See the Future

Flexibility is something that I have really discovered during my Baseball Extravaganza's during the past few years. I've learned that while rigid flexibility allows you to keep on schedule and makes you efficient, the spontaneity of flexibility presents opportunity for new things that you can't expect. My mid-November trip to Arizona certainly had all the facets of flexibility. I had a plan in mind, and I knew that I was going to the baseball game, but I really kind of just winged it, and I had a great time doing it.

I had originally planned on driving out to Phoenix on Saturday morning, going to the game, spending the night, and doing a big bike ride on Sunday. Well, after much thought, I decided to change things up a little and try something new. After work on Friday, I jumped in the car and drove to a Rest Area just west of Phoenix. There, I parked the car, and fell asleep. This was the first time I had done the car-camping for a Baseball Road Trip, and while it may not have been the queen bed at the Four Seasons, it was actually a decent way to spend the night. Compared to the hostel experiences I have had in the past, sleeping in the car was a step-up in comfort and amenities. In addition, it also had the added allure of being a little rugged and adventurous, which is always an added bonus for traveling.

By driving over and staying the night in the car, it allowed me to wake up at a reasonable hour and head into Phoenix for a morning bike ride around town. After stopping for a large cup of Dutch Bros. coffee, I drove into Tempe and parked at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University. I had spent the days leading up to my departure planning out a bike ride along some of the canals and such in the Phoenix/Tempe/Scottsdale, but as I got going, I was reminded just how much I love urban cycling in downtowns and around cities. I rode around downtown Tempe, up through Papago Park, past the Phoenix Airport, and looped around through Downtown Phoenix before ending at the Arizona State Capitol. All told, I rode 18-miles in a little under two hours amidst 75-degree weather with brilliant sunshine and no wind.

The Arizona State Capitol was my turnaround spot to head back to Sun Devil Stadium. While it certainly isn't the huge State Capitol that dominates some cities, out in front is something that is certainly worthy of size and grandeur, but, at the same time, is somber and moving. Out in front of the Capitol Building, in the middle of the Capitol Mall, is the anchor from the USS Arizona. Sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the Arizona took with her more than 1,100 sailors who still rest in her wreckage below the waters of Pearl Harbor. The memorial at the State Capitol has the anchor from the actual ship that was salvaged from the wreckage and a pair of 16- and 18-inch guns from the Arizona and the USS Missouri, which was where the Japanese surrendered to end World War II.

After reading the plaques and seeing the anchor, I really am at a loss of words to describe the experience. It was so moving and made me tear up. In a way, it reminded me of when I went to the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA during my NL Central trip back in 2009. It was so evocative and somber that I just can't really put it into words.

While I may have been motivated enough to bike back to Tempe, I decided that 18-miles was a decent enough ride and that I should try out the Phoenix public transportation system. I rode back into the Downtown proper and put my bike on the light rail. While along the way, I noticed that the light rail passes by Chase Field (home of the D-Backs) and the airport. Automatically, my mind began to think of how to somehow incorporate this into a future Baseball Road Trip. Maybe in 2015, I can come up with something...

I still had about an hour to burn before the game, and I didn't need to get lunch as I had packed some PB&J's before leaving Highland. So, I decided to continue my adventurous exploits and hike up the A-Mountain, which overlooks Sun Devil Stadium and Downtown Tempe. It's called A-Mountain because about 3/4 of the way up the mountain is a massive yellow "A" that signifies Arizona State. While I am a die-hard Duck fan, I just had to smile and know that my school is FAAAAR superior to ASU and that we're going to have fun beating them in football this year.

In the middle of climbing, I began to think, when was the last time I did a hike on a Baseball Road Trip? It's kind of tough because hiking usually requires going out into the wilderness, and all my Road Trips have been in urban areas, but the best I could remember was in 2012 when I was in Phoenix for my first Spring Training trip. I did a bunch of hiking around South Mountain Park, if I remember correctly. Anyways, the hike was pretty short and not very challenging, but the view from the top was certainly a winner. I could see pretty much the entire Phoenix metro area including my bike ride, Downtown, ballparks, and other mountains surrounding the Valley of the Sun.

After spending about 30 minutes on top, and then climbing down, it was time to head up into Scottsdale for the game. I decided to park my car in a free parking lot about a mile from the stadium and ride to the game. This was my first time going to Scottsdale Stadium, which is the spring home of the San Francisco Giants. Located smack-dab in the middle of the city, Scottsdale Stadium doesn't really break any ground in terms of stadium design or construction. To be honest, when it comes to parks in the Cactus League, Salt River Field sets a very, very high standard for nice ballparks.

My first exposure to the Arizona Fall League certainly was a good one. All the seats are General Admission and tickets are $8. I was able to sit right behind the visitor's dugout and in the middle of a group of fans that were really just like me: diehard baseball fanatics that go on Baseball Road Trips. I sat next to these people that had been on trips to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Houston. And, what was very neat, was that my experience didn't seem to be isolated just to where I sat. I overheard fans from all over talking about the game with intelligent statements and espousing their own Road Trips. Maybe it was because it was baseball in November, but if this is the type of atmosphere created by the Arizona Fall League championship game, I will most definitely make it an annual Road Trip.

The Arizona Fall League is a very interesting baseball study. It brands itself as an off-season showcase for MLB clubs and their best prospects. In this case, the game was between the Peoria Javelinas and the Salt River Rafters. Teams represented were the Royals, DBacks, Twins, Astros, Brewers, Indians, Cardinals, Marlins, Braves, and Rays. What was really cool was that each one of the players wore the uniform of their own respective parent club. Seeing all those jerseys really made it feel like an All-Star Game of sorts, but with the close access and low-key atmosphere, it really made for an enjoyable game.

In a championship game, which one would think would feature stingy pitching and defense, offense ruled the day. The Rafters put a 7-spot on the board in the seventh and ran away from a back-and-forth affair with the Javelinas to win 14-7.

To close out the day, and before I hit the road, I needed to check out a new brewery. Heck, baseball and bikes need to have a brewery visit to make the trifecta complete. Tucked away in a back alley of Old Town Scottsdale is Bad Water Brewing Company. I sipped a house IPA, did the stats from the game, watched the end of some football, and decompressed from the day's events.

During my five-hour drive back home, I went over just how this was a great kickoff to my "off-season" Road Trips. I felt like my two-month layoff from the game and Baseball Road Trips really allowed me to gather myself and make the best of these sporadic, once-a-month, trips. While they certainly don't have the regularity I was used to during the summer of seeing games every weekend, they're more unique and exotic. They're opening me up to new experiences and different styles of play.

Well, a month layoff. While I keep working on Catalina, of which I should publish Part 2 next week, I'm going to finalize plans for my next trip in December back down to Mexicali. I have some ideas in my head and things in the work for that trip, and I'll be sure to let all of you know about those when the date gets closer.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)