The Struggle Has Ended

Greg Hewlett passed away on January 17th after nearly eight years of battling colon cancer. While we grieve his loss, we are comforted to know that he is with his Lord.

If you would like to leave your thoughts on Greg, please see this thread.

If you would like to make a charitable donation in Greg's honor, please see this thread.

Wednesday, December 1, 2004

Baseball perspective

After mentioning my latest hospital visit -- to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore -- I received a comment from Dave Thom. He always has a way of keeping things in perspective. He wrote, "Some people track how many baseball stadiums they've been to. (8* for me.) I bet you could count stadiums AND hospitals. What's the count?"

The good news is that I have indeed visited more ballparks than hospitals for treatment:

ballpark.jpgHospitals
Springfield Presbyterian (birthplace)
Children's Medical, Dallas
St. Paul, Dallas
Richardson Medical, Dallas
Methodist, Houston
MD Anderson
Johns Hopkins

Ball parks
Candlestick
San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium
Dodger Statium
Old Anaheim Stadium - the big "A"
New Anaheim Stadium
Metrodome (Seattle's old one)
Coors Field, Denver
New Comisky
Wrigley
Astrodome
Minute Maid Park (new Astros)
Arlington Stadium
Ballpark in Arlington ("Ameriquest", ugh)
Yankee Stadium
Memorial Stadium - old Baltimore
Camden Yards (my only fly ball)
Vet, Philly
Fenway Park (including one game with Dave Thom)


10 comments:

rick hove said...

greg, I am flat proud of you for taking in more stadiums than hospitals! I took Mark (who was born in Chicago) to Wrigley this July. What a great place. I think you need to get to a few more parks, starting this Spring. We think of you, and pray for you, often. rick and sonya

Curtis Frodge said...

more importantly how many beaches have you been to? ;) baseball may be our national pass time but surfing is definately the coolest haha
-curtis

Dave Thom said...

Hey man, cool communique. Keepin' it real ;^)
I remember when we ran our fantasy baseball league - you ran us all into the ground. Beat us silly. You were on fantasy steroids. I took one or two Red Sox guys who were sorta rookies who went absolutely nowhere. Can you remember their names? One guy runs the Reds minor league system now. The other might be in broadcasting. I think all your guys are in The Hall. 1993 was it?

Sue Hui said...

Greg,
I am so glad to see you write again. We were a bit concerned about you when we have not heard from you for a while. It is great that you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving gathering with Christine's family.
You certainly beat me hands down when it comes to ball park attendance for I have just attended the one and only in my life early this year during the company picnic in Arlington. I am still not sure whether I totally understand the game yet.
Take care!
Sue

Davo said...

Naehring was awesome in 93, but mediocre in 94. Zupcic was awful both years. It had to have been one of those years for our fantasy league?

Rosemary Boustany said...

Dear Greg, though we've never met, my longtime friendship with your parents has made me follow your struggles with great interest and emotion. As all people of my age, I've seen many friends and family succumb to cancer or other "unbeatable" illnesses. It's such a joy to see your constant courage and determination and very positive attitude. You have visited the park in Baltimore where "my" old team - the St. Louis Browns reincarnated as the Baltimore Orioles - plays. But I don't see St. Louis on your list. You're too young of course for the old Sportsman's Park where the Brownies played when I was a girl, but the Cardinals are surely worth a visit, no? Good luck and keep the good news coming.

Ann Strauss said...

Greg: I don't live far from Baltimore at all; someday, maybe we'll meet if you're up this way again. Keeping you and your family in my thoughts. I heard of you through OneLeg's website, as I love to hike. Pulling for ya.

Roland Lindh said...

I think you beat me in quantity (I'll test it below, but I think I have you in quality of parks. And I most certainly got you in golf courses. On hospitals I concede. I wasn't even born in one!
Baseball Parks:
Shibe Park (old Philadelphia Athletics and Phillies - saw both teams there, including Ted Williams, Joe Damaggio, Stan Musiel, and lots more)
Baker Bowl (Named after "Homerun" Baker- was in the park before it was torn down for the above.)
Yankee Stadium (pre renovation)
Ebbetts Field (saw my Phillies beat the Dodgers in the last year of the "Brooklyn Dodgers)
The Polo Grounds
Fenway Park
Wrigley Field
Camden Yards
Forbes Field (old Pirates stadium - at night it was so awesome that it was actually frightening)
Municipal Stadium (both Cleveland�s and Baltimore's)
Cardinal Stadium - St. Louis
Old Anaheim
Candlestick
Texas Stadium (Arlington - it isn't bad at all!!!)
And for Minor Leagues:
Crosly Field (the old Cincinnati Red's Major League park with its outfield warning terrace.It was removed, shiped, and reconstructed in Louisville)
Toledo Mudhen Stadium
Michigan Whitecaps Stadium
Reading Phillies Stadium
But best of all:
Merion (East) G.C.
Aronimick G.C
Pebble Beach G.C
Congressional C.C
Dunes Beach and C.C.
Hominy Hills (N.J)
Golden Gate Park G.C. (San Francisco)
Harding Park G.C (San Francisco)
Was on Augusta National
Was on Colonial C.C.
But best of all - those two great courses in Richardson Texas
And next summer you and I will show those wind blown Texas duffers what golf is all about on those Richardson courses and maybe a few others!

David Pagan said...

Greg,
Let me know when you will be up this way next year and I'll get some tickets for the Nationals at RFK (I was hoping they'd bring back the Senators name but at least we'll have baseball back in D.C.). Ironically, the opening home game is on Apr. 15/Tax Day. They're building a new stadium in SW D.C. on the waterfront, so you could get to 2 more stadiums up here soon.
David

Carl said...

I'm one up on everyone, I think. My father took me to see the Kansas City Blues at Blues stadium in 1949.
I now understand why you asked for Christine's hand at Camden Yards in the hot dog line. Baseball is your montra, big time.