Families epic baseball road trip hits all the right bases

15 days ago

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Epic - Figure 1 — Photo PortageOnline.com

Written by Ryan Simpson Tuesday, Sep 03 2024, 12:00 PM

Alex Van Deynze in front of the park that inspired an epic summer journey for his family.

With summer winding down and kids returning to school in the area, July and August are now a memory. For one local family, an epic road trip will most certainly be one of the highlights of the year. A trip that saw them travel across 14 states, cover over 7,000 kilometers, and visit seven Major League Baseball parks as well as the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The trip also took two weeks to complete.

The idea started with a family dream of seeing a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston and snowballed into much more, the thought being "how many other parks could we visit along the way?"

Dave Van Deynze, a well-known figure in the local sports community, did the trip that would make any baseball fan envious with his wife Terra and son Alex. Van Deynze has coached baseball and hockey at many levels in Portage while his son grew up playing them as well.

"We started in Minneapolis and made our way over to Chicago to watch the Cubs. From there, we had a big drive into Philadelphia, caught a couple of games in New York, and then made our way to Boston. We even hit Pittsburgh on the way home. It was a real good tour."

One of the highlights for Van Deynze was visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

"That was a real highlight for me. A little bit of seeing that history that goes along with baseball. It was a lot of fun and we didn't know what to expect when we got there. It was great."

Despite its small size, Cooperstown left a big impression on Van Deynze, especially with its rich baseball heritage. Of all the parks visited, two stood out the most to Van Deynze.

Epic - Figure 2 — Photo PortageOnline.com

"Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago. To me, walking into a facility that's over a hundred years old, that's the real ticket for me. Those were the most enjoyable for sure. Just seeing that, it's pretty cool to think they've been around that long and all the history and a number of players that have been there, not to mention how many people have sat in those seats."

Although it wasn't the last game of the trip, Fenway Park is the one Van Deynze had wanted to see the most.

Planning the trip required some strategy, as the family had to consider team schedules and travel distances. However, Van Deynze and his family embraced the adventure, enjoying the spontaneity and the various ballparks they got to explore.

"It all worked out pretty well because there's lots of options along the way. We actually didn't even buy our tickets in advance so each game was a surprise. And we really tried to take in the pre-game atmosphere around the parks as well."

For Van Deynze, this trip was not just about visiting baseball parks but also about creating lasting memories with his family.

"As the kids get older and become adults, it's a little tougher to convince them to come on a summer road trip," he admitted. "But with all the baseball, it wasn't too hard to convince Alex to come on this one."

Van Deynze's baseball road trip is a testament to the enduring love of the game and the joy of exploring the country with family. As he returns to everyday life, the memories of this epic journey will undoubtedly linger for years to come.

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