by Jo Ann Brown

Created on: August 03, 2008   Last Updated: September 09, 2008

Last Christmas I promised my two boys, who are baseball fanatics, a June cross-country adventure to visit some of the greatest and oldest ballparks. At the time, I didn't realize gas would be over $4 a gallon. Since the trip was already promised, I knew going was not an option. Because I started planning 6 months ahead, I was able to obtain cheaper tickets to the game and close to free transportation, one of Megabus's perks for scheduling a trip early.

The first baseball park was an open field or public park. I learned when baseball became a professional sport they became known as grounds only to be called stadiums when the popularity of college stadiums grew. Our cross country adventure included the three remaining classic Major League Baseball parks: Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Yankee Stadium.

St Louis was our first stop. Sportsman's Park which opened May 1881was the first destination. Located at 2911 N Grand Blvd, Sportsman's Park was home of the St. Louis Browns of the American League and the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League. I found The Hebert Hoover Boys Club currently resides on the property. Visiting the sights didn't stop thee. My boys and I saw other major attractions like the Arch, Fox Theatre, and ate at one of the most famous Soul Food Restaurant's in the area: Sweetie Pie's, owned by former Ikette, Robin Montgomery.

Chicago was our next stop. Here we visited two great ballparks: Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park. Chicago's Wrigley Field is the home of the Chicago Cubs since 1914. We were able to make this visit during a game and were excited to see Chicago Cub fans throw any home run ball hit by an opposing player back into the field of play. I was amazed to see bleachers built on top of homes to accommodate the large crowds. Comiskey Park, home of the 1917 World Champion White Sox baseball team and current home of Chicago's History Museum, was also visited. While in Chicago, we toured Sears Tower and Wrigleyville, the area surrounding the ballpark which contains a plethora of bars and restaurants. Planning this far ahead even allowed us to get tickets to Oprah's show. An event, amazingly enough, my sons showed excitement about.

This trip not only allowed me to spend time with my sons, but opened up an opportunity to learn information I didn't otherwise know. For example, the first home of the Boston Red Sox team was Huntington Avenue Grounds opened in 1901. Today, Solomon Court at Cabot Center, an indoor athletic venue stands in its

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