2006 Awards

Star sports writer Creg Stephenson is off on a sports vacation, attending Major League Baseball games in the Midwest and Canada and visiting the College Football Hall of Fame. Here are his daily reports:

Creg Leg I: June 27

I took it as a good omen that the P.A. in the parking deck at Chicago's Midway Airport was playing John Fogerty's "Center Field" as Star copy editor Steve Beaudry and I headed to our rental car. Our nine-day adventure started with the Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on Monday night. We found a sports bar with $2 Old Style and 25 cent wings. Life is good.

Creg Leg II: June 28

We started Tuesday off with an authentic deep-dish pizza before leaving Chicago and heading east. No baseball game today, so we spent the afternoon behind enemy lines in South Bend, Ind., where we paid tribute to Notre Dame's "Touchdown Jesus" and took in the College Football Hall of Fame. We stayed overnight in Ann Arbor, Mich., and will make for Detroit (Rock City) today.

Creg Leg III: June 29

After a quick side trip to see the University of Michigan's "Big House" (Michigan Stadium) Wednesday morning, we rolled into Detroit (Rock City) to catch the Tigers and Astros at Comerica Park. From what little I saw of downtown, it seems like Detroit gets a bad rap. After the game, we made it across the border into Canada, stopping for the night in Brantford, Ontario, home of Wayne Gretzky and Phil Hartman.

Creg Leg IV: June 30

Toronto is not quite as large a city as Chicago, but it has much more of an old world feel. Maybe it's the signs written in both English and French, or the blue Canadian $20 bills, but it's easy to tell you're in a foreign country. Toronto is dominated geographically by Lake Ontario and the CN Tower, the tallest structure in North America.

If it had to rain on one day of the trip, this would have been my choice. It poured most of Thursday afternoon, but we were dry and comfortable inside Rogers Centre (Formerly SkyDome) for the Blue Jays-Nationals game.

We've now spent nearly two full days north of the border, and will head back to the U.S. of A this morning bound for Pittsburgh.

Creg Leg V: July 1

After more than 48 hours in Canada, we made our triumphant return to American soil on Friday morning. Crossed the border at Niagara Falls, truly one of the great natural wonders in North America (even if the surrounding city is the biggest tourist trap east of Branson, Mo.). Made the five-hour trek down to Pittsburgh to see the Pirates at home against Detroit on Friday night. PNC Park lived up to its reputation one of the most picturesque sporting venues in the country. The gorgeous ballpark architecture coupled with the scenic location alongside the Monongahela River made for an evening high in aesthetic pleasures, even if the Pirates are one of the worst teams in the majors.

Creg Leg VI: July 2

Thanks to two major traffic jams on the way down from Pittsburgh, we didn't arrive in Cincinnati until about 45 minutes before Saturday night's game between the Reds and Cleveland Indians.

The Great American Ballpark rivals Pittsburgh's PNC Park in both the impressiveness of its construction and the beauty of its setting, nestled just across the Ohio River from Kentucky. The stadium was jampacked for the Battle of Ohio, with hardy cheers going up after big plays by both teams.

We have to make a 1 p.m. St. Louis game today, so we left Cincinnati right after Saturday's game with plans to drive deep into the night.

Creg Leg VII: July 3

A hard day of driving Saturday put us 40 or so miles from St. Louis, so we rolled into town in plenty of time for Sunday's game between the Cardinals and Kansas City. Busch Stadium is a bright and shiny three months old and has all of the other perks, but the neighborhood around the stadium leaves a lot to be desired. For a city that prides itself on being one of America's great baseball towns, that was a disappointment.

We left right after the game and pressed on for Milwaukee in search of bratwurst, beer and baseball — in that order.

Creg Leg VIII: July 4

Monday marked our much-anticipated trip to the land of cheese and sausage, Milwaukee. The locals at Miller Park tailgate as if it were a college football game, with charcoal grills and ice chests scattered throughout the parking lot. Since I couldn't fit a grill in my carry-on luggage, we made a beeline for the $4 bratwurst at Klement's Sausage Haus, located just across the pedestrian walkway from the stadium. We also saw the most competitive game of our trip, with the hometown Brewers beating the Cincinnati Reds with a two-run ninth-inning rally. We'll spend the holiday in Chicago today before heading back to Alabama on Wednesday.

Creg Leg IX: July 5

Nine days after our trip began, we finished up where we started — Chicago. We traveled down from Milwaukee on Tuesday to catch a Fourth of July matinee at U.S. Cellular Field, home of the world champion Chicago White Sox.

I had heard bad things about the South Side of Chicago, but the area immediately around the ballpark wasn't that different from St. Louis or Detroit. We got in and out of the stadium with no trouble.

On the field, the Sox made short work of the Baltimore Orioles, winning 13-0. Ironically, our trip also began with a shutout in Chicago, with the Cubs losing to Milwaukee at Wrigley Field on June 26, which seems like ages ago.

After the game, we caught dinner and finished off Independence Day at Chicago's famed Navy Pier.