Great American Baseball Adventure, Week 2: April 12th-18th, 2010

One week into 2010's Great American Baseball Adventure, and we've already seen six games in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan. We won't leave those three states in Week 2, but we will gain about 10 pounds thanks to one of baseball's ultimate food challenges... here's week 2 of GABA 2010:


Monday, April 12th:
Midland, MI (128 miles from Detroit)
Great Lakes Loons (A Dodgers) vs. Lansing Lugnuts (A Blue Jays)

The GABA is all about games like this. A team called the Loons versus a team called the Lugnuts, in a town I had to look up on Yahoo maps. It’s the second time in four days we’ll be watching the Lugnuts as the road team. I wonder if any Lugnut players will do a double-take: “Hey, isn’t that the same guy who was wearing armor in Dayton a few days ago?”


Tuesday, April 13th:
Comstock Park, MI (106 miles from Midland)
West Michigan Whitecaps (A Tigers) vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (A Padres)

Nestled in the ‘burbs of Grand Rapids is… you guessed it… Fifth Third Ballpark (sheesh!). The Whitecaps are 5-time Midwest League Champs, but this night will be about food, specifically the most disgusting, most enticing delicacy in all of minor league sports – the Fifth Third Burger (there’s that annoying fraction again). Picture a 4 pound, 4,800 calorie artery-clogger so bad that doctors actually want the team to label it a ‘dietary disaster’. The Man vs. Food guy ate one in 2009, and I’ll be ready to tackle the 1.666 pounds of meat (5/3 pounds – get it?) and take home the T-shirt. Maybe we should build in an off-day for an EKG.


Wednesday, April 14th:
Lansing, MI (72 miles from Comstock Park)
Lansing Lugnuts (A Blue Jays) vs. Lake County Captains (A Indians)

It’s official. We’re stalking the Lansing Lugnuts in the opening weeks of GABA 2010. For the third time in six days, we’ll see the Lugnuts try to tighten down the opposition, except this time it’ll be at Lansing’s yard, Oldsmobile Park (hey, a stadium without Fifth or Third in the title!). We’ll have just missed Dollar Dog Tuesday, but I’m sure I’ll still be full from Tuesday’s burger-blitz. Which reminds me, how much weight can you gain eating ballpark food every night for 6 months? It’s like Jared in reverse!


Thursday, April 15th:
Cleveland, OH (233 miles from Lansing)
Cleveland Indians vs. Texas Rangers

No truth to the rumor that Progressive Field will be replaced in 2010 by a large, all-white room with an annoying, bubbly girl trying to sell car insurance. Gotta share one of my great ballpark tales here. Our only game in Cleveland was in 2008, with my Aunt Fran in attendance. Interleague game. Three hour rain delay. Chilly winds from the lake. Horrible relief pitching. And yet my Aunt (in her 70s) stuck through it all with us, saw the Indians win, and watched the fireworks show… at 1:30AM. My wife wants center-field seats this time. For some reason, she wants to sit directly behind Grady Sizemore. Hmm…


Friday, April 16th:
Akron, OH (40 miles from Cleveland)
Akron Aeros (AA Indians) vs. Bowie Baysox (AA Orioles)

It’s so close, we could actually swim down the Ohio and Erie Canal from Cleveland to this game. The Aeros won the Eastern League title in 2009. And the Goodyear plant is in Akron. And now I’ve run out of things to say about Akron.


Saturday, April 17th:
Eastlake, OH (48 miles from Akron)
Lake County Captains (A Indians) vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps (A Padres)

Back up to suburban Cleveland to see the Captains, who are switching to the Midwest League from the South Atlantic League. Seriously, the South Atlantic League? Nothing beats low-minor league road trips in a rickety old bus from northern Ohio to Augusta, Georgia. The teams are repeating themselves – we’ve seen both these teams within the previous week. Our 7th – and final – game in the state of Ohio, which means we’re headed east and about to starting rolling the odometer.


Sunday, April 18th:
Erie, PA (90 miles from Eastlake)
Erie SeaWolves (AA Tigers) vs. Altoona Curve (AA Pirates)

ESPN calls Erie’s Jerry Uht Park one of its top ten in the minors. And, while I’ve tried to keep it a secret all these years, Erie is actually where I was born. Again, I think the teams are mislabeled here – a ‘sea wolf’ is actually a pirate, isn’t it? And what in God’s name is a Curve (other than a pitch Barry Zito throws half the time)? We’ll find out on May 10th when we visit Altoona.