Twenty-Twelve, v.2

When Melvin and I began to flesh out our second trip of the year, beginning later this month, we found a scheduling error.  Melvin juggled the dates around and with a little effort got the teams' schedules to re-align.  I have added a mid-August trip to my plans and continue to look for a traveling companion to the inaugural season of Marlins Park.

The re-jiggered June/July itinerary will add a couple hundred miles of driving, which is easier to swallow if thought of as a mere ten percent increase.  On the upside, Watson will join us through Nashville.  The revised schedule, home team first as Melvin prefers, is:

Wed., June 27 — Chicago Cubs | New York Mets, 1:20
June 28 — off day in Chicago
June 29 — Indianapolis Indians | Toledo Mudhens, 7:15
June 30 — Bowling Green Hot Rods | Lansing Lugnuts, 7:05
July 1 — Nashville Sounds | Iowa Cubs, 6:35
July 2 — Jackson Generals | Montgomery Biscuits, 7:05
July 3 — Arkansas Travelers | Frisco Roughriders, 7:10
July 4 — Springfield Cardinals | Midland Rockhounds, tbd
July 5 — Tulsa Drillers | San Antonio Missions, 7:05
July 6 — Northwest Arkansas Naturals | Corpus Christi Hooks, 7:00
July 7 — Memphis Redbirds | Nashville Sounds, 6:05
Sunday, July 8 — St. Louis Cardinals | Florida Marlins, 1:15

Here's one measure of how many ballparks Melvin and I have visited in the past ten years of road-trips: Of these 11 match-ups, we have already seen nine of the visiting teams at home.  The Lugnuts and Marlins are the exceptions.  If everything goes as planned, we can claim at the end of the trip to have seen the entire Texas League.

My short trip to Connecticut and Massachusetts in August will consist equally of teams Melvin and I have seen and a couple new stadiums.  There is a bit of a twist to several of the games, about which I am not saying more for now.  The trip is also an opportunity to see some family and friends.

I haven't been able to find a companion for a long Labor Day weekend visit to the Marlins' new stadium and five Florida State League teams.  As much as a sales aid as anything else, I have listed the itinerary:

Tuesday, August 28 — Miami Marlins | Washington Nationals, 7:10
Aug. 29 — Charlotte Stone Crabs | Palm Beach Cardinals, 6:30
Aug. 30 — Fort Myers Miracle | Charlotte Stone Crabs, 7:05
Aug. 31 — Port St. Lucie Mets | Brevard County Manatees, 6:30
Sept. 1 — Palm Beach Cardinals, Jupiter Hammerheads, 6:35
Sunday, Sept. 2 — Miami Marlins | New York Mets, 1:10

How is that five FSL teams, you might (but probably never thought or cared to) ask.   The Cardinals and Hammerheads share a stadium, which I think is unique in all of affiliated baseball.  The birds will bat last on September 1 but since both teams are playing at their home field, I plan to check both off the list if this trip comes together.  Tuesday and Sunday are alternatives, or not.

Melvin and I will continue to see our home town Cubs and Mets.  Other possibilities may pop up.  Those are the plans for now.