Summer Baseball Tour011

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

When visitors describe their travels to Vancouver, British Columbia, they may mention a few of the famous attractions like Stanley Park, Gastown, or the Lions Gate Bridge, and they will likely mention the breathtaking beauty of the city, but it is a near certainty that they will mention the friendliness of the people and the general positive vibe that surrounds the city. In my opinion, there is no better way to get a feel for a city and its citizens then to attend a local sporting event. The local sports franchises are a strong part of the fabric of the city, and provide moments that often come to symbolize the city or the region as a whole. Attending a game provides a perfect venue for people watching, to observe the locals in a familiar setting; it is a place for expression of raw emotions and for representation of local culture; it is also a forum where everyone is treated to world class entertainment, to unscripted theatre that will regularly deliver remarkable performances night after night.

The bleachers at AT&T Park in San Francisco

Each individual ballpark and city offers a wildly different experience. Last summer we were on the road for five weeks and we watched games in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle and the All Star Game in Anaheim. Each experience varied dramatically, depending on differing factors like time of first pitch, seat location, quality of starting pitching, opponent, etc… This summer we are venturing east and enjoying even more of America’s pastime. The following is a list of the games we will be attending. 

July 14^th – Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins

July 17^th – Florida Marlins at Chicago Cubs (Afternoon)

July 18^th – Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago Cubs

July 20^th – Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers

August 4^th – Cleveland Indians at Boston Red Sox

August 5^th – New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

August 8^th – San Diego Padres at New York Mets

August 10^th – Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees

August 12^th – Pittsburgh Pirates at Philadelphia Phillies

August 14^th – Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles (Afternoon)

August 17^th – Cincinnati Reds at Washington Nationals

August 19^th – Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates

August 22^nd – Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals

A legendary rivalry

The game that stands out above the others is undoubtedly Yankees at Red Sox. The All Star Game was an unforgettable experience, but when it comes to the regular season, there is no bigger game than Yankees vs. Red Sox at Fenway Park. No other game will match the intensity and analysis of one of sports legendary rivalries, but it certainly isn’t the only event that I am looking forward to. I have a chance to explore important cities, tour historic monuments, and visit world famous ballparks like Wrigley Field, Busch Stadium, Camden Yards, and new Yankee Stadium, as well as an opportunity to watch some of the game’s brightest stars. It’s a trip that incorporates history, sociology, and sport - three subjects that I find most fascinating. I will be doing a blog post for each game that I attend on this trip. I hope you enjoy my insight and follow my blog throughout the summer.

This summer has also been a time of personal growth. Thanks to FutureJays.com, I have had the opportunity to work as a credentialed reporter for the first time, covering the Vancouver Canadians. My job with Future Jays is to interview Canadians players and coaches and write a player feature using the quotes. The goal of each feature is to identify the player as a prospect and outline the areas where he excels, using statistics and citing the opinion of the player and the coaches. 

My Thoughts on the Stanley Cup Finals Part 1

The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals - Part 1

The Vancouver Canucks established themselves as the only dominant team in the NHL this season. Pick out the other contending teams (Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Jose, Boston) and each had a discernible flaw that restricted their ability to make the substantial leap from good to great. Over the eighty-two game regular season the Canucks consistently outclassed their opponents in all facets of the game; they led the league in goals for (258) and goals against (180) and maintained a steady business like efficiency even when they experienced injuries to key players. They easily finished with the league’s best record and were awarded the President’s Trophy for the first time in franchise history. However, regular season success would not appease Canucks Nation; they would be only satisfied with postseason triumphs and a parade down Robson Street. 

The Canucks enter the Stanley Cup Finals as the clear favorite. The Bruins are a big tough team and Tim Thomas was arguably the league’s best goaltender this season, but they cannot match the Canucks offensive or defensive depth. Boston’s anemic power play (5/67, 7.5% in 19 games played,) has been at the center of many jokes this postseason. If the Bruins are unable to generate goals with the man advantage they will struggle to compete in the series. On the other side of the ice, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and his partner Dennis Seidenberg will likely spend most of their ice time matched up against the offensively lethal Sedin twins and will try to replicate what Predators defencemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter did so well against the twins in the second round, limiting them to just 7 points combined in six games. 

The task is nearly complete; the Vancouver Canucks are now just three wins (following last night’s 1-0 home win,) away from hoisting hockey’s Holy Grail and just as they have all season, the Canucks will not stop working until they are left as the last team standing.

Chivas USA at Vancouver Whitecaps, April 16th 2011

Live Event #3

Empire Field

Luckily for me, my first Vancouver Whitecaps would come on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I had watched the previous incarnation of the Whitecaps play in the NASL at Swangard Stadium a half dozen times but the match between the Whitecaps and Chivas USA would my first since the Whitecaps made their move to Major League Soccer. The leap to the MLS legitimized soccer in Vancouver and the move from Swangard to Empire Field created 15,000 more seats for Whitecaps home games. The Whitecaps home opener on March 19th against Toronto FC was a thrilling 4-2 victory and the raucous crowd established the Whitecaps as a hot ticket in Vancouver. It is extremely rare for me to attend a sporting event and not be competently informed but that would be the the circumstance Saturday. I was aware of the key Whitecaps players (and their propensity to receive red cards), their current record, and the expectations of the team heading into the season but I was otherwise in the dark regarding much of everything else.

The Vancouver Whitecaps and Chivas USA with the North Shore mountains in the background

Thanks to the match program I quickly got a feel for the Whitecaps players but I wasn't solely focused on the result on the pitch; I was keen to observe the fans and feel the atmosphere in the stands. I stood in the South Side with the most passionate Whitecaps fans. From the moment the players entered the field of play the chanting began. The chants weren't terribly original and whilst they didn't stretch much farther than the classic "clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap - Whitecaps!" and "We're Blue, We're White, We're F****** Dynamite!" the support was exceptional. The on field talent is nowhere near comparable to that of elite European football but the grit and toughness of the players helps make up for it. Whitecaps striker Eric Hassli was easily the most noticeable player on the pitch due largely to his gigantic stature and he nearly put the Whitecaps ahead thirty minutes in but unfortunately hit the far post on his shot attempt. The Whitecaps were the better team on Saturday but were frustrated as time winded down. Omar Salgado, the 17 year old striker who was the first overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, made a substitute appearance and missed an open header late that could have given Vancouver three crucial points.

Whitecaps fans await a late match corner kick from Nizar Khalfan

The experience was remarkably thrilling. I am definitely looking forward to returning to Empire Field, hopefully for Thierry Henry's visit on May 28th. Thursday my dad and I are leaving for Europe, where we will certainly be attending two football matches (Osasuna at Barcelona, April 23rd and Manchester United at Arsenal, May 1st) and hope to purchase tickets for another (Tottenham at Chelsea, April 30th). I will try between now and Saturday to post a piece I'm currently working on in regard to the NHL's issue with violent conduct as well as some of my thoughts on the NBA Playoffs, which have so far been unbelievable.