And So It Begins

Some time ago I decided that I wanted to be one of those crazy people who made a point to visit every Major League Baseball stadium. I think part of my inspiration might have come from a Mastercard commercial in the late 1990s, as part of their "There are some things money can't buy" campaign, which two friends spend a summer driving around the U.S. in an old VW Microbus seeing every Major League team.

Well, I don't own a microbus. And I'm not doing this in one summer.

But some time later, after making a few stops in my late teens, I decided on something bigger. This wouldn't just be baseball. It would be baseball, hockey, basketball and football.

Moreover, this isn't necessarily about individual arenas. I need to see every team play at home in the four major sports leagues regardless of whether or not they share a building. And if they move into a new building, I need to go back. The goal is to see every team in their current buildings as of the time I complete the whole trip. Since there are 122 teams, it will take a while.



I've given myself 30 years and I'm assuming the task will require a decent amount of money, a decent amount of free time and a very understanding wife.

When I mentioned this to my grandmother in April of 2009 she told me I ought to write a book about this and suddenly I decided she was right. So ever since I have been taking notes when I catch a new arena, trying my damnedest to remember all the old ones, and writing down my experiences from all of them as I get caught up to present.

Initially the hope was to keep it all to myself until one of those fat publishing checks came my way some time around July 14, 2040. Getting one of those, as had been suggested to me by numerous people, might be easier, however, if I write a blog, develop a base of work, and maybe a following.

And maybe, just maybe, it might help me meet some people who can house me or join me along the way. And going along the way, after all, is the entire point. The idea isn't just the satisfaction of completing the trip. This will be about the stories, the people and the incidents that I go through along the way -- happy, sad, funny, bizarre, sentimental and self-revelatory.

In essence it will be a defacto memoir of my life written as it goes along knowing that when I hit team No. 1 I was a young child, and that when I get to No. 122, I'll have my own children joining me on the final leg.

I will, here, post updates, photos and abridged versions of the chapters I am writing. Yes, abridged. After all, I wouldn't want to give away everything I've written for free, would I?

Earlier entries will have dates on top that refer to when I originally began writing those chapters, so the timeline might get confusing, but I think you're all smart enough to figure it out.

And hopefully, you'll enjoy the ride as much as I will.