Covering all the Bases
CRANBERRY TWP — When David and Kim Glover first met, baseball was the furthest thing from their minds.
The University of Texas students weren't even fans of the game.
“I used to think baseball was boring. It was all about statistics, and I was bad at math. It wasn't for me. Kim and I both loved music and we loved to travel,” David said. “Those were our common interests.
“We just happened to get together with some friends at a Texas Rangers game in Arlington. Then we did the same thing in Houston a couple of years later.”
Still, baseball had not captured their fancy. The couple married in 2001 and moved to the Pittsburgh area in 2002.
After seeing a Pirates game at PNC Park, the two got to wondering; How many ballparks are actually out there like that one?
“That's what we started thinking ... I didn't even know how many major league teams there were,” Kim said. “I had no idea what cities they were in or what they were like.”
They decided to find out.
The quest to attend a game in every major league ballpark was on.
David Glover is an associate professor of music at Slippery Rock University. Kim is a music teacher at Norwin High School in Irwin. The couple resides in Cranberry Township.
“We figured it'd be a fun adventure over a period of years,” David said. “It was a good way to visit cities in our country we would never visit otherwise.
“I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who would love to do this, but can't. We had the means to do it. We don't have children and we're into traveling. We decided to go for it.”
The trips were slow to develop. They hit Atlanta in 2004, Kansas City in 2005. Wrigley Field in Chicago was the stop in 2007, Fenway Park in Boston and Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati in 2008.“We definitely became partial to the newer parks,” David admitted. “Wrigley Field had a smell to it, and the seats in that place just aren't meant for people who aren't thin. We sat in the bleachers. It was incredibly hot and there was a guy sleeping there, drunk, by the second inning.“The Green Monster (left field wall) in Fenway was interesting, but you were sitting behind a pole in a lot of places there. The sight lines weren't the best,” he said.The Glovers visited Milwaukee's Miller Park in 2010.“Cities like Milwaukee, Kansas City, Minneapolis ... We would never have visited those towns if not for this ballpark tour,” David said.Before every trip, the Glovers ordered their game tickets online. They always dressed in the home team's gear and David bought the home team's cap at every stadium when they visited.They traveled by plane on their farther trips, drove on the shorter excursions. And, slowly, they became baseball fans.“It was neat how every ballpark was different and you could get a sense of that town's culture by attending a game,” Kim said.She mentioned the pierogi races in Pittsburgh, presidents' races in Washington, D.C. and sausage races in Milwaukee, the stingray petting area in Tampa Bay, dancing dolphins in Miami and the Yankees' hall of fame monument display in New York.From 2000 to 2010, the Glovers took in games at 10 different ballparks. From 2011 through July 3 of this year, they were scheduled to finish off their odyssey.Their four stops in 2011 included Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Diego. Four stops in 2012 included Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore. They visited the Mets and Yankees in New York during Fourth of July week in 2013.“The Oakland A's weren't at home the week we were in California, so we had to go back out there this year,” David said. “Philadelphia probably had the crudest fans ... They were pretty bad.”Oakland is the only major league city left that still shares its stadium with the town's pro football team.“You could tell they play football in there, but the stadium was very functional for baseball,” David said. “The weather was perfect and the fans there are really nice.”The Glovers began the 2015 baseball season with four ballparks left on their list. They visited Oakland-Alameda Coliseum June 17 and Chase Field in Phoenix June 19.Kim listed Chase Field among her top 10, citing the diverse food options and swimming pool beyond the outfield fence. The roof was closed for their game as it was 110 degrees outside.David said he had a macaroni and cheese-covered hot dog at Chase Field.“We saw the Grand Canyon during that trip, too,” he said. “We've been able to see a lot of wonderful things with little side trips to all of these cities.”This week, they will hit Busch Stadium in St. Louis Wednesday and will end their tour at U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox, on Friday.“We've never told any of the teams we've visited that they were part of our quest to see every park,” Glover said. “I'm going to inform the White Sox that they're our last stop, though. I don't know if they'll do anything special for us or not.“We're not looking for any special treatment. We've already had a blast. Baseball is uniquely American. It's so historic in virtually every city. We've learned so much history doing this.”So after visiting every park in America — and Toronto, Ontario — which city has the best?“We're spoiled here in Pittsburgh because the best ballpark is PNC Park,” Kim said. “That's an honest opinion. No park has a scenic view of its city that even approaches PNC.“It's also the most kid-friendly park in America.”David Glover liked Petco Park in San Diego because a historic building is nestled right inside the stadium. He liked the history of Yankee Stadium and the view of the bay in San Francisco.His wife was partial to Angels Stadium of Anaheim “because the rock sculpture behind the center field fence with a waterfall is absolutely gorgeous.”Both rated the barbecue beef brisket sandwich in Anaheim as the best ballpark food they came across.In terms of novelties, David said “the bobblehead museum in Miami is incredible. It's worth the price of admission by itself.”He added that Minneapolis has the best public transportation system he's ever seen.“It's a very walkable city ... quickly became one of my favorites,” David said.With only two ballparks left on their tour, the Glovers have yet to pick up a foul ball at any venue. Tampa Bay's pitching coach handed Kim a ball after the game there — the only baseball the Glovers have ever left a stadium with.They picked up a lot of memories and knowledge instead.“We're so glad we did this,” Kim said. “I don't feel any sadness that it's coming to an end. We'll be visiting some of these cities and ballparks again, I'm sure.“Besides, I can't wait to see what we're going to do next.”
The Glovers ranked the top choices and experiences of their MLB ballpark tour:Favorite Ballparks1. PNC Park — Pittsburgh2. Petco Park — San Diego3. Angels Stadium — Anaheim4. Yankee Stadium — New York5. Arlington Stadium — TexasFavorite Concessions1. Angels Stadium of Anaheim (beef brisket)2. Dodger Stadium (hot dogs)3. Marlins Park (Cuban sandwich)4. Fenway Park (hot dogs)5. Wrigley Field (hot dogs)Unique Experience1. PNC Park2. Marlins Park3. Nationals Park4. Tropicana Field5. Yankee StadiumFavorite Cities1. Pittsburgh2. San Diego3. New York4. Seattle5. Minneapolis
Here is a log of David and Kim Glover’s visits to all 30 ballparks in Major League Baseball. They will complete their adventure Friday at U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox:June 5, 2000 — Ballpark at Arlington, Texas RangersMay 5, 2002 — Enron Field, Houston AstrosSummer, 2003 — Progressive Field, Cleveland IndiansMay 7, 2004 — PNC Park, Pittsburgh PiratesSummer, 2004 — Turner Field, Atlanta BravesJune 4, 2005 — Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City RoyalsJune 27, 2007 — Wrigley Field, Chicago CubsJune 11, 2008 — Fenway Park, Boston Red SoxJuly 25, 2008 — Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati RedsAug. 28, 2010 — Miller Park, Milwaukee BrewersJune 24, 2011 — AT&T Park, San Francisco GiantsJune 26, 2011 — Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles DodgersJune 27, 2011 — Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim AngelsJune 29, 2011 — Petco Park, San Diego PadresJune 19, 2012 — Nationals Park, Washington NationalsJune 21, 2012 — Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia PhilliesJune 22, 2012 — Orioles Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore OriolesJuly 4, 2012 — Comerica Park, Detroit TigersJune 28, 2013 — Safeco Field, Seattle MarinersJuly 3, 2013 — Citi Field, New York MetsJuly 5, 2013 — Yankee Stadium, New York YankeesSept. 1, 2013 — Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue JaysJune 4, 2014 — Coors Field, Colorado RockiesJune 17, 2014 — Marlins Park, Miami MarlinsJune 19, 2014 — Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay RaysJuly 22, 2014 — Target Field, Minnesota TwinsJune 17, 2015 — Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Oakland A’sJune 19, 2015 — Chase Field, Arizona DiamondbacksJuly 1, 2015 — Busch Stadium, St. Louis CardinalsJuly 3, 2015 — U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago White Sox
