Last June, my family and I completed our seven-year journey to see all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums up in Seattle, Washington. For me, it was the realization of a dream I developed thanks to my love for the Baltimore Orioles, and it was satisfying to be able to look back and see how far we had gone together as a family. However, despite the happiness seeing our 30th stadium brought, it also created extreme sadness for me. Something I worked so hard for and constantly dreamed about was suddenly over. Heading into my senior year about to graduate, this all piled up and made it seem like so many things I loved were coming to an end.
For the first time in seven years, I had no road trip to plan. In years prior, the minute the upcoming season’s MLB schedule came out I would begin sifting through routes and possibilities for where to go next, but now there seemed to be none of that for me to do. With 30 stadiums in the rear-view mirror, my mom and I sat together to talk about where we could go during the summer to enjoy as a family after a stressful few months filled with college decisions and graduation and before I went off to college. One place that stood out was Nashville, Tennessee, a city I adored from afar thanks to the ABC TV show Nashville and a growing love for country music. We had driven through there a couple times on other road trips, but it was always as a quick stop or pass through on the way to other cities, so we had never gotten to really know the city.
Of course, as soon as Nashville became a possibility, I immediately began searching for how we could drive there and what we could see along the way. For a long time I had been wanting to see the Frisco Roughriders, a AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers, because they have a lazy river in their stadium and it’s always a well talked about ballpark, so I was happy to see that we could make a stop there on the way to Nashville. From there, my mind began racing as I quickly noticed how many minor league teams sat along the route we would have to take from San Antonio to Nashville. Beyond that, a staple from our road trips is never coming back the same way we went, so I played around on Google maps and saw that a loop around the Gulf Coast states could lead us to a plethora of minor league ballparks. I pulled up every possible team schedule in cities we might go through and did the difficult but enjoyable process of combing through when teams are at home at times we could be there on our plausible time line. Before I knew it, a baseball road trip was suddenly in the works, but this time to minor league stadiums with a mix of country music in between.
My mom, my brother Adrian and I left on July 10th, and 12 days later we had seen eight minor league stadiums across eight states. On top of that, we did so many other incredible things. We toured the Nokona Glove Factory, which is the only remaining baseball glove factory in America. When not on a baseball diamond, we went diamond digging in Murfreesboro, Arkansas before taking warm baths in Hot Springs National Park, which also once upon a time was the birthplace of Spring Training baseball, something we didn’t know until learning that Hot Springs was the preferred destination of many baseball icons such as Babe Ruth and Dizzie Dean. And of course, in Nashville, the Country Music Capital, we toured the Country Music Hall of Fame and even saw a concert at the historic Blue Bird Cafe after waiting in line for three hours.
Once again, my love for the road was revived, and unlike my sadness from the previous year, I knew that no matter what, our road trips would never truly end as long as we have baseball and a car.
Here is a snapshot of each stadium we were lucky enough to see games in.
Dr. Pepper Ballpark, Frisco, Texas: Home of the Frisco Roughriders, Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers
There is no better combination for me than Dr. Pepper, baseball and Teddy Roosevelt. Somehow, the Roughriders have all three things, plus a lazy river in right field! It doesn’t get any better than that. Dr. Pepper Ballpark is located in a beautiful suburb of Dallas surrounded by apartment buildings and a nice neighborhood with plenty to do and see. The lazy river is something you have to see to believe, but not only is it amazing to see, it’s accessible to more than just special groups, as fans can buy single game tickets there on Sundays. As you walk around, it’s hard to remember there is still baseball going on, as there’s just so much for the whole family. I absolutely loved this ballpark!
Autozone Park, Memphis, Tennessee: Home of the Memphis Redbirds, Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals
Located in the heart of downtown Memphis, Autozone Park has the ideal location in my opinion, with hotels, restaurants and the iconic Beale Street just steps away. Because of its location there are also great views of the Memphis skyline once inside the ballpark. Unfortunately, the sparse Friday night crowd was very quiet and seemed uninterested in the game. Hopefully that’s because the Redbirds are struggling and not because the city doesn’t support the team, which would be a shame with this great ballpark. Highlights of the night were getting a hold of a foul ball hit by Kramer Robertson, catching up with an old friend and eating some delicious Rendezvous BBQ nachos in a city famous for its barbecue.
First Tennessee Park, Nashville, Tennessee: Home of the Nashville Sounds, Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers
Where can you even begin? This ballpark, which opened just four years ago, is an absolute gem. At every turn, there’s something to do or see. In the right field “Band Box,” there’s a bar that on Saturday night was absolutely packed with young people. Behind the bar is a nine hole mini-golf course. You heard me, mini-golf at a baseball stadium, and that’s not all. Corn hole, giant jenga, shuffleboard, ping-pong tables and giant connect four made it seem like the world’s best tailgate, all in right field of a AAA ballpark. It was unbelievable to see the multitude of people, especially millennials, enjoying their time at the ballpark. That is what baseball, especially MLB, should strive for as its attendance plummets around the league. Another amazing aspect of this stadium is the giant guitar-shaped scoreboard, paying homage to the city’s love for music, and in a fun copy of the Presidents Race in Washington, Country legends Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton , Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley race as giant mascots to the delight of the crowd. From what I’ve seen thus far, this should be the envy of every minor league team, and even some major league teams.
State Mutual Park, Rome, Georgia: Home of the Rome Braves, Class-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
We didn’t know what to expect at our first Class A game, but we were in for a treat. The crowd was so into the game, which included two bench-clearing brawls. It felt like the whole town gathered around to support their Braves. Doing the Tomahawk Chop is always a fun time, and we got to spend all night with family as well as meet some friends from Ballpark Chasers. All in all, this might have been the most pure fun we’ve ever had at a game in such a homey atmosphere.
Coolray Field, Gwinnett, Georgia: Home of the Gwinnett Stripers, Triple-A affiliate of the Atlants Braves.
On a day when we needed to find something to fill in the time before our swing through Alabama, another game popped up on our radar that we didn’t expect. It was a very quiet night with a mostly empty stadium, but we got to see some real major league talent with Ender Inciarte, Adam Duvall and Kyle Wright playing for the Stripers and Logan Morrison playing with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. “Wet Nose Wednesday” allowed us to see some adorable dogs in right field, where just beyond the fence is an apartment complex that has a pool that faces the field so you don’t even have to pay to get in the ballpark. It’s a very clean and nice stadium, but nothing too special.
Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium, Montgomery, Alabama: Home of the Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays
Now this is a game we were all ecstatic about. How can you not love a team called the Biscuits? Upon entry there is, yes, a biscuit stand. We couldn’t help but try a strawberry shortcake biscuit and biscuits & gravy to feel right at home. During the game we got to ride a choo-choo train around the entire outfield, which was super fun and a great way to see the stadium. To keep up with the name, they even do a biscuit toss from the dugout. The ballpark itself is nice, with a cool feature being that an entire side of the stadium is an old train station that they built the stadium around. All in all, it was a very fun night.
Trustmark Park, Pearl, Mississippi: Home of the Mississippi Braves, Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
In our third game at a Braves affiliate, we had a great night with some friends from Jackson. There was a big crowd that made the game fairly lively, especially when it was time for the Tomahawk Chop. There’s a great mural of the great Braves who have played here, and just beyond that was an absolutely stunning sunset that we thoroughly enjoyed. The ballpark was very open, as you could see the game from wherever you walked on the concourse which was nice since we walked a lot. We had such a great time that you could barely even feel the Jackson humidity!
Shrine on Airline, Metairie, Louisiana: Home of the New Orleans Baby Cakes, Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins
This was another unplanned stop on the way back to San Antonio after learning that the team would be moving after this season to Wichita, Kansas. It’s clear why, as the stadium is pretty rundown, there was a minuscule crowd and there was only one concession store open. Despite all this, we enjoyed getting in one last game seeing a team with a truly incredible name that matches the city perfectly. We also got to see Carlos Correa rehabbing with the visiting Round Rock Express and a no-hitter into the 7th inning, plus I also caught a bead thrown from the dugout Mardi Gras style during the 7th inning stretch. Hopefully the city can find a replacement for the Baby Cakes soon!
Very nicely written!
Thank you, and thank you for reading!