Great American Baseball Adventure, Week 11: June 14th-20th, 2010

Some unfinished business in Florida, food-gorging heaven on the Alabama coast (YES, there is actually coastline in Alabama), and Brett Favre's indecision crosses inter-sport lines. The GABA's in full swing with Week 11:


Monday, June 14th:
Jupiter, FL (111 miles from Viera)
Jupiter Hammerheads (A Marlins) vs. Charlotte Stone Crabs (A Rays)

Remember chase scenes from old cartoons, where the backdrop would start repeating itself? The Great American Baseball Adventure reaches that point on June 14th, when we visit Roger Dean Stadium… for the second time. The Hammerheads share the stadium with the Palm Beach Cardinals (June 8th). Now, if I see a sign near Jupiter that says ‘end of technicolor’, I’ll really get scared.


Tuesday, June 15th:
Miami Gardens, FL (75 miles from Jupiter)
Florida Marlins vs. Texas Rangers

Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Land Shark/Dorothy Zbornak-Rose Nylund Stadium has seen two World Series titles, but in between, it’s seen some of the worst baseball played this side of Nationals Park. It’s also a football stadium first, which is why it looks perpetually empty on TV (even when 50,000 show up, most of the outfield seating is closed). That doesn’t mean we won’t have fun playing games like ‘Spot the Native Floridian’ or ‘Guess Which Marlin Will Get Traded By The 6th Inning’.


Wednesday, June 16th:
Fort Myers, FL (145 miles from Miami Gardens)
Fort Myers Miracle (A Twins) vs. Palm Beach Cardinals (A Cardinals)

The ‘miracle’ here is that we haven’t passed out after 13 games in the Florida summer sun. Hammond Stadium is the Twins’ spring training home, and happens to be across the street from a ‘Citrus Center’ with the best orange ice cream I’ve ever had. But I digress. This game will be delayed for at least an hour while the two teams argue over which team’s home city has more palm trees.


Thursday, June 17th:
Bradenton, FL (89 miles from Fort Myers)
Bradenton TBA (A Pirates) vs. Jupiter Hammerheads (A Marlins)

Here’s a first – and only – on the 2010 GABA… seeing a brand new team! The Bradenton team was the Sarasota Reds before Cincy got all trendy and bolted for Arizona (how long before the Grapefruit league is just the Rays and Marlins playing each other over and over?). So the Pirates took over and moved the team a whopping 13 miles south to their spring home. Bradenton’s team is so new, it doesn’t even have a name yet. How catchy would the ‘Bradenton GABA’ sound? Ok, ok, moving on…


Friday, June 18th:
Clearwater, FL (45 miles from Bradenton)
Clearwater Threshers (A Phillies) vs. Tampa Yankees (A Yankees)

Get your fill of seafood, early bird specials and overpriced drinks… it’s our last night in Florida. By the way, a thresher is a type of shark. Or a machine that separates a grain stalk’s head from the straw. Since all farms in Clearwater are now condos with Spanish roofs, I’m going with the shark. I’m also predicting our first brawl here as lingering World Series tensions spill over into the minors.


Saturday, June 19th:
Mobile, AL (538 miles from Clearwater)
Mobile BayBears (AA D’Backs) vs. Tennessee Smokies (AA Cubs)

Two things will be on my mind as we pull into the Heart of Dixie. Lambert’s Café, the greatest restaurant in the known world, has a location in Foley. And Hank Aaron Stadium has luxury suites at field level, an incredibly original, novel idea that I’m shocked more teams don’t try. Not that we’ll have money for a suite after two and a half months on the road.


Sunday, June 20th:
Birmingham, AL (259 miles from Mobile)
Birmingham Barons (AA White Sox) vs. Jacksonville Suns (AA Marlins)

We’re a few weeks late for the Rickwood Classic, a AA-regulation game played in throwback jerseys at 100-year-old Rickwood Field on Birmingham’s West End. The annual game is June 2nd, and it’s a shame I couldn’t make the schedule work to get there. The Barons had Michael Jordan for a season, so maybe Brett Favre can don the Barons’ doubleknits while deciding if he’s coming back for a 316th NFL season.