Summer time means
MORE FOR MY DAD AND I
By PATRICK MURPHY
Father’ s Day has come and gone, but the summertime means more for my dad and I. Every summer for the past four years, my dad, mom and I have made it a point to go to every Major League Baseball ballpark. We try to go to three or four games during the summer, with two at a time over one weekend. Why the summertime? Because it’ s when my dad and I have more free time. My dad was a teacher at Ivy Tech in Lawrence, near Indianapolis, before he retired a few years ago.
My parents and I went on a trip to Washington D. C. from July 29-Aug. 4, 2022. During the trip, we went sightseeing, visited some of the museums near the White House and attended a New York Mets at Washington Nationals game on Aug. 1.
At Nationals Park, we sat along the third-base line. During the game, I turned to my dad and allegedly asked him:“ Why don’ t we make this a summer trip when we try to go to every home MLB ballpark?”
I think he said,“ Yes.” Then my mom might have said:“ It would be a good trip for you two to bond.”
And so it began. During the year, my dad would plan where we would be go. Logistically, we would try to hit the cities close to where we live and go from there. We would analyze the calendar and align when one of the teams was going to be at home. Then, we would drive to another ballpark on either a Saturday or Sunday.
Additionally, at the parks I had to buy a hat of the home team. I also made a prediction that about 50 percent of the home teams would win on our baseball trips.
In 2023, we drove to Cleveland’ s Progressive Field for a June 24 Saturday night game. The Guardians won 4-2 over the Milwaukee Brewers for the first win of our summer trip. Then, we went to
Detroit’ s Comerica Park to watch the Tigers against the Minnesota Twins. The Twins won 6-3.
During the games, I have taken photos and videos of the ballparks. Since 2009, I have played MLB The Show on the PlayStation systems. However, nothing compares to seeing these parks in person and comparing what the games show and what real-life is like. In August of 2023, we drove up to Milwaukee to watch the Brewers take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Brewers pulled out a walk-off 3-2 triumph on that Saturday night inside American Family Field. Then on that Sunday, we watched the Chicago Cubs win 6-4 over the Atlanta Braves at famed Wrigley Field. This was the first time that both of the home teams won over the weekend.
In early July of 2024, Pittsburgh’ s PNC Park and Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati were on the map. Both home teams lost their games.
Three weeks later, we drove to Busch Stadium in St. Louis and then to the south side of Chicago to Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox were in the midst of their historically bad 41-121 season.
Last June, we went to a rainy Atlanta Braves’ game at Truist Park. Then, we drove to Baltimore to watch the Orioles win 5-1 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. So far that has been my favorite park, along with PNC.
We have 19 home MLB stadiums left to see, with some being one-offs, like Kansas City, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Seattle and the Athletics when they move to Las Vegas.
In July of this year, my dad and I are going up to Minnesota to watch the Twins one night. Then we’ re going to see the St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Twins.
The road is long for this baseball trip during the summer, but I have enjoyed the time I have had with my dad as well as my mom.
PAGE NO. 6 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE JULY / AUG 2026