A question from the podcast merited a better answer
Recently on the Three-Inning Save podcast, Eric Stephen asked me a question about 43:23 into the conversation, which I answered, but like all good questions, gnawed at me afterwards:
ES: You’ve been to so many stadiums now, not just the Tokyo Dome…when you to a stadium, how do you experience it? What is your plan of attack?
I gave a lengthy answer, which you are more than welcome to listen to. After thinking about it for a couple of days, I came up with a much fuller answer to Eric’s question.
Obtain intelligence
Once the schedule drops, I map out where I would like to go. Usually, this list is 30 games long. Once I finally figure out where I am able to go due to work and budget reasons, I will narrow this list by half before the season starts.
Honestly, since I have been to so much of the league, planning a schedule has gotten exponentially easier, especially when considering that my focus is seeing all 30ish Major League ballparks.
Once I have settled on an itinerary, I reach out to fanbases through their respective SB Nation pages. Sometimes the advice I get is good, and sometimes it leaves a lot to be desired. The fun part about getting this advice is that I cannot test it until I actually get into the field.
I learn the most about a venue by taking a ballpark tour. I do not consider myself a religious man, but the following monologue from Jim Brockmire (Hank Azaria) of Brockmire makes my feelings clear:
Hey, man. You always gotta remember how lucky you are, right? Cause out of all the possible lives, you got to be a baseball man. That’s got to be in the top point 00001 percent of things that anybody gets to do. You were paid to travel around the world, you showed up only when the weather was nice, you got three months off a year, and most of all, you got to play this beautiful, children’s game your whole entire life. Man, I’d rather have your life than the g-damn Queen of England’s…Aw, man, [baseball stadims are] like sacred places. Lit up, they’re just like temples, and in the darkness they’re like cemeteries.
And in the sun, in the afternoon, there’s nothing more beautiful than a quiet, empty ballpark. Oddly enough, it feels like going to church before services have started, and there’s something almost magical to me about that setting.
My tour rules are simple: it should cost less than a game ticket and go to the Press Box. If you take a tour that costs as much as a game ticket or fails to go to the Press Box, congratulations, you have taken a bad tour.
Get to the ballpark early
Generally, I try to get to the ballpark as early as possible. Mostly, it is because I want to eat and soak up the stadium’s vibe before the game. With the advent of the pitch clock, if I get up during the game, I miss a good chunk of the action.
Also, historically, if I am late to ballgames, the Dodgers tend to lose, usually in an embarrassing fashion. But if I get to the stadium early, I have enough time to walk around, watch batting practice if the mood hits, soak up the vibe of the stadium, and take photos and videos often used in Guide entries and other content here at True Blue LA.
Have the right kit
To know me is to fly with me. Ryan Bingham, Up in the Air (2009)
I travel with Adric, my phone, and a power bank on any baseball trip I do. But having the right gear is how I navigate any ballpark, and having the right suitcase makes this process infinitely easier.
I learned something a long time ago: if you are going to fly, you might as well do it with some panache, as generally flying domestically is awful without proper training or preparation.
When it comes to going to the ballpark, I often feel like I was someone who frequented a now-discontinued chain of department stores.
Much to the annoyance of those who travel with me, I used to try to mimic George Clooney in the Oscar-nominated movie Up in the Air, which my life has sometimes imitated. I know if I start giving speeches about backpacks, it is time to resign from my position here and find another professional hobby.
The last bit of how I prepare is to have the right gear, and the following items listed are not an official endorsement by Vox Media, True Blue LA, Eric Stephen, or any other person or entity other than me.
TSA Precheck
John Raoux/AP
If you fly more than three times yearly, paying $75 for TSA Precheck is a godsend.
The thrill I feel every time I pass through security in less than five minutes, especially when I see the general security line barely moving, borders on rapture. My ex had Precheck, and she waited with me in the general line. That act was true love right there. Once you can go through security without taking your shoes, you will wonder what you have been doing wrong with your life the entire time.
Unlike the vastly inferior CLEAR Premium, which is barely worth the complimentary six-month trial, you are not out of luck if the Precheck lane is closed. You just get a placard and bypass the security kabuki to get to your gate with all of the perks of Precheck.
For the first half of 2021, I did not have Precheck and nearly missed several flights, because I was (and am) quite good at stripping down to get through general security. Around the time of my ill-fated first visit to Miami, I realized that I had mastered a completely useless skill that could be bypassed with money.
The TravelPro Platinum® Elite International Expandable Carry-On Rollaboard
Courtesy of travelstyleluggage.com
Checking your bag means trusting your additional clothes to strangers (a gamble outside of Japan), and you must wait for it. So whatever convenience you think you are getting by checking (and usually paying for) the airline to handle your bag is offset by the inherent risk and the time you will spend waiting at baggage claim.
The linked-to bag has a compartment for toiletries, a space to put a power bank, can expand in case you overpack, and is otherwise compliant with every major U.S. and International airline’s guidelines for the maximum size of carry-on luggage. On those rare occasions that you are in an Embraer 175 short to mid-range hopper, most airlines will offer gate check and allow you to pick up your bag from just outside the airplane. Board early enough, and this option becomes unnecessary.
Any good power bank for your phone
I normally use Anker power banks because they are reliable and sturdy. They usually offer multiple charges for my phone before I need to recharge the battery. I bring additional cables and outlets for the power bank.
A clear tote bag
I literally bought this bag three years ago, and security has never stopped me once.
Often, Adric is inside, eliciting comments about his cuteness, even if I forgot to take out the opened candy or gum I bought at the airport for either the Valsalva maneuver (when you want to pop your ears when you land) or hunger pangs after landing.
A towel
For obvious reasons. A hand towel will usually work for this purpose 99% of the time.
In conclusion, this article fully overanswers the question that Eric asked.