IL1 Rochester Red Wings

Some Random Ballpark in America

Published on July 6, 2016 under International League (IL1)
Rochester Red Wings News Release


Meet Jim and Ellen Nelson. The Minnesota natives have been to more ballparks then Peter Gammons and Buster Olney...combined.

Don't believe it? You should check out Jim's list.

Jim carries around a blue binder that contains an excel sheet that entails every ballpark he and his wife have spectated a game at.

The list has the opponent, date and the score of the game formatted out so walking down memory lane is easy for the baseball couple.

This particular night Jim and Ellen strolled into Frontier Field for the third time. The first time came back on June 13th in 2004 with their son.

They are on a mission. The night prior the duo checked #345 off of their list as they attended Raymond Chabot Grand Thornton Park in Ottawa. On their way through they figured they'd stop and take in a Wings' game on their way through to Utica, Michigan as they trek to #346 - Jimmy John's Field.

After all - Jim and Ellen are diehard Twins fans.

As Jim sits in section 206 and explains his story he dons a worn and tattered red Twins cap that has seen more baseball than any other cap in Frontier Field.

This ballpark expedition all began as what Jim describes as a "lark" of his.

Jim and his family happened to take in Yankees vs. Angels ballgame while in Disney Land in 1985. They arrived at the park and realized half of the players on both teams were ex-Twins.

The family got home and Jim and his daughter, who was 12 at the time, immediately began to make their rounds across Midwest ballparks.

While on his way down to Chicago to catch a game with his son Jim saw a newspaper that advertised a Clinton Giants were playing so they went and caught the game for the heck of it.

Jim started looking into the minor leagues and thought "Holy buckets, we could do this forever. Alright!"

And the rest is history.

The couple's lark has turned into a family tradition engrossed in the ball.

Other people think it's a pretty neat tradition as well.

In August of 2008 Jim called the ticket office of a ballpark in Kalamazoo, MI and the club's owner picked up. The owner thought ballpark #102 was an honor so Jim tossed out the first pitch.

In June of that same season an intern overheard Jim's story at a Lake County Captains' game in Willowick, Ohio and he led the fans in a rousing chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

The month of July will be a big one for Jim and Ellen. They only have five parks to go.

They will hit up the Rainiers in Tacoma, the Hillsboro Hops and the Eugene Emeralds on a West Coast swing.

Finally they will head to the Colombia Fireflies and to Biloxi, Mississippi to catch a Shuckers' game to round out their nationwide tour.

Every park in America. Incredible.

Jim says the park tour is only as awesome as his wife allows it to be. For Ellen, it's all about being outside watching the boys of Summer.

"It's being outside. What's not to like - said Ellen, "It is a beautiful day and its summertime filled with people having fun and watching guys do something they enjoy. I like being away from home seeing new places. It doesn't get any better than this."

We live in a go-go world where folks such as Jim and Ellen don't necessarily fit in.

Baseball just fits their pace of life. There isn't a timetable. No clock in center field. If you look at your watch you are doing it all wrong.

Jim and Ellen haven't looked at the clock for a very long time. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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Rochester Red Wings News List

Red Wings Headlines

Some Random Ballpark in America Jul 6th 2016, 15:19, by Austin Hawkins

Meet Jim and Ellen Nelson. The Minnesota natives have been to more ballparks then Peter Gammons and Buster Olney...combined.

Don't believe it? You should check out Jim's list.

Jim carries around a blue binder that contains an excel sheet that entails every ballpark he and his wife have spectated a game at.

The list has the opponent, date and the score of the game formatted out so walking down memory lane is easy for the baseball couple.

This particular night Jim and Ellen strolled into Frontier Field for the third time. The first time came back on June 13th in 2004 with their son.

They are on a mission. The night prior the duo checked #345 off of their list as they attended Raymond Chabot Grand Thornton Park in Ottawa. On their way through they figured they'd stop and take in a Wings' game on their way through to Utica, Michigan as they trek to #346 - Jimmy John's Field.

After all - Jim and Ellen are diehard Twins fans.

As Jim sits in section 206 and explains his story he dons a worn and tattered red Twins cap that has seen more baseball than any other cap in Frontier Field.

This ballpark expedition all began as what Jim describes as a "lark" of his.

Jim and his family happened to take in Yankees vs. Angels ballgame while in Disney Land in 1985. They arrived at the park and realized half of the players on both teams were ex-Twins.

The family got home and Jim and his daughter, who was 12 at the time, immediately began to make their rounds across Midwest ballparks.

While on his way down to Chicago to catch a game with his son Jim saw a newspaper that advertised a Clinton Giants were playing so they went and caught the game for the heck of it.

Jim started looking into the minor leagues and thought "Holy buckets, we could do this forever. Alright!"

And the rest is history.

The couple's lark has turned into a family tradition engrossed in the ball.

Other people think it's a pretty neat tradition as well.

In August of 2008 Jim called the ticket office of a ballpark in Kalamazoo, MI and the club's owner picked up. The owner thought ballpark #102 was an honor so Jim tossed out the first pitch.

In June of that same season an intern overheard Jim's story at a Lake County Captains' game in Willowick, Ohio and he led the fans in a rousing chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

The month of July will be a big one for Jim and Ellen. They only have five parks to go.

They will hit up the Rainiers in Tacoma, the Hillsboro Hops and the Eugene Emeralds on a West Coast swing.

Finally they will head to the Colombia Fireflies and to Biloxi, Mississippi to catch a Shuckers' game to round out their nationwide tour.

Every park in America. Incredible.

Jim says the park tour is only as awesome as his wife allows it to be. For Ellen, it's all about being outside watching the boys of Summer.

"It's being outside. What's not to like - said Ellen, "It is a beautiful day and its summertime filled with people having fun and watching guys do something they enjoy. I like being away from home seeing new places. It doesn't get any better than this."

We live in a go-go world where folks such as Jim and Ellen don't necessarily fit in.

Baseball just fits their pace of life. There isn't a timetable. No clock in center field. If you look at your watch you are doing it all wrong.

Jim and Ellen haven't looked at the clock for a very long time.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com.

If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions

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International League Stories from July 6, 2016


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