Luke Erickson: Sharing some minor league travel tips

One of the joys of following minor league baseball is going to see your favorite team on the road. Since 2006, I've been to the stadiums of eight of the nine opposing teams in the Single-A Carolina League, and every Nationals affiliate north of Florida (including short-season Single-A Vermont in 2010).

This week, I'm aiming to take care of the ninth Carolina League stadium (Buies Creek) while I'm on vacation here in North Carolina, though it'll be against the Salem Red Sox (the vacation was planned first).

Having been on several long road trips, I thought I'd pass along some of my tips.

Take the interstates: There's nothing wrong with taking the back roads to get there, especially if you want to see the countryside. But the interstates are your best bet because they're faster, there are more places to stop for food and fuel, and should you have car trouble, you're a better position to get help quickly. Also, quite a few teams are situated close to the freeway anyway (e.g. the Frederick Keys).

Consider the dominant travel pattern: My favorite night to shoot for is a Saturday night. You're not fighting the people who are going to the beach or the mountains because they're already there. If you must travel on a Friday, try to leave either mid-morning or mid-afternoon (i.e. after rush hour or after lunch).

On Sundays, watch out for afternoon games that will have you on the road between 5- 8 p.m., a.k.a. when the weekend throngs are coming back. This is why some teams have start times of 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. - it's not quite as harsh on the players, and enables the opposing team to leave with some daylight.

Parking: It's an overlooked detail, so do your homework - especially with clubs in older ballparks or teams that are very popular. Park a few blocks away, and you'll save both time and money as you quite literally walk past the folks jockeying to get out.

Promotions: You can use the promotions calendar two ways: to get the freebies you want or avoid the folks who care more about the giveaway than the game (cough, bobbleheads, cough).

Midweek day games: These are big moneymakers for minor league clubs. They're often dominated by schools and/or camps and daycares, but they almost always sit in the cheap seats.

Despite the crowds, it seems that most venues are shorthanded for these games, relying on the groups' chaperones for crowd control. This also makes it harder to get concessions and nearly guarantees long lines. But if you don't mind eating before or after the game, you can generally get great seats up close.

Don't forget to wear sunscreen: And drink plenty of fluids, by which I mean water and soda. One of the unfortunate things I've noticed is that minor league stadiums with a roof aren't being built anymore.

To me, that's penny wise and pound foolish because a roof provides cover from both the sun and the rain. Also, I can't help but notice that in the places where there is one, people tend to stick around longer when the elements aren't favorable.

Consequently, I find myself drawn to WPA-era parks like Grainger Stadium, where if the weather holds, I'll be catching a game for the first time since it was the home of the Kinston Indians. But if not, I'll still probably go - because it has a roof!

Luke Erickson blogs about the Nationals' minor league affiliates for NationalsProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter: @nats_prospects. His thoughts on the Nationals' farm system will appear here as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our site. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.