ITINERARY
22
APRIL 01, 2013
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
MITCHELL&NESS,PHILADELPHIA
The folks responsible for the “throwback”craze
mayhavestartedasa tennisandgolfoutfitter, but
theyhit their strideon thebasepaths.Old-school
hats, jacketsand jerseys line thebrickwallsof the
vintage-sports-apparel company’s flagshipstore
inCenterCity. There’salsoanassortmentofPhil-
liesmemorabiliaondisplay, includinggame-worn
helmetsandseats from theoldVeteransStadium.
{ SHOP }
HardballHeaven
Likebaseball teams, not all
FANSHOPS
arecreatedequal.Hereare three spotsyou shouldn’tmiss.
MICKEY’SPLACE;COOPERSTOWN,N.Y.
There’sno shortageof places for fans to snag
cards,memorabiliaandother gear inCoop-
erstown, theupstateNewYorkvillage that’s
home to theNational Baseball Hall of Fameand
Museum. Named forN.Y. Yankees legendMickey
Mantle,Mickey’sPlaceoffers a selectionof 500-
plus fitted caps ranging from thebig leagues
tomoreobscureminor, NegroandCaribbean
League teams.
WRIGLEYVILLESPORTS,CHICAGO
Youdon’t have tobeaCubs fan to fullyenjoy
this outpost just a fewpaces from the “Sweet
Swinging”BillyWilliams statue thatwelcomes
fans toWrigleyField.Hats, shirts, jerseys, bobble-
heads—anythinga fanneedscanbe foundhere.
And that’s not evenmentioning the impeccable
people-watching that comeswith a stroll down
the store’s foam-finger-lined aisles just before
first pitch.
—C.O.
SHOP, FROMLEFT: COURTESYMITCHELL&NESSNOSTALGIACO.; COURTESYMICKEY’SPLACE; COURTESYWRIGLEYVILLESPORTS
MIZUNOPROLIMITEDEDITIONSERIES
baseball
glovesare themost expensiveon themarket. But
that’schumpchange formajor leagueall–stars like
PhiladelphiaPhillies shortstopJimmyRollinsand
SanFranciscoGiantspitcherMattCain,who turn to
thesemittsevery spring. For the restof us, it’sa lotof
greenbacks for apieceof leather.Here’swhatmakes
thesegloves thepriciest in thegame:
{ GEAR }
WhyDoesThisGloveCost$500?
Independentmovement
among the fingers lets a fielder
knowwhere theball is at all times.
It features
DeguchiKipLeather
, a soft, lightweightmaterial
composedof tight, high-tensile fibers for enhanceddurability.
Mizuno’sSpeedDriveTechnology creates a
perfectly
balancedpocket
for a sharplyhit ball to rest inonce it
touches leather, allowing theProEdition toprovidequick
reaction time.
Theglove’s interior is linedwithdeerskin todeliver a
soft
palmgrip
.
Mizunooffers a
one-time reconditioningservice
inwhich
Mizuno-trained craftsmen restoreand repair theglove,
replacing felt, lacingandwebbingand treating the leather
with strongoil.
—CHRIS OPFER
