This Year's Model

Ah, spring, when a young man's fancy turns to getting the slush off his galoshes--if you know what I mean, and if you do, you're ahead of me.

We're hard at work lining up this year's Byways tours. Unlike the last couple years, we're trying for somewhat more manageable itineraries this time around. Here's just a quick list of some of the teams that are on the agenda this year.

• April 7: Washington Nationals
• April 8: Montgomery Biscuits
• April 9: Mississippi Braves
• April 10: New Orleans Zephyrs
• April 14: Mobile Bay Bears (Hank Aaron Night!)

• May 27: Chicago Cubs

• July 22: Altoona Curve or Pittsburgh Pirates
• July 23: Lake County Captains
• July 24: Cleveland Indians
• July 25: Mahoning Valley Scrappers
• July 26: Akron Aeros

• July 27: Milwaukee Brewers
• August 1: Great Lakes Loons

We might be able to squeeze in some other Illinois teams and, with a little luck, the first year of Target Field in Minneapolis. My cohort almost certainly has other New York area games in mind, too.

If 2007 was the year of the homophobe, 2008 the year of the Lone Star, and 2009 the year of too much freakin' mileage, what's the theme here? Places that are in economic peril? Is there a team in Flint we don't know about?

(Map borrowed from here.)