The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip: A Fan's Guide to Major League Stadiums

by Josh Pahigian, Kevin O'Connell

The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip is a comprehensive guide to all the diverse and fascinating ballparks throughout the country by two entertaining young writers whose love for the game of baseball and the game of life overflows from each page. Josh Pahigian and Kevin O'Connell's approach to skillfully planning and fully appreciating a road-trip or a visit to a single park is funny and irreverent and loaded with information designed to make the most of the experience.

Part travel manual, part ballpark atlas, part baseball history book, part restaurant and city guide, and, not least, part epic narrative, The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip encompasses all the essential elements of a full-blown baseball road-trip. Included are ticket and travel information, a detailed guide to the best and worst seats in each park, folklore and statistics on each park, tips on each park's trademark foods, and profiles of nearby sports bars and baseball attractions, all within a lively narrative that reminds us that baseball is often the ultimate metaphor for the important things in life.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, Travel

544 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been to 29 ballparks myself, in retrospect, I think I approached this book with an attitude of "well let's see if his experience differed from mine. I went, I saw, I enjoyed, so what else so I need?". Couldn't have been more wrong. This book is amazing, and now I feel like I need to go back and experience most of those ballparks again.

Pahigian and O'Connell go deep into each stadium to make sure that when you leave, you don't hear later on about some nearby restaurant that is a can't miss, or hear from someone else about another seat location that is an amazing value. They did an amazing amount of legwork on each stadium to get it all down ahead of time.

And if you appreciate this book, they did the same for minor league stadiums as well as spring training. How do I get that job?!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t need a relationship to keep going on my quest to conquer other ballparks! This will be done. :) I promise you that!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read! If you enjoying visiting various major league parks you would definitely enjoy this book. The authors give a thorough description of each ballpark's unique features. They also give advice on good and bad seating sections around the stadiums. Also included are reviews of the eating and drinking options both inside the parks and in the neighborhoods surrounding them. The best part of all to me personally was the inclusion of much ballpark history and trivia for each of the stadiums (for instance, they will relate much of the history of the team -- such as the Arizona Diamondbacks -- and then include important events that have occurred in that team's home field). I am now looking forward to reading the 2nd edition of this book. The first edition was published in 2004 -- so it includes some ballparks that are no longer in use such as Montreal's Olympic Stadium. The 2nd edition (2012) includes newer stadiums such as Target Field in Minnesota and Nationals Park in Washington DC.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went on a baseball road trip to all 30 MLB stadiums and this book was my bible. Unfortunately it was already a bit outdated in 2005, so I can only imagine that it looks even more aged now. However, for those stadiums still in use, this is a great reference for what to eat, where to sit, and interesting things to see. Highly recommended for anyone going on a baseball road trip, or visiting a new stadium for the first time.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for anyone interested in baseball and ballparks.
My favorite use of it was finding the best thing to eat in each city. For example where to find the best philly cheese sandwich in philly and to make sure I got a cuban sandwhich in boston next door to fenway.

so ballpark guide or sandwitch guide if you're looking for one or both here it is.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever plan on going on a baseball road trip, then this book is a must have. There are very helpful tips to help you enjoy your experience to the fullest. The brief history of the team and it's stadium is a nice touch as well.

[Dan Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captures the spirit of excitement of attending a baseball game. The authors pour plenty of info about each park onto the pages along with funny and pointed personal anecdotes about their dream tour. It's like being right there with them. I can't put this book down.