Baseball, fishing and Grandfather ‘B’

The major league baseball playoffs have a special meaning for me because I can watch three of the four teams on TV and reminisce the amazing and different ballpark experiences I had.

I remember the Ivy walls at Wrigley Field, the Dodger Dogs in California and the navy and white pinstripes in Yankee Stadium.

Nine years ago, I was given a baseball trip for my birthday, to go see the Pittsburgh Pirates. This trip not only was one of the best experiences of my life, but started a special tradition between me and my grandfather, Bill Tift. (I call him ”B.”)

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I remember the Ivy walls at Wrigley Field, the Dodger Dogs in California and the navy and white pinstripes in Yankee Stadium

— Andrew Palmer

Since the trip to Pittsburgh, I have visited 16 different baseball stadiums all around the country – even one outside of the U.S. to watch the Toronto Blue Jays play in 2016.

While visiting places like Detroit, Colorado, New York, Miami and many others,  we had to figure out other things to do while waiting for the game that night.

My grandfather and I enjoy fishing and love to fly fish in Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod every summer. He tried to combine our hobby and love for baseball first in 2010, when we went to see the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and went with a fishing guide in the Gulf of Mexico.  That same year we also went to Busch Gardens amusement park.

Since 2010 we have been fishing in Florida (Marlins 2011), Boston (Red Sox 2015) and Colorado (Rockies 2017). We have been to amusement parks in Detroit, Colorado and even Toronto.

This tradition and the cool experience of visiting important places all around the country has built a stronger relationship between me and my grandfather.