Itineraries part one: Time in New England (and Canada)
So who wants to go on a trip this summer? Here's a suggestion.
Last year I told you I would give you some summer travel ideas, with three trips: a New England-based trip, one in the Appalachians, and one in the Midwest.
The fine folks at milb.com came out with their Minor League Ballpark Guides, which were a big help in compiling these. With the trips I promised last year in mind, this week I begin the 2025 versions. There are a few ground rules I tried to follow with these potential trips:
With the exception of this first New England trip, these last from July 31-August 10. Two of the three will begin with a game involving Delmarva, but - new this year - the Midwest trip will call my hometown of Toledo (and Fifth Third Field) its base.
Each of these trips has at least one game from each professional level: MLB, AAA, AA, Advanced-A, A, and independent leagues.
I made every effort to keep daily trips under 250 miles “as the crow flies.” In reality this may be about 300 miles, but that should be about a six-hour trip or less.
Where I could I had at least one “doubleheader day” where there was a day/night combo of games. I did not have game times for all the games, so I assumed on original compilation the minor league contests were in the evening.
The first trip, as I noted above, is a return to New England, except I added two stops across the border in Canada this time. These added mileage to the trip but they were stops I’d always wished to add. This trip also has an earlier start because I needed to have Delmarva home on a Thursday and Boston home on a Monday and the usual date didn’t work out. Thus, this will be a trip filled with fireworks to start.
Thursday, July 3: Fredericksburg Nationals at Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles) (Class A, Carolina League.) This is billed as their largest fireworks show of the year and gives the Shorebirds the opportunity to wear patriotic jerseys. As is the case through much of the minor leagues, the teams reconvene in the opposite park the next night, but my trip is heading north instead of west.
Friday, July 4: Reading Fightin’ Phils (Phillies) at Somerset Patriots (Yankees) (AA Eastern League.) How could I pass up watching the Patriots on Independence Day? Yes, it’s a fireworks night as the Patriots return home from watching the same in Reading the previous evening. My northward journey begins as the first leg is 206 miles from Perdue Stadium and expected to take 3 hours and 42 minutes.
Saturday, July 5: Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees) at Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) (Advanced-A South Atlantic League.) Since it’s still a Saturday and still Independence Day weekend, you get more fireworks - this time with the unique backdrop of Coney Island. Also, in an homage to Brooklyn (and a reminder of another season) this night is a basketball jersey giveaway. This is a short leg: from Somerset this leg is just 41 miles but would take 1 hour and 13 minutes.
Sunday, July 6: New Jersey Jackals at Tri-City Valley Cats (independent Frontier League.) The trip up the Hudson Valley takes us to Albany and the campus of Hudson Valley Community College where this Frontier League team plays and prepares for the FL All-Star game later in the month. Parking may be tough to come by as the team celebrates the 50th anniversary of “Jaws” at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. Don’t go near the water. The 170 mile trip up takes 3:45.
Monday, July 7: Colorado Rockies at Boston Red Sox. The one major league stop on this tour sees a facsimile of a major league team in the Rockies. Tomorrow’s stop featuring the AA teams of these respective franchises may be better. The drive from Albany to Fenway is 169 miles and takes 2 hours, 47 minutes.
Tuesday, July 8: Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies) at Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox). (AA Eastern League.) Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field has one key resemblance to Fenway Park: the Maine Monster in left field. On this night they’re giving out Kristian Campbell bobbleheads - the likeness of the highly-touted Boston rookie (who had already inked an 8-year, $60m deal barely a week after making his debut) will be a popular giveaway. It’s a surprisingly short trip up the coast: 108 miles in 2:17. Prepare for two long ones, though, as we cross the border.
Wednesday, July 9: Trois-Rivieres Aigles at Capitales de Quebec (independent Frontier League) A visit to CANAC Stadium for a midweek clash between these two neighbors on the outskirts of professional baseball, in more ways than one. Google Translate didn’t help me much with the promo schedule, but this would be an interesting culture shock if nothing else. Just make sure you have your passport and brush up on your French. The jaunt from Maine is 275 miles, taking 4:53.
Thursday, July 10: Tri-City Valley Cats at Ottawa Titans (independent Frontier League.) Oddly enough, this was my Thursday stop last year, too - so I can reuse most of this description. Ottawa used to be the Champions as part of the old Can-Am League and re-emerged in the FL as the Titans in 2022 (If you want to go back even farther, Ottawa Stadium once hosted the Ottawa Lynx of the AAA International League, mostly as a Montreal farm club, back in the ‘90s and aughts.) Being that the trip is exclusively in Canada, it’s measured in kilometers but I brought up my calculator and determined it’s 278 miles and takes 4 hours, 35 minutes. I promise they get shorter.
Friday, July 11: Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies) at Syracuse Mets (AAA International League.) Back in the States and checking out AAA for the first time. This night at NBT Bank Stadium is Fizzy Friday, where you can cover both tickets and drinks as well as visit the fourth fireworks show of the trip. Pair that up with local ballpark cuisine that sounds appetizing and you have a good time. You need it after crossing the border on the 189 mile, 3 hour and 26 mile trip. (For those of the fairer sex, it’s also Women’s Health Night. I guess guys have to take up the slack on eating greasy food and drinking adult pops.)
Saturday, July 12: Altoona Curve (Pirates) at Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets) (AA Eastern League.) This one is Luau Night at Mirabito Stadium, and what Luau Night would be complete without a Hawaiian shirt giveaway? (Surprisingly, no fireworks on a Saturday night.) It’s a short trip from Syracuse: just 77 miles and 1:12, although I’m thinking a northbound trip is much more exciting than a southbound one. However, if you’re not into Hawaiian stuff, I have an idea.
Saturday, July 12: Buffalo All-Stars at Batavia Muckdogs (Perfect Game Collegiate League.) You may remember my remark at last year’s PONY trip that it came too late for the former NYPL teams - well, July is the latter stages of their season. In this case, it’s a non-league exhibition game but it’s still baseball at Dwyer Stadium, right? To get a primer on why this stop was included, read my book review here. From Syracuse it would be 112 miles almost due west, taking 1:42, but going to the next stop it would be a hefty 283 miles and 4:47 as we have to head back east.
Sunday, August 13: Staten Island FerryHawks at York Revolution (independent Atlantic League.) For the second year in a row I finish in York. (Since it’s a 1:00 contest, one can make it back here without being too late.) It’s South of the Border Day and features a superhero appearance, which I’m thinking would not be Captain America. From Binghamton it’s 208 miles and 3:16 to WellSpan Park, and the return home on Sunday evening to the home base of Perdue Stadium in Salisbury would be 174 miles and 2 hours, 59 minutes.
Tale of the tape
Games: 11 in 11 days.
Leagues: 7 (all six levels) - 8 if the optional side trip to Batavia is taken.
States: 8 (Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania.) Games in six of these states, plus Quebec and Ontario in Canada.
MLB teams/organizations: Baltimore, Boston (twice), Colorado (twice), New York Mets (three times), New York Yankees (twice), Philadelphia (twice), Pittsburgh, and Washington. Plus seven independent teams, with the option of college and semipro wood-bat teams.
Mileage: 1,895 miles. Add 110 miles to swap out Batavia for Binghamton.
Driving time: 34 hours, 5 minutes. It’s an extra 2 hours and 1 minute to take the alternative trip to Dwyer Stadium as that would be the western terminus of the journey.
Regrets: I wish I knew more about the promotions some of the indy league teams may run but they’re still a month away from the opener in some cases. Overall, that area of the country is a good one to work out except for Canadian teams. Hopefully next season I can get Portland and New Hampshire home at the same time.
In the meantime, next week we head down south to the Carolinas to see what we can find. I can tell you: both ends of this one will feature a Delmarva game, but we’re spotting them the trip down south and using a different home base.
In the meantime, though, you can Buy Me a Coffee, since I have a page there now.