Oriole Park at Camden Yards

History was made in Baltimore, Maryland on April 6, 1992 when the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball opened their new ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The ballpark that would be known as "The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball" would spark a trend in construction of traditional, outdoor ballparks built in downtown locations through-out the U.S. Prior to its completion, big league ballparks were designed as multi-purpose "cookie cutter" stadiums that could host baseball and football games in one central location. These stadiums were featured in Seattle (Kingdome), Minneapolis (Metrodome) and Philadelphia (Veterans Stadium) that were cost efficient for the stadium but not friendly to the fans.

Camden Yards was built on the land that once served as the rail yard for B&O Railroad Camden Station. Paying homage to its predecessor, the former B&O Warehouse dominates much of the ballpark view located in right field. The warehouse has since been converted into Orioles team offices, the team store and several restaurants located along the Eutaw Street entryway.

The Eutaw Street entrance, located between the stadium and warehouse is closed to vehicle traffic. Prior to the scheduled start of the ballgame, fans can explore this part of the stadium without needing a ticket to the game. Many shops and restaurants line one side of Eutaw Street to the other including Dempsey's Brew Pub and the Orioles Team Store. Most notably located along Eutaw Street are small baseball-shaped bronze plaques marking the spot where home run baseballs landed. This began following Mickey Tettleton's home run on April 20, 1992 that has still continued through the 2013 season. Former Seattle Mariner and Cincinnati Reds great, Ken Griffey Jr., holds the distinction of the only MLB player to ever hit a home run off the B&O Warehouse during the 1993 MLB All-Star Game Home Run Derby. If you're planning on visiting Eutaw Street for a 7:00 pm game, make sure you arrive before 4:00 pm as the street temporarily closes in preparation for that evenings game.

During the 2012 season, Camden Yards celebrated its 20th anniversary. To celebrate the anniversary, the Orioles organization unveiled six bronze statues of the six Orioles greats who have had their numbers retired by the organization. Each statue was unveiled in separate ceremonies through-out the 2012 season. Prior to the unveiling of his statue on September 29, 2012 in the stadium, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson was honored with a statue depicting him preparing to throw the baseball to first base. The statue that most notably is gray in color with the exception of a gold colored baseball glove is located on Washington Boulevard 300 feet from the Camden Yards statue of Baltimore native Babe Ruth.

Food options are a plenty when visiting Camden Yards. The ballpark provides a wide variety of offerings including Boog's BBQ, Beers of the World, Dempsey's Brew Pub and Restaurant and Eutaw Market. During my trip I took in a quick bite to eat at Dempsey's after exploring Eutaw Street. Dempsey's is a sports-themed restaurant open year round that is located inside of the former B&O Warehouse building. The restaurant named after the Orioles great Rick Dempsey features Orioles memorabilia and displays of the on-field accomplishments of the 1983 World Series MVP and Orioles Hall of Famer. If you decide to take in a meal at Dempsey's, you are treated to a spectacular view of Camden Yards while being surrounded by TVs showing other games happening around the league.

I was fortunate enough to visit Camden Yards on September 12, 2013 after taking an overnight bus after seeing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Center the night before. The game that I would be seeing later that evening would have historical value as it would be the final game at Camden Yards for future Hall of Famer and New York Yankees great, Mariano Rivera, who would be retiring at the end of the season. After several rain and lightning delays, the game got underway just after 8:30 that night. Given the significance with Mariano Rivera being at Camden Yards for the final time, a short ceremony honoring the MLB legend took place prior to the game. The Orioles presented Rivera with a sculpture depicting a baseball shattering a bat.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards historical facts:
Major League 2 (1994) a movie about the Cleveland Indians was filmed here while Progressive Field was under construction
Named the number 3 ballpark in the U.S. by Trip Advisor in March 2013
First major league ballpark to have an outfield wall made up entirely of straight wall segments since Ebbets Field
September 6, 1995: Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak of 2,130 games.
September 6, 1996: Eddie Murray hit his 500th career home run exactly one year after Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak
August 22, 2007: The Texas Rangers Ramirez hit is 500th career home run
May 8, 2012: Josh Hamilton tied the MLB record for home runs in a game with 4
August 19, 2008: Fastest ballpark to reach 50 million fans in history. Took only seventeen seasons to reach the mark.
1993 MLB All-Star Game

Rogers Centre - Toronto Blue Jays

A day after visiting Tiger Stadium and Comerica Park in Detroit, I made my way to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the day. I had one main agenda for the day, the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Ever since I began my tour of the MLB stadiums, I always imagined that Rogers Centre would be the last one that I would visit given its geographical location to the other 29 stadiums. Rogers Centre was stadium number 13 of the 30 active that I would be visiting in order to complete the circuit. Before going into the experience, let me provide some quick history of the stadium.

Rogers Centre, originally known as Skydome is a multi-purpose stadium located in Toronto, just steps from the famed CN Tower. Before the Rogers Centre, the Toronto Blue Jays played nearby at Exhibition Stadium from 1977 - 1989. Given that the ballpark was an outdoor stadium located relatively close to Lake Ontario, problems arose over the years where weather played a major factor through-out the season, most notably the only major league game played with the field covered entirely in snow on April 7, 1977, the Jays first game there. Following many ill fated weather plagued events, the demand came for a domed stadium closer to downtown Toronto. After years of searching for a new site, one was located at the base of the CN Tower near Union Station, a major Canadian railway yard.

The Rogers Centre finally opened on June 3, 1989 with the first baseball game held on June 5th. It was the first major North American sports stadium with a fully functional retractable roof. According to the tour guide, the roof is made up of four retractable panels, the last one in a stationary position which takes 20 minutes in length to fully open. The stadium is one of two remaining MLB ballparks still using an artificial field, other being Tampa Bay and the only one without a dirt infield. Also unique to Rogers Centre is the Renaissance Hotel that is located within the stadium that includes 348 hotel rooms, with 70 of them overlooking the field.

Prior to the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim later that day, I took a brief tour of the stadium for a price of $16.00. The Rogers Centre stadium tour begins at Gate 4 only a few feet from the base of the CN Tower. Our tour guide, Kayla quickly ushered the three of us into the friendly confines of the Rogers Centre to begin the tour. The first stop on the tour was just shy of the right field foul pole at the end of the first base line. Rogers Centre holds the distinction of being the only MLB team to not have the traditional foul pole in favor of yellow mesh nets. These nets were created so those sitting in that part of the ballpark wouldn't have an obstructed view of the game.

While making our way through the area containing the suites, Kayla went into detail about the origins of the Rogers Centre and how the name was chosen for the original name, the Skydome. Chosen as part of a province wide "name the stadium" contest in 1987, the Skydome was chosen from 150,000 entries from 12,897 different names. Eventual winner, Kellie Watson, was drawn from a barrel containing over 2,000 entries that contained the name "Skydome." For winning the contest, Kellie was awarded with lifetime seats behind home plate including concerts.

During a brief visit to the media center and press box, Kayla shared several interesting facts about Rogers Centre including its playing field and rotating seats. Depending on which event will be at the stadium, whether baseball, football, soccer or a concert, the lower seating bowl can be reconfigured to accommodate the event. Beneath the seats is a track that can quickly transform the Rogers Centre from a 49,000 seat baseball stadium to a 53,000 seating capacity for football games. While learning about the seating capacity, the grounds crew was just below us hard at work getting the playing field ready for that evenings game. Much to my surprise, I didn't expect to see a grounds crew hard at work preparing the field at 11:30am for a 7:00pm game. Sure, I have been to many ballparks, but never have I seen work commence this early for a game. The Rogers Centre holds the distinction of having the only MLB pitchers mound that can be stored below the playing field and doesn't contain real dirt until it's placed on it prior to the first pitch.
Our last stop on the tour was the playing field that took us behind the center field wall and into the spacious outfield. The playing field, like Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay is the only one to use an artificial surface and the only one without a dirt field. To reduce the amount of time converting the field, a roll-based Astroturf was installed prior to the 2010 season. Rogers Centre previously used FieldTurf from 2005 - 2010 that took about 40 hours to remove for concerts.

If you plan on eating while at the game, there are plenty of options including your standard hot dogs, burgers and peanuts stands located through-out the stadium. Located near Gate 5 is a family friendly food stand containing everything from pizza to burgers, sandwiches and many more options. Do you prefer to eat before or after the game? The area between the Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centre provides several options including sports bars, Subway, Mexican, pizza and a pita restaurant that specializes in Schwarma wraps.

ROGERS CENTRE FACTS:
Home to the NBA's Toronto Raptors from 1995 - 1999
1992 and 1993 MLB World Series
WWE WrestleMania VI in 1990 and WrestleMania X8 in 2002
UFC 129 on April 30, 2011 that set a UFC attendance record of 55,000 seats after the previous number of 42,000 were sold-out on the first day

Maple Leaf Gardens - Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is an historic arena that was constructed as an arena for ice hockey. Considered one of the "cathedrals" of ice hockey, the arena was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1931 - 1999. From 1932 - 1967, the Leafs won 11 Stanley Cups while playing at the Gardens.

The Gardens opened on November 12, 1931 with the Maple Leafs losing to the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 2-1. Five years later, the Gardens would play host to the first NBA game in history between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knicks. During the 1990s, the owners of the Gardens considered a number of new sites to replace the arena as it had become to small and lacking in revenue-generating luxury boxes.

The Maple Leafs eventually moved to nearby Air Canada Centre that they share with the Toronto Raptors of the NBA.

Canadian Retailer, Loblaw Companies and Ryerson University agreed to turn the Gardens into a joint grocery store and athletic centre for both companies.

MAPLE LEAF GARDENS FACTS:
Toronto Maple Leafs won 11 Stanley Cups while playing in the arena
Site of the first NBA game on November 12, 1931
Only North American venue to host The Beatles during their three tours
First arena in the NHL to have separate penalty boxes on November 8, 1963
Only Elvis Presley concerts outside of the US on April 2, 1957
First NHL arena to have Plexiglas inserted in the end zones of the rink in the 1946 - 1947 NHL season

Comeric Park - Detroit Tigers

Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Major League Baseball Detroit Tigers organization, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000.

One day after visiting the legendary football stadium, "The Big House" in nearby Ann Arbor, I had a few hours to explore the Detroit area before heading to Toronto that evening. The city of Detroit is known by two familiar nicknames, The Motor City and Motown, while also going by popular 20th century nicknames, including Hockeytown after the legendary Detroit Red Wings NHL franchise and Detroit Rock City after the popular KISS song. Comerica Park was part of a revitalization plan for Detroit that included the construction of Ford Field, home to the Detroit Lions of the National Football League.

Several minutes after arriving to Comerica Park, I had purchased my ticket for the tour of the ballpark and met the tour guide, Stanley. Since the tour wasn't scheduled to begin for several minutes, I took turns sharing baseball stories with Stanley and his fellow tour guide. As I came to find out, one of them used to live in the same city as I do, so talk about a small world after all. Much to my surprise, the tour guide took off his Detroit Tigers 2012 American League Championship ring off and let me take a look at it. Never did I think on this day here I would have been given permission to physically touch but get to see the Tigers 2012 ALCS ring as close as I did. Sure, I've seen various awards through-out the past few years, but this was amazing!

The tour kicked off a few minutes later as our tour group proceeded into the part of the stadium nicknamed, "The Jungle." This area of the park is located within the Pepsi Porch picnic deck between the 100 and 200 levels. The next area that we visited on the tour was a living tribute to Detroit Tigers legends that could be compared to the New York Yankees "Monument Park" at Yankee Stadium. Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, Hal Newhouser, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Al Horton have individual statues dedicated to them, each made in a unique way that the player was known for in their playing time.

Just shy of the player statues is the massive LED video scoreboard that I was informed reaches nearly 10 stories in height, ranking 4th in MLB stadiums. Located at the ends of the scoreboard are two of the eight Tigers statues that are located through-out the ballpark. These tigers eyes light up following a home run or victory for the team.

>Many tours of professional sporting venues always include a brief visit to a "designated suite" on the tour that can be your typical suite that anyone can purchase if they have the money or in some cases, the owner suite. We were treated to the Detroit Tigers Champions Suite on this tour. Four suites were converted into the Champions Suite that contains the legendary Tigers 1968 and 1984 World Series trophies, Justin Verlander's 2011 American League MVP and Cy Young Awards and Miguel Cabrera's 2012 American League MVP Award. In route to winning the 2012 AL MVP Award, Miguel Cabrera left his mark in MLB history becoming the first player since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to win the Triple Crown in batting. The Triple Crown Award is located inside the Champions Suite only a few feet from his MVP Award.

Comerica Park contains many artifacts and historical pieces that make up the Tigers history spanning one generation to another. Making up a unique portion of the lower seating bowl is the Tigers Den, special seats that offer in-seat service, VIP hospitality and great views of the ballpark. These seats are are sold as full and partial season ticket plans. Leftover seats are also offered as single game tickets. Stanley informed us to check StubHub should we ever want to sit in these seats.

Our tour of Comerica Park ended with a visit to the press box, visitors locker room and dugout, the training room and playing field. This was the fifth tour I've taken of an MLB ballpark and is one that I won't forget for sometime.

COMERICA PARK FACTS:
Hosted the 76th MLB All-Star Game in 2005
2006 and 2012 World Series
Sold-Out Jay-Z/Eminem concert on September 2nd and 3rd, 2010
Vans Warped Tour annual stop

Tiger Stadium Hollowed Grounds

Tiger Stadium was a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. On April 20, 1912, Navin Field was opened, the same day as the Boston Red Sox Fenway Park. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 - 1999 and the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1938 - 1974. The stadium was built on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Trumball Avenue that gave it its nickname of "The Corner." Tiger Stadium as it became to be known in 1961 by team owner, John Fetzer, was previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Field, both after its previous Tiger owners. Under the Tiger Stadium name, the stadium witnessed the World Series titles 1936 and 1984.

Beginning in 1938, the NFL's Detroit Lions began a partnership that allowed them to host their home games at Briggs Stadium until 1974. The Lions eventually moved to the Silverdome in nearby suburban Pontiac. As the 1970s went on, the facility gained a reputation for its aging and obstructed views, but it was still loved by baseball enthusiasts for its historical feel. Despite several attempts to keep Tigers baseball at Tiger Stadium, the final home game was played on September 27, 1999 in a winning effort against the Kansas City Royals. The Tigers moved to their new ballpark, Comerica Park in downtown Detroit leaving Tiger Stadium unused.

Since the Tigers departure, the city of Detroit spent nearly $4 million dollars between 1999 and 2006 maintaining the stadium. The HBO film, 61 was filmed in Tiger Stadium during the summer of 2000.

Partial demolition of the stadium was completed in September 2008, leaving all but the lower deck of the stadium spanning from dugout to dugout that included the upper deck portion. Unfortunately, to those who fought to preserve the

While the stadium may longer be there, a group of volunteers known as the Navin Field Grounds Crew has resorted and maintained the playing field since the spring of 2010.

"The Big House" - Michigan Stadium

Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House", is the football stadium for the University of Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 is the largest stadium in the United States with an official capacity of 109,901. The stadium is the third largest stadium in the world. On September 7, 2013, the Michigan vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish football game set a NCAA single-game attendance record of 115,109 at Michigan Stadium. Over the decades, Michigan Stadium has undergone many transformations that has seen the attendance level raise from 82,000 to a capacity of 109,901.

I recently had the opportunity to explore The Big House while on a trip back east. Within a few minutes of entering the stadium, I was standing in the area that houses the legendary Michigan Wolverines locker room and the tunnel, yes that tunnel that the legendary players ran through to get to the playing field. I have been granted access to many sporting venues over the years that had access like this, but as I made my way through the tunnel, the very sight of the field growing bigger and bigger until I set foot on it was unbelievable. The feeling of stepping out of the tunnel and onto the playing field for the first time at The Big House was mind blowing as it gave me a better appreciation for this stadium, its legacy and how awe inspiring it really was.

(The Michigan Wolverine Locker Room)

Next up on the tour were the two structures which houses the new press box, 83 luxury boxes and 3,200 club seats that was part of a $226 million renovation and expansion project for Michigan Stadium that was approved on June 21, 2007 by the University's Board of Regents. Having previously worked in both NCAA/NFL/NHL/MLB/NASCAR organizations, I had an idea of what I would be experiencing but once again, Michigan Stadium stole the show. These two structures which span the west and east sections of the stadium are decorated in Michigan football history from its early beginnings where NCIS star Mark Harmon's dad, Tom Harmon, was considered by many Michigan's greatest football player ever to the 2012 Sugar Football Trophy where Michigan defeated Virginia Tech.

Over the next few minutes, I made my way through the suites and spent some time in the press box just catching in every minute of the stadium that I could prior to departing. Michigan Stadium truly lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest stadiums in the world.

Rice-Eccles Stadium - 2002 Winter Olympics Stadium

Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT served as the main stadium for the 2002 Winter Olympics. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Utah, home of the NCAA Pac-12 division Utah Utes. Upon Salt Lake City being awarded the 2002 Olympic Games in 1995, it became obvious that Rice Stadium was not adequate to be the main stadium. This soon paved the way for a new upgraded facility, Rice-Eccles Stadium, to be built on the same site in time for the games. Just south of the stadium is the Olympic Cauldron Park containing the 2002 games museum, the cauldron and the Hoberman Arch.

Angel Stadium of Anaheim - MLB Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Throughout the years, the modern-style stadium has gone through many name changes and seating arrangements under its different ownership regimes. Angel Stadium of Anaheim, as its commonly referred to as this day has served as the home of the MLB Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim since their move from nearby Los Angeles in 1966. Prior to the ground breaking of Angel Stadium, the Angels called Wrigley Field in 1961 ( Pacific Coast League affiliation) and Chavez Ravine (Dodgers Stadium) from 1962-1965 their home. Unknown to the youth who are just beginning to understand the game of baseball, Angel Stadium has undergone several structural modifications in its existence beginning in 1980. To accommodate the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, Angel Stadium underwent a major reconfiguration to a multi-purpose stadium which saw the stadium extend the upper deck and mezzanine completely around the playing field which as result, blocked the view of the local mountains and 57 freeway. For those who never got to experience this configuration, you can see a photo of it here. The Rams eventually relocated to St. Louis in 1994 where they have played ever since. During that same year, the stadium suffered minor damage as result of the Northridge earthquake on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The stadium was restored to its baseball-only configuration beginning in 1997 following the Angels acquisition by the Walt Disney Company. These changes resulted in the majority of the outfield seating being demolished in-favor of an out-of-town scoreboard below the right field seats, outfield bleacher pavilions and the "California Spectacular", a mountainside covered in real trees and artificial rocks which feature water geysers and fireworks erupt at the beginning of a game and anytime the Angels win or hit a homerun.

If you plan on going to the stadium for the first time, I recommend parking away from the stadium in smaller lots as it's more affordable. For food options, you have many options between The Grandstand selection of stadium food, Panda Express, Carl's JR and Jack In The Box. If you're not a fan of stadium food, there is a small strip mall located across the street made up of Togo's, Carl's JR and Fresca's.

Angel Stadium has hosted its share of notable events including:
MLB All Star Game: 1967, 1989 and 20110
KROQ Weenie Roast 2000 featuring Ozzy Osbourne
Rod Carew and George Brett's 3,000th career hit
Reggie Jackon's 500th career home run
Mickey Mantle's last game-winning home run
Site where Nolan Ryan threw 4 of his record 7 career no-hitters.

Century Link Field - NFL Seattle Seahawks

Century Link Field in Seattle, WA served as the host venue to the World Cup Qualifier between the United Stated and Panama in June 2013. The match was the first qualifier that Seattle had hosted in 3 decades. Growing up in a soccer house hold, I have been to my fair share of professional soccer matches including the infamous 1994 World Cup Match between the US and Columbia at the Pasadena Rose Bowl that resulted in a US victory at the expense of an own goal from Andres Escobar. Those of you who may not be familiar with this, watch the ESPN 30 For 30 Film, The Two Escobars for more information. As fate came to tell, I really had no idea what to expect once I arrived in Seattle with two friends of mine. For two days, my friends and I were going to be partaking in American Outlaws traditions that included the night before gathering, the pre-party at a nearby bar, the infamous march to the stadium and the match itself. The American Outlaws are the official fan club of the US Soccer Team with chapters based in cities across the country. In tradition, the Outlaws attending the match gather at a local location the night before the match and celebrate. This night in particular, we were joined by US Soccer legends, Cobi Jones and Alexi Lalas. The next day, we gathered about a mile from the stadium early in the afternoon prior to marching. Once inside of the stadium, it was game on!



The match itself was infamous as those of us who were in the end zone made it clear, the US can in fact show their support. The video which I shared above and below highlight just the type of atmosphere that was showcased that evening.



Before their was Century Link Field, the Kingdome served as the multi-purpose stadium for the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks prior to being demolished to make way for Century Link Field. The stadium now serves as home to the Seahawks and MLS Club Seattle Sounders.

Dodgers Stadium

Safeco Field - MLB Seattle Mariners

I recently made a trip up to Seattle to catch the US vs. Panama World Cup Qualifier at Century Link Field. Only a few feet across the street sits Safeco Field, home to the Seattle Mariners. The origins of baseball in the Seattle area date back to the early 1900's upon the founding of the Seattle Rainiers. The Rainiers were a minor league baseball team who played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 to 1906 and 1919 to 1968. Baseball would return for one season in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots before they were sold and relocated to Milwaukee where they would become the Brewers following a controversial sale by then owner and current MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. Thankfully, baseball would return again following a lawsuit in 1970 over the sale and relocation of the Seattle Pilots. The Seattle Mariners entered MLB as an expansion team in 1977 along with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mariners called The Kingdome their home until 1999 once Safeco Field opened across the street.

Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium that is owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority. While the stadium is known for being a retractable roof stadium, the roof acts as an "umbrella" for the stands and field due to the weather that primarily effects the Pacific Northwest region. Getting to Safeco Field is very accessible and convenient to get to should you decide to visit Seattle by the light rail train spanning from Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEATAC) that runs through the city limits stopping at many points of interest. There is also the option of driving to the stadium if you are willing to pay $15.00 and up depending on who is in town.

Depending on who is in town, you can score very good seats on Stubhub for the game. I was able to get a seat 25 rows from home plate for a very reasonable price. The stadium offers a wide variety of food options for anyone and everyone but please keep in mind that you will have to pay a little bit more if you plan on eating or drinking at the stadium. Pioneer Square is also located within walking distance should you want to go there if eating from the local street vendor is not your thing.

Touring Safeco Field is one of the must-do attractions while in Seattle as it delivers many behind the scenes areas not available to the general public. Every tour departs from the team store that is just shy of the main entrance to the stadium. The team store is the ultimate destination for any Mariners fan as it contains historical artifacts and merchandise spanning the different areas of Mariners baseball. While on the tour, we explored the owners suite where we learned about the teams affiliation with Nintendo USA in the owners suite, explored the dugout and warning track along the field and visited the press box before the tour ended. Overall, a great tour!

Yankee Stadium Tour

The day had finally arrived in September 2012 where I could say that I set foot inside Yankee Stadium, home of the legendary New York Yankees. For my 30th birthday, I decided to spend it taking a tour and catching game at the ballpark. Just like the tour of Fenway Park that I took a few days later, Yankee Stadium is one of the must see tours for any fan.

The tour began at the Yankee Museum after the teams security detail went over the ground rules and do's/don'ts while on the tour. The Museum is what any museum should contain, legendary items and artifacts that have made this team who they are. Residing in the middle of the museum are two bronze statues which pay homage to the Don Larsen/Yogi Berra perfect game in the World Series. Situated between the statues is a massive glass case containing over a hundred signed baseballs that included Yogi Berra, Babe Ruth and Randy Johnson. I was able to spend about five minutes in the museum taking in all the sights that included exhibits dedicated to Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and The Boss, former Yankee captain Thurman Munson's locker as it appeared prior to his death and the World Series Trophies.

After departing the museum, we made our way to legendary Monument Park in center field. Monument Park is a living tribute to the legendary Yankees who donned the pinstripes during their career. The tour guide explained to us the history of Monument Park, the plaques of the retired numbers and the plaques dedicated to the 9/11 Attacks and Pope Benedicts visit.

The final stop on the tour took us through the lower level of the stadium until we reached the playing field and dugout. We were given a few minutes to take photos in the dugout and of the field but security was very strict at this point as they did not allow any photos of you on the field unless it was by their photographer. This was the low point of the tour as it gave us a feeling like we were being hurried along the entire time and weren't really given the opportunity to soak in everything.

Later on that night, I returned to Yankee Stadium to see the team take on the Tampa Bay Rays. Near the end of the game I was able to witness history as Derek Jeter surpassed Willie Mays for sole possession of 10th place on baseballs all-time hit list.

Citi Field - MLB New York Mets

I paid a visit to Citi Field in the Queens borough of New York City. Citi Field replaced the aging Shea Field as the home of the New York Mets just a few feet away. The exterior of the stadium is reminiscent of Ebbets Field with an entrance named the Jackie Robinson Rotunda after the Brooklyn Dodgers legend. The rotunda honors Robinson's life and accomplishments. Unlike many stadiums, Citi Field features orange foul poles rather than the standard yellow, which make this field unique.

Getting to Citi Field takes a little bit of time from midtown Manhattan by the New York Subway 7 train at Mets-Willets Point. The stadium is located within an area of Flushing that is home to USTA Billie Jean National Tennis Center where the annual US Open tennis grand slam tournament is held and the Unisphere, the iconic 12-story high stainless steel globe that served as the centerpiece for the 1964 New York World's Fair.

This day in particular was unique as it was my first visit to Citi Field, but it was the 11th anniversary of the September 11th attacks in the city. The Mets played host to rival NL East Washington Nationals. Prior to the game, a moment of silence as a tribute to the anniversary occurred along with a moving tribute to the events that had occurred earlier in the day in Benghazi. Being in the city on this day was surreal and I took in every minute that I could. Anytime I go to a new stadium, I make it a priority of exploring every part of it not knowing when I will make my return. Little did I know that while walking through the upper deck in left field I would lay my eyes on a piece of American History that I would never forget. Each year on this day, the city of New York as a tribute displays two massive light towers that shine into the sky on the site where the twin towers once stood. These lights were visible to the eye as far as Citi Field and were something that I had to see up closer later that night. The photo below I took on this night last night atop Rockefeller Center.

Citi Field in its own right is a beautiful stadium to visit, whether for the first or last time. The 2012 season marked the 50th Anniversary of the Mets organization that was in the process of its promotional marketing campaign for this years MLB All Star Game.

Fenway Park Tour 2012

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I spent the finale of my 30th birthday trip in Boston. Feeling like I didn't get enough of Fenway on my previous trip 14 months earlier, I booked another tour. 2012 marked the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park. What made this trip so much better than the previous one was that the Red Sox were out of town so I got to see more of the stadium then I did the year before. After purchasing tickets at Gate D, we proceeded to the team store prior where all Fenway Park Tours begin. I'm still not sure what can compare to spending over an hour in this legendary ballpark on a brisk fall day in September. Taking a page out of previous stadium tours that I had been on, it's usually a good thing to tour the stadium when the team is out of town because you get to see the goodies which the stadium has to offer.

Once everyone had arrived, the tour departed from the Red Sox Team Store and into Fenway Park. Our first stop was in the portion of the stadium that runs along third base. The tour guide made it known that this was the portion of the park where the movies Ted and The Town had been filmed at. Next we were taken up to the wooden seats that are located next to the left field foul pole which is next to the Green Monster. Here our guide made his rounds asking which teams everyone supported, while making it known the Red Sox were still the best in baseball. During this stop on the tour, many interesting facts about the stadium and the team were explained. While I knew some history about Fenway, I never knew how many changes that the stadium has undergone over the years. Up next was the famed Green Monster seats atop left field. The Green Monster has served as the manual scoreboard for Fenway Park that employees operate through-out the game. Until recently, the Green Monster was never accessible by fans until a seating section was added. The monster is made up of several historical elements including morse code along the American League portion of the scoreboard containing the initials of the Yawkey Family and the hard-to-miss ladder which was previously used by workers to retrieve home run balls prior to the addition of its seats.

The famed Press Box was up next on the tour after we made our way through the halls that contained history from all of the years the Red Sox had been a team. The press box sits above home plate and offers an exceptional view of the stadium and nearby Boston Back Bay. On any given day, the Red Sox employee who runs the press box determines whether or not the windows will be opened or closed for the duration of the game. Due to its close proximity from home plate, foul balls are frequent in this location. As an unexpected surprise, this tour was given the opportunity to visit several behind the scenes areas of the ball park that included the visitors dugout, warning track and Red Sox dugout. Being the fan that I am, having the opportunity to walk into the locker room where many legendary and Hall of Fame players was a very surreal experience. Not to take away from the opportunity to walk on the field and sit on the dugout benches, the locker room easily took the cake. While on the warning track, fans were allowed to have their photo taken by the teams official fan photographers, Fan Photo that they could purchase for a small fee at the end of the tour.

In addition to the major highlights of the tour, our guide also shared several stories about the park including the famed Pesky Pole, The Lone Red Seat that signifies the longest home run hit at Fenway by Ted Williams on June 9, 1946 and ending with a visit to the publicly visited Red Sox Hall of Fame.