Every baseball fan has a bucket list of places to visit, teams to see and activities to experience. Whether its to sit in the bleachers during a summer day game at Wrigley Field, or visit the Field of Dreams in Iowa or do a tour of the Midwest League, we all want to satisfy our baseball itch.

Timothy Mullin was able to compile the framework in which to do so in Baseball Road Trips: The Midwest and Great Lakes. As part of a series of Baseball Road Trips guides, Mullin’s midwest version hits home to anyone that lives in America’s Heartland. He takes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin and dissects the major baseball parks. Not just “go see Wrigley Field” but takes you through the concourses, the concession stands, the atmosphere outside the stadiums, and what to expect inside the ballpark.

His honest approach waxes poetic on nostalgia, but also laments overbearing noise by overzealous minor league parks, less-than-appealing neighborhoods and what teams have the highest calorie counts or finest microbrews.

Mullin’s Iowa minor league park review – beginning in Des Moines – and around to the six neighboring towns and teams in six days, is well-written and appealing. He also takes the time to include hotels, eateries and other notable things to do in the area of the parks, giving a family-friendly approach to the travels rather than just baseball 24/7.

Using a cliché like ‘this book is a home run!’ would be unfair as Mullin really does put attention to detail and care into catering to baseball fans that truly love the game. It would be easy to spend 75 percent of the book talking about the Major League teams, but he includes semi-pro and even Frontier League and Independent League reviews. Who else gives you that just pages away from the allure of the Chicago Cubs?

The Baseball Road Trips series are must-reads, especially The Midwest and Great Lakes edition. Published by Triumph Books, it lists for $16.95 for a paperback but can be had at any of the major retailers or from triumphbooks.com.