Ballpark Travel

It seems likely that Major League Baseball is going to expand in the near future with the addition of two more teams. Much has been written recently about speculating where, but Montreal and Portland seem to be two of the common front runners. The addition of two MLB teams will have a ripple effect into Minor League Baseball in what could end up with between 10-12 additional franchises. Not all teams have both Class A Short Season and a Rookie League affiliate, but it is a sure thing that at least five teams will be added per expansion franchise which could expand to a sixth team should the parent club desire to field a Rookie League team. Presently, there are 160 MiLB teams. Here is how the levels break down with the number of teams in parenthesis: -         30 Triple A – International League (14), Pacific Coast League (16) -         30 Double A – Eastern League (12), Southern League (10), Texas League (8...

I play the lottery when it reaches $100 Million because I love to dream about the opportunity to run a minor league baseball team and do it my way. I have spent all of my professional career managing relationships, so most of my time plotting is spent on people – how to treat corporate partners, consumers, employees and players. Corporate Partners I think that most teams already do a very good job of making their corporate partners happy – they are a lifeline of the business. What the Cleveland Browns did last fall with Bud Light to unlock a refrigerator full of free beer after their first win of the season was brilliant. The Browns took advantage of this opportunity as an improving team to partner with Bud Light and created likely the best sports promotion of the year following a season of ineptitude in which the Browns were 0-16 and had their fans in upheaval. This promotion involved the Browns, Bud Light and a variety of agency partners to fulfill the idea, but that is the c...

The idea of seeing all 190 active major and minor league ballparks feels like a daunting task and a life's work - chipping away here and there over many years. For the 2019 season, here are some recommendations to take a week or a weekend getaway to get just a little bit closer. I have had the opportunity to traveling to California many times and if there was one state to have a road trip, that would be it. You get the chance to see the desert, mountains, national parks, wine country and enjoy a few double double animal style burgers at In-N-Out. California and Nevada offer 12 Minor League ballparks and 5 Major League ballparks, so there are plenty of options and great variety. While this trip would require both a ton of time and money, it would be one for the ages. Here is my proposed two-week journey that would cross off 14 ballparks including all 12 MiLB parks plus LAA and SF, but what seems more attainable could be one of either visiting all the teams in the south or nort...

The idea of seeing all 190 active major and minor league ballparks feels like a daunting task and a life's work - chipping away here and there over many years. For the 2019 season, here are some recommendations to take a week or a weekend getaway to get just a little bit closer. Many of the players from the MLB first year player draft get their feet wet in professional baseball in rookie ball either in the Appalachian League or the Pioneer League. It's a great opportunity to get a first look at the draft crop, but also visit some of Minor League Baseballs' smallest and more unique parks in the beautiful scenery of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounding Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Looking at attendance figures from 2018, league games averaged 1,015 attendees with the range of 2,764 (Pulaski) to 529 (Elizabethton). This August, do 10 parks in 10 days or break it in half and do either the East division (green) or West division (blue): West Division: Friday, Augu...

The idea of seeing all 190 active major and minor league ballparks feels like a daunting task and a life's work - chipping away here and there over many years. For the 2019 season, here are some recommendations to take a week or a weekend getaway to get just a little bit closer. This summer, the MLB All Star Game heads to Cleveland, OH - one of my favorite cities (seriously). In the summer time, there is a lot of baseball to take in surrounding the mid-summer classic. Flying round-trip to Cleveland (CLE), this trip would make visiting the All Star Game and 5 minor league ballparks feasible. Saturday, July 6 - 7:00PM - Lansing Lugnuts @ Lake County Captains Sunday, July 7 - 4:05PM - Williamsport Crosscutters @ Mahoning Valley Scrappers Monday, July 8 - Evening - MLB Home Run Derby Tuesday, July 9 - Evening - MLB All Star Game Wednesday, July 10 - No baseball games, NFL Hall of Fame / Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Thursday, July 11 - 7:05PM - Altoona Curve @ Erie Seawolves F...

The idea of seeing all 190 active major and minor league ballparks feels like a daunting task and a life's work - chipping away here and there over many years. For the 2019 season, here are some recommendations to take a week or a weekend getaway to get just a little bit closer. In June, there is an opportunity in the Carolina's to see 9 games in 7 days. You would be able to fly in and out of the Raleigh-Durham airport (RDU) and see a wide variety of ballparks from the Burlington Royals 3,500 seat rookie league park built in 1960 all the way up to the Charlotte Knights, Durham Bulls and Greenville Drive, all consistently considered among the best Minor League ballparks. Monday, June 24 - 7:00PM - Down East Wood Ducks @ Carolina Mudcats (Zebulon, NC) Tuesday, June 25 - 1:05PM - Charlotte Knights @ Durham Bulls Tuesday, June 25 - TBD - Kingsport Mets @ Burlington Royals Wednesday, June 26 - 12:00PM - WV Power @ Greensboro Grasshoppers Wednesday, June 26 - 7:00PM - My...