Let's Road Trip Cubs 2025: Trip #12 - From the Ocean to the Rockies

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The Cubs get a reprieve from the dog days of summer with a nine-game road trip to more temperate climates. On this 4733 mile journey to face the Angels, Giants, and Rockies, Chicago will have to pack their bags and their endurance so that these winnable games don’t get left behind.

Image courtesy of Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels - August 22-24
Angel Stadium: Capacity 45,517
2024 Attendance: 2,577,597 (Averaged 31,822, sixth in AL, 13th overall)

When the Cubs entered Angel Stadium in June 2023, a healthy Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout , and Anthony Rendon were there to welcome them rudely with a three-game sweep. The Cubs have split the overall road trips to Anaheim at five games apiece, but its usually a feast or famine experience with the last two encounters being sweeps in both directions. With only ten games to show for 20 years of baseball, its too early to declare what's "normal" for Cubs fans to expect at Angels Stadium, except sunshine. That you can count on.

To say that Angel Stadium exists because Disney exists isn’t an overstatement. The birth of Disneyland in 1955 led to the pursuit of community development in the Anaheim area. In 1966, that pursuit involved building a baseball stadium, then known as Anaheim Stadium. The 1980s brought a change in architecture as the NFL's Rams filled in the outfield seating area to increase capacity. 1998 brought a return to the open-concept outfield, as the Disney corporation placed its imprint upon the setting and installed the “Outfield Extravaganza” rock pile in left-center field.

Trout hits baseballs there for a living. Ohtani used to embody a modern version of Babe Ruth there daily as well, until he split across town and won a World Series. Attendance remains high in Anaheim despite the loss of Ohtani and the general losing ways of the club. Angel Stadium seats less than Dodger Stadium, but I wonder what might happen if the Angels could get on a roll again.

Beautiful August weather, summer on the beach, and sun for miles highlight this trip. Having a car is the name of the game when traveling to Angel Stadium. There is a bus option from downtown L.A., but that doesn’t scream “relaxing road trip” to me. Also, with Disneyland right around the corner, there is no shortage of affordable hotel options in Anaheim. At only 2.5 miles southeast of Disneyland, one has to go, right?

There is an off-day to see the sights on the 25th, but then its off to the Bay Area to face the pesky Giants.

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San Francisco Giants – August 26-28
Oracle Park: Capacity 41,265
2024 Attendance: 2,647,736 (Averaged 33,096, 7th out of 15 NL parks, and 10th overall MLB)

In late-June 2024, the Cubs barely avoided a four-game sweep in San Francisco by pulling out a 10-inning victory on an Ian Happ homer. Most trips to the Bay Area to play the Giants have been the same: beautiful atmosphere and rough Cubs play. The Cubs have gone 36-47 at Oracle Park overall, with series wins in 2023 and 2013 being the only outliers in the last decade and change.

Baseball and San Francisco have a long history, but the most recent iteration dates back to 1957, when the New York Giants joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in heading west for new and greener financial grasses. The Dodgers and Giants have kept the rivalry ridiculously strong, and both have seen great success in recent decades.

In 1989 the Giants were getting ready to host the Athletics at Candlestick park for Game 3 of the World Series, when the Loma Prieta earthquake struck and tragically shook up the series. Barry Bonds infamously broke records into the bay in the 2000’s, and championships finally arrived in the 2010’s, with three titles in five seasons.

Oracle Park opened in 2000, and people have been raving about it ever since. Whether it’s the temperate and pleasant weather, the majestic views of the San Francisco bay and McCovey Cove and its baseball-hunting kayakers, or the food and beverage options that are second to none, Oracle Park is a must see destination. Baseball travelers will find the wharf and its many attractions and seafood restaurants to be a fun excursion, while the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz prison never disappoint either.

From San Francisco the Cubs head to the Rockies to face, well… the Rockies. 1235 miles to Denver we go!

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Colorado Rockies - August 29-31
Coors Field - Capacity 46,897
2024 Attendance: 2,540,295 (Averaged 31,361, ranked 8th out of 15 NL parks, 15th overall MLB)

The Cubs' journey to the Rockies' lair in September 2024 served to pump the breaks on playoff aspirations, with the Cubs dropping the first two of the series before salvaging the finale. They shouldn't have been surprised, since they've gone 46-59 at Coors Field since it started being a stop on the schedule in 1995. The Cubs haven't left Denver with a series win since 2018, when Javier Baez and Jason Heyward were crushing the humidity out of the ball.

Say what you will about Rockies baseball, but the fans continue to know how to pack a stadium. It seems like just yesterday, but Coors Field has been fueling baseball physics controversy since 1995. After two seasons at the now-imploded Mile High Stadium, the Rockies moved into their “new” home at over 5,000 feet above sea level. Coors Field led the league again in “runs park factor,” and it wasn’t even close. Baseballs fly there, humidors and big dimensions be darned.

Quirks of the stadium include seats in center field called the “Rockpile,” an in-park brewery, a purple row of seats in the 300 level which marks the Mile High point, and a mixed-use development district around the ballpark. The National Ballpark Museum is across the street and exists as a “must-stop” for anyone on a baseball tour de force. The Denver Art Museum, Rocky Mountain parks and trails, and the Denver Zoo all can provide some entertainment between games.

Colorado isn’t expected to be a nuisance to many this season, but they have shown consistent resilience at home, and late season games can involve soaring home runs and a Rockies team that has nothing to lose. After this extensive road trip, the Cubs return home to welcome the Braves and Nationals to kick off September. How will the Cubs fare on this trip, knowing what lurks ahead at home?

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