Self-guided baseball trip on Amtrak?

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Friends, two of my passions are trains and baseball. (Others include opera, animals, and Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope; but those aren't relevant...except to my screen name.)

A friend regularly goes on Buckley's Baseball Tours, which sure makes the logistics of a multi-city ballpark tour easy, but chugging around in an air-conditioned coach doesn't appeal to me.

Has anyone tried a do-it-yourself baseball tour on Amtrak? The two cities I know best, DC and Pittsburgh, have ballparks in easy walking or transit distance from the train station. I'm wondering about other cities: Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Boston, NY, Baltimore, etc.? Goal is to avoid having to rent a car. Ideally, train schedule would permit one city, one ballpark, per day, but that may be delusional.
 
Minor league Wilmington Blue Rocks is within an easy walk of Wilmington's (WIL) station.

I'm assuming it's not too hard to take a subway from PHL to Citizen Bank Park, but I've never done it.

I THINK there's a light rail to Camden Yards in Baltimore.
 
Long train trip from where you are but the Dodgers are walking distance from Union Station. There's a shuttle that goes from the station to Dodger Stadium which I believe is free. Angel Stadium in Anaheim is close to a Metrolink stop. One could catch the Metrolink from Union Station in downtown LA or many other places. Petco park in San Diego is 1.5 miles from Union Station. There's a bus that could get you much closer than that. Wrigley field is just a red line ride from Union Station in Chicago. I haven't been to all that many stadiums but I'd guess if you can get to the city by train, you can get to the ballpark pretty easily by taking local transit. It might be harder to find a major league stadium that has no mass transit that serves the stadium area.
 
Minor league Wilmington Blue Rocks is within an easy walk of Wilmington's (WIL) station.

I'm assuming it's not too hard to take a subway from PHL to Citizen Bank Park, but I've never done it.

I THINK there's a light rail to Camden Yards in Baltimore.
Market/Frankford (MFL) to 15th Street Station to Broad Street (BSL) Line.
 
San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's Stadiums ate both walkable from Rail/Bus/Ferry stops.

St. Louis Cardinals Busch Stadium is a couple of Light Rail stops from the Amtrak Intermodel Station, or is in walking distance is you're so inclined.

Coors Field in Denver ( Rockies) is only a few blocks from Union Station.

Detroit's two Stadiums ( Tigers/Lions) are a cab or bus ride down Woodward from the Amtrak Station, but I wouldnt walk, especially at night.

Clevelands calling times are lousy but Jacobs Field ( Indians) isn't far from the Amtrak Station.

Toronto ( Blue Jays) has the Sky Dome ( ne Rogers) right beside Union Station.

Fenway Park in Boston (Red Sox) is walkable from Back Bay Station but you'd want to use a cab at night.

Minute Maid Park in Houston (Astros) isn't far from the Amtrak Station but you'd want to use a cab due to the location of the Station.
 
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Long train trip from where you are but the Dodgers are walking distance from Union Station. There's a shuttle that goes from the station to Dodger Stadium which I believe is free. Angel Stadium in Anaheim is close to a Metrolink stop. One could catch the Metrolink from Union Station in downtown LA or many other places. Petco park in San Diego is 1.5 miles from Union Station. There's a bus that could get you much closer than that. Wrigley field is just a red line ride from Union Station in Chicago. I haven't been to all that many stadiums but I'd guess if you can get to the city by train, you can get to the ballpark pretty easily by taking local transit. It might be harder to find a major league stadium that has no mass transit that serves the stadium area.
I did the walk from Union Station to Dodger Stadium last year biggest issue for some would be that it's mostly uphill but the shuttle is still free (we walked because the line for the shuttle was very long.) From Santa Fe station in San Diego the SD Trolley will get you very close (Green Line to Gaslamp or Orange or Blue lines to 12th and Imperial which is a stone's throw from Petco.)

The one stadium I can think of off the top of my head that doesn't have transit access would be whatever the corporate name of the Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas, Texas of Texas is. I call them that since they can't be bothered to put Rangers on any of their jerseys. :giggle:
 
New York's two ballparks are easily accessible from the subway system. The 7 line for Citi Field and also via the LIRR's Port Wasington branch from Penn Station and Yankee Stadium via the 4, B or D trains or Metro North's Hudson Line.
 
Heck, I'm bored. It's either this or clean the house:

American League

East:

Baltimore: Easy, short light rail or free circulator bus ride.

Boston: "walkable from Back Bay Station but you'd want to use a cab at night" (Thanks, Jim)

New York (Yankees): It's NY, there has to be good transit.

Tampa: Way over in St. Pete's. No idea if there is transit.

Toronto: Next to Union Station

Central:

Chicago (White Sox): CTA Red Line (Thanks, Mike)

Cleveland: 1.5 miles from the station. No idea on transit.

Detroit: 3 miles down a main-looking road.

KC: 10 miles. Looks like the 47 bus will do it in less than an hour. (Yuck)

Minnesota: Less than a mile walk. "In Minnesota the Amtrak station is in Downtown St. Paul and the stadium is in downtown Minneapolis. It is a 30-45 minute ride on the Green Line light rail. They are the two endpoints so it is very easy. " (thanks, Brian!)

West:

Houston: "isn't far from the Amtrak Station but you'd want to use a cab due to the location of the Station." (Thanks, Jim)

LA (Angels): Metrolink station is right there.

Oakland: Capital Corridor station is right there.

Seattle: King Street station is right there.

Texas: Nope. (Thanks, TP49).
 
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National League

East:

Atlanta: Not close. You can take a bus to the MARTA to 5 points and then take another bus. Yay, Atlanta public transit.

Miami: Says Wikipedia: "Free City of Miami Trolley from Metro Rail Civic Center Station or Marlins Shuttle from Culmer Station"

New York: "The 7 line for Citi Field and also via the LIRR's Port Wasington branch from Penn Station" (Thanks again, TP49)

Philly: "Market/Frankford (MFL) to 15th Street Station to Broad Street (BSL) Line." (Thanks, Cardinal-Killer ;) )

Washington: DC circulator bus, or WMATA Red-Green lines.

Central:

Chicago (Cubs): CTA Red Line (Thanks, Mike)

Cincinnati: 2 Mile walk. No idea on transit (but I can guess "NO!", since you get in overnight).

Milwaukee: 3 miles, no idea on transit.

Pittsburgh: 1 mile walk.

St. Louis: Has a Metrolink station.

West:

Arizona: Ha! Amtrak doesn't serve the state, right? :D

Colorado: "Coors Field in Denver ( Rockies) is only a few blocks from Union Station." (Thanks again, Jim)

LA (Dodgers): Walk or free shuttle (Thanks, tp49, Dan O)

San Diego: "From Santa Fe station in San Diego the SD Trolley will get you very close (Green Line to Gaslamp or Orange or Blue lines to 12th and Imperial which is a stone's throw from Petco.)" (Thanks again, tp49)

San Francisco: CalTrain, Muni.
 
Heck, I'm bored. It's either this or clean the house:

American League

East:

Baltimore: Easy, short light rail or free circulator bus ride.

Boston: "walkable from Back Bay Station but you'd want to use a cab at night" (Thanks, Jim)

New York (Yankees): It's NY, there has to be good transit.

Tampa: Way over in St. Pete's. No idea if there is transit.

Toronto: Next to Union Station

Central:

Chicago (White Sox): CTA Red Line (Thanks, Mike)

Cleveland: 1.5 miles from the station. No idea on transit.

Detroit: 3 miles down a main-looking road.

KC: 10 miles. Looks like the 47 bus will do it in less than an hour. (Yuck)

Minnesota: Less than a mile walk.

West:

Houston: "isn't far from the Amtrak Station but you'd want to use a cab due to the location of the Station." (Thanks, Jim)

LA (Angels): Metrolink station is right there.

Oakland: Capital Corridor station is right there.

Seattle: King Street station is right there.

Texas: Nope. (Thanks, TP49).
In Minnesota the Amtrak station is in Downtown St. Paul and the stadium is in downtown Minneapolis. It is a 30-45 minute ride on the Green Line light rail. They are the two endpoints so it is very easy.
 
LA (Angels): Metrolink station is right there.

Oakland: Capital Corridor station is right there.

Seattle: King Street station is right there.
The Anaheim (ARCTIC) station does serve the Pacific Surfliner, so it's not just Metrolink.The station in Oakland is the "Oakland Airport/Coliseum" station, so it's even partially named after the stadium. The Coast Starlight does go by even if it doesn't stop.

I'd add that the old Caltrain/4th and King bus stop in San Francisco was about a block away from AT&T Park, but that's been removed as an Amtrak bus stop. Right now there would be several ways to get there from Amtrak, including the RIC or OAC stations and BART, or the AMTRAK thruway bus to San Francisco and a connection on MUNI.

In Seattle there's the sound of trains, but I think it's mostly freight trains. But the King Street Station is really close.
 
Friends, two of my passions are trains and baseball. (Others include opera, animals, and Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope; but those aren't relevant...except to my screen name.)

A friend regularly goes on Buckley's Baseball Tours, which sure makes the logistics of a multi-city ballpark tour easy, but chugging around in an air-conditioned coach doesn't appeal to me.

Has anyone tried a do-it-yourself baseball tour on Amtrak? The two cities I know best, DC and Pittsburgh, have ballparks in easy walking or transit distance from the train station. I'm wondering about other cities: Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Boston, NY, Baltimore, etc.? Goal is to avoid having to rent a car. Ideally, train schedule would permit one city, one ballpark, per day, but that may be delusional.
I don't know what cities have the quality of *baseball* you'd want to see, which makes it a bit hard to answer that question. In Syracuse, NY their minor league ballpark is literally right next to the train station, and I've heard "Take me out to the Ballgame" playing from the Lake Shore Limited and heard the crack of the bats against the balls.

Obviously you can get to all the NYC area stadiums on the subway or commuter rail, though not directly from Penn Station. Others have listed the *multiple* options.

As for Minneapolis: Target Field is on the light rail, at the far end of the light rail line from St Paul Union Depot where the Empire Builder stops. You wouldn't ever walk that, but the light rail is super easy.
 
Many thanks, fellow rail fans and baseball devotees! Obviously I couldn't make it to every major-league park using the combo of Amtrak and my own two feet (augmented by light rail or an easy shuttle); but it's encouraging to learn that my dream is eminently practical. Most cities seem to have sited their ballparks conveniently to downtown, with a few conspicuous exceptions. Texas and Atlanta, I'm looking particularly at you.

I hadn't even thought of minor-league ball....but since that came up, let's remember the team that's named after a railroad feature. The Altoona Curve (and their mascot, Al Tuna) play about 4 miles from the Altoona, PA station.
 
The Round Rock Express ( AAA/PCL Farm Team of the Texas Rangers) play @ Dell Diamond, are Sponsored by Amtrak and are named after a combo of an Express train and the Fastball of the Owner, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

The Texas Eagles (as well as many UP Freights and Rock Trains) run past the Stadium and every time a train goes by during a game they play a Johnny Cash Train song.

Some of the Conductors point out the Stadium as the Eagle Rolls past heading for the stop in Taylor ( excellent Bar-B-Q)10 miles away or Austin 20 miles to the Southwest.

Unfortunately a car is required to reach this gem.
 
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I'm not doing a complete list of minor league teams. :D :D :D

Norfolk is another one that's totally doable, the stadium and train station share a parking lot. Hotels within walking distance too.
Did you wife finally get you to do the housework you're supposed to be doing? ;)
 
National League

Central:

Milwaukee: 3 miles, no idea on transit.
There is bus service (Route 90) about 3 blocks from MKE station that runs directly to the ballpark on game days. That's a limited service that only runs for a period of time before and after each game. At others times it's a little under a mile walk from a full service bus line (7 days/week, 18-20 hours/day).
 
There was a time when Amtrak California's Capitol Corridor could run between OAC and SAC, which bridged the Oakland A's and their long-time AAA affiliate. Once I took a bus to go to Sacramento, but planned on taking Amtrak home. Then I checked the schedule and found the AAA (the Sacramento River Cats) had a game that day. It's a bit of a walk from Old Sacramento where I took the excursion train, but it wasn't too bad. There might also be game day shuttles, but I didn't check that out. t bought a ticket behind home plate for $17. I also had the flexibility to take an earlier train when the game ended fairly quickly.

The team changed affiliation though.
 
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