Bottom of the Ninth

Greeting followers!

2010 was an epic season for baseball. I was exposed to so many wild, unique, and interesting experiences this season that have resonated throughout the chronicle of this blog. All of you joined me on a journey that will be talked about in baseball circles for a very long time. All in all, I visited seven new parks for a total of thirty-eight games.

At the end of 2009, I speculated to all of you that I had gone to my last baseball game for two years. I was just entering the Peace Corps, and it seemed like this hobby of Baseball Roadtrips would end. But it is funny how happenstance and circumstance creates opportunities. I was medevacked to DC in April and used the opportunity to see almost ten games in three separate parks there. By doing that, I made a horrible situation tolerable for me. While, in hindsight, I'm glad I am not in the Peace Corps anymore, if it weren't for their bumbling, bureaucratic mentality, I wouldn't have seen those games. I went to so many games at Nationals Park that I felt like it was just as much a home for me in DC as my hotel was. Prince George's Stadium in Bowie was an adventure to get to and experience. Baltimore's Camden Yards soured me at first, but I grew on it the second time I went.

When I first came up with the concept of Baseball Roadtrips, I had always wanted to go down to Southern California and see some games there. I had the opportunity to do that this season. In what became the headlined roadtrip of the summer, I had the opportunity to see three new parks down there, hang out with a good friend, and see some awesome sights. Being able to see games in Anaheim, San Bernardino, and San Diego were really a treat. All of them were incredible venues.

When talking about spontaneity, the Vegas trip would sum it up. My friend and I had always wanted to go there, but, for a variety of reasons year in and year out, we just never got around to go. When I finally landed a job, we decided, almost on a whim, to go. Factor in the that the Beavers were playing Vegas that weekend made the temptation to go that much higher. The Vegas trip was eye-opening in so many ways for me. It really threw into proportion the lives and materials we have here in Oregon and in the baseball world, overall. While I indicated in this blog that I come home with mixed emotions, I believe that it was for the best that I finally got to experience Vegas and everything that goes along with it. Cashman Field was one of those sights that escape the public eye and offers an intriguing glimpse into the REAL Vegas.

When speaking of opportunity and chance, the Ems season fits right in with it. I was lucky enough to secure a position of employment at the park which eventually grew into, what I think, is the best job in Minor League Baseball. Working the manual scoreboard was so much fun and I can see myself doing that job for many, many years to come. At first, I hated PK Park, but the park really sweetened up for me and, like I said earlier, I now am comfortable in calling it home.

With all the optimism that Baseball Roadtrips created this season, there is a palpable pall that has been cast. The departure of the Beavers is incredibly disappointing and fills me with a lot of anger. For the second time in two years, I have watched as corporate elites have taken away from the citizenry something good and just. While the Ems move to PK Park actually turned out pretty good, in my opinion, I still am a fan of the old ballpark and everything that was associated with it. In Portland, the loss of Triple-A baseball is really an awful thing. But, unlike last year, I am trying to do something about this mentality in Oregon. I have decided to run for political office to represent what is the common good and what the people want. This situation in Portland has inspired me to stand-up to corporate interests and root out ineffectual and impotent politicians from their position of power.

Well, what is the slate for next year? I have landed a wonderful job here in Eugene working for the YMCA, and I see myself working for them for a very long time. Being able to bring home a monthly paycheck that pays a living wage allows me a little more freedom and gives me a little more money to spend on stuff I enjoy, like Baseball Roadtrips. So, next year, I would definitely like to make a trip back east and see Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame. While that could be tacked onto a larger more elaborate roadtrip, seeing Cooperstown is definitely something that I want to do. After that, who knows. We'll see what the money situation looks like and where my heart desires to go.

A lot of people read this blog with regular frequency, and I thank all of you for doing so. I always enjoyed sitting down and throwing out updates on the road about what I was experiencing and doing. It made me feel like all of you were on the road with me and sitting in the ballparks with me.

I will talk with you all next year, and, for the final time in 2010...

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)

The Wilted Rose City

Hello again followers!

The final baseball roadtrip is complete as Baseball Extravaganza 2010 comes to an end. This past weekend I went up to Portland and saw the Beavers play their last two games in the City of Portland and PGE Park.

Almost exactly twelve months ago, I wrote in the Baseball Extravaganza 2009 blog about the demise and exit of the Eugene Emeralds from Civic Stadium. If you recall, I was very hurt, emotional, and perplexed at the swiftness of the events which surrounded the situation. A year later, I have seen almost an exact situation play out in a different city. The comparisons between the two are eerily striking.

The first game I went to, on Sunday, I met up with a women who is a season ticket holder and devoted Beavers fan. We went out to lunch at a small bar/grill just steps from PGE Park. After common greetings, I asked her to take me through, step-by-step, what happened to the Beavers and why they are leaving. In a nut shell, she explained that the politicians in Portland refused to support the Beavers plans for a new ballpark. Without a ballpark, the Beavers are being forced to move from Portland. While sitting there listening to her explain the sequence of events, I detected a real distaste for elected officials, individuals with money and influence, and a tinge of agony of losing something so special. It really reminded me of what happened last year.

The Beavers won Sunday's game by a score of 6-2 over the Las Vegas 51s. Portland pitchers carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

The next day, I went back up to Portland to attend the final game. While walking to the park, I noticed the amount of Beavers supporters was enormous. I noticed the first fans almost a mile away from the park ducking into the numerous sports bars and restaurants that surround PGE Park. It reminded me a lot of the atmosphere around PETCO Park in San Diego. As we got closer to the park, the number increased and the sense of community and fandom really became apparent. Directly outside of the park, thousands of people lined up to get into the gates early. Whether it was a sense of nostalgia or the prospect of receiving the 2,000 coveted commemorative coins being given out, the jam of people made the camaraderie overflow inside me.

Nearly 15,000 packed PGE Park to see the final game. The Beavers did a wonderful job of making a pre-game ceremony worthy of a finale. The organization invited multitudes of former Beavers players and coaches, showed pictures of past Beavers teams on the videoboard, and, in a real sense of nostalgia, the Beavers invited the lady who threw out the first pitch at the FIRST Beavers game to throw out the first pitch at the LAST Beavers game. The little old lady walked out to the mound and heaved the ball into the mitt of fan favorite player Craig Stansberry. It was truly a wonderful sighe to see the history being appreciated like that.

The final game was a classic. The Beavers rallied from a deficit four times, taking the lead for good on a Nick Green two-run homer in the eighth to rally past the 51s 6-5.

After the game, the manager of the Beavers, Terry Kennedy, dug up home plate and gave it to about six kids who were representing youth baseball in Portland. They then opened up the field for all fans to walk around the bases.

The way the Beavers ended was very classy and well-thought of. Everything seemed a lot more formal and planned than the Emeralds last game. Everything from the pre- and post-game festivities to the between-innings retrospectives of the teams, it seemed so much smoother and personal. At Civic last year, there was massive looting and people were tearing up clods of grass and dirt. It was a sad sight to see a place that was so special to so many people be subjected to that type of abuse in it's twilight. That did not happen at PGE Park. The Portland fans composed and behaved themselves in very fine fashion. They knew that they were losing their team, but the memories they had from that team were enough.

I find it very hard to believe that Portland will ever get Triple-A baseball again. They have lost Triple-A franchises three times in the modern era. Now that they won't even have a ballpark with which to play at it makes the prospect of baseball returning even that much bleaker. It really is a shame, and I hope with all my heart that I am proven wrong. At the end of the post-game ceremony, Beavers manager Terry Kennedy remarked that if Portland wanted baseball back it would be through the efforts of the fans, not the politicians. If the fandom I saw on Sunday can organize and put together a movement to bring baseball back, they just might succeed.

It really is a shame what happened in Portland. The Beavers were a good thing for that city and provided many an hour of enjoyment for me. Going up to Portland was always such a practical roadtrip, and I did it so often that it became just as routine as going to an Ems game here in Eugene. It is just another example of how corrupt and short-sighted people with influence and power have become in this state. Whether it be politicians in Portland or wealthy donors here in Eugene, the vision of progress and community identity are becoming lost because of them. This is the main reason why citizens need to continually voice their opinions and demand that they be respected an heard. This is the reason why we need to elect people to public office that are honest and are willing to fight tooth-and-nail for the good things that all citizens benefit from.

The Portland Finale was the last baseball game I will go to for this year. For all intents and purposes, this season is over for me. I will, in the next few days, put together a Final Thoughts entry on this season. There is a lot to go over, so I want to make sure I put it together right.

Keep an eye out for the next update!

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)

The End of One Era and the Beginning of a New One

Hello followers!

As the 2010 baseball season quickly draws to a conclusion, I have some final thoughts on the inaugural season the Eugene Emeralds had at PK Park, and the upcoming games tomorrow and Labor Day in Portland.

I will admit to all of you that PK Park grew on me. At first, I was really bashing the venue. But as the season wore on, I became accustomed to calling PK Park the home of the Emeralds. The Ems organization did a wonderful job of covering up all the Oregon logos and Nike swooshes to create a park that was worthy of being called "home." With that being said, I appreciate the opportunity to operate the manual scoreboard for the last half of the season. I think this operation only added to the ever-increasing charm of the park. I came to hold the manual scoreboard as the last vestige of classicism in a park that is designed to be ultra-modern.

Aside from the park, I absolutely LOVE the concept of day games. While the attendance may not have reflected this sentiment, I infer that if the organization gives the concept time to develop next year they will be as popular with the community as they are with me. It just seems so much more traditional to have baseball played on a sun-splashed afternoon.

The Emeralds aren't off scoff-free with my assessment. I feel that the organization was too focused on big picture concepts like forced promotions and themes rather than small, minute details of ballpark operation that tend to make all the difference. Simply painting an "I" for innings and an "O" for outs on the scoreboard fell on deaf ears. Getting propane tanks filled, having food thawed, and picnic logistics also were problematic at times. What stuck out as the most obvious error were the prices. $3 to park, $9 for a seat, $5.50 for a hot dog just is too much for the Minor Leagues. Considering how Minor League organizations are always catering to the family atmosphere, the Ems sure didn't make it affordable for families on a budget.

Here are some ideas that the Ems may want to consider to boost excitement for the park:

1.) Build a dedicated Emeralds Hall-of-Fame along the walkway on the third base side. This pathway is not used very much, and the addition of such an attraction will create an interesting diversionary activity for patrons.

2.) Scrap the pre-game picnics in Levi's Landing and make it a dedicated beer garden. Underneath the large awning, have a full-service bar. Control access to the Landing to people 21-and-over and restrict all alcohol sales to there.

3.) Either use the video board or build a manual board that shows updates of Major League games in action. I know of no Minor League parks that do this, and I think it would be kind of cool to create something not done elsewhere.

4.) Get rid of the protective netting that stretches the length of the dugout. So many people have complained to me that the netting restricts their view of the action and that they would gladly pay more attention to the game if it meant an unobstructed view.

5.) For day games, make all seats a straight $5. This would be a very attractive promotion for families wanting to get-away for the day and not have to spend a fortune to do it.

Even with the negatives present, I think the Ems will go back and evaluate the season and see what worked and what didn't. I'm confident that they will see the negatives that I see, and make the necessary reforms. I end the season confident and optimistic. This is a new era for the Ems in a new park, and I am comfortable in saying that.

With a new era starting in Eugene, Portland Beavers baseball at PGE Park is ending. I will be attending the last two games the Beavers will ever play at PGE Park tomorrow and Monday. As all of you probably remember, the last game at Civic Stadium was very emotional for me. This whole situation in Portland is sort of same story but different chapter. Last year, we lost a stadium, but, at least, we still kept a team. In Portland, not only are we losing a ballpark to a massive renovation for soccer, but we're losing the team. It is a double-whammy.

To be frank, I am simply still in shock and I don't think that it has set in yet. Civic Stadium was a "base-of-operations" for my baseball roadtrips, but PGE Park was always an easy and convenient baseball roadtrip. I did trips up there so many times that they became almost routine. To think that it will ALL be gone just hasn't hit me yet, but I'm sure it will in the next forty-eight hours.

I am scheduled to meet with an avid Beavers fan and the author of a fan website dedicated to the Beavers. I have never met this person before, but our connection was made on Facebook. We're meeting for lunch after I get into the city and I hope to talk with her about the current state of affairs (considering that there is zero coverage of the Beavers in the local papers) and what she may be feeling about all this. It should be a very interesting glimpse into the life of a dedicated Beavers fan who actually lives in Portland.

I will update the blog once I get back. Keep an eye out on Twitter and Facebook too.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)

Final Thoughts on Las Vegas

Hello again followers!

As usual, I want to have a summation entry from my latest roadtrip down to Las Vegas. This was a baseball roadtrip unlike any other I have ever taken and with that came a whole set of emotions and feelings that I have never felt. Suffice it to say, however, I come back from Sin City with mixed emotions. I'm glad I went down, hung out with my friend and saw the baseball game, but I truly feel that Las Vegas was the worst city I have been to for a baseball roadtrip. Worse than even Fresno or San Bernardino.

Maybe it is just because I lack that whole "party-first-ask-questions-later" mentality, but the "Vegas Experience" just really did not appeal to me. The gambling, drinking and nightlife just made me uncomfortable and unsettled. I felt like I was expected to act a certain way all the time, be wild and crazy. I do like a good time as much as the next person, but just not to the level that Las Vegas is. When I was down there and experiencing the sights, conversing with the people, I felt like I was automatically degraded because I wasn't down there solely to get drunk, gamble away my money and run off with hookers. This was a baseball roadtrip and I was down there to see the ballpark and go to the game. The first night we got there, my friend and I did go out and drink and gamble a little, but not to the extreme that the majority of other people were doing. I firmly believe that if there is to be a breakdown of society's social structure, our world would look like Las Vegas. The city is dirty, crowded, hot and predicated on humanity's worst elements: greed, manipulation and vice. Compared to the gems of cities that I have been to since baseball roadtrips started in 2007, Vegas was the worst out of them all.

The whole concept of a transit line running up and down the Strip and connecting the Fremont District is very smart. The line may be incredibly inefficient and unreliable, but the idea is a novel one. Letting city buses that carry that many people intermingle with the gridlock traffic of Las Vegas Boulevard just adds to the headaches. In addition to the slow speeds, the clientele are usually drunken patrons going from one casino to another, so they hardly know any of the procedures of how to respectfully ride public transportation. I can't count how many times we boarded that bus and saw people puking in the seats and getting in drunken arguments with fellow passengers. Maybe in the next few years Las Vegas will invest in a more permanent transit line up-and-down the Strip in maybe the form of light rail or bus rapid transit, like the EmX here in Eugene. This could make the line more time-efficient and allow for the quick on-and-off of all those bad apples who ride it. In addition to the transit, I appreciate the effort to make the Strip pedestrian-friendly. However, there needs to be more continuity in the sidewalks that allow patrons to easily and quickly move from one establishment to another without the constant weaving in-and-out of gimmicky stands and clubs affiliated with all the casinos. The shortest route between two points is a straight line, and Vegas city planners need to remember this with regards to their sidewalk construction.

The casinos are a complete racket. They attract you with grandiose facades of fake re-creations of New York, Paris, Venice and Rome, but inside they confine you to the gaming floor and make it virtually impossible to find a bathroom, food stand or exit, for that matter. All the escalators and moving sidewalks go one way: into the casino. They psychologically force you to play their gaming mechanisms before doing anything else, especially leaving. Combine that with the incredible amount of cigarette smoke, the horrible odds, the expensive table minimums and the lack of windows it makes for a lot of unpleasantness.

There is one good thing I can point out about the casinos. The whole concept of the buffet in Vegas in awesome. We went to the buffet at Circus Circus and the Belaggio, and both were extraordinary, especially the Belaggio. The last day we were there, we went to the Belaggio brunch buffet. For only about twenty-five dollars, we were treated to an all-you-can eat buffet of seafood, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, traditional America, hundreds of types of bread and salad accoutrement's and the widest variety of desserts I have ever seen. We ate so much that I couldn't move for almost fifteen minutes because my stomach was so full.

Then there is the story with this ballpark. Cashman Field and the Las Vegas 51s know who their target audience is and caters only to them. When I went to the ballpark, I literally felt like I was lost by not being bombarded with ringing slot machines, bright neon lights, drunken tourists and aggressive pimps. Being amongst that type of setting almost made me appreciate the park not just for it's baseball, but as a sanctuary. Here was this beacon of normalcy and decency in a city filled with the opposite of that. I give the utmost credit to the 51s organization for recognizing that they are targeting Vegas citizens, who live amongst this bad stuff everyday, and providing a respite and relief haven for their entertainment.

Las Vegas really rubbed me the wrong way, but this baseball roadtrip made me appreciate the life I have here in Eugene and the other 31 cities I had visited on baseball roadtrips prior to Las Vegas. Like I said in the previous blog entry, maybe we need places like Las Vegas to make us be more indebted to our own lives and residences away from there.

This is the last extended baseball roadtrip for the season. In two weeks, however, I will be traveling up to Portland for two days to see the two final games the Beavers will play at PGE Park. This is sure to be a very sad experience and I will make sure to write down what happens in this blog. In addition to the Beavers, the Eugene Emeralds will be wrapping up their inaugural season at PK Park. I will write down some final thoughts on that, as well.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)

What Happens in Vegas...

Greetings followers!

The final day here in Vegas has just ended and my friend and I are waiting here at McCarren International Airport for the short two-hour flight back to Eugene. While we may be here nearly three hours before the flight leaves, we are eagerly resting our legs, soaking in the air conditioned environment and maybe even squeeze a nap in. The past sixty hours in this city have been literally exhausting and have made the both of us very tired.

After the last posting, my friend and I migrated down to the Circus Circus buffet for brunch. The infamously cheap Vegas buffets actually surprised me with the quality. Though it was no where near that of a fancy restaurant, it was enough to fill our stomachs and appeal to our taste buds. It was pretty decent in price, so I left very filled and satisfied.

The buffet was good, but it made the two of us extremely tired. We both went back to the hotel room and crashed. A full stomach combined with a late, late night on the town made us fatigued that we both crashed for nearly three hours. When we woke, we were still tired, but eager to move off of the Strip and head north on Las Vegas Blvd. to Cashman Field.

The mode of transportation we used was a city bus named "The Deuce." It is a double-decker bus that plies the Strip stopping at every casino. While this may sound like a novel idea to encourage people to use the bus in commuting between the casinos, it was very inefficient taking nearly one hour to go a mere five miles. I was worried that we may not get to the game on time, but we did with about thirty minutes to spare.

Cashman Field is located just north of the Fremont Street gaming district. The area surrounding the ballpark is not the most savory, but the proximity to "The Deuce" line makes it acceptable. Surrounded by a sea of overlooking parking lots, the park is set at the bottom of a gully that requires attendees to scamper up and down a grass hill to get the front gate. The exterior of the park is more reminiscent of a convention center with no outward markings of there being a baseball stadium here. Only a small sign over the front gate indicated that this was Cashman Field, home of the Las Vegas 51s.

The park is fairly simple with none of the expected Vegas gimmicks. No skydiving, neon lights, topless revues or slot machines. As tourists who had been inundated with that atmosphere since our arrival, coming into an atmosphere that was that pure was very refreshing. In fact, the atmosphere at PK Park was more promotional and gimmicky than here in Vegas. The 51s had very few on-field promotions, cheap prices, good food...just an overall family-orientated atmosphere. Yes, I am talking about an entertainment attraction in Las Vegas.

It is obvious that the Las Vegas 51s are not targeting the tourists of Fremont Street and The Strip. Their main draw are the actual citizens of Las Vegas. The citizens of Las Vegas deal with all the gimmicks from the gaming establishments day-in and day-out, which are reflective of the stereotype of Las Vegas we, as outsiders, are accustomed to. Cashman Field and the 51s are there to offer a change, or a departure, from the norm for them. This is a great example of what a ballpark in the Minor Leagues should strive for. Targeting the citizentry of the community it is supposed to serve. It brings a smile to my face to see an organization with this mentality. Because of all this, I give Cashman Field a very high rating.

The Portland Beavers got eight string innings from Josh Geer to beat the host 51s 4-2.

After the game, we decided to walk back towards Fremont Street. We got about halfway across the parking lot when all of a sudden, a random lady pulls up besides us and offers to give us a ride. I was so surprised that I probably made the mistake of jumping in the car with a stranger and acquiescing to her offer. She could have been a drug dealer, hooker, or kidnapper. But it turned out that she was a frequent visitor to Cashman Field and was able to offer a very unique insight into what Vegas is and the 51s. The mistake turned into a great opportunity to interact with a local and get a real sense of what the "Real" Vegas is all about. While I won't make that mistake again, I'm glad that fate turned in my favor and offered me this insight.

She dropped us off at the beginning of another posh gambling district in Vegas, the Fremont Street Experience. This roughly five block stretch of street is closed off to vehicular traffic making a wholly-pedestrian mall setting. Highlighting the Experience is the huge ten or eleven story canopy that covers the mall entirely. There are video producing gadgets on the canopy that allows live streaming broadcasts on the huge canopy. In addition to the canopy, two stages are set-up where live bands blare loud oldie tunes that can be heard from blocks away.

The extreme gambling establishments are still prevalent and the gimmicky attractions of those casinos were still there, just like the Strip. The Golden Nugget, the Fitzgerald and the Fremont tower over the mall with bright neon lights and flashy advertisments for cheap beer, favorable odds and loose women. It is still just as expensive as the more flashy casinos to the south and, unfortunately the odds are just as bad as I still continued to lose the meager funds I allotted for gambling. It literally was a same-story-different-chapter experience.

We finished the night by heading back down to the Strip and seeing the New York, New York and Mandalay Bay casinos. These massive complexes are larger and contain more services than most small cities. But, unlike small cities, they have zero identity and are simple copycats and fake re-creations. After you've gone into a few of these casinos, they all blend together and start to look alike. There are no windows, clocks or other points of references in most of the casinos, even the larger more grandiose ones. When I went into the New York, New York and saw the same slot machine game that was at the Golden Nugget, Circus Circus, Excalibur and Treasure Island, I just said to myself, "I'm tired of Vegas."

While we did have some interesting experiences today, I will reflect on those in the Final Thoughts entry.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)

Sin City

Greetings followers!

My first night here in Las Vegas certainly was wild. My friend and I had an absolute blast walking up and down the Strip, taking in the sights, losing some money on the blackjack tables and observing the countless number of people celebrating and cavorting. It was a very interesting experience and it will only add to the multitude of memories that accompany a baseball roadtrip.

The Las Vegas Strip is a collection of about 20-30 mega casinos that span about a 5 mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard. We're staying at the Circus, Circus hotel that is on the extreme northern end of the Strip around other famous casinos like the Stratosphere and the Riviera. From here, it took us over an hour of walking just to get to the middle of the Strip and the Belaggio, Caesars Palace and Venetian casinos. While I can see these casinos from my window, the enormous size of the casino complexes make the observed distance a lot closer than it actually is. They refer to this optical illusion as a "Las Vegas Block."

Walking is definitely the preferred form of transportation on the Strip. From a standpoint of green, sustainable development, I would ordinarily be praising this sort of ideology. However, it is obvious that each casino that is on the Strip was in charge of constructing and designing their own section of sidewalk. As a result, the sidewalks along Las Vegas Boulevard are very discontinuous and wind in and out of the casinos and their own respective gimmicks and gadgets. A five mile walk quickly turned into a ten mile walk with all of the weaving.

It is amazing just how the infrastructure has developed here. Each one of these mega casinos not only has a hotel, but various shops, nightclubs, theaters, etc. It is like each casino is it's own little community in itself. All these amenities have to put an enormous stress on water, sewer and electrical grids. It would be interesting to speak with a city planner from the City of Las Vegas and see how the grid handles the enormous stress.

Las Vegas is a definitely a resort town. All the casinos up-and-down the Strip are so touristy and tacky. While it certainly appeals to the vacationing tourist, I was not overly impressed. I come from modest roots and I feel that people do not need all the stimulation of neon lights, slot machines, cheap beer and fake re-creations of Venice and New York to have a good time. But maybe that is why we, as a society, need places like Las Vegas to greater appreciate the simplicity and modesty of our lives elsewhere.

I played two games of blackjack at Treasure Island, and two games here at Circus Circus. I lost all the hands I was dealt, so, obviously, lady luck wasn't on my side. I stuck to the cheap five dollar minimum tables, so even though I lost twenty dollars, I wasn't too upset about it. However, when we toured the more upscale casinos of the Venetian and Wynn, people were laying bets of ten-thousand on a single hand of blackjack. It amazes me that people have that type of money and that they are willing to gamble it all on a single hand of blackjack. When they lost that money, they barely showed any emotion and laid down another ten-grand on the table. Simply stunning.

Considering we didn't get back to Circus Circus until after 4am, we're chilling here and taking some naps before leaving for the game. We'll be taking Las Vegas public transportation for the first time, so I am really excited about that. The bus will let us off about a half-mile from the ballpark, so we'll walk the rest of the way. The game starts at 7pm and weather is supposed to be hot and windy with temperatures in the low hundreds and steady wind gusts of twenty miles per hour.

After the game, we'll walk down to Fremont Street and experience the atmosphere there. This is the second gambling district in Las Vegas and is home to some of the more older casinos. I am very interested in drawing comparisons and differences between Fremont Street and the Strip. Not just the gaming experience, but the layout, ease of walking and just overall sense of entertainment.

Keep an eye out on the Twitter updates from the game and from Fremont Street. I will certainly update the blog after tonight's festivities.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)

Viva Las Vegas

Good day followers!

In a few short hours, I will be boarding a plane bound for the desert playground of Las Vegas. I wanted to write all of you the itinerary for tonight's festivities.

We get into Vegas at about 2230 hours at which time we will board a shuttle to the Circus Circus hotel and casino on the north end of the Strip. After settling our stuff and getting changed, my best friend and I will hit the streets of Las Vegas donned in our finest dress to rub elbows with the glitz and glamour that accompanies the Strip.

I have brought a finite amount of cash that is dedicated solely for gambling. If I come back with any money, no matter how small, I will consider my gaming experience a victory. I have been reading up on the different card games that are offered in Vegas, and I think I have a handle on the rules. Unfortunately, I did not have time to practice counting cards, so blind luck will have to be on my side.

What is more important to me than the gambling, however, is the city and culture that is Las Vegas. Let's keep in mind that this is a baseball roadtrip and that it requires me to do a community and city analysis. I will keep my eyes and ears open for what makes Las Vegas such a desirable destination besides the gaming.

It is doubtful I will update tonight when we get down there, considering the haste in which we will want to go out and explore and game. However, tomorrow I will certainly update before and after the baseball game.

As usual, I will be updating Twitter and Facebook throughout the night. Those two mediums will be the best way to keep track of what we're doing tonight.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)