Kirkwood Loves Their Baseball

Park visited: Kirkwood Fields
City: Kirkwood, Missouri
Food of the day: Chicken O'Tender Trio at O'Charley's (and obviously the rolls)
iPhone song of the day: "Half Alive" by Secondhard Serenade
Miles traveled: 5

What a day.

Our morning began bright and early Saturday, as the Kirkwood Athletic Association was scheduled to start games for the June Classic Tournament at 8 a.m. Following last night's ferocious round of heavy rain and hail, however, these specific fields were ALL underwater upon our arrival to the complex.

Since our location by the main entrance would be on asphalt, we went ahead and set up the base of our area with tents, tables and our inflatable batting cage. We returned back to the hotel to chill in the room for a bit (which was actually a horrible idea, as Kohrs and I got comfortable back on our beds.....yes, we were in separate beds). Eventually we made it back to Kirkwood to find out that the day's schedule had been altered because of fields not quite being ready. I have to give credit to the local grounds maintenance crew; those guys worked to the bone for about seven consecutive hours on a Saturday to try and get the fields playable, and their work was very much appreciated.

As teams and their families slowly streamed back into the park, the Baseball Youth village was rocking once again. Our "pack war" baseball card games seemed to be a big hit, and I'd be willing to bet there there continuously 40-50 kids waiting in line for both the prize wheel and the free Airhead candy hand outs. Saturday was also a special day, as my Dad hung out and assisted our efforts at the park. With the majority of my extended family still living in the St. Louis area, my parents decided to make the drive down this weekend to check out our routine and for a quick visit. I must say that my decision to hit the road all Summer is heavily attested to the amazing support I've received from my Mom and Dad throughout my entire life. Their selflessness always leaves me in awe, and I am a lucky guy to have the backing of such incredible people.

But it was great sharing the day with Dad, and even managed to get a couple of rounds of "catch" in with him. I do think he also has a new found respect for the amount of time and grunt work that goes into not only assembling and disassembling our road trip arrangement, but working and executing it as well. I think he also got a kick out of just watching the reactions of the kids to all of the freebies we offer, and how generally respectful and polite all of them are.

As the 6 p.m. hour drew closer, dark rain clouds once again rolled in, and we decided to call it a night. And just as we were folding up the beast of a batting cage that we have and throwing it in the trailer, the rains came and we made our escape in record time. Despite our disgusting state, we drove straight to O'Charleys near our hotel and met up with my Mom and grandparents for a nice dinner. It was a treat being able to visit with them, and they seemed extremely interested in all the small details of our trip and just exactly what we were up to and where all we were going.

We were scheduled to have another full slate of games again tomorrow (Sunday), but just prior to beginning this entry, Clink received information that indicated that tomorrow's games are already canceled, and I have to imagine that the fields simply cannot take more of a beating tomorrow with all the inclement conditions that have made things difficult the past few days.

Feel free to check out pictures from today's activities below. Because of the timing of tomorrow's cancellation, we now have two straight days off, which means will definitely be seeking out some fun things to do the next couple nights, including the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game at Busch on Monday night.

Until then, take care and thanks for reading!
Chris

Columbia Part One A Success

Park visited: Twin Oak Complex
City: Columbia, Missouri
Food of the day: Chicken Fajita Pizza from Uno Chicago Grill
iPhone song of the day: "Free" by Brad Johner
Miles traveled: 140

Due to a heavy volume of baseball tournaments over the next week or so, the Show-Me-State will be showing the Road Trip a lot of games during the next several days. Our first stop in Missouri was in the heart of Mizzou, home of the D-I Tigers on Thursday evening. We set up shop at the Twin Oak Baseball Complex for the "School's Out" tournament, which featured about 50 spirited teams, mostly from nearby counties.

The enthusiasm in the air was quickly evident as the tents went up and the merchandise was being unloaded from the trailer. And as soon as baseball cards and Airhead candy went flying, teams and players rabidly descended on us, much to the displeasure of some of their coaches who wanted them to focus on warm-ups.

Several hours into our Twin Oak visit, we had once again made a ton of new friends and really connected with a lot of players and their siblings. It was really sweet when the girls in line at the prize wheel got excited over winning stacks of Upper Deck and Topps cards so that they "could give them to their brother."

Today we checked out of our Columbia hotel, and after lunch at Cracker Barrel, we headed back to Twin Oak for another night of tournament baseball. Unfortunately, however, the area was under severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado watches, and as we initially began to begin our set-up, the rains and winds really moved in. As a result, we packed up our things and headed for St. Louis. But our goodbye to Columbia was short-lived, as we will return later next week for the TBN World Qualifier.

As I mentioned, the Road Trip crew is now in STL where we will be working the June Baseball Classic in Kirkwood all day tomorrow. At the top of this post is a mini breakdown of some of the details from our travels. From now on, I will be including these features, which most importantly include "food of the day." I figured that with us eating out a couple times a day, who better than us to offer solid suggestions for lunch or dinner choices at various restaurants and eateries? If you have other suggestions for information you'd like to hear about our trip, please feel free to leave a comment!

Until next time,
Chris

On The Road Again...And Again, And Again.

Hello blog enthusiasts,

These past few days have included a TON of hours spent on the road for yours truly, so I apologize for the delay in between posts.

On Sunday I took a short break from the Road Trip to attend Phillip Jones' wedding. He and I have been great friends since the third grade in Louisville, which is why the crazy traveling I had to do to get there was well worth the effort. After the guys dropped me off at the airport early Sunday morning, I flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, rented a car, and made the two-hour drive to Asheville for the festivities.

My attempt at keeping the trip as economical as possible came with some sacrifices, as the only "compact car" still available when I arrived at the Alamo lot was a Cobalt painted the brightest shade of yellow I have ever seen. I'm confident that I could have been easily identified from "globe view" on Google Earth. Oh, and the car also came with a spoiler, which was just the cherry on top.

But the wedding was beautiful, and I also was given a part during the ceremony where I did a "reading from John," which was actually just me reciting the lyrics from John Lennon's "All You Need Is Love" in monotone fashion. In typical Phil fashion, he didn't have the words printed for me, so I'm pretty sure I'm the first person to ever do a "reading" from the podium while looking down at an iPhone. But it went over really well and I was honored that Phil & Alexis asked me to play a role in their special day. Congrats to the new Jones husband and wife duo!

First thing Monday morning after a quick stay at the lovely Asheville Hojo, I was back on the road for Charlotte (where I saw fellow Murray State alum Jennifer Payne in the ticketing line) and caught a flight back to Orlando. Clink and Kohrs picked me up shortly after I landed, and back to the road we went. We drove until pretty late, got through Atlanta (where gas was $4.07 a gallon) and stopped for the night in Dalton, Georgia. On Tuesday, we passed through four states (Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and Missouri), grabbed a quick bite in good 'ole Cadiz, Ky., eclipsed 2000 total miles in the car for the trip and eventually reached our destination of Columbia, Mo. where we currently are.

Tuesday night we got some dinner at Ruby Tuesday's (I recommend the Bison Burger) and decided to pay a visit to the very classy Days Inn Prime Time Lounge since we had the day off on Wednesday. Today we took advantage of our ability to sleep in, but eventually got up and went to scout the Twin Oaks facility where Baseball Youth village will be located for the remainder of the week in Columbia. Tonight we were joined by Dugout Media prez Scott Hacker who made the trip in, ate dinner and went to pay homage to Henry Jones Jr., known to the layman as Indiana Jones. I am not one to ruin or spoil motion picture experiences for others, but I am compelled to say that this version was a little disappointing and did not live up to the expectations others had set for me. This seems to be a trend with installments of epic movie sequels, as their content does not match the magic that made the original(s) so popular (i.e. Rambo, Rocky, Weekend at Bernie's).

Our games do not start until later tomorrow evening, which means some tournament games under the lights, but it's off to bed for this guy. Thanks for reading and I look forward to getting you more updates tomorrow.

Be good,
Chris

P.S. As nice as Florida is, I love that we left the humidity behind....it's nearly 30 degrees cooler in Columbia than it was in Orlando!

Mixing Business & Pleasure

Saturday was another successful outing for the Road Trip, as we saw and catered to an even larger crowd at Wide World of Sports, which is soon to be renamed with ESPN somewhere in the mix.

The extraordinary humidity did not slow the spirit of the kids and their families as all three area of Baseball Youth village were heavily populated throughout our visit. It was interesting listening to and observing interactions between the boys and their parents at the bat rental station, as the words "that's WAY too heavy for you" were often muttered, much to the disappointment of a 10-year-old who thinks he can "easily" swing a 29-ounce bat.

One of the highlights of the day for me was the selflessness and pure generosity from an 11-year old from Texas, named Jake. After receiving a couple of free packs of Upper Deck baseball cards from Clinkenbeard at the MLB booth, Jake came over by the Louisville Slugger tent to have some privacy while he hysterically ripped open each pack. After asking him which ones were his favorite and who his favorite team was (which was Ryan Howard and the Phillies), he made the assumption that I rooted for the Indians based on the hat I was wearing. I confirmed and he left for his game.

About two hours later while I was checking a bat back in at the table, I felt a tap on my back....it was Jake. When I turned around, he was holding out what was obviously a baseball card. I asked him if it was for me, and he nodded yes. I took the card and noticed that it was a Jason Michaels Indians card. "I figured you would really like this," is what he said. I thanked him and gave him a high-five, and he ran off probably not thinking twice about it. But that moment was really neat, and I felt accomplished that I had connected with Jake and that he thought enough of me to not only remember the team I liked, but to bring me one of his cards as well.

Toward the end of our shift, the forecasted thunderstorm cell made its way to WWOS, and we hustled to pack up and escape before getting blasted with rain. We narrowly escaped and headed back to the hotel. After waiting it out for about an hour, the three of us made our way to Disney's Epcot Center, where we enjoyed free admission to the park thanks to our new friend Scott St. George.

Once inside, Nate-squared was eager to introduce me to a couple of their favorite attractions - Mission Space and Test Track. Both were pretty awesome indeed. We laughed in line at Mission Space, as one of the guys in charge of monitoring the line and keeping order as patrons entered the ride seemed to truly believe that he worked at a space station. Since the attraction acted as if all of its riders were astronauts in training and flying to Mars, we contemplated asking him if we would be back in time for work tomorrow. We declined. Funny nonetheless.

After a couple of rides and some park walking, we visited Club Cool where you can sample all of the world's versions of "Coca Cola" fountain style, for free. It's an exceptional concept and was fun trying all the different country's authentic beverage.....that's until Clink & Kohrs told me that I HAD to try the drink of choice from Italy, "Beverly." And let's just say that this stuff was NOT the refreshing drink I was looking for. On the description above the dispenser, Beverly is described as "A strong, bitter beverage, which is said to be popular in Italy to wet one’s appetite before a meal." After tasting this disgusting drink, we all agreed that the reason for this description is because ANYTHING would taste better after consuming it. Yuck.

After our "date" with Beverly, we did the slow-paced, but informative Spaceship Earth ride inside the Epcot globe, and made our way to Global Village where all the of the countries are represented with their respective cuisine, drink and culture. We decided to dine in the beautiful country of Japan, and oh what a treat it was. We chose Tabban Edo, where the chefs cook in front of you on a grill at the table, and proceeded to have a great time.

Right off the bat, the waitress offered to make the eight-year-old girl at our table "special" chopsticks by rubber-banding them together for easier use. And since Kohrs is apparently a chopstick wizard, Clink and I asked if we could ALSO have the special sticks. We got laughed at, but she obliged. The meal also included the chef dropping the shrimp tail aimed for her big hat on the floor, Kohrs being asked to have a fake conversation into a pepper shaker phone, Clink giggling and clapping over a steaming pile of onions on the grill and the whole table doing the chicken dance. The meal itself, which also included Kirin drafts, was incredible and will definitely be tough to top as we continue along our journey.

During our exit from the park, the rain began again, and of COURSE we couldn't run through the rain....we had to wait it out by enjoying a Spaten beer at the Germany portion of the United Nations of alcohol. It was equally delicious. Once we finished them, we decided to not wait for the fireworks display and finally made our way back home.

It was an excellent day on all counts and our trip continues to pick up steam on all levels. Tomorrow, I will be taking a short break from the trip, as I fly to Charlotte, North Carolina (and then drive to Asheville) to attend the wedding of my oldest friend, Phil Jones. Monday is our last day in Orlando, and then it's off to Missouri. As usual, enjoy some photos below from today's activities.

Thanks for reading,
Chris

Let The Games Begin!

It's fun to watch kids operate, and to see their minds in motion when they gather in masses.

Today was our first official day of "work," as the Disney Sun & Surf Baseball Bash got underway at the Wide World of Sports complex. After an extensive set-up and prep period, the "Baseball Youth" village was open for business, and boy did it receive a warm welcome.
Between the bins of of Upper Deck and Topps baseball cards and Louisville Slugger posters, Backyard Baseball on Playstation 2, an Airheads prize wheel that included the distribution of free candy, t-shirts and blow-up thunder sticks and a TPX tent where kids could rent the very latest line of Louisville Slugger bats, our area was a hit!

Having the pleasure of working the Airheads booth for the majority of the day, I had the chance to watch children from all walks of life interact and compete. It's refreshing to watch the purity of their excitement over the idea of spinning a wooden wheel covered with different colors, simply to be handed a piece of candy. It was also funny to see the pride the kids took when they won a t-shirt or bragged to their buddies that they had won more candy than them.

It's also nice that we are able to offer so many prizes and services free of charge. Thanks to the sponsors of our road trip, kids and their parents have the opportunity to reap the benefits of our resources without paying a dime. And there is really no better way to raise the eyebrows and heart rate of a boy and the ire of his father than telling him that all of the prizes and candy are free.

The day was also a success in that the "Baseball Youth" magazine gained 10 new subscribers. That is a true testament to the work that has gone into planning this trip and to the hard work that Nate-squared and I have put and will continue putting into preparing and executing this family-friendly experience.

It was a great way to officially kick off our baseball summer and tomorrow should be even better (as long as the rain holds off and that darn humidity subsides!) You can enlarge any of the pictures from this blog by simply clicking on the picture. Our full schedule for this Summer is also listed at the bottom of this page. And feel free to leave comments on ANY of the entries!

Hello, Orlando.

After a solid continental breakfast that included Frosted Flakes, toast, an assortment of juices and a banana (yes, a banana Mom), we were back on the road for the final 265 miles of our jaunt to the home of Mickey Mouse.

Once we crossed the state line, Nate squared introduced yours truly to the wonderfulness of the wings and things meal at Zaxby's. It was a delicious first impression, and I emphatically recommend that you seek one out if you have not yet had the pleasure of dining at this fine establishment. While eating, we could see an orange store that loudly proclaimed that they "Shipped Fruit." It was an interesting notion, but we didn't have time for such a process.

Back on the road, we drove straight into the monsoon that my iPhone radar had predicted. Once we finally got past the storm, we were surrounded by countless billboards, mostly advertising their cheap tickets to the likes of Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios....I temporarily felt like I was back in Branson (much love for ya Jason).

We finally reached the Holiday Inn Express in Kissimmee around 2:30 p.m., dropped our things and headed to the Wide World of Sports Complex to survey the grounds and get an early jump on our set-up process. This facility is a true sports mecca, with fields and structures as far as you can see. It is the facility where the Atlanta Braves go through Spring Training and where the Florida Gator college football team prepared for their Cotton Bowl showdown with Michigan last season. Any kid that has the chance to play a game here this week is truly blessed.

We put up our tents and tables, our "Baseball Youth" backdrops and hung signs and banners around the complex to advertise our association with the WWOS. We also had the ability to unhook the trailer from our vehicle, which made our gas tank breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Following our quick day at the office, all three of us enjoyed some fresh Florida mahi at Orlando Ale House and had an extremely informative staff "meeting." We also sat next to a gentleman who Clink and I could've sworn was Peter Gammons. We did several takes, but finally came to the conclusion that this ESPN impostor was too tall to play the part. After filling our bellies, we hit up the local Walgreens for the absolute essentials of a road trip crew: duct tape, bug spray and cheap sunglasses.

And that brings us to now, the point where I say goodnight and good luck. Our first full day is tomorrow, and we are really excited to get things officially kicked off. The photos below are a sampling from today, and I assure you that more will follow. Thanks for keeping up with us....we hope to have more fun stories as we go.

Goodnight from Florida,
Chris

Day Two

After our final marching orders were given in Morehead, the "Baseball Youth" road trippers got on the road en route to Orlando, Florida on Wednesday.

Full of energy as we hit the highway with a full head of steam, the drive was chalk full of laughter and anticipation out of the gate. During our trip, we are driving a Nissan Armada and pulling a decked out "Baseball Youth" trailer behind us. The SUV is extremely spacious, allowing us to really spread out. Last weekend, I made one of the best purchases in recent memory, as I gave into mainstream society and bought an Apple iPhone. In all honesty though, it is an AMAZING device, and I can't imagine doing lengthy traveling without it. And between the iPod feature, video viewing, unlimited Internet and email and ability to take picture of Kohrs as he sleeps in the front seat, this thing really makes the time fly.

We made several stops along the way since the Armada has as much of an ability to hold gas as Fat Bastard in the Austin Powers movies. And for the first time in my gas-pumping career, I actually saw the spinning numbers eclipse $90 for a single fill-up. Wow. For lunch we decided to stop off at the gas station-connected Wendy's in Renfro Valley that we thought it would be empty, but is apparently the place to be during that area's lunch hour.

Later on as we approached the near 11-hour mark and got past rush hour traffic in Atlanta, we decided to call it a day and stop at the Ramada in Tiffin, Georgia. Following a long day in the car, we quickly got to sleep in anticipation for our descent into the Sunshine State.

Until next time,
Chris

And So It Begins...

Some people dream of spending their Summer watching baseball. Some picture themselves hanging out with their kids and enjoying the outdoors. Others imagine an adventure including a Summer full of travel and unique opportunities.

Think for a moment, however, if you could combine the very best of your ideal plans for a three-month vacation, roll them into a ball, and what you've got is the very experience that myself and two others have the pleasure of enjoying over the next 90-plus days.

Nathan Clinkenbeard, Nate Kohrs and I will be on the road this Summer promoting Dugout Media's "Baseball Youth" magazine. This publication, created and run by Scott Hacker, aims to both inform and entertain the kids of America who have an interest in baseball/softball. It has become an extremely legit business, and the tour we are currently beginning has the backing of sponsors such as Louisville Slugger, Upper Deck, Topps, Airheads Candy, Backyard Baseball video game and the Disney Channel.

Our mission as "Baseball Youth" road trippers is to make our presence known at all of the approximately 70 baseball stops we have on our schedule during the summer, and to create a unique youth experience by offering free bat rentals, free candy, free video game play and tons of other exciting give-aways, games and activities.

Our journey officially kicked off on Tuesday (05/20) as we stopped at the "Baseball Youth" headquarters in Morehead, Kentucky to load our trailer with all the supplies we will need during the next three months. Tomorrow, we will wake up and make our way to Orlando for Disney's Sun & Surf Baseball Bash at the Wide World of Sports Complex within Disney's compound.

This Summer should be an extremely eventful adventure and I hope you will follow along with our progress as we make our way across the country.

Until next time,
Chris