Great American Baseball Adventure, Week 12: June 21st-27th, 2010

It's been all fun and games on GABA 2010 so far, but that's about to change. Well, not really... we will still be watching games and having fun; we're just going to put insane miles on the car in between those games. Hit the road, jack... we're racking up the miles in Week 12:

Monday, June 21st:
Travel day. And boy, are we gonna need it. The big trip west is looming, and our next ten games are in ten different states.


Tuesday, June 22nd:
Montgomery, AL (91 miles from Birmingham)
Montgomery Biscuits (AA Rays) vs. West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA Mariners)

No, the miles of travel and days in the sun aren’t playing tricks on our minds; the mascot in Montgomery really is a buttermilk biscuit. In fact, biscuits are shot from an air cannon into the stands during games (much like Lambert’s in Foley!). The stadium’s built into an old train station, and the Rays are a prospect-producing factory. So at least Montgomery has the baseball experience going for it.


Wednesday, June 23rd:
New Orleans, LA (311 miles from Montgomery)
New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA Marlins) vs. Oklahoma City RedHawks (AAA Rangers)

The longest distance between cities so far (but nowhere near the distances we’re about to travel out west). Muffulettas, po’ boys and jambalaya are all on the ballpark menu, and there’s a swimming pool to cool us off and two hot tubs to warm us up. Plus, I can’t imagine what else there is to do in The Big Easy after the game. With all these distractions, it’s easy to forget you’re watching Marlins prospects. Is there such a thing?


Thursday, June 24th:
Pearl, MS (189 miles from New Orleans)
Mississippi Braves (AA Braves) vs. Mobile BayBears (AA D’Backs)

From the sinful decadence of New Orleans, we head to Mississippi, a state that repealed prohibition 30 years after the rest of the country. Fortunately, the beer flows at Trustmark Park, even in the Farm Bureau Grill restaurant. And I’m sure Jeff Francoeur will be there, working on his swing… oh wait, he’s with the Mets now. Scratch that.


Friday, June 25th:
Memphis, TN (213 miles from Pearl)
Memphis Redbirds (AAA Cardinals) vs. Nashville Sounds (AAA Brewers)

Two Tennessee teams tangle in a Pacific Coast League showdown! ‘Cause when I wanna grab my sandals and board shorts and head for the coast, Memphis is the first place that comes to my mind… Seriously, though, this is a cornerstone game of the trip. My wife’s a lifelong Cardinal fan, and our first baseball game together was at this park back in 2000. The only minor league stadium I’ve seen that can rival AutoZone Park is Dell Diamond in Round Rock. It’ll be a nice stroll down memory lane, walking in Memphis…


Saturday, June 26th:
Little Rock, AR (136 miles from Memphis)
Arkansas Travelers (AA Angels) vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA Royals)

Another intra-state rivalry in my wife’s hometown, so with family, I’m thinking we’ll need 4,000 tickets to this one. The Travs have a speed-eater’s dream, a 90-minute All-You-Can-Eat Picnic. We’re talking admission, burgers and dogs, beans, chips, popcorn, and soda for $13.50 a person. I’ll have a doctor on standby to check vitals as I gorge.


Sunday, June 27th:
Springfield, MO (215 miles from Little Rock)
Springfield Cardinals (AA Cardinals) vs. Tulsa Drillers (AA Rockies)

It’s funny, I could swear Springfield’s team was named the Isotopes. Hammons Field was actually built before the Cards came to town, which means Missouri State had one helluva baseball facility all to itself for a season. My wife will smile and soak in another batch of Cardinal prospects… and I’ll spend the whole time humming the theme to The Simpsons.