Talking trip: breaking down the Great American Baseball Adventure

So with apologies to Don Henley, it's time to get down to the heart of the matter - the anatomy of baseball's ultimate road trip.

The Great American Baseball Adventure, like a lot of great things, sprouted from something bad (in this case, the economy eating my job). I've spent 12 years living a professional dream, but that dream is on hold right now, and the prospects have been so bare that I find myself checking the home phone to make sure it's still working.

But admist the silence, another dream is brewing. And this one involves seeing baseball - A LOT of baseball - in 2010.

What if my wife and I took the 2010 baseball season and tried to see EVERY full-season pro baseball team in the major and minor leagues? Is it possible to squeeze in 150 baseball games in 150 different stadiums (technically 149 stadiums... see July 7th-8th below) in a single baseball season? Exhilirating and exhausting, but like any great dream, worthy of a little investigation.

So I turned back the clock a few months to the start of 2009. What if we had decided to pull off this grand plan THIS year? 150 team schedules, a couple of spreadsheet programs, and 6 days of work later, the result was the most dizzying itinerary I'd ever seen... and a new-found passion to make the 2010 version a reality.

Here's the itinerary, with dates, home teams, locations, and distance from the previous city:

Mon 4/6 - St. Louis Cardinals (St. Louis, MO-my wife's favorite team)
Tue 4/7 - travel day (you need a few of those in this trip)
Wed 4/8 - Minnesota Twins (Minneapolis, MN - 562 miles)
Thu 4/9 - Cedar Rapids Kernels (Cedar Rapids, IA - 277 miles)
Fri 4/10 - Burlington Bees (Burlington, IA - 102 miles)
Sat 4/11 - Peoria Chiefs (Peoria, IL - 97 miles)
Sun 4/12 - Indianapolis Indians (Indianapolis, IN - 215 miles)
Mon 4/13 - Chicago Cubs (Chicago, IL - 185 miles)
Tue 4/14 - Milwaukee Brewers (Milwaukee, WI - 92 miles)
Wed 4/15 - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers(Grand Chute, WI-109 miles)
Thu 4/16 - Beloit Snappers (Beloit, WI - 153 miles)
Fri 4/17 - Kane County Cougars (Geneva, IL - 70 miles)
Sat 4/18 - Clinton Lumberkings (Clinton, IA - 106 miles)
Sun 4/19 - Quad Cities River Bandits (Davenport, IA - 39 miles)
Mon 4/20 - Omaha Royals (Omaha, NE - 300 miles)
Tue 4/21 - Iowa Cubs (Des Moines, IA - 135 miles)
Wed 4/22 - travel day
Thu 4/23 - Memphis Redbirds (Memphis, TN - 618 miles)
Fri 4/24 - West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Jackson, TN - 89 miles)
Sat 4/25 - Nashville Sounds (Nashville, TN - 136 miles)
Sun 4/26 - Tennessee Smokies (Knoxville, TN - 203 miles)
Mon 4/27 - Chattanooga Lookouts (Chattanooga, TN - 136 miles)
Tue 4/28 - Montgomery Biscuits (Montgomery, AL - 233 miles)
Wed 4/29 - Mobile BayBears (Mobile, AL - 170 miles)
Thu 4/30 - travel day
Fri 5/1 - Huntsville Stars (Huntsville, AL - 358 miles)
Sat 5/2 - Rome Braves (Rome, GA - 114 miles)
Sun 5/3 - Birmingham Barons (Birmingham, AL - 120 miles)
Mon 5/4 - Mississippi Braves (Pearl, MS - 232 miles)
Tue 5/5 - New Orleans Zephyrs (New Orleans, LA - 189 miles)
Wed 5/6 - travel day
Thu 5/7 - Houston Astros (Houston, TX - 349 miles)
Fri 5/8 - Corpus Christi Hooks (Corpus Christi, TX - 219 miles)
Sat 5/9 - San Antonio Missions (San Antonio, TX - 144 miles)
Sun 5/10 - Round Rock Express (Round Rock, TX - 98 miles)
Mon 5/11 - Midland RockHounds (Midland, TX - 360 miles)
Tue 5/12 - travel day
Wed 5/13 - Arizona Diamondbacks (Phoenix, AZ - 737 miles)
Thu 5/14 - Los Angeles Angels (Anaheim, CA - 356 miles)
Fri 5/15-Rancho Cucamonga Quakes(Rancho Cucamonga,CA-37 miles)
Sat 5/16 - Inland Empire 66ers (San Bernardino, CA - 22 miles)
Sun 5/17 - San Diego Padres (San Diego, CA - 107 miles)
Mon 5/18 - Los Angeles Dodgers (Los Angeles, CA - 121 miles)
Tue 5/19 - Lake Elsinore Storm (Lake Elsinore, CA - 69 miles)
Wed 5/20 - High Desert Mavericks (Adelanto, CA - 78 miles)
Thu 5/21 - Modesto Nuts (Modesto, CA - 329 miles)
Fri 5/22 - travel day
Sat 5/23 - Stockton Ports (Stockton, CA - 31 miles)
Sun 5/24 - San Jose Giants (San Jose, CA - 81 miles)
Mon 5/25 - Oakland Athletics (Oakland, CA - 41 miles)
Tue 5/26 - San Francisco Giants (San Francisco, CA - 13 miles)
Wed 5/27 - travel day (aka sightseeing in the Bay Area)
Thu 5/28 - Reno Aces (Reno, NV - 219 miles)
Fri 5/29 - Sacaramento River Cats (Sacramento, CA - 132 miles)
Sat 5/30 - Bakersfield Blaze (Bakersfield, CA - 283 miles)
Sun 5/31 - Visalia Oaks (Visalia, CA - 80 miles)
Mon 6/1 - Fresno Grizzlies (Fresno, CA - 44 miles)
Tue 6/2 - Lancaster Jethawks (Lancaster, CA - 198 miles)
Wed 6/3 - Las Vegas 51s (Las Vegas, NV - 258 miles)
Thu 6/4 - Salt Lake Bees (Salt Lake City, UT - 421 miles)
Fri 6/5 - Tacoma Rainiers (Tacoma, WA - one-way flight to Seattle)
Sat 6/6 - Seattle Mariners (Seattle, WA - 34 miles)
Sun 6/7 - Portland Beavers (Portland, OR - 174 miles)
Mon 6/8 - travel day (one way flight back to Salt Lake City)
Tue 6/9 - Albuquerque Isotopes (Albuquerque, NM - 622 miles)
Wed 6/10 - travel day
Thu 6/11-Colorado Springs Sky Sox(Colorado Springs, CO-379 miles)
Fri 6/12 - Colorado Rockies (Denver, CO - 70 miles)
Sat 6/13 - Tulsa Drillers (Tulsa, OK - 696 miles)
Sun 6/14 - travel day
Mon 6/15 - Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Springdale, AR-111 miles)
Tue 6/16 - Arkansas Travelers (Little Rock, AR - 198 miles)
Wed 6/17 - Texas Rangers (Arlington, TX - 340 miles)
Thu 6/18 - Frisco Roughriders (Frisco, TX - 43 miles)
Fri 6/19 - Oklahoma City 89ers (Oklahoma City, OK - 191 miles)
Sat 6/20 - Springfield Cardinals (Springfield, MO - 286 miles)
Sun 6/21 - Bowling Green Hot Rods (Bowling Green, KY - 504 miles)
Mon 6/22 - Louisville Bats (Louisville, KY - 115 miles)
Tue 6/23 - travel day
Wed 6/24 - Carolina Mudcats (Zebulon, NC - 591 miles)
Thu 6/25 - Kinston Indians (Kinston, NC - 73 miles)
Fri 6/26 - Norfolk Tides (Norfolk, VA - 168 miles)
Sat 6/27 - Lynchburg Hillcats (Lynchburg, VA - 190 miles)
Sun 6/28 - Salem Red Sox (Salem, VA - 68 miles)
Mon 6/29 - Winston-Salem Dash (Winston-Salem, NC - 140 miles)
Tue 6/30 - travel day
Wed 7/1 - Charleston Riverdogs (Charleston, SC - 287 miles)
Thu 7/2 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Myrtle Beach, SC - 98 miles)
Fri 7/3 - Savannah Sand Gnats (Savannah, GA - 227 miles)
Sat 7/4 - Brevard County Manatees (Viera, FL - 300 miles)
Sun 7/5 - Daytona Cubs (Daytona Beach, FL - 74 miles)
Mon 7/6 - St. Lucie Mets (Port St. Lucie, FL - 150 miles)
Tue 7/7 - Palm Beach Cardinals (Jupiter, FL - 33 miles)
Wed 7/8 - Jupiter Hammerheads (same stadium as Palm Beach)
Thu 7/9 - Fort Myers Miracle (Fort Myers, FL - 141 miles)
Fri 7/10 - Tampa Yankees (Tampa, FL - 128 miles)
Sat 7/11 - Sarasota Reds (Sarasota, FL - 62 miles)
Sun 7/12 - Dunedin Blue Jays (Dunedin, FL - 60 miles)
Mon 7/13 - off day
Tue 7/14 - off day (call it our "All-Star Break")
Wed 7/15 - Charlotte Stone Crabs (Port Charlotte, FL - 105 miles)
Thu 7/16 - Clearwater Threshers (Clearwater, FL - 102 miles)
Fri 7/17 - Lakeland Flying Tigers (Lakeland, FL - 57 miles)
Sat 7/18 - Jacksonville Suns (Jacksonville, FL - 195 miles)
Sun 7/19 - Augusta Greenjackets (Augusta, GA - 262 miles)
Mon 7/20 - Gwinnett Braves (Lawrenceville, GA - 155 miles)
Tue 7/21 - Charlotte Knights (Rock Hill, SC - 220 miles)
Wed 7/22 - Greenville Drive (Greenville, SC - 102 miles)
Thu 7/23 - Asheville Tourists (Asheville, NC - 63 miles)
Fri 7/24 - Hickory Crawdads (Hickory, NC - 79 miles)
Sat 7/25 - Kannapolis Intimidators (Kannapolis, NC - 62 miles)
Sun 7/26 - Durham Bulls (Durham, NC - 120 miles)
Mon 7/27 - Greensboro Grasshoppers (Greensboro, NC - 54 miles)
Tue 7/28 - West Virginia Power (Charleston, WV - 244 miles)
Wed 7/29 - Lexington Legends (Lexington, KY - 175 miles)
Thu 7/30 - Fort Wayne TinCaps (Fort Wayne, IN - 283 miles)
Fri 7/31 - South Bend Silver Hawks (South Bend, IN - 122 miles)
Sat 8/1 - Lansing Lugnuts (Lansing, MI - 154 miles)
Sun 8/2 - Great Lakes Loons (Flint, MI - 95 miles)
Mon 8/3-Western Michigan Whitecaps(Comstock Park, MI-106 miles)
Tue 8/4 - Toledo Mud Hens (Toledo, OH - 191 miles)
Wed 8/5 - travel day (finally!)
Thu 8/6 - Detroit Tigers (Detroit, MI - 59 miles)
Fri 8/7 - Toronto Blue Jays (Toronto, ON - 231 miles)
Sat 8/8 - Erie Sea Wolves (Erie, PA - 195 miles)
Sun 8/9 - Akron Aeros (Akron, OH - 126 miles)
Mon 8/10 - Lake County Captains (Eastlake, OH - 48 miles)
Tue 8/11 - Cleveland Indians (Cleveland, OH - 18 miles)
Wed 8/12 - travel day
Thu 8/13 - Dayton Dragons (Dayton, OH - 212 miles)
Fri 8/14 - Columbus Clippers (Columbus, OH - 72 miles)
Sat 8/15 - travel day
Sun 8/16 - Buffalo Bisons (Buffalo, NY - 328 miles)
Mon 8/17 - Rochester Red Wings (Rochester, NY - 73 miles)
Tue 8/18 - Syracuse Chiefs (Syracuse, NY - 87 miles)
Wed 8/19 - New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Manchester, NH-347 miles)
Thu 8/20 - Portland Sea Dogs (Portland, ME - 96 miles)
Fri 8/21 - Pawtucket Red Sox (Pawtucket, RI - 152 miles)
Sat 8/22 - Connecticut Defenders (Norwich, CT - 62 miles)
Sun 8/23 - New Britain Rock Cats (New Britain, CT - 52 miles)
Mon 8/24 - travel day
Tue 8/25 - Binghamton Mets (Binghamton, NY - 224 miles)
Wed 8/26 - Scranton-WB Yankees (Scranton, PA - 68 miles)
Thu 8/27 - Altoona Curve (Altoona, PA - 183 miles)
Fri 8/28 - Harrisburg Senators (Harrisburg, PA - 130 miles)
Sat 8/29 - Reading Phillies (Reading, PA - 63 miles)
Sun 8/30 - Trenton Thunder (Trenton, NJ - 82 miles)
Mon 8/31 - Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Allentown, PA - 76 miles)
Tue 9/1 - Lakewood BlueClaws (Lakewood, NJ - 112 miles)
Wed 9/2 - Wilmington Blue Rocks (Wilmington, DE - 95 miles)
Thu 9/3 - Frederick Keys (Frederick, MD - 121 miles)
Fri 9/4 - Hagerstown Suns (Hagerstown, MD - 25 miles)
Sat 9/5 - Delmarva Shorebirds (Salisbury, MD - 181 miles)
Sun 9/6 - Bowie Bay Sox (Bowie, MD - 101 miles)
Mon 9/7 - Potomac Nationals (Woodbridge, VA - 43 miles)
[minor league regular season ends]
Tue 9/8 - Washington Nationals (Washington, DC - 21 miles)
Wed 9/9 - off day
Thu 9/10 - New York Mets (Queens, NY - 246 miles)
Fri 9/11 - New York Yankees (Bronx, NY - 13 miles)
Sat 9/12 - off day
Sun 9/13 - Boston Red Sox (Boston, MA - 209 miles)
Mon 9/14 - off day
Tue 9/15 - Philadelphia Phillies (Philadelphia, PA - 310 miles)
Wed 9/16 - Baltimore Orioles (Baltimore, MD - 103 miles)
Thu 9/17 - off day
Fri 9/18 - Pittsburgh Pirates (Pittsburgh, PA - 248 miles)
Sat 9/19 - Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati, OH - 288 miles)
Sun 9/20 - off day
Mon 9/21 - Chicago White Sox (Chicago, IL - 463 miles)
Tue 9/22 - off day
Wed 9/23 - Kansas City Royals (Kansas City, MO - 527 miles)
Thu 9/24 - off day
Fri 9/25 - off day
Sat 9/26 - off day
Sun 9/27 - Florida Marlins (Miami Gardens, FL - 1459 miles)
Mon 9/28 - Tampa Bay Rays (St. Petersburg, FL - 256 miles)
Tue 9/29 - off day
Wed 9/30 - Atlanta Braves (Atlanta, GA - 479 miles)

So we start with my wife's favorite team, end in my hometown... and travel 28,000 miles in between. 28,000 miles!!!!

Again, don't forget, this is a MOCK version of the trip for 2009. Sadly, much like John Smoltz's career, the 2009 season is almost gone.

So is this possible to pull off in 2010 (with sponsorship help of course)? I'll take a break to let you all discuss... there's smoke coming from the computer keyboard anyway.