The San Francisco Giants Mystery!
When Kate and I travel to different ballpark, we know that we’ll see a baseball game. But when we went to San Francisco last year, we never thought we’d go kayaking in San Francisco bay! Turns out the bay is right next to the San Francisco Giants’ ballpark! It’s really cool, since home runs get hit over the stadium wall and fly into the bay! They’re called Splash Hits!If you’re out there in a kayak or boat, you can actually catch one!
So Kate and I were kayaking in the bay when our San Francisco Splash mystery started. We heard a splash nearby, and before we knew it, we were investigating a missing World Series ring and chasing the thief all over San Francisco!
The Chicago Cubs Mystery!
The Chicago Cubs are one of the oldest teams in baseball. They also have one of the old stadiums–Wrigley Field. It’s really famous for the green ivy that covers the outfield wall. That’s why Kate and I were really surprised to discover that someone had been cutting holes in their ivy and possibly running their winning streak! It’s all in our latest Ballpark Mystery, which just went on sale today. It’s called The Wrigley Riddle.
In it, Kate and I visit Chicago. We get to solve an ago-old riddle about treasure buried in Wrigley Field! And don’t tell anyone, but chewing gum ends up being a pretty important part of the story. I love gum! You’ll see why when you read the book.
What Does Outer Space Smell Like?
I’d much rather be playing baseball or watching TV than cleaning up. I mean, why put your clothes away if you’re just going to wear them again? But sometimes, when my room starts to smell, my mom makes me clean it up. I’m guessing she’d want our astronauts to clean up outer space for the same reason. According to an article I just read, astronauts (like Commander Nick Rice in Ballpark Mysteries #4 – The Astro Outlaw) say that outer space smells like burned steak and hot metal!
(photo credit: David A. Kelly)
A Giant Win!
Wow! That was neat. Unless you’re a Detroit Tigers fan. The San Francisco Giants just won the World Series with a really exciting game. It even went into extra innings. Kate was hoping the Tigers would win, but I was rooting for the Giants. Now, Kate has to carry my backpack to school on Monday! We watched all four games with my mom and dad.
(credit: San Francisco Giants)
But maybe the best thing about the Giants winning the World Series is that Kate and I just finished a new book about them. (Well, okay, Mr David A. Kelly actually finished the book–we’re too busy with schoolwork. But Kate and I did go to San Francisco and had some really cool adventures.) The San Francisco Splash won’t come out until next May, but it’s got loads of neat things like a Giants’ World Series ring, cable cars, and a scary prison!
The All-Star Game and The All-Star Joker
You can bet that Kate and I will be watching tonight’s All-Star Game in Kansas City, since Ballpark Mysteries book 5 (The All-Star Joker) takes place there!
We had an amazing time visiting Kansas City. I loved the BBQ! But see if you can find the miniature golf course at the Royals’ stadium during the game. You could see it last night when they showed an aerial view of the stadium. I just wish Kate and I could go back so I could challenge her to another game of miniature golf. I just know that this time I’d win!
Ballpark Mysteries Audio Books
My parents are always telling me to read more books. But I just found a better way to read the Ballpark Mysteries: by listening to them!
The Ballpark Mysteries Audiobook Collection
Apparently, there’s a Ballpark Mysteries audiobook collection of books 1 – 5 is coming out June 12th. Now, I won’t have to bother actually flipping the pages and reading them, since I can listen to them instead. Of course, it’s still fun to look at the pictures.
Check out this Ballpark Mysteries audiobook sample. Now, if I could only get someone to do my homework….
Ballpark Mysteries Books
Usually Kate and I are busy with school and baseball (okay, well, Kate is usually reading, too). That’s why we take all the cool trips, and let Mr. Kelly actually write the books. But he sent along some cool links that I wanted to post. The first is an in-depth Q&A about the Ballpark Mysteries (in honor of opening day!). Except, don’t pay attention to the question about what inspired him to write the books. Since he’s a professional writer, he has to pretend the books were his idea. But they were really Kate’s idea. It was my idea to hire a writer like Mr. Kelly to actually spend the time writing the books. I also thought readers might be interested in a recent review of The Astro Outlaw. If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, you should! It’s a great story, with an astronaut and even a moon rock!
The Astro Outlaw
Wow. It’s hard to believe that Kate and I have been on four cool ballpark adventures so far. Last year we shared our trips to Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles with you. But we’ve got something really, really neat. Our fourth book is out today!
The Astro Outlaw - Ballpark Mystery #4
It’s called THE ASTRO OUTLAW! Last year, when Kate and I went to Houston, Texas, we got to see NASA’s mission control and meet a real astronaut! Which was great, until he disappeared! That’s when Kate and I set out to find him. It was kinda weird, but the final clue to solving the astronaut mystery came from the Houston Astro’s baseball game!
The Miami Marlins – All New for 2012!
When I was eating my breakfast cereal this morning, the TV caught my eye. My mom was watching a sports show and they were talking about news all around the MLB. I guess they were thinking about warm weather, because they spent a lot of time on the the Florida Marlins. Or should I say, the Miami Marlins?
After a pretty bad 2011 season, the Marlins decided to change their name. And they didn’t stop there! They also are making completely different uniforms, a new ballpark, and they got new great players! The Marlins traded for closer Heath Bell and Jose Reyes! The Marlins are going to be a great team, and hopefully, I’ll get to visit the new ballpark soon. I’ll have to text Kate and ask her if her mother’s planning on going to Florida this year. Maybe we could tag along.
(logo: Miami Marlins)
Bobby Cox
I was walking home from the barbershop with Kate. As usual, she was rattling off some baseball statistics. I was more focused on bouncing my tennis ball, than on her facts. That was, until she mentioned Bobby Cox.
Bobby Cox was a manager for the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Braves for almost 40 years! The coolest thing about Bobby Cox is that he was ejected (that means thrown out) from a record of 161 total games! He was well known for yelling, screaming, and even kicking dirt on the umpires. One time, he had to be held back so he didn’t punch the umpire.
Bobby Cox Getting Ejected (credit: flickr/therubberduckie)
When I got home, I called up some of my friends and we went down to the ballpark to play a game. When there was a close play, I ran onto the field and did my best Bobby Cox interpretation! We weren’t able to finish the game because all of my friends kept pretending to get ejected. It was fun pretending to get into arguments, but it’s probably not that fun when you’re in a real game, having a real argument.I think I’d rather just be a really good player.
Getting into arguments and getting ejected probably isn’t the best way to have fun when playing baseball. On the way home, I realized I’m just glad I never had to be an umpire when Bobby Cox’s team was playing!
