Home Run On Wheels

Holmes' cancer has returned and we're trying to figure out the logistics of getting him treatments. It's one of the challenges of living in an RV.

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 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.

We now have a foster care partner in Baltimore, where we will co-host a book-signing event in August and hopefully get kids out to an Orioles game.

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.

MLB attendance is down across the board. Why? Ron and Patti Clements discuss several factors, but they also talk about their plans to get kids in the foster system out to MLB games and why baseball is still America's Pastime.

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.

The last two weeks have been filled with a bunch of good news, including Ron's son, David, getting engaged. David's girlfriend, Gabbey, said yes to his proposal on May 4. (Sadly there was not a Star Wars-themed party afterward.)

But 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.

Minnesota Twins prospects Jimmy Kerrigan and Devin Smeltzer, of the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos, joined the Home Run On Wheels podcast to discuss their life journeys toward a professional baseball career.

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. He 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.

Ron and Patti recap their last six months, discuss the Home Run On Wheels book release in July and Holmes' victory over cancer, and talk about what's next for Home Run On Wheels.

Ron and Patti provide a brief recap of the 2018 World Series in the final episode of the year. We also discuss the highlights of a 15,000-mile RV trip to all 30 MLB stadiums and took them through 38 states and two Canadian provinces. 

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.

Ron and Patti recap the MLB postseason and give their World Series predictions, which are not the same. We saw the Dodgers go 2-2 and the Red Sox win two of three on our 30-stadium MLB trip.

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

Sports writer and best-selling author Jeff Pearlman joined the Home Run On Wheels podcast to discuss his latest book, "Football For a Buck," as well as his experience covering Major League Baseball.

"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.

Former MLB umpire Gary Darling joined the podcast to discuss Umps Care and his nearly 30-year career.

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.