The calendar is nearing the end of March and the Saltdogs are under two months away from their return.

Of course, there’s nothing like a night out at Haymarket Park and we’ve got 50 more of those upcoming.

But the American Association is one of the baseball’s unique treasures — and with so many cool and interesting cities within, it can make for quite the vacation or quick weekend getaway. Because of that, we’re going to look at each of the 10 cities the ‘Dogs will visit in 2019.

 

OVERVIEW: After Lincoln opens the home schedule with seven games (four against Cleburne, three against St. Paul), the ‘Dogs will again hit the road and continue their trek throughout the upper Midwest with their first-ever trip to the expansion Milwaukee Milkmen – the de-facto replacement for the Wichita Wingnuts in 2019 and beyond.

While Lincoln might not be heading into the thick of downtown Milwaukee, they will get a taste of suburban Milwaukee and a quieter community known as Franklin, WI.

It’ll be the club’s first trip to the state of Wisconsin – and the only visit to brand-new Routine Field for the ‘Dogs in 2019.

THE STADIUM: We’re gonna do our best here because – well – we’ve never been to Routine Field. Nobody in the league has. But all of the indications are that it should be quite the trip and the facility to visit.

Billed at 4,000 seats, it’s one of the smaller venues in the American Association – but that’s never been a bad thing. It’ll be home to both the Milwaukee Milkmen and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers in the future, and it’s an entirely grass surface.

A $15 million-dollar venture, the stadium is nestled in a quieter part of Franklin and promises to feature great sightlines, an up-close-and-personal experience that’s more than affordable and one of the best beer gardens in the league. (Oh, and the yard has private golf bays that allow you to play and watch along with a private waitstaff throughout the night.)

THE CITY: Franklin itself is just a suburb with about 35,000 people, so if you’re looking to wind down after taking in a ‘Dogs road game, this is a good place to do it.

However, if you’re looking for the comprehensive Milwaukee experience, it’s only a 20-minute drive from the heart of downtown. If you want to double up on baseball, it’s also about a 20-minute drive to Miller Park – home of MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers. There are so many possibilities you have when visiting Routine Field.

Of course, Milwaukee is perhaps known best for its breweries – but there is rich history within a city located on the banks of Lake Michigan, including museums with original Georgia O’Keefe paintings or the Milwaukee County Zoo.

Milwaukee is home to Marquette University, the world’s largest collection of antique microphones, the world’s oldest bowling alley and also produced legendary musicians like Les Paul and Steve Miller.

Regardless of who you are, where you’re from or what you’re doing, Milwaukee will have something for you.

‘DOGS ALL-TIME RECORD IN MILWAUKEE: Ummm, we’ve been over this. The Milkmen are brand new. The Saltdogs haven’t ever played there. Moving along.

WHEN THE ‘DOGS ROLL THROUGH MILWAUKEE: May 31-June 2; Individual tickets range from $9 to $66, and single-game tickets go on sale for the Milkmen on April 8.