Welcome to the first leg of the Ultimate Baseball Roadtrip. This leg takes us to the first seven stadiums and covers 2,809 miles in 21 days. It starts on Opening Day in Houston, then goes to Tampa and Miami. After that, we head north to Atlanta and Cincinnati. Since the Indians are out of town, at this time, we head over to Pittsburgh, then back to Cleveland to finish the first leg.
March 26: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX (0 miles, 0 total miles)
The first stop is Opening Day in Houston to see the Astros host the Angels. The Astros are lucky to be starting the season at home after being busted for one of the worst cheating scandals the sport has ever seen. This will be the only time during the trip that we see the Astros, so we will not see any opposing reactions. The Astros have played at Minute Maid Park since 2000 and drew 2,857,367 fans last season.
Embed from Getty ImagesMinute Maid Park boasts a fully retractable roof, giving it the largest opening of any roofed stadium in use in the Major Leagues. Since the ballpark was built where Union Station used to be, there is a replica 1862 locomotive that moves down the track every time an Astro hits a home run.
March 30: Tropicana Field in Tampa, FL (1,001 miles, 1,001 miles total)
The Yankees are down in Tampa to take on the Rays in a matchup of two playoff teams from last season. The Rays are hoping to increase their attendance. They drew an AL low of 1,718,735 fans, including 19 games where they drew fewer than 10,000. This from a 96-win, playoff-bound team. The good news for this game is that the Yankees brought in more than 20,000 fans in eight of their nine games at the Trop last season. The Rays have played in this dome since they came into the league in 1998.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Rays Touch Experience is located just beyond the right field fence and gives fans an up-close and personal experience with crowns and southern stingrays. Also, be sure to check out the Ted Williams Museum in Center Field Street while you are there. Both of these are free to fans who are attending the game.
April 1: Marlins Park in Miami, FL (264 miles, 1,265 miles total)
The World Series Champion Nationals travel to Miami to face the Marlins on April Fool’s Day. The Marlins finished with the worst record in the National League. This would explain their horrible attendance figures. They only topped 15,000 fans seven times, while they drew fewer than 7,000 fifteen times. Somehow, the 811,302 that did show up was more than they had in 2018. Maybe having the World Champs in town will bring in a few more fans. The Marlins opened their ballpark in 2012.
Embed from Getty ImagesMarlins Park is a retractable roof stadium, which helps with 62 inches of annual rainfall that Miami experiences. The home plate backstop consists of two saltwater fish tanks. Billy’s Kids Zone features a bobblehead museum that is in a structure that moves slightly to keep all of the bobbleheads bobbling.
April 4: Truist Park in Atlanta, GA (674 miles, 1,939 miles total)
We did not get enough of the Marlins, so we are going to follow them up to Atlanta. The Braves are still stinging from their exit at the hands of the Cardinals in the NLDS. It was the second consecutive year that they won the division and got bounced in the Divisional Series. The Braves are starting their fourth season at Truist (formerly SunTrust) Park.
Embed from Getty ImagesTruist Park is a part of the Battery Atlanta, a sports and entertainment experience. Inside the park, you can march to the beat of the Heavy Hitters, the Braves’ own drumline. Or you can watch the ATL Breakers dance troupe. And, of course, there are many tributes to the history of the franchise throughout the park, including Monument Garden and Hank Aaron Terrace.
April 7: Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH (449 miles, 2,388 miles total)
The next stop on the first leg of our trip is Cincinnati, where the Reds host the Brewers in an early-season matchup. The Reds moved into Great American Ballpark in 2003, but they have only managed three seasons there with a winning record. Even though they suffered their sixth straight season finishing 14 or more games out of first, they managed to draw 1,808,685 fans.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Reds Hall of Fame is a can’t miss for any baseball fan. Its exhibits cover the 150+ year history of the franchise, including the story of the 1869 Red Stockings. The Machine Room Grille is a nod to the Big Red Machine that dominated the early 1970s and has a blue-collar feel that the team in that era had.
April 9: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA (288 miles, 2,676 miles total)
This is one of the times where we will not take the most efficient route due to the schedule. Instead, we skip Cleveland for now and head to the Steel City. This game features a division rival as the Cubs travel to Pittsburgh. The Pirates have been playing at PNC Park since the 2001 season and have only failed to draw more than 1,500,000 fans in the last two seasons.
Embed from Getty ImagesPNC Park offers a spectacular view of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline and the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Outside the stadium, you can find statues of Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Bill Mazeroski. Inside, you will find historical highlights on the way up or down the ramps to the seating levels.
April 16: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH (133 miles, 2809 miles total)
The Indians welcome the Tigers to Progressive Field, the oldest park on the first leg of our trip. Before they moved there in 1994, Cleveland had finished fourth or worst for 25 consecutive years. They place first or second in the first eight seasons in their new ballpark. The Indians drew 1,738,642 fans last season even though they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Embed from Getty ImagesNo trip to Progressive Field would be complete without a visit to Heritage Park. There you will find monuments honoring the great players and moments in Indian baseball history. The Right Field District offers great food, great drinks, and a great view of Cleveland.
Stay tuned for the second leg of the Ultimate Baseball Roadtrip.