Fair Oaks mom and sons plan pilgrimages to every major league ballpark

Sam and Nelson Lund, brothers ages 13 and 12, respectively, can't agree on anything except pizza (love it) and Hillary Clinton (let's not go there).

It was, however, their frequent but minor dust-ups and disagreements that spawned a family adventure that promises to take them all over the country in the next few years as they pursue their quest to watch a baseball game at every park in the major leagues.

While that undertaking is fairly common for many fans of our national pastime, what makes this Fair Oaks family's ballpark mission unusual is that it was entirely Mom's idea.

This being Mother's Day, Sam and Nelson are reminded they agree on one more thing: Their mom is a pretty cool tour guide.

It was Mom, a.k.a. Becky Lund, a Realtor and part-time schoolteacher, who combined a family trip, a cultural experience, a baseball odyssey and brotherly civility all in one bright idea.

"In 2005, we took a trip to New York City and the Washington, D.C., area and did all the tourist stuff, including going to a game at Yankee Stadium and in Baltimore," said Lund, who is divorced from the boys' father, Sven Lund. "So we're on the plane coming home, I asked them, 'What was your favorite part of the trip?' Sam said the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And Nelson said, 'My favorite part of the trip was leaving the Metropolitan Museum of Art.' They are one year apart and they're complete opposites in everything they like. Whatever one liked, the other didn't like it.

"Finally, I said, 'What about the baseball game?' They liked it and I liked it."

Lund, who comes from a family immersed in baseball, had finally found the suburban equivalent of the Green Zone.

"Perfect, that's what we're going to do," she remembers saying. "We all like baseball. It will give us a reason to see the country, and it's something two opposites like."

It's not like Sam and Nelson are at each other's throats. During a recent interview, they were polite and civilized and there was no enmity. They just see and experience the world in entirely different ways.

When asked for examples of their differences, Sam said: "I like sushi. He doesn't. He likes rap. I don't. I don't call it music."

It goes on like that. When their mom proposed the baseball park idea, Sam and Nelson saw eye to eye. They could travel to new towns, see all kinds of people and hang out with Mom.

"It's a way to build memories with your kids," Lund said. "Going to the ballparks for me is about being able to plop myself down right in the middle of people who live in that city. This is their home and they're proud of it."

Lund, who works for Lyon Real Estate, writes an occasional newsletter for her clients. When she began including summaries of the ballpark excursions, suddenly the interest and feedback increased. People were curious and engaged.

"I used to just write about real estate issues. Now I wrap that around the baseball park experiences," she said.

In 2006, the Lunds were on the same page about going to Boston and checking out famed Fenway Park. To the boys, it was so different from what they were used to – the place, the people, the vibe.

"I loved the city altogether," said Sam. "Just seeing everything in relation to Sacramento, it's like waking up with new eyes. You see the history and the different spirit in everyone."

Regarding Fenway, he added: "It's got the spirit of the fans. It's got famous hot dogs. It's got the Green Monster. It's got the tradition of baseball."

It's Nelson who has become an expert on ballpark food. According to his mother, he does more munching than watching when he attends the games.

"He spends a lot of the game flagging down the food vendor," said Lund.

According to the Lunds, the best hot dog was at Camden Yards (Baltimore). The hot dog at Wrigley Field (Chicago) was actually cold and Yankee Stadium (New York) may be a baseball shrine but its hot dogs are nothing to write home about.

The boys' favorite food experience happened away from a ballpark, at Ed Debevic's restaurant in Chicago, mostly because the waiters are known for being rude.

"That was an amazing place. They just throw the menus at you," said Sam.

The family has been to 11 of the 30 big league ballparks so far and will hit the halfway mark this year when they visit Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh.

They have yet to make the swing through Southern California and hit those three ballparks. They figure they're having so much fun seeing the rest of the country.

"This whole thing about seeing the baseball parks is it gives us a reason to go to these cities. Last year we went to St. Louis," said Lund. "We wouldn't have gone to St. Louis otherwise. The ballpark gets us there, but it's really the travel and all the other things we see."

Mom tries to book a good hotel in a safe, well-lit area.

"I save all year. This is our splurge," she said.

The Lunds usually take public transit to the games as way of enhancing the local experience. Away from the ballparks, they usually take tours of the cities and visit famous places.

In New York, for instance, they found the experience a little intimidating, these three Californians venturing into the Bronx for a Yankees game. They took the subway from their hotel in Times Square.

"We were a little bit scared," Lund admitted.

And famed New York-style pizza? Sam wasn't buying it.

"We were actually very disappointed," he said. "It tastes way different."

"Chicago is good," piped in Nelson.

"Yes, if you ever go to Chicago, get Gino's pizza," Sam said.

Surprisingly, perhaps, the Lunds do not follow baseball closely when they are home in Fair Oaks.

Too busy with other activities, they rarely watch it on TV and they couldn't tell you who's in a slump, explain why Barry Zito can't win a game or who's leading the league in RBIs.

Then again, this whole idea was not really about baseball. It was about getting along and getting out to see their country.

Baseball just seemed like the best way to do it.

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Blair Anthony Robertson, (916) 321-1099.