When it comes to mascots, bird is the word

I have a big soft spot for baseball mascots because of the way they interact with young fans and get them interested in our national pastime.

My two favorite mascots are redbirds—Fredbird of the St. Louis Cardinals and Rockey the Rockin' Redbird of the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

I took this photo of Fredbird on June 18, 2008, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis at a game between the Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.

Keep your beaks held high, guys, and someday you'll end up in the Mascot Hall of Fame.

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

1995 Baseball Vacation: Day 2

Looking back at a baseball vacation taken 13  years ago:

Monday, August 7, 1995

We got up early, showered, and played some baseball at the campground before driving into Columbia, Mo.,  to visit the University of Missouri campus. We briefly watched the Mizzou football team practice in the sweltering Midwest heat.

We stopped at Arrow Rock State Park for a picnic lunch on our way to Kansas City. 

A bluff on the Missouri River, Arrow Rock is historically significant for several reasons: it served as a crossing point for Indians, explorers, and early westward travelers; Lewis & Clark noted the area in their 1804 journals; and it later became part of the Santa Fe Trail.

The town (pop. 70) is adjacent to the state park and looked like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting.

As we entered Kansas City, we stopped at Kauffman Stadium, home of the Royals, and bought tickets for Tuesday's game. 

We camped at Watkin's Mill State Park several miles northeast of the city near Kearney, home of outlaw Jesse James.

Coming tomorrow: Remembering Day 3 of the trip