These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips

Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.

Happy Minor League Baseball Opening Day.

Teams in the International and Pacific Coast Leagues begin their season Friday, which, for those keeping score at home, is the earliest start to a Triple-A season since 1951. The PCL kicked off on March 27 that year, a factoid that, if nothing else, proves how easy it is for me to get sidetracked while writing about Minor League Baseball.

So, it’s Opening Day. Next week the denizens of Single-A, High-A and Double-A will join their Triple-A brethren and then we’re really cooking with gas. Among those utilizing the high heat will be me, Ben Hill -- a.k.a. Ben’s Biz, your friendly neighborhood Minor League ballpark road tripper.

2025 will be my 15th season “Exploring America Through Minor League Baseball,” continuing a saga that officially began in 2010. I’ve now visited 186 Minor League ballparks, and 2025’s slate of new facilities will bring that total to 190.

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In honor of my 15th season on the road, here are 15 memorable moments from my Minor League ballpark travels. I hope that, cumulatively, these vignettes give you a better idea of who I am and what I do as we head into the season.

It all began in 2010. The first stop of my first ever trip was Hank Aaron Stadium, home of the Mobile BayBears. Aaron’s childhood home was moved to the ballpark and converted into a museum; somehow, I was the only national writer in attendance at the star-studded opening ceremony. The below photo features Bob Feller, Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter, Reggie Jackson, Aaron, and Rickey Henderson. Not pictured, but also in attendance: Aaron’s fellow Alabaman, Willie Mays.

It’s good to have a plan while visiting a ballpark, but part of that plan is to embrace the unexpected. When I visited the Inland Empire 66ers in 2011, for example, I was invited to attend a pregame bat burning ceremony as the players attempted to exorcise their offensive demons.

In 2012, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with celiac disease, forcing me to adopt a gluten-free diet. This led to the creation of the Designated Eater -- an individual recruited at each ballpark I visit, whose “job” is to sample the ballpark cuisine that I cannot. The first Designated Eater was Jeff Vervlied, who I documented eating a pork roll sandwich at a Trenton Thunder game. Over 200 hungry individuals have since followed in his footsteps.

For me, visiting a ballpark means saying “yes” to just about everything. Over the years, I’ve said yes to many ridiculous things, a not inconsiderable amount of which ended in humiliation. Some were a triumph, such as my toilet paper first pitch while visiting the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2013. (This was later immortalized on a Topps card, as part of the first “Ben’s Biz” insert set within their Pro Debut series).

Writing stories about local ballpark icons is a huge part of what I do. One of my favorites of 2014 was Rod “The Toastman” Blackstone, West Virginia Power super fan. You’re toast!

Ballpark icons come in all shapes and forms. In 2015, I visited the Portland Sea Dogs and came face to face with the glorious Trash Monster.

In 2016, I visited the entirety of the Appalachian League in a 10-day span. Among the players on the Bluefield Blue Jays that season was 17-year-old Vlad Guerrero Jr. (Pictured here alongside Jesus Severino)

In 2017, within the span of two days in the state of South Carolina, I witnessed a ballgame with a built-in eclipse delay…

…and interviewed Bill Murray. Bill (we’re on a first-name basis) personally endorsed me on Twitter.

I ended the 2018 season with a visit to Suplizio Field, home of the Grand Junction Rockies, and with that I had finally done it. I had made it to every active ballpark. It was an emotional night. 159 of 159. #BenEverywhere

The journey continued in 2019. There were new ballparks to visit in Amarillo, Las Vegas and Fayetteville, and plenty of return trips to old favorites. Josh Jackson, a man who usually interrupts this newsletter, joined me in Vegas. That guy loves onion rings.

In 2020, there was no Minor League Baseball and February 2021 my son Harry was born. In the midst of that, the MiLB landscape was reconfigured. When I finally got back on the road, to Chattanooga, Wanda the Program Lady was there to greet me with a smile.

And now for something completely different: In 2022, colleagues Kelsie Heneghan and Sam Dykstra and I drove from New York City to Dyersville, Iowa, to see the MiLB Field of Dreams Game.

There have been thousands of MiLB team alternate identities over the past decade. My favorite was the Exploding Whales, so in 2023 I went to Eugene to learn more.

I’m now in middle age, but when I’m at the ballpark I feel like a younger man. Last season in Memphis, I proved that I can chicken dance with the best of them.

A 45-year-old traveling Minor League Baseball writer is asked to compete against local youth in a @memphisredbirds Chicken Dance competition.

What happens next will shock you: pic.twitter.com/FU271Zw6zm

— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) July 8, 2024

What will the 2025 season hold? Stay tuned. Ben’s Biz season 15 starts now.