Welcome to the Baseball Traveler newsletter; today's edition is coming to you on National Semicolon Day. Thanks for being here; let's talk about Minor League Baseball. |
BALTIMORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM; O SAY YOU CAN SEE THE O'S |
Want to see a Major League team and all four of its Minor League affiliates in a five-day span? Next week presents a great opportunity to do just that, via the Baltimore Orioles and their tightly clustered farm system. The organization boasts three teams in its home state of Maryland and one in Virginia, all within driving distance of one another. April 21-27 marks the only time this season that all four Orioles' affiliates -- Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds, High-A Frederick Keys, Double-A Chesapeake Baysox and Triple-A Norfolk Tides – are home simultaneously over the course of a Minor League-standard Tuesday-Sunday six-game series. An added bonus: The Orioles themselves start a homestand Friday, April 25. Here's one of many potential road trip itineraries that could be put together over this well-aligned stretch of time, along with a list of top Orioles prospects who are currently playing at each location. Plan your own Orioles’ system road trip here and check out every Minor League Ballpark Guide here. |
April 21
Team: Triple-A Norfolk Tides vs. Memphis Redbirds (STL), 6:35 p.m.
Ballpark: Harbor Park
Top Prospects: RHP Trey Gibson (BAL No. 3); OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. (No. 8); RHP Nestor German (No. 10); RHP Levi Wells (No. 13); C/1B Creed Willems (No. 17).
The Norfolk Tides, who play in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia, are the only team in the O's system outside of Maryland. The team's home of Harbor Park, located along the Elizabeth River in downtown Norfolk, opened in 1993 (just one year after Baltimore’s Camden Yards). Norfolk, home of the US Navy's Atlantic fleet, is considered the biggest naval base in the world; shipyards are part of the ballpark backdrop. The area is home to a large Filipino-American population (many of whom served in the military), and Filipino food can be obtained at the ballpark via local vendor Flippin' Hangry.
|
April 22
Team: Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds vs. Wilson Warbirds (MIL), 7:05 p.m.
Ballpark: Arthur W. Perdue Stadium
Top Prospects: RHP Esteban Mejia (BAL No. 6); OF Jordan Sanchez (No. 16); OF Stiven Martinez (No. 26); 2B/SS Cobb Hightower (No. 30)
The Delmarva Shorebirds, the only team that utilizes a three-state portmanteau as a geographical signifier, play in Salisbury, Md. The drive there from Norfolk begins in breathtaking fashion, as the Delmarva peninsula is accessed via the spectacular feat of engineering that is the 17.6 mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Delmarva's Arthur W. Perdue Stadium is named after the founder of Perdue Farms, while the Shorebirds name references the local chicken industry as well as the team’s long-running status as an Orioles affiliate. Keep an eye out for concession items utilizing the regional specialty that is scrapple. Sherman's Gelati, named after the team mascot, is the go-to dessert.
|
April 23
Team: High-A Frederick Keys vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC), 7:00 P.M.
Ballpark: Harry Grove Stadium
Top Prospects: OF Nate George (MLB No. 84/BAL No. 1); C/OF/1B Ike Irish (No. 4); SS Wehiwa Aloy (No. 5); LHP Boston Bateman (No. 9); LHP Joseph Dzierwa (No. 12); RHP Juaron Watts-Brown (No. 14); RHP JT Quinn (No. 19); 3B/SS Colin Yeaman (No. 28); OF Vance Honeycutt (No. 29)
After five years in the MLB Draft League, the Keys are back in the Orioles' system, having swapped places with the organization's former High-A affiliate, the Aberdeen IronBirds. Frederick is located approximately three hours northwest of Delmarva, with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (not to be confused with the aforementioned Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel) serving as the pathway between Maryland's Eastern and Western Shores. Harry Grove Stadium is a charming, intimate facility, offering close-up views of the action. The Keys' name is a tribute to "Star Spangled Banner" author Francis Scott Key, who is buried in a cemetery across the street from the ballpark. Actual keys factor into the ballpark experience as well, via the "Shake Your Keys" team theme song that plays during the seventh-inning stretch.
|
|
|
April 24
Team: Double-A Chesapeake Baysox vs. Akron RubberDucks (CLE), 7:05 p.m.
Ballpark: Prince George's Stadium
Top Prospects: LHP Luis De León (BAL No. 2); 2B/OF Aron Estrada (No. 7); RHP Braxton Bragg (No. 11); RHP Tyson Neighbors (No. 15); OF Thomas Sosa (No. 18); C/1B Ethan Anderson (No. 24); RHP Patrick Reilly (No. 25); SS/2B Griff O'Ferrall (No. 27) The Chesapeake Baysox are based in Bowie and were in fact known as the Bowie Baysox from their 1993 inception through 2024. Prince George's Stadium, named after the county in which the ballpark is located, is just an hour southeast of Frederick. It's inauspiciously situated at the back end of a shopping center; just drive on Ballpark Road past Home Depot and BJ's Wholesale Club and you’ll find it. A lighthouse and a carousel are tucked into the right-field corner, serving as beacons amid a bucolic wooded backdrop. For the April 24 game, the Baysox will suit up as their Chesapeake Oyster Catchers alternate identity, celebrating the ecosystem of the nearby Chesapeake Bay. |
April 25
Team: Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox, 4:05 p.m.
Ballpark: Camden Yards
Now that you've seen every full-season affiliate in the O's system -- the collective future of the franchise – it's time to visit the Orioles themselves. Camden Yards is located just 28 miles from Bowie, one of the closest distances between any Minor League team and its parent club. The ballpark revolutionized stadium design, with its 1992 opening ushering in a new era of retro-themed MLB ballparks. You probably already know this, but nonetheless: Let this serve as a reminder to see a game there again (or, even better, for the first time).
|
LAST WEEK IN MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL |
Before I go, please enjoy this overview of various news and notes from around the Minors: Javik Blake, voice of the Biloxi Shuckers, is asking you (yes, you) to listen to his team's broadcasts (http://shuckers.info/listen-live) and then text the booth (601-514-0776) to report what state you're listening from.
The goal is to accumulate listeners from all 50 states. Help Javik fill in the map!
|
|
|
RIP Davey Lopes, a premier base stealer who, along with Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Bill Russell, was part of the Dodgers’ legendary homegrown infield from 1973-81. All four of those players spent time with the Tommy Lasorda-managed Spokane Indians prior to arriving in Los Angeles. Read all about it in Eric Vickrey's new book "Before They Wore Dodger Blue." |
|
|
The Hub City Spartanburgers held a "Waggy Wednesday" promotion on April 8 and a woman showed up with a baby kangaroo. READ ALL ABOUT IT. |
Last week I wrote about the Columbus Clingstones’ new Scrambled Dogs identity. This prompted loyal reader Mike Fetters to send in a pic of the Scrambled Dog he enjoyed at Columbus' Dinglewood Pharmacy. Bon appétit. |
After 102 years, this is going to take some getting used to: McCormick Field, home of the Asheville Tourists, is now known as HomeTrust Park. |
|
|
© 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
Please review our Privacy Policy.
You (dugout@mlb.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB.
Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.
Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
|
|
|
|
