The Case for Baseball Wanderlust

From my last road trip. Photo by Randy Stern

Lately, the MLBlogs front page has been touting some of the latest fans bloggers who are chronicling their tours of ballparks across North America. These are indeed some of the finest examples of wanderlust known to our baseball world. They’re living out the dream of many baseball fans who wished for younger days of sleeping in cars/RVs/cheap rooms, going from ballpark to ballpark and taking in what this country has to offer. Good on them! They make our existence on this planet fuller by the minute.

I began to think “what if I would do such a trip – how would that manifest itself?” In the past, I’d just fly or drive somewhere for the weekend, knock around town, go to a game and go home. On most occasions, this is a good weekend trip. For the baseball fan, unless there was some other historical place of interest related to the game or the focus of the trip was not centered on baseball, it would be a hollow weekend. This is why I sat down and thought about trips that would include multiple ballgames in certain locales or a string of ballparks on a nice journey.

My criteria are simple: Go to a ballpark I’ve never been before, preferably in a place I’ve never visited. Certainly there are ballparks in places I’ve frequented in the past, but never got around to watching a game in – those are included, too! In one exception – I included a ballpark I haven’t seen a game in, oh, almost 30 years. You see that pop up somewhere below…

Granted, these are not grand tours or anything – just simple “hit the ground running and enjoy any sight possible” type of trips. Oh, and don’t follow me for actual travel advice. Believe me, we have our ways of making trips the way we want them.

A DEEPER TOUR OF THE MIDWEST: I’ll admit that I’m not one for long driving trips as much as I used to. However, to balance out the time/distance factor and high regional air fares, I may have to hit the road to stretch out my sea legs in this region. But, where would I go? My first thought was to string a trip through Kansas City with the Royals and Kaufmann Stadium as my mid-point. The most ideal way to do so is to hit two independent American Association towns, Sioux Falls and Sioux City, before hitting Omaha to see the Triple-A Royals. By the time I consider such a trip, Rosenblatt Stadium would be vacant and the team would have moved to their new suburban home. After swinging through Kansas City, I can only head to St. Louis and the Cardinals at Busch Stadium (Number 3). Then, I would jump into Illinois and back into Iowa for a trio of Midwest League stops, Peoria, the Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids, before heading home. Obviously, the only mode of transportation is a car with a string of inexpensive accommodations along the way – the best way to see the Midwest, in my humble opinion.

JUST GET INTO WRIGLEY FOR RYNO’S SAKE! Over the past ten years, I’ve visited Chicago too many times to recall. Last year, I finally got in a ballgame – at US Cellular Field. Why not Wrigley? I’ve passed by it almost as many times as I’ve visited the city and never stepped foot inside. Maybe it’s time to rectify that empty hole of baseballdom just an hour-and-a-half flight from MSP (or seven-plus hour train adventure from St. Paul). Just watch a game at Wrigley. I don’t have to root for the Cubs, right? If I boo them I have to crawl to Halsted instead of walk. But, there’s more than Wrigley to check out – there’s plenty of minor league and indie baseball in the Chicagoland area. There’s Midwest League play in Geneva, Ill. (Kane County Cougars) and South Bend, Ind. (Silver Hawks), Northern League teams in Schaumburg (Flyers), Joliet (Jackhammers), Gary (Southshore Rail Cats) and Zion (Lake County Fielders) along with some Frontier League ballclub in Crestview (Windy City Thunderbolts). Obviously, the best way to get around Chicago is using the CTA, but there are suburban games that are not accessible to METRA, PACE and the South Shore Line readily for certain games – so some creativity would have to be in place before considering renting a car. This would also mean staking out a good place in Chicago to stay that is convenient to everything – and I do mean everything!

FLORIDA – BEFORE THE ATLANTIC GOES CRAZY: Here’s the problem with Florida: Spring Training. If you plan well ahead of everything, you can get good rates on flights, rental cars and hotels for March. The best way to enjoy Florida without getting overheated is to get there in April. Luckily, the Tampa Bay Rays along with the Florida State League will have plenty of activity in and around the Suncoast area. One night, I could be inside Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the next up in Clearwater, the next at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the next…you get the idea. What about Miami? What about the Marlins? Yeah, I’m going to South Beach – NOT! Wilton Manors, maybe – but forget seeing me on South Beach! Oh, and Walt Disney World – scratch that, too! Obviously, a rental car would be the way to go for my ventures around the Tampa area and a bit beyond – and a moderate plate to stay with access to the ballparks and nightlife afterwards.

ALL ABOARD THE PENNSYLVANIAN: Amtrak once had a tag line that goes: “There’s something a train that’s magic.” I agree wholeheartedly – but it’s been six years since my last train ride. But, would it be nice to integrate a train for a baseball journey? I found a nice run that would work that starts in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or New York and travels through some of the nicest landscapes in this country. Even better, there will not be one car involved in the entire trip. The reasons are simple: either the ballpark and nearby accommodations are within walking distance of the train station or linked by some form of public transportation. The key three stops are Philadelphia with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Harrisburg with the Senators at Metro Bank Park on City Island and Pittsburgh with the Pirates at PNC Park. A fourth stop could be made in New York City, if I wanted to stretch it out to include the Mets Citi Field or, if I get there around the New York-Penn League season, both the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees. Since I have never attended a ballgame in the State of Pennsylvania – I’ll concentrate on Philly, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh for this very green and sustainable run through the Alleghenies.

A SORT OF HOMECOMING: Growing up in Los Angeles, there were two baseball teams that mattered: the Dodgers and the Angels. Actually, the guys in blue mattered more than those American Leaguers in Anaheim – until 1979. Since leaving my home town for good in 1996, I’ve only been back twice – and missed out on opportunities to return to Dodger Stadium on both occasions. Hopefully, if my next trip falls during baseball season – I will make it back to the place where The Heirloom was born for the first time since 1982. However, there is more baseball to explore in and around my hometown. I’ve yet to visit the Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga and the new San Bernardino ballpark for my California league fill (I’ve already been to The Diamond in Lake Elsinore 14 years ago – still one fine ballpark!) and an overnight run down to San Diego to check out the Padres at PETCO Park in the Gaslamp Quarter. In-between are old and new friends and family covering everywhere from Camarillo down to San Diego. This would require a rental car and accommodations in both the Los Angeles/Orange County area and a night down in San Diego – or, not.