How 4 young men attempted to see a game in every major league stadium in the summer of ’81.
How it all began
It was the summer of 1980 and a group of coworkers from R.J. O’Tooles restaurant in North Syracuse decided to go to a AAA baseball game between the homestanding Syracuse Chiefs, a farm team of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tidewater Tides, the AAA affiliate of the New York Mets.
This particular evening, Wally Backman of the Tides, was having an exceptional game. As the beer flowed freely, the conversation worked its way to thinking how cool it would be to visit every major baseball stadium in a single trip.
Like many inebriated ideas the night before, they don’t seem that great the following morning. But here is what happened to that dream.
This particular evening, Wally Backman of the Tides, was having an exceptional game. As the beer flowed freely, the conversation worked its way to thinking how cool it would be to visit every major baseball stadium in a single trip.
Like many inebriated ideas the night before, they don’t seem that great the following morning. But here is what happened to that dream.
How it progressed
Surprisingly, this preposterous idea was gaining traction! The most enthusiastic were the following four that wound up making the trip: Marc DeCosta(Coz), 24, from Wantagh, NY, Jim Downs(JD), 28, from Syracuse, NY, Steve Latour(Lebeau), 24, from Bath, NY and Carmen(Carm)Reale, 29, from Syracuse, NY.
JD and Carm were classmates at Niagara University, graduating in 1974. Coz and Lebeau were recent Syracuse University graduates. All four bartended and waited tables together at the previously mentioned R.J. O’Tooles Restaurant.
In November, JD took off for Ft. Lauderdale to work as a waiter. Coz went home to Wantagh. He got a job at Simon and Shuster Publishing in Manhattan. Lebeau and Carm stayed on at RJs
JD and Carm were classmates at Niagara University, graduating in 1974. Coz and Lebeau were recent Syracuse University graduates. All four bartended and waited tables together at the previously mentioned R.J. O’Tooles Restaurant.
In November, JD took off for Ft. Lauderdale to work as a waiter. Coz went home to Wantagh. He got a job at Simon and Shuster Publishing in Manhattan. Lebeau and Carm stayed on at RJs
LOGISTICS
The four of us each had to come up with a schedule based on the upcoming 1981 MLB season. All were submitted and we wound up picking JD’s. He would be returning from Lauderdale in late April. Since his brother, Jay, owned O’Tooles, it was no problem getting his job back.
The next big obstacle was finding a vehicle to accommodate us. Friends and family got involved with the search. JD’s dad, Dr. Joseph Downs, knew someone in Canastota, NY who had a van for sale. Lebeau and Carm drove east to view the van. It was a blue 1977 Dodge Maxivan with 67,000 miles. The owner was asking $3500 for it. It was basically a cargo van with only side windows. No carpeting and only 2 front chairs. We took a test drive and we were sold.
Carm took on the responsibility of ownership/insurance. We split the monthly payments 4 ways. So our mission was a GO!
The next big obstacle was finding a vehicle to accommodate us. Friends and family got involved with the search. JD’s dad, Dr. Joseph Downs, knew someone in Canastota, NY who had a van for sale. Lebeau and Carm drove east to view the van. It was a blue 1977 Dodge Maxivan with 67,000 miles. The owner was asking $3500 for it. It was basically a cargo van with only side windows. No carpeting and only 2 front chairs. We took a test drive and we were sold.
Carm took on the responsibility of ownership/insurance. We split the monthly payments 4 ways. So our mission was a GO!
PREP WORK
First of all we had to name the maxivan. It was big and blue. We needed a baseball reference. This turned out to be easy. We came up with “The Babe”, not only the legendary animal known as the big blue ox of the giant lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, but also “the Great Bambino” or the “Sultan of Swat” aka… Babe Ruth!
We had friends and family install carpeting for the floor. Since there were only 2 seats, we bought a couple of bean bag chairs for the back.
Carm’s dad, Lou Reale, installed a CB radio(which we never used!) JD’s sister, Deb Downs, did a great job painting the art work on The Bade. It included an outline of the USA and boxes for each stadium visited to be filled in after watching a game there.
We had friends and family install carpeting for the floor. Since there were only 2 seats, we bought a couple of bean bag chairs for the back.
Carm’s dad, Lou Reale, installed a CB radio(which we never used!) JD’s sister, Deb Downs, did a great job painting the art work on The Bade. It included an outline of the USA and boxes for each stadium visited to be filled in after watching a game there.
The Hook - (Or How Are We Going To Pay For This Trip?!)
Hemophilia Foundation comes through
Marc was a severe hemophiliac who hoped to publicize the “new image” of the hemophiliac by making this trip. Until recently such a journey would have been impossible. If he had a slight bump or bruise it would trigger internal bleeding that would require hospitalization and massive transfusions of plasma. One “bleed” might last weeks.
A new treatment for hemophilia, however, miraculously changed that bleak picture. He could treat himself upon the start of a bleed with an infusion of concentrated clotting factor that would immediately stop the bleeding. A cooler of the clotting factor accompanied him in the Babe.
A new treatment for hemophilia, however, miraculously changed that bleak picture. He could treat himself upon the start of a bleed with an infusion of concentrated clotting factor that would immediately stop the bleeding. A cooler of the clotting factor accompanied him in the Babe.
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How 4 young men attempted to see a game in every major league stadium in the summer of ’81.
How it all began
It was the summer of 1980 and a group of coworkers from R.J. O’Tooles restaurant in North Syracuse decided to go to a AAA baseball game between the homestanding Syracuse Chiefs, a farm team of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tidewater Tides, the AAA affiliate of the New York Mets.
This particular evening, Wally Backman of the Tides, was having an exceptional game. As the beer flowed freely, the conversation worked its way to thinking how cool it would be to visit every major baseball stadium in a single trip.
Like many inebriated ideas the night before, they don’t seem that great the following morning. But here is what happened to that dream.
This particular evening, Wally Backman of the Tides, was having an exceptional game. As the beer flowed freely, the conversation worked its way to thinking how cool it would be to visit every major baseball stadium in a single trip.
Like many inebriated ideas the night before, they don’t seem that great the following morning. But here is what happened to that dream.
How it progressed
Surprisingly, this preposterous idea was gaining traction! The most enthusiastic were the following four that wound up making the trip: Marc DeCosta(Coz), 24, from Wantagh, NY, Jim Downs(JD), 28, from Syracuse, NY, Steve Latour(Lebeau), 24, from Bath, NY and Carmen(Carm)Reale, 29, from Syracuse, NY.
JD and Carm were classmates at Niagara University, graduating in 1974. Coz and Lebeau were recent Syracuse University graduates. All four bartended and waited tables together at the previously mentioned R.J. O’Tooles Restaurant.
In November, JD took off for Ft. Lauderdale to work as a waiter. Coz went home to Wantagh. He got a job at Simon and Shuster Publishing in Manhattan. Lebeau and Carm stayed on at RJs
JD and Carm were classmates at Niagara University, graduating in 1974. Coz and Lebeau were recent Syracuse University graduates. All four bartended and waited tables together at the previously mentioned R.J. O’Tooles Restaurant.
In November, JD took off for Ft. Lauderdale to work as a waiter. Coz went home to Wantagh. He got a job at Simon and Shuster Publishing in Manhattan. Lebeau and Carm stayed on at RJs
LOGISTICS
The four of us each had to come up with a schedule based on the upcoming 1981 MLB season. All were submitted and we wound up picking JD’s. He would be returning from Lauderdale in late April. Since his brother, Jay, owned O’Tooles, it was no problem getting his job back.
The next big obstacle was finding a vehicle to accommodate us. Friends and family got involved with the search. JD’s dad, Dr. Joseph Downs, knew someone in Canastota, NY who had a van for sale. Lebeau and Carm drove east to view the van. It was a blue 1977 Dodge Maxivan with 67,000 miles. The owner was asking $3500 for it. It was basically a cargo van with only side windows. No carpeting and only 2 front chairs. We took a test drive and we were sold.
Carm took on the responsibility of ownership/insurance. We split the monthly payments 4 ways. So our mission was a GO!
The next big obstacle was finding a vehicle to accommodate us. Friends and family got involved with the search. JD’s dad, Dr. Joseph Downs, knew someone in Canastota, NY who had a van for sale. Lebeau and Carm drove east to view the van. It was a blue 1977 Dodge Maxivan with 67,000 miles. The owner was asking $3500 for it. It was basically a cargo van with only side windows. No carpeting and only 2 front chairs. We took a test drive and we were sold.
Carm took on the responsibility of ownership/insurance. We split the monthly payments 4 ways. So our mission was a GO!
PREP WORK
First of all we had to name the maxivan. It was big and blue. We needed a baseball reference. This turned out to be easy. We came up with “The Babe”, not only the legendary animal known as the big blue ox of the giant lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, but also “the Great Bambino” or the “Sultan of Swat” aka… Babe Ruth!
We had friends and family install carpeting for the floor. Since there were only 2 seats, we bought a couple of bean bag chairs for the back.
Carm’s dad, Lou Reale, installed a CB radio(which we never used!) JD’s sister, Deb Downs, did a great job painting the art work on The Bade. It included an outline of the USA and boxes for each stadium visited to be filled in after watching a game there.
We had friends and family install carpeting for the floor. Since there were only 2 seats, we bought a couple of bean bag chairs for the back.
Carm’s dad, Lou Reale, installed a CB radio(which we never used!) JD’s sister, Deb Downs, did a great job painting the art work on The Bade. It included an outline of the USA and boxes for each stadium visited to be filled in after watching a game there.
The Hook - (Or How Are We Going To Pay For This Trip?!)
Hemophilia Foundation comes through
Marc was a severe hemophiliac who hoped to publicize the “new image” of the hemophiliac by making this trip. Until recently such a journey would have been impossible. If he had a slight bump or bruise it would trigger internal bleeding that would require hospitalization and massive transfusions of plasma. One “bleed” might last weeks.
A new treatment for hemophilia, however, miraculously changed that bleak picture. He could treat himself upon the start of a bleed with an infusion of concentrated clotting factor that would immediately stop the bleeding. A cooler of the clotting factor accompanied him in the Babe.
A new treatment for hemophilia, however, miraculously changed that bleak picture. He could treat himself upon the start of a bleed with an infusion of concentrated clotting factor that would immediately stop the bleeding. A cooler of the clotting factor accompanied him in the Babe.