Fans generally agree the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., is a must-visit destination, and the most fortunate road trippers are able to get there during an induction ceremony. Whether you were in attendance when Dick Allen, Dave Parker, CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner entered the Hall last weekend or wish you were, there are other spots -- spots that might not have occurred to you -- where you could celebrate the careers of most members of this year's Hall of Fame class while also taking in a Minor League game.
For four of these greats, as with most players, their professional careers began in the Minors, and each of those four played on Minor League clubs where there's still an MiLB today. The exception is Ichiro. Going straight to the Mariners from the Japan Pacific League's Orix Blue Wave in 2001, he never required so much as a Minor League rehab game throughout his 18-year MLB career.
2025 Hall of Fame coverage presented by ITO EN
• Ichiro headlines HOF ceremony with poignancy and humor
• CC's HOF induction a celebration of the people who shaped him
• Wagner's perseverance pays off with Hall of Fame immortality
• Parker's spirit shines through in poetic HOF induction speech read by son
• Devoted to teammates and fans, Allen enshrined in Cooperstown
• A look at the next 5 Hall of Fame ballots
• 7 storylines to follow on the 2026 HOF ballot
• Every Hall of Fame class, ranked
Here, presented by Wyndham we offer this look at key stops the other four new Hall of Famers made on their way to The Show and check out the Minor League ballparks that you've got to see in each town.
Dick Allen
Allen's final year in the Minor Leagues was more significant on a social and cultural level than it was for what he did on the field (which was plenty). The Pennsylvania-born Black man did not set out to become a Civil Rights leader in his fourth season of the Minors, when the Phillies assigned him to the Triple-A Arkansas Travelers, but that's what the assignment required of him.
In 1963, Allen became the first Black player to play in integrated professional games in the state of Arkansas. He was met with racist threats and jeers regularly, and although he played well enough to reach the Majors permanently, he never forgot the experience.
Today's Arkansas Travelers are committed to commemorating their city's place in Civil Rights history. In 2025, the club announced an initiative to honor the Little Rock Nine with a temporary rebrand and educational opportunities at the ballpark.
CHI St. Vincent Field at Dickey-Stephens Park
400 West Broadway Street
North Little Rock, AR 72114
501-664-1555
Opened in 2007, Dickey-Stephens Park is the home of the Double-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Although Dickey-Stephens Park replaced the stadium where Allen played in '63 (Ray Winder Field, originally called Travelers Field, operated from 1932-2006), it maintains its connections to the past with the Historic Travelers Baseball Museum in the stadium. Check out the Ballpark Guide »
Dave Parker
Drafted by the Pirates in 1970, Parker was assigned to the Salem Pirates, in Salem, Va., for the 1972 season and led the club to a Single-A Carolina League title. He also led that league with 162 hits, 30 doubles and 101 RBIs in 135 games, also finishing second with 22 home runs.
Today's Single-A Salem Red Sox are the same Minor League franchise as the club Parker played for back in '72, as the team has been in continuous operation through six affiliation changes since then, becoming part of the Boston system in 2009. Fans can still get a look at the grounds Parker roamed, as the facility then called Municipal Field is now known as Kiwanis Field and hosts high school games.
Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark
1004 Texas Street
Salem, VA 24153
540-389-3333
With the Blue Ridge Mountains looming beyond the outfield walls, Salem Memorial Ballpark, built in 1993, boasts views and opportunities to catch #baseballskies that are among the best in all of Minor League Baseball. Be sure to swing by "Mini Fenway," a Wiffle ball field that's a replica of the parent club's iconic park, within the gates of the park. Check out the Ballpark Guide »
CC Sabathia
Sabathia, who was drafted out of California's Vallejo High School in 1998, spent time with two teams in cities that host Minor League teams today.
Interestingly, one of these two cities -- Columbus, Ga. -- just came back into the fold after a 15-year absence with the arrival of the Double-A Columbus Clingstones of the Atlanta system for the 2025 campaign. When Sabathia was around, in 1999, Columbus' team was the RedStixx, Cleveland's Single-A affiliate. That club -- for whom Sabathia piled up 20 strikeouts while holding the opposition to two runs over 16 2/3 innings across three starts -- played its games in Golden Park, which originally opened way back in 1926 and underwent a huge makeover to become state-of-the-art Synovus Park this year.
The big lefty spent the bulk of his final season in the Minors, 2000, with Akron, which was then Cleveland's Double-A affiliate known as the Akron Aeros. Today, Cleveland's Double-A affiliate is known as the Akron RubberDucks, but they're the same franchise and play in the same park as the Aeros did during Sabathia's time.
Synovus Park
100 4th Street
Columbus, GA 31901
706-465-5687
The Clingstones accomplished something magical by managing to keep the classic feel of a park that's been hosting pro baseball for a century while also bringing Columbus all the top-shelf stadium amenities you'd want in a 21st century gem. Enjoy the walkable wraparound concourse and great views of the action from every seat throughout the stadium. Check out the Ballpark Guide »
Canal Park
300 S. Main Street
Akron, OH 44308
330-253-5151
The RubberDucks play in a gorgeous downtown facility with skyline views. Opened in 1997, Canal Park is a single-deck stadium with no obstructions, wild concessions and wilder promotions scheduled for just about every game. Adult fans may want to take in a little shade at the tiki bar beyond right field. Check out the Ballpark Guide »
Billy Wagner
A first-round pick of the Astros in the 1993 Draft, Wagner spent his first full professional season with the Midwest League's Quad Cities River Bandits. The 5-foot-10 southpaw who would go on to save 422 games in the bigs headed to the bump for 26 starts for the River Bandits in '94, leading not only the Midwest League but all of Minor League Baseball with 204 strikeouts over 153 innings. He made his Major League debut the next year.
The Quad Cities' franchise dates back to 1960, and it adopted the River Bandits moniker two seasons before Wagner got there. They played as the Swing of the Quad Cities from 2004 until becoming the River Bandits again in 2008. They've had the same home ballpark the whole time.
Modern Woodmen Park
209 Gaines St.
Davenport, IA 52802
563-324-3000
This classic on the Mississippi River is a bucket-list destination for a lot of Minor League fans. Whether you want to ride the Ferris Wheel that's out beyond the left-field wall or just want to enjoy the view of it from your seats, you're sure to be appreciate its presence. Check out the Ballpark Guide »