Midwest Tour 2024 - Blog & photos

It’s crazy how time flies—our second-ever tour across the pond has already been and gone, but once again, we made so many amazing memories along the way! It all started, once again, with the newly named Home Run Travel Club joining up at Heathrow Airport ahead of our direct flight to Chicago. As our flight departed later in the day, we were pleasantly surprised to see the dreaded customs area completely empty! Our private minibus transfer into the city was also quick and seamless, and before you knew it, we had checked into our hotel, the Millennium Knickerbocker. It was late, but we just about had enough time to celebrate the start of the tour with our first meal—and obviously, being in Chicago, there was only one thing we were going to have: deep-dish pizza! We had a cracking time at Pizano’s (honestly, if I can give you one piece of advice for Chicago, it’s to never have one pizza to yourself—they’re ridiculously big and filling).

The following morning, the group ventured out into Downtown Chicago to do their own thing. A few of us took the Chicago River Cruise, which was a nice way to see the city's amazing architecture and skyline from Lake Michigan. We then devoured some ‘cheezborgers’ at the legendary Billy Goat Tavern before making our way to our first baseball game of the tour.

Game 1 - Wrigley Field - Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets

There’s no better way to officially start our Midwest tour than a game at the iconic Wrigley Field, the second-oldest stadium in the majors! History is everywhere around this ballpark and in the surrounding area of Wrigleyville. This game was originally scheduled for a 1 pm start, but thankfully, ESPN chose it for their nationally televised game, meaning a 7 pm start, which gave the group more time to explore Chicago.

After a short hop on the CTA Red Line to Addison, we all met at the Cubby Bear. Scotland were playing Hungary in their final group game of the Euros, so let’s just say that Canadian/Scotland-loving Cameron wasn’t thrilled with the result. There are so many bars to choose from before the game, and maybe we’ll try something different next time we visit, but it was the perfect spot to soak up the atmosphere. Also, this game will be remembered for the Cubs honouring legendary second baseman Ryne Sandberg with a statue unveiling, so the place was packed well before the first pitch!

After our now customary pre-match photo—this time in front of the iconic marquee sign—the group went their separate ways. Some of us hit the club shop and took a photo in front of the new ‘Ryno’ statue. The rest went for a wander around this historical stadium.

As for the game, the Mets triumphed 5-2, thanks to a stellar pitching display from Luis Severino and home runs from Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Vientos. Christopher Morel added a late homer for the Cubs. The highlight, though, was an epic 12-pitch duel between Cody Bellinger and Severino, with the pitcher eventually coming out on top! The game will also be remembered for the Mets’ superstar closer Edwin Diaz being thrown out of the game before he could even throw a pitch, as he was deemed to have sticky stuff on his fingers… naughty boy… that’s an automatic 10-game suspension… That’s the closest I’ve come to seeing him pitch after two previous Mets games where he didn’t feature either, due to injury… one day 'eh!

The weather was perfect—a great start to our time here in the ‘Windy City.’

Game 2 - Guaranteed Rate Field - Chicago White Sox vs Los Angeles Dodgers

After another solid day of sightseeing, we headed back on the CTA Red Line, this time southward. With a couple of die-hard Sox fans in the group, we first stopped by Turtle’s, the nearest watering hole and the perfect place to soak up the “Southside” atmosphere.

Guaranteed Rate Field might not score highly on most fans’ list of top ballparks, but I personally think it’s hugely underrated. There’s amazing history in the outfield, with statues honoring many of the Sox’s beloved stars. The vibe here is much more laid-back, likely due to an unexpectant fan base with the Sox currently the worst team in MLB. Everyone’s just there to enjoy their to have a good time, the baseball is a bonus. The club store was also one of the biggest in the league, with plenty of merch to buy across its two floors. It’s fair to say that Mark, a BIG White Sox fan, enjoyed himself, though his partner Nishma was not as thrilled…

Some of the group were invited to try out some some seats right behind the on-deck circle, and OH MY WORD… what a view! It was incredible to be so close to some of the best players in the game: Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and of course, the unicorn himself, Shohei Ohtani! The group took turns enjoying these seats throughout the game, getting a close-up perspective of it all. It's fair to say Lianne was in her element, as she was only a few yards away from her hero, Freddie Freeman!

Despite the two teams being at opposite ends of the standings, it was actually a tight 0-0 contest going into the 7th, with the impressive Garrett Crochet dominating on the mound for the Sox. James Paxton also pitched well, even though he wasn’t facing quite the same calibre of opposition as Crochet was. We had a short interval due to a heavy downpour which gave me the perfect opportunity to go and get the viral Campfire Milkshake - however I was too late, they had sold out much earlier in the evening. Once the rain relented, we got back out there, and the Dodgers ultimately took the W 3-0, with an RBI from Ohtani.

Another belter of an evening!

Game 3 - American Family Field - Milwaukee Brewers vs Texas Rangers

It was quite a delightful train ride north from the beautiful Chicago Union Station to Milwaukee Intermodal Station. Amtrak trains, in comparison to those in the UK, are bigger and much more comfortable. Their standard seats resemble what you would expect in first class back home. After a short walk to our downtown hotel, the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, we ventured a couple of blocks up 3rd Street, where there are plenty of bars to choose from. It was quite ironic to be watching England play Slovenia in the Euros in a Bavarian bar!

After a few steins and fun chats with the locals, we all headed to American Family Field, formerly known as Miller Park. The obvious thing to note about this ballpark is that it is HUGE! This is mainly due to the ginormous arching roof, which, thankfully for us, was open for the entire game. However, the humidity in the air was ridiculously high; it was certainly the most humid I’ve experienced in a very long time.

The Brewers, as they have done for the last few years, are running away with the NL Central, and they faced off against the reigning World Series champs, the Texas Rangers, who have a stellar batting lineup that includes Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, and Adolis Garcia.

The Rangers took the lead in the top of the 1st, thanks to Josh Smith scoring on a hit from Corey Seager, but it was all Brewers after that. RBIs from Jackson Chourio and Rhys Hoskins, along with a homer from Joey Ortiz and a solid 6-inning relief appearance from Bryse Wilson, meant the Brewers came out on top, winning 3-1.

Highlights from our evening included meeting the famous racing sausage mascots outside the stadium and watching their iconic race during the game. Our Home Run Travel Club name appeared on the big screen (finally managed to get proof), and we also managed to snag our first in-game ball, with Ben making a nice one-handed grab from a toss-up!

In terms of food and drink, Miller Lite being the local tipple was a no-brainer. The bratwursts, cheese curds, and ice cream all hit the spot, which to be honest, seems to be the case with all baseball food (at least compared to venues in the UK).

It was great to finally tick this stadium and city off my personal list! Milwaukee also has an endless number of bars to get you in the mood for some baseball. If you can make the short trip up from Chicago, you’re in for a real treat.

Game 4 - Impact Field - Chicago Dogs vs Winnipeg Goldeyes

We had an early start today, taking a coach back down to Chicago from Milwaukee. Impact Field is conveniently located close to O’Hare Airport, so our airport hotel was just a short walk away. There’s plenty to do outside of the stadium as well, with an outlet shopping mall across the road and an entertainment district filled with bars and restaurants to choose from.

Our game was moved forward to an 11:30 a.m. start, as it was a “Camp Day” game organized by the Chicago Dogs for all of the local schools and summer camps. As you can imagine, there were a lot of kids around! It was also Wiener Wednesdays, which means the team officially plays as the Chicago Wieners, and more importantly, hot dogs only costing $1!

To give you a bit of background, the Chicago Dogs are an independent baseball club, meaning they are not affiliated with any major league team and the potential money that comes with it. This means they rely heavily on the local community to stay afloat, so they are always creating events and initiatives to keep the crowds coming in. That said, Impact Field is a really impressive stadium for an indie-ball'' team. The facilities are clean and spacious, and the seats we had were fantastic—literally front row behind home plate! The group also managed to load up on some Dogs merch and plenty of hot dogs throughout the game (don’t ask how many!).

The game itself was highly entertaining, with the Dogs (Wieners) taking an early 4-0 lead, only for the scores to level a couple of innings later. A bit more back and forth continued, with the Wieners eventually becoming Winners after an 8-6 victory.

After the game, the Dogs' manager, Jeff Isom, was kind enough to spend some time with the group, mainly questioning why a bunch of Brits were watching some low-level indie ball in amongst three thousand crazy kids?! However, he was gracious enough to take photos and sign some autographs. He emailed me right away, saying we were welcome anytime in the future. So, the next time you’re in Chicago, tell the man I sent you—you will have an absolute blast!

The group spent the rest of the evening doing their own thing. Some simply spent some time walking off the hot dogs consumed earlier that day; some (myself included) had an early night; the White Sox and Dodgers fans went back for more at GRF, one of the team met up with a work colleague in Downtown Chicago, and one of the guys decided to spend his evening at a neighbouring 'K-Pop' concert - he's now a big a fan of ITZY! Quite the eclectic mix!

Game 5 - Rogers Centre - Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees

It was another early start, with the group taking a short and seamless flight from Chicago to Toronto, our second country of the tour. After checking into the Intercontinental Hotel in Downtown Toronto, we all ventured out for some sightseeing opportunities. Some of us headed up the iconic CN Tower, which offered incredible views of Toronto, the Toronto Islands, Billy Bishop Airport, and the neighboring Rogers Centre, home to the Toronto Blue Jays. The weather was pretty good as well, so the roof was open, providing an incredible view down into the stadium. It’s so high up there that you literally feel like you are looking directly down into the stadium.

We then headed for lunch at Amsterdam Brewhouse, which has a beautiful location by Lake Ontario. Afterwards, we caught up with the others at the nearby Steamwhistle Brewery, the perfect spot for pre-game drinks.

This was my second visit to Rogers Centre, having last attended a game in 2013, and to be honest, I don’t remember much about the game or the stadium at all. However, Rogers Centre has recently undergone some major internal renovations, primarily in the outfield and bleacher areas, and WOW, what an improvement! There are so many different areas and vantage points to eat, drink, and watch baseball. We spent some time before the game watching Yankees starter Carlos Rodon warm up from the Catch Bar, just above the bullpen.

Our seats were pretty spectacular as well, sitting on the third base line. With the roof (thankfully) staying open, the CN Tower, which we had just visited, was hard to ignore!

It’s fair to say the Yankees started the game slowly. With the Blue Jays scoring six runs in the first inning, they even had some batters bat twice that inning. George Springer hit a home run and followed it up with another in the second inning. The game was only two innings deep, and the Blue Jays were already 8-0 up—the game was practically over already. Carlos Berrios had a stellar outing for the Jays, and another homer from superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. saw the Jays finish as 9-3 victors.

A thoroughly enjoyable game 1 of 2 for the group here in Canada!

Day-trip to Niagara Falls

The following morning, we headed out to see the 8th Wonder of the World, Niagara Falls. For many, it was a first visit so anticipation and excitement were high as we took the 90-minute journey south around Lake Ontario. After a long walk and plenty of photos from the impressive Horseshoe Falls to the boat pier, we took the Hornblower boat to get an extremely close and very wet view of these incredible falls (ponchos and all). It never ceases to amaze me how impressive these Falls are. The sheer power and force of the water tumbling down creating nothing but mist and rainbows. If you visit, you must get close on the boat, especially coming from the Canadian side where the views are naturally better (compared to the American side). Memories made for a lifetime for sure!

Game 6 - Rogers Centre - Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees

After drying off, some souvenir shopping, and lunch, we headed back to Toronto for our sixth and final game of the tour. The group decided to head up to the top of the right field bleachers, where the Corona Rooftop Patio is located, and OMG, what a spot! As pre-match vibes go, this is certainly up there—a very spacious, laid-back bar area to sit, relax, and chat with live music as well, and the view of the stadium is incredible. We also saw different parts of the stadium that we had missed the day before; honestly, the renovations are so impressive, with so many different areas to take the game in and enjoy all the F&B that there is to offer. The WestJet Flight Deck out in centre field also looked like a great spot to watch the game!

Not before long, it was time to get to our seats and catch one last rendition of the national anthems. After an even start to the game and a more controlling pitching performance from Marcus Stroman, the Yankees managed to put a stop to their recent slump by coming out swinging in the top of the sixth, scoring six runs, with talismanic Juan Soto getting the ball rolling with a 3-run blast. The Blue Jays fought back at times, thanks to another home run from Vladdy Jr., but it was all in vain as the Yankees piled on more runs in the final couple of innings to take the game 16-5—a complete role reversal of the previous day's game. Some celebratory tour-ending beers ensued at our new local, Jack Astor’s, before we hit the hay for one final time.

For our final day, the group once again did their own thing. I finally managed to get some Poutine - a Canadian culinary staple and crammed in some last minute shopping for the wife and kid. Before you knew it we were already heading back on the UP Express train to the airport and heading back to good 'ol Blighty. Well, apart from the Canadians who decided to stay on a few more night to celebrate Canada Day in their ancestral homeland.

Another amazing tour has come to a close. Thank you to all of the group for making it so enjoyable again. I love this community of baseball-loving friends that we have created. Roll on 2025 where will be doing TWO tours!