1995 Baseball Vacation: Day 3

Looking back at a baseball vacation taken 13 years ago:

Tuesday, August 8, 1995

Again we got up early. 

We spent four hours at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Mo. Truman worked at the library after his presidency until his death in 1972. His office is on permanent display.

Our visit came only a couple of days after the 50th anniversary of Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. There was a special World War II exhibit depicting these world-changing events, including Truman's original draft of remarks he used to tell the world of dropping the A-bomb. 

Also on display in the museum was a copy of the infamous newspaper with the headline -- "Dewey Defeats Truman" -- that erroneously reported the result of the 1948 presidential election.

Truman and his wife, Bess, are buried next to each other in the museum's beautiful courtyard.

We also stopped by Truman's house, where he and Bess lived until their deaths, and bellied up to an old-time soda foundation at Clinton's Soda Fountain. Located across from the courthouse in Independence, the site was formerly Clinton's Drugstore where a 14-year-old Harry Truman landed his first job as a "soda jerk" for only $3 a week.

We ended the afternoon at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City's 18th and Vine Street Historic District. The museum included films, interactive video quizzes, and replica jerseys.

It is interesting to note that the Negro League played night baseball beginning in 1930, five years before the then all-white Major League.

That night we saw Jim Abbott, one of baseball's most extraordinary players, lead the California Angels against the Royals.

Abbott, who was born without a right hand, pitched seven scoreless innings and the Angels won, 4-0.

We left Kansas City around 10:30 p.m., 360 miles from Dyersville, Iowa, and the "Field of Dreams."

Coming tomorrow: Remembering Day 4 of the trip

Baseball fanatics share dream vacation

Looking back a baseball vacation from 13 years ago ...

Baseball Fanatics Share Dream Vacation

First published in The McKenzie (Tenn.) Banner

Aug. 23, 1995

My brother, Michael, and I have followed baseball since 1975, when we started collecting and swapping Topps baseball cards beneath the shade trees at our boyhood home on Ash Street in Bruceton.

Michael was 6 years old and I was 9 in the summer of '75.

The shade trees at our old house and our interest in baseball cards peaked several years ago, but our fondness for the game grows.

Now that we're adults, we like to take baseball vacations when possible.

Our past trips include a visit to Cooperstown, N.Y., for the Baseball Hall of Fame's 50th anniversary in 1989 and to Cleveland two years ago during the Indians' last year to play in Municipal Stadium.

Only the baseball strike stopped us from seeing a pair of Boston Red Sox games at Fenway Park last year.

Thankfully, the Red Sox refunded our money and we were able to spend it touring the city's vast American historical sites.

We started planning for this year's trip several months ago, gathering schedules and maps. Our top priority was a visit to the "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville, Iowa, where actors Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones starred in the movie of the same name.

Michael is a better organizer, so he found a week in August where we could sandwich a trip to the "Field of Dreams" between baseball games in five cities.

The following is a diary of our six-day, 2,406-mile baseball journey.

Day 1:

Sunday, August 6, 1995

We left Memphis at 6:30 a.m. and drove to St. Louis for a Sunday afternoon game. Busch Stadium brought back many childhood memories because our parents used to take us to see the Cardinals play.

The exciting Cardinal teams I remember from my childhood are quite different from the 1995 team, which is a lackluster bunch without injured Ozzie Smith playing shortstop.

Some names in the St. Louis starting lineup included Sweeney, Mabry, Caraballo and Sheaffer.

Who are these guys?

Where's Lou Brock and Ted Simmons?

We bought $5 tickets in the outfield bleachers. Several thousand Chicago fans followed their Cubs to St. Louis, and a few diehards waved homemade signs at the WGN-TV cameras.

St. Louis first baseman John Mabry emerged as the hero in the 13th inning. Mabry faked a bunt, then hit a run-scoring single through a drawn-in Cubs infield to give the Cardinals a 4-3 win.

After the game, we got lost trying to take a shortcut to Interstate 70 leading to Kansas City and endured eight miles of St. Louis slums. It was the scenic route, for sure.

We eventually found I-70, drove through a blinding rainstorm and camped at Finger Lakes State Park, which is located about 12 miles north of Columbia, Mo.

Coming tomorrow: Remembering Day 2 of the trip.