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Minor League Tour

Posted: February 27 19, 12:07 pm
by tlombard
I just saw Deadspin's piece about how Toronto is already laying down the BS as to why Vlad Jr. won't start the season with the MLB team and that reminded me of my desire to take the Lake Shore Limited between Chicago and Boston/New York and catch as many minor/independent league games that I can some time soon.

One of the comments mentioned being grateful to get a chance to see him play for cheap at least a little bit longer and that got me thinking. Toronto's AAA team is in Buffalo which is along the Lake Shore Limited route which brings up two questions.

1. What is the earliest that he can be called up to delay his eventual free agency? I figure that if I try and take my trip before then, he'll still be there. I thought about the first week in April for their first series but that would mean missing the Cardinal's home opener and that's not happening. Then the next two or three weeks after that are just not great with work timing wise so I hope I have a little longer.

2. Do any of our minor league exports have any suggestions on ballparks/teams along the route which pretty much follows right along the Great Lakes? I took the route last March and remember seeing at least half a dozen parks within a couple of blocks of Amtrak stations and the chances are that I was sleeping when we passed through others and I missed them.

I bet I could take a week and catch games at a few different parks.

Re: Minor League Tour

Posted: February 27 19, 1:37 pm
by Swirls
It's usually mid-April where the cutoff is to delay service time by a year.

Re: Minor League Tour

Posted: February 27 19, 3:12 pm
by tlombard
That is what I was afraid of and doesn't give me much time! I think my choices are either the first week of April right when teams start the season but that would mean I have to miss the Cards home opener or else wait until mid May once commissions are paid out and done. Basically days 10-45 of each quarter are not ideal for an actual vacation in order to get commissions paid.

Re: Minor League Tour

Posted: February 27 19, 7:21 pm
by st.lewis11
Swirls, are you sure it's mid-April? I have no clue myself, but I thought it was into May before it affects service time. I'm probably wrong.

Re: Minor League Tour

Posted: February 27 19, 9:30 pm
by Swirls
Well, the last I knew it was mid-April, which is why top prospects would typically debut in the latter half of the month (Kris Bryant is a good recent example).

Re: Minor League Tour

Posted: February 28 19, 10:20 am
by go birds
it's like 2-3 weeks into the season...i fully expect him to be up my may 1

Re: Minor League Tour

Posted: March 1 19, 11:59 am
by tlombard
Looks like I'm going to have to miss seeing him in AAA unless they stupidly decide to keep him down longer than they have to. The only way I could take this trip earlier would be to miss the Cardinals' Home Opener and that's not an option. Stupid work.