The St. Petersburg Trolley

Sunny Florida welcomed my baseball friend/traveler and myself to the beautiful city of St Petersburg, this April, of 2019. Amazingly, as my friend Ray Monroe is handicapped, little did we know that one block from the HyattPlace in downtown, there is a "Baseball Shuttle Stop" to Tropicana Field. The fare is free, but tips are welcomed. I didn't realize, until five years  ago, after Ray had a stroke that left him paralyzed on one side, how rude and uncaring people can be towards unfortunate people like him. The red Trolley has a lift, which makes loading and unloading very simple. Plus the drivers are mostly retired, and do this for enjoyment. Caps off to the St Petersburg Trolley! Awesome! By the way, Tropicana Field is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cap Night in Cleveland

Cap Night, AND Fireworks at Progressive Field. I was scurrying from section to section in the upper deck, searching for the best panoramic view of the entire field, and Cleveland's very anemic city scape. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is close by, nestled on the edge of Lake Erie. I visited Cleveland a second time in 2017. I went years ago when the stadium was The Jake, or Jacobs Field. The plaza you walk across if you stay at the Marriott Residence Inn is awesome. There are more restaurants there now, except I didn't see Alice Cooper's restaurant there any more, or no Hard Rock Cafe. I guess Alice doesn't live there anymore. Ha Ha.

Houston Astros Home Opener 2019

The Houston Astros opened their 2019 season at home against the Oakland A's, on April 5, 2019. The "103" commemorates the number of wins for the ball club in 2018. The Astros' slogan for the 2019 season is "Take it Back", in reference to taking back the World Series title from the 2017 season.

Roberto Clemente Autograph from 1962

An autograph from the iconic MLB Pittsburgh Pirate, which I obtained in 1962, at Colt Stadium, in Houston, Texas, outside the visitor's clubhouse. I have a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA, of Newport Beach, California, with a certificate number of AD13229, from May, 2017. A prized collectible!

Aaron Judd at Minute Maid Park, April 8, 2018

Aaron Judd pauses during batting practice to sign autographs for fans at Minute Maid Park in Houston, during the Astros-Yankees series April 8 thru April 10, 2019.

Dodger Greats From The Past

Past Dodger stars Koufax, Drysdale, and Snyder peer between the tall palm trees that dominate the landscape in and around Dodger Stadium. Similar displays of current players appear near the front of the ballpark. Images by Gary Paul Smith, April, 2014.

Infinity and Beyond

A panoramic view from the upper deck at Dodger Stadium. The hills beyond the outfield remind visitors that the stadium itself was carved out of Chavez Ravine, the area near downtown Los Angeles that some still refer to as the Dodgers' home. The ballpark is the third oldest park in America, behind Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago. Wrigley is celebrating it's one hundredth year currently, in 2014. Image by Gary Paul Smith, April, 2014.