Story Published:
Jul 31, 2010 at 11:16 PM MDT
Story Updated:
Jul 31, 2010 at 11:23 PM MDT
For most fans of Major League Baseball, going to a few games a year at their home team's ballpark is enough to keep them satisfied.
For instance, a Phillies fan would be content seeing a handful of games over the course of a summer. He or she would tailigate a few times at Citizens Bank Park, see some old Philly friends and soak in a few innings of Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard during a long, 162-game season.
Then there are those like Jeremy Hyman. He's a Red Sox fan, but more to the point, he's a baseball fan. Such an avid one, in fact, that this summer Jeremy decided it was time for his fanhood to go all-out.
He just graduated from Syracuse University. He's going back in the fall for Graduate School. So what's a 22-year-old to do with another summer vacation? How about dedicating two full months to traveling the country in your 1997 Toyota Corolla, visiting every MLB stadium?
In the words of Ric Ocasek, "you might think he's crazy"...but Jeremy knows what he's doing. For two months this summer, it's a lot of driving and a lot of baseball for a die-hard fan of the game.
Jeremy says it's been a trip many years in the making, but one that came to fruition overnight.
"One night, it was really late, and I just started doing some research," Jeremy said. "It took me four to five hours to actually put the trip together, and I was amazed at how it worked out."
As Jeremy pointed out, planning a mammoth vacation like this isn't easy. You have to plan out a logical route, research the teams' schedules to make sure you'll be able to hit home games along the way, and provide yourself with a reasonable budget.
"Yeah, we're a little strapped for cash," he said. "But we're OK for now."
I talked to Jeremy as he was coming through Helena, on his way to Denver to see the Rockies. He had just been at SAFECO Field in Seattle the night before, watching his hometown Sox take down the Mariners.
In a nutshell, Jeremy started in New York City with the Mets, and worked his way down the east coast to Miami. From there, he went through Texas, then Phoenix, then visited all five stadiums in California. That's when he headed for Seattle, and then onto Denver after a brief stop in Helena.
And no, he's not alone. Though you won't hear him in the story (time constraints are always a hassle), Jeremy's brother Alex has been with him every step of the way.
"This was definitely Jeremy's idea," Alex said. "But when he asked me to go along, I had to do it. It's been great so far."
I talked with the Hyman brothers on July 24, which was the exact half-way point of their trip. They had visited 15 stadiums to that point. At each stop, they pick up a program and team cap as mementos.
Jeremy said the trip has been everything he expected, and more.
"It's been the best month so far of my life," he said. "and when the trip's over, this could be the greatest two months of my life. I mean there's just no other way to put it."
And it'll end with a bang -- Jeremy and Alex conclude their magical mystery baseball tour at the place that spawned their passion, Fenway Park.
Sure, they've been there countless times to cheer on Boston. But chances are the next time they go, it's not just going to be another game.
Follow Jeremy's trip at...
http://2010baseballstadiumtrip.mlblogs.com
A.J. Donatoni
ajdonatoni@maxmontana.com
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