Future Baseball Tourism Ideas
Somewhat staggeringly, it's been 4.5 years since I finished the baseball stadium tour. Since then, one new MLB stadium has opened in Texas, as the Rangers now compete in the new Global Life Field. However, it opened during the pandemic so I have not been to visit it yet.
Beyond that, I've been considering what other baseball related tourism I might want to do. Broadly speaking, these would fall into two categories:
- Going to a new park somewhere.
- Going to a non-game related tourism.
I have ample precedent for both. Obviously, I've been to 35 MLB parks over the years, and a pretty substantial list of minor league parks. On the museum side, late in 2017 I visited both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Little League Museum on a short road trip with my friend Szabo. Before that I went to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum when I was in KC to see the Royals. I had a great time at all three of them. I also enjoyed the Louisville Slugger Museum when I went. Clearly, I am the target market for baseball related tourism.
So, what other things might I consider seeing? I've been thinking about it and here's a list of ideas I've considered:
Park Related Ideas
- When they originally announced that MLB would be playing at Field of Dreams in 2020, I was very interested in going. Covid pushed it to 2021. They are doing it again in the future, and I really want to go.
- In general, I don't have any desire to hit all the Minor League parks just because they're there. However, I absolutely want to go to the Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks some day. They play it late at "night" on the summer solstice.
As far as other minor league parks, I'd certainly work one into a trip if I could, but I'm not sure that there are any minor league parks that I would travel specifically to visit. I guess I might go to Cape Cod specifically for the Cape Cod League.
- MLB has occasionally started the season in Japan, most recently in 2019 when Ichiro had his swan song there. The A's happened to play in that game and have played in some of those other Japan openers as well. In 2019 I gave serious consideration to going but didn't quite feel I could afford it. Going to a MLB game in Japan would be a lot of fun. For that matter, so would attending a NPB game. I wouldn't go to Japan just for baseball, but I'd sure try to add baseball into a trip.
- Also on the international front, I would like to go to a winter league game in Estadio Quisqueya in the Dominican Republic. A number of baseball people have said that going to a game there is like a huge party all the time, and Kevin Goldstein talks about how that place has a mystique most MLB parks lack.
- On the not quite international front, I also would be very interested in going to a game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico. The Tribe actually played a MLB game there in 2018 and the environment looked like fun. Whether it was another MLB game or the Puerto Rican winter league, I kind of want to experience it.
- There are many other international leagues, including a great many winter leagues in Latin America that would be appealing to visit in December. Outside of the DR and PR, I'm not sure there are any that I would travel to just to see baseball, but baseball might be one part of the reason to visit, like the Mexican Pacific League. Certainly, if I ever got to Havana I'd try to go to a game at Estadio Latinoamericano.
- You probably wouldn't have to talk too hard to get me to go Lamade Stadium to watch the Little League World Series. Ditto for one of the Hall of Fame related games at Doubleday Field.
Non-Game Related Tourism
- I learned about the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum when I went to the All-Star Expo in 2019, but although it says it is in San Francisco as far as I can tell it's only virtual. If that changes, I'd be in.
There are actually a large number of other baseball hall of fames, none of which particularly interest me. Well, that's not quite correct. The Baseball Reliquary is part of Whittier College in L.A. and is just my kind of weird.
- One day I'll go to Induction weekend at Cooperstown. I wish I'd gone when Rickey Henderson was inducted. Oh well.
- Super close to home, I still have not been to tour League Park and its Baseball Heritage Museum. Awkward!
- Would I go to Texas just to tour a baseball glove factory? No, but if I was in Texas anyway... And I need to get to the new Rangers park, which is close enough.
- There is a Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore. Wish I'd known that when I was there. There's also a Hank Aaron Museum in Mobile, but I don't have much reason to go to Mobile. Heck, while we're at it there's a whole wiki category of baseball museums, none of which would entice me to travel solely for that reason.
Beyond that, I've been considering what other baseball related tourism I might want to do. Broadly speaking, these would fall into two categories:
- Going to a new park somewhere.
- Going to a non-game related tourism.
I have ample precedent for both. Obviously, I've been to 35 MLB parks over the years, and a pretty substantial list of minor league parks. On the museum side, late in 2017 I visited both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Little League Museum on a short road trip with my friend Szabo. Before that I went to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum when I was in KC to see the Royals. I had a great time at all three of them. I also enjoyed the Louisville Slugger Museum when I went. Clearly, I am the target market for baseball related tourism.
So, what other things might I consider seeing? I've been thinking about it and here's a list of ideas I've considered:
Park Related Ideas
- When they originally announced that MLB would be playing at Field of Dreams in 2020, I was very interested in going. Covid pushed it to 2021. They are doing it again in the future, and I really want to go.
- In general, I don't have any desire to hit all the Minor League parks just because they're there. However, I absolutely want to go to the Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks some day. They play it late at "night" on the summer solstice.
As far as other minor league parks, I'd certainly work one into a trip if I could, but I'm not sure that there are any minor league parks that I would travel specifically to visit. I guess I might go to Cape Cod specifically for the Cape Cod League.
- MLB has occasionally started the season in Japan, most recently in 2019 when Ichiro had his swan song there. The A's happened to play in that game and have played in some of those other Japan openers as well. In 2019 I gave serious consideration to going but didn't quite feel I could afford it. Going to a MLB game in Japan would be a lot of fun. For that matter, so would attending a NPB game. I wouldn't go to Japan just for baseball, but I'd sure try to add baseball into a trip.
- Also on the international front, I would like to go to a winter league game in Estadio Quisqueya in the Dominican Republic. A number of baseball people have said that going to a game there is like a huge party all the time, and Kevin Goldstein talks about how that place has a mystique most MLB parks lack.
- On the not quite international front, I also would be very interested in going to a game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico. The Tribe actually played a MLB game there in 2018 and the environment looked like fun. Whether it was another MLB game or the Puerto Rican winter league, I kind of want to experience it.
- There are many other international leagues, including a great many winter leagues in Latin America that would be appealing to visit in December. Outside of the DR and PR, I'm not sure there are any that I would travel to just to see baseball, but baseball might be one part of the reason to visit, like the Mexican Pacific League. Certainly, if I ever got to Havana I'd try to go to a game at Estadio Latinoamericano.
- You probably wouldn't have to talk too hard to get me to go Lamade Stadium to watch the Little League World Series. Ditto for one of the Hall of Fame related games at Doubleday Field.
Non-Game Related Tourism
- I learned about the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum when I went to the All-Star Expo in 2019, but although it says it is in San Francisco as far as I can tell it's only virtual. If that changes, I'd be in.
There are actually a large number of other baseball hall of fames, none of which particularly interest me. Well, that's not quite correct. The Baseball Reliquary is part of Whittier College in L.A. and is just my kind of weird.
- One day I'll go to Induction weekend at Cooperstown. I wish I'd gone when Rickey Henderson was inducted. Oh well.
- Super close to home, I still have not been to tour League Park and its Baseball Heritage Museum. Awkward!
- Would I go to Texas just to tour a baseball glove factory? No, but if I was in Texas anyway... And I need to get to the new Rangers park, which is close enough.
- There is a Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore. Wish I'd known that when I was there. There's also a Hank Aaron Museum in Mobile, but I don't have much reason to go to Mobile. Heck, while we're at it there's a whole wiki category of baseball museums, none of which would entice me to travel solely for that reason.