Take a walk -- or ride -- in the park with these teams
The Minor League Ballpark Guide series opens the door to great baseball road trips and vacations all over the United States (and in one Canadian city), and once you've gone through that door, we're here to help you explore the great Minors cities and towns you'll find outside of it.
The Minor League Ballpark Guide series opens the door to great baseball road trips and vacations all over the United States (and in one Canadian city), and once you've gone through that door, we're here to help you explore the great Minors cities and towns you'll find outside of it.
When you're visiting somewhere new, one of the best ways to get a real sense of the place is to travel through on foot or by bike. All of our Minor League Ballpark Guides feature a section about local attractions, and many note unique public greeneries, bikeways and trail systems.
If you're a fan who loves to explore new environs at your own pace, these six Minor League teams and their cities are must-visit destinations for you.
Dunedin Blue Jays
TD Ballpark
373 Douglas Ave,
Dunedin, FL 34698
727-733-0429
The recently renovated Spring Training home of the Blue Jays is the in-season home of their Single-A affiliate, and it's one of the finest places to see a Minor League game under the blue skies of the Sunshine State. TD Ballpark is also steps away from the Pinellas Trail, which you can bike or walk for as long as -- and likely longer than -- you desire. In fact, it's so long you could theoretically take it to Clearwater, home of the Threshers (who are a ways off the trail) or St. Petersburg, home of the Rays.
The part of the trail nearest to the Single-A Blue Jays cuts through Dunedin's cute downtown, and you can also wander farther to get into some parks and away from crowds.
Great Lakes Loons
Dow Diamond
825 E Main St.
Midland, MI 48640
334-323-2255
Ever crossed a "tridge"? Here's your chance. Midland, Mich. -- home of the High-A affiliate of the Dodgers -- is jammed with public and publicly accessible greenways and trail systems, including the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail.
This bike- and walkway is right off a three-way bridge -- referred to by locals as The Tridge -- that spans the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Chippewa Rivers, providing a foot-powered access to three distinct parts of town and lots of nature.
Greenville Drive
Fluor Field
945 S Main St,
Greenville, SC, 29605
864-240-4500
Greenville's restaurant-rich downtown and ballpark-adjacent Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library are big draws for Minors fans who make their way to the home of the Drive (High-A affiliate of the Red Sox), but don't overlook the city's great Swamp Rabbit Trail Network.
It connects vast acreage of gorgeous parkland along and in the vicinity of the Reedy River -- including Fells Park on the Reedy, which is very near Fluor Field.
Indianapolis Indians
Victory Field
501 W Maryland St,
Indianapolis, IN, 46225
317-269-3545
If you want city views and a walk directly outside the ballpark, Victory Field is your winner. The home of the Triple-A affiliate of the Pirates is across a broad street from the White River State Park, with the Central White River Trail. Either by cutting through White River State Park or avoiding it by leaving Victory Field and heading north on West Street for less than half a mile, you'll hit the Canal Walk, a multiuse promenade through downtown.
And if you have enough walking or biking, you can explore the canal by pedal boat (rentable near the Indiana State Museum).
Oklahoma City Dodgers
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark
2 South Mickey Mantle Drive
Oklahoma City, OK, 73104
405-281-1000
The walk around the exterior of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark -- which features statues of local heroes Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench and Warren Spahn -- makes the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers a contender for a spot on this list alone, but stray a bit farther afield in OKC and you'll find some really cool trails to explore. Some spots might take you by surprise.
For example, a 20-minute drive from the park will take you to Lake Hefner, which has a trail encouraging total circumnavigation (almost 10 miles) as well as shorter trails, and which will allow you to visit the Lake Hefner Lighthouse. Yes, a lighthouse. Yes, in Oklahoma City.
Sacramento River Cats
Sutter Health Park
400 Ballpark Drive
West Sacramento, CA, 95691
916-376-4722
California's big league cities enjoy a reputation for mixing astounding natural beauty with urban vibrancy, but Sacramento might be sneaking under your radar. Don't let that be the case one moment longer; it's a gem. Sutter Health Park is a gorgeous place to catch the Triple-A affiliate of the Giants in action as well as get a sense of Sacramento's rich baseball history, and it's also just over the Tower Bridge from the Sacramento River section of the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, which (running a total of 32 miles) can take you all over town and then some.
On the River Cats' side of the Sacramento is River Walk Park, which offers striking skyline views. Of course, there are also ample opportunities to get on the water here.
Josh Jackson is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter @JoshJacksonMiLB.