CASEY AT THE BAT: First time to the Left Coast
My first West Coast trip with the Orioles has been very interesting. We started off the trip with our flight to San Francisco for the Oakland series. San Francisco has plenty of places to visit, and I took advantage of many of them. From touring Alcatraz, which I highly recommend to everyone, to Chinatown, walking to AT&T Park and seeing McCovey Cove, checking out Fishermans' Wharf to watch the sea lions lounging on the docks, to tasting my first In-n-Out burger, it was an awesome experience, and I am looking forward to returning when the Orioles play the Giants.
Now, the ride from San Fracisco to Oakland for the game is about 25 minutes on the "BART Simpson Express," as Mark Viviano calls it. The BART is basically the same thing as the Metro subway system in DC. There was a station right down the street from our hotel, and it took us out to the Oakland Coliseum.
As far as the Coliseum itself goes, there is a ton of history in that ballpark, but its better days are clearly behind it. It is a unique setup as one of the last baseball/football parks still in use for both MLB and the NFL. Because of the Raiders' football configuration in which the field runs from third base to first base, there is a huge amount of foul territory - almost too big for baseball.
Everything in that stadium is just ancient. I did enjoy being in the stadium which Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, Carney Lansford, Walt Weiss and many others I used to watch played in.
There was a sign that some fans had out in right field that said, "Please don't take our A's away." There is a debate in the area about a new stadium for the team, and San Jose is one of the cities under consideration. But the feeling is the Giants would not allow that because they consider San Jose part of their territory.
As for a grade, San Francisco was a strong A, while the Coliseum is a C, thanks to bonus points for the history contained there for both the A's and the Raiders.
After a four-game series in Oakland, we had a short flight to Seattle. First off, the scenery you get flying into Seattle is beautiful with all of the green you see and the mountains with snow on them. Seattle is a very interesting city to tour. I took the opportunity to go to the top of the Space Needle, which rises 520 feet in the air and has an amazing view of the city.
One of the other must sees in Seattle is the Pike Place Market. This is the home of the original Starbucks, a giant piggy bank named "Rachel," as well as the flying fish that are thrown back and forth at the Market. As a music lover, I enjoyed checking out some of the clubs that bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and many others of the "grunge era" once played.
As for a grade, San Francisco was a strong A, while the Coliseum is a C, thanks to bonus points for the history contained there for both the A's and the Raiders.
After a four-game series in Oakland, we had a short flight to Seattle. First off, the scenery you get flying into Seattle is beautiful with all of the green you see and the mountains with snow on them. Seattle is a very interesting city to tour. I took the opportunity to go to the top of the Space Needle, which rises 520 feet in the air and has an amazing view of the city.
One of the other must sees in Seattle is the Pike Place Market. This is the home of the original Starbucks, a giant piggy bank named "Rachel," as well as the flying fish that are thrown back and forth at the Market. As a music lover, I enjoyed checking out some of the clubs that bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and many others of the "grunge era" once played.
Later today I am going to check out the Jimi Hendrix Experience here in Seattle, and I hope to make it over to see his gravesite. I am also trying squeeze in a trip to see the grave of Bruce and Brandon Lee while I am here.
As far as the Mariners' home - Safeco Field - goes, all I can say is WOW. It is hands-down the must beautiful ballpark I have ever seen. From the minute you walk up to Safeco, you know you are in an amazing place. The retractable roof is a great feature. During the game Monday night, the game started with the roof open, then during the game they decided to close it. It was fascinating to watch it close, which changes the feel of the park after it shut. You can also see Qwest Field, the home of the NFL's Seahawks and MLS' F.C. Sounders, in the background. As an Oriole fan, the first thing I thought of when I walked inside the stadium was Cal Ripken Jr.'s home run here in his final All-Star Game in 2001.
From a personal/broadcaster standpoint, Safeco Field has a great setup. In Oakland, I had to share a table (with all the radio equipment) with Joe and Fred. Here, I have my own booth for the equipment, with plenty of table space and a separate TV.
We have two more games here in Seattle, then we have an all-night flight to Boston for a "day off" after landing at 8 am Eastern time on Thursday. With that kind of flight, it's not really going to be a day off, just a chance to sleep in.
As far as the Mariners' home - Safeco Field - goes, all I can say is WOW. It is hands-down the must beautiful ballpark I have ever seen. From the minute you walk up to Safeco, you know you are in an amazing place. The retractable roof is a great feature. During the game Monday night, the game started with the roof open, then during the game they decided to close it. It was fascinating to watch it close, which changes the feel of the park after it shut. You can also see Qwest Field, the home of the NFL's Seahawks and MLS' F.C. Sounders, in the background. As an Oriole fan, the first thing I thought of when I walked inside the stadium was Cal Ripken Jr.'s home run here in his final All-Star Game in 2001.
From a personal/broadcaster standpoint, Safeco Field has a great setup. In Oakland, I had to share a table (with all the radio equipment) with Joe and Fred. Here, I have my own booth for the equipment, with plenty of table space and a separate TV.
We have two more games here in Seattle, then we have an all-night flight to Boston for a "day off" after landing at 8 am Eastern time on Thursday. With that kind of flight, it's not really going to be a day off, just a chance to sleep in.
I am excited to see Boston and Fenway Park. My personal checklist for that part of the trip is to see where they filmed "The Departed," one of my favorite movies. What places should I check out in Boston? Leave your suggestions below, and I'll have more from Boston later this week.
