Thrillsville


I’ve been meaning to do this for about a decade — and now I have! I’ve completely updated my list of biggest “ballpark thrills.” You know, the most thrilling experiences I’ve had at a ballpark. And they are ranked, from #1 to #100 — with a few more thrown in as honorable mentions.

Some involve World Series games, some involve college contests … and lots of things in between. In fact, the one topping the list was at a kids’ baseball game!

The photo, by the way, was from my seat at the game with the largest attendance in the history of the sport. Where does it fall on my list? Read the rankings to find out.

So check out my completely updated list of my top 100 experiences at a ballpark. And after looking it over, add a comment with your own ballpark highlight!


If you are really into ballparks


If you’re really into ballparks, you’ll love this.

I’ve been lucky enough to be interviewed several times on Steve Manderson’s Sports Tuesday show on the Source Radio Network. We always have a great conversation about ballparks.

My most-recent conversation with Steve was recorded as a YouTube video (there was a webcam pointed at me, but not at Steve unfortunately), so you can listen to it.

It’s over an hour long, and we cover a lot of ground — all without commercials!

Our first topic is how I covered MLB’s games in Puerto Rico for USA TODAY, and what it took to prepare the ballpark for those games following the back-to-back hurricanes that devastated the island. Other topics include: what I learned from my tour of the Braves’ new spring-training complex in North Port, Florida; what I think about the possible new parks in Tampa and Oakland; what markets deserve a MLB expansion team (Portland won’t like me on this topic!) and much more.

If you are a fan of ballparks, you’ll enjoy this wide-ranging conversation. So play the YouTube video on your phone and listen as you drive to work. It’s way more interesting than what you normally listen to! And let me know what you think about the interview!