TomahawkTake.com graphic.
A year ago, we introduced the Great Ballpark Traversal for the 2016 season. It’s a little trickier, but there’s still a way to see all 30 major league ballparks in 2017.
If you’re a true baseball fan, one of the things on your bucket list is certainly the idea of watching a major league baseball game in all 30 ballparks… ideally in 30 days.
For Atlanta Braves‘ fans, we’d definitely like to add the newest field in 2017: SunTrust Park.
We put together a monster list in this pages in 2016. I won’t subject you to all of the detail from that effort (which included some hotel ideas, cost estimates, some stadium and parking information), but we do have a plan to get the job done in 2017.
Complicating Factors in 2017
The schedule is the number one enemy in putting this together, and geography is the schedule’s evil twin.
Sure, if you have unlimited funds and resources, you can choose to use airlines and eliminate the concerns of time and distance when driving from place to place… and even overcome issues with possible rainouts.
That said, most of us live in the real world… a place in which we have to worry about costs and practical barriers… such as driving across the entire country and back. So this schedule is being developed with a serious nod to being practical; i.e., something that actually could be executed by a group of 4-6 people on a mission to get it done.
Still, when putting this together there are geographic realities to consider.
Fortunately, everything else can be fudged into place.
But… the Schedule!
Yeah, that was a problem this time. There was just no way to put it all together in the 32 days that worked out so well in 2016. So this time… two parts.
Maybe that will keep maintain a chance for a car full of friends to remain friends for the full 30 games.
So let’s see how this comes together… you’ll get started on June 19th, 2017.
Nov 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the marquee after game seven of the 2016 World Series against the Cleveland Indians outside of Wrigley Field. Cubs won 8-7. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Part 1 – the Eastern Swing
17 games in seventeen days. The driving is actually relatively compact… but don’t forget to bring your passport.
The Marlins host the Washington Nationals to open this escapade. If you want to sneak in an extra game by starting in Atlanta, the Braves will be hosting these Marlins on Sunday the 18th.
Inter-league play today with the Cincinnati Reds coming to Florida.
The San Francisco Giants are in Atlanta for their first look at SunTrust Park as Summer began early in the wee hours of this morning.
Get your red gear on as the Cardinals visit the Phillies
Speaking of traveling long distances… the Angels will be in to start their only trip to Boston.
The Texas Rangers will be in Yankee Stadium on this day. It would have been nice to pick up the Mets on this weekend as well, but they left town before this traversal started… and won’t be back for a while.
Our second look at the Cincinnati club already… and certainly not the last. Still more ‘red’.
Let’s follow the Rangers, too, it seems. They will join you in Cleveland after leaving the Yankees.
The Kansas City Royals will be in Detroit this date for a divisional tilt.
A different divisional lash-up here as we venture into Canada across the Great Lakes.
Back into the USA, the Pirates will be hosting the Tampa Bay Rays.
Okay, the Mets are finally back in town… they get the phightin’ Phillies.
A third look already at the Rays in one of my favorite venues.
The Reds (again) will host the the World Champion Cubs in this weekend set.
The Cardinals will play host to the Nationals.
A great place to spend the 4th of July. But believe it or not, it’s the Rays again for a fourth time in this initial segment.
The seventeenth game on the seventeenth day is here in Milwaukee against the Baltimore Orioles as we suddenly have a spate of inter-league games. After this… drive home and rest up for a week and a half.
Part of the fun in doing this is that there are certain parts of the season in which a ballpark traversal is just not possible.
During the first couple weeks of the season, the schedule makers want to get everyone their home openers, plus add off-days to insure rainouts can be accommodated.
The All-Star break is a natural barrier for similar reasons as teams are usually having short trips and homestands on both sides of the break. Also, September tends to be a problematic month.
All of that means there are only a few windows of opportunity to schedule a trip like this… and it just didn’t work out well for 2017… so we’ll split it up.
Feb 6, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Scenic view of the Golden Gate bridge prior to Super Bowl 50. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s Go West!
Thirteen games in thirteen stadiums remain… and since this is the looong driving part, that’s a good thing.
Still, some of these games have longer trips than I’d have liked to see, but once again, it’s the schedule that forces the issues.
Immediately out of the All-Star Break, we launch into phase 2. The Minnesota Twins will be in Houston to crack open the season’s traditional second half.
It’s the Rangers again.. and we still haven’t even seen them in their own native habitat.
The Seattle Mariners will be in town… new name for this stadium, but it’s still New Comiskey to me.
The Yankees are playing the Twins this week and you get to see them here.
Let’s have our first looks at both the Rockies and the visiting San Diego Padres.
California. This is one of the two longest drives of the trip. The trick here was in finding the Athletics at home. They caused trouble with this whole plan… but we found a way, even it they happen to be playing the Tampa Bay Rays… yes, it’s the Rays again: you have their lineup memorized yet?
I apologize for this sequencing, but there was just no other way since Seattle is just now getting back home. They host the Yankees, who are continuing their own West Coast run..
With the Giants home along with Oakland, we’ll at least take advantage of that to help break up your Pacific Coast Highway trek. The Padres are in town.
Finally! A second look at the Braves! Woo Hoo!
The Boston Red Sox return the favor from the beginning of this trip – now in Anaheim to face the Angels.
More from Tomahawk Take
A “down” day is a good idea after this much travel. Take your time wandering down to San Diego while we wait for them to return home.
The Mets come into Petco for a series… returning to the place where Bartolo went yard for them last year. But they don’t have him this time, do they?
Once more we intercept the Atlanta Braves on this West Coast swing. A nice treat for the 29th game of your 30 game endeavor.
One more long drive… but this time you have 2 days to get that done.
The final game! It’s the Rangers and the Orioles!
You’re done! 30 games in 32 days, plus a couple of extra driving home days at the end.
So that’s the best I can do for 2017 – 2 segments of 17 and 13 games with 2 days off. If you can’t take off that much time, then maybe a partial trip would be worth it.
After all, it’s baseball, and it’s what we do!
This article originally appeared on 
