Ladies and Gentlemen, please let me introduce...

There are 10 teams in the California League, which is the Single A level of minor league baseball. We will be visiting the five teams in the Southern Division. All teams are located within a few hours of my home in Pasadena.



Lancaster JetHawks

Attending a university that had a large number of students from Lancaster, PA, I find myself mispronouncing this city (it's lan-cast-er not lank-as-ter on the west coast). The JetHawks are the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. We'll be going to a game on Monday night at Clear Channel Stadium which has a giant fighter plane mounted outside. As I mentioned in a previous entry, this game has $10 seats with all you can eat ballpark food! Awesome.





High Desert Mavericks

Located in Adelanto, CA, in the middle of the High Desert. Rumor has it that the Mavs may be in danger of folding, and it is hard to imagine why they were even placed here in the first place. Adelanto has a booming population of just over 27,000 - less than the amount of people who attend the average Dodgers game every night! They are the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and play at Stater Bros. Stadium.





Lake Elsinore Storm

The Storm have the distinction of having the number one selling ballcap in the minor leagues. All that appears on the cap are the menacing eyes from their logo, which I think is clearly a clever marketing stroke of genius. The Storm play in the beautiful Lake Elsinore Diamond, which is located on the shore of... you guessed it, Lake Elsinore. The Storm are the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres and play one game every season at Petco Park in San Diego.





Inland Empire 66ers

The 66ers have the blessing of being an affiliate of Southern California's beloved LA Dodgers. I assume this relationship can do nothing but bolster their attendance in San Bernardino - a minor drive from Dodger Stadium. They play at Arrowhead Credit Union Park and just happen to be holding Thirsty Thursday while I am there - $1 beer and softdrinks... could be an interesting crowd. Not sure that I know of any other teams - major or minor - that are named after a road.





Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

The Quakes also benefit from being close to their parent club - Angel Stadium is located a mere 35 miles away, so any prospect making the huge jump from Single-A to the big show has just a short trip to make. I'll be at the Rancho Cucamonga Epicenter (best ballpark name on the trip!) for Friday Night Fireworks, and my wife Meredith will be joining me and giving me a ride back to civilization. Clever uniform quirk - have a blue fault line across the brim of their caps.