Let's Road Trip 2024: Trip #11 - From Armadillos to Whales... Texas & San Diego (August 15-21)

A retractable roof makes spending a few days in Dallas in August a whole lot more tolerable than it was in the days of the old Ballpark in Arlington.

Texas Rangers – August 15-18
Globe Life Field: Capacity 43,000
2023 Attendance: 2,533,062, up from 2,011,381 in 2022 (Averaged 31,272, ranked 7th out of 15 AL teams, 16th in all MLB)

Texas exists as a geographic outlier in the baseball universe. Even Moon’s Baseball Road Trips doesn’t know what to do with it, as trip to a Rangers game gets lumped in with a “heartland” road trip which starts... at Target Field, of all places.

Globe Life Field opened to empty seats in 2020, thanks to the pandemic. The seats didn’t necessarily fill up for mediocre baseball in 2022, either. The retractable roof at the new ballpark offers 71-degree days when the world outside is boiling. Continued aggressive spending and a state-of-the-art stadium hoped to propel the Rangers to better days in 2023, and it actually worked! At last, a handful of stars and a new manager (Bruce Bochy) brought a World Series title home to the Rangers, as they found a way into the playoffs and then got too hot to stop.

The trend toward “entertainment district” stadium usage continues here, as teams seek to maximize (and capture) fan spending for blocks in all directions. While in the entertainment district, you can go to Six Flags, a waterpark, AT&T Stadium, and a mall. What you can’t find is a downtown vibe (this may be a positive to some fans) or easy public transit.

The Rangers are recent entrants into the MLB history books, but they have a unique tie to the Twins. In 1972, the Washington Senators found a new home (sound familiar?) in Arlington, Texas. Until then, the Dallas-Fort Worth area only hosted minor-league experiences and occasional spring training dalliances. Some have argued that they’ve mostly only hosted minor-league experiences since then, too.

The Twins took four out of six versus the Rangers in 2023, but they lacked the midseason moves that helped provide ex-Twin Mitch Garver and the Rangers with their rings. When the two teams clash in the heat of August, the trade deadline will have come and gone, and the rosters will be shaping up for the playoff push. Must-see baseball, if you ask me!

After this four game series, its time to head west to San Diego.

San Diego Padres – August 19-21
Petco Park: Capacity 42,445
2023 Attendance: 3,271,554, up from 2,991,470 in 2022 (Averaged 40,390, ranked 2nd in NL and 3rd overall MLB)

The Padres franchise started in 1969, and while a host of Hall of Famers have donned the jersey, none have brought home a World Series trophy. Tony Gwynn helped lead them to National League pennants in 1984 and 1998, but even a recent spend-a-thon couldn’t bring sustained success to the club. Now, the team finds itself in the midst of another reloading phase, having jettisoned Juan Soto and failing to bring back Blake Snell but trading for Dylan Cease almost out of nowhere last week. What version of the Padres will be waiting to host the Twins in late August? Will Cease be a successful spark to the rotation that puts them in the playoff hunt, or will the Padres be trading away the core yet again?

Regardless of the product on the field, Petco Park welcomes any baseball fan. It opened in 2004, smack in the heart of the retro-classic era of ballparks. They basically sold out during a solid but moderately unsuccessful season, so that should tell you what you need to know about the quality of the stadium as a destination. It's very accessible, and offers family and baseball fans various opportunities to connect with the game. Foodies and beer lovers will find hospitable hosts around the ballpark. Light rail and the trolley system are great ways to get to the game, “Park at the park” provides open lawn seating, and the beautiful weather makes this a bucket list “must-see” for any Twins fan.

The Twins will be traveling 4,332 miles for 7 games, 0 off days, and ____ wins?

How do you think the Twins will fare on this August voyage? Anyone planning to go to Texas or San Diego? Any favorite watering holes or tourist traps? Baseball is almost here Twins Territory…let’s get talking!

Let's Road Trip is a series of stories exploring the Twins' 13 road trips during the 2024 season.  I will focus on stadium highlights, attributes, Twins history, and community amenities.  Potential pitfalls and roadblocks get considered, and travel considerations get mentioned.  My handy-dandy Baseball Road Trips by Timothy Malcolm and Moon travel guides will be a go-to for this conversation.