Pilgrimage

Hello Friends.

In the time I've been away, I got to make my first (of hopefully many) trips to the Hall of Fame. For four days, I got to make my way through the streets of Cooperstown and walk the hallowed halls of the home of baseball history. (Say that last part of the the sentence 5x fast.)

There are really no words to describe the experience of walking through the Hall for the first time or visiting a town that has embraced baseball so much. Everywhere you look in downtown Coop you'll see something relating to baseball; to the shops, the window dressings, the jerseys - it's amazing. Everywhere you go someone has a story to tell you about the Hall or baseball in general. I could see Doubleday Field from the window in my room where I stayed and believe me it's pretty.

Seeing the plaques of all the guys that have been inducted was a little surreal. The names of people everyone knows whether their baseball fans or not; the names that baseball fans know; and, the names that only the hardest of hard core baseball afficienados will know; it's amazing to stand in the same room as all of them and to know at some point, most of them stood in the Hall just like you were.

The most special part of the Hall for me was the Diamond Dreams exhibit in the museum. It shows and celebrates women's part in the history of baseball; from owners, managers, announcers, fans, players (especially the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League). I have dreamt of seeing that exhbit since seeing A League of Their Own when I was younger, and even more when I did an independent research project on the League in the 8th grade. Dirt in the skirt, ladies and gentleman. Dirt. In. The. Skirt.

Two other, smaller highlights from the Hall were the 1/2hr video link to learn how a bat was made at the Louisville Slugger factory in Kentucky and seeing Doc's perfect game hat and ball on display. It was a little emotional to see him where he belongs. It almost goes without saying that the day Roy Halladay is inducted into the Hall of Fame (as he should be), nothing save death or incapacitation will keep me from being there.

Another small highlight...sitting in a café and watching the Jays beat the Yankees on Mon and Tue while in Yankee territory. I can even deal with giving up #600 since we won the series.

Back in Jays Land, Litsch and Buck are DLed. Yes, it's cool Arencibia is going to get his debut. I'm interested in seeing his catching ability, as catcher is one of the positions where I'll take defense over offense (even though he has great numbers in AAA offensively.) Luckily though Buck's great season won't be interrupted for too long. Litsch won't be so lucky. He's got a tear in his hip and will miss the rest of the season. It hasn't been a lucky stretch for Jesse the last 2 seasons, but at least this season ending injury has nothing to do with his arm. You never know the affect of surgery can have on a body, but legs are better than arms for pitchers. Just as Jesse was starting to get into a nice groove coming back from Tommy John.

That's all for now folks. I highly recommend you make your own trip down to Cooperstown someday and not just for the Hall of Fame. It's a really pretty village.

Enjoy the series against Tampa. Hopefully this can be the first in 10 series we win.
JaysGirl5

P. S. While trolling the shelves of a used book store in Cooperstown, I landed upon a book by none other than Buck Martinez about the Jays' 1985 season, when they captured their first pennant. I wonder if I can get him to sign it...