Baseball Place No. 23: League Park; and Place No. 23A) Ray Chapman memorial, Progressive Field

I used to end up driving through some really bad neighborhoods.

But that was before I had Mandy, the magic voice inside my TomTom, to get me where I’m supposed to go without accidental detours.

That also explains why I didn’t accidentally stumble into what’s left of League Park in Cleveland when my son and I explored the city last summer.

All that remains of the former Cleveland Indians’ home is a section of grandstand wall and the ticket office that has been converted into a community center. Will, who lived in the city for a while, says the 6601 Lexington Ave. site is in a really, really bad part of town.

But it’s still important. Baseball was played on the site from 1891 until 1947, home to Cy Young. Babe Ruth hit his 500th homer there, Nap Lajoie and Tris Speaker picked up their 3,000th hit there, and Jo DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak was snapped in the park.

Josh Pahigian bravely takes us to site as spot No. 23 in his “101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out.”

But while we didn’t see the park’s remains, we did find something that was one of its features.

I present: Alternative Baseball Place No. 23A) The Ray Chapman plaque in Heritage Park, Progressive Field.


Chapman, of course, is the only major-leaguer ever killed by an injury sustained in a game. He was struck in the head by Yankee pitcher Carl Mays at the Polo Grounds in 1920.

A 175-pound brass memorial was soon hung at League Park. It features an image of Chapman over an infield and the inscription “He Lives In The Hearts Of All Who Knew Him.”

The plaque moved with the Indians to Cleveland Stadium, and for unknown reasons was taken down at some point put in a storage room under an escalator, according to a USA Today article.

It was discovered when the team moved to Jacobs Field, then, according to the story, was forgotten.

The Chapman memorial was discovered again in February 2007 by workers cleaning out a storage room, discolored with its writing unreadable.

The team had the memorial refurbished and became the centerpiece of Heritage Park, an exhibit of Indians history that opened in centerfield later that year.
It’s an impressive exhibit, with plaques honoring Indian greats, and ex-Mets like Carlos Baerga.


We later went to Lakefront Cemetery, where Chapman is buried. We didn’t find his resting place, but we did tour President James Garfield’s impressive tomb and stumble upon the graves of John D. Rockefeller and Eliot Ness.
Now, I know you’re thinking that I forgot Place No. 22. Not so! I’m planning something special, and it is taking some more time. So we just rearranged things a little.

Food in a helmet only one of the great things at Tradition Field

Tradition Field, the Mets’ revamped spring home, is a vast step up from Fort Lauderdale Stadium, and that’s not just because it has our favorite team.

Where Lauderdale is old school and its twilight, Tradition is bright and big. And it’s even a considerable improvement from when it was a concrete mountain rising out the then-nowhere nicknamed “Port St. Lonesome.”

It's probably a little more interesting to tell this story through photos.

There's a Sept. 11 memorial outside the stadium. That's a piece of the World Trade Center connecting the two towers.

We arrived as the gates opened a week ago for the home opener. I peeked through the team store and the rightly named “Cool Stuff” trailer, picking up my blue cap with the official Citi Field inaugural season patch.





OK, the bobbles, the caps, the jerseys and even the Mets Pez dispenser -- I get it. But the stuff Mets fish?

It cost $5 to spin the wheel, and there were a lot of things like pom-poms and seat cushions. But I saw the cracked bats and the grand prize -- a signed jersey. And the grand prize slot was about half the size of the rest of the slots. I spun first, and got an Al Kaline Hartland statue. It's better than the pop-pom. Then Dad spun and scored the big prize! I think Freddie Garcia wore it for photo day.

There was a counter with autographed stuff, all of it way out of my range. But it was fun to get a close look at a Shea base.

One of the renovations was to add a table area near the Tiki Bar long the left field line.

You can't get Carvel ice cream in Michigan. But the Shea Final Season logo helmet lured me in.

You can put a lot of food in a helmet. The helmet taco was easily the meal of the day. My friend first poured in crushed chips then added chopped beef and real cheddar cheese, not that nasty liquid cheese product. Finally it was topped with fresh lettuce, salsa and peppers.



Speaking of Freddi Garcia, Chris Duncan almost hit one off the roof of the berm concession area. I would have liked to have slipped out to the berm to take some photos, but the Mets staff said I'd need to buy a separate ticket.

I think we got to see the Citi Field Opening Day lineup, save for Oliver Perez on the mound.

Nelson Figueroa was the only player to greet fans before the game.

Luis Castillo and David Wright took time to stretch.

Oliver Perez warmed up for his first appearance since signing the big contract.



I liked these older fans with their jerseys. Of course, as a jersey purist, I was horrified by the improper lettering and numbers.

David Wright at the plate. Jose Reyes had a better day, with two home runs, one of them a grand slam.

The Mets won, 9-0!

Meeting the new Mets in Fort Lauderdale

The future of the Mets? Fernando Martinez and Dan Murphy get ready to take cuts.

I can understand why teams threaten to uproot and move their spring training sites after experiencing the contrasts during last weeks’ Grapefruit League road trips.

We’re going to set Josh’s baseball places aside for another adventure of our own, starting in beautfiul Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, where both the Marlins and Cardinals train.

We arrived Tuesday afternoon, just as players were ending practice for the day. We had time to explore the gift shop, which stocked items for the two home teams as well as the frequent spring opponents, plus World Baseball Classic teams.

Trenni Kusnierek of the MLB Network was preparing to tape interviews for the 30-30 show.

The Marlins' batting cages are pretty colorful. The Cardinals are on the other side of the complex.


It was too late to inside the stadium, but as we were walking outside Dad spied a ball flying over the stadium wall and bouncing in the street in front of us. The exact same thing happened to Dad last year when we attended a minor-league game at the site.

Walking further we spied an MLB Network crew setting up for one of the 30/30 broadcasts.

The next day we shot down to Fort Lauderdale for the spring opener against the Orioles. You already know my parents spoil me wildly, and Dad got us there as the gates opened so we could check out batting practice.

The stadium is one of the oldest in use, and is nestled in an airport industrial park. Not the most picturesque location, but the planes flying over head reminded me of Shea.

Sadly, you can sense the Yankee Taint. The team trained there from 1962 until moving to Tampa. The Orioles took over in 1996.

The stadium lacks amenities you expect these days. No one wants to use a port-a-potty, and the food offerings were limited. But the team tried, adding a large barbeque that had the whole area smelling great and a lovely vendor from Queens warming large pretzels over charcoal – as they should be!

There were two booths like this that were as close to a team store as the stadium gets.



The old stadium has steep, narrow ramps and aisles, and on this particular day there were a lot of fans in their golden years. It was sad to watch them struggle, and it made it tough to get around quickly.

Since there wasn’t much to explore and many obstacles, I made my way right down to the Mets dugout and found a good spot to watch batting practice.

The A-team stayed back in St. Lucie, but Luis Castillo, Nick Evans and Dan Murphy were among the group taking cuts, with batting coach Howard Johnson pulling several aside for short discussions.
HoJo works with Luis Castillo, then Dan Murphy.



Sandy Alomar Sr. worked with Bobby Kielty on his fielding.

Jerry Manuel came out and hit fungos, then later came over and sat by the dugout signing autographs, including my glorious Mets book.


And Jerry looked like a genius during the game, with the oft-booed Luis Castillo moved to the lead-off spot and driving in four runs before being lifted in the sixth.

Nick Evans also looked great, going three-for-three with three runs scored.

And some forgotten players looked great, too. Angel Pagan had three hits and drew a walk. Jose Valentin didn’t do much at the plate, but made multiple outstanding plays at third.


Mega prospect Fernando Martinez looked horribly overmatched in his first at-bat, flailing at a two-strike pitch with the bases loaded. But he stroked a nice hit and scored a run in his next turn at the plate.
Fernando Martinez at the plate.

I was giddy watching the Mets pile on runs, even in a spring game, considering the Streak of Shame, which ended on a come-from-behind nail-biter in Cincinnati.

Jerry met with the media after the spring debut.

Walking out after the game I ran into General Manager Omar Minaya, asked him to sign the Mets book, which he did happily. I thanked him for the autograph, then said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done.” Remember, we were in rough shape for a while before he took over.

Omar smiled, and started to say something, but then someone else yelled, “Now go get Manny!” and he moved along.


Then we learned that while players take the bus home, but coaches get to drive home in their own cars – in uniform. HoJo stopped by his car to talk to fans, sign a certain Mets book and pose for photos.

All in all, a very good day at the ballpark. The home opener was even better. That's next.


The stadium has a designated autograph area. Note the slot in the fence. Also note the lack of players signing autographs after the game.

Baseball Place No. 21: Jackie Robinson Center; and 21A) The Big A Scoreboard

Jackie Robinson transcends the Dodgers, as we know from the rotunda of the Mets’ new ballpark as well as seeing No. 42 retired by all Major League teams.

But I think Jackie transcends baseball itself. One indicator is The Jackie Robinson Center in Pasadena, Calif., tapped by Josh Pahigian as Place No. 21 in his “101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out.”

Actually, you can debate whether it’s a baseball place. The Robinson Center is a multi-purpose community center, offering health screenings, counseling, classes, recreational activities and other events.

Aside from Robinson’s name on the building, he is remembered by photographs and artwork, one, called “Jackie Robinson Icon” by Michael Guccione, that portrays the hero in almost religious tones.

I’ve never been to The Robinson Center, but I did check out another Southern California icon with religious connections. That would be:

Alternative Spot No. 21A) The Big A scoreboard, Angels Stadium

Baseball has its architectural landmarks. There’s the Green Monster in Fenway, the Warehouse at Camden Yards and Wrigley’s ivy-covered walls.

But the Big A scoreboard in Anaheim never gets the respect it deserves. Once it was an important part of the stadium, a massive presence in the outfield.




Then it was literally kicked to the curb when the stadium was enclosed for football, moved to the fringe of the parking lot along the Interstate.

I attended an education writer’s conference in Los Angeles in 2003, and the travel schedule allowed for some exploring on the first and last days of the event.

I checked out Dodger Stadium and Hollywood on the first day, then headed south to the Richard Nixon Museum and the Angels’ ballpark on the last.

The stadium was impossible to miss, located right there on the Interstate. But before I headed to the gift shop, I made sure to get a close look at the Big A – even driving my rented Ford Focus right under it.

It towers into the sky; halo nestled over the point of the A. It’s not a scoreboard now, just an advertising sign. But it should forever be the franchise symbol.

Amazingly, it took the team a long time to realize this. For years, the cap logo was a lower-case A with the halo off to the side. Eventually the team made the correction, matching cap and scoreboard.

Then the Disney people came along and totally messed things up with those dreadful uniforms and the winged A on the caps. Disaster.

It took a while to get things restored to their proper order, and I’d be surprised if the team ever drastically changes from a pointed A with a halo on its caps.

After marveling at the Big A and all it represents, I went back over to the stadium. There were some nice improvements. The Disney people know how to transform buildings.

There were two giant metal caps on either side of the main entrance. A sign – it was still named Edison International Field – was held in place by giant bats and balls.


Under the caps were spots were Angels legends pressed their hands into wet cement, just like the movie starts at Grauman’s Chinese Theater, which I explored earlier. It was a neat way to connect Anaheim to the bigger city not far away. Rod Carew's hand prints.

The gift shop was open, but, unlike the Dodgers, the team wouldn’t let me wander around the stadium to take some photos. I could see some of the artificial rocks the Disney people added beyond the outfield walls after the football seats were removed.

Of course I wondered why the team didn’t correct the earlier mistake and bring the Big A back where it belongs.