Last Call for 2012

"Turn out the lights, the party's over", the famous tune Dandy Don Meredith would croon on the old Monday Night Football broadcasts as the game wound down. For me, unfortunately the same is true, as the baseball travel season is over and I start back to work on Thursday. So for my last call of the summer, I travelled to upstate NY, on the way visiting Great American Ballpark for the second time, and making stops at Canal Park (Akron), Classic Park (Eastlake OH), Jerry Uht Park (Erie), Frontier Field (Rochester) and Syracuse Alliance Bank Park (70th minor league park). I also saw one Indy race, one NASCAR race, visited 5 zoos and two museums in the 10 day trip. Overall a good time.

2012 has been a great year for me in my travels, finishing all 30 current parks (seeing Citi Field, Yankee Stadium and Marlins Park), and adding a total of 12 new ballparks to my list. That being said, I am already thinking about my upcoming trips for 2013. I plan on finishing the Pacific Coast League (Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Reno and Omaha), Texas League (Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Midland) and possibly the Midwest League (South Bend, West Michigan, Lansing and Great Lakes). Happy chasing!

So, what is your 'last call' of the summer?

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Comment by Tim Choiniere on September 26, 2012 at 1:15pm: My last call was this weekend with the Nationals. Was planning on 2 games, went to 3. I really enjoy Nationals Park. I am going to post another follow-up thread on it with some pics when I have time to unwind from my trip.

Ended up going to 8 Major League games this year in 6 stadiums. Lot of fun but no new parks either...

Comment by Thequesters Too on September 26, 2012 at 11:10am: I never made it to the game. I'm trying to save up for Spring Training in Arizona. Hopefully next year I'll be going.

Comment by Mark (53) on September 19, 2012 at 5:24pm: Jim and Thequesters Too - did you make it to Durham for the AAA championship? How was it? The stadium looked nice on TV.

Jim, how was WBC qualifying?

Frank, I have never heard of the Rockland Boulders, I will have to check them out. Thanks for the heads up. It will probably be 2014 before I can make it back to NY.

To all, happy chasing!

Comment by Tim Choiniere on September 11, 2012 at 12:08pm: Just got a surprise trip to SD via work issues so am going to the Cardinals @ Padres game tomorrow afternoon. Been to Petco numerous times and am going again....

Comment by Frank DeGennaro on September 8, 2012 at 10:37pm: Hey Mark.... really cool plan. I wish I had the time to hit more minor league parks. My daughter and I just finished our 30th MLB park in Seattle. We got free tickets to Citi Field on Fri, Sept 7 so we went back there for another time. I think that was all for 2012. I had wanted to hit the Cyclones in Coney Island one more time but it did not happen. Since you've been all around NY did you ever see the Rockland Boulders? Pretty cool stadium. All the best for next year.

Comment by Jim Wood (46 MLB) on August 17, 2012 at 8:22am: Actually just had a change of plans due to work schedule. Won't be headed to Pittsburgh but I will be headed to Jupiter, FL for the qualifying round of the WBC. South Africa, Israel, Spain, and France are the teams competing for the play-in spot.

Nice way to end the season and get prepped for 2013...

Comment by Bob D (MLB 30/48 total 442) on August 16, 2012 at 9:57am: 103 baseball games so far this year. Still a bunch to go before the long wait for college baseball games to start in February. I still have 8 games for the local minor league team and hopefully a NY Penn league championship game or 2, the minor league doubleheader in Fenway, my day before labor day doubleheader of Syracuse(d) and Binghamton (n), plus 1 Mets game, 2 or 3 Pirates games. But barring any cheap playoff tickets becoming available (need Yankees to be facing elimination to get them to the price I want to pay like a couple of tyears ago when they weredown 3 games to 1 to Texas) or getting though to buy a Saturday World Series game ticket in drivable distance, it looks like my 9/23 game at Fenway will be the last baseball game of the year. I can only hope I get to see the Red Soxs mathematically eliminated from being the second wild card that day.

Comment by Mark (53) on August 15, 2012 at 2:24pm: I have seen PCL Championship play in Memphis, but I have never thought about going to the AAA National Championship game. Unfortunately with my work schedule, the only way I could go is if Memphis hosts the game. For those planning ahead, the 2013 game will be hosted by Lehigh Valley's Coca-Cola Park.

I see there are some good trips scheduled, have fun.

Comment by Tim Choiniere on August 15, 2012 at 10:48am: My last call will be DC at the end of September barring a last second Red Sox game.

In DC, will be going to a Dodgers @ Nats and at least 1 Brewers @ Nats game as well as a tour of the park.

Comment by Jim Wood (46 MLB) on August 14, 2012 at 9:00pm: @thequesters I'm all for this- let's make it happen! We can talk closer to 9/18 but absolutely the more the merrier....