[BobC]

The bus system an earlier poster asked about is known as the Rapid Transit system here in Cleveland and is part of the area's Regional Transit Authority, or RTA as we know it. It is an above ground rail system similar to a subway or EL. It does go from Hopkins Airport downtown to the station underneath the Terminal Tower building, right in the center of downtown Cleveland. You can easily access hotels from there and within reasonable walking distance go to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Theater, Progressive Field where the Indians play, the Hard Rock Café, many good restaurants, and get great views of the infamous Cuyahoga River (only river I'm aware of that actually was on fire and them immortalized in song), and there is now the downtown Horsehoe Casino you can go to. We have our own resident Iron Chef, Michael Symon, who has various restaurants and eateries around town from his B-Spot burger joints around town to Lola, his restaurant on West 4th Street downtown. There are three minor league teams within an hour of the IX Center, the Lake County Captain (A) in Eastlake, Ohio, the Akron Aeros (AA), in Akron obviously, and the Lake Erie Crushers (Independent) in Avon, Ohio. Also about an hour and a half drive from the IX Center is the Canton Pro Football Hall of Fame. SABR actually has offices in Cleveland and their Baseball Heritage Museum. An earlier poster also mentioned League Park, located at 66th and Lexington in Cleveland. While not the greatest of neighborhoods, it is by some definitions the oldest major league ballpark/grounds still in existence, with the Cleveland Spiders starting play on that site back in 1891, and continuing to be used up to 1946 by the Indians. There are plans to do major restoration of the grounds sometime in the near future from what I understand. I could go on as to the things to do in see around Cleveland in addition to just attending the National.

I take offense whenever I hear what seems like the majority of people on this site blast Cleveland as a recurring location for the National. I must admit, I attended the Chicago National last Summer for the first time and can understand the bias and complaints that often get voiced about Cleveland and how there is nothing really around the IX Center for them to do. Steak at Gibson's was fantastic and as for Toby Keith's.........well, what happens at Toby Keith's stays at Toby Keith's, right?

Anyway, we often talk about how we prefer the history and nostalgia of what we collect to modern day things. Why not extend the same sentiments towards the IX Center. The building itself goes back to WWII and originally as a part of GM was used to build bombers during WWII and later on tanks. At about 1MM SF of exhibition space on a single floor in one room, it is one of the largest venues of its kind in the world, and wonderfully repurposed from its original use. As already mentioned, it also houses the tallest indoor ferris wheel in the world, which is the centerpiece for the annual IX Indoor Amusement Park they hold there every year. The location is literally right next to the airport and as previously mentioned, many times autograph guests can come and go and stay right there at the Sheraton Hotel on the airport grounds. For example, I think it was back at the '96 National in Cleveland, I was getting a ball signed by Sandy Koufax and to just make conversation, asked him how he liked Cleveland. He finished signing and looked up at me with a reflective, almost apologetic manner and said he didn't really know. Said he just got off the plane, they whisked him over to the IX center in like 10 minutes, he was going to sign for a few hours and then get right back in the car to go to the airport and catch a flight back home in a couple more hours. I kind of laughed and told him that was funny, that was exactly what Bill Mazeroski had said when I had him sign a ball for me a little while earlier on the other side of the autograph pavilion. He looked up and said out loud, "Maz is here? Thanks for telling me, they didn't even tell me who else was going to be signing. I have to make sure to say hi to him." All the while he was smiling as he shook my hand.

Oh, and I've never had a problem finding a parking space.

Bob C