But the other six months of the year, you live in Buffalo.

Grandmaster Poopypants: But the other six months of the year, you live in Buffalo.

/internet

Grandmaster Poopypants: But the other six months of the year, you live in Buffalo.

Over in one.
/nice jorb

There are far more than 11 professional baseball teams within 8 hours of Buffalo. Last I checked, minor league players get paid too.

I got to the Mets' new Bankrupt Bank field two weeks ago, and the thing I liked best about it was the 2nd level porch in right field which hangs out over the field, beyond the first level seats, like the right field seats from old Tiger Stadium. That's pretty cool. I didn't like, however, how there's no field view from the main concourse area behind most of the infield seats.

Seems to me that rather than living in a city where the closest MLB park is 90 miles away, living in a city with 2 parks a subway ride away might be a tad more conducive to attending games.

If you want to really talk about the "best" cities for baseball, you'd probably have to go to the southern part of the US somewhere. It isn't that the teams or fans are better, just that there's more of a year-round environment for baseball. Off the top of my head, some areas in Arizona or Florida have college tournaments in February... if they have winter league baseball in November (Arizona), and assuming some sort of baseball is happening in December or January, you could basically watch it year round.

Morchella: Lessee, Chicago - 2, Cincinatti, Cleveland, Milwaukee, St Louis, Kansas City, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Atlanta. I think Indianapolis beats Buffalo. Atlanta might be pushing it, but the others are all within the time of TFA.

Even counting Atlanta, Indianapolis has ten within 8 hours of driving, whereas Buffalo has eleven.

However, at least you're not in Buffalo for the other six months of the year, so there's that.

How about Cleveland, then? Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago (2), Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York (2), Baltimore, DC, Toronto = 13

that doesn't even count the tons of minor league parks in western NY... Buffalo Bison, Batavia Muckdogs, Rochester Red Wings, Jamestown Jammers, Erie SeaWolves, even the B-Mets... plenty of baseball at all levels without getting jammed at MLB prices.

Who the fark is going to drive 8 hours to go to a game. Best baseball cities would be the metro areas with 2 teams -- Chicago, NYC, Bay Area, LA, DC/MD.

KAVORKA: Who the fark is going to drive 8 hours to go to a game.

Someone who likes baseball, I imagine. And who has access to a car.

Really an 8 hour drive is kind of arbitrary, I mean I could fly to NYC from here in Germany in under 8 hours if I really wanted to catch a game that badly, that doesn't mean I am going to start bragging about all the games I could see with a quick trans-atlantic flight.

paulandorder: Seems to me that rather than living in a city where the closest MLB park is 90 miles away, living in a city with 2 parks a subway ride away might be a tad more conducive to attending games.

And Chicago slightly has the edge over New York in this, as you don't have to change lines in going from Wrigley to Comiskey on those rare days both teams are in town.

How is a 16-hour round trip realistic for seeing a game? Maybe two hours, three one way is a stretch...but 16-hours? That gives you what, 16 hours travel, 3.5 hrs for the game, and 4.5 hrs to sleep? Hardly a day trip and if you're not doing a day trip than you can just fly to any parl in the country and not have to live in Buffalo.

GimpyNip: How is a 16-hour round trip realistic for seeing a game? Maybe two hours, three one way is a stretch...but 16-hours? That gives you what, 16 hours travel, 3.5 hrs for the game, and 4.5 hrs to sleep? Hardly a day trip and if you're not doing a day trip than you can just fly to any parl in the country and not have to live in Buffalo.

Seriously, that is a farking bizarre standard for "best baseball city."

Ergo, because Meridian, MS is equidistant from Lexington, NC and Dallas, TX, it is the best place to get BBQ in the world.

QED, indeed

I think it is implied in the headline that it is the best city excluding those that actually have major league teams.

The fist line of TFA is: "There are few areas in the country better suited for baseball road-tripping than Buffalo."

The point isn't that you can easily see any team on a random weekday. The point is that from Buffalo you have a choice of several teams that you could easily see in a weekend trip with little advance planning. All you need is one night in a hotel.

Rex_Banner: The fist line of TFA is: "There are few areas in the country better suited for baseball road-tripping than Buffalo."

The point isn't that you can easily see any team on a random weekday. The point is that from Buffalo you have a choice of several teams that you could easily see in a weekend trip with little advance planning. All you need is one night in a hotel.

I don't see how this is really any more true than New York, Philly, Baltimore or DC.... all within 8 hours driving of a bunch of stadiums and they actually have their own stadiums too.

Rex_Banner: The point isn't that you can easily see any team on a random weekday. The point is that from Buffalo you have a choice of several teams that you could easily see in a weekend trip with little advance planning. All you need is one night in a hotel.

Yeah, but if you live in Boston, Baltimore, Toronto, or NYC you can drive to any division foes park (except TB) for a quick 2-day trip and also have a team in your city. If we aren't counting cities with teams than Pawtuckett, RI makes as much sense if not more than Buffalo.

Rex_Banner: I think it is implied in the headline that it is the best city excluding those that actually have major league teams.

I'm curious how Buffalo fares among cities without a football team

Bill Frist: I don't see how this is really any more true than New York, Philly, Baltimore or DC.... all within 8 hours driving of a bunch of stadiums and they actually have their own stadiums too.


Again, I think its implied that we are talking about cities that do not have their own MLB team. Obviously any team with a Major League team is a better city for baseball than a city without a Major League team.

GimpyNip: Yeah, but if you live in Boston, Baltimore, Toronto, or NYC you can drive to any division foes park (except TB) for a quick 2-day trip and also have a team in your city. If we aren't counting cities with teams than Pawtuckett, RI makes as much sense if not more than Buffalo.

Pawtuckett has proximity to Boston and NY but Buffalo has a greater number of stadiums in range. I guess you could make an argument either way.

Hoopy Frood: How about Cleveland, then? Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago (2), Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York (2), Baltimore, DC, Toronto = 13

FTFY. They said professional.

/Irate fan

OK, I vote for the 'Burgh.
It has PNC Park--best in the Majors. Add easily enough to pass Buffalo and far more Minor League teams. Oh, and did I mention that unlike Buffalo you can see Major League baseball without traveling at all?


I think Cleveland crushes Buffalo as well and its park is pretty spiffy too.

pgh9fan: OK, I vote for the 'Burgh.
It has PNC Park--best in the Majors. Add easily enough to pass Buffalo and far more Minor League teams. Oh, and did I mention that unlike Buffalo you can see Major League baseball without traveling at all?

yeah, but there are no major league teams around except the Phillies.

puffy999: If you want to really talk about the "best" cities for baseball, you'd probably have to go to the southern part of the US somewhere. It isn't that the teams or fans are better, just that there's more of a year-round environment for baseball. Off the top of my head, some areas in Arizona or Florida have college tournaments in February... if they have winter league baseball in November (Arizona), and assuming some sort of baseball is happening in December or January, you could basically watch it year round.

That's what I love about Florida. College baseball in February, Spring Training in March, Rays games through October, and minor league ball all summer long. My only break is November-January, but that's what SEC football and the NFL are for. It's just enough time to miss baseball ... and finish crunching stats to prepare for another MLB fantasy season.

Grandmaster Poopypants: But the other six months of the year, you live in Buffalo.

That's the best time of the year to live in Buffalo, if you're a sports fan.

That's football and hockey season, which are sports #1 and #1a around there.

Grandmaster Poopypants: But the other six months of the year, you live in Buffalo.

Football and Hockey, not to mention that I have never been more drunk in my life than I was, when I was in Buffalo. So that is something as well.

Pump woke up in Fort Erie, with different clothes on, including my underwear, and no shoes. Whatever happened to those shoes???

as a Buffalonian that's been on half these trips, albiet Pit was when they had a winning season, in fact 'We are family' sticks in my head for some reason.

Toronto is the easiest day trip, B'lo to TO in less than an hour and a half, but now you have to make sure your papers are in order before crossing. Cleveland is probably the best and easiest trip with a few other cool things to do but lets face it, if your from Buffalo..Cleveland isn't that exotic.

NYC is about the same in the air as it is to drive to Toronto and with gas prices honestly just as cheap. Boston too, and Fenway is probably the best place to watch a game now, just because it's so old school in a time with mostly new fields.

and we do have a good minor league team playing at North Dunn Tire Healthcare Cola Park


/Go Bisons

I don't think I would ever drive 8 hours out of my way to go see a baseball game. When I am at my moms place though, I just hop on the bus and go straight to AT&T Park.

celery_stalker: if your from Buffalo..Cleveland isn't that exotic.

Does this really need qualification?

I once went and saw 10 baseball games at 10 different stadiums in 10 days.

(If you're scoring at home: Wrigley, Milwaukee the same day, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Toronto, a day at Cooperstown, Comiskey, Minnesota, Kansas City.)

I made the first pitch at every game to boot! I got a little lucky with the rain delay starting the Royals game.

/Good times... Good times...