I had ended the 2011 baseball season on such a morose note. It just sort of tapered off into a quagmire of shame and ignorance. I felt like I had been real passive when planning baseball road trips, and, outside of the Cactus League, didn't really break any new ground. At this time last year, my conclusionary post was a little embarrassing.
At the beginning of this season, I said I wanted Baseball Extravaganza 2012 to be the "Year of the Comeback." I wanted to sluff off the demons from last year and put forward a new foot of baseball road trips that would put everything back on the map. I had some lofty goals for travel, but I had a system built that would allow me to achieve everything I wanted. There were some ups and downs, but Baseball Extravaganza 2012 was a fitting comeback worthy of a good step in the off-season and excitement aplenty for next year.
Way back in April, my excitement was brimming with the Rocky Mountain trip. This was the absolute perfect road trip; meeting up with friends, two new parks and cities, a few days away from the chaos here, and just overall fun. It didn't fail to disappoint as I had such a great time that it completely altered my perception of how I do road trips. Whether it was catching up with old friends or families, taking buses around Denver and Colorado Springs, or hiking three miles to a ballpark gave me so much confidence for the season.
It is funny how you can learn so much from failure, though. And failure would be the best way to describe my first trip up to Seattle. All on my part, my negligence in tying-up loose ends and planning caught up to me in a swath of flames. Having to cut a road trip early is something I never want to have to do again. Despite the massive failure, it was a learning opportunity and opened up the door for the best decision I have probably ever made when it comes to this hobby.
Taking the month of June off was a brilliant decision. I was able to deal with a bunch of Council stuff, save up a huge wad of cash, and give myself an opportunity to really plan out every single detail of the upcoming baseball road trips. The month did go by fast, and it allowed for my anticipation to build. There were times when the layoff was unbearable, especially when I would recall the Rocky Mountain trip, but I kept my eyes on the prize and came back with probably the most well-planned and well-executed road trip of all time.
NWL East was such a perfect road trip that, even today, I am amazed that I was able to accomplish all that I did. In two unfamiliar cities, I made all my transportation connections and schedules. My "pre-game" activities were perfectly planned and executed. Not to mention the fact that I saw two new parks and my hometown Emeralds play as the visitor. It was that trip that set me up for the next two road trips that equaled the success of the NWL East.
Then setback came again. Two days before leaving for Yakima, SeaPort Airlines cancels the flight from Portland. Once again, I had to cancel a baseball road trip I was super excited for. I thought that karma was preventing me from replicating success consecutively on trips.
Instead of defeating myself, I faced a comeback, and in mid-August I made a return trip back up to the Puget Sound. This time, things were different. I scheduled a game against a bottom-tier opponent, slept in for the later train, and made my transit connections easy. I didn't think it was possible to be more successful than the NWL East, but I think I did it with the Puget Sound Part Deux. I saw two of the best games of the year, had a great time at Safeco, and finally saw the renovations at Cheney. I assimilated myself into the two cities, especially in Seattle where I am now very comfortable walking around downtown and knowledgeable of the sights and sounds.
The last road trip of the season could be classified as epic. I-80 had been an idea for two years, and it finally came true with trips to Reno and Sacramento. That trip is now the gauge of success when it comes to "pre-game" activities, seamless transportation, social aspects, and great games. I absolutely loved going out to Virginia City and touring the Sacramento Tunnels. I loved meeting up with my friend from high school and with the widow of the fallen officer. I said it in one of the tweets from that trip, but I challenge anyone to match what I went through on the road trip.
This blog would not be complete without some mention of my softball team this season. Winning the championship was such a thrill and I loved playing with my teammates. Playing games during that month of June kept me active and involved in the sport. I cannot wait for next season and defending our title.
To end the season, I was able to do something that I have always wanted to do: throw out the first pitch at a game. The last Ems game saw me throw a looping strike on the outside corner. Sure, it was for a campaign event, but it was neat to hear my name be called out on the p.a., stand on the mound in front of 4,000 people, and deliver a strike to the catcher.
I have to ask myself what I learned through the season:
First, hostels are the enemy and I will never stay in them again. I gave myself three separate chances to enjoy myself in hostels, and they all failed miserably. Look, I've said it on here before, but it is worth it to spend the extra few dollars to get a real hotel. When I was in Reno, it was so nice to be able to come back to the hotel, take a nap, watch some cable tv, and have a hot shower. I was not able to duplicate that, even to the slightest, at the hostels in Seattle and in Boise. Hostels have to be my last option, and I have to be willing to spend the extra money for a hotel.
Second, I am designating Southwest as the official airline of baseball road trips. I had zero problems with Southwest the entire season. They have cheap fares, great service, and serve some great destinations from Portland. In addition, using Southwest for my first multi-flight road trip worked out perfectly.
Third, I still love taking the train to baseball games and on road trips. For some reason, I get the train. It was really weird doing the Rocky Mountain trip without any travel on the train. The train just fits in with the baseball road trip experience.
Fourth, if given a choice, I would prefer to take public transportation over renting a car. I'm serious about this. I had no choice but to rent a car when I was in Reno, but I really didn't give myself the opportunity to see the other side of the city not overwhelmed with casinos. In the cities I went to this season where I took public transportation, I gained an appreciation for all of them. Maybe it was because I was outside of the relative anonymity of a car, but being able to get out and see the people of the cities and the sights away from the interstates gave me an outlook that I have never seen before. You just don't get that from the comfort of an automobile.
Fifth, the short road trips of two or three games only work out perfectly for me. I'm able to squeeze them in over a weekend and preserve my vacation days. They also force me to crunch activities into a small time frame, thus preventing me from having down time. I also think that they are cheaper to do than longer five- or six-day trips. When I took off the month of June, I did it with an eye to these smaller road trips that hit only two games. Boise-Spokane, Seattle-Tacoma, Reno-Sacramento just worked out great.
Sixth, when looking to go to MLB parks, try and find games against bottom-tier opponents. I had a much more enjoyable time at Safeco when I saw the Mariners play the Minnesota Twins than when they played the LA Angels. I also noticed that when I went to Coors and saw the Rockies play the San Diego Padres. While I definitely would love to see teams play the Yankees or the Red Sox, they draw out a different type of fan. I need to isolate the games against lesser-known opponents and circle them on the calendar.
Finally, I have to deal with the loneliness. While I really do appreciate meeting up with friends and family at the games, it's the other twenty hours of activities where I am totally by myself. The Rocky Mountain trip was great because I got to hang out with friends and family outside of the baseball game itself. No other trip had that, and it took its toll on me. There are many times when I really would like to have someone to talk to. It would have been awesome to have someone come with me to Virginia City or to the Old Idaho Penitentiary. It would have been awesome to have someone come out for drinks while waiting for the train in Spokane. It would have been awesome to have someone grab a bite to eat with me after a great time at the Mariners game. I don't know how to address this, but something has to be done. While I will definitely continue this hobby in the future, this is the biggest change I have to make.
Now, on to next season. While the past three blogs have really been "pie-in-the-sky" when it comes to this section, I think I might focus solely on two distinct road trips. The first is down to San Francisco in March to see the semifinals and finals of the World Baseball Classic. Secondly, I want to go to Florida and see my brother. I going to focus on those two trips and make them happen for next season.
Last night, after the final Ems game, I bought myself a beer and toasted to a successful season. It really was and I am so glad I was able to share it with all of you.
So, for the last time in 2012...
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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