Day 1: Mecca

FINALLY!!!

Just us boys... Me, Dave, Tim & Andy

Sure Babe, you can have my autograph.

Doubleday Field... Does it get any prettier than that?

Me and Willie Mays. I knew we'd meet somday.


(Aaron)
29 years, 4 months, and 20 days. That's how long it took me to get to Mecca.

I saw the first sign to Cooperstown after 3 hours of driving today, and I don't remember being that giddy in a long time. I'd never been so excited to exit a freeway. Through the beautiful hills and trees of upstate New York (Mid-state maybe?) A little oasis sits nestled between hills, trees, and lakes... but we know it better as Cooperstown.

A town that basically exists for the greatest game on the planet. The town that the game of baseball was 'invented' in. So you might say, the town that changed the world. If Abner Doubleday really did invent baseball in Cooperstown, then without this little town, our American lives wouldn't be the same. It's the root of it all. Hot dogs, ballparks, little league, fathers and sons playing catch, whiffle ball home run derbies as a kid, tournaments with Canadian teams, peanuts and crackerjacks, rally fries, the World Series... none of it would have existed without Abner Doubleday and his vision in Cooperstown, NY.

We parked the car right next to Doubleday Field, walked through the town and all the baseball shops, the sacred Baseball Hall of Fame and all its history. Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Satchel Paige, Ty Cobb... all in one place. Amazing. Monumental. Captivating. Inspiring. Breath-taking.

It was a 3 1/2 hour drive from New York City. We pulled in around 11:30am and stayed until about 6:30pm. What a beautiful place! It's a place that dreams are made. A place where history is realized. A place where past meets present and the future lingers just in front of you. And walking through all of it, today, was me, Dave, Andy, & Tim. Four guys. No agenda. Just baseball. Just the game that has shaped our lives.

I could go home today and be happy. But since I'm here... Tomorrow... Yankee Stadium!