It's been a bittersweet week with the first week of spring training corresponding with the death of Ron's grandfather.

Ron also discusses his first week working for the Milwaukee Brewers and why the San Francisco Giants might have the most bland venue in all of baseball.

Chris has partnered with the Milwaukee Brewers to use their spring training facility at Maryvale and also has relationships with the Royals and Rangers in Surprise, and of course, his former team in Mesa.

Chris and Ron discuss his playing career, the youth camps, the partnership with the Brewers and foster care organizations in Phoenix, as well as the Astros cheating scandal.

Maverick, the new Home Run On Wheels "Barketing Manager" is also adjusting to RV life well and went on his first road trip last weekend.

Pitchers and catchers have reported and we're ready for spring training. Ron will be working for the Brewers in Phoenix and we hope to catch at least one game at every Cactus League venue.

There are new faces in new places, and sports trades are kind of analogous to kids in the foster system getting moved from home to home.

We also have other updates on our 2020 plans with dates and places, and how we're still trying to get some foster kids out to MLB spring training games in Arizona. 

We also give thanks to our Phoenix-area friends for their hospitality and discuss a sense of community in RV parks.

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Ron and Patti highlight their favorite moments in Los Angeles, including the hospitality of the Lakers and UCLA athletics for Ron's book - A Sports Fan's Guide To Route 66 - but also share their favorite moments and locales along Route 66.

Among the things for which they are grateful are the beautiful sites they've seen along Route 66, including the National Parks and monuments like Petrified Forest and Walnut Canyon in Arizona.

We also visited the only national park through which Route 66 passes and have been able to share the message of foster care along the way.

The Cardinals, Padres and Rockies are all represented, but not as much as the Dodgers, who essentially own Route 66 baseball with farms teams in Rancho Cucamonga, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Even Dodger Stadium is along the Mother Road.

We also discuss the historic 2019 World Series and that we may or may not have head celebrity neighbors at a rest area near McLean, Texas. Was it 3 Doors Down or Florida/Georgia Line?

Also, there are some interesting tidbits about Stan Musial and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield.

The Cardinals are also back in the postseason for the first time in three years, but that’s what Cardinals fans expect every October.

Recording from Joliet, they discuss their time in Chicago, which included Blackhawks and Bears games, plus a surprise trip for Patti to the CIBC Theatre to see Hamilton.

Are professional sports tickets overpriced? Certainly. Should children have more exposure to the arts? Most definitely.

We also had a surprise meeting at Soldier Field – Patti’s first-ever visit there – and we provide more details for Ron’s book signing on Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Barnes & Noble in Fairview Heights, Ill.

After seeing a pair of Brewers-Cardinals games at Busch Stadium, we’re curious to see if the two teams will face off in the postseason. In the meantime, we’ll experience a couple of firsts in Chicago with our first-ever visit to United Center on Wednesday and Patti’s first-ever game at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Ron also has a big surprise planned for Patti on Thursday.

We will be back in the St. Louis area on Oct. 6, where Ron will do a book signing in Fairview Heights, Ill., with a special giveaway.

The Floyds have their own YouTube channel, “Everyone Loves The Floyds” – which is also their Instagram account, and Gwen has written an RV lifestyle book called Roaming Wide, Living Free.

They are also parents of Ray, a 7-year-old boy they adopted as an infant through the foster care system. The sun was bright when Gwen took our group selfie.

After spending an afternoon with the Floyds in St. Louis, we do love the Floyds.

After spending a week in the Hilton Head/Savannah area for vacation, we got off the Atlantic Coast just in time as Hurricane Dorian approaches. We are thinking of the people in The Bahamas who have been battered by Dorian.

We also discovered a new (old) issue with the RV, but that’s some more bad news. A bit of good news is Ron is doing a book signing in the St. Louis area on Oct. 6.

Listen to hear all the details of when and where.

Both Lutheran Social Services National Capital Area and Family & Youth Initiative benefited from the Nats’ donation.

We even spent some time with foster parent Irene Stevenson and her adopted daughter at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

The next stops for Home Run On Wheels will be in the Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago areas.

The youth from DCFYI who attended the game on August 18 saw the Nationals club eight home runs in a wild 16-8 victory over the Brewers at Nationals Park.

Teens are often the forgotten group of children in the foster care system and are in desperate need of a safe a loving home.

Jennifer explained how LSSNCA helps unaccompanied refugee minors find foster families. She also said the Washington Nationals’ donation of tickets to LSSNCA will help these youth have fun while experiencing the American pastime.

Ron and Jennifer will be part of a panel to discuss foster care and the Home Run On Wheels book Tuesday evening from 6-8 at the Busboys & Poets Shirlington location in Arlington.

The DC-area event is being co-hosted by Lutheran Social Services National Capital Area – one of two Washington-area foster care organizations that received a donation of tickets from the Nationals.

Family & Youth Initiative is the other organization that received tickets for the August 16-18 weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Ron is rooting for Milwaukee. Patti, the Cardinals fan, hopes the Nationals sweep the Brewers (for the kids, of course).

The former editor at the New York Daily News, chronicled his journey – which culminated with a 25,000-mile whirlwind over two months – in his book, “One Lucky Fan.”

Rich and Home Run On Wheels author Ron Clements met at McNally’s Tavern in Philadelphia to compare notes on their travels and MLB stadiums. Rich’s least favorite MLB park was one of Ron’s favorites. They did agree on No. 1 in both baseball and the NFL.

Rich was one of the best guests we’ve ever had on the Home Run On Wheels podcast. Enjoy.

From left, Patti Clements and Ron Clements of Home Run On Wheels, Abigail Rose, Michelle Matthews and Missy Reeder of Bethany Christian Services of Western Pennsylvania

Bethany Christian Services foster care supervisor Michelle Matthews and branch director Bob Sherwin joined the Home Run On Wheels podcast. We discuss the needs of their children in the foster care system. Bethany is also very grateful for the donation of 200 tickets from the Pittsburgh Pirates for the July 22 game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Michelle and Bob are both Pittsburgh-area natives and shared their favorite baseball memories. Bob even pontificated on the Pirates’ chances of returning to the World Series someday.

Ron is still waiting for his Brewers to finally win their first World Series.

Curtis, who is with his fourth MLB team in four seasons and spent part of 2018 with the Texas Rangers, said his childhood has greatly impacted the man he’s become and is a big reason why he wants to give back to the community.

Curtis, a 2014 draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is a Middle Tennessee State alumnus – as is Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard, who is also heavily involved in community work.

Big things are happening in 2019 with Home Run On Wheels. Download, listen, share and subscribe today.

We also have a date on our first book-signing event in Pittsburgh next month.

Patti is back after spending time between St. Louis and Peoria and recapped her experience watching her father take part in an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

While she was gone, Ron covered an NCAA softball Super-Regional between Oklahoma State and Florida State in Tallahassee.

Ron hopes his alma mater, East Carolina, can get to the baseball College World Series for the first time and we both are rooting for the St. Louis Blues to win their first-ever Stanley Cup.

This is the fourth city where we have events set up with foster care organizations. Bethany Christian Services in Baltimore joins the same agency in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and Family & Youth Initiative and Lutheran Social Services National Capital Area in Washington, D.C.

Speaking of D.C., Patti’s dad traveled there on an Honor Flight so Patti drove to Peoria to share in the celebration of his departure and return. She also got to celebrate the Blues reaching the Stanley Cup Final while in St. Louis.

Patti also shares some exciting news about her father, a Vietnam-Era Navy veteran who will be going to Washington, D.C., on May 23.

We are very happy for David and Gabbey and got some good news on the Home Run On Wheels book and the summer tour. We’ve got organizations lined up in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., but are still trying to finalize events in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago. If you can help, let us know.

Kerrigan was undrafted out of college, where he had to transfer from Temple to VCU after the Owls folded their program, and then played semi-pro ball before being signed by an independent Frontier League team near St. Louis. He had his contract purchased by the Twins in 2017.

Smeltzer was diagnosed with prostate and bladder cancer days before his 10th birthday, but was in remission by age 12. He went on to be a fifth-round pick of the Dodgers, but was traded to the Twins last year. The southpaw regularly visits children’s hospitals to share his story, but more to just be someone kids going through what he dealt with can lean on and talk to while also having fun.

The first baseball game of 2019 for Home Run On Wheels is in the books after seeing the Memphis Redbirds for the first time on April 4.

About 300 MLB tickets were acquired and donated to foster care organizations in six different cities.

Our next venture is on hold while Holmes completes his chemotherapy protocol, but stay tuned for the next Home Run On Wheels trip.

Talk with you in 2019.

We also provide an update on Holmes as he battles cancer. Spoiler alert: He’s responding very well to the chemotherapy.

“Football For a Buck” chronicles the “crazy rise and crazier demise” of the USFL, which ran from 1983-85. Why did the USFL fail? Who were Jeff’s favorite interviews?  Of the eight sports books he’s written, what is his favorite? Listen to find out.

Umps Care is a charity foundation that works with children’s hospitals and foster care organizations to get kids out to games. The umpires also visit hospitals to talk baseball with kids.

Gary explains the origins of Umps Care and also talks about the highlights of his career, including special moments in 1998 and 2003.

Ron and Patti rank each of the 30 MLB stadiums. We have the same No. 30, but a different No. 1.

We also tell you what’s next for the Home Run On Wheels podcast with a pair of awesome guests coming up in the next two weeks.

Holmes, the 11-year-old Home Run On Wheels “Barketing Manager,” attended three games with us, but now he has begun chemotherapy and our future plans are put on hold as he begins his battle with cancer.

Ron and Patti preview the final week of the Major League Baseball regular season and they will be on opposite sides in St. Louis when the Brewers visit the Cardinals.

We also provide a review of Busch Stadium, which is in the upper echelon of MLB venues.

Thanks to Wells Fargo and the United Way of St. Louis, the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition received 20 tickets for the Sept. 14 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Home Run On Wheels also raised over $700 to purchase 30 tickets for the Sept. 23 game against the San Francisco Giants and donated those to the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition.

The trip has taken us through 38 states, two Canadian provinces, six national parks and, obviously 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. Celeste said the trip has been a success and the feedback has been positive.

But there is still more work to do as we prepare for the Giants-Cardinals game on Sept. 23 and you can help.

Thanks to the United Way of St. Louis and Wells Fargo, the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition has received 20 tickets for Friday’s game against the Dodgers. We are also going to Sunday’s game, but need your help to get more kids to a game at Busch Stadium on Sept. 23. Please donate at our GoFundMe page.

We also received a positive phone call from a Texas Rangers employee about our visit to Globe Life Park last week.

Please donate now to Home Run On Wheels at our GoFundMe page to get some kids to a game as we close our 30 stadium MLB tour.

Ron and Patti discuss their latest issue with the RV, the time they spent visiting Ron’s sister in Olney, Texas, and how Green Bay’s comeback win over Chicago in the NFL’s Sunday night opener created some tension.

We enjoyed seeing the Rangers beat the Angels at our 28th stadium this year because we went with Ron’s mom and her husband, Marc, and their friends, Pete and Lynne.

We recap our trip to Globe Life Park and preview our final two MLB stadiums of 2018.

Joining us Sunday at Minute Maid Park was Ron’s brother, Ben, and his girlfriend Bailey. They drove down from San Antonio and spent the night in the Home Run On Wheels RV.

We also got some more media coverage in Houston, including our first television coverage as we continue our mission of raising awareness of the needs of children in the foster system.

We are grateful to KHOU in Houston, the A2D podcast and iHeartMedia in Houston for having us on.

We also recap our trip so far and discuss our least favorite stadiums. Apologies to New Yorkers everywhere.

With only four stadiums remaining, Patti is approaching her own personal milestone.

With four stadiums remaining, they also preview the rest of the trip as they prepare to depart Phoenix.

We will then see our 26th stadium on Tuesday when the Diamondbacks play host to the Angels. Our Arizona hosts, Chris and Katie Harris – and two of their children – will join us at Chase Field.

While the RV is getting serviced in Avondale, Ariz., we are enjoying our stay at the home of our friends in Peoria. Holmes definitely enjoys the extra space, but there isn’t much outside time because of the desert heat.

The GROWTH Foundation helps troubled girls in the Los Angeles area through after-school programs, scholarship opportunities and community service to see the value of giving back.

They watched a taping of Happy Together, a new CBS sitcom starring Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West. There were also some Marines from 29 Palms in the audience, which had Ron reminiscing a bit.

Everywhere they went, they continued to tell people about their trip to all 30 MLB stadiums and of the message to help foster children.

Ron and Patti review the movies Suicide Roadtrip (a comedy) and the blockbuster hit Mission Impossible: Fallout, and revisit their trip to Dodger Stadium while previewing Monday’s visit to Angel Stadium.

Kendall’s father played in the Phillies organization and advised his son to be patient with baseball, but most of all, have fun and don’t take anything for granted.

Ron and Patti also discuss their most recent visits to the Oakland Coliseum and Dodger Stadium and why they were stuck on the shoulder of an L.A. highway for three hours.

Ron rants a bit about the city and his disappointment with AT&T Park, which is kid-friendly but not exactly family-friendly.

CASA is a national organization headquartered in Seattle and serves as the voice of foster children in the court system.

Bruce and Deb Clements were considering adoption following the death of their own daughter and filled that void by becoming foster parents.

The foster system is complicated, but navigating the hoops, hurdles and red tape is rewarding.

Which stadium are we most looking forward to seeing after the All-Star break? The answer probably won’t surprise you.

Yellowstone is a wondrous place, but the Clements couple were also able to continue to spread their message of helping children in the foster system.

And it was a doozy of a game.

Ron and Patti also talked about their visit to Prince’s estate, Paisley Park, and their upcoming trip to Denver to see the Rockies at Coors Field.

Family Alternatives in Minnesota and Lutheran Services Rocky Mountains both received donations of 30 tickets from the Twins and Rockies, respectively.

Target Field will be Stadium No. 18 on July 7 while Coors Field will be No. 19 on July 11.

Ron and Patti went to a trio of Brewers games at Miller Park and did three days at Summerfest on the Lake Michigan waterfront.

There was an issue at the U.S.-Canada border, some mail in limbo between College Park, Md., and Philadelphia, and an embarrassing situation near the Indiana-Illinois border.

Both are now in the independent Frontier League trying to get signed by another MLB team.

Kimber is a pitcher for the Joliet Slammers while Zier plays second base for the Windy City Thunderbolts.

Home Run On Wheels also got some great news with the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies donating tickets to local children’s organizations.

Ron and Patti also discussed seeing their favorite teams twice in Milwaukee and were joined by friends and family for Saturday’s game at Miller Park.

Both were released within two years by the clubs that drafted them. Bach and Garcia are now playing in the independent Frontier League.

Bach is currently with the Windy City Thunderbolts and Garcia plays for the Joliet Slammers while they try to once again get signed by an MLB team.

Charlie joined the Home Run On Wheels podcast to discuss his debut album — “Different Than Before” — as well as his travels to all 30 MLB stadiums.

Charlie talks about how his father drove him to pursue his dreams — something he’s applied in recording his first album and completing his trek to every MLB stadium.

That message of pursuing one’s dreams is how Charlie tries to pay it forward as he speaks with children along his travels.

They also got to see the joy on the face of an 8-year-old boy, who went to his first MLB game at Great American Ball Park.

After taking Holmes to his second MLB game on Tuesday, they will also see Friday’s game between the Cardinals and Reds at Great American Ball Park.

They will also visit Skyline Chili, which Patti has never had, but Ron is not a fan.

They were also impressed by the Cleveland area as a whole and recap their week with a trip to an Indians game, Cuyahoga Valley National Park as well as both the Pro Football and Rock & Roll halls of fame.

Dan, Ron and Patti also discussed the best family-friendly movies as schools let out. We really like Kevin Costner and Tom Hanks.

Spoiler alert: Summer Catch is not one of them. (Also, we almost forgot about The Sandlot. Thank goodness we remembered.)

There is a lot of laughter because Dan is a funny dude.

The guys talked music, baseball and their charity work with kids. They also shared some interesting travel stories — like why they smelled like French fries after touring in a biodiesel van.

They’re a Pittsburgh band, but here is @NevadaColor singing about New Mexico. #LionFire pic.twitter.com/WzUOUCV626

— Ron Clements (@Ron_Clements) May 27, 2018

They checked out a Triple-A game in Buffalo and have some big news about getting more kids out to MLB games.

They also discussed Ron’s first visit to Niagara Falls and the multiple waterfalls in the Niagara escarpment.

They’ll celebrate their birthdays over the summer, visit new stadiums and states and national parks while continuing to raise awareness of the needs of children in the foster system.

How do they rank? Numbers 8 through 10 are identical, but the husband-wife pair differ at the top.

Spoiler alert: They were not fans of Citi Field.

The episode begins, however, with a call to action as May is National Foster Care Awareness Month.

They handed out Children’s Hope Alliance materials in both cities as they continue to spread the message of helping foster children during Foster Care Awareness Month.

Patti “interviews” Ron and they discuss the red-hot Yankees, MLB in London and the life lessons baseball can teach our youth — especially those awaiting adoption.

As far as raising awareness for kids in the foster system, simply driving the RV around the country with the Children’s Hope Alliance logo and the Home Run On Wheels logo is a conversation starter all in itself.

May is Foster Care Awareness Month, so please reach out to your local organization to see how you can help.

Oh, and the Karate Kid threw out the first pitch.

Ralph Macchio waving to the crowd before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on May 1

Patti was most looking forward to seeing Fenway Park and it lived up to her expectations.

The two joined the Home Run On Wheels podcast, in the RV, to discuss the 162 Experience and their charity efforts.

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Pirates players waiting for an infield popup

A New York native and lifelong Mets fan, Peter has spent the last three decades living in Israel and has seen the positive impact baseball has on children in the country.

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But it hasn’t prevented them from adhering to their schedule through the first few weeks of their MLB stadium tour.

They’ve met some great people and eaten some wonderful food along the way while sharing their message of helping children.

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Ron and Patti also comment on their experiences in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.

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Ron and Patti also recap their week with games in Greensboro, Durham and Washington, D.C. Holmes even got to take in his first MLB game with Pups in the Park at Nationals Park.

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Ron and Patti also recap their trips to Marlins Park, Tropicana Field and SunTrust Park.

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We also spoke with Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer about his charitable work off the field and offseason trade rumors.

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This all coincides with Opening Day with Home Run On Wheels visiting Marlins Park to watch the Marlins play the Cubs as Ron and Patti watch the game with a group of children from Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe.

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Derrick also explains how he fell in love with baseball while growing up in Colorado.

Though Patti is losing her voice, she does offer her input on why St. Louis is such a baseball-crazed city.

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