One of the testimonials on the website for Julian Loscalzo's Ballpark Tours (www.ballparktours.net) comes from Rev. Tom Smith. In describing the various trips to baseball parks Loscalzo has put together over the years, Smith says, "Just the right amount of structure and lunacy."
That is not expected to change at all starting Tuesday night.
Loscalzo has put together another motley crew of 25 baseball lovers for a 10-city, 10-game tour. The bus leaves the Midway Stadium parking lot at 6 p.m. Tuesday; the centerpiece is a trip to Cooperstown, N.Y., for Bert Blyleven's Hall of Fame induction. What happens along the way, is, well, very much up in the air. Sure, they will see plenty of baseball games. Beyond that?
"We're not your normal tour group," Loscalzo said. "We always have a couple of adventures. We have some people meeting up with us in Chicago, some in Madison. I hope we don't lose anybody."
Some of the current touring group was also part of Loscalzo's "Save The Met" organization. The ballpark tours grew from a distaste for indoor baseball. This will be Loscalzo's fourth trip to Cooperstown specifically for an induction of a Twins player into the Hall of Fame. He also made group pilgrimages for Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew and Paul Molitor.
But not for the dual induction of Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield in 2001?
"I missed that one. I was in the throes of another divorce," he said with a laugh.
The Blyleven trip, though, is a no-brainer.
