Bookshelf Review: The Ballpark Bucket List

The Ballpark Bucket List: The Ultimate Scorecard for Visiting All 30 Major League Parks, by James Buckley Jr.

How to describe this fun little volume? While it is technically a book, it’s more like a diary, a chance to note a fan’s ambitious goal of visiting every stadium in the big leagues.

Each of the 30 ballparks (spring training sites receive an “in-passing” nod) gets a descriptive paragraph but it’s up to the buyer/reader to provide the stories and memories. Buckley, the nominal author of the Bucket List, does give you a head start, offering prompts on what kind of information to include, such as where you sat, what you ate, what souvenirs you bought, how you felt about your fellow attendees, etc. There are check boxes for events in the stands as well as action on the field, most of which would normally be included in a more conventional scorebook.

Buckley does provide a few “scorecards” at the end of the book, but not enough for every locale. I guess that was a design concern/space issue. However, there is a QR code so you can download additional scoresheets as needed.

Following the 30 “chapters” is space for noting your “top ten” in several categories, although anything requiring more than a listing doesn’t seem to have adequate space for other than a very brief recap. Another layout decision, I’m guessing.

All in all, The Ballpark Bucket List makes for a great gift for the game-goer in your life. It has an elegant design with a faux-leather cover and is compact enough to bring to the game, which is the whole point.

While we’re at it, other books in the “bucket list” genre include: