Ballpark Travels 2017: A Recap
This past season, I embarked on five road trips. Over the course of these five road trips, I visited 23 ballparks. I have now visited 156 of the 159 active ballparks in Minor League Baseball. You could look it up.
2017’s travels featured highlights aplenty. Here are 126 seconds worth. Please view and share:
Every ballpark I visited was covered in detail on this blog. And, in most cases, there were corresponding MiLB.com features. A detailed, yet breezy, breakdown now follows. Please bookmark this page and keep it handy for MiLB road trip referral purposes.
TRIP #1, APRIL: Just the Frisco RoughRiders
Riding the Lazy River, meeting Didi Conn, loaded baked potatoes and, of course, much more.
On MiLB.com:
“Grubes,” Frisco’s Ambassador of Fun
Learning from the Tijuana Toros
TRIP #2: The Cal League South
Getting “eviscerated” in Inland Empire…Racing the Fastest Squirrel in Lake Elsinore…Becoming Neil Armstrong in Lancaster…Major League stars in Rancho Cucamonga and, inevitably, more.
On MiLB.com:
Visiting the Brandiose boys in San Diego
The coaching odyssey of Inland Empire’s Steve Hernandez
Riley, Lake Elsinore’s most courteous autograph collector
Terrance Tucker, Lake Elsinore’s dynamic clubbie
Captain Steve stands up in Lancaster
Rancho Cucamonga’s veteran Rallysaurus
TRIP #3: O, Pioneer League
Ziplining in Billings…Getting otherworldly in Great Falls…Darkness delays in Missoula…Eating potatoes in Idaho Falls…Mountain views in Ogden… Mountain views in Salt Lake…Mountain views in Orem and, because of course: more.
On MiLB.com:
Satchel McElroy carries on family legacy in Billings
Great Falls’ Hall of Fame historian
John Balginy, Idaho Falls’ “Mother Chukar”
Jonathan Van Eaton, Orem’s millennial pitching coach
Salt Lake broadcaster Steve Klauke’s culinary journey
TRIP #4: Northeastern Exposure
Elvis appears in Binghamton…Actual goats in Hartford…Hurling pearls in Wilmington…Idly wandering the concourse in Frederick…Ostrich screams in Reading…Cowboy monkeys in Altoona and, you guessed it, more.
On MiLB.com:
A tour of Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford
An oral history of Wilmington’s Mr. Celery
Key’s Katz talks Classic, cleats
In Reading, Edge finds his center
TRIP #5: Eclipsed in the Carolinas
Welcoming the “Woodies” in Kinston…Receiving Bill Murray’s endorsement in Charleston…Astronomical phenomenon in Columbia…Living the simple life in Buies Creek and…more.
On MiLB.com:
North Carolina’s baseball history museum
Bill Murray prepares for the eclipse in Charleston
Bill Murray talks about topics not related to the eclipse
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention that, in 2017, there was a 15-card “Ben’s Biz” insert set as part of Topps’ Pro Debut set. Hopefully there’ll be more where this came from:
In sum, the above material represents America’s most unique (and underrated) baseball writing. I mean, if somebody’s gonna have that opinion then it may as well be me.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
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