Minor League Baseball’s 120 teams are situated all over the country; from coast to coast, from Single-A to Triple-A, from Aberdeen, Md. to Zebulon, N.C. This vast landscape provides innumerable road trip opportunities, and what better way to explore America than through Minor League Baseball?
Want to learn more about Minor League Baseball while planning some road trips of your own? The Minor League Ballpark Guides project, an interactive road trip tool featuring searchable maps and in-depth write-ups of every Minor League ballpark, is here to help.
On the Minor League Ballpark Guides landing page, you’ll find a searchable map featuring a pin for every Minor League team/ballpark. Zoom in for a closer regional view, and back out to see the entirety of the Minor League landscape (which includes one international team, the Vancouver Canadians). Click on the pin for additional information, as well a link to that team’s Minor League Ballpark Guide.
Looking to narrow your search? Above the map and to the right, you’ll find search options by state and parent club. Choose North Carolina, for example, and you’ll see pins for the state’s 10 teams as well as clubs in neighboring states.
Another great way to contextualize Minor League travel is by visiting the affiliates of your favorite Major League team. Choose that MLB team via the “Select by parent club” option. Clicking on the Baltimore Orioles, for example, yields a cluster of nearby affiliates that could potentially be visited over the course of a long weekend.
Below the Minor League Ballpark Guides landing page map you’ll find logos and ballpark names for every team in Minor League Baseball, organized by parent club and level of play. Click on the ballpark name for that team’s corresponding Ballpark Guide.
In every Minor League Ballpark Guide you’ll find franchise and ballpark history, links to the schedule and roster, an overview of ballpark features and atmosphere, information on concessions and the mascot, recommendations regarding things to see, eat and drink in the area and suggestions for compiling a road trip itinerary based around that team.
While visiting Reading, Pa., make sure to visit the town’s iconic pagoda (built in 1908 as a luxury resort that never opened). And when at FirstEnergy Ballpark, take time to explore the historical photos and artwork on the concourse, check out a postgame concert by the Mascot Band and seek out the anomalous food item that is the hot dog-shaped cheeseburger.
There’s a lot to explore, in other words, as Reading is just one of 119 ballparks (yes, an odd number, as the Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads share Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium). Take some time to poke around, clicking on the teams that interest you, exploring a vast world populated by Sea Dogs, Sod Poodles, Trash Pandas and many, many more.
Finally, check out the “Best of the Ballparks” section, to the right of the map, for a series of articles that provide an overview of the Minor League landscape from a variety of angles. Articles like “Oldest Ballparks” and “Longest Affiliations” aren’t up for debate, while those detailing the Best Ballparks, Views, Concessions and Mascots most certainly are.
Upon completing a Minor League ballpark road trip, whether it be two teams or two dozen, you’ll be sure to have plenty of opinions of your own. And, more importantly, you’ll have made indelible baseball memories. Bookmark the Minor League Ballpark Guides landing page, and start planning your itinerary today.