Baseball & Trains

[SFbrkmn]

These are all good posts to read. Remember that prior to the Giants and Dodgers moving west in 1958,which then made MLB a true national sport,  the main mode of travel for ball clubs was  rail. Many yrs ago, Trains did a short feature on baseball team traveling over the high iron. Need look it up and read it again.

[Anonymous]

This story has a minimal tie-in to railroads:

Apparently when Babe Ruth played against the Indians in the better part of his career, he feasted on Cleveland pitching.  From what I understand he tore 'em pretty good. 

As is well known, The Babe also didn't shy-away from a good time off the field.  It didn't take much to convince him to go out and paint the town red while on the road.  The Cleveland pitching staff knew that.

The story goes that some of the Cleveland players decided to convince Ruth to come out with them the night before the first game of a homestand against New York.  A few of the Indians' players waited for the Yankees' train to arrive and just happened to be there when Ruth swaggered-down the platform.  Never one to avoid an invitation to throw a few back, Babe agreed to hit the town with the Indians staff.

Of course, he got royally blitzed and as my grampa related the story, they had to practically roll him into the hotel early on the morning of the game.

Sure enough, Ruth showed-up at the ballpark hung-over, staggering, still half-drunk and stinking like a bum.  He didn't take batting practice. 

That day he hit two homeruns in New York's 5-0 win.

At the end of the game, Ruth stepped to the top of the dugout steps and hollered over to the Indians' bench: "Hey guys!  Where we goin' tonight?!"

[ndbprr]

The old and new Comiskey parks in Chicago back right up to the PRR main  to Union Station.  Across from centerfield is the Rock Island main.  Bet a railfan could have had a real outing way back when.

[Anonymous]

Now that's baseball...

[coborn35]

At the Duluth Huskies semi pro field in Duluth,MN. The Missabe ore docs go right next to it. Picture this. A nice warm summer night, the sun is going down, its a good baseball atmosphere, and you hear 3 EMD SD-18's and SD38's snorting in eight notch up the 2% hill with 130 ore cars.

 

Yes, you can hear trans from Safeco.

[CSXDixieLine]

Went to the University of South Carolina late 80s/early 90s. The NS & CSX tracks both run behind the right field fence at Sarge Frye Field. Not a bad way to kill a few hours.

[SFbrkmn]

A few thoughts.....although I bleed Cardinals red, I have some Royals blue in me.Brett was my favorite all-time player, Matthews is my favorite play-by-play but I miss hearing the late great Jack Buck call Redbird action  on 50000 watt KMOX St.Louis. On hearing train horns from Safeco, come to think of it watching Seattle games on ESPN in the past, I do believe I have heard eng horns over the air while a game was in progress.

[espeefoamer]

When the Seattle Mariners played in the Kingdome,I could hear train whistles ofer the radio during broadcasts of games.Can whistles still be heard on games broadcast from Safeco Field?

The Mariners are overdue for a World Series.2008 is the year!!!

[OldArmy94]

At Texas A&M, the baseball field (Olsen Field) lies directly behind the UP Houston-Hearne main.  There are frequent trains and during games, their is a little 'game within a game' that the crowd plays.  When the horn sounds at the nearest crossing, the crowd holds up how many fingers they think represents the number of locos on the train.  Of course, that was several years ago since I've been there and with the advent of higher HP units, they may not play that 'game' any longer.

[Anonymous]

The season is just around the corner--one of my favorite times of yr. I love listening to Denny Matthews broadcast KC Royals on radio--which he has done since 1969. He grew up in Bloomington, IL, and has an interest in trains. He talks about this time to time during a dull game to keep fans tuned in. In the past, he has yaked about the old Chicago & Alton, which he seems to be a fan of. The Royals are most likely going to have some dull games this summer (just like most of the past 20 yrs) and I hope to hear Denny's train stories in between pitches again.

The Royals are due for the play off's, it' been way too long. Long live Goerge Brett.....and his pine tar bats.

[miketx]

I read on the back of a baseball card when I was a kid that in Butte, Montana, a guy hit a home run into a moving gondola or hopper car, thus making it the longest home run ever. Who knows where it ended up or how far it went.

 Also, UP runs right behind the back straight at Heart of Texas Speedway in Waco, Tx., so you can get your racing and train fix at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Here's a list of Minor/Independent/College Summer League parks where I've also enjoyed train-watching from the stands:

Cedar Rapids Kernels (Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Rwy)

St. Paul Saints (BNSF, CP, SOO, MNNR, UP)

Springfield Capitols (Illinois Midland)

Rochester Honkers (DME)

[JoeKoh]

Tower A at CUT and a reds game in the evening.sounds like a trip waiting to happen this summer.

stay safe

joe

[SFbrkmn]

The season is just around the corner--one of my favorite times of yr. I love listening to Denny Matthews broadcast KC Royals on radio--which he has done since 1969. He grew up in Bloomington, IL, and has an interest in trains. He talks about this time to time during a dull game to keep fans tuned in. In the past, he has yaked about the old Chicago & Alton, which he seems to be a fan of. The Royals are most likely going to have some dull games this summer (just like most of the past 20 yrs) and I hope to hear Denny's train stories in between pitches again.