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Comment by Joseph Donaldson (17) on December 11, 2011 at 7:20pm

-Not yet, I've been to 15 existing stadiums & 23 total.

- as time presents itself and very slowly. I started hitting the road to visit new stadiums 15 years ago, so I am only averaging 1-2 new ones per year. Last year Dodger Stadium & Petco were new to me. I loved the SoCal experience and particularly DOdger stadium was a classic. Next year I will have opportunity to go to Safeco, Aneheim, and Houston but not all three. Somday I'd love to hit a bunch in a tour but it's not easy.

Comment by Craig on December 7, 2011 at 5:14am

Paula - I leave Orlando on April 20, 2012 for 30 Teams in 90 Days.  This trip has been scheduled to stop and smell the roses along the way.  I am going to visit sights that I have never seen (Like Tombstone, AZ) along with major attractions like Mt. Rushmore.  My first stop is in Houston, then going clockwise around the country and ending in Miami.  I have noticed a number have made the trip in less than a month, but that seems more like work than fun.  Enjoy your travels.

Comment by michael schwartz (71) on November 13, 2011 at 3:27pm

My two cents:  I've been ballpark chasing since the 1960s.  For years I combined sightseeing trips with a few ballparks and eventually completed the then active parks. I've been in "maintenance mode" for a while and see new parks as they open.  I recommend you do NOT do a 30-park, single season marathon.  You won't be breaking any new ground, as it has already been done more than once.  My suggestion is to do a few per year, which makes the logistics and expense more manageable, and take your time to smell the coffee and savor the experience.  Instead of rushing and fretting about getting to the next ballpark, hang around the cities for a day or two to get a feel for the atmosphere, check out local watering holes--you get the idea.  From your photo, you are a youngster, so you have many years to see all the ballparks, and most of them aren't going away anytime soon.  Believe me, it's nice to have some unvisited ballparks to look forward to.  Once you see them all, you have to wait for a new one to open, and after the Miami ballpark opens, it's going to be quite a while before another new park opens.  Either way, enjoy!

Comment by Richard (15) on November 9, 2011 at 9:55pm

I have been chasing only a couple of years. Like most Chasers, I can only do as many as my job allows me. I would love to catch all in one year, but, let's face it, a. It expensive.

With the exception of this year, I have seen two a year, and will probably do the same next year. If anyone has read my earlier posts, I have a busy schedule this coming year.

Comment by Tim Choiniere on November 8, 2011 at 12:24pm

I try to do a new stadium or 2 a year. Started in 2003 but have gotten serious about it the last couple of years as I am down to 9 (was 8 but need the new Marlins stadium).

Comment by Chuck Booth (35) ALL 30/23 DAYS! on November 6, 2011 at 12:56am

Hi Paula, I chased all of the parks in the summer of 2008 & 2009 and broke the world record for the fastest to view all the home parks-by attending them all in 24 days in 2009.  With this site, I have written a book about the journey's and added/included to the already stellar 'chaser guides' that Craig had worked so hard to create.  This book will be an invaluable tool for your trip planning.  http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000381898/The-Fastest...

Comment by Mary (17) on November 5, 2011 at 8:18pm

We have not been to all 30 parks, and there are some that I think I would only go to if some other opportunity presented itself - e.g., I would not have bothered to take a separate trip to go to the old Marlins stadium, but most likely will take a deliberate trip to see the new one. While I eventually want to get to all of them I don't have the time to do 30 in a season, but tend to plan one particular trip a year following my home team, the Nats, and get to see a couple of new parks that way. When we go if possible I like to go to more than one game, spend a lot of time walking around the park to see exhibits, try new food, sit in a range of seats. While I have not done so in the past, I think this coming year we will try to also take a ballpark tour at the new ones. In addition to seeing the ballpark we also like to go to other sights in the area.

Comment by Reggie Deal on November 2, 2011 at 10:37pm

Ironically, I wrote about my plans this evening before I saw your post.  I always wanted to do 30 in the same trip, but thought if I could not, I'd see them eventually and in a way unique to a blind fan.  When I had time, I'd make plans for trips to parks I had not yet attended.  My first games through the 1990's, which meant one game a year in 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, and 1998 took me to the Astrodome in Houston.  In 2000, following a move to Dallas, I made it to what was then known as the Ballpark in Arlington for a total of 3 visits.  In 2001, there were additional visits to Arlington and one to what was then Enron Field in Houston.  My first true experience with parks outside Texas began in 2002, when on different occasions, I made it to the Metrodome, Skydome, Olympic Stadium, the former Bush memorial Stadium, Coors field, kaufman Stadium, Comerica park, and what was then known as Bank One Ballpark.  In 2008, I was to have seen Petco and Angels Stadium, but a sudden illness canceled that trip, the funds for that unused airfare would then pay for the later trip I'd already planned to see yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium.

 

In 2010, I hit kaufman and Coors for the second time while getting my first taste of the new Bush in St. Louis and then this season, I made it to Miller park, Wrigley, and the park that to me will always be known as new Commisky.

 

I never made it to the park in suburban Miami that had countless names and should have just been called Joe Robbie.  While that was not a true baseball park, I did always find the baseball design interesting as it related to the field and I'm glad that aspect will be some what put into the new Miami park.

 

Because I can't drive, I will be going in a direction that relies heavy on public transit as much as possible in each city.  I've done research to see where those aspects are going to be more chalenging as well.  I'm trying to intentionally plan games where I'm in the same city back to back when possible, or at cities that are a reasonable 2-5 hour train or bus trip away.  I'm also trying to put together flights when necessary, between cities that seem to have cheaper air fares, note that Cincinnati seems to be the most expensive no matter where you go to via plane because no discount airline flies there.  Columbus is a couple hours from Cinci if you are looking at a fly and drive situation since Southwest does serve columbus, but if your schedule allowed you could drive from Detroit or Cleveland to Cincinnati in a reasonable time frame if you get the Tigers or Indians with the Reds at home back-to-back.  Toronto can also be a chalenge...A discount Canadian carrier does serve some cities from Toronto, though you could fly to Buffalo for cheap and drive there in a reasonable 2 hours or so.  But then for me, the goal is to do the true 30 parks in 30 days.  You don't have to do it that way, especially if you are going to drive it.

 

having spent a ton of time sifting through numerous schedule options, I have some ideas on possible routes that could work.  If you have an idea of what your travel window will be during the summer and you want to start or end in a certain area, and if you have a particular way you plan to do the trip, let me know and I'll do what I can to help you guys.

 

The main thing that will make me decide my final route, is game times and some other commitments my wife and I have that do rule out that part of the season between roughly June 10 and July 20.

 

Best of luck and maybe, we will meet up on the trips if things work out that way.

 

Reggie 

Comment by Jim Wood (46 MLB) on October 30, 2011 at 8:05pm

Great questions....

* I've hit all 30 current ballparks (until the new Marlins ballpark opens in April 2012)

 

* I've been able to do it when the opportunity presents itself.  Sometimes I had made specific summer plans to visit a ballpark; other times I had the opportunity through work events (Minute Maid Park, Nationals Park, and Petco Park come to mind).  Some years I visited one new park- this year I hit the final 8 on my list.

 

* I don't think there's any formula.  For those who have done all 30 in one season all I can say is "incredible and well done".  For me it was more of a bucket list thing- it was just something I always wanted to do.

 

No matter what you and your husband do all I can say is enjoy, take photos, and if you keep score buy a scorecard for the event.  Enjoy!

Comment by RJ Breisacher on October 30, 2011 at 5:41pm

I will be making my journey to all the ball parks in the summer of 2012.  You can check it all out here http://baseballdreamin.blogspot.com/

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