Take me out to the minor-league ballpark

Jeff Parthum, of Detroit, plans a two-day trip with his family to Toledo for a day at the ballpark and the zoo in late July. "My son is an absolute baseball nut," he said.

Two years ago, the team surveyed fans and found it had visitors from every state except Hawaii.

"You would be surprised at how many people actually do plan to see different ballparks on a driving vacation. I hear from them all year-round," said Joe Mock, who runs a Web site called http://www.baseballparks.com/ and has traveled to 42 parks just this year.

Among his favorites are The Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas; FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pa.; Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, N.M.

He also was impressed with West End Field in Greenville, S.C., which opened this season. The ballpark is a mini-version of Boston's Fenway Park and is an anchor of the revitalized neighborhood now filled with art galleries and restaurants.

Some ballparks are worth visiting for the view alone.

All three minor league parks in Utah -- Salt Lake City, Ogden and Orem -- have stunning views of the Wasatch Mountains.

The Richmond County Bank Ballpark, home of the Staten Island Yankees, overlooks New York harbor, the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan. Getting there can be half the fun as it is near the Staten Island ferry.

The Atlantic Ocean and Coney Island are the backdrop at Brooklyn Cyclones games. Fans making a trip to the game can add a stop at Nathan's Famous for a hot dog or a ride on the Cyclone roller coaster. There's also the beach and the New York Aquarium.

"A lot of people make a full day of it," said Dave Campanaro, a spokesman for the team. "Everything is within walking distance."

Plus, the $14 seats behind home plate for weekend games are still cheaper than upper deck tickets at Yankee Stadium. Outfield bleacher seats are $7. "It's such an inexpensive way to have a great time even if you don't love baseball," Campanaro said.

If you go
Tickets: While tickets are almost always available on game days, a few of the most popular ballparks do sell out, especially on weekends. Call the team or order tickets in advance.

Tips: Arrive early and explore the neighborhood around the ballpark or take in batting practice. Get up and wander around. Many new ballparks have concourses that allow fans to walk around the entire stadium.

T-shirts and hats: Creative team names and logos have helped minor league merchandise sales boom in recent years, making for a unique souvenir.

Ballparks: To find a ballpark in your area, Minor League Baseball has a clickable map at http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/info/geographical.jsp.

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