Day 9
Williamburg VA --> Aberdeen, Maryland (223 miles)
Game: Asheville Tourists (Houston High A) vs. Aberdeen IronBirds (Baltimore High A)
Every story has a beginning.
The story of our family's journey through the minor league stadiums of the East coast starts in Aberdeen Maryland.
If you have even driven down I-95 South you might have noticed a baseball stadium on the west side of the road. I know I did. What you are passing on your way through Maryland is Ripken Stadium, home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, Single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Once I noticed the stadium I knew that one day we would see a game there. That came in 2016 on our way back from our last trip to Atlanta. In addition to the minor league stadium, the complex is home to the Ripken Experience which hosts Little League tournaments as well as two Marriott hotels situated between the two ball fields. We have visited another two times since our first trip, staying at one of the hotels and enjoying a game where all that separates you and your bed is a five minute walk...a bonus for a father thirsty from a long day of driving.
We weren't supposed to be here today.
Our original plan had us finishing our trip with a drive from Williamsburg. While this drive would have been lengthy on a summer Saturday, the lack of air conditioner in our car made it nearly impossible (oh yeah our AC has been busted since last Sunday morning and the $2,000 price tag wasn't going to help us out). With this in mind, we check availability at the hotel near that park on I-95 and when we found it, we booked it. Keep the party rolling which includes...
The Good
-Tonight's game offered one of the experiences that make these minor league game great. For half an hour before first pitch, me and the boys got to play catch on the field. We moved around the outfield, took grounders and fly balls. Another memory generated.
-IronBirds players went out of their way to sign autographs and the boys got a bunch. After each one signed I pulled the team roster up on my phone to see who the player was. One was the #2 overall pick in 2020 while another went to Xavier University. As he walked by later, I shouted "Go Musketeers!" (the name of Xavier's sports team) and he came over to ask if we were from Cincinnati. We told him we were not but instead we also went to a Jesuit university and always supported a fellow Jesuit grad. He thanked us and walked away. Later when he was finishing his warm ups, I shouted "Ball for a Jesuit??" while pointing to Francis. He recognized us and threw us a ball. Cheers to you Chris Givin.
-Out of the seven games we attended we managed to go to three with promotional giveaways. At this game we got a shirsey of Adley Rustchman, former IronBird and current Oriole who played for Aberdeen the summer after he wast drafted #1 in 2019. Most t-shirt give aways feature a shirt that's oversized and featured a terrible sponsorship somewhere on the back. Not in Aberdeen! We had our choice of size (M-XL) and no sponsor. One of the best giveaways I have ever seen. Well done IronBirds.
Top notch giveaway
-A 2.5 hour game and the aforementioned five minute walk back to the hotel allowed us to watch the last Little League game of the day, under the lights. It was an 11u game that saw a team from Wantagh blow an 6th inning lead but come back to walk it off.
-We got to see the Asheville Tourists again, who we saw last Sunday at their home field in North Carolina. This time they won.
-We love it here.There's a Little League tournament happening here, turning the whole site into baseball paradise.
After baseball, more baseball featuring an 11u Wantagh walk off
However, not all things were good with that...
The Bad
There's about 100+ Little League players in this hotel and their acting like clowns. I saw more parents boozing outside than I did checking on their kids as they bound up and down the hallways screaming. I have to watch other people's kids as a part of my job but that ain't now. Note: I stopped typing after this sentence to menacingly stand in front of my door after hearing kids screaming in the hallway. I showed those children who's boss.
-Bugs! The infestation of spotted lanternflies that we heard about before we left appeared all over the stadium. Based on permission from officials back home, we killed those suckers.
The Ugly
Last game of the trip. It's been a hell of a run.
Tomorrow: back to the Manor and one last blog.
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