Los Angeles Two Games in One Day

As I mentioned earlier, it's rare that both New York teams are home on the same day. There are only 7 dates in 2014. There are 5 dates where the White Sox and Cubs both play home games in the same day. The Dodgers and Angels do it only once, June 26. It's a night game for the Dodgers at 7:10 PM. The Angels have yet to schedule a game time, but it's the last day of a home stand and they play the next night in Kansas City. That's the type of game that teams schedule in the afternoon, so they can catch an early flight and get in to the next city at a reasonable hour. If the Angels choose to play a day game, I'm circling this date on my calendar and going to both. Who's with me?

April Trip Update

Game 1: Thursday, April 24, 2014
Fenway Park, Yankees at Red Sox, 7:10 PM
I bought the non-stop on Delta and a week later they moved the flight back by 75 minutes! That meant I might not make the game. I called Delta and asked them to cancel the ticket. They told me that they usually only do that with flights delayed by 90 minutes, but made an exception. Thank you, Delta. I rebooked on an American flight that gets in 3 hours before the game. That'll mean waking up ridiculously early, but why chance it? I'm thinking of staying at the Four Points in Revere. It's near the airport and that should make it easy to get to my flight the next day.

Game 2: Friday, April 25, 2014
Camden Yards, Royals at Orioles,7:05 PM
I've swapped Baltimore and Washington games because I know the Saturday Washington game is a day game. I've booked a room at the Hilton Baltimore in the Inner Harbor

Game 3: Saturday, April 26, 2014
Nationals Park, Padres at Nationals, 1:05 PM
A day game gives me maximum flexibility. I can stay in Washington after the game, head to New York, or even stop in Philly and visit my family Saturday night.

Game 4 and 5: Sunday, April 27, 2014
Citi Field, Marlins at Mets, 1:10 PM
Yankee Stadium, Angels at Yankees, 8:05 PM
These games haven't changed. I'm trying to figure out how to handle the logistics. I could take the train up and catch the midnight train to Philly after the game. I could drive up in the morning and then to Philly at the end of the night. The train option would limit some flexibility, but it's much easier to travel New York City by subway. The car option would mean tolls and paid parking in lots that figure to be expensive. I wouldn't have to worry about catching trains.

Game 6: Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Citizens Bank Park, Mets at Phillies, 7:05 PM
No changes.

Two Games in One Day

A couple of things have happened that have resulted in me updating my April trip. And guess what, it just got more exciting.

Game 1: Thursday, April 24, 2014
Fenway Park, Yankees at Red Sox, 7:10 PM
I don’t know why I didn’t notice this game before, but it enables me to hit Boston on the same trip I’m going to cities close to it. That saves travel time and money for flights. And it’s the Yankees! I’m eyeing a non-stop on Delta.

I’ll need advice on where to stay. I’ll fly in to Logan in the afternoon and arrive about two hours before game time. I’ll likely leave Boston in the morning. So a hotel that gives me easy access to Fenway and Logan would be great.

Game 2: Friday, April 25, 2014
Nationals Park, Padres at Nationals, 7:05 PM
A flight to Reagan National would enable me to take metro to the game, but it looks like most flights from Boston go to Dulles. I anticipate arriving in late morning. That might be just as well. My cousin in Virginia is having a baby in April. I assume I’ll be right in time for a visit.

Game 3: Saturday, April 26, 2014
Camden Yards, Royals at Orioles, TBD
They haven’t set a time for this game yet, but since Camden Yards is a short train ride away from DC, this’ll work for a day or evening game. If it’s an evening game, I have a free day in either Washington or Baltimore. If it’s a day game, I’ll probably take the train to New York after the game and spend the night there.

Game 4 and 5: Sunday, April 27, 2014
Citi Field, Marlins at Mets, 1:10 PM
Yankee Stadium, Angels at Yankees, 8:05 PM
The jewel of the trip. Mets and Yankees in the same day! How many people can say they’ve done this? Not many, I’m guessing. My big question is whether my Yankee fan friends will join me for the Met game and whether my Met fan friends will go to the Yankees. What say you?

Game 6: Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Citizens Bank Park, Mets at Phillies, 7:05 PM
From a trip planning standpoint, taking a day off goes against my whole philosophy about doing the most stadiums in the most affordable way in the least amount of time. This is my hometown, however. So I’ll spend two days visiting the family.

I should note that my beloved Phillies will be in Los Angeles April 21-24. Even though I went to Dodger Stadium last season, I’ll likely hit one of those dates for a repeat visit.

Midwest over Labor Day Again

I started this quest this past year right before Labor Day and made a Labor Day weekend trip. I’d like to repeat that in 2014. I have six stadiums for this trip, although I doubt I’ll go to all six in 2014. I should leave a few stadiums for the Boston trip in 2015.

Friday, August 29: Detroit @ Chicago, U.S. Cellular Field
Saturday, August 30: Yankees @ Toronto, Rogers Centre, 1:07 PM
Sunday, August 31: Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh, PNC Park, 1:35 PM
Monday, September 1: Pittsburgh @ St. Louis, Busch Stadium, 1:15 PM
Tuesday, September 2: White Sox @ Minnesota, Target Field, 7:10 PM
Wednesday, September 3: Texas @ Kansas City, Kauffman Stadium

This trip includes Pittsburgh, which was also in my April trip. I don’t think I’m going to hit that stadium then, as I can start in DC and end in Philadelphia, taking only the train to get from stadium to stadium. Since I’d cut this trip to 3-4 stadiums, I could move around the stadiums to different days.

I’ll start the trip in Chicago, a hub city that has plenty of flights from Los Angeles, many of which are non-stop. This may be tricky, as it requires flying from city to city and some of these cities may have limited flights to others or be very expensive.

So what do you say? Are you in?

Atlanta, Tampa, and Miami

I’ve given you three trips to 11 stadiums. I'll go to Angel Stadium some time during the season, as it’s a short drive. So that’ll put us at 12 stadiums and 19 overall. I don’t know if I’ll hit any of the remaining 11, but I do have two possible trips to go to as many as 9 of them. Unfortunately, Chase Field in Phoenix and Fenway Park in Boston aren’t on my list of possibilities for 2014. Neither the Diamondbacks nor the Red Sox are home at a time convenient with other nearby teams. That’d mean saving them for 2015, which has always been part of my plan. I’ll likely leave a few other stadiums so I can make trips out of them.

If I make the weekend trip to the Southeast it’ll be either Friday-Sunday 8/15-8/17 or 9/19-9/21, late enough in the season that I can make that call mid-season.

Friday, August 15: Oakland @ Atlanta, Turner Field
Saturday, August 16: Yankees @ Tampa, Tropicana Field
Sunday, August 17: Arizona @ Miami, Marlins Park, 1:10 PM

It’s important to start the trip in Atlanta. First, it’s a shorter distance from Los Angeles, making it easier to fly into on a Friday and still be able to attend a game. Secondarily, it’s a Delta hub, so there’ll also be non-stop flights. Again that means it should be easy to arrive well before the game. Unfortunately, the choices on flights back to LA after a Sunday afternoon game in Miami might be limited. I do have family in Miami that I might visit. So I can stay an extra day or two.

Denver, Dallas, and Houston

A second weekend trip next year can be taken 7/11-13 or 7/25-27. This one requires taking a day off on a Friday, but it does fit in nicely in July, after the two previous trips are in April and May.

Friday, July 11: Minnesota @ Colorado, Coors Field, 6:40 PM
Saturday, July 12: Angels @ Texas, Ballpark @ Arlington
Sunday, July 13: Boston @ Houston, Minute Maid Park

This trip works well because Denver is a great jumping off city for any trip. It's about halfway to Dallas and it's a United hub. So flights are relatively inexpensive and non-stop. As with any trip, the getaway game should be during the day. That'll mean I can catch a flight back to LA after the game.

So what do you say? Are you in?

San Francisco, Oakland, and Seattle

The major trip next year will be the East coast one I mentioned below. I have three mini-weekend trips possible. One of them will be going to Seattle, Oakland, and San Francisco. I have two possible dates for this trip.

Saturday, May 24: Houston @ Seattle, Safeco Field
Sunday, May 25: Minnesota @ San Francisco, AT&T Park, 1:05 PM
Monday, May 26: Detroit @ Oakland, O.co Coliseum

The trick here is to find days where the Giants and A's play back-to-back days, since I couldn't find a weekend where they both played. Doing it on Memorial Day weekend enables me to see three games in a weekend without having to worry about missing a day's work. I could also do this June 13-15, but the June 13 game would be a Friday night. That'd require taking the day off.

They haven't set the game time for the Seattle game. If it's a day game, I can easily fly to Seattle in the morning and then have the flexibility to stay in Seattle or fly to San Francisco after the game if I want. It's usually preferable to be in the city the day before so you don't have to worry about flight delays. Either way works. If the game in Oakland is a night game, catching a flight after the game may be impossible. A 7 PM game that ends at 10 PM would mean catching a flight close to midnight. I doubt anyone has a flight that late.

So what do you say? Are you in?