Tacoma to Everett, then back to Tacoma. Off to Arizona only to come back to Tacoma for the Fourth of July weekend. Right back to Arizona and now, North Little Rock.
If Cesar Izturis Jr.'s 2022 season sounds like an adventure, it's because it has been. The 22-year-old infielder has played in 36 games across four minor-league levels this year alone.
So while the Venezuelan's seventh-inning single -- his first Class AA hit -- meant little in the Arkansas Travelers' 7-1 loss to the Midland RockHounds Thursday night, Izturis knows he's got no option but to prove himself in whatever limited opportunities he has.
"I've had a great time going up and down," Izturis said. "I know it's part of the process, but I'm just enjoying every day, getting the opportunity and taking advantage of it."
The Izturis name may be familiar to baseball fans. Cesar Jr.'s dad, Cesar, played 13 years in the big leagues and Cesar's half-brother, Maicer, was in the majors for more than a decade.
While Maicer spent eight of his 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, Cesar Sr. truly lived the journeyman lifestyle.
He played for the entire National League Central -- Cubs, Pirates, Cardinals, Brewers and Reds -- plus the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Orioles and Nationals. And Izturis broke the 200-game threshold with just two of those nine clubs.
Izturis Jr. was born in 1999, two years before his dad first appeared in the majors.
If there's anyone who understands what 2022 has been like for Cesar Izturis Jr., it's his old man.
"It was hard," Izturis Jr. said of his dad's itinerant career. "But I grew up watching that and I know how it is. [That path] is a grinder but I'm here -- taking advantage of that opportunity and just having fun."
And when there are down moments, dad is there for words of wisdom.
"We talk just about every day," Izturis Jr. said. "Every game, every time. He's my best friend and he's always going to be there for me."
How many more games Izturis plays at Dickey-Stephens Park depends on the Travs' health. Fellow infielder Joe Rizzo remains on the injured list but is eligible to be activated after his requisite seven-day absence.
Izturis will likely go back to Rookie ball in Arizona. He could also return to the Pacific Northwest for a stop in Everett or Tacoma.
That's just part of the journeyman gig.
"My goal is to finish strong," Iztruis Jr. said. "Be ready for the next game and then get ready for spring training next year."
Today’s game
ARKANSAS TRAV ELERS VS. MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS
WHEN 7:05 p.m.
WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North
Little Rock
RADIO KKSP-FM, 93.3, in Central Arkansas
WEBSITE travs.com
PITCHERS Travs: RHP Taylor Dollard (10-2, 1.61 ERA); RockHounds: RHP J.T. Ginn (0-2, 6.48 ERA)
TICKETS $13 box; $9 reserved; $7 general admission
PROMOTIONS Bucket hat giveaway; Postgame fireworks