Tips on Planning One-Day, Two-City Doubleheaders

Earlier this month marked seven years since my last one-day, two-city doubleheader.

Recalling that big day not only has me eagerly anticipating future baseball road trips (2021? 2022?) but also thinking about the process of pulling off two games in two cities in a single day. On the surface, the idea of this type of doubleheader is pretty awesome. Ask a few fans if they’ve ever done one of their own, and they’ll almost certainly be able to give you a long list of specifics about when/where they made it happen. If you come across someone who hasn’t done this type of doubleheader, it’s probably on his or her baseball bucket list. But, for all of the exciting aspects of this type of doubleheader, there are also some drawbacks.

I tend to be a “Pros and Cons” type of guy. If I’m trying to make a decision of any importance, I’m quick to grab a scrap of paper and note some pros/cons until the best course of action is clear. That said, I thought it’d be fun to look at the advantages and disadvantages of one-day, two-city doubleheaders (which I’m abbreviating to the catchy “1D2C”) here with the hopes that this information might be helpful to you when you’re planning your own trips. Here are some points to keep in mind:

Pro: You’ll Save Some Money

One of the biggest perks of scheduling this type of doubleheader is that it will help you to save money. We all know that baseball road trips aren’t cheap. Game tickets are often one of your lower costs on a trip. Instead, it’s the hotels, gas and food that can have you shelling out a good chunk of money each day. A 1D2C doubleheader saves you money by cutting out a day’s hotel accommodation — instead of paying for two hotels to see two teams, you’ll cut your hotel expense in half.

Con: You’ll Probably Miss Some Innings

One of the unfortunate things about a 1D2C doubleheader is that you may need to bail on the first game early if you want to get to the second city before first pitch. This obviously depends on the distance between the two cities, but I’ve regrettably had to pull the plug on a few games because I needed to get on the road. As baseball fans, we’re seldom keen on leaving the ballpark before the final out, and it stinks to have to bid farewell to one park because you need to race to another.

Pro: You’ll Maximize Your Available Time

Let’s face it — most of us don’t have an infinite amount of time to devote to our baseball road trips. Work and family commitments come first, which means that we’re sometimes squeezing our trips into a tight schedule. Another big benefit of a 1D2C doubleheader is that it’ll save you time. Wanting to get away to see a couple of games in a couple of cities, but having trouble making it work with your schedule? This kind of doubleheader can be the answer.

Con: You’ll Be Tired And Stressed

One thing that I didn’t anticipate when I began scheduling 1D2C doubleheaders was how tiring they can be. Back in 2012, I might’ve set a Guinness World Record for three straight days of these doubleheaders. (Day 1: Lehigh Valley/Trenton; Day 2: Wilmington/Frederick; Day 3: Altoona/Buffalo.) It was an ambitiously fun idea when I scheduled it, but it turned out to be a little too much. All of the rushing and late nights had me feeling like a zombie as the trip went on — so much so that I honestly didn’t enjoy the final game. Stress can certainly be an issue, too. I remember getting caught in a terrible traffic jam between two of the cities and worrying that I might not get to the next game in time. It was miserable.

Pro: You’ll Have Bragging Rights

Baseball road trippers love talking about their various adventures, and 1D2C doubleheaders almost always come up when I’m exchanging stories with other fans in person and on social media. There’s an inherent sense of adventure in planning a 1D2C doubleheader and a true sense of accomplishment upon pulling off this feat. Being able to do so means that you’ll have a cool story to share when the topic comes up in conversation.

Con: You’ll Worry About Weather Delays

In 2012, I had a morning game in Wilmington, DE, and an evening game in Frederick, MD. It’s a two-hour drive between the two cities, which isn’t bad. Unfortunately, the weather in Wilmington looked terrible leading up to the game, which put the entire day’s plans in jeopardy. I worried that the first game would be delayed and that I’d have to make the difficult decision of either pulling the plug on Wilmington and heading to Frederick or sticking around in Wilmington and missing the start of the game in Frederick. The weather turned out to be fine, thankfully, but that day made me realize how much a 1D2C doubleheader needs the weather to cooperate.

In no way am I suggesting that you shy away from a 1D2C doubleheader. It’s something of a rite of passage, and the many advantages that it provides can definitely be appealing. I just want you to know what you’re getting into. And if you’re thinking about scheduling this type of trip ….

Points For Planning:

If you haven’t yet added a 1D2C doubleheader to your resume, there’s a good chance that you’ll make an attempt at some point. Beyond keeping the above pros and cons in mind, here are some tips that you can use to make this experience as positive as possible.

Don’t Underestimate the Distance

The easiest 1D2C doubleheaders are those in which the cities are extremely close together. Let’s take one scenario — Cleveland and Akron, which are less than an hour’s drive apart. This means that you won’t have trouble combining these two cities in an MLB/MiLB doubleheader. As soon as you get into lengthier distances, things become more challenging. Let’s say you’re looking at a 1 p.m. game and a 7 p.m. game, which is the most common scenario for pulling off a 1D2C doubleheader. Game 1 will probably end close to 4 p.m., which gives you three hours to get to the next city before first pitch. In the planning stages, it’s easy to look at a three-hour drive and tell yourself that you’ll shave 30 minutes off it, but that probably won’t happen. Underestimating the distance between two cities can easily mean that miss part of at least one game.

Think About Traffic

Being realistic about driving distances dovetails into my next point — consider the traffic. As we know all too well, traffic around MLB parks can be terrible. You can easily waste an hour in stop-and-go conditions between the highway and the park in some cities, which can ruin your plans. Leaving a game early can help you to beat some of the traffic, but it’s important to remember that some cities’ traffic is worse than others. Try to make decisions that can help you to beat the traffic. Back your car into your parking space so that it’s quicker to get out. Parking close to the ballpark can leave you fighting a throng of traffic. It’s often better to park a few blocks away, where the volume of cars will be lighter.

Fuel Up First

This one’s pretty self-explanatory, but don’t sabotage your progress by stopping for gas on the drive between the two cities. Filling up your tank before the first game can save a few minutes at a time that every minute counts. Similarly, if you’re traveling with kids, make sure that they hit the bathroom on the way out of the first ballpark so that you don’t have to make a pit stop.

Look For Morning Games

While a 1 p.m./7 p.m. scenario can work, be on the lookout for other game times. If you’re able to find a 12:30 p.m. start or a 7:30 p.m. start, you’ll give yourself a little more leeway. Even better, look for a morning game. These are common in the minor leagues — most teams will play at 10 or 11 a.m. at least a couple of times a season. If you’re able to schedule your 1D2C doubleheader around a morning game, you’ll be out of the park and on the road by early afternoon, with plenty of time to get to your second destination.

Watch What You Eat

I’m hardly in a position to call for dietary restraint at the ballpark, but watching what you eat is something that you can easily forget to do. If you grab a heavy meal during your first game, there’s a good chance that you’ll feel sluggish on the ride between games. This is a time of excitement, and you want to be alert as you head to the next park — not feel as though you’d love to pull over for a nap. A light meal or snack is your best bet for the first game. If you want to overindulge, it’s best to wait until the nightcap.

Try It In Moderation

My recommendation for scheduling a 1D2C doubleheader is to do so in moderation. In other words, try one of these days and see how it suits you. I don’t recommend consecutive days of 1D2C doubleheaders, and if you’re going to schedule one of these days on a longer trip, I’d suggest trying to include an off-day, too. Everyone’s different, but my loose rule going forward is that I won’t do more than one of these doubleheaders in a week.

When baseball comes back and we start to plan trips again, best of luck to everyone who schedules a 1D2C doubleheader. Make sure to hit me up on Twitter to let me know how it goes!