I are going to do a weekend in Wisconsin--a Saturday game at Miller Park, then stopping in Kenosha for a Northwoods League game on the way back on Sunday. My father and I might do a weekend in Cleveland or Detroit to knock those ones off our list. Friends and I also might go down to Indy for a AAA game. Of all of these, the only time I've seen the Sox play away from the Cell or Wrigley has been the preseason game in Milwaukee. My father and I actually prefer to not go to games where the Sox are the visitors...it means we're less invested in what's happening on the field, making it easier to leave our seats and explore the park. Not getting razzed by home fans is a plus. This site has some suggestions for trips you could do this summer...as many as two parks in three days, or even a half-dozen over a week. Pretty handy. This site, which also includes AAA parks, will create a possible road trip for you. You can tell it how many days off you want and etc. And if you're not on Hardball Passport yet, get on it ASAP. It allows you to easily log games, both MLB and minor league, dating back to 1975. You can build bucket lists, look at your all-time stats and best games, etc. It's wonderful.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 12:46 AM) Aparicio days until P&C I'm a fan of these threads. Not quite as good as the ones that preceded them, but still obviously a lot better than what followed for the next twenty years or so. (though the red pinstripes were good, too)

QUOTE (oldsox @ Feb 9, 2015 -> 06:59 AM) Barring injury, this kid might hit better than Frank, IMO. He won't necessarily get the same career numbers, because he got a later start in the bigs. But we will be looking at several MVP type seasons. Sloooowww down there, buddy. You can arguably count on one hand the guys in baseball history who hit better than peak Frank Thomas.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Feb 3, 2015 -> 01:44 AM) My buddies and I picked this game, of course, in our 7 game plan. QUOTE (shysocks @ Feb 3, 2015 -> 08:38 AM) Good call. My wife picked the day after in our Pick 14, but we exerted our Pick 14-holder rights and bought in for the extra game. My dad and I didn't get this in our Pick 7, but I figure I'll get it ASAP once the Pick 7 presale starts.

For the last few years I've typically bought one Topps pack a year, whenever they show up on shelves. Just a little something to tide me over.

QUOTE (OsweGo-Go Sox @ Jan 8, 2015 -> 09:41 AM) Can my display name be changed to "3GamesToLove?" QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 9, 2015 -> 09:36 AM) With or without the question mark? QUOTE (OsweGo-Go Sox @ Jan 11, 2015 -> 08:04 PM) Without, thanks. QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 14, 2015 -> 01:52 PM) not to be a pest, but I'd still like this name change. Thanks!

QUOTE (Douglas Rome @ Feb 2, 2015 -> 07:18 AM) yeah, let's not forget Bobby Jenks, we'll call it combined shutout. I wonder if Danks could have sustained the 9th, we'll never know. thanks, douglas You live very close to me; I do my grocery shopping at the Jewel in Elburn. Thanks.

It wasn't even a shutout...Jenks pitched the 9th.

My girlfriend is from a Cubs family, though she's never been huge into baseball herself. Her brother has suggested a friendly wager for 2015--his idea was that if the Cubs win the City Series, I have to go to a game at Wrigley in Cubs regalia with him, and vice versa. I counterproposed something that I think would be a little more fun...rather than a six game series (or even something like overall win-loss record), why not some more off-the-wall stuff? I thought maybe we could pick five "races" and whoever wins three of them wins. Of course, this wouldn't get resolved and the game in question would not occur until 2016, unless we set a cutoff date of August 1st or September 1st or something. Some things I thought of... Abreu homers vs Rizzo homers Sale/Samardzija strikeouts vs Lester/Arrieta strikeouts Adam Eaton home runs vs Cubs pitchers home runs Any other ideas? These should all be toss-ups, obviously. Maybe something like hitter with highest batting average, Robertson saves vs Rondon saves, most 20 HR hitters, etc... I'm pretty saber-inclined but he's not.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 26, 2015 -> 03:23 PM) Should also help that the red line won't be closed down for a big chunk of the season this year. And, barring a drastic change, averages say we should have a warmer spring than last year's chill. That was 2013.

Mike Trout.

The Shredder put McCutchen over Trout...?

QUOTE (knightni @ Jan 9, 2015 -> 08:36 AM) With or without the question mark? Without, thanks.

Got this for Christmas, finishing it up now...

Can my display name be changed to "3GamesToLove?"

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 7, 2015 -> 02:35 PM) Yup, its a travesty nobody shares that opinion. The numbers speak for themselves. To be fair, 55% of voters do share that opinion.

He's the second greatest lead-off hitter and baserunner of all time. Of course he deserves to be in.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 6, 2015 -> 06:10 PM) For some reason, this game is memorable to me. http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SE...199406250.shtml McDowell was coming off a Cy season, but not doing great at this point. A classic pitcher's duel. QUOTE (Pants Rowland @ Jan 7, 2015 -> 12:28 PM) What is amazing is to see the monster numbers Thomas was showing at near midseason but went 0-4 with 3 Ks and a GIDP. Shows you how awesome Johnson was to take down a hitter in a season long zone like that. Pretty amazing numbers. It's already late June and Frank has a .372/.503/.779 line. Griffey has .325/.407/.735 I loved those two guys as a kid. I didn't really start watching until '98 or so--one of my regrets is never seen Griffey live, as he was out of the AL pretty early from my perspective. When he came to the Sox I wasn't really going to games again yet, either. Between Thomas, Johnson and Griffey you have three definite Hall of Famers in that game, and two more who deserve it but may never get in.

Just got my Pick 7 plan. Picked 6 Sundays in the Outfield Reserved behind the Sox pen, and 7th row Upper Box for the Friday of the '05 Reunion weekend. Only $204 for two tickets. (call the Sox to buy yours; no Ticketmaster fees and you get moree input on seating locations.) Add in the fact that I have vouchers for a free April/May game (Upper Box, with only a $5 upgrade for outfield reserved) from Fan Appreciation Day last year and a survey code for an April game, and this is looking like a ton of baseball for pretty cheap. The price drops for bleachers and outfield reserved a couple of years ago was a stroke of genius, even if it went along with the Lower Box sections increasing. Nice to see Family Sundays (and their cheap parking) sticking around as well.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 09:28 AM) Has basketball or football ever had a player/manager? I think it's one of those quirky things that gives baseball a unique identity. QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 09:57 AM) yeah in football. a long time ago. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 3, 2015 -> 10:02 AM) Here's a list of NBA Player-Coaches, last ones were in the early 70's (Lenny Wilkens apparently). It has a history in English soccer as well, even having a bit of a resurgence in the 80s and 90s. Ryan Giggs was interim player-manager for Man Utd the end of last season.It was only four matches, and he didn't name himself in the team for most of them, but he did sub himself on for one match.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 31, 2014 -> 10:39 AM) i don't care how loyal any owner is, a huge money offer from some city will be hard to turn down. damn, i think i will quit baseball if i had to cheer on the northsiders. that will be like living in purgatory. Eh, cheer for the Brewers instead.

Smoltz being so far ahead of Mussina and Schilling is a head-scratcher. Writers just must really like the idea of putting all three of the Braves' Cy winners in.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 26, 2014 -> 01:56 PM) How is it Piazza doesn't get caught into the steroid backlash? His back was loaded with zits. Facetious?

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 18, 2014 -> 01:40 PM) Dollar Bill Worst is an example of it being better with the kids taking over. As for the next stadium, I still believe it will be out in the suburbs. Pluck it down in Arlington Heights somewhere near Arlington Park. Basically anywhere along 53. You think the suburbs are the way forward? I know the Braves are moving to the suburbs, but they're the first since...?

QUOTE (Sockin @ Dec 15, 2014 -> 01:51 PM) He means formally introduce them as a press conference which the Sox won't be doing for LaRoche/Duke. They formally announced LaRoche as a conference call.