All things New Jersey Come Down Under

Baseball Diamond at the SCG

Baseball was born in Hoboken New Jersey.  On June 9th, 1846 the first organized baseball game was officially played in Hoboken.  I have loved baseball since I was five.  I remember my very first major league baseball game.  My mom was waitressing and my dad and I dropped my sister off at my aunt’s house and my dad and I were on our way to Philadelphia.  We went to the old Veterans Stadium on the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue to see the Phillies.  From then on we went to a few games a year.  We also toured the baseball stadiums of the east coast – Fenway, Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium, and Shea Stadium to name a few.  

1993 was a big year for us in baseball.  In the summer we went to Cooperstown, the baseball hall of fame.  And that October the Phillies were in the World Series so I was lucky enough to see them play the Blue Jays in game 3 in Philadelphia.  Another big baseball moment in my life was seeing the Red Sox win the World Series in 2004 in Red Sox Nation ending an 86 year curse.  I was also lucky enough to see a Red Sox vs Yankee game at Yankee Stadium with my good friend Dan which is quite possibly one of the best sports rivalries to watch.  

By moving to Australia I have deprived myself from the classic American game.  I miss seeing games but thanks to friends, family, and espn.com I can keep up to date with the standings.  But in March 2014 Major League Baseball debuted down under and I finally got to see a live game.  

Stars and Stripes - National Anthem at the SCG

They transformed the Sydney Cricket Ground into a baseball diamond and the games played between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks counted towards the 2014 standings.  The game was great – there were homeruns, attempted steals, great catches, and great pitching.  Overall it was a great taste of home since they even sang the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ballgame for the 7^th inning stretch.  

Bruce - February 2014 Olympic Stadium in Sydney

Auckland Night 1

Bruce Springsteen is a New Jersey native who continues to grace the Southern Hemisphere with his presence.  In the past 12 months I have seen five of his shows in two countries.  All three Sydney shows and the two Auckland New Zealand were spectacular and unique.  He always switches up the set list so between all five shows I got a variety of 67 different songs.  Some songs were only played once but then there were some classics and fan favorites that made every show.   I would have to say that the first night in Auckland was by far the best show ever – the energy, the song selection, the outdoor venue – it was perfect.  

It’s always nice to have these little tastes of home between visits home to remind a Jersey Girl of her roots.