Week of Baseball 2016

Seemingly once a year, baseball events coincide for a week of extraordinary circumstances. In 2014, it was a combination of a San Diego trip, a day-night doubleheader for Inland Empire and Anaheim, and finishing off with separate road trips up to Adelanto and Lancaster. Last year, it was San Diego, Inland Empire and Rancho Cucamonga. This year, it sort of snuck up on me unexpectedly as I looked at the schedule and saw a lineup that really made things interesting.

My 2016 Week of Baseball will start off just after the Fourth of July. I'm driving up to Oregon for the holiday to spend some time with family. On my way down, I'm going to try and make it to a game in Fresno. If traffic is bad or a I get a late start, I settle for a game in Stockton instead. I haven't been to either of these ballparks since 2008, which I was first getting going on Baseball Road Trips. While I really enjoyed both of those parks when I went back then, I'm looking forward to seeing them again now that I have this incredible experience and wisdom. A lot has happened in the eight years since then, so making a return to either one will be exciting. I'm shooting for Fresno because I haven't been to a Triple-A game in three years, I go to a ton of California League games as is, and the Fresno ballpark is so nice and has a great atmosphere. I probably won't make a decision on where to go until literally that day, so I'll be sure to keep all of you informed.

Two days later, I'll be going to, what I thought would be, a normal Thursday night Inland Empire game. Upon further investigation, I learned that this particular game will mark the 400th professional game I will have attended since keeping track in 2006. Yes, you read that correctly. 400 professional games since 2006. I would like to do something special to commemorate the occasion, but I'm not really sure yet. For my 300th game, I was on a Baseball Road Trip at the time to Anaheim, so just being on the road was special enough. For 200, I was, at the time, local at PK Park in Eugene. And my 100th was at the old Civic Stadium in Eugene. Since those were both local and I was working for the Emeralds at the time, I didn't do anything. Still, for this milestone, I should do something fun and memorable. I do have a twelve-hour car ride up to Oregon to think about it, so I'll let you all know. 

Another two days after that will see me make another trip up the Cajon Pass to Adelanto for High Desert Road Trip 3. This will mark my fifth game up in the High Desert this season. I'm still trying to squeeze out as many visits there as I can. Unlike my home team 66ers, the Mavericks are pretty good and have already clinched a playoff spot by winning the First Half of the California League season. This means that they will host some postseason games, thus allowing me the opportunity to see a final few games there at the end of the season. 

Finally, to end the Week of Baseball 2016, I'll wake up that Sunday morning and drive down to San Diego. However, unlike past visits to San Diego, this one will be extra special as I will be attending the MLB Futures Game at Petco Park. As part of the All-Star Game festivities there, which conclude on Tuesday with the All-Star Game itself, the MLB Futures game pits the best Minor League talent in all of professional baseball in a game between the best American-born players (Team USA) and the best foreign players (Team World). While I would have loved to have scored tickets to the actual All-Star Game at Petco that Tuesday (tickets are running upwards of $250 a pop, by the way), this is a better-than-fine consolation. I've always heard that this game is very entertaining and essentially holds the same competitive weight as the bigger All-Star Game does a few days later. I've been to Minor League All-Star Games before, but nothing like this where literally ALL the best talent is playing in the same game. The tickets are way cheaper, too. As an added bonus, after the Futures Game is the Celebrity Softball Game, which should be interesting, to say the least.

The Week of Baseball officially starts next Tuesday. The seven days should be a whirlwind of activity and experiences. I'm so looking forward to having all of you come along with this journey. Be sure to follow all my social media platforms for updates!

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)