Ballcaps of Interstate 5: The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip

Do you live on the West Coast of the United States and want to plan the ultimate baseball road trip? What If I told you that you could visit TEN different ballparks in the United States just by staying on one route the entire time? It's simple and easy. This article will focus on the ballparks that are located along Interstate 5.

Visiting all ten ballparks on one road trip could be quite a daunting task. You would also have to count on all teams being home, which probably won't happen. Since I live in the SF Bay Area, I broke the road trip into several trips.

Interstate 5 begins its long journey northward at the US/Mexico border in California not far south of San Diego. The first professional ballpark you will encounter is Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. The ballpark is roughly a mile from Interstate 5.

About one hundred miles up Interstate 5 north of San Diego, you'll reach Anaheim. Angel Stadium is less than a mile from I-5.

Just over thirty miles north of Anaheim, you'll reach Dodger Stadium. Dodger Stadium is about two miles from I-5.

North of LA, Interstate 5 continues on its straight path north through the middle of California through the San Joaquin Valley. I-5 then bypasses the San Francisco Bay Area and doesn't reach a city with a professional baseball team until it reaches Stockton, California at the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley. This is where you will find the first minor league team on your journey. Nearly three-hundred and forty miles north of Dodger Stadium, Stockton has a nice ballpark with a great atmosphere despite the bad reputation of the city. Banner Island Ballpark is home of the Stockton Ports. They are currently affiliated with the Oakland A's. The ballpark is two miles from I-5.

*It is possible to take Highway 99 and visit minor league teams in Visalia, Modesto, and Fresno. However, I am only covering teams located along Interstate 5. Highway 99 splits from I-5 just north of the Grapevine and parallels Interstate 5 to the east through the San Joaquin Valley. You can reconnect with I-5 in Stockton as both routes pass through it.

Hop back on Interstate 5 for less than fifty miles and you'll be in Sacramento. Less than a mile from I-5 is Raley Field (soon to be renamed "Sutter Health Field"), home of the 2019 Triple-A Champions, the Sacramento River Cats. Once longtime affiliates of the Oakland A's, they are now affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Raley Field is the northernmost professional ballpark in California.

From there, it's a long and nearly five-hundred mile drive to the next ballpark, located in Eugene, Oregon. PK Park is located on the campus of the University of Oregon and is used by both the college baseball team and the short-season affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, the Eugene Emeralds. PK Park is less than one mile from Interstate 5.

Seventy miles from Eugene you will find yourself in Keizer where you will see the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes stadium right next to the interstate. Volcanoes Stadium is the only stadium that is immediately next to Interstate 5. The short-season Volcanoes have been affiliated with the San Francisco Giants since their first season.

*It is possible to visit Ron Tonkin Field and the Arizona Diamondbacks short-season affiliate, the Hillsboro Hops, on your road trip, however it will be a half hour out of your way. Because I'm only covering ballparks that are only within a few miles of I-5 I am not including them. However, it can be done.

The next ballpark is one-hundred eighty-five miles to the north in the state of Washington. The Seattle Mariners Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Raniers, are located 2.5 miles from Interstate 5 at Cheney Stadium, one of the older Pacific Coast League stadiums.

Just about thirty-five miles north of Tacoma we reach T-Mobile Park and the Seattle Mariners, about a mile from the interstate. This is the northernmost MLB team on the West Coast.

Get back on I-5 for thirty miles and you will reach the Mariners short-season team, the Everett AquaSox, located just off the interstate. Owned by the same group that owns the Stockton Ports, the AquaSox play at "Funko Field," formerly Everett Memorial Stadium. The stadium is the site where MLB Hall of Fame'r Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first professional home run.

IF YOU HAVE THE TIME, MONEY, AND A PASSPORT...

Continue north on Interstate 5 four about two hours, and you'll find yourself in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Interstate 5 will become British Columbia Route 99 once you pass the border. Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium (aka "The Nat") is a short drive from BC-99. Home to the Vancouver Canadians, they are short-season affiliates of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Nat is one of the few surviving ballparks from the old days of the Pacific Coast League. The PCL incarnation of the Canadians moved south after the 1999 season and became the Sacramento River Cats. Try the poutine!