Road Trips – Part 4: The Destination

Welcome to the fourth and final installment of the Road Trips Chapter. “The Destination.”

In the movie Bull Durham, the main character talks about playing in the Major Leagues and he describes the different fields he has played at and says “the ball parks are like cathedrals.” If you have seen the movie you know what I’m talking about, if not, I highly suggest it (It’s a baseball classic).

Even though he is talking about the major leagues, I still consider his statement to be true about some college parks as well. For example, there is a ball park way down in South Texas that I call home.

To be more specific it is located in Edinburg, Texas, home to the University of Texas Pan American Broncs and one other independent league team during the summer. The field has seen plenty of blood, sweat and tears over the years by people that also call this place their “home.” The sun beats down on this beautiful field with warm weather year round. Palm trees surround the field that is dug into the ground to create an “at home” feel for the surrounding city. Grandstands with both bucket seating and bleacher style seating encircle the field along with a grass berm that resides on the outer part of the seats.

This field is unique and eloquent with a hint of the Southern Texas culture that comes with it, but the best part is that there are no others like it.

That is what I have found to be true about a lot of parks and places around the U.S. The city will somehow find a way to mesh with the school and field to create a field that sets theirs apart from others, with their own style and characteristics.

I have played in a various amount of different places and have heard from friends across the nation about their field and others that are gorgeous, memorable and fun to play at. Different parks can bring different elements to the table. I could drone on and on about the different things that come with a ball park, but I’ll let our former college player and current assistant coach, Wes Patterson, set the table for you:

“There is nothing more unique than stepping foot in a baseball stadium for the first time. In my career I have been honored to play in many different stadiums across the country, some with history and tradition, some with a fan base so loud you feel like you are at a KISS concert. But the one common thing, the louder a fan base, the more tradition, the more history a stadium has, the more pressure you feel to perform at a higher level. And if you are a true baseball player, this is what we thrive on.”

Realizing and achieving your dreams are all made possible on the fields. In my opinion, one of the best parts about playing college baseball as I have said before is going to new places you have never seen before. I have been lucky enough to travel around the states to places like Utah, Chicago, New York, Austin, Wichita, New Mexico, and even Louisiana. Seeing different scenery and cultures can really give you a bigger outlook on life and how big of a world this really is.

The bottom line is that the destination ties the whole road trip together. It’s what makes playing college baseball such a privilege. Playing where former big leaguers and ball players have spent their school years is truly unimaginable. That is one reason why I love college baseball.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with another one of my favorite quotes that struck home the other day.

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

Dylan

(photos by Dutch Cowgill)