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Continued:
Lewis & Clark Trip
Days Twenty Six & Twenty Seven July 9-10
After much consideration, we decided to attack the 800+ mile
drive on I-70 from Kansas City to Pittsburgh in one shot. Don’t try this at home (or anywhere else). Allen pushed for the
overnight drive so that we’d reach Pittsburgh in time for the Futures game at 4 p.m. I think he also enjoyed the challenge
of the long drive. Bringing 30 more years of age and experience to the table, I played the voice of reason and continued to
note the peril of such a drive. I would sleep and Allen would drive; Allen would sleep and I would drive. Fine, I said, but
what happens when we both sleep? “Not to worry,” Allen said. My share of late night long drives has included many
where the fight with fatigue was a pitched battle. Sometimes I’d stop for some length and other times I’d use every trick
I could think of to stay awake. Surprisingly, this drive did not require as much battling with fatigue as I might have expected.
We left Kansas City at about 8 p.m. Central Time and arrived in Pittsburgh at about 1 p.m. Eastern Time for a total of 17
hours on the road. Allen drove the 8 p.m. to midnight and 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. shifts. Like the World Baseball Classic,
the Futures game format highlights the international aspect of baseball with US players competing against players from the
rest of the world. The US fared better than in the WBC, winning the game at PNC Park to begin three days of baseball action at the jewel of a ballpark on Pittsburgh’s
North Side. Even the Legends and Celebrity Softball game that followed the Futures game was worth seeing if only
for the great ovation accorded Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski. Mazeroski is the epitome of Pittsburgh baseball and a time when the
Major League game was more about baseball and less about entertainment.
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MLB Fan Fest displays at Pittsburgh's David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
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Entertainment is a big part of current day Major League
Baseball All-Star Game activities. Entertainment celebrities are on hand and musical groups are featured on the field in short
sets high on volume and pyrotechnics. For baseball fans, the talent on display at the Futures game suggests that the immediate
future of the game is safe. The baseball legends that participated in the softball game ( Dave Winfield, Rich "Goose" Gossage, Rollie Fingers, Bill Madlock and others) assure us that there are many reminders of the past greatness of the game
that can entertain and educate and inspire for years to come. At the Fan Fest in Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence
Convention Center there is plenty to see and do if your thing is baseball history or baseball as entertainment. History is
well represented with displays on the Negro Leagues, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the host team Pittsburgh Pirates. There are continuous autograph sessions and row after row of baseball
collectible vendors. Much of the Fan Fest is an interactive playground with video batting and pitching cages. If
your taste is for the autographs and the interactive activities, there are long lines and waits. But, even the lines present
opportunity. Converse with other folks in line about their baseball interests or have some baseball topics to discuss with
whoever you are with. The historical exhibits do not involve long lines and you can pick your own pace with those. The Fan
Fest bombards the senses and it is very commercial, but you can tune out those aspects for a great baseball experience. Because
the Fan Fest moves throughout the country from year to year it won’t be an annual event for most people. If it’s in your area,
try to attend.
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Pittsburgh's rich Negro Leagues history is honored with statues inside PNC Park. Clockwise from
top left: Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Oscar Charleton, Satchel Paige, Smokey Joe Williams.
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A dramatic All-Star Game put the ideal finishing touch
on Pittsburgh’s mid-summer festivities, the only blemish being another loss for the home team National League. Only twice
before in All-Star Game history had one team rallied from behind for a ninth-inning victory (1941 and 1964). Michael Young of the Rangers joined Ted Williams and Johnny Callison as great ninth inning heroes with his two-out, two-run triple to give the American
League a 3-2 win and a 10-game unbeaten streak in the annual event. The weather report almost guaranteed a rain
delay, but the game was played without climatic interruption. Light rain fell intermittently, but never really threatened
to postpone the game. Play was suspended once for an emotional ceremony as MLB Commissioner Bud Selig presented the Commissioner’s Award to Vera Clemente on behalf of her late
husband Roberto. Mrs. Clemente said that Roberto was still with us from heaven and she’s right. Current Pirates
Jason Bay and Freddie Sanchez made local fans proud. Trevor Hoffman’s blown save, costing the NL
its first win since 1996, gave Mariano
Rivera the chance to earn his third All-Star Game save, tying the record (since 1969) set by Dennis Eckersley and the fans a chance to see a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer
in his customary role. Pittsburgh rose to the occasion and again proved to be a great venue for the All-Star Game.
Pittsburgh might have the best park in Major League Baseball. Now, if only the Pirates can bring their play on the field to
that level. Great seats remain for the rest of the Pirates’ 2006 home games. With its sports museum in the strip district
and loads of other outstanding cultural attractions, Pittsburgh should still be in your thoughts for a 2006 baseball visit.
Day Twenty Nine July
12
Just 123 miles stood between us and the end of our trip, a short drive considering some
of the others. Before leaving Pittsburgh, I stopped at one of our top destinations, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum
at the History Center. The WPSM has geared up for Pittsburgh’s All-Star summer with a Summer of Baseball schedule of special events that continue into August with its Heritage
Weekend, August 11-13. The basic baseball exhibit at the museum is a must-see for baseball visitors to the steel city and
the adjacent Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center is featuring the exhibit Roberto Clemente—Photographs by
Les Banos with more than 40 images of Clemente from 1969 to 1972. Also check out Beyond Baseball—The Life of Roberto Clemente from the Smithsonian Institute.
Though we didn’t begin in Pittsburgh, it was one of the starting points for the Lewis and Clark journey. “Rediscovering
Lewis and Clark: A Journey with the Rooney Family,” an exhibit on the third floor of the Heinz History Center, looks at another
modern-day expedition in the footsteps of the Corps of Discovery. The exhibit brought our journey full circle and emphasized
the value of a family trip that links travel with history. Upon arriving home in the evening, I began the process
of sorting through the many flyers, publications, and other items we had acquired on the journey. Flipping through the television
channels, I hit upon an episode of the PBS American Masters series about Woody Guthrie whose “This Land is Your Land” might
as well be the anthem for those of us who take to the American roads in search of meaning and adventure. All our journeys
end and yet they never end. We spent 29 days on the road with Lewis and Clark and baseball. The trip is over but we’ll carry
the memories forever.
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Top: Statue outside PNC of Roberto Clemente whose wife, Vera, received the Commissioner’s Award;
star-spangled pre-game ceremonies. Middle: View from the stands of 2006 All-Star Game action. Bottom: Home Run Derby winner
Ryan Howard; All-Star introductions.
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