The Ile Camera
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Retiree visits 40 Major League ballparks
By Rene Cizio
PUBLISHED: May 11, 2007
When Bill Carver of Grosse Ile retired in 2001 he wanted to stay busy, so he started a hobby — visiting major league baseball parks.
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So far, Carver has been to nearly 40 such parks from New York to California and Canada.
"My dad and uncle took me to my first major league game," Carver said. "I've been interested in visiting ballparks since then."
Carver has been to 20 ballparks in the last three years alone.
Always a baseball enthusiast, he started ushering for the Tigers and visiting other major league parks around the country not long after he retired from his job as an industrial engineer at Great Lakes Steel.
"When the Tigers are out of town, I visit other parks," he said.
Which park does he consider the best?
"PNC (Park in) Pittsburgh by far," Carver said. "It's the best in all aspects."
In Carver's opinion, "The Dodgers have the best hot dogs, Seattle has the best beer and Milwaukee's brats seem a little better then the rest."
Carver's feelings about the Tigers' chances for another shot at the World Series are not as definite as his opinions on the parks.
"I think the Tigers will fight for it; I don't know if they'll make it or not, unless they play like last year," Carver said.
"Cleveland will be a sleeper though, and you can never count the Yankees out. The Mets are good, too."
He may not be sure about the future success of the Tigers, but he has strong feelings about individual players.
"I like (Carlos) Guillen a lot," Carver said.
"He's a good team player, hitter and fielder. (Brandon) Inge and (Curtis) Granderson are good, too."
Carver's love of baseball didn't suddenly develop. It's been building his whole life.
He coached his two sons, Tom and Ken, in Little League for about 10 years and was the treasurer of Grosse Ile's Youth Recreation Association baseball club for many years, also.
In those years, Carver's wife, Ethel, shared his love of the game.
"When our boys played, she liked it," Carver said.
Summer afternoon games often took place in the Carvers' yard, to the amusement of neighbors.
"The bare spots on the lawn finally grow grass again," Ethel said.
In order to see all of the ballparks, Carver has to be creative when he travels and take routes that pass the parks he wants to see.
"I go somewhere like once a month. When I know people who live there, it's easy," he said.
Ethel likes the traveling she does with her husband, but "I have seen enough baseball to last me a lifetime," she said.
She might want to let Carver know that. He's already purchased tickets for more than 10 different parks for the 2007 season.
"She used to go to a lot of games with me, but she'd spend the whole game clipping coupons," Carver said.
Despite his travels, we can expect Carver to be in attendance at many Tiger games this season.
"I'll probably work about 65 games," he said.
As for Ethel, "I am excited for the Tigers and will be watching them — on TV," she said.
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