MLB fan with cerebral palsy stops in Philadelphia in quest to visit every ballpark

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- "This is the first time I've ever been here," said Peter Knab with a smile as he sat near the entrance by third base at Citizens Bank Park.

The sight of the South Philadelphia gem can make any baseball fan swoon.

"This is a beautiful ballpark," he said.

Knab, though, isn't any baseball fan. He's a super fan of the Cleveland Guardians. Before you get all riled up, he didn't come here to fight with Phillies fans, though, he's heard stories.

"I've heard that they can get a little crazy," he said with a laugh.

Instead, Knab is in the city as part of his quest to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. Citizens Bank Park is number 29.

"Last year, I traveled over 30,000 miles by myself," said Knab.

It's not an easy feat since Knab is living with cerebral palsy.

"I've had it since birth," he said. "So I've never been able to walk."

The 28-year-old started traveling solo to baseball games in 2017 while following his hometown team. He often uses public transportation in the cities he visits, navigating subways and buses in his wheelchair.

"I like to say I do a lot of advanced scouting," Knab said. "I've been studying the Philly transportation system for the last couple of weeks."

Even through travel challenges, baseball is in the back of his mind.

"Just the grind and the patience that it takes," he said, drawing a parallel between the game and his daily struggles. "That's the same day-to-day approach that I have to take just to get from one place to another."

He does an extensive amount of travel on a shoestring budget.

"I stay at budget motels. I raise money," he said, noting a GoFundMe that was started to help him with his goal to travel to all of the Major League stadiums.

The trip to Philadelphia is significant because it falls on the 34th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which made public spaces and transportation more accessible to people with disabilities.

"The ADA has had such an incredible impact on my ability to travel," said Knab. "Even with Cerebral Palsy and my chair, I've now been to 29 out of 30 ballparks completely independently."

Independence. Philadelphia knows a thing or two about that.

"It's freedom. It's liberty," he said. "We're here in the city of Liberty, right?"

His journey shows what's possible, not just for those who get in the game but for those who get to the game.

"You just gotta embrace the grind and keep moving forward," he said.

Knab has one more stadium to go: Milwaukee. He's raising money for that trip-- hoping to make it when Cleveland plays there next month.