2025 Road Trip #4: Hall of Fame Pilgrimage
July 22-29: Induction Weekend in this baseball history-focused weeklong road trip
It’s January, that lonely spot on the calendar between the World Series and Opening Day. Our swim from shore to shore is halfway done, and you can look back and see how far we’ve come, and then turn around and see how far we have to go. But! The 2025 baseball schedule is assembled, so why not cheer ourselves up with some vacation planning?
This is part 4 of 5 different road trip options for your planning pleasure.
I was trying to think of a good “bite-size” baseball road trip to close out my four partial options for 2025. Then I realized so many baseball fans never actually ever get to Cooperstown. It’s not the easiest place to reach, but worth the pilgrimage. So why not spend a week of your summer making memories at some of the landmarks of the sport?
This trip is pretty light on actual “road tripping”, at least the way us West Coasters consider it. You have 4 games in New York City, and no drive is longer than 4.5 hours. It’s about the same travel time to Cooperstown from either New York City (193mi) or Boston (239mi), so why not get both cities in one trip? Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park… if you’ve spent the current century watching any baseball at all, those ballparks are probably burned onto your TV screen already thanks to ESPN. So turn the TV off and go see them live.
Stop 1: New York City, Part I
Game 1: Tues, July 22, 6:30 - Staten Island FerryHawks vs York Revolution at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park
This trip starts and ends with a minor league game in one of the five boroughs (4 of the 5 are represented here, just missing Manhattan, unless they one day expand there as the Tribeca Titans). If you don’t want to do that, you can lop off two days of this trip, which is why I left them at the start and end. But the Staten Island team, who used to be a single-A team of the Yankees but are now in the independent Atlantic League, has this awesome park with views of the skyline in New York City and the Statue of Liberty. I’ve never managed to get here but this time I’m doing it.
Anyways, the MLB portion of this trip starts the following afternoon:
Game 2: Wed, July 23, 1:10- New York Mets vs Los Angeles Angels at Citi Field
We start at Citi Field, where you can spend $12.25 for the cheapest seat on Wednesday afternoon. At the same time, you’ll be able to see newly minted gazillionaire Juan Soto make $314,814.81 to don a Mets uniform, Mike Trout patrol center for $218,827.16, and Anthony Rendon sit on the bench earning $234,567.90 in the same game.
Citi Field is a beautiful ballpark and Mets games are surprisingly relaxing (if you’re not a fan of the team), even in such a baseball-crazy region of the country. And Wednesday afternoon games even more so. There’s no rush after the game, you don’t have to be anywhere until evening the following day.
Stop 2: Cape Cod League
Drive: Queens, NY to Cape Cod, MA (250 miles, 4.5 hours)
Game 3: Thurs, July 24, 4:00 or 6:00 - You Pick!
The Cape Cod League has staged baseball games for many summers dating back to the 1860s, when Abe Lincoln threw out the first pitch (it was a key campaign stop). Okay that didn’t happen, but the most recent iteration of the league, from 1963 to the present, is the most prestigious summer league for college players. Over a thousand Cape Cod alumni have gone onto MLB careers, including Hall of Famers like Frank Thomas, Carlton Fisk and Craig Biggio. Current stars like Pete Alonso, Aaron Judge and Brent Rooker also spent a summer on the Cape. It was also the backdrop of one of the finest baseball movies ever:
As for which game you should go to, that’s up to you. It’s 5 hours and 250 miles from New York City. Game start times range from 4pm to 6pm, and tonight there’s six to choose from:
Brewster Whitecaps vs Yardmouth-Dennis Red Sox at Stony Brook Field, 4pm
Cotuit Kettleers vs Hyannis Harbor Hawks at Lowell Park, 4:30pm
Bourne Braves vs Falmouth Commodores at Doran Park, 6pm
Wareham Gatemen vs Orleans Firebirds at Clem Spillane Field, 6pm
Harwich Mariners vs Chatham Anglers at Whitehouse Field, 6:30pm
I would most likely wait until the rosters are announced. If any Cal Poly Mustangs are out there, I’d go to their game. If not, maybe Clem Spillane Field. That one was opened in 1947 and is part of a high school campus. But on this road trip that involves taking in so much baseball history, taking in a game at a spot where so many Major Leaguers have honed their craft as youngsters is a must.
Stop 3: Boston
Drive: Cape Cod to Boston (73 miles, 1.5 hours)
Game 4: Fri, July 25, 7:10 - Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Dodgers at Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a must for any baseball fan. It’s been a memorable backdrop to baseball history since 1912. Even with modern upgrades, it’s cramped, modest and quirky, but that’s what makes it so special even 113 years later. And if the Red Sox have any kind of success this season, this will be a great matchup with the Dodgers. It’s also only the 2nd time Mookie Betts has gone back to Boston since that lopsided trade in 2020.
If you’ve never been to Boston, you can get into town early and check out all the American history the city has to offer. If you have been before, then you can find a nice pub and pregame with the locals.
Stop 4: Cooperstown, NY
Drive: Boston to Cooperstown (240 miles, 4 hours)
Two-day stop in Cooperstown for Induction Weekend. Your budget determines how far away from the town you’ll have to get a room for Saturday night. Friday night is in Boston, Sunday evening you could drive back to New York City.
Induction Ceremony: Sun, July 27, 1:30pm
No games on your weekend stay in Cooperstown, July 26-27. But you’ll easily get your baseball fill. I originally had this as a one-day stop for the induction ceremony on Sunday afternoon, but that wouldn’t leave enough time to do everything you’d want to. The National Baseball Hall of Fame itself deserves a full day of exploring, from the exhibits to walking the halls with plaques of the greatest to ever don a uniform.
Induction weekend is the busiest weekend in this small town, so it’ll be packed with fellow baseball fans, former big leaguers and all kinds of events and attractions. On Saturday evening, they have the Parade of Legends through town with all the returning Hall of Famers rolling by. The induction ceremony itself is a special day, even if you aren’t a lifelong fan of anyone going in. Right now (the announcement is next week), the Class of 2025 includes Dick Allen, Dave Parker and most likely Ichiro Suzuki, Billy Wagner, CC Sabathia and possibly Carlos Beltran. And fortunately, no Alex Rodriguez.
Stop 5: New York, Part II
Drive: Cooperstown to New York City (194 miles, 3.5 hours)
Game 5: Mon, Jul 28, 7:05 - New York Yankees vs Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium
We go back to New York City, this time to the Bronx for a game at Yankee Stadium. Even though the new one doesn’t have quite the same aura and mystique as the now-demolished original Yankee Stadium, it’s still an experience to see a Yankees game. Inarguably the most popular baseball franchise in the world, some of the fans you’ll be attending this game with have the Yankees deep in their genes, going back generations. Babe Ruth’s 60-homer season was almost 100 years ago now. Plus you can go to Monument Park and say hi to Uncle Mickey.
You can leave after this game. You’ve seen two of the most storied franchises, the Hall of Fame during its most magical time on the calendar, a historical stadium and a quiet getaway to the Cape. But I’m sticking around one more day for some minor league baseball, because I promised you 4 boroughs of baseball and you’re gonna get it.
Game 6: Tues, Jul 29, 6:40 - Brooklyn Cyclones vs Jersey Shore BlueClaws at Maimonides Park
This ballpark on the boardwalk has a wild backdrop behind the outfield fences. It looks like something a 10-year-old would Frankenstein together in the MLB The Show stadium creator. With Coney Island’s roller coasters, water cannons and probably the smell of corn dogs wafting into the park, it’s a park that’s always been on my bucket list.
Summary
There are a lot of people I’ve talked to, from friends to family to some of the people I’ve interviewed on this substack, that have never been to the Baseball of Hall of Fame. They always say they will get to it one day or another. But the thing is, Cooperstown is not easy to get to. The nearest airport is in Albany and then it’s still a two-hour drive through upstate New York into town. Even baseball fans already living in the northeast still have trouble hauling their butts up there.
So this is the ultimate “I’ve been meaning to do that” checklist for baseball fans. You get Fenway, Yankee Stadium, the Hall of Fame all in one week, plus a few fun extra stops. The trip is pretty mellow as far as driving and overall stress, depending how well you’re able to navigate the subway. Four of the games are in New York City and then you get back on the plane and go home.
If you take one of these trips, send a postcard!