Breaking Down A Potential Suitor For My World Record Of 30 MLB Parks in 23 Days with a 30 – 21 bid

30 in 21 chance by Jake Beham

The schedule of Jake Beham, who is trying to chase down my World Record of Seeing all 30 MLB Parks (every pitch) in 23 calendar days or less.  This schedule must have been done without knowing you have to witness all plays of the game to qualify.  Jake is going to have a tough time dodging a miss on day 2 – where he will try to beat Labor Day Monday traffic from after the game – in order to make 1st pitch at CBP.  He will never make it by car.  The Yankees always play games that are 3 Hours or longer as well.  Even Amtrak train is a longshot.  I give him a 10% chance to make it on his 1st Doubleheader attempt.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports

2 days later he flies to Chase Field – and has scheduled a Doubleheader with Angel Stadium For DH #2.  I am assuming he is planning on taking a Southwest Airlines flight that arrives at John Wayne Arpt.  The flight leaves Phoenix at 455 PM.

That is 4 hours and 15 minutes after 1st pitch.  The flight that arrives in SNA at 605.   If he makes the flight, he could make this.  However it is about a 67% chance.  Most NL games last about 2 hours and 35 minutes.

The airport is close enough to the park in PHX – as is SNA airport.  Any extra innings though, and it is over.

On FRI, Sept.6th, he has scheduled a Wrigley Field and Kauffman Stadium doubleheader for DH #3.  This one is impossible.  The game starts at 120 PM local Chicago Time.

The closest flight I saw that leaves ORD or MDW in time for Kansas City, leaves at 441 PM.  That is 3 hours and 21 minutes from 1st pitch at Wrigley Field.

The days of not being able to visit all MLB parks in consecutive days ended in 1993, when the Rockies were introduced, and enhanced even more with the Arizona Diamondbacks entering the league in 1998. In the last 15 years, several people have tried to see all 30 MLB parks in under a month. Some successful, some broke some rules, and one guy even bought this website 6 months after he set the World Record for visiting all 30 MLB Parks in just 23 Calendar Days in 2012 – completing 7 Doubleheaders.

It is a Friday – and it it will take him at least an hour to make it to the airport, give him 30 minutes to go through security and board (best case scenario), and he will need a game under 2 hours. 

Even with no traffic, he would not make it in time.

Percent chance he makes the CHC/KC doubleheader 0.2%.

For DH #4: The Athletics and Giants should be a doable doubleheader for o.co Coliseum and AT & T Park.  Hopefully Jake knows that he should avoid the Bay Bridge in rush hour. 

Unless the A’s game goes 4 hours plus, he should make this game.

Percent chance to make this  DH- 95%.

DH Attempt #5, Great American Ballpark and Busch Stadium. It is 358 Miles between the parks.  even with a 1235 start time, you have 5 hours worth of travel at best of circumstances. 

You do gain an hour back from EST to CST.

The game at Busch starts at 715 PM.  so this would mean a baseball game under 2 hours and 30 minutes would be needed, and no delays at all for the traffic situation.

It is extremely hard to get out of GABP quickly.

percent chance to make this doubleheader 35 – 40 %.

DH #6 Marlins Ballpark and Tropicana Field.    I can’t think Jake wants to fly out of Miami at 345 to arrive to the game early.  So I am thinking he plans on driving.  Its a 4 hour drive if you are lucky.

With a 1240 PM EST start in Miami, he will need a 2 hour and 30 minute game or under, navigate through a tough drive, and park in Tropicana Field, fighting the traffic in front of there.

Percent chance to make it – 30%.

DH chance #7:  The Ballpark in Arlington and Minute Maid Park.

The best flight I saw, leaves DFW at 5:08 PM and arrives at IAH at 6:08.  If he makes the flight, he should make it to MMP on time.

However, with a game start at 1:20 local Dallas time, and about a 30 minutes drive to the airport (in traffic, and 30 minutes for security) – Jake will need a baseball game of 2 hours and 45 minutes or under, and flawless execution to make it to DFW.

Percent chance to make this trek – 30%.

His last two sets of Doubleheader opportunities are quite Doable. The Final DH he is doing is the US Cellular Field and Miller Park  combo.  This one, while it looks inviting, is much harder in person to do.

The I – 90 and I – 94 are absolute killers in rush hour traffic.  I have made Wrigley Field and Miller Park doubleheaders on 4 separate occasions, but I had an ideal 1st game lasting under 2 hours and 35 Min it both instances.

This will be a tough gruel.  If the game doesn’t go extras, Mr. Beham should make it.

Percent chance to make this DH – 75 – 80%

#9 it is PNC Park and Progressive Field.  The distance between the two parks should take him about 3 Hours in heavy traffic.

As long as he can get the game to end by 4 PM EST in Pittsburgh, he should be okay.

Percent Chance to Make this DH: 80 – 85 %

These trips aren’t for the faint of heart.  In these 9 Doubleheaders, Jake Beham might make 5 of them at best, and I hope he has armed himself with a back up plan.

The keys to anyone of these trips, are what to do if there is an unexpected delay, miss, flight delay.  I had a master depth chart that specified what I would do in case I missed any of my games.

Jake will be delayed at least 3 – 4 times in his flights he has booked (22).  You can bank on it.  Does he know to always take the earliest flights when planning a trip (despite the fact that it may work against your sleep).

Weather delays and extra innings are sure to be a factor at some point.

Does he have people along the way to lend him $$ in case he runs out.

Has he factored in the price of changing the flights?

Each one of this trips I was also smart enough to have a retro – active game right before I started the streak, because they are several teams who may not be able to make in  the event of a cancellation for weather. 

For Mr. Beham, he should considered going to game of one of his Double header opportunities the night before.  Since he will not make his KC doubleheader, he should book the 22nd of Sept game right now (which is one day after).

As I did one of these trips on and gained experience, I also did not waste anytime on a game plan/escape route, once I made it to the park. 

In some cases, going the whole extra miles of a park to the airport, to see all of the innuendo’s one may see on the road.

I am not saying this to be offensive.  I implore Jake for taking on such a task.  He is raising money for charity – through visiting ballparks.  I just don’t know whether he knows the full extent in which one of these journey’s entails.

What He Should Have Done.

If I were chasing my own record, I would have gone with this schedule.  1st off, I would have gone to Nationals Park on the 30th of Aug, and then Turner Field the next night, because both clubs have limited home schedules in late 2013.

The Nats game would work as the retroactive game, just in case the Yankee Stadium and Nationals Park DH didn’t work out – you simply retroactive the streak back by a day, and don’t forego added costs of rescheduling.

6 out of the next 7 Doubleheaders I have done in previous trips Petco Park/Angel Stadium (Driving), Great American Ball Park/Us Cellular Field (Flight), Wrigley Field/Miller Park (Amtrak Train or Drive), PNC Park, Progressive Field (Drive), o.co Coliseum/AT & T Park (Drive), Citi Field and CBP (Amtrak Train).

The only other DH attempt that I have not tried is the Rogers Center and Fenway Park, however I have completed two Rogers Center and Yankee Stadium DH’s before.

The game in Toronto starts at 1:05 PM EST and Fenway Park starts at 8:05 PM EST (with a Sunday Night ESPN start time).  There is a flight that leaves Pearson International Airport (YYZ) at 550 PM – arrives at Logan Airport (BOS) at 7:05 PM. 

You could have a game of 3:30 in Toronto and still make it through security at the airports, with about a 30 minute drive to the International Terminal and then even have 40 minutes.

This would be a lot more conducive for trying to break the record.  Even then, you would still have to go 7/8 in those DH opportunities just to tie, and then you still only tie the record.  All 8 DH, would be a tough go.

Last Year, I had 10 doubleheader chances in 20 days, and nailed 7 of them, losing the other 3 to plane delays

2012 Streak Record:

Full Write – ups for the entire trip can be read here.

My New Guinness Book of World Record looks like this: 30 MLB Parks in 23 Days (2012)

Game#1 Day #1  Friday.  The is game was retro-activated as substituted for April.7  Game as Game #1

April.06 Chase Field in PHX 4:10 PM (Chase Field Season Opener Completed:  Arizona wins 5-4.)

Game # 2 Day # 2  Saturday April.07 Angels Stadium in Anaheim 1:05 PM

(Completed LAA loses 6-3 to KC)

Game # 3 Day # 2 Saturday April.07   Petco Park in San Diego 5:35 PM

( Completed: San Diego loses 6-5 to the LAD in 11 innings)

Game # 4 Day # 3  SUN April.08  Minute Maid Park in Houston 1:05 PM

(Completed: Houston wins 3-2)

Game # 5 Day # 4  MON April.09   Citizens Bank Ball Park in Philadelphia 1:05 PM

(Citizens Bank Ball Park Season Opener) (Completed: Philly loses 6-2 to the Miami Marlins)

Game # 6 Day # 4   Monday April.09 Citi Field in New York (NYM win 3-2 over WSH)

Game # 7 Day # 5   Tuesday April.10   Dodgers Stadium in Los 1:05 PM

(Dodger Stadium Season Opener) (Completed: LAD wins 2-1 over  Pit)

Game # 8 Day # 6  WED  April.11  The Ballpark in Arlington 7:05 PM (Completed Sea Wins 4-3)

Game # 9 Day #7  THU  April.12  Coors Field 1:05 PM (Completed SF Giants win 6-3)

Game #10 Day # 8  FRI  April.13  AT&T Park in SF 1:35 PM  (AT & T Park Season Opener)

(Completed: SF Wins 5-0)

Game # 11 Day # 9  SAT  April.14  Target Field in Minnesota 12:10 PM (Completed: Texas wins 6-2)

Game # 12 Day # 10  SUN  April.15  Rogers Center in Toronto 1:07 PM (Completed: Toronto wins 9-2)

Game # 13 Day # 10  SUN  April.15  Yankees Stadium in the Bronx 8:05 PM

(Completed: New York wins 11-6)

Game # 14 Day #11  MON  April.16  Fenway Park in Boston 11:05 AM (Completed: TB wins 1-0)

Game # 15  Day #11  MON  April.16  Nationals Park in Washington 7:05 PM

(Completed- WSH wins 6-3)

Game # 16  Day #12  TUES  April.17  New Marlins Ballpark 7:05 PM (Completed: wins 5-2)

Game # 17  Day #13  WED  April.18  Turner Field in Atlanta 12:10 PM

(Completed: Atlanta wins 11-6)

Game # 18 Day #14  THUR  April.19  Safeco Field in Seattle 7:10 PM (Completed: CLE wins 2-1)

Game # 19  Day #15  FRI  April.20  Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City 7:10 PM

(Completed: TOR wins 4-3)

Game # 20 Day # 16 SAT  April.21  Wrigley Field in Chicago 12:00 PM (Completed: CHC wins 6-1)

Game # 21 Day # 16 SAT  April.21  Miller Park in Milwaukee 6:05 PM (Completed: MIL wins 9-3)

Game # 22  Day # 17 SUN  April.22  Comerica Park in Detroit 1:05 PM (Completed: TEX wins 3-2)

Game # 23 Day # 18 MON  April.23  O.co Coliseum in Oakland 7:05 PM (Completed: CWS wins 4-0)

Game # 24 Day # 19 TUES  April.24  Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay 7:05 PM (Completed: TB wins 5-0)

Game # 25 Day # 20  WED  April.25  PNC Park in Pittsburgh 12:35 PM (Completed: COL wins 2-1)

Game # 26  Day # 20  WED  April.25  Progressive Field in Cleveland 7:05 PM (Completed: KC wins 8-2)

Game # 27  Day # 21  THU  April.26  Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati 12:35 PM

(Completed: SF wins 6-5)

Game # 28  Day #21 THU  April.26   US Cellular Field in Chicago 7:11 PM (Completed: BOS wins 10-3)

Game #29  Day  #22  FRI  April. 27   Busch Stadium in St. Louis 7:15 PM (Completed: STL wins 13-1)

Game# 30  Day # 23   SAT  April.28   Oriole Park at Camden Yards. 7:05 PM

The 30 MLB Park tour by travel or air is one of the most adrenaline filled chases one can endure. It is like the Amazing Race, meets Survivor, against Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com or their partners.***

Chuck Booth – Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner and author of the Fastest 30 Ballgames:   To learn more about my  “The Fastest 30 Ballgames Book” and how to purchase it, click here .

You can also follow my Guinness Book of World Record Successful Bid to see all 30 MLB Park in 23 Days – click here. 

I am happy to be part of such an awesome Magazine-Style Baseball Website and am looking forward to talking to all of the fans of the MLB. 

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