Tag: baseball

Travels With Charlie Day #4 “Play Ball!”

by reissmd, posted in Chicago

We slept in this morning because (please don’t tell Charlie’s parents) we stayed up close to midnight last night. It really is a lot of fun hanging out with this guy. For example, I asked him how does it feel to have such an immature Grandpa to which he answered, “You know evolutionary speaking you are 2 years more mature than Grandma”. That had me confused and I didn’t dare ask him to explain but I did mention that I am 3 years older than Grandma. “Oh, in that case, you are only 1 year more mature than she is”. I still don’t get it but I did make sure Patrice heard it and gave her a “So there!” for emphasis. Did I mention that Grandpa is immature?

The first thing on order for the day was to feed the little boy (I am referring to me, not Charlie). We headed downstairs to the lobby where they have “The Lobby” restaurant. The food and service were superb but the highlight of the day was when a woman approached our table and wanted to know if we were associated with the Toronto Blue Jays who are staying at our hotel. She saw Charlie’s sweatshirt which said “Reiss” on the back and figured we were somehow related to the team. Clearly, she is not a real baseball fan. To my knowledge, the only Reiss to have played MLB was Harold “Pee Wee” Reese (yes Reese, not Reiss). Charlie might someday change that. He is a very good athlete and fun to watch on the field. I have to admit when we talk about athletes in the Reiss family we are not talking about a high bar. As I recall Charlie’s father was the first Reiss who could chew gum and walk at the same time. We politely told the woman that we were not associated with the team and finished our meal

With the game starting at 7 pm we had the good part of the day to explore the city. We asked Gary the concierge for recommendations. He did not seem keen on Patrice’s idea of going on the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) tour to get a general flavor of the city. He gave us some incredible information including an explanation of the significance of the Chicago flag. He also informed us that July 4th didn’t become a holiday until 1941. He mentioned that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4th. I beat him saying that it was in 1826, 50 years to the day of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Did I mention that Grandpa is immature?

In spite of Gary’s recommendation, we did take the HOHO tour and regretted it. We got to see some nice stuff but inside the bus, it was very hot and on top, we were in the sun. I would not recommend the HOHO tour.

Tonight was all about baseball. The White Sox play in Guaranteed Rate Field. I have to tell you I am sick of all these stadiums named after companies. It is one thing if the company pays for the building of the stadium and the location carries that name forever. As you know that is not the case. For example, you can drive forever and you will no longer be able to find Staples Center in Los Angeles. We got an early start hoping to catch some batting practice at White Sox stadium (sorry, I had to change the name). In spite of arriving early, we found it difficult to get to a parking spot so we missed BP. The stadium might be poorly named but it is beautiful. We were treated to great seats and a great game. Unfortunately for the home folks, the White Sox didn’t win. But they did have a temporary lead thanks to a 3 run home run by Luis Robert Jr. It was kind of cool to see fireworks go off and the fans chanting “Robert!, Robert!, Robert!)

That is Robert between 2nd and 3rd trotting home after his blast. Just to clarify, that is not me.

Tomorrow is a free day. Any recommendations about what we should do? Adler Observatory? Shedd Aquarium? Italian Beef?

Travels With Charlie Day #3. “The Joy of Traveling With a 10-Year-Old”

by reissmd, posted in Chicago, Dallas

Today was a travel day. We left Dallas en route to Chicago for our next baseball game. We had to get up very early and in spite of that, I did not hear one complaint from Charlie. I expected him to fall asleep in the car but much to my surprise he was very vocal and inquisitive.

Charlie seemed to be a non-stop source of questions. Patrice and I were struggling to figure out how to get to DFW airport but these jewels emanated from the back seat.

“If you were going two miles an hour on the highway, would you get pulled over?”

“If you are in the middle of nowhere and there aren’t any signs, can you park there?”

“Would you rather it be daylight all the time or nighttime?”

The questions continued throughout the day:

“If you were under UV light would you get sunburned?”

“How hard do you think it is to be a publisher?”

“Is there any other way to get oxygen except for trees and plants?”

“Do you think sitting behind the world’s tallest person at a play would be annoying?”

“Grandma, what is it like being married to an incredibly handsome, smart, and funny man like Grandpa?” Okay, okay, I made up that one.

But my all-time favorite occurred just before he got ready for bed, “Do you think there are more wheels or doors in the world?” I am still trying to figure out how he came up with that thought.

By the way, Charlie informed us that he plans to be a Major League Baseball player someday. We asked what Plan B was and he said there isn’t a Plan B.

Our flight today from Dallas was uneventful (I consider that a good thing). On arrival at O’Hare Airport, I saw a sign that made me certain that the head of airport security had a 10-year-old in their family. See below.

Logic that has to have a 10-year-old lurking somewhere.

There was this sighting of a future MLB Hall of Famer:

“At shortstop, number 17, Charlie Reiss !”

Back to baseball tomorrow.

Denver: Mile High on Baseball Day #4. A Little Beer and Home Sweet Home?

by reissmd, posted in Denver, Uncategorized

Yesterday was our final day of touring and after breakfast, we headed to Golden, Colorado for the Coors Brewery tour. We arrived early and heard a lot about the town so decided to do some exploring first. Patrice saw a sign showing us the directions to Lookout Mountain. She was excited about the opportunity to see the area from up high but what got my blood boiling was the sign indicating that nearby was the final resting place of Buffalo Bill Cody. How could I miss out on the opportunity to pay my respects to an American legend? (See below)

Final resting place of Buffalo Bill and his wife, Louisa.

After paying our respects it was off to the brewery tour. It was very interesting and full of all sorts of fun facts. They also gave us the choice of 3 beers during the tour. Luckily I only took a sip of each, otherwise, Patrice would have needed to call paramedics to come to get me. It seems as if I am not the only one who can’t handle his beer. Check out this sign that needs to be posted at the brewery. (See below)

After the tour, we had a wonderful lunch/dinner in Golden at a restaurant called Indulge [1299 Washington Ave, Golden, CO 80401]. The food and service were excellent. Sorry, no pictures.

We then headed back to Denver for more exploring and some leisure time. During our adventure, I did see some interesting sights.

This was at the airport. To my surprise, Denver averages 53 tornados per year.
Except for Patrice, I saw maybe 2 or 3 people wearing a mask. But please stay 6 feet apart!
I thought this was a good take-home message.

The one message I didn’t like seeing was that our flight was delayed. We took the 7:40 AM flight because it was non-stop and the least likely to be affected by the various problems that can cause a flight cancellation. It seems I might have been wrong. Patrice told me a friend of hers was heading from LA to Denver and her morning flight has been canceled. Let’s hope the next time I surface I will be in LA.

Denver: Mile High on Baseball Day #3, Yes, We Really Did Come Here For Baseball

by reissmd, posted in Denver

Last night we went to the Giants vs Rockies game as promised.  I got a real bonus for our money since the game went extra innings (Patrice did not think of this as a bonus).  The Giants entered the 9th inning down by one run when the Rockies’ closer entered in quite dramatic fashion.  The stadium lights flashed on and off and a video of the pitcher was projected on the stadium Jumbotron.  I assumed the light show represented “Lights Out” for the Giants.  Apparently, the Giants didn’t understand the message as they tied the game and came within inches of going ahead.  Unfortunately, this only extended their agony as they went on to lose in the 10th.  

Coors Field was beautiful and very much like many of the other MLB stadiums we have visited.  The staff was very nice in helping us pass through security (bombers disguised as grandparents are definitely a high-security risk) and enter the stadium using electronic tickets (I am sure I will get used to that at some point).  Patrice found the concessionaires extremely friendly.  She went on a walk to explore the stadium and found someone selling kettle corn.  She knows how much I like the stuff so she decided to buy some.  Unfortunately, they were out of kettle corn but did have one remaining bag of regular popcorn.  Patrice opted to get it but the vendor said that his location was the only place in the stadium that didn’t accept Apple Pay.  She then said she would pay cash but was informed that Coors Field is a cashless stadium. The vendor called over his supervisor to see how they could resolve the dilemma, and they did.  They looked at that gorgeous face and said “Here, just take it.”  

Upon leaving the stadium we saw a few interesting things.  First was a guy advertising a local bank (See below).   

After that, we saw a guy who, unlike so many men, was very honest about his motivations.  (See below)

For breakfast today we thought it would be great to explore the city for a unique cafe.  Unfortunately, I was much too lazy and we just went downstairs to Elway’s in the hotel.  This time we sat by the bar and did see some Elway memorabilia that we missed at dinner our first night  (See below). 

Classic pictures of the Bronco hero, only visible from the bar and not the restaurant.

For breakfast, we had to have a Denver omelette, no?  NO, I had the Eggs Benedict and Patrice had something called Dutch Baby.  (See below)

Eggs Benedict with Salmon, yum.
Dutch Baby. Their answer to French Toast.

That’s all for now. I will tell you about our tour of the Coors Brewery today and other things in tomorrow’s post. We have an early flight and lots of things to do. I look forward to seeing your comments.

Denver: Mile High on Baseball Day #2. Want some food?

by reissmd, posted in Denver, Uncategorized

Yesterday I mentioned eating at Elway’s in the hotel but I didn’t tell you that we scored a “touchdown” and I am so glad we didn’t “pass” it over (ugh, I hate puns, why did I do that?). 

I was not excited about going to Elway’s thinking that it would be decorated with all sorts of football regalia and the meals would have silly football-themed names and would be mediocre.

I could not have been more off-base (oops, wrong sport).  The service and food were spectacular.  We ordered too much food and thank goodness we had the common sense to not eat all of it.

Wedge Salad was perfect
Brussels Sprouts were very good but we had to leave something unfinished.
I had the halibut.
Patrice had the salmon (it was better than it looked)
We shared (aka fought over) the Lobster Mac and Cheese

This morning we were feeling guilty and had to head to the gym.  I was very pleased to see that they have the same treadmills as the type I use back home.  So I got on the treadmill and entered my usual settings.  Moments after getting started I became breathless.  My brain forgot that we were now at altitude but my body remembered very quickly.  I did a brief workout.  Nothing compared to what I usually do at home but at least enough to assuage my guilt (well, just a little). 

With my guilt buried, what should we do next?  Readers of this blog can probably guess.  Oh yes, A FOOD TOUR.

Today we went on a wonderful food tour led by our guide Rob from Delicious Denver Food Tour [https://www.deliciousdenverfoodtours.com/]. Patrice and I have been on a lot of food tours and I must say if this wasn’t the best it was a close second (Lance’s Memphis BBQ tour when we were the only guests might still be our all-time favorite).  

Rob was an amazing guide.  In addition to supplying us with great food, he had a wealth of information and never hesitated during his oration.  I didn’t hear one “you know” the whole tour. 

Rob took us to:

  1. Marco’s Coal Fired [2129 Larimer St] where we had excellent Margherita Pizza.
  2. Lazo’s Empanadas [1319 22nd Street]. Excellent empanadas.
  3. Biker Jim’s [2148 Larimer Street]. Excellent elk and wild boar hot dogs (yes elk and wild boar)
  4. Kachina [1890 Wazee Street]. Fry Bread Tacos.  This was not my favorite but I was getting close to being stuffed by the time we reached this place.
  5. Ice Cream at Union Station.  There is always room for ice cream and how can it be bad?   

We are going back to the room for a while to chill, then it is off to Coor’s Field for baseball.  

Denver: Mile High on Baseball Day #1

by reissmd, posted in Denver

In our continued quest to attend baseball games in all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, we are traveling to Denver this weekend.  

When planning the trip, I searched for hotels while sitting with my friend, Michael.  I found a Courtyard near Coors Field which is the home of the Colorado Rockies. There is also a Ritz Carlton located about the same distance from the stadium but at twice the price. I told Michael about the difference in cost and he looked at me and said. “Do you want to take all your money to the grave?”   So here Patrice and I are at the Ritz Carlton in Denver and it is GORGEOUS.  Definitely not worth the extra money but as Michael put it, “David, Lindsay, and Erica (our 3 children) are treating” (with their portions of our inheritance). 

For dinner tonight we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant which for obvious reasons they call, “Elway’s”.  If the reason for the name is not obvious to you it is because you are not a football fan.  John Elway was and still is a Denver legend.  He played quarterback for the Denver Broncos for 16 seasons and led them to 5 Super Bowls, winning twice.  He was the first player chosen in the 1983 NFL draft.

My good friend Gary got to meet Elway many years ago at a Super Bowl.  Gary had the good fortune to be on the field before the game and was introduced to the Bronco hero.  Gary asked him, “So what position do you play?”.  When Elway realized that Gary was not joking he gave him a hug and said, “I love this guy”.  Needless to say, Gary is not a sports fan.  Typically when he is asked who will win the big game his immediate reply is “Who’s playing?”.    Well, the answer to that question for this trip is the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants.  

After tomorrow we will have been to 18 stadiums with just 12 to go.  Patrice asked me if I wanted to go to another game this year.  Late September would be a possibility but I wouldn’t want to risk getting a covid infection and jeopardizing our October trip to Spain when we will visit our youngest child, Erica. Patrice being the supportive partner that she is, said “Maybe we could go in November?”  Yes, Patrice is a great person but obviously not a baseball fan.  Gary, I’ll explain to you later why I am saying this. 

Baseball, BBQ, and Blog Day #3 “Play Ball!” June 5, 2022

by reissmd, posted in Kansas City

If my papa was still living, today would have been his 108th birthday.  He died back in 1989 at the age of 75 and I am convinced that he died because he hated baseball and couldn’t bear the thought of watching another game.  I, on the other hand, love baseball.  As a kid, I used to listen to the Dodger games and calculate batting averages per at-bat. I still remember listening to Vince Scully describe the action in 1960 when Norm Larker was battling Dick Groat for the NL batting title.  If you have heard of Norm Larker I would be shocked.  Larker had modest success in MLB but one thing of note is that he was the Houston Colt 45’s first 1st baseman.  The Colt 45’s became the Astros and they are part of the reason that we are in KC.  We saw the Astros play the Royals today thanks to the kindness of my friend and REISSTRAVELBLOG follower Jeremiah who works with the team.  

But before baseball, there is always time to eat. We are staying at the The Raphael Hotel, Autograph Collection (at the recommendation of Jeremiah).  This is a lovely Marriott with a storied history and we could not be happier with the accommodations,  The place is old but our room is spacious and the staff has been doting on us since arrival.  This morning we had breakfast at the hotel (which was included in our stay) and it was superb.  I had the Norwegian Benedict and Patrice had the French Toast. Both selections were excellent and the service was also A-1. 

Norwegian Eggs Benedict
French Toast

After a brief rest, we were off to see the Astros vs the Royals.  For some reason, Google took us on some small roads instead of the freeway.   There was very little traffic and the countryside was gorgeous.  We were fortunate there were few cars because at one point we saw a sign that said single-lane highway ahead.  And indeed the two lanes of traffic became one.  Lucky for us no one was coming in the other direction.

One Lane Ahead
They weren’t kidding. Sorry about the focus, I wanted to get out of there ASAP!

We arrived safely at Kauffman Stadium (named after the now deceased owner of the Royals) which I was told is the only stadium in the MLB that is named after an individual.  Are you telling me that Oracle, Petco, Citi, and Safeco are not people?  I was just informed that Seattle no longer calls their stadium Safeco.  I guess Safeco got married and changed her name to T-Mobile. 

Kauffman Stadium and the staff were great.  We were politely directed where to go and even got a ride on a golf cart from the parking area to the stadium office where we were to pick up our tickets (no mistaking this place for Dodger Stadium).  I had to show my ID to get the tickets (are you telling me that my blog has not made my face a household icon in Kansas City?).   We then proceeded to the gate. After handing my ticket to the young lady I lamented that my pockets were full of junk and she escorted us past the security monitors saying, “You are a friend of the players, you can go right in”.  Wow, I don’t get treated that well at my own office. 

The game was great.  Astro slugger, Yordan (that has been difficult to type because my computer keeps on changing it to Jordan) Alvarez had a single, triple, and a home run, leading the Astros to victory.  I was hoping he would get one more at-bat and get a double to hit for the cycle.  He did come up but unfortunately, he got hit by the pitch.  That pitch would have killed me but he didn’t seem to notice it.  Jeremiah confirmed that Alvarez was fine but they did have to check the ball for damages.  It was a great game and I really loved it. Patrice loved it too.

Patrice enjoying baseball by reading her book.

After the game, we of course had to have dinner.  Hmmm, how about some barbecue?  We dined at Gates Bar-B-Q [1325 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64110].  It was good but did not compare to Jack Stack from last night.  

Gate’s ribs. Good, not great. The beans (not shown) were very good.
Burnt Ends sandwich which was recommended by another customer in line. It was very good. As were the peach pie and yam pie (not shown).

All this eating is really wearing me out.  I need to rest.  See you tomorrow.

Hey, Patrice, want to go get some ice cream?

Baseball, BBQ, and Blog Day #1 “DFW Airport……UGH!” June 3, 2022

by reissmd, posted in Dallas, Kansas City

After a long absence trying to survive a pandemic, we are finally feeling comfortable enough to step outside of our house. If you believe public health officials (and I do) and we are not careful, we might be in for more trouble very soon. With that in mind, Patrice and I have set out on a trip. What could be more appropriate than a trip devoted to Baseball, BBQ, and Blogging? 

As loyal readers of this blog, you are aware, Patrice and I are certified “Memphis in May” BBQ judges.   My mouth is watering just thinking of the days we have spent judging.  During our time judging, we heard many people talk about the Kansas City BBQ Society as being the only true competitor to Memphis as the king of BBQ (Texas people please settle down, you’ll get your turn).  

In addition to our search for the supreme BBQ experience, we are also attempting to visit every Major League Baseball stadium. On this trip, we will be able to add one more, Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals.  

Our flight on day 1 already produced some excitement.  Our flight took us through Dallas on our voyage to KC. Upon check-in, we were told our flight from LA was delayed an hour which would leave us only 20 minutes to catch our next flight. Worrier Robert already started to obsess but we soon learned that the second leg of our trip was also delayed so we knew we’d be okay. 

Our flight from LAX started out uneventful except we did have a flight attendant of note.  Do you have a vision of a curvaceous young thing with a beautiful smile?  Well, enjoy yourself but that’s not what I’m about to describe.  Our flight attendant was Dave and he had to be close to 70 years old.  I watched him move the food cart up and down the aisle at a snail’s pace.  He would offer travelers some pretzels and then get their drink orders.  I thought we would be in Dallas by the time he got to us and we were sitting in the 9th row. When he offered Patrice a blue bag of pretzels she asked if he had anything else.  Dave lumbered back to the cart and on his return, he said “I can offer you a red bag of pretzels?”.  I chuckled and then he asked for my order. I asked for club soda.  Dave said he had Canada Dry Club Soda.  Personally, I can’t tell one club soda from another so I gladly agreed to his suggestion.  Dave returned, handed me a glass and the can of soda, and cheerfully said, “I shook the can real good so it should be very fresh”.   I had found my clone.

We received an announcement from the pilot telling us due to weather we were in a holding pattern for 45 minutes (note to self: avoid DFW in the future). So I used this delay as an opportunity to talk some more to my new friend.  It turns out this is a second career for Dave. He previously worked as an attorney and was credentialed to present a case to the US Supreme Court. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to present the case because it was sent back down to the lower court (where the case was decided in his favor).  It was time to get back to my seat and let Dave do his job.  Before I left a woman approached Dave and said “I have a question”.  Dave quickly answered before she could speak another word and he said “Should you kiss on the first date?  Definitely!”   You gotta love this guy.  What else can I say except I was wrong, he isn’t almost 70, he is 80. 

Enough fun on the plane.  We finally arrived at DFW to find out our flight to KC was canceled and we get to spend the night in Dallas.  Our luggage is spending the night somewhere at the airport.  They offered to find it but would only promise that the bags would arrive sometime between 4 and 8 hours.   We will rough it with what we have. 

Please see me and my new pal, Dave.