Great American Baseball Adventure, Week 16: July 19th-25th, 2010

California dreaming hits its peak in Week 16. We'll see baseball at four different levels this week: MLB, AAA, A, and whatever it is the Oakland Athletics play. GABA 2010, Week 16:

Monday, July 19th:
Oakland, CA (12 miles from San Francisco)
Oakland Athletics vs. Boston Red Sox

Out of 30 MLB teams, somebody’s gotta have the worst stadium, and this is very likely the one. Understand, the A’s have been my team for many years, so I feel entitled to say the Coliseum looks like a construction crane threw up a bunch of concrete. The good news is we shouldn’t have any trouble getting first row seats right behind the dugouts. Or home plate. Or I might just ask to pitch an inning or two.


Tuesday, July 20th:
San Jose, CA (41 miles from Oakland)
San Jose Giants (A Giants) vs. Stockton Ports (A Athletics)

A ‘down-on-the-farm’ version of the Bay Series in another very cool setting. The stadium’s old-school, the Giants have won three California League titles in five years… but most importantly, if the San Jose pitcher strikes out the designated ‘beer batter’, beer’s half-price for the next 15 minutes. Can I vote Mark Reynolds to be the ‘beer batter’?


Wednesday, July 21st:
Fresno, CA (152 miles from San Jose)
Fresno Grizzlies (AAA Giants) vs. Salt Lake Bees (AAA Angels)

They know crazy promotions in Fresno, from K-Fed Night to As Seen On TV Night. The Grizzlies even have an offseason short series called “I Hate The Offseason”. Indeed. And thank goodness for the promotions, ‘cause I can’t think of a single other thing to say about Fresno.


Thursday, July 22nd:
Visalia, CA (44 miles from Fresno)
Visalia Rawhide (A D’Backs) vs. Lancaster JetHawks (A Astros)

A baseball team named for a Western that starred Clint Eastwood? Rawhide! I know the name is actually an homage to agriculture, but I’m going with the Western anyway. How about the San Francisco Gunsmoke? The Bakersfield Bonanza? The whole California league could go Old West! Go ahead, Cali League… make my day…


Friday, July 23rd:
Los Angeles, CA (188 miles from Visalia)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets

No exploding scoreboards, no sausage races, no “pin the tail on Kevin Federline” promotions. Just good baseball, good hot dogs, and good weather. It’s amazing how cool baseball really is with all the fluff stripped away. It’s funny, but Dodger Stadium might be the only thing about L.A. that isn’t chock full of fluff.


Saturday, July 24th:
Lake Elsinore, CA (69 miles from Los Angeles)
Lake Elsinore Storm (A Padres) vs. Bakersfield Blaze (A Rangers)

We have 21 hours between games for this 69-mile trek through L.A. traffic. I hope it’s enough time. Apparently there’s a city ordinance in Lake Elsinore that bans team nicknames ending in ‘s’. I always learned that water puts out fire; we’ll learn if that’s true this night.


Sunday, July 25th:
San Bernardino, CA (39 miles from Lake Elsinore)
Inland Empire 66ers (A Dodgers) vs. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (A Angels)

The 66ers are named for Historic Route 66, but their full name is the “Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino”. Clearly a Dodger-created tongue-in-cheek shot at the Angels’ 78-word club name. Now, the Angels’ and Dodgers’ farmhands can duke out their frustrations in a “Sunday Game Of A Sport That Lasts Nine Innings And Features A Small White Ball With Stitches”.