We did it! This past weekend, Rita and I completed our bucket list of attending a home game for all 30 MLB teams.
It was a long road and took over four decades.
The First Eight: When Rita and I married in 1981, we had been to one MLB stadium together. It was then known as Royals Stadium (name changed to Kauffman Stadium in 1994). Below, at a game in the 1970s. Where is Rita’s hat? On my head.
Over the next 34 years (1981-2015), Rita and I traveled to over 100 countries. All seven continents. And seven more baseball stadiums.
We were striving to get to all the continents. Not so much counting baseball stadiums. Our only specific trip to see a game out of town was in 1990 when we took a day trip to Chicago with my mom (Katie) and aunt (Ellen) to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. They were regular cable TV watchers of the Cubs with announcer Harry Caray.
In 2015, our baseball interest became more energized. The Royals winning the World Series can do that to you. Hot Stove was born in the afterglow of the Series and Rita signed on as managing editor. And then…
Birth of the Bucket List: As Hot Stove got underway, Rita thought we should devote some of our travel time to seeing all MLB stadiums. She researched stadium tours and hit gold – Triple Crown Travel, led by energetic and efficient Darren Zinser. He leads bus tours from city to city, making arrangements for tickets and hotels.
We obviously liked Darren’s work. We took Triple Crown tours four straight years: 2016 – Washington to Cooperstown; 2017 – California; 2018 – Central/South; and 2019 – Central/North.
We attended games in 18 stadiums on the four trips. Five were duplicates, so the net gain on the bucket list was 13. Added to the original eight, we stood at 21 stadiums.
On the last day of the 2019 season, we were visiting friends in Washington D.C. and took a day trip over to Philadelphia to see the Phillies. Bucket list status – 22 stadiums. And then…
Covid Interruption: No games for fans in 2020. And we were slow to get back to the bucket list, adding no new stadiums in 2021 and 2022. Still had eight stadiums to go.
2023 – On the Road Again (#23, #24 and #25): We were opportunistic in 2023. We went to St. Louis in July to attend an event honoring Senator Tom Eagleton and squeezed in a Cardinals game (below at Busch Stadium, from left, Merri Abels, Judi Roling, Rita, Lonnie, Mark Abels and Steve Roling).
In September, on our way to the Telluride Film Festival, we stopped in Denver for a Rockies games. In late September, while visiting Larry and Diana Brewer in Phoenix, we saw a Diamondbacks game. Bucket list status – 25.
2024 (#26, #27 and #28): Richard Martin grew up in Dallas and has lived in KC since 1992. He lured us to Dallas while he was visiting family and took us to a Rangers game in June.
Rita and I then flew over to Houston to see the Astros.
In September, Rita and I planned a national parks trip to Yellowstone and Glacier. Since we needed to get to the Northwest, we went via Seattle and got in a Mariners game. Our friend David Matson came over from Portland to join us.
Bucket list status – 28.
Florida in 2025 – The Final Two: In August of 2024, Triple Crown Travel announced its tours for 2025. One started in Atlanta and finished in Tampa and Miami. We immediately signed up – a great way to finish our bucket list.
Three months later, Hurricane Milton hit Tampa Bay, destroying the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Rays in St. Petersburg.
But our pursuit of the bucket list was not stalled. Tampa Bay moved the 2025 regular season to the Yankees spring training stadium, George M. Steinbrenner Field in the city of Tampa.
Rules Note: Our bucket list test is a home game for each of the 30 teams, not any specific stadiums. We also take advantage of this rule for our claim to a Detroit game. We saw the Tigers at the old Briggs Stadium in Detroit in 1991 (not the current Comerica Park). This also saves us from thinking about the current A’s home at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento (we saw the A’s in Oakland).
Tampa Bay Rays (#29): Rita and I skipped the Atlanta portion of the Triple Crown trip (and the bus rides from Atlanta) and met up with the group in Tampa. Ticket stubs are now history, so a screen shot of my ticket will have to do.
George M. Steinbrenner Field was relatively full for the game, but it only holds about 10,000 fans. Since this is the Yankees spring training facility, the outfield dimensions match those of Yankee Stadium. In a race to opening day, the Rays covered all logos and other references to the Yankees to make it feel like Tampa Bay’s home stadium. Below, Rita and I with our tour host, Darren Zinser.
As for the game, Tampa Bay beat the visiting Atlanta Braves, 6-3.
Miami Marlins (#30): We traveled by bus with our group and arrived in Miami in time for a 4:00 game. The Marlins were hosting the Washington Nationals.
LoanDepot Park (stylized as loanDepot park) opened in 2012. It is a unique stadium for its contemporary style, setting it apart from some 20 retro ballparks dating back to Camden Yards (opened in 1992). Owner Jeffrey Loria wanted the design to match the style of contemporary Miami, and his Kansas City-based architects at Populous produced Loria’s “piece of art.”
We were pleased that the moderate temperature (about 80) allowed for the sliding roof to be open. During the summer, the roof is generally closed because of the heat. Also, the retractable glass walls gave us a panoramic view of downtown Miami.
Miami and Tampa Bay were 28th and 29th in attendance in 2024 (beating out only the Oakland/Sacramento/Las Vegas A’s). And 2025 is not looking much better (especially with Tampa Bay in a small venue). But our game on Saturday in Miami had some attendance boost for Venezuela shirt day and a concert after the game. The crowd was a sea of red shirts, and a young girl sang the Venezuelan national anthem. This was followed by a Venezuelan choir singing our national anthem (below). To our knowledge, ICE was not in the stadium. Miami won the game, 7-6.
Rita and I course celebrated that we had completed our bucket list of 30 MLB teams.
And Darren gave us a woodcut memento for the occasion.
Favorite Parks: It’s hard to grade what parks we like best. For nostalgia, we of course appreciate Wrigley and Fenway.
As for the other 28, we gravitate to the geography and view rather than specific architecture or amenities. In San Fransico, the bay. In Pittsburgh, the Roberto Clemente Bridge. In San Diego, a stadium shoehorned into downtown. In Baltimore, the setting in the harbor. Is it any surprise we hope the new Royals stadium is downtown?
Stadium Trivia: From BrooksGate, here is what we call the places where the teams play baseball. The big change from 2024 is that the A’s have gone from the Oakland Coliseum to West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park.
And here’s a BrooksGate chart showing the number of stadiums named after fruit juice companies.
In 2024, the Astros played in Minute Maid Park. In 2025, the new name is Daiken Park (an international air-conditioning manufacturer based in Japan).
In 2024, the Rays played at Tropicana Field. In 2025, because of Hurricane Milton, they are playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Satchel Paige and the Miami Marlins: I had a touch of nostalgia watching the Miami Marlins. From 1956 to 1960, there was a minor league team in Miami that was also called the Marlins. I was in high school at the time and remember the team because Satchel Paige was on the roster for three seasons (1956-1958).
In the Marlins first year in Miami, the owner hired Bill Veeck as general manager. Veeck, previously as a team owner, had famously recruited Satchel Paige to help the Cleveland Indians win a World Championship in 1948 and then to play for Veeck’s St. Louis Browns from 1951 to 1953. When Veeck brought Satchel to the Marlins in 1956, the pitcher was 49 years old.
And Satchell was very good. He went 11-4, 10-8 and 10-10 in his three years. ERA of 1.86, 2.42 and 2.95. This was against strong competition. The Marlins were a AAA team in the International League, and in those days, with only 16 MLB teams instead of 30, a lot of top talent was at the AAA level.
A highlight for Satchel was being the starter in a game billed as “The Baseball Party to End All Baseball Parties,” a charity event promoted by Bill Veeck on August 7, 1956. The Marlins played their home games at Miami Stadium, but for this one night, moved over to the Orange Bowl. A minor league record crowd of 51,713 fans watched Satch pitch into the 8th inning of a 6-2 victory. Just as satisfying to Paige, he drove in three runs with a double.
The Orange Bowl where Satchel pitched was demolished in 2008 and was replaced by loanDepot park. So, the current day Marlins are playing on the hallowed ground where Satchel pitched and batted the original Marlins to victory in front of 51,713 fans. Please note I was wearing a special shirt at loanDepot park (scroll back to that photo; the player with the high kick is Satchel Paige).
Lonnie’s Jukebox – Little Richard, Elton John and Brandi Carlile: In September of 1955, Little Richard recorded “Tutti Frutti.” It debuted on the pop chart in January of 1956, peaking at #17. I was a 14-year-old high school freshman and bought the 45-rpm single at Mr. Z’s record shop in downtown Kansas City. I remember because the song played an influential role in my growing passion for rock ‘n’ roll music, and Little Richard would become part of my personal Mount Rushmore of rock artists (the others: Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly).
I kept buying Little Richard records. “Long Tall Sally,” “Rip It Up,” “Keep a Knockin’,” etc.. In 1958, this included top ten hit “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” the flip side of which was “Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey.”
The “Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey” lyrics had previously been part of Little Richard’s version of “Kansas City,” which he recorded in 1955, but did not release until 1959 after Wilbert Harrison’s version of “Kansas City” became a #1 hit.
The Beatles were fans of Little Richard and his version of “Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey” was part of their setlists since as early as 1960. They recorded the track in October of 1964, one month after they played the song to open their concert at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium.
And as most Royals fans know, the Beatles cover of Little Richard’s arrangement is played after each Royals victory at Kauffman Stadium. After losses, it’s the Wilbert Harrison version. More Beatles/Little Richard at the K please.
This has been a long introduction to my next sighting of Little Richard. Rita and I were watching Saturday Night Live earlier this month, and the musical guests were Elton John and Brandi Carlile. The duo had just released their new album:
The first song they sang was…
“Little Richard’s Bible” – The words jumped out at me (we always have subtitles while watching TV). The song begins with “Penniman and Macon go together.” Little Richard’s birth name was Richard Penniman and his birthplace was Macon, Georgia. The reference to the Bible relates to Little Richard leaving rock ‘n’ roll to become a minister. He was uncomfortable being gay in the world of that era. As gay artists, John (78) and Carlile (43) feel they owe a debt of gratitude to pioneering gay artists like Little Richard who paved the way for them (there is also a track honoring gay icon Laura Nyro).
“Little Richard’s Bible” – With lyrics! This is a fun video showing the studio recording process for the song.
“Who Believes in Angels” – This was the second song in the SNL appearance and is the title song for the album.
“Swing for the Fences” – Carlile is especially proud of this track (and joyous video), which she wrote to serve as an anthem of encouragement to LGBTQ+ youth.
The story behind the making of the album also makes good television. There was an excellent segment on CBS Sunday Morning (click here; 9 minutes) and a one-hour CBS documentary (now streaming on Paramount+).
The album is selling big. It is already #1 in the U.K., and it debuted this week in the U.S. at #9 on the Billboard 200. John had his first Billboard Top 10 album 54 years ago (Elton John, 1971), while Carlile’s first Top 10 was in 2012 (Bear Creek).
Returning to Little Richard…
“The Power” by Elton John and Little Richard. Elton recorded a duets album in 1993, and this track featured Little Richard. Speaking in 2020 about this recording, Elton said, “Little Richard was my biggest influence: the way he played the piano, the flamboyance. Reg Dwight might have been born in Pinner, but Elton John was born in the stalls of Harrow Granada Theater in 1962, the night I saw Little Richard live. Just sitting with him in the control room of the studio, hearing his voice coming out of the speakers. It was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
“Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey” by Little Richard. Below, with the Beatles in 1962.
“Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey” by the Beatles, covering Little Richard’s arrangement.
The last two words of “Little Richard’s Bible” are the title of my first Little Richard record. “Tutti Frutti.” Elton John: “His records still sound fresh, and the opening few seconds of ‘Tutti Frutti’ are the most explosive in music history.” Amen.
“Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard (1955). The original record.
“Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard (1995). Forty years later, live (and great) at the concert celebrating the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the beginning of this video, Little Richard quotes the great line that the blues had a baby, and they named it rock ‘n’ roll. Which prompts me to end this with one of my favorite Elton John songs…
“I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” by Elton John. “…rollin’ like thunder under the covers…”
Walk-Off Photo: Another sign of spring. The resident heron has returned to Loose Park. Below, joined by turtles, mallard ducks and koi (the orange in the foreground).
