Dolphin Stadium (#22)

Pirates vs. Marlins
Marlins Win 9-7

Dolphin Stadium, formerly known under many different monikers, is a great place to watch a ball game.  It's too bad not many people did.  If it weren't for a few thousand screaming kids there for "Day Camp Day," the actual attendance would have been well under 10,000.  By far these were the best seats we have had, and probably will ever have. They gave us a great new perspective on watching baseball. We sat as close to the field as a fan can get without being on it. This meant we had to pay close attention for a screaming foul ball; none came.  Worth a mention, is that I was not able to buy my usual souvenir on this portion of the quest.  It appears that the souvenir stands and pro shop must close as soon as the game is done.  It's hard to make that extra revenue if you aren't open to the fans.

The game started off hot with Marlin's pitcher Scott Olsen striking out the first five batters he faced. He finished the game with a respectable 10 strikeouts and the win.  The Marlins took advantage of many Pirate miscues to jump out to a big lead.  They almost gave that lead away in the 8th as Dan Uggla lost a ball in the Sun and kept an inning alive.  The Marlins staved off a sweep by the Pirates.  Hats off to the few thousand kids coming for Day Camp Day.  They cheered, chanted and watched the game closely!  That was great to see.

Minute Maid Field (#18)

Pirates vs. Astros
Astros Win 4-2


The architecture and atmosphere of Minute Maid Park reminds me of Miller Park. It has the tan bricks, green walls and rails and retractable roof. It was a nice park to see a game. I thought the hill, flagpole and huge door made interesting obstacles for visiting teams to deal with. I like the unique feature of the train going across the left field wall after home runs, but it needs more(fireworks, loud sound effects or music, something please!)

The game was pretty good. It didn't have any outstanding plays or monstrous homers. It was mostly solid baseball and a typical score. I have to say that Billy Wagner doesn't get enough attention around the country. He can just bring the heat whenever he wants. He was one of the reasons that stadiums post the speed of each pitch in big numbers. I can't remember seeing a pitcher through 100mph so consistently, ever.

Three Rivers Stadium (#9)

Braves vs. Pirates
Pirates Lose 2-8

Pittsburgh has a lot of good fans, especially for a team that is not all that great. I know that at the time they were chasing the division leaders, but keep in mind it's a division where ALL of the teams are below .500! There also seemed to be a lot of Braves' fans on hand, but I would say that was due to the fact they're the defending National League Champs. Two words "Fairweather Fans." The Pirates' Parrot seems to like the same hobbies as his counterpart in Philadelphia. After a Mother's Day visit from Mother Parrot, he also shot hot dogs into the stands.

The game was not all that great, considering the best team in the NL was playing one of the fundamentally worst teams I have seen. John Smoltz was batting better than the most of the Pirates' starters. Don't get me wrong, I still had a great time and enjoyed the stadium. The people of Pittsburgh have a stadium they can be proud of, especially when the Steelers are playing. This also brings and end to our first epic quest of 5 games in 5 days, but I'll be glad to get back and share my stories with my wonderful, and understanding wife.