Major League Baseball

Follow along: Jake Mintz's baseball bike trip from New York City to Chicago

Updated Jul. 29, 2021 9:29 p.m. ET

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By Jake Mintz
FOX Sports MLB Writer

I’m biking across America — well, at least some of America — because I lost a bet.

And it wasn’t really a bet. It was more of a proclamation. Either way, the point here is that I’m about to start biking from New York City to Chicago because of a baseball-related thing I said. It’s about 1,200 miles of riding and will take me about two weeks.

Interested? Intrigued? I hope so. I’m sure you have a few questions about this already, and I’ve got some answers!

Why am I doing this?

I cohost the "BaseballBBQ" podcast on The Ringer Podcast Network alongside my fellow FOX Sports content maker and longtime baseball chatter partner, Jordan Shusterman. Back in mid-October — when the first Tony LaRussa to the Chicago White Sox rumors began to bubble up — I went on our podcast and firmly stated that such rumors were total rubbish. 

There was no way. Why would a team with such a stacked, young and exciting roster entering its window of contention after years of losing hire a 76-year-old manager who hadn’t managed a game in a decade? I was so confident it wouldn’t happen that I loudly proclaimed that if the White Sox really hired LaRussa as their manager, I would "walk to Chicago from my apartment in New York City."

Welp.

So now it’s July, and the White Sox are in first place, and I still don’t think LaRussa is the right man for the job, but I’m reaping what I’ve sown.

Walking would take me a little more than a month, and as an adult with obligations and commitments and a job, I don’t have that type of time. But what I do have is two weeks and, coincidentally, two bikes. So even though I’m not living up to the letter of the law of my original wager, I think spending two weeks riding across the American East fulfills the spirit of my promise.

When is this happening?

I’m departing Thursday, July 22, from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and arriving — Ohtani-willing (that’s a god joke) — in Chicago 14 days later on Aug. 4. I’ll be covering an average of about 85 miles per day on my bike — some days are closer to 60 miles, some closer to 100, one is 135 — which is around five hours per day in the saddle.

Who is joining me?

Because he’s a good friend, Jordan will be accompanying me along this absurd journey. Not on a bike — mind you, he isn't the one who made an irrational claim — but he’ll be driving with me from place to place, making sure I stay safe, carrying my clothes and ensuring I stay hydrated and well fed. 

Like I said, he's a good friend.

Is there baseball involved?

Oh, you bet your ass there is. Jordan and I will be attending professional baseball games on 12 of the 14 nights we're spending on the road. We’ll be seeing a few major-league games (Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox), but for the most part, our path will take us through smaller cities and towns that feature one of our nation’s most wonderful creations: Minor League Baseball. 

By good fortune, we’ll get a taste of almost every level of MiLB along the way. We’ll get Triple-A action in Lehigh Valley, Scranton and Toledo, Double-A play in Somerset, High-A ball in Lansing and South Bend, and even a non-MLB-affiliated independent league game in Avon, Ohio. If that weren't enough, we’ll be taking in two games in the new MLB Draft League, a circuit of current college players looking to be chosen that features teams that lost MLB affiliate status after the league office contracted Minor League Baseball by 42 teams last offseason.

In fact, Jordan and I will be spending a lot of time and energy on the road learning and writing about the fallout from MLB’s abhorrent decision to shrink Minor League Baseball’s national footprint so drastically. If you couldn’t tell already, we’re huge believers in the wonder and power of Minor League Baseball. Chronicling how a forced contraction and an entire season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted these clubs and communities will be a huge part of our journey.

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Is there a charitable component?

Why, yes. In conjunction with the trip, we’re raising money for Lost Boyz Inc, an organization in Chicago that provides baseball and softball opportunities for kids in underserved communities on the city's South Side. Started by a local Chicagoan named LeVonte Stewart, Lost Boyz seeks to use organized team sports as a vehicle to help better the lives of local kids.

We’ve already raised almost $5,000 for Lost Boyz, but our ultimate goal is to get to $15,000. You can donate here through our page on Chip-In, or if it’s easier, you can Venmo me personally @mintz-jake, and I’ll donate your money directly. And if you donate $75 or more, you’ll earn yourself a personal shout-out from me on the bike!

How can fans follow along?

First, you should go ahead and bookmark my trip website, which has detailed information on routes, ways you can recommend food spots and other links to get involved. We’ll be posting daily on the @mlbonfox Instagram account, so make sure you give that a follow. And of course, there will be updates, videos, pictures, tweets and more on our Twitter, @CéspedesBBQ, and our own IG, @cespedesbbq.

Also, there will be some well-crafted words about the stories we’ll encounter here at FOX Sports, and when the trip is complete, we’ll have a longer, documentary-style video to share with all of you wonderful people.

I’d be lying if I said I weren't a little bit nervous. The most I’ve ever biked in a three-day span is 250 miles, and this excursion will absolutely blow that out of the water. At the same time, I’m excited to be alone on the open road — there are few things better than the unknown of a road trip. I’m ready for my legs to be sore and my whole body to be tired, but there’s something delightfully freeing about the daunting unknown. 

I’ll be in the saddle. Hope you folks follow along.

Jake Mintz is the louder half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball analyst for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan living in New York City, and thus, he leads a lonely existence most Octobers. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s almost certainly riding his bike. You can follow him on Twitter @Jake_Mintz.

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