Our next stop brought us to baseball’s hallowed ground in the Bronx.  Well, we were next to what used to be hallowed ground.  Of course I am referring to the New Yankee Stadium.

We timed our passage through New York perfectly as we caught the first installment of this season’s Subway Series – the first ever played at the New Yankee Stadium.  While it may not come as no surprise that our most expensive stop on this trip was at the New Yankee Stadium, after talking with a couple New Yorkers, it turns out that you can usually find tickets for less than $10 at this new ballpark except when the Red Sox or Mets are in town.  We found some seats on Stubhub for $60 each and ended up in the very last row in the upper deck down the right field line.

I was excited to see the new stadium but was equally as apprehensive about meeting the replacement for the “House That Ruth Built”.  Any baseball highlight reel will no doubt include moments from the original Yankee Stadium as so many great players and teams have donned the pinstripes.

I got an eery feeling as we walked off the subway to see the shell of the old Yankee Stadium sitting empty and neglected as the new stadium was full of life.  The crypt-like existence of perhaps the most famous facility in all of sports was a sad sight for this lifelong baseball fan.  I have grown up in an era where Yankee Stadium is synonymous with October (and November) baseball.   Nicole continually asked me if I was feeling ok throughout the game as I gazed over at the grassless, seatless ballpark across the street.

As it turns out, we got our money’s worth from this game.  There was no shortage of home runs in what has become a hitter’s paradise in New York.  With the score tied 7-7 in the 8th inning, Mariano Rivera uncharacteristically yielded a run to the Mets.  Then in perhaps one of the most unlikely turn of events, the Yankees scored two runs when Mets 2nd baseman Luis Castillo dropped a routine pop fly that A-Rod hit with two outs.  As soon as the ball left the bat, most fans were standing up to gather their belongings and head for the door with the assumption that the Mets had won the game.

The ensuing scene is one that will only be replicated in movies.  We had moved down to the bottom of our section near the handicapped seating and grown men were throwing/kicking folding chairs out of joy or anger.  Every Mets fan that we passed on our way to the subway looked as if they had just been given the news of a family member’s passing.  Never have I witnessed a single play that swung the emotions of so many people in a split second.

Needless to say, our first experience at the new Yankee Stadium was amazing and the ballpark was great.  We visited Monument Park before the game started and got to witness some serious beer-fueled arguments between Yankees and Mets fans up in the nose bleeds.  Next stop, the Nation makes a visit to Philly.

Here are the pictures from Yankee Stadium…

Yesterday morning we walked around Lincoln Square, the neighborhood where we are staying, had lunch at the tasty Bad Dog Tavern, and even got a little taste of Chicago’s Mayfest as well (thanks random guy for giving us a few free food tickets!).

Chiquita took a good nap and then we headed out to Wrigley Field. We got to take the “L” train, which is Chicago’s mostly-elevated train system. Taking public transportation is something we really enjoy; unfortunately so does the rest of Chicago. We had to wait for a second train to Wrigley because the first was too jammed-full.

After a nice treat at the Starbucks across the street from the ballpark (free, thanks to our friend Melissa who used to work there!), and a quick gander at the Wrigleyville Fire Department (the “fighter-fighters,” according to Chiquita), we entered the hallowed grounds the Cubs call home.

This was the only game where we’ll get to see the Dodgers on our trip, and it was a good one for the L.A. fans! This was our third game at Wrigley Field, but did include some first for us– our first with Chiquita, our first Cubs night game, and our first time seeing the Dodgers play there.

Here’s the photos from our first day in Chicago…

Unfortunately, Chiquita came down with a bit of a tummy ache last night, so we’re taking it easy today and hoping we can still make it to at least part of the White Sox game if she’s feeling better later today. Travel can be hard on a little one but hopefully she’ll be up on her feet again and ready to go soon.

We’ve officially begun our road trip! Thursday night we flew in to Indianapolis, then drove to stay the night with family about 45 minutes away.

Chiquita got to play with her cousins the next morning and then we headed out on the road up to Milwaukee! The Brewers game was great. We really liked the extremely family-friendly ballpark, Miller Park, and were surprised to find a sell-out crowd and an exciting game.

The only downfall to this was we didn’t have tickets for this game yet. Thankfully, we were able to snag a couple of “standing-room only” tickets which worked out fine with the stroller. You’ll be able to see from the pictures how much fun stuff Miller Park has to offer. You’ll also notice that the guy from those funny “Miller High Life” commercials was there to throw out the first pitch and sign autographs which was pretty appropriate considering the ballpark’s namesake.

After the game we drove down to Chicago where we are staying a few days with a friend. Unfortunately, we had a bit of a sleeping incident that night; since Chiquita took a nice 2-hour “nap” on the drive, she was wide awake when we arrived in Chicago and decided to stay that way until 3 am. Eventually she gave in and we were able to sleep in and almost get a full night’s sleep.

Here’s the first batch of pictures…

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for live updates as we go!

We’re leaving our home today for the trip of a lifetime!!

Today we head out on what may be a totally crazy idea trip: a three-week long road trip around the Midwest and the East Coast to see 14 MLB games, all with a 2-year old in tow. Along the way we’ll get to see some family and friends, too, which will hopefully make it a little more manageable with Chiquita.

Naturally Round Ball, Round Bat is the place to be to get updates as we go (you can subscribe in a reader or by email), but you can also follow me on Twitter for mini-updates as we travel.

Here’s our game itinerary (and yes, we would gladly accept free tickets to any of these games!)

May 30: Reds @ Brewers
May 31: Dodgers @ Cubs
June 1: A’s @ White Sox
June 2: Reds @ Cardinals
June 5: Angels @ Tigers
June 6: Royals @ Blue Jays
June 9: Reds @ Nationals
June 10: Mariners @ Orioles
June 11: Phillies @ Mets
June 12: Mets @ Yankees
June 13: Red Sox @ Phillies
June 14: Tigers @ Pirates
June 15: Brewers @ Indians
June 16: Braves @ Reds

Happy Baseball and see you on the road!