Two Phillies fans visited all 30 MLB Ballparks in 90 days
The viral TikTok duo finished their journey at Citizens Bank Park.
It was in a Bass Pro Shops parking lot that Philadelphia-area natives Seamus and Sam Glavin realized they were going viral.
“I made an egregious sound,” Seamus said.
“I thought he was throwing up,” Sam added.
The two cousins had just woken up in the back of the camper van they were taking to see all 30 MLB ballparks in 90 days. They were a few stops into their first leg, driving south of Washington D.C.
Seamus, 25, documented the plan and began posting updates on TikTok. It was a surprise to celebrate Sam, 23, after his college graduation.
Their review of Nationals Park the night before suddenly had more than three million views. They gained nearly 10,000 followers overnight as MLB fans and official team accounts flooded the comment section to make the case for a visit to their parks.
When Sam and Seamus arrived in Miami, they realized this trip was going to be different than they planned. Marlins team officials were waiting for them at their seats, eager to provide them with the best ballpark food and create and memorable experience. It was the start of an incredible trip, all documented on TikTok.
“We got so incredibly lucky,” Seamus said. “We’re so fortunate it blew up when it did because it afforded us so many opportunities.”
Seamus and Sam never planned to make their journey so public. Their extended family heard about the idea and insisted they keep everyone updated with photos and videos. Instead of sending out a mass email or text daily, they posted to TikTok and Facebook.
The plan originally was to see as many ballparks as possible even if that meant missing a few. But after their TikTok blew up it became an obligation to hit all 30 and create quality content throughout the journey.
“The video editing part was a learning experience,” Seamus said. “It was every single day.”
The van, owned by Seamus’ father, was well equipped with space for two mattress pads and a bathroom with a shower and sink. Seamus and Sam traded off driving responsibilities and often had to travel throughout the night to make it to their next destination.
The toughest part of mapping out the journey — much of which was done on the road — was making sure the closest teams were home around the same time.
The San Francisco Giants were on a road trip when Seamus and Sam attended an Oakland Athletics game across the bay. They had to drive up to Seattle to catch the Mariners before driving back down the coast to finally see the Giants.
In one long night, the Glavins drove 14 hours from Denver to Phoenix to catch the Diamondbacks before they went on a road trip. One leg required a drive from Houston all the way up to Minneapolis.
There were fun non-baseball moments around each trip, like their trip to the Everglades between stops in Tampa and Miami. National Parks were perfect to camp the van overnight.
But the ballparks were the star. Sam had been to a few east coast stadiums on a family trip years ago that inspired this one. Seamus had only been to Citizens Bank Park and Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards. They walked into each new stadium with their eyes wide.
“We got to see batting practice on the field at Wrigley, Busch Stadium, PNC Park and Fenway,” Sam said. “It was awesome.”
Seamus and Sam tried and rated some of the best ballpark foods while also reviewing the park itself. The Cardiff tri-tip sandwich at Petco Park in San Diego was the most memorable, as was the seafood and french fries at Baltimore’s Camden Yards. Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City stood out for its beauty and history.
They also gathered some media attention, appearing on Cincinnati radio station 103.5 WGRR as well as MLB Network.
Along the way, Seamus and Sam were treated to some tremendous baseball. They were at Yankee Stadium for Josh Donaldson’s walk-off grand slam against the Rays. They saw Luis Garcia and Phil Maton throw two immaculate innings in one game for the Houston Astros against the Texas Rangers. They even saw Clayton Kershaw take a perfect game into the eighth inning of the Freeway Series in Los Angeles.
“I didn’t leave my seat,” Sam said. “I kept saying, ‘This is happening.’”
“That’s the craziness of baseball,” Seamus said.
All along they knew their trip had to end in Philly. They arrived home just ahead of the Phillies’ doubleheader against the New York Mets on August 20. Their extended families held a gathering to welcome them back. They even appeared on the morning show of Sportsradio 94WIP.
At Citizens Bank Park, Kevin Tedesco of Aramark met up with Seamus and Sam to present them with personalized jerseys and a whole spread of the ballpark’s best food. They had their seats upgraded to the diamond club and enjoyed both games of the doubleheader.
But it was out in the parking lot before the game that they saw the true impact of their journey. In addition to family and friends, fans from TikTok who followed along met up for a massive tailgate. Seamus and Sam took photos, told stories and savored the last day of a life-changing summer.
“That was the craziest part for us,” Seamus said. “People went out of their way to come see us. But we’re just two guys who had an idea and wanted to do something fun.”
— Beyond the Bell contributor Graham Foley
