Excellent Adventure Day # 80
An Unforgettable Night at the Halfway Point
Eighty days into “Bill & Sue’s Excellent Adventure: we reached the halfway point of our ballpark quest, we visited park #89 -halfway to the 178 we saw in the spring, summer and fall of 1991.
It was the third in three consecutive days of seeing two parks in the same day within the friendly confines of the Appalachian League; we saw Joe O’Brien Field in Elizabethton, TN first and then drove eight miles to see Howard Johnson Field, the home of the Johnson City Cardinals.
The Trip
The Video
In tonight’s video I mention three different stories that each add some interesting background and context to our story. Here are the links to each of them
The Longtime Groundskeeper of Baseball Paradise
The Back Story Behind the Berm
Everything you ever wanted to know about Kudzu
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/true-story-kudzu-vine-ate-south-180956325/
Baseball Today
Both the Elizabethton Twins and the Johnson City Cardinals are playing right where they were when we saw them in 1991. This is true of very few other places we saw that season. If you like baseball or beautiful historic places or better yet both, you should go…really. As noted in previous posts, there is a proposal being considered that could put these teams at risk. You should see them as soon as you get a chance.
In fact, since I’m wrapping up my posts about the Appy League teams that still exist tonight, I’d say this is true about the whole league. Maybe instead of spring training next year take a week next summer and head for the mountains. The Appalachian League is a true throwback and you will come back with a renewed sense of hope for America’s Pastime. I might just see you there.
On Deck
Tomorrow on the Low Mileage Tour it is the last stop in the Appalachian League. The Huntington Cubs are long gone but we will visit with their 1991 edition on Sunday.