tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4998232620768677472024-03-13T10:48:28.511-05:00Diamond Visitsa blog about the Minor League Stadiums I visit, my autographing experiences, and everything else about baseball that I find interesting.......William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-22739887377341512382014-11-06T11:44:00.000-06:002016-12-26T12:26:44.827-06:00Bowling Green Park - Bowling Green, KY - Midwest League<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415241276856_2069" style="background-color: white; clear: both;">
Bowling Green Park, home of the Bowling Green Hot Rods, is located in downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hot Rods are the Low A affiliate of the Tampa Rays in the Midwest. During a recent family vacation to <span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1415241276856_2070">Mammoth Cave National Park,</span> I set aside a day to watch a minor league game at Bowling Green Park. </div>
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On the night that I visited, the Hot Rods were playing the Great Lake Loons. I could write a long winded post about how ground-breaking this stadium is, but that would be stretching the truth somewhat. The exterior is fairly bland and the backdrop is boring inside the stadium. The weather that night was miserable. My camera lens fogged up due to the humidity and I spent $15.00 on water before the first pitch. I never did find that signature ballpark food item that I am always seeking.<br />
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The stadium's greatest asset is its location. It fits very nice into its downtown surroundings and there doesn't seem to be a bad seat. <span style="font-size: 16px;">Management has done a great job keeping up the appearance of the stadium, </span></div>
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For a Low A stadium, autographs can be difficult to get. It was nice that both teams enter and exit the field from the outfield, but if you do not have someone helping you, you are going to miss a lot of players on both teams. There is zero access to the visiting teams bullpen and once the players are in their dugout, they are really going to have to make an effort to accommodate your request.<br />
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The night I went was a Firework Night and I asked Keon Wong if he could sign after the game. He explained to me on fireworks night all of the players have to leave the stadium before the fireworks start or they are stuck until the firework display truck leaves, which can be a more than an hour later. After the game, the Hot Rod players literally galloped back to their locker room and some of the Loons players chose to stay in the dugout until after the fireworks and I got their autographs there.<br />
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I'm thinking about a return trip next year to this ballpark and a visit to a different cave system. </div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-46534331314774059932014-06-14T16:25:00.003-05:002014-06-14T16:25:43.232-05:00Zephyr Field - New Orleans, LA - Pacific Coast LeagueWith this ballpark trip, I decided to drive to New Orleans and try to to get Javier Beaz on some cards. The history of the Zephyrs is vast and my cliff note version of baseball involving the Zephyrs goes like this: The Miami Marlins are entering their 6th season of affiliation with the New Orleans Zephyrs and the Zephyrs arrived in New Orleans from Denver in 1993. During there time in New Orleans, the Zeps have been affiliated with the Brewers, Astros, and the Nationals while playing in the Pacific Coast League. M<span dir="auto">aestri Field</span> for four years and then moved to Zephyr Field in 1997. I decided to switch my writing format to appeal more to the person just going to watch a game with me commenting on the pictures.<br />
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<b>Random</b><strong> Tidbit:</strong> The Zephres mascot, Boudreaux D. Nutria, is a hybrid creation including the features of a bear, dog, manatee, and walrus. Try explaining that to a four year old. <br />
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<b>Stadium Grade: B</b><br />
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Good concessions and simple layout. If I have to watch AAA baseball, I prefer a stadium like this.<br />
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The most interesting thing about the stadiums location is how close it is to the Saints and Pelicans practice facilities.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">Zephyr</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"> Field is a 10,000 seat stadium</span><br />
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This place serves some awesome BBQ Nachos.<br />
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The highlight of the stadium is the concessions.<br />
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Concourse offers a lot of walking space<br />
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Distractions like this in stadiums annoy me.<br />
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Gift Shop was closed on my visit<br />
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There is a lot of green space behind the stadium.</div>
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Its a very simple stadium.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEXiJ26vqhA/U5aiGkx5ODI/AAAAAAAACBg/QZKyPKx4VZ0/s1600/IMG_1809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEXiJ26vqhA/U5aiGkx5ODI/AAAAAAAACBg/QZKyPKx4VZ0/s1600/IMG_1809.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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I never actually seen anybody swimming in the pool on any of my visits.<br />
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I had locals tell me they call the stadium the "The Shrine On Airline"<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nothing wrong with a good functioning scoreboard.</span><br />
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Sadly, the concourse is not a wraparound concourse.</div>
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The background to Zephyr stadium gets boring very quickly.</div>
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The best view in the stadium.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ5fibIrp5w/U5ajqpzSDsI/AAAAAAAACGQ/Gii4hvClbjo/s1600/IMG_1838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJ5fibIrp5w/U5ajqpzSDsI/AAAAAAAACGQ/Gii4hvClbjo/s1600/IMG_1838.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Zephyr Field offers a ton of shade.<br />
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View from my seat.<br />
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No surprise to see a party shack in New Orleans.<br />
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I heckled <b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">Christian</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">Villanueva</span></b> for the last two innings of the game.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWErkaejv7Q/U5afFImaphI/AAAAAAAACBU/BsKOaagXats/s1600/IMG_1820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWErkaejv7Q/U5afFImaphI/AAAAAAAACBU/BsKOaagXats/s1600/IMG_1820.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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These arrived minutes before gates opened for a craw-fish boil that was being hosted on the party deck.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4A_ce0PUccE/U5y9lROyIlI/AAAAAAAACJQ/H96gB64l3co/s1600/ticket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4A_ce0PUccE/U5y9lROyIlI/AAAAAAAACJQ/H96gB64l3co/s1600/ticket.jpg" height="165" width="400" /></a></div>
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The highlight of the trip was Iowa Cubs pitcher Chris Rusin throwing a no-hitter. This was my first no-hitter in person and I got Mr. Rusin to sign my ticket stub.<br />
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This stadium is a easy drive from my house that I should add it into my monthly stadium rotation but the trip is very boring to do alone. The addition of Biloxi next year in the Southern League should make this trip more routine. I could not take a lot of pictures due to some of the seating sections being blocked off due to the School Day promotions. I will be back later on this season with the intention being to take more pictures and get a second round of BBQ Nachos.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-81273597330900671202013-12-07T03:01:00.000-06:002013-12-08T20:46:03.562-06:00Time Warner Cable Field - Grand Chute, Wisconsin - Midwest League<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I thought these photos were lost but better late then never. Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium is the home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.. The Rattlers are the Midwest League ( Low A Level) affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The
stadium is located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. The stadium opened in 1995, under went a name change in 2007, and finally a major renovation in 2012. My visit came about towards the end of the renovation and I enjoyed the simplicity of the stadium. <br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: 4 </b></div>
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This stadium was a mess on the outside. </div>
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I had no clue until I arrived that this stadium was under renovation. </div>
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I do not see the relationship between the Brewers and Wisconsin Timer Rattlers ending anytime soon.</div>
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The Main Entrance and it is always nice when gates open an hour and half before game time. </div>
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<b>Autographing: 5</b></div>
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It took awhile for the locals to warm up to me graphing on their turf. It helped that I called Brandon Drury over. </div>
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I sat behind Ryan Gibbard and had him sign cards in between innings. </div>
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Hard to believe that this field was covered in snow two weeks prior to my visit. This was the warmest day on my trip.</div>
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<b>Pricing: 3 </b></div>
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The food was very expensive in this stadium and disappointing.<b> </b>They did have a souvenir cup.<b> </b></div>
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This was also the largest crowd from my trip. </div>
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The stadium featured a ton of bleacher seating which I dislike. </div>
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Probably the worse seat in the house when your sitting down. </div>
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: 5</b></div>
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With the way this stadiums draws, I expect the berm to be replaced with more seating sections in the future. The crowd on my visit rivaled many crowds I seen inside Double A stadiums. The attendance was 4,934.</div>
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View from the outfield concourse. </div>
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Sadly, the outfield concourse ends midway out in center field. </div>
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The most absurd thing in the park: The Super Ropes: Beach Area<b>.</b></div>
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The coolest thing I saw on my trip. </div>
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Each bullpen player got the loot in between innings. </div>
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They were getting an easy $3.00 to $5.00 an inning. </div>
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The stadium does feature a boring backdrop. </div>
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There really isn't much to this stadium. </div>
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The biggest drawback to this stadium is the concourse. Its too narrow. </div>
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Its going to cost you $18.00 for this view. The seats are padded !</div>
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Last year at the time of my visit, this view was not possible. </div>
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The best seat in the house in my opinion. </div>
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After exploring the stadium, I watched the last three innings from my $12.00 box seat. </div>
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This is how you do a team autograph signing. I had enough time to go thru the line several times. Mitch Haniger left early only to return the last five minutes of the signing. Clint Coulter wouldn't sign the one card I had. </div>
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Apparently, they do these signings every Sunday after the game. </div>
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The biggest part of the renovation was the addition of the second level behind home plate. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-30140323498344887312013-10-11T21:37:00.002-05:002013-10-12T15:18:16.954-05:00New Veterans Memorial Stadium - Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Cedar Rapids Kernels This stadium visit has been the hardest to write about and I think the main reason was this visit was a last minute decision that required me to miss a Milwaukee Brewers game. This was the swing day on my trip were I could have drove to any baseball activity and I decided to turn the day into a doubleheader with a night time game at Quad Cities. This was probably the first time I was more interested in seeing a certain player rather then experiencing a new stadium. New Memorial Stadium is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and is the home of the Cedar Rapid Kernels. The Kernels are entering their first year as the Low A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins after a twenty year history with the Angels, and its another one of those stadiums in the Midwest where Minor League Baseball has been played for a while. This stadium has gone thru multiple renovations but the current model seats around 5,300 total. It features a little bit of everything with twelve luxury suites, a mezzanine terrace in the upper deck behind first base, a pavilion in left field, and a pre-game picnic area. The only thing its really missing is a nice backdrop.<br />
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With my visits, I never look up anything on the stadium other then the stadiums address and game times. With this stadium, I wished I would have read more about it because I wasted a good forty minutes standing at the wrong entry gate. <br />
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Nice colorful main entrance. </div>
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The Kernels and Twins agreed to a 4 year Player Development Contract in 2012 and it made a lot of sense geographically. Cedar Rapids is the closest affiliated club to the Twin Cities within their market. </div>
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I really enjoyed the museum inside the gift shop. The worker that was on duty was the only employee I chatted with any team that really seemed to take an interest in my baseball trip. <br />
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This is Twins territory !. The locals and autograph seekers didn't hide their joy with the Angels being gone. </div>
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The weather was warm, windy, and comfortable</div>
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The stadium looks mammoth on the outside but that feeling quickly goes away once your inside. </div>
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If your going to have a picnic table area in a stadium, this is the best place to put it. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CAUr96IwPw/UiEsXtPKpqI/AAAAAAAABuA/WLZJ9sJpaoU/s1600/2012+Midwest+League+Trip+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2CAUr96IwPw/UiEsXtPKpqI/AAAAAAAABuA/WLZJ9sJpaoU/s400/2012+Midwest+League+Trip+145.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not much going on out here. It was too windy to enjoy.</div>
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One of the few stadiums in the West Division of the Midwest League that required a ticket to explore the majority of the stadium. </div>
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One of the larger scoreboards I seen in the Midwest League.</div>
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I was impressed with the condition of the playing field considering it snowed two weeks before my visit. </div>
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One of the bigger crowds that I experienced on my trip. </div>
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The press box and reserved seating behind home plate.</div>
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At times, the atmosphere surrounding the stadium felt like a Major League Baseball game.</div>
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The Diamond Shop doesn't look that impressive from the concourse entrance but is a must if you have some spare time. </div>
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This was one of the few stadiums that did not offer a souvenir cup. I got a free hot dog and drink voucher for taking a survey on the customer service during my visit. </div>
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I spent more time reading all the stars on the Walk of Fame along the concourse then I did autographing. I love this kind of stuff.</div>
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Interesting view of the diamond. </div>
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Fans of the Kernels have got to enjoy 2 of the 3 best Draft talents of the last 5 years while being affiliated with two different MLB organizations. Of course I am talking about Mike Trout</div>
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and Bryon Buxton. </div>
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I didn't stay in my assigned seating which happened to be the dreadful bleacher planks.</div>
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If I ever get to visit again, I will probably pony up some cash and watch the game from up here.</div>
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<b>Stadium: 3</b></div>
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In its current state, Veterans Memorial Stadium doesn't offer anything I haven't already seen in a Minor League Stadium with his bland backdrop. I wasn't very fond of all the Major League type moves by management in requiring a ticket to explore the stadium in most places. The<b> </b>stadium is clean and in good shape.</div>
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<b>Pricing: 3</b></div>
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One of the more expensive stadiums on my trip in regards to ticket prices. My ticket was $10.00. Free parking and free items from filling out surveys was nice. </div>
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<b>Autographing: 4</b></div>
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Some of the locals had me graphing in the lower porch area on the Kernels side but this place quickly became a zoo due to the amount of people that showed up for Bryon Buxton. I then decided to graph the Kernels side because the visitors side had way too much game day equipment blocking the players from coming over to me. You really don't have that great of access to either teams bullpen. I got most of my autographs outside the stadium after the game and from the players charting behind home plate The visiting teams bus parked right beside the home teams parking lot and I was graphing both at the same time. </div>
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: 5</b></div>
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I was shocked at the size of the crowd for a day game and at times their energy felt like I was at a Major League Baseball due to the PA announcer and advertising. I didn't see the mascot all day long on my visit.</div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-48669810152218028612013-07-20T03:27:00.001-05:002013-10-11T21:44:07.005-05:00Community Field - Burlington, Iowa- Burlington BeesCommunity Field was one of three stadiums on my trip that I was really looking forward to yet it was the most disappointing. It could have been the chilly weather or the bland backdrop of the stadium. It could have been that it was a School Day game or that I was willing to drink hot chocolate with a hot dog. My general consensus is that there are no bad baseball parks but Community Field comes close to it for me . Community Field was completed in 1973 and has gone through many renovations. It is home of the Burlington Bess that are entering their first year of affiliation with the Los Angeles Angels in the Midwest League. Burlington is the smallest city to host a full season affiliated team in Minor League Baseball. I was told this stadium holds 3,500 people but I don't believe it. This stadium has changed the way I look at my past visits and will influence my future write-ups. <br />
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<b>Stadium:1</b><br />
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I parked literally 15 yards from the box office thirty minutes before game time and was seriously wondering if I had read the schedule wrong. Nothing going on outside the stadium to indicate that it was game day. <br />
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Community Field has poor sight lines everywhere that follow you around the stadium to the point that I found myself spending more time on my cellphone and wishing the game would have gone by quicker. If its not netting blocking your view, its the support poles. I never seen dugouts block the view of the infield from several seating areas along the baselines in a stadium like I saw inside Community Field. I seen pictures to this stadium before the renovations inside the gift store and its like they never addressed these problems. <br />
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My seat was basically a metal bleacher and after an inning of baseball, I quickly moved to one of the box seats which offered very little leg room. It got so bad that I was contemplating sitting out along the first base side picnic area but didn't due to the wind and view not being much better. <br />
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The concourse helped set the tone by offering nothing entertainment wise and producing some rather boring pictures. <br />
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With all the history of Minor League Baseball in Burlington, the only historical references to that history was found in the gift shop. I spent a good three innings in the gift shop due to the coldness. It was filled with a ton of a kids making any good pictures impossible.<br />
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The scoreboard was basic and no berm seating. Overall, probably the most baren affiliated ballpark in which I have watched a baseball game. <br />
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</b><b>Pricing: 3</b><br />
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Parking was free and the lowest ticket offered to me was $8.00 because the game was almost sold out since it was a School Day game. Due to how cold it was, I only had a cup of hot chocolate for $2.00. I tried to buy an old baseball card set from the gift shop but was told they were for display purposes only. <br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: 2</b></div>
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The kids provided some entertainment but their enthusiasm at times would have been better suited for a football game. This didn't feel like a Minor League baseball game for me. I normally do not pay attention to the mascots but I saw none during my time in the stadium. I don't remember any on the field promotions during this game which was odd.<br />
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Watching the usher named “Dancin’ Bobby sign autographs and dance for the kids was more entertaining than the game itself. The music was loud and only fueled my headache<b>. </b><br />
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<b>Autographing: 1</b><br />
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Obtaining autographs at Community Field looked like it was going to be easy but that was not the case. Both teams enter and exit their clubhouse which is attached to the dugout thru the concourse on opposite sides of the stadium. I tried to get the visiting team players pre-game while they were getting snacks from the concession stands. The majority told me it was too cold to be signing autographs and that they would look for me when they were warming up on the field. Even coaches like Jose Valentine that have signed eight items for me in the past at once waved me off. Access to the players on the fields during warm-ups was terrible because of the netting and fencing. Along the 1st base side, I literally had to go onto the field to stop some players at a fence opening only to be told "not right now". You have no access to either teams pitchers once they make it to the bullpen due to the chain link fencing extending all the way down the outfield fences. <br />
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The night before this game, I attended a game in Clinton and was told by other graphers I could tag along with them to get future Hall Of Famer Omar Vizquel in Burlington. Mr. Vizquel signed a baseball for me 10 minutes before game time and signed another one after the game. He along with Trevor Wilson was the only Burlington autographs I got due to me focusing on the Tin Caps afterwards. The visiting team's hotel was located across the street and the players had to walk to it after the game.<br />
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My lasting memory of Community Field is going to be the canopy covering the grandstand and kids asking me if I could give them a dollar. While its a nice clean community ballpark, it doesn't offer much in the terms of entertainment and its design makes it's biggest sell point, the game, very hard to watch. The day of my visit to Community Field was the coldest day on my trip. The players didn't want to be there, the employees didn't want to be there, and after two innings I didn't want to be there. I usually don't mind going to School Day games but this was my worst experience with the promotion.Would warmer weather have effected this review and my experience? Probably not due to the bland design of the ballpark, its location, and the Bees' ho hum take of Minor League Baseball. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-62752328893261041612013-07-13T02:02:00.002-05:002013-07-13T02:09:26.852-05:00Modern Woodman Park - Davenport, IowaModern Woodman Park is located in Davenport, Iowa and is the home of the Quad Cities River Bandits. The River Bandits are entering their first year as the Low A affiliate of the Houston Astros, and its another one of those stadiums in the Midwest where Minor League Baseball has been played for a while. I became interested in this stadium after watching the movie "Sugar" which was filmed in 2007 at Modern Woodmen Park. I was worried that I wouldn't get to actually watch a game played here due to the mighty Mississippi River flooding this ballpark as it often does in late April (or so I've been warned by other baseball chasers). I called a couple of days early and was told that they had a makeshift bridge for access in and out of the ballpark along with a flood wall that keeps the majority of the water out of the ballpark. Some amenities of the ballpark wouldn't be operating for safety concerns; but for the most part they told me to still come to the park.<br />
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<strong>Stadium: 5</strong><br />
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I will be honest, before my visit I didn't have any knowledge of why this area was called the Quad Cities. I just knew it had a ballpark that I wanted to visit with a bridge in the background. I left with the understanding that the two coolest elements of the ballpark aren't really even part of the stadium. That bridge that I mentioned is the Centennial Bridge connecting Iowa and Illinois and cannot be ignored. It follows you around the stadium and makes for some very interesting photos.<br />
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The second element is the Mississippi River. When they mentioned flooding during my phone call, I am picturing a stadium at least two football fields distance away from the river. Not a mere two feet from the outfield concourse with all kind of boats passing by.<br />
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Modern Woodmen Park has experienced many changes since its construction date in 1931; most of the changes happened in 2003. I had a lot of locals try to tell me what is original and what is modern to the point that I got confused.<br />
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Some seemed to like the renovations and some seemed indifferent to them yet they all claim its one of the oldest ballparks still in use. To me they did a great job of keeping the classic red brick exterior coliseum look on the outside with all the modern amenities inside. One other thing I liked about this stadium was how small it felt without everything been crammed together.<br />
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Modern Woodman Park is basic with its seating bowl behind the grandstand with blue fold down seats and a 360 degree walk around concourse. The luxury boxes are elevated around the grandstand. This stadium has a good amenities set up and the netting offers no poor sightlines. <br />
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Everything is within walking distance- so no long treks to the bathroom! I despise picnic table seating but these tables inside this stadium are close enough along the first baseline which makes them useful. The berm actually faces the infield, also making it a worthwhile place to watch a couple of innings.<br />
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There can't be that many stadiums with a berm area this close to the outfield and this ballpark featured very little foul room making just about every seat in the stadium close to the field. The only thing I would change is the bleachers down the left field line which look out of place with the rest of the interior. <br />
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One small recommendation- bring some <em>Off</em> if you're planning on going to a game. My visit was in late April and several of us were attacked by mosquitoes because of the stadium's proximity to the Mississippi River.<br />
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It got so bad I had to spend some time in the gift shop. I can't imagine what those annoying mosquitoes are like in the middle of summer.<br />
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<strong>Pricing: 4</strong></div>
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Parking was free and I had decided early on in my trip that free parking meant I would splurge on sitting behind home plate so I purchased a lower box seat for $11.00.<br />
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I usually don't mention food in my blog but this ballpark featured one of the best items my mouth has tasted inside a ballpark not cooked by Dreamland. It was a grilled chicken kabob with a Jamaican Jerk seasoning cooked along the concourse . <br />
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I would have gotten another if it wasn't so expensive at $8.00. I washed it down with a souvenir cup drink of Diet Coke for $5.00. <br />
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<strong>Baseball Atmosphere: 4</strong><br />
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By this time, I was running into people I had already met at other stadiums and that led to some interesting baseball conversations ranging from autographs to Spring Training. For the most part it seemed like the crowd was there to watch a baseball game and were huge Cardinals fans; not happy that they were watching the future of the Houston Astros. <br />
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<strong>Autographing: 3</strong> <br />
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It took awhile to break down the locals that I wasn't the enemy and that I could be an asset in identifying the visiting team players<strong>.</strong> You really do not have a lot of room near either dugout due to the tight space and netting. I was told not to waste my team pre-game on the River Bandits side with Carlos Correa and with that advice I explored the stadium. After the game, autographing was interesting. With the flood walls set up, both teams have to leave the stadium the same way yet can use any number of doors to exit the stadium. The visiting team bus parked right along the flood wall about five yards from the railroad tracks. I had local graphers tell me that the night before that someone had misidentified Vince Coleman as Razor Shines and he wasn't happy. How you get those two confused is beyond me.<br />
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I quickly learned that oncoming trains mean that the River Bandit players are going to run and try to beat it from blocking them from leaving the parking area. I even had some players blocked by a train that couldn't go anywhere after I had missed them getting other players. <br />
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Overall this stadium was the highlight of my trip and I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it until I started sorting the pictures on the blog. I wished I would have taken more pictures than I did. Everything about the stadium was a little bit different from the norm. This ballpark did not disappoint and exceeded my expectations. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-88092710969780972932013-06-24T19:56:00.000-05:002016-12-26T12:47:54.857-06:00Pohlman Field- Beloit, Wisconsin -Midwest LeagueThis was the stadium I heard about the most while planning my trip, and for all the wrong reasons. Pohlman Field is located in Beliot, Wisconsin and is home of the Beliot Snappers. The Snappers are the Low A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics that play in the Midwest League. Its one of the few remaining not-for-profit, community-owned teams which makes its day to day operations unique. Pohlman Field was built in 1982 and still looks like it was built in 1982. Its really a zero thrills type of park tucked into a residential neighborhood in which the background setting can get old very quickly. <br />
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<b>Stadium Grade: C</b><br />
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Overall, my expectations were not very high driving up to this stadium. The parking lot was empty and featured a toilette; which is never a good sign. Approaching the main entrance on either side of the stadium kind of gives the feeling that you're about to attend a Little League Game. Its a simple stadium with the concourse being the main highlight. Both the souvenier shop and the concession stand are located beneath the grand stand. The grandstand, which is one big eye sore, is covered and features a mixture of blue bucket seating and uncomfortable bleacher planks. I watched three innings from the field boxes behind home plate and can honestly say I didn't enjoy it. The Miller Lite party deck on the third base side was roped off during my visit so I wasn't able to experience the beverages or food it had to offer until the second game I attended. The scoreboard is an old rinky dinky, sans video board making you depend on the PA announcer for whose at bat. I didn't see anything in regards to past teams and players that stood out to me.<br />
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You are actually supposed to park in Telfer Park to enter Pohlman Field.<br />
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This is where I parked for Game #2. I wonder at what point do you get annoyed with a Minor League Baseball stadium being located across the street from your house. Loud music, foul balls rolling into your yard, and strangers parking yards from your house.<br />
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I would love to be able to ride a bicycle to my local Minor League team.<br />
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Nothing but us autograph seekers waiting for the gate to open. <br />
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A very uneventful Main Plaza. The employees were friendly and they looked like they wanted to be there. The stadium giveway was a magnetic schedule that I had already picked up for free inside the box office.<br />
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I asked one of the ladies selling the T-shirts seen in this photo how many she had sold so far and she said zero. It was the 5th inning. <br />
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Cosmetically, this stadium would look better without all the promotions and stands.<br />
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I forgot my roster so the lineup board came in handy for pre-game graphing.<br />
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Terrible sight lines, netting, and a cold bleacher seat. At times I couldn't even see the ball headed to home plate due to the support pole. </div>
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View of my seat from the left side.</div>
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View of my seat from the right side.</div>
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After an hour of exploring the stadium, I found this to be my favorite place to watch the game. Plenty of leg room and for the most part no objects blocking my view of the action on the field.</div>
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Directly behind home plate shot in between the links of a fence. Easily the worse seat I have expereinced during my stadium visits. </div>
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Half of this scoreboard does nothing. It can't even tell you the time so I am guessing that it acts like the batters eye. </div>
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Ton of people taking pictures during the early innings only to return after the game to have them signed. I decided to play around with my camera settings and for some reason like this picture.<br />
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More picnic tables to make the stadium look full.<br />
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Miller Lite "On Deck" Picnic area. View from those picnic tables was too far away from the infield so I didn't even watch an inning from here.<br />
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The field itself, after the renovations during this off season, look nice. Several locals made sure to remind me that it hasn't always been that great.</div>
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Not really much to say other then I don't know why these people stayed here in the same seats past the 7th inning. I was told to sit anywhere I like after the 7th inning.<br />
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Ton of picnic tables at Pohlman Field. I would tell you what area this is but no one that worked in the stadium could correctly name it.<br />
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<b>Pricing: A</b><br />
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Parking was free and my ticket was $7.00. I ate at Wendy's before the game and was told inside the stadium they didn't have souevnir cups so I had no reason to experience anything else inside Pohlman Field. I was going to try some cheese curds but just never got around to it.<br />
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<b>Autographing: B</b><br />
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First stadium that I was more excited about the autographing experience rather than exploring the stadium. One thing I quickly realized while autographing Pohlman Field is that the stadium can quickly work against you if you aren't fast or have one player in bulk. The visiting team and home team both use the same locker room located on the third base side of the concourse yet come out different doors. Both teams can cut through the concourse onto the field along the third base side or the visiting team can walk all the way around the concourse to the first base side. I got players to sign in between innings, going back and forth to the locker room during the game, and after the game a ton of Snappers players in the concourse while talking to their host families. Great access after the game considering both teams leave along the third base concourse and the visiting team bus literally pulls ten yards away from the locker room. I wish I would have brought more cards for Beliot because the players were great about signing.<br />
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Bruce Maxwell chatting and signing in the concourse after the game. Players from South Bend also took the time to put some ink to cards.<br />
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After getting Cody Wheeler pre-game on 33 cards, I watched the same guy get him on another 18 cards after the game. The Snappers also walked out this way to their cars parked behind the bus. <br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: C</b><br />
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I probably shouldn't be the one correcting people on pronunciation of player names, but after you go through a lineup three times and you still cannot get the player's name right, it gets comical. Then add a terrible sound system and it gets even worse. For the most part the crowd for both games I attended was mainly people I autographed with before the game and your die-hard baseball fans that would pay to watch American Legion baseball. <br />
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<b>Final Thoughts:</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">During the 2nd game I attended, I concluded that one way for Minor League teams to combat out of date stadiums is to just cater to the die-hard baseball fans, and if one brings their family out, be content. Resist the temptation of pointless giveaways and pick a decade theme for the whole season and stay in that time period. The 70's gave us some interesting players and uniforms. Stop the loud music, on the field promotions, and cater to the autograph collectors and die-hard baseball fans like me. Let the crowd sing "We are Family" in between innings. Bring in players from the 70's for cheap autograph signings like Ron Blomberg (who was the game's first Designated Hitter) or players from the Orioles who ended The Big Red Machine dynasty. Pick an awful 1970's baseball uniform design and change them every month. I want teams that have no chance of getting a new stadium to somehow survive. Pohlman Field would be a perfect stadium to start this trend- followed by the Huntsville Stars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Who knows if I will ever get up to Wisconsin again but Pohlman Field was a great stadium to kick off my Midwest League trip. An hour and a half after landing in Milwaukee, I was getting autographs. After eighteen innings of baseball, I enjoyed what little Pohlman Field had to offer. My wife wouldn't have stayed two innings.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-7894999125610024592013-06-01T12:16:00.000-05:002016-12-26T12:34:56.040-06:00Ashford University Field- Clinton, Iowa - Midwest LeagueThis was the stadium I heard about the less in planning my trip and ended up being my favorite. Ashford University Field is located in Clinton, Iowa and is the home of the Clinton Lumberkings. The Lumberkings are the Low A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, and from what people were telling me during the game, baseball has been played here forever. Overall, I didn't know what to expect when pulling up to the stadium. It sits along the Mississippi River and Clinton is the kind of town that it only takes thirty minutes to learn your way around. It was the only time during my trip that I didn't trust my GPS because the stadium's location didn't seem to fit in with the geography. I would have loved to have visited this stadium before the 2006 renovations but present day Ashford University Field featured what I enjoy about Minor League Baseball with its low key atmosphere and small town feel.<br />
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Unlike with my other reviews, I am just posting pictures and will give a brief description of what the pictures are showing and my thoughts on them. <br />
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View of the stadium from my parking spot. Parking was free which was awesome but this was the worst parking lot I have ever experienced at a sporting event. It needs to be repaved. Also, a lot of shady characters roaming around while I was prepping cards to be signed inside my car. <br />
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I was hoping to grab a couple of baseballs during batting practice but the outfield walls are high at Ashford University Field. No wonder the Mariners get excited about any Mariner prospect that displays power during his Midwest League stint. <br />
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I arrived so early and found myself reading all these bricks. Lot of lifetime baseball fans in Clinton.<br />
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A very simple Main Entrance.<br />
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I have no clue the importance of this clock because it never moved the four plus hours I was inside the stadium.<br />
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Very uneventful concourse with a lot of empty space. <br />
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I don't know why but the area where the starting lineups are posted is the first place I locate inside the stadium.<br />
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Lot of autograph seekers looking for Robert Stephenson. Trust me, the total doubled before game time leaving very little room to navigate. The netting didn't help either. I didn't have access to the players from the bullpen until after the game. <br />
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This is the view from where I watched the game for several innings. Those support beams provide some very poor sight lines and I hate bleacher seating.<br />
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A view along the left side of the field from my seat. It seemed everybody in the crowd knew each other and there is never any reason to despise a covered grandstand. <br />
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I was told that the Lumberkings have a local lady who will lineup pieces of candy and gum behind the on deck circle for the players to enjoy during the game. I looked everywhere for her but did not see her.<br />
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The view along the right side of field from my seat. With no free giveaways, I would assume the majority of the crowd were host families. <br />
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I despise bleacher seating. While its a nice cheap alternative, its been proven to take up more room then box seating. <br />
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I had a hard time getting a good shot of the picnic area because of the people making weird faces or making obscene gestures. You would be surprised what I find people doing in the photos.<br />
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Picture of the picnic area and the Lumberkings bullpen area.<br />
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View of the berm. <br />
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I didn't have access to the Lumberyard but was told it was used to host group outings later in the season. <br />
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For the first time on a stadium visit, I didn't take a photo of the scoreboard, this one will have to do.<br />
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I watched a couple of innings in this seating area.</div>
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Talked a good two innings to this one guy out on the berm and thought this picture would turn out better than it did<br />
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<b>Ratings for Ashford University Field:</b></div>
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<b>Stadium:B</b></div>
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Clinton has a nice ballpark with little distractions. I have to find a way back to this stadium in a couple of years. Reminds me a lot of Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia. <b></b></div>
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: B</b></div>
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I heard a lot of interesting comments about baseball but for the most part it was a small crowd. Picture a small group of Cubs fans thinking their players do nothing wrong on the field and acting like they are making the managerial decisions. Comical.<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Pricing: B</b></div>
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With free parking, I was willing to pay extra for a front row seat behind home plate but it seemed the guy working the ticket booth only wanted to provide me a ticket he knew how to sell so I had to settle for a General Admission ticket for $7.00. This was Day 5 of the trip and I was burnt out on ballpark food so I had a simple hot dog and a RC Cola; yup I said RC! There were not Pepsi nor CocaCola products. </div>
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<b>Autographing: A. </b></div>
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The Lumberkings have what I think is the longest walk in Minor League Baseball from their clubhouse to their dugout. Plenty of chances to ask the players behind the berm and good access on the Clinton side up until they reach the dugout. Only problem I experienced is that I had to be patient with the visiting team's bullpen players because they really had to go out of their way to accommodate you. After the game, the visiting team has a short walk through the concourse to the parking lot to board their bus. <b> </b></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-24347885588143518712013-06-01T11:20:00.000-05:002013-06-01T11:20:11.996-05:00Midwest League Roadtrip Roundup:For the most part, my trip was a great success up until the last 48 hours. From the time I left Pensacola, Florida and landed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it seemed I was staying ahead of the rain by a couple of hours but that would change when I checked into my hotel in Peoria, Illinois on Day 5. It was raining and cold. The day before I was wearing shorts and graphing in eighty degree weather . I had already watched a school day game that day and drove two hours to my hotel. The Chiefs announced that they would attempt to play that night's game but I decided to stick to my original plan of watching the Chiefs in the morning and then heading on over to Kane County for a nightcap. The Chiefs game was cancelled in the 7th inning due to the rain and they announced later on that night that the morning game was also canceled due to poor field conditions. With the weather not looking any better in Geneva, IL, I took a gamble that the Cougars night game wasn't going to be played either and decided to turn in my rental car a day early and headed to Chicago. Sadly, they did get to play the game but if the conditions were anything like I experienced in Burlington early on in the day, it would have been miserable. I got to attend six of the eight stadiums of the Western Midwest teams and took over 400 pictures. I got a ton of autographs along with meeting interesting baseball fanatics and autograph seekers. One thing I realized on this trip is I love baseball but my limit is probably five days at the max. A lot of the burnout came from watching baseball in the hotel room, when I was eating in between games, and managing all three of my fantasy baseball teams on the iPhone at red lights. With the next trip, I am going to have to plan some off days where I either go watch a movie or go visit a local landmark that interests me. For the reviews of the stadiums, they will be simple reviews of what I liked and what I didn't like with a ton of pictures. I should have them up slowly over the next couple of days, depending on work.<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-36199811007862156902013-02-21T01:41:00.000-06:002013-04-21T21:32:47.843-05:002013 Minor League Roadtrip<div style="text-align: justify;">
Early on in the planning stage for my 2013 trip, my attention was focused on seeing all the teams in the Appalachian League at home with some South Atlantic League teams mixed in for fun. My trips are usually compacted in a week that embraces the option of seeing two games in two different cities the same day. However, the Appalachian League features some absurd scheduling and has a history of very view day games. Plus, its a short season league meaning I wouldn't be able to to do the trip until late June. My excitement level for the trip diminished very quickly. My attention then shifted to an area of the United States that I have never visited. After a couple of weeks of planning and consulting with the wife, I decided on doing the Midwest League. This trip will provide a nice mixture of players from organizations that I dont normally see in the Southern League and a nice mixture of both new and old stadiums. I might even get to visit the Field of Dreams and the Bob Feller Musuem. </div>
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The Midwest League features 16 teams spread across 7 states. I knew from the start that it wasn't possible for me to see all 16 teams at home so what started with me just seeing the teams in Iowa grew into some thing bigger when I noticed the 2013 Midwest League schedule featured one week where it was possible to see all the West Division teams playing at home vs an Eastern Division team in late April and early May. That really sold me on the trip. I will be seeing all the Midwest League teams minus the West Michigan Whitecaps in a six day period. A Brewers game also fits in nicely to my itinerary. I will see the Eastern Division teams of the Midwest League at home a year or two from now. </div>
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I plan to depart Pensacola early on the 27th of April, fly directly into Milwaukee, pray for no snow,and then see the following games:</div>
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Beliot: Snappers April 27th vs South Bend Silver Hawks 2:00 pm</div>
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Wisconsin Timber Rattlers : April 28th vs South Bend Silver Hawks 1:05 pm<br />
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Milwaukee Brewers: April 29th vs Pittsburgh Pirates 7:05 pm<br />
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Cedar Rapids Kernels : April 30th vs Lancaster Lugnuts 12:05 pm<br />
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Quad Cities Bandits : April 30th vs Great Lakes Loons 7 pm<br />
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Clinton Lumber Kings : May 1st vs Dayton Dragons 6:30 pm<br />
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Burlington Bees : May 2nd vs Fort Wayne Tin Caps 11:30 am<br />
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Peoria Chiefs: May 3rd vs Lake County Captains 11 am<br />
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Kane County Cougars : May 3rd vs Bowling Green Hot Rods 6:30 pm<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-61358139226410015182012-07-19T12:06:00.001-05:002013-12-07T02:36:49.548-06:00Riverwalk Stadium- Montgomery, AL - Southern LeagueYou will find after visiting several of the newer Minor League stadiums, they all start to blend together. This isn't the case with Riverwalk Stadium. Every visit I find something new that sparks my interest. On this trip I got to experience the first major upgrade to the stadium: a new video board and the in-ballpark television system. The video board is now the largest in the Southern League. Sadly, my last trip revolved around me wanting to get Greg Halman, who passed away too early this off season, on a couple of items when he was playing with the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. I was also flirting with the idea of keeping up with my stadium visits and my first review wasn't all that great and the pictures were disappointing. A 2012 visit to Riverwalk Stadium was a must! Riverwalk Stadium was completed in 2004 and I still wonder what took so long considering I first heard of affiliated baseball coming back to Montgomery way back in 1997. It seats 7,000 with another 4,000 in the picnic area if needed. Riverwalk Stadium is located in downtown Montgomery and is the <span class="st"> home of the Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League. Since their inception into the Southern League, the Biscuits are still affiliated with the Tampa Rays. </span><br />
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<b>Random Fact:</b> Montgomery is also home<b> </b>to another park: Paterson Field which is worth a visit if you have the time. While it hasn't hosted professional baseball since 2003, high school and college teams still use the park<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Stadium Rating : 5 </span><br />
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It doesn't feel like you're going to a baseball game until you are inside Riverwalk Stadium. The majority of the stadium was built around a historic train station. The exterior and Main entrance to the stadium looks old and it should. The train station was over 100 years old! It makes for one of the more interesting entrances in Minor League Baseball. The stadium features a total of twenty suites. Six of the suites are built into the old train terminal along the first-base line and the remaining fourteen extend along the third base line. The balconies to the suites resemble the balconies you see up and down Bourbon Street in New Orleans.<br />
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The design template for the seating areas is pretty simple. The concourse is a 360 degree open concourse<b></b> <b></b>with no main plaza. The seating bowl features all green fold down chairs with 15 rows of seating, so expect a great view of the field. One of the common beliefs with modern baseball parks is that they do not
feature a bad seat in the house. I wish that was the case with
Riverwalk, but that is not the truth. My view behind home plate was blocked due to a man wearing a
larger than life hat and his kid playing with a foam finger. If the
seating sections were elevated higher, this wouldn't happen People with long legs like me will appreciate that there is plenty of legroom in all seating areas which really makes watching the game more enjoyable. On this visit for the first time, I noticed that the seating areas down the baselines are not angled correctly. They are angled towards the outfield and with the completion date of Riverwalk Stadium, there is no reason for this. You are going to leave Riverwalk Stadium with a<span class="st"> sharp pain and stiffness in your neck if you choose to sit away from the grandstand. The outfield berm seating is shaded nicely by some trees, but the fields other berm area doesn't offer that great of a view. </span><br />
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The new scoreboard is huge and is still located in left field. The old scoreboard was difficult to see from the third baseline seating areas. The ribbon board which acts like an auxiliary scoreboard runs along the left field wall is nice. All stadiums should have one of these ! <br />
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One of the most annoying things that I find about minor league stadiums is that some concourses can be very crowded offering a lack of walking space and limited concessions. This is expected for older stadiums but can still plague the newer stadiums. Rivrwalk Stadium does not have this problem. With it being a Summer Fun Day and surrounded by a ton of summer camp kids, there was plenty of room to navigate from one side of the stadium to the other with ease. <br />
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For me, the most enjoyable place in the stadium to watch the game is the Locomotive Loft. This section is on top of the left-field wall which has an operational train track and the Alabama River behind it. The left field wall is elevated about 15 feet above the field and allows you to chat with the left fielder in between plays. I was told the locals call this elevated walkway is called "the bowl" . There was no breeze from the river today. Around the 5th inning, a train came blowing its horn bringing a lot of excited to the kids. The backdrop is of downtown Montgomery.<br />
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At the start of the 8th inning, I continued to walk around the "bowl" and watched a inning from the picnic area. Most stadiums have their picnic area in some absurd spot inside the stadium away from the field itself to fill space in my opinion. However, sitting on top of the picnic table to me was just as enjoyable as sitting on the 1st row behind home plate.<br />
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The only thing that I noticed that would eventually bother me about the stadium if I was a local is the bar area called the Club Car Bar. During games, its only open for season ticket holders. It has to be one of the nicer looking bar areas I have seen in a minor league stadium. The gift store is stocked well and had a lot of Tampa Ray affiliated merchandise. The children’s playground didn’t look like it offered that much.<br />
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I love stadiums that allow free access and for the most part today I
was allowed to explore every nook & cranny of this stadium.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Baseball Atmosphere: 5 </span><br />
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Riverwalk Stadium has the feel of a major league stadium and at no time do you need to be reminded that you are at a baseball game. It does offer plenty for the children with short attention spans. The Biscuits can get crazy with “in game” promotions that could distract you from the game. Their mascot is “Monty” (which looks like an anteater) makes no sense in regards to the branding. Music was predictable and the PA announcer does a great job. The PA system is strong and clear. At times, I was wishing for some silence between innings.<br />
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Autographing: 3 </span><br />
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I doubt the architect that designed this stadium had autographing in mind but it used to be a gold mine to the autograph seeker. That isn't the case now. Both baselines still have no objects or ushers limiting your access. You still have easy access to both teams' bullpens. The problem now is graphing the lower porch areas near both dugouts. You had access to the players entering and exiting the dugouts. On the Biscuits side, they would even allow me to walk further down the tunnel to get the visiting team walking to their dugout under the grandstand. On my last visit, no one said anything to you if you were in these spots. I am being honest with you that everyone of the game day crew gave me a lecture on where the best place to get autographs. What they were really wanting to say is "you can't be here". The new parking deck also makes graphing after the game difficult. Recent Biscuit call ups will park in the parking deck. Other Biscuits will park in the old parking area. Good luck guessing which exit they are going to use! I attempted to graph the visiting team (Mobile) as they were boarding their bus and they were having none of it. <br />
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Pricing: 4</span> <br />
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I do not mind paying for parking if its reasonable and convenient. The original plan was to park twenty yards away from the main stadium entrance but the meter wouldn't go over two hours. I eventually used the parking deck that was being constructed the last time I visited Riverwalk. After four hours in downtown Montgomery, my total parking fee was $3.75. My box seat ticket was $8.00 which is reasonable considering the ushers said I could sit anywhere I liked once inside the stadium. I had two undercooked hot dogs for $4.00 and a souvenir cup drink for $4.50. The Biscuits were giving out free water drinks during the game and that kept me hydrated. I didn't eat a lot inside the stadium because I had planned to eat at Dreamland after the game since is now located across the street from the stadium. I don't usually mention businesses on the blog but do yourself a favor and try Dreamland after a Biscuits game. You will not be disappointed if you like BBQ ribs.<br />
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I have lived the majority of my life in Alabama and until this stadium was built, never thought of spending a couple of hours in downtown Montgomery. Even my updated pictures don't show how enjoyable a game is inside Riverwalk Stadium<b class="review">.</b> It is still one of my favorite Southern League stadiums to watch a game. Honestly, even without the stadium, Biscuits management offers what the winning formula is for an enjoyable baseball experience the minor league way. Some teams don’t get it, the Montgomery Biscuits do!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-37417367639287948562012-05-15T01:54:00.000-05:002012-05-28T17:22:52.463-05:00Hank Aaron Stadium- Mobile, AL ( Re-Rub) Hank Aaron Stadium is named after the former All Time Homerun King Hank Aaron and home of the Mobile BayBears, the AA farm team of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The BayBears franchise was originally located in Wilmington, North Carolina under the name of the Port City Roosters. From 1997 to 2006, the BayBears were the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The ballpark opened on April 17, 1997. and can hold 6,000. I have been attending games at Hank Aaron Stadium since 2004 and the stadium really has not changed that much in the past eight years much less the past 15 years when it first opened. It is now one of the older ballparks in the Southern League.<br />
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<b>Random Fact: </b>Mobile is the home of five Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams, Ozzie Smith, and Satchel Paige. <br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: 3</b><br />
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Hank Aaron Stadium is one of the more puzzling stadiums to review. <span class="st"> </span>Its location leaves you nothing to explore on foot, <span class="review">the backdrop around the stadium is bland, and movement inside the stadium is inhibited by a lack of access. </span>Yet, no one will argue<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span>with you that once you enter Hank Aaron Stadium, the focus is on baseball.<br />
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The first thing you notice driving up to the Hank is the large of amount of parking and ask yourself why after fifteen years of baseball, have they not added more scenery around the park. The red brick and painted green steel gives the stadium a classic feeling on the outside exterior. One of the things I look for in the concourses of Minor League stadiums is anything referencing the history of the team or famous alumni of the team. Some stadiums have a small portion of references, if any, but inside the Hank you will find stadium seats from old MLB stadiums that Hank Aaron played in and concession stands named after retired MLB stadiums. If you like that kind of stuff, it starts outside the entrance of the Hank<span style="font-size: small;"> and continues in the concourse. </span><br />
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The stadium has a seating capacity of 6000 as well as 22 unique luxury suites. The Hank's biggest oddity is that those suites are at field level. From the VIP suites, you are closer to the catcher than the pitcher. That sounds nice at first, but a lot of the infield action during the game can be blocked by the home plate umpire. The seats from which the majority of fans will view the action on the field are on top of the suites or in the lower sections down the baselines. <span class="review">All seating is of the green fold down chair and the stadium features zero bleacher seating.</span> Seating behind home plate is tight for my 6'2" frame but the rows get better the higher you go up in the sections. There’s too much netting altogether in the Hank which creates some terrible sight lines. <br />
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With the suites at field level, that means the Hank has an closed concourse. If you decide to visit the bathroom and concession areas, you're going to miss a lot of the game. <span style="font-size: small;">My favorite place to sit is under the umbrella seating outside the Stadium Club Terrace </span><span style="font-size: small;">during day games </span><span style="font-size: small;">and under the press boxes behind home plate for night games. If you plan on attending a game with little kids, bring a blanket and watch the game from Baybear Mountain. They can burn off some energy rolling down the hill.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The stadium is starting to show its age. The white board they use to post the team lineups was a mess. Signs need to be repainted. The scoreboard is pitiful. It has seen better days and is inadequate when compared to its current Southern League counterparts. It doesn't even serve its purpose for the BayBears when they are doing in between inning promotions on it. I am not that picky about bathrooms at sporting events but the malodorous bathrooms at the Hank scare me. I don't see how "Going Green " relates to not addressing the bathroom altogether. </span><br />
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You will notice very quickly how limited your access is to everything in the stadium. Lower box seats are off limits while graphing and depending on your seating section you may not be able to explore the 755 Club, a private box that features some of Hank Aaron's personal memorabilia. Its not out of the ordinary to be asked for your ticket by the ushers multiple times as you explore one end of the stadium to the other. <br />
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For kids, the Hank offers an area called BayBear Beach, which is a picnic area that comes complete with an inflatable water slide, a beach volleyball court and a field-level view. All the amenities to stop kids from watching the game. It is open to the public after the first pitch. <br />
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One of the highlights of the stadium is the field. It is well maintained. Everything else at the Hank is what you would expect at any other Minor League Stadium. A gift shop and a poorly placed picnic area. <br />
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One of the newer additions to the Hank is the new "Hank Aaron Childhood Home and Museum" which opened in the spring of 2010. It alone is worth arriving to the Hank an hour early and taking a tour. It features artifacts and memorabilia from his career and childhood.<br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: 4</b><br />
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This rating really doesn't come from this visit. I have attended some games during the summer with only 49 people in house which is expected considering Mobile is a football first sports city. The majority of those 49 at times are scouts or work in baseball in some capacity. Some of the more interesting conversations I have listened to about baseball have come inside the Hank. However, today was a School Day game with the first pitch scheduled for 11:35 AM and these kids were quiet which made it very dull. The Baybears have been doing the same promotions what seems like forever. I always enjoyed the “Beat the Bug Race” which is now "Beat The Bear Race" which features the BayBears mascot racing a kid around the base paths. I actually missed Clarence "The Dancing Man " while out in Utah. Nothing like an old man pelvic thrusting three feet from a middle aged man at eye level to the beats of " Who let the Dogs Out". Seriously, I am jealous of how much baseball Clarence has actually watched and when he is not trying to get you to dance its interesting to hear some of the things that he has experienced inside the stadium. The BayBears do an excellent job of providing a superb mixed of old classic music hits and ballpark favorites you should know. <br />
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<b>Autographing: 1</b><br />
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<span class="review">Hank Aaron Stadium is a pain in the ass to autograph. You're not going to be able to graph both teams before the game. T</span>he BayBears have a very short walk from their locker room to their bullpen to their dugout due to the first baseline being very short for a modern ballpark. You have no access to the BayBears bullpen area unless you get the attention of the players to come to you which is a good 20 yard walk for them. If the Baybears don't win the game, the bullpen players aren't coming any closer to you. You only have access to the Baybears dugout on the right side of the dugout. The visiting team enters the field from right field and has to walk across the field to the 3rd base side. Once they are half way across the field, they then can decide to either continue to their bullpen or to their dugout. You have great access to the visiting team’s bullpen if you are standing along the 3rd base side in the BayBear Beach area. Your only access to the visiting team’s dugout is on the left side of the dugout. After the game, the ideal place for autographs on the BayBears side is to the far right of the elevated terrace on the right side of the tarps. It is very hit or miss due to the small space, but it’s the best place. Both the visiting team’s bus and the BayBears parking lot are gated. If you can't call players out in street clothes or if you have large items, its going to be fruitless for you.<br />
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<b>Pricing: 2</b><br />
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Ticket prices for a BayBear game still seem to be highest in the Southern League. Field Level seats are $15.00 and your basic box seat is $7.00. Parking is $3.00 and my general admission ticket today was $6.00. Concessions are not cheap with a 20 ounce drink being $3.50 and a one topping micro hot dog for $2.50. Concessions feature your standard baseball items: hotdogs, peanuts, nachos, and beer. I was planning on trying the Turner Burger but the vending station that sells it was not open on this visit. No items on the concourse menus are over $6.00 but the Stadium Club restaurant is expensive for what they have to offer. A tour of Hank Aaron's stadium is free with your ticket up to one hour before game time. One of the things that bothered me the most with this visit was with my scorecard purchase for a $1.00. I purchased one with the expectation that it would come with a printed roster for both teams. It didn't. <br />
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The Hank does not offer a whole lot to the non baseball fan who does not enjoy watching baseball. Set your expectations correctly and you will be fine. Even though I complain a lot about this stadium, I always find myself watching a game in it. The stadium's greatest amenity is the product on the field and that’s the best reason to visit<i> </i>The Hank.<br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-2973791745238555222012-04-09T22:20:00.002-05:002012-04-18T11:41:36.373-05:00Community Maritime Park- Pensacola, FL ( Opening Weekend )To say I am excited about the return of affiliate baseball to Pensacola is an understatement. Many people didn't think this would be possible due to the Pensacola market being one of the smaller Double-A markets.<span class="review"> This always seemed odd to me because Pensacola </span>had an independent-league team, the Pelicans, who played at <span class="ballpark">Pelican Park, that some nights placed more butts in the seats than the Mobile Baybears. </span><span class="review">The relocation of the Carolina Mudcats and the opening of Maritime Park allowed for professional baseball to return to Pensacola </span>for the first since 1962, when the Pensacola Senators played their final season in the Alabama-Florida League. The team is named the Blue Wahoos from a "name-the-team" contest and a Blue Wahoo is a prize game fish. The Blue Wahoos are the Double A affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds and this is their inaugural season in the Southern League. I heard all kind of numbers on the total number of seats from various sources but for now we will go with the total of 5,200 and that is being generous in my opinion. <br />
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<b>Random Fact: </b> The Senator's played in Admiral Mason Park which was nicknamed "Stinko Stadium" because it was built across the street from a sewage plant.<br />
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<b>Stadium: 5</b><br />
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White sand beaches, chartering a boat for a fishing expedition, or a couple of hours in the National Naval Aviation Museum might be what originally attracted visitors to Pensacola, Florida. Visitors to the Emerald Coast should now add a Blue Wahoos baseball game to to their itinerary<span class="st"><i>.</i></span> With just 5.200 seats, Maritime Ballpark is simple like the Pioneer League stadiums I loved out West but features all of the amenities I expect from a Double A Stadium.<br />
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<span id="intelliTXT"> One of the first things that you will notice as you approach Maritime Park is how nicely it fits into its </span><span id="intelliTXT">surroundings. The stadium site was basically a </span><span class="st">hub for transients and the homeless while being a </span>environmental nightmare for the city. While I was out in Salt Lake City, I was skeptical of how this would work due to the location site. It was hard for me to visualize where the stadium would be if it was downtown and I remained skeptical up until my in-laws sent me pictures of my seat from the season ticket seat selection event. The developers did a great job of maximizing the space. I am especially impressed how the stadium parallels Pensacola Bay.<br />
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<span class="review">Maritime Park's exterior is</span><span class="review"><b> </b>beautifully landscaped</span><b class="review"> </b><span class="review">with a surplus of palm trees and features a brick-paved </span>promenade <span class="review">that runs across the perimeter of the ballpark. T</span>he exterior of the park is comprised of red brick on the lower portions, upper portions feature a little bit of steel painted green with the rest of the facade painted a sandstone taupe color. Even the molding around the stadium sticks out and looks classy. The stadium on the outside feels like a mixture of a traveling circus and a shopping plaza. UPS is dropping off packages, food vendors are loading dollies, trollies are unloading people, performers are twirling batons, and people are jogging around the stadium. It does not feel like you're about to watch a baseball game. <span class="review">When you enter the main gate, you go up two sets of stairs or an elevator to get to the main concourse. I wish there was more to tell you about the entrance but in one word it was uneventful. This stadium really needs a local company to buy the naming rights to the stadium and plaster their logo all over it. </span><br />
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The development team behind the smallest Double A stadium followed a simple template inside the stadium. <span class="review">Maritime Park is basically </span><span class="review">an elevated concourse over looking the field with</span><span class="review"> an upper deck featuring press and luxury boxes. </span>The media suite is located in the center area of the top deck directly behind home plate. The lower section of the concourse behind home plate houses a gift shop named the Bait and Tackle, a small Sports Bar called Mulroy's, a welcome desk where you will also find starting lineups displayed on TV's, and finally a small pub called The Schooner that features a ton of beers. Mulroy's is going to be popular on humid nights. The one area (if you can get into) that is worth a visit is the Hancock Bank Club<b> </b>along the third base side<b> </b>that offers a great view of the Bay<b>. </b><br />
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Seating in the grandstand lower areas<b class="review"> </b><span class="review">are</span><b class="review"> </b><span class="review">dark blue fold down chairs</span> that stretch from first base to third base. They did a good job cosmetically going with the dark blue seats. As you go down the baselines, the seating turns into aluminum benches with numbered backs in the upper sections and box seating in the lower sections. However, depending on when you visit, these bleacher sections may be gone. The Wahoos decided that they were an eyesore and didn't look right once installed. Box seats come with an arm rest, seat back and cup holder. The farthest seat is only fourteen feet from the field which makes it very easy for players to respond to your comments. At times, you can even hear the players and umpires chatting among themselves. Towards the end of the game, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed watching the game from the berm. I normally avoid berm seating but the layout of the berm is very relaxing and will offer one of the few places open to the average ticket holder to hide from the wheel in the sky. This stadium offers very little shade and the Wahoos were smart in avoiding early day games. Netting for the most part is non existent and doesn't hinder your view of the field in anyway. <br />
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I would be lying to you if this stadium didn't have a bad seat. It has more than one. The last seating sections down both baselines don't face the infield but centerfield. You have to stretch your neck to watch the infield action. With a new ballpark, there is no reason for this. Also, the first row behind home plate has zero leg room while along the baselines the first row is too far away to prop your feet up. If the first row was intended for people with disabilities, why are the cup holders so far away from the actual seat to make them useful ?<br />
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<span class="review"> </span>The concourse features multiple televisions that are setup to stream the game live at each concession stand while you are waiting to indulge a hotdog or a cold one. Lines can form around vendor windows without clogging up the aisle even on sold out nights. One thing that really stood out to everyone that attended the game with me was how easy it was to purchase concession items without really having to leave your seating section. Easily one of the more convenient concourses I have experienced. With future visits, I will probably stand at the tabletops behind home plate along the concourse.They are in a perfect location - right behind the last row behind home plate - offering a great view of the field. <br />
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The view of the Gulf makes this a very aesthetic sporting venue. Whether you're walking along the concourse in right field or sitting in your seat along the third base side, its hard not to experience one of the most extraordinary views in Minor League Baseball: the Gulf of Mexico. Just like with real estate, location is important in baseball and the Wahoos have hit a homerun in this area! What other Minor League Stadium allows you to catch a homerun ball in a bay, like you're at a Giants game outside AT&T Park, <i>and</i> fish outside the ballpark ?<br />
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I was impressed with the HD video scoreboard located in right field It easily outshines some of its Southern League counterparts. It tells me everything I need to know except the time; something that you would expect a scoreboard to tell you. A small auxiliary scoreboard facing the people watching the game from the berm would be nice in the future.<br />
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I have a couple of complaints about the stadium. <span class="review"> Its not a true wraparound concourse. One feature that I thought would really stand out was the restrooms being accessible from both inside and outside the ballpark. This feature quickly became annoying because you do not have to really have a ticket to experience the lower outfield concourse. They check tickets as you enter and exit to the elevated outfield concourse and also place a huge X on your hand in black sharpie. A simple visit to the bathroom becomes too much of a hassle due to a line forming for people having their ticket checked for re-entry. I am sure that there will be a day that I will lose my ticket stub somewhere along the outfield concourse while making a dash to the lower concourse to use the bathroom. What happens when I can not present my ticket stub to the attendant for re-entry back into the stadium? I was hoping the stadium would incorporate the Wahoos team name into the ballpark design a little bit more. You will find some poorly displayed banners out in the outfield and there is hardly any recognition of the teams' MLB affiliate.</span> A visit to Maritime Park should only get better once other attractions are up and running outside the stadium grounds and the city comes up with a more efficient way of getting people in and out of the stadium safely. Traffic does not stop coming into the game and only stops after the game due to the heavy police presence. A pedestrian bridge or some stop lights would be a good fix (albeit, an expensive fix).<br />
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I expected some hiccups with a new stadium. The few that I noticed so far, are minor and I am sure they will be corrected on future visits. <span class="style1">Due to space constraints, the park has a unique design that makes it "quirky". </span> Some may feel there is more going on outside the stadium. Ten years from now the stadium should have a history and I will be able to write about the players I watched inside when the stadium was new. Right now the stadium needs character and that is going to take some time. <br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: 4</b><br />
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Southern hospitality was in full effect and the Wahoos did a great job introducing affiliated baseball to the city. Time will tell if the local residents were there to watch a baseball game or to tell friends ten years from now they attended the first Wahoo game. No one was talking loud on their cellphone and sharing their abusive-disturbing language. One thing missing was any type of vendor trying to sell items like cotton candy and peanuts at your seat. <span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">The mascot Kazoo, which is suppose to be a </span>“aquatic creature”<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> represents everything corny one expects in regards to a Minor League Baseball mascot.</span> In between inning promotions for the most part didn't focus on the sport of baseball and that is something I would like to see change in the future. Some sections tried to get the wave going but most people in the stands weren't having any of it. I wasn't too happy about seeing a Wii system hook up to a TV along the birthday area for children on the concourse. What sense does that make to rent out a birthday area in a baseball stadium to play video games ? If you must use Neil Diamond's"Sweet Caroline" for the seventh inning stretch please use a good version. I would rather hear the Reds version of "Talkin' Baseball" by Terry Cashman or "Cheap Seats" by Alabama. The PA announcer Josh Gay did a great job. With it being Opening Night, I was surprised with the volume being just right and at the quality of the sound out on the berm People tailgating outside the stadium was odd. </div>
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<b>Pricing: 3</b><br />
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This is the part of the review that I try to be objective but lets tell the truth when we need to tell the truth: $10.00 to park near the stadium is absurd. Sure, I probably need to walk more than I currently do, but it shouldn't come from being motivated to save $7 bucks or better yet parking for free. I understand the lack of parking space near the stadium but how do you price the closest parking to the stadium at $10.00? Furthermore, (and this really irks my wife) all of the handicap parking in front of the stadium is blocked off by cones. Someone purchased these spaces for a whopping $700, making the handicapped pay the $10.00 to park anywhere near the stadium, but still not in a designated handicap space! While we do not know the purchaser of these spaces, we do know that they get used- because after leaving the stadium and beginning our journey to our own parking spot, we noticed large luxury vehicles, without handicap stickers, in those once-coned off spaces. <br />
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The good news when it comes to pricing with the stadium is that a family of four can watch a game for under $20.00. The bad news is you can't feed them for under $40.00. With me being a season ticket holder, I did not have to purchase a ticket, but General Admission tickets are $5.00, Reserved seats are $8.00, and Box seats are $10.00. <span id="intelliTXT">My first purchase of the night was a souvenir cup for $5.00 which I can then have refilled for $2.00 on future visits. I purchased a program for $5.00 and foil free hot dog basket for $7.00. The second night inside the stadium, I found a hot dog stand called Kazoo's Hot Dogs that was hidden behind the birthday picnic table area on the concourse that offered hot dogs for $2.00 a piece. I will take 3 hotdogs at $6.00 over one at $7.00 every night. I also tried the Heater Basket which consisted of a hamburger patty with onion rings, cheese, and bacon on it with a secret sauce called "Wahoo Sauce". It was pretty good. Finally, I decided to purchase an order of Onion Rings and wished I would have just keep the five dollars in my pocket. The basket consisted of only 6 onion rings and two of the rings were just fried batter. Very disappointing. I searched everywhere for a Wahoo taco.</span><br />
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<b>Autographing: 5</b><br />
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If you had any doubts about the original stadium design being constructed for Independent Baseball then just spend a couple of hours graphing the stadium before the game. Both teams enter their locker rooms from street level at the front of the ballpark. You will bump into players everywhere along the promenade outside the stadium. They arrive by car, trolley, and some walked to the stadium. Both teams enter the dugouts from underneath the concourse. The walk way to the dugout for the players is also close to the media pass area so you may be asked to leave but its still worth the twenty minutes of graphing until they ask you to leave. Once you are asked to leave, you just go to the other side of the dugout near the lower porch area. Both bullpens are located along their respective teams' dugout. After the game, its a guessing game as to where the visiting team bus will park and what the Wahoo players will do. I wish there was more to say but overall graphing this stadium is both easy and rewarding. I expect major changes as we get deeper into the season and will update this part of the review to the reflect the changes. <br />
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For the most part, everything of interest to me was up and running for a review on Opening Weekend. It was nice to finally see Pensacolians able to start their own tradition and history. It being Opening Weekend, I couldn't get the pictures I wanted of the stadium due to it being crowded but got enough to show you the highlights of the stadium. Expect them to change weekly. With its view of the Gulf, Maritime Park is one of the more relaxing Double A Minor League Ballparks I have visited and probably will become my second home this baseball season.<br />
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<b></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-60753393401784610862012-02-08T15:54:00.004-06:002012-02-08T17:47:37.510-06:00South Alabama's First Pitch Banquet - Mobile, Alabama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">This event now replaces the annual University of South Alabama Jaguars baseball alumni game. The event was held at the USS Alabama Battleship pavilion in Mobile, Alabama. With it being the first year of the banquet, I did not know what to expect. I signed up early for this event once it was announced that David Freese would be attending. I ordered a World Series baseball six weeks ago to the day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jf6zWcT3f7M/TzLkasLp3AI/AAAAAAAABEE/Zr47SQdsBC4/s1600/2012-02-07+17.07.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jf6zWcT3f7M/TzLkasLp3AI/AAAAAAAABEE/Zr47SQdsBC4/s320/2012-02-07+17.07.58.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="goog_41986432"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span id="goog_41986432">Event Rating: 4 (Could have been much worse)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="goog_41986432">Overall<b>, </b>the three hour event was well organized </span><span id="goog_41986432">and the dinner</span><b><span id="goog_41986432"> </span></b><span id="goog_41986432">was not bland, which I've come to expect with catered events like this.</span><span id="goog_41986432"><b> </b>Upon entering the banquet area we were informed by a huge sign stating that Mr. Freese would only be signing the photo the college was providing. </span><br />
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<span id="goog_41986432">After reading the sign, I welcomed the challenge and decided that I would have to think outside the box if I wanted Mr.Freese to sign my baseballs. While exploring the exhibits inside the pavilion, I had a discussion with a USA worker about the event and learned that one player was limited by his memorabilia contract and another one flat out declined attending because he did not feel comfortable signing autographs. I told him they should have announced the autograph policy weeks in advance and then the sign wouldn't have been necessary, or at the very least not been a surprise. I know the school was trying to accommodate the players' wishes but the way they went about it should have been handled differently. </span><br />
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<b><span id="goog_41986432">David Freese: 3-3 </span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Before tonight, I had never asked David for an autograph even though I had seen him on several other baseball occasions. He looked like he wanted to sign my World Series baseball and 2009 Topps card at the beginning of the event, but handlers were enforcing the "no outside items" policy at the tables. I had to settle for the photo that was already signed. I eventually got David one on one after a TV interview and although he hesitated to sign, he signed my World Series baseball. As the event continued, I noticed the handlers were not addressing staff members, the current baseball team players, and former alumni players about getting David on outside items while he was preparing to be introduced. My second item would come later after a former player was getting outside items signed and I just placed my ball in David's hand. David had to address the issue of not signing outside items multiple times and he did very politely. With the way Mr.Freese handled himself tonight, I am thinking about starting a player collection of him.<br />
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<b><span id="goog_41986432">Jon Lieber: 3-3</span></b><br />
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<span id="goog_41986432">I've seen him plenty time</span><span id="goog_41986432">s at the alumni games and pitching clinics around the Mobile area. I am pretty sure I now have all his base cards signed. I had to remove a sharpie mark on one of the cards due to Lieber dropping the pen while signing. I didn't have time to ask him if he still had his monster truck that I saw him in down in Clearwater three years ago. </span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span id="goog_41986432">Pj Walters: </span></b><span id="goog_41986432">I just had him sign the 2009 Topps cards. Mr.Walters wasn't that talkative and did not look comfortable at all.</span><br />
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<b>Allen Battle: 1-1</b><br />
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I had Allen sign the free photo and told him I couldn't find any cards of him in time for the event even though he has a ton of base issue cards. Allen shared an interesting story about his first HR ball. He said Mark McGwire<i> </i>retrieved the ball, on his behalf, from a fan. <br />
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<b>Marlon Anderson: 4-4</b><br />
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For some reason, I have always have a hard time getting Mr.Anderson to stay in one place in the past. At the alumni games, he would sign a card and then dart off. He couldn't get away tonight. <b><span id="goog_41986432"><br />
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<b><span id="goog_41986432">Lance Johnson: 4-4</span></b><br />
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He informed me that he normally doesn't sign the 1988 Donruss card and that he only signs it at card shows in St. Louis<span class="st"><i>. </i></span> I said " That is okay." and he then stated " I will however sign it for you tonight". One of the more interesting players during the question and answer session.<br />
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<span id="goog_41986432"><b>No shows:</b> <b> </b>Luis Gonzalez, Dave Stapleton, </span><span id="goog_41986432">Steve Sparks, Juan Pierre, and Adam Lind. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
My whole reason for attending the event was to get Mr.Freese on a World Series baseball and anything else was a bonus. Was it wrong of me to ignore the autograph policy? Perhaps I would have followed the policy had the organizers provided the information- perhaps not. Your comments are welcome. <b><span id="goog_41986432"><br />
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</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-4970311402270290092012-01-29T21:23:00.002-06:002012-01-30T11:41:39.058-06:002012 Atlanta Braves Caravan- Montgomery, ALDecided to head up to Montgomery, Alabama for the Braves Caravan once they added Don Sutton. Other players scheduled to appear were Tim Hudson, David Ross, Eric Hinske, Tyler Pastornicky and Scott Fletcher.<br />
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<b>Event Rating: 5</b><br />
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For the most part, the Braves have gotten the caravans organized which wasn't always the case in my previous experiences. In the past, Braves personnel would give out a limitless amount of multicolored index cards to help them calculate how many people the players could sign for within a two hour period. If you had no card, you were not getting an autograph. Dishonest people quickly caught on to how they were doing things and would bring their own index cards while cutting in front of others that were waiting. Now they give out three hundred numbered cards that can be scanned if needed with a stamp. At around #300, a Braves team member will tell you honestly the chances of meeting the players is slim but you are more than welcome to try. The universal tip when graphing the caravans is to arrive early. It still amuses me that people think they can drive up to the event 15 minutes before it starts. Being the avid autograph collector that I am, I knew to be there early. I arrived at around 9:55am and got number #48. <br />
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<b>Don Sutton: </b> Signed my baseball with "HOF" inscription. Any day you get a "HOFer" for free is a good day. Its nice to see Mr. Sutton take an interest in some of the items he is signing. He was even filling requests on items for people that asked for his win total and strikeout total on items.<br />
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<b>Tim Hudson:</b> Signed my two 2009 Topps cards. I never know what to expect from Mr Hudson. I have had Mr. Hudson stop in his car at the gates of Disney and sign every item put in front of him. Other times at organized events he looks like he would rather be anywhere else. Today he was very talkative. He even got a kick out of Scott Fletcher's 1992 Topps card that was near his, and kept asking me to see it. <br />
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<b>David Ross: </b>Signed my 2009 Topps card. Not very talkative. <br />
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<b>Eric Hinske:</b> Signed two of my 2009 Topps cards and was talking about how much he enjoyed his time with the Yankees.<br />
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<b>Tyler Pastornicky:</b> The Braves think he can stick it out at SS and I had all my cards of him signed this year by way of 50-50's, so why not have him sign a baseball ? I will probably regret this 2 months from now when I am watching Jack Wilson on TBS.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WA6MmGzS7A4/TyYI4K8dKaI/AAAAAAAABC8/8WgoTqOl5iE/s1600/2012-01-29+20.26.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WA6MmGzS7A4/TyYI4K8dKaI/AAAAAAAABC8/8WgoTqOl5iE/s320/2012-01-29+20.26.57.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br />
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<b>Scott Fletcher: </b>I originally had four cards but gave the lady in front of me one of them because she was flipping through a Braves program from last year. I told her he isn't going to be in it and she could have one of my cards.<br />
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</div>Overall, the trip was worth it to me. I can cross off 3 more cards of my 2009 Topps set, a 1990 Leaf card, and added another "HOFer" baseball to the collection. It was a great way to kick off my "autograph season"!<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-84661341434571424012012-01-09T08:44:00.007-06:002012-01-26T14:57:35.233-06:002012 Plans.... 2011 was an exciting year for me. I spent a week in Arizona for Spring Training. Spent a weekend autographing the Cubs, Dodgers, and Reds in Las Vegas for two Spring Training Exhibition games. Returned to Arizona in early October for the Arizona Fall League. Due to the birth of my first child, there will be no Spring Training for me or any road-trips in 2012. I plan on hitting TTM hard this year in between changing diapers. I been working on the 2009 Topps and 1990 Leaf set. I do have a short "to do" list this season that should be easy to accomplish:<br />
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<ul><li>Visit <a href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/team1/page.jsp?ymd=20081113&content_id=480703&vkey=team1_t430&fext=.jsp&sid=t430">Trustmark Park</a> and do a review of the stadium. Slowly seeing all the teams and ballparks of the Southern League. <div class="cssButtonOuter"><div class="cssButtonMiddle"><div class="cssButtonInner"></div></div></div></li>
<li> Attend the 17th annual Rickwood Classic, a regular-season game played at legendary <a href="http://www.rickwood.com/" target="new">Rickwood Field.</a> This year the game is May 30th. Expect plenty of pictures.</li>
<li>Revisit <code></code><a href="http://www.biscuitsbaseball.com/PARK/park_info.html">Riverwalk Stadium<code></code></a>. The photos from my first review of <a href="http://diamondvisits.blogspot.com/2009/04/riverwalk-stadium-4-09-09.html">Riverwalk Stadium</a> did not do the stadium justice. </li>
<li>Revisit <a href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/team1/page.jsp?ymd=20090310&content_id=522110&vkey=team1_t417&fext=.jsp&sid=t417">Hank Aaron Stadium.</a><a href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/team1/page.jsp?ymd=20090310&content_id=522110&vkey=team1_t417&fext=.jsp&sid=t417"></a> I was just learning how to shoot baseball stadiums and think I can get some better pictures inside <a href="http://diamondvisits.blogspot.com/2009/04/hank-aaron-stadium-4-14-09_26.html">Hank Aaron Stadium</a> with my new camera. Also, the Hank Aaron Museum was being built and was not completed until after I moved to Salt Lake City.</li>
<li>Affiliated baseball returns to Pensacola with the Blue Wahoo's. Opening Night will be April 5, 2012 and I will be there. </li>
<li>Visit <a href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/team1/page.jsp?ymd=20070123&content_id=159784&vkey=team1_t588&fext=.jsp&sid=t588" target="new">Zephyr Field</a> and do a review of the stadium. I never been inside due to a rain out. </li>
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A visit to all these stadiums should be easy to do and enjoyable. Finally, I will start sharing some of my autograph experiences outside of games from this point forward. <br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-23009266352719503112012-01-08T18:05:00.005-06:002012-01-17T01:23:44.979-06:00Regions Park- Birmingham, ALI first visited this ballpark in 1996. I didn't do a good job at work hiding my obsession with baseball due to my manager catching me sorting his cards one day while he was at lunch. I noticed that all his Pat Watkin cards that I had pulled from packs the week before were signed. I had seen him powdering his cards several times in the past and never really asked what he was doing with the powdered cards. After my shift, he invited me to help him out that night with a top prospect that would be playing against the Barons: Derek Lee. Before he asked me to go to the Barons game with him , it never occurred to me to go to a Minor League baseball game to get autographs. I didn't even go to a Barons game to watch Micheal Jordan play baseball. Even at a young age, I realized the chance of making Major Leagues was small and didn't see the point in asking the players while they were in the Minors. I had always paid for my autographs at card shows. I have probably written about this ballpark on three blogs over the past 5 years never to finish the post or losing the pictures to make it worthwhile. This week I returned to the ballpark that started my obsession with getting autographs and write a review of the stadium. Just like 15 years ago, the Birmingham Barons are still associated with the Chicago White Sox and play in the Southern League. It's the second oldest ballpark in the Southern League and over their history the Barons have been one of the top five to ten draws in Minor League Baseball. <br />
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<b>Random Fact:</b> The city of Birmingham is trying to lure the Barons back to the downtown area in a new stadium by 2013. <br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: C</b><br />
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The stadium is actually located in a subdivision of Hoover, Alabama and it is shocking to think that they have not built anything around the stadium that is worthwhile exploring on foot. For additional entertainment, you have restaurants and the Galleria Mall a couple of miles away. Even with my first visit in 1996, Regions Park was an old stadium. The stadium first opened in 1988 and was renovated after the 2006 season. The small basketball court that was located down the third baseline is not there anymore. It used to annoy me. The size of the parking lot still reminds me of the emptiness the Griswold family' experienced as they drove thru the empty parking lot of Wally World in the movie National Lampoon's Vacation. Outside of the stadium still looks like a dome and anything but a baseball stadium. The only thing that has remained the same is the vastness of the ballpark. The stadium is huge and has a lot of dead space. Regions Park offers a simple seating arrangement. The renovation of 2007 resulted in new seats for the seating bowl but the same aluminum bleachers since the parks opening in the last 2 sections of the bowl. A second deck was added on top of the press boxes which is used as skybox suites and a banquet area. The expansion also lead to a new ticket office along the third base side which was being used has a concession stand tonight. My seat was a general admission seat right behind home plate which in most stadiums is considered reserved seating. Some areas of the bowl can seem distant from the action on the field but offer no poor sight lines. Oddly, Upper deck is at street level. The stadium offers very little shade and day games can be brutal.. The concourse is the problem with the stadium. The lack of openness inside the concourse makes you feel like your inside a dome stadium and your going to miss a lot of the game as you explore the concourse. The concourse features several concession stands, some over sized team photo's featuring past Baron squad's and some posters featuring previous Baron's like Micheal Jordan and Bobby Jenks. This is it for the historic feel. <br />
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Scoreboard serves its purpose and provides all the information one would need if the PA announcer fails to do so. The concession stands offer a huge amount of options that one would expect in a Major League stadium. There is simply something for everyone. One thing that I didn't like about the stadium is the how limited your access is to some areas of the stadium. I remember that I use to be able to go up the elevator to the suite level to acquire merchandise like baseball card sets and hats. Now they have a small souvenir shop in the concourse.<br />
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The picnic areas that are named from past players in the Baron's long history were reserved for a function. I wasn't even allowed to take pictures from the small berm area on either side of the stadium. Generally, there is nothing wrong with the stadium yet it doesn't offer anything else then a great place to watch a Minor League Baseball game.<br />
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<b>Pricing: C</b><br />
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Back in 1996, I always tried to arrive early so I didn't have to pay parking but tonight I failed. Parking was $3.00. My general admission ticket was $7.00. I celebrated my return to the South by drinking 4 cups of sweet tea which I took for granted when I headed to the West. Each cup was a $1.00 and it was great. My program was a $1.00 and my regular hot dog which was fresh took another $3.00. Finally, I purchased a 2011 team set for a friend for $8.00. Not cheap when it add it all up.<br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: C</b><br />
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The crowd was small and for the most part they were there for Thirsty Thursday. I was expecting a huge draw due to the visiting team being affiliated with the Chicago Cubs. The crowd was quiet tonight and didn't turn into a baseball crowd until the Top of the 9th inning when the Tennessee Smokies were threatening to take the lead. Sound effects for the most part are entertaining however I was quickly reminded that I had returned to the South with the in between innings failing to promote the spirit of baseball with the art of throwing a football taking center stage. Didn't really understand the Fantasy Football Draft Part Night Promotion.<br />
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<b>Autographing: A</b><br />
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This stadium has always been great for graphs. Tonight the players were kinda hesitant about leaving the dugout until the last minute due to the rain clouds. You have access to both teams bullpen and there is little backstop netting preventing your access to either dugout. What makes this ballpark great for autographing is after the game. The visiting team's bus pulls up along the outside of the stadium on the third-base side. There are no gates and tonight there was no security. It's the same on the Baron's side. Zero fencing for the players parking lot and if it wasn't for the raindrops tonight, I would have gotten everything done.<br />
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It is going to be interesting what happens to this stadium and the future of the Barons. Two guys I was getting autographs with were not all that excited about the Barons leaving the Hoover, Alabama area. Traffic worried them. One female worker worried about her safety in a relocation downtown. Finally, one season ticket said he would not be going downtown for any reason. Even before I left, it was easy to forget about the Barons. My Dad asked me where they were located today. Hoover High School football out draws the Barons and you could label this an endangered affiliated ballpark and that's never good.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-962247770006079682011-09-09T17:38:00.026-05:002012-01-17T01:26:12.962-06:00Joe Davis Stadium - Huntsville, AL<span class="mceItemHidden">I was originally supposed to visit Joe Davis Stadium with my wife in 2009 but I read the Stars home schedule wrong and we ended attending a Chattanooga Lookouts game instead. Trevor Bauer who was playing against the Stars with the Mobile <span class="hiddenSpellError">Baybears</span> is what brought me to the stadium tonight. If I knew how easy the drive was from Birmingham, Alabama, I would have done the visit sooner when I was a McCalla resident. Joe Davis Stadium, nicknamed "The Joe", <span class="hiddenGrammarError">was named</span> for the popular former mayor of Huntsville, who was instrumental in bringing minor league baseball to the city. The Joe can seat over 10,000 fans and features 14 air-conditioned Sky Boxes. The stadium was completed 1985 and at one time hosted the University of Huntsville Chargers baseball team along with other sporting events but now is exclusively the home of the Milwaukee Brewers' Double A affiliate Huntsville Stars. It is the oldest stadium in the Southern League. I heard and read some terrible comments about this stadium over the past ten years so I didn't really know what to expect. </span><br />
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<b>Random Fact: </b><b> </b>The stadium almost didn't happen over the selling of beer.<br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: D</b><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden">After my visit, I can safely say "the Joe" doesn't really offer anything outside the box to attract the non baseball fan. Joe Davis Stadium probably features the most unwelcoming entrance that I have experienced with a Minor League Baseball stadium. Nobody outside the stadium promoting anything, no volunteers handing anything out, and no live music. Only a security guard that wanted to check my bag for drinks. The most interesting thing about the entrance was the logo of the Milwaukee Brewers on a banner. That banner would be the only item to tell me from the time I pulled off the highway into the Joe Davis Stadium parking lot that I was about to watch an affiliated baseball game. After purchasing my ticket, I couldn't help but notice the amount of barbed wire <span class="hiddenSuggestion">that is</span> present along the stadiums perimeter. You usually see the <span class="hiddenSuggestion">use of</span> barbed wire around the grounds crew area in other stadiums. </span><span class="mceItemHidden">Simple things like stamping and tearing my ticket gives the stadium an even older feeling. </span><span class="mceItemHidden">The concourse is colorful and the main highlight of the stadium. </span><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden">Sadly, half of the concessions never opened the night I visited. The close circuit TV's were not on at any point in the concourse during the game. The murals painted throughout the concourse's walls added a bit of character to the stadium. They picture everything from a baseball glove to the Girl Scouts of America. I didn't really understand their purpose other than to promote charities. It is odd to explore a stadium that has hosted affiliated baseball for twenty-seven years with no mention of the past players that have played in it anywhere. The bathrooms are clean and were working on my visit. The concourse does have it share of eye sores that could be easy addressed. Exposed insulation panels along concourse's ceiling are visible along with some air conditioning units. Stuff like this bothers me.</span><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden">Once you exit the concourse to the grandstand, you enter a stadium that is big and dull in appearance due to the amount of concrete. The incomplete feeling comes from how short the seating area along the first base side when compared to the length of seating along the third base side. It barely goes past <span class="hiddenSpellError">the first</span> base dugout. Seating along <span class="hiddenGrammarError">the </span>third base side is to far from the action on the infield to enjoy. Plus, depending on your seat, you can not see the scoreboard. </span><span class="mceItemHidden">The suite level not extending down the first base side also makes "the Joe" feel incomplete. The "air-conditioned sky boxes” may offer air conditioning but don't look like they offer a great view to watch the game. </span><span class="mceItemHidden">The Plexiglas from the outside looked cloudy. I wasn't all that impressed with the scoreboard and video board. The scoreboard doesn't really tell you that much more than a college scoreboard. The two giant Tri-Visions in the shape of stars give the stadium some character. The concourse looks like the only place to hide from the sun on day games. </span><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden"> The Stars have one of the more interesting logo's in the Southern League and the lack of its use along with the space theme in the stadium is sad. Stadium's gift shop provided me some air conditioning in between innings and looked like it was the most updated part of the stadium. I sat in two cracked green seats which pinched my bottom along the third base side. I would watch the last three innings of the game behind home plate and had a great view of the field. Never understand <span class="hiddenGrammarError">the importance of</span> the clock behind me.</span><br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: C</b><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden">Due to the temperature being close to one hundred degrees, I was expecting a small crowd. I would say that the two hundred people who attended the game truly love baseball or were there to get autographs. They cheered and booed at key parts of the game. Crowd was real rough on the umpires. The PA announcer and the music for the most part was at a comfortable level. In between inning promotions weren't all that exciting. At times, this stadium seemed a little sterile, a little too quiet. Sure, the players were there to entertain and are the most important part of the experience to me. However, hearing the amusement park's sound effects a couple hundred yards from the stadium over the sounds inside the stadium is pretty bad.</span><br />
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<b>Autographing: A</b><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden">Joe Davis might <span class="hiddenGrammarError">have a reputation</span> of frowning upon autograph seekers but tonight no one said anything about me getting autographs, I arrived an hour and half early to check out the stadium and noticed players walking along the third base side of the concourse to a small building. One player told me that this is where they took batting practiced and afterward he would sign. The barn in my grandmother's backyard is bigger then these batting cages. The doors to the batting cages are chain link fence and I simply handed the players my items over the fence. The only other stadium that I have visited so far were you can graph the players from the batting cage is <span class="hiddenSpellError">Cashman</span> Field in Las Vegas. After graphing the batting cage, I noticed the clubhouses for each team are accessible via the concourse. Doors for each clubhouse are clearly labeled for each team along the concourse’s first base side and on the third base side. Just one more aspect of the stadium that shows its age. I decided that I would try to get some <span class="hiddenSpellError">Baybear</span> players by the visitor's clubhouse door. For the next thirty minutes, I called some of the Mobile players that were on their cellphones over to the fence that surrounds the perimeter of the stadium. <span class="hiddenGrammarError">The majority of</span> the players signed. Inside the stadium is also good. I just <span class="hiddenSpellError">graphed</span> the visitors side for the players I didn't get outside the stadium. You need to arrive early because the section by the visitor's dugout on the first row is very small. Graphing the Stars side is pretty basic and offers no problems for the experienced autograph hound. You have access to both players bullpen if you miss some of the players as they were exiting the dugout. After the game, we just walked back and forth along the concourse getting the players on both teams as they exited their clubhouses. </span>Overall, a great stadium for autographs. <br />
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<b>Pricing: B</b><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden"><span class="mceItemHidden">I arrived at the stadium before the parking lot attendants arrived My General Admission ticket was $8.00. An usher informed me once I was inside that a General Admission ticket is open seating to everyone. That got me to wondering: What is the incentive to being a season ticket holder ? I purchased a souvenir drink for $4.00 and hot dog for $3.50. I was looking forward to snacking on some more edible treats other than your normal ballpark options but half of the stadiums concession stands never opened.</span></span><br />
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<span class="mceItemHidden">This was a hard stadium to <span class="hiddenSuggestion">write about</span> due to all the negativity that surrounds the stadium. Is Joe Davis Stadium a terrible place to watch a game? Not for me on this visit. </span><span class="mceItemHidden">Sure, I never attended a Star's game with the old lightning system that was in place for football games and my game was not canceled because of the playing surface. These problems can and have happened at other stadiums. I enjoy seeing the future stars of Major League Baseball and that aspect <span class="hiddenGrammarError">should be</span> a big enough draw on its own. Would my wife like Joe Davis ? Probably not. We both have different expectations on what a 27-year-old stadium should offer. The problem the Huntsville Stars ownership and <span class="hiddenGrammarError">the city of</span> Huntsville<span class="hiddenGrammarError"> have is they </span>fail to accept that the non baseball fans, the players, and Minor League Baseball expect more out of a Double A stadium. Minor League Baseball will be in Huntsville for 2012, but can easily be taken away the next season. Just ask the city of Kinston, North Carolina. </span><br />
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Mike Lansing Field is named after former Wyoming big-leaguer Mike Lansing who played for the Expos, Rockies, and Red Sox in the early 90's. The park was constructed in 2002 and holds 2,500 fans. The Casper Ghosts play in the Pioneer League and currently are a Rookie League affiliate with the Colorado Rockies. The partnership came about due to the Rockies wanting to escape the hardships of complex ball in Arizona while extending their brand into Wyoming. The Ghosts were formerly known as the Casper Rockies from 2001 to 2007. An article that I read from a 2010 USA Today about Mike Lansing Field is what originally sparked by interest in attending a Casper Ghost game. <br />
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<b>Random Fact</b><b style="font-weight: normal;">: </b>Wyoming is one of three states that does not have high school baseball. Instead the high school boys play American Legion Baseball. The Casper Oilers also play at Lansing Field.<br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: D</b><br />
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Mike Lansing Field is a small park and its uncovered grandstands for the most part are very simple. The lower levels sit on top of concrete from the third base dugout to first base dugout with plastic seats featuring a cup holder. The plastic seating continues all the way up to the press box from home plate. The rest of the seating consists of freestanding aluminum sections with some of the bleachers featuring backs. The bleacher seating ( General Admission ) features plenty of leg room and overall was comfortable but the sight lines in some of the bleacher sections are terrible. This is from the backstop in front of the grandstand being poles and netting. The bleacher section does offer some interesting views: You can see the North Platte River depending on the angle, a couple of hotels on an elevated hill, and the Casper Planetarium on a hillside out in right field.<br />
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The field itself is huge and the large amount of foul territory make you feel even further from the action. The scoreboard is what you would expect to see at a High School baseball game. Oh yea, there is one huge tent that didn't serve any purpose the night that I attended.<br />
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The one thing that I did enjoy about the ballpark was the Teton Terraces that allowed me to watch the game on a bar stool behind both of the dugouts. I wish more teams would do this but I noticed something very dangerous about seating area on the first base side. On the 3rd base side, patrons are protected from foul balls by netting. This isn't the case of the 1st base side! The first base side seating in the Teton Terrace was occupied by the groundskeepers and other workers for the majority of the game. I even watched one of the workers fire up the grill and cook himself some food. This kind of gave the feeling that this was an employee only section and that I was trespassing.<br />
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The concourse surrounding the stadium seemed very empty with wasted space. I missed a lot of the game because of having to explore the concourse and it not being a open concourse. There are rocks along the 3rd base side that are large and high enough sit on that offer a different way to watch the game. The Gift Shop was very nice and sadly the ATM card machine inside it wasn't working so that meant that I didn't get to experience any ballpark food because the one concession stand under the grandstand doesn't accept debit cards.<br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: A</b><br />
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When a stadium has a small basic scoreboard , the PA announcer becomes very important quickly if you actually like scoring the game you are watching or if you happen to be following a certain player. I have heard some PA announcers sound like they were bored but the Ghosts' PA showed just enough enthusiasm. Lansing Field features one of the clearest sound systems I have heard at a Minor League Stadium. The crowd, for the most part, seemed like they were in the park to enjoy a ball game.<br />
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<b>Pricing: D</b><br />
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I purchased a general admission ticket for $7.50 and that is expensive in my opinion for bleacher seating in the Pioneer League. I purchased a program for $3.00 and a 2010 trading card set for $8.00. Overall, I could see attending a Casper Ghosts game getting very expensive for a family of four visiting Casper. Only thing that really saved this rating from being a 1 is the free parking.<br />
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<b>Autographing: A </b><br />
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The big dimensions of the concourse play a huge part in making Lansing Field an easy stadium to graph. Both teams enter Lansing Field from clubhouses located behind the first base grandstand. They have two paths to take to the field. The players can enter the field through section 102 and 103 of the grandstand or down by the home teams' bullpen. I noticed some players in the Casper bullpen running back and forth between the innings to the clubhouse. Some stopped to sign for kids playing in the batting cages. Both dugouts only offer access to the players on one side due to the backstop netting. If you didn't get all the players before and after the game, the visiting team stays in a hotel located a good 40 yards behind Lansing Field from the team clubhouse and you can catch them walking to the hotel after the game. <br />
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I<b> </b>often get asked what I don't like about ballparks. There are a variety of features that can ruin a ballpark for me. In the case of Mike Lansing Field, its simple design makes it feel like a collegiate field and its easy to forget your watching a Minor League Baseball game. It does feature a relaxing setting <span class="review">with some fans and a PA announcer that create a</span><b class="review"> </b><span class="review">great atmosphere. I had high expectations of this park based on other fields I had seen in the Pioneer League and the convincing article I read in USA Today. Though my expectations were far from met this visit, a small ownership headed by the Rockies purchased the Ghosts during the off-season. It will be interesting to see what changes the parent team will bring to Mike Lansing Field in the coming years. </span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-59019967695523434972011-03-15T16:47:00.011-05:002012-01-23T10:48:41.999-06:00Cashman Field - Las Vegas, NV ( Big League Weekend )My wife and I decided to finally take a trip to Vegas and I cleverly found a way to mix baseball into the trip. Every year the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authoirty host the Big League Weekend that consists of two spring training split squad games at Cashman Field. This year the participating teams were the Reds, Dodgers, and Cubs. Cashman Field was built on land donated by James "Big Jim" Cashman, a Las Vegas community leader and "Southern Nevada Pioneer." The 9,500 seat stadium was completed in 1983 and is currently the AAA home of the Las Vegas 51's which are affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. <br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: C</b><br />
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For the most part, the tan and red<span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>Cashman Field is an oddity by being attached to a convention center on one side of the stadium along with a theatre. You will find it tucked far away from the Strip and I didn't see any accommodations around it that looked interesting to me worth exploring on foot. It features tons of parking with the majority of it being elevated about 100 feet below ground level, so prepare for some walking to your seat after you have parked. Upon entering the stadium, you will walk up an elevated two story concourse that features baseball murals along its sides of past Las Vegas minor league players.<br />
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The stadium seats are angled perfectly for baseball but the bleacher seats looked like they were uncomfortable. My wife and I got seats under the overhang in the Plaza section and we were protected from the sun. I imagine the dugout seats behind home plate would be the next best place to watch a game because they are practically on the field. The open concourse makes it possible to walk around the entire stadium and watch the game from multiple angles. You can see some mountain ranges outside of the stadium but nothing remotely close like you experience with the Utah stadiums.<br />
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The small concession kiosk's could be spread out better because while I was waiting in line for some Monster Nachos for a good thirty minutes, several others thought they were waiting in line for something else. The grass seating is somewhat small and I had to asked an usher for permission to take some pictures from the berm. Cashman Field features zero sky boxes with the Club Restaurant taking their spot.<br />
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Beyond the left field wall is the Bud Light Party Deck, that I found while exploring the stadium. It featured a full service bar and some padded seats that offered some great seats to watch a game. The picnic area is not opened to every one due to it being part of the Bank of America Patio area. The stadium bathrooms were clean along with the stadium which is always important to me. Cashman Field doesn't feel anything like a Minor League Stadium and if you didn't follow baseball, you wouldn't have any clue Las Vegas has a Minor League team.. <br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: B </b><br />
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Considering Cashman Field was filled with Cubs fans the the day I visited, the baseball atmosphere was very entertaining and the in- between baseball promotions for the most part promoted the spirit of the game. I would really like to see how this plays out in the middle of the summer with the heat and the Cubs not in town. If any B level celebrities were in the stadium, we didn't see them and I didn't see any baseball mascots which is odd.<br />
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<b>Pricing: D</b><br />
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Upon ordering tickets, my wife almost canceled the baseball part of our Las Vegas trip and the 51's really didn't help me any with arguing her point of view. The tickets were more than our hotel stay. Its absurd for tickets for any Spring Training SS game to cost over $30.00. Yes, its Vegas and the Cubs, but it did turn into your regular AAA game by the 7th inning. Due to the pricing, we could only attend one game. The only thing that saved this rating from being lower is the free parking, free program, and that the $7.50 Monster Nachos were worth every penny.<br />
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<b>Autographing: A</b><br />
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Cashman Field is a goldmine for graphs inside and outside the stadium. Inside the stadium, you basically graph on top of the dugouts. While at first this may seem difficult, the players for the most part have to make eye contact with you while exiting the dugout and entering the dugout depending on what area of the dugout you are standing on. Small kids will have hard time handing their items to players due to the railing paralleling the dugout. You have great access to the visiting teams bullpen by access of the Bank of America Patio area on the 3rd base side. You don't have access to this area during the game but you do 15 minutes up until game time to graph. People that were seated in the dugout seats were graphing thru the netting behind homeplate and along the left side dugout on the 3rd baseside which is field level for the players taking batting practice. Several coaches and players signed thru the netting. For graphing teams leaving and arriving, Cashman Field features a parking lot that services both teams with no gates or security. The only thing that works against you is that the parking lot is large and players have multiple ways of entering the stadium. For example, players can enter the stadium the same way you would like the majority of the Reds roster did, or at the locker room located in the middle of the parking lot and finally by using the entrance closer to the batting cages like Blake Dewitt used. Taxi's and shuttle buses don't really have an exact drop off place and both teams will use the same three entrances. I didn't get everyone I asked for an autograph, but Cashman Field's layout played no part of it. <br />
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Overall, my wife and I enjoyed our visit to Cashman Field. Upon leaving the stadium, I overheard a popular Cubs TV channel employee saying that Cashman Field is a great place to watch a game but an eyesore to film. I don't necessarily agree with that statement completely. Its not the best stadium I have visited but its not all that bad if you are truly interested in enjoying a baseball game in the middle of the desert. I couldn't really get a lot of photos due to how crowded the stadium was and limited access within the stadium so a return visit is already being planned.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-74172289461150562852010-09-07T18:57:00.011-05:002012-01-24T00:19:38.438-06:00Melaleuca Field- Idaho Falls, ID<div class="post-header"></div>Melaleuca Field (previously named McDermott Field) is the home of the Idaho Falls Chukars. The Chukars are the Pioneer League ( Rookie Level) affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. The stadium was refurbished in 2007 with a new seating area and concourse while the diamond and outfield wall from McDermott Field remained the same. I had trouble finding the stadium with my GPS but to my surprise the two people I asked at a gas station were familiar with where their local minor league team plays, which is a rarity nowadays. <br />
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<b>Random Fact:</b> A Chukar is a game bird found in Idaho.<br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: B</b> <br />
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There really isn't much to Melaleuca stadium other then being a great place to watch a minor league baseball game in Idaho. The stadium is in the middle of a residential neighborhood and is one of the more relaxing stadiums in the Pioneer League. The biggest problem with the stadium is mostly visual which makes the stadium look unattractive in some areas. The stadium is made mostly of brick and the abundance of aluminum bleacher seating makes you think you are about to watch a college baseball game or go meet your high school sweetheart under the stadium bleachers for a kiss. Cosmetically, the stadium would look better if I couldn't see the equipment under the bleachers while meeting Laurie on the 3rd base side. The concourse is nice and wide.<br />
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The stadium features the most picnics tables I have seen in a Minor League ballpark. I was told that the hot tub picnic area is very popular with the kids during the summer. The banners of former MLB players that have been associated with previous Idaho Falls teams circle the concourse and give the stadium a great historic feeling. The gift store is one of the better ones I have seen in the Pioneer League. I counted 8 Luxury Suites and my program told me that the stadium features about 1,000 box seats that are angled oddly in some areas. Press boxes looked nicer than some of the ones featured in AA stadiums I have visited.<br />
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The two video boards in left field are very nice but isolated making it look incomplete with no signage or molding around them. I really liked the lack of restrictions throughout the stadium. If you plan on attending a game, ask for a box seat in Section 1 on Row 4 seat 4 thru 7. Comfortable seats and a great view !<br />
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</div><b>Baseball Atmosphere: A</b><br />
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The history wall gives first time visitors, like myself, great information on Idaho Falls baseball. Once in my seat, the people behind me were discussing which players would be invited to the Instructional League in Arizona, players that have improved the most over the course of the season, and whether or not the Chukars should renew their Player Development Contract with the Royals that expires this season. The fact that these fans knew of this baseball jargon impressed me.This kind of discussion at a baseball game beats hearing whether or not Jack should stay with Debbie over a cellphone conversation. <br />
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</div><b>Pricing: A</b><br />
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Overall, I can't complain with the way how I got into the stadium today. It was the last day of the season and the Chukars were running a promotion that they would accept all previous unused tickets from any game this season. A gentleman offered me one of his unused tickets which I accepted and upgraded to a reserved seat for $3.00, ( I hate bleacher seating of any kind). I couldn't find a regular hot dog anywhere in this stadium so I had to settle for a bratwurst and a Dr.Pepper for a total of $5.50 which is a fair price considering the size of the bratwurst and drink. The program I purchased for $2.00 has to be one of the nicest programs I have purchased from the four new stadiums I have visited this year. Not paying for parking was a great treat, too!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CDLReqrtZCA/TqnIqpYnnYI/AAAAAAAAAzY/rxGxynO8f3A/s1600/new+chuckars+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CDLReqrtZCA/TqnIqpYnnYI/AAAAAAAAAzY/rxGxynO8f3A/s400/new+chuckars+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><b>Autographing: A</b><br />
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Three generations of ballpark designs have lead me to believe that this ballpark was built with the intention of allowing the fans to interact with the players without the stadium getting in the way. Both teams enter the field from the team clubhouses down the first base line. If you don't get everybody here, you have level access to both teams' dugouts; on either sides of the dugouts. I have never seen this kind of accessibility. It is nice. The only thing that can hamper your graphing totals is that you have zero access to the Chakurs bullpen. My personal solution to this problem was that I left the game in the 7th inning and went outside of the stadium and got the bullpen players' attention. You can see the players thru the fence and hand your items over the fence. For those of you that don't want to do this, both teams exit into the parking lot after the game in which you also parked.<br />
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Overall, I am glad I didn't pass on attending a game at Melaleuca Field today. I imagine that this stadium has created a ton of memories for the citizens of Idaho Falls because it did with me on one visit. It offers what I am looking for in a stadium: easy access to the players and no restrictions along with watching a baseball game. Not offering a regular hot dog even on the last day of the season has to be a baseball sin. No souvenir cup for my drink or producing a 2010 team set before the season ends is also a "bossman fail". These simple things are just expected to be at a minor league baseball game regardless of the level of play. Due to its location, I doubt I ever make a another trip to Melaleuca Field. For the ballpark chaser, it is worth a stop. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-687_xM6_dZM/TqnJW8K7LaI/AAAAAAAAAzo/tZ8SJDJ7doE/s1600/new+chuckars+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-687_xM6_dZM/TqnJW8K7LaI/AAAAAAAAAzo/tZ8SJDJ7doE/s400/new+chuckars+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-17316225443882572272010-06-27T11:50:00.017-05:002011-11-28T13:06:49.132-06:00Brent Brown Ballpark- Provo,UTBrent Brown Ballpark is the baseball stadium on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The Owlz are the Pioneer League ( Rookie Level) affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The stadium is easy to find and was built in 2005. The cliffnote version on why the Owlz are on a college campus, the Owlz use to play at BYU's baseball stadium and was quickly told to leave due to the Pioneer League's schedule calling for games to be played on Sunday. With no place to go or help from the city, the Owlz got together with the UVU to build a ballpark. Oddly, I have heard this stadium called by three different names: Brent Brown Ballpark, Brent and Kim Brown Ballpark, and the "The Home of the Owlz". <br />
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</div><b>Stadium Rating: C</b><br />
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I can say that I did not know what to expect from the stadium after paying for parking on my first visit. As with all the Utah ballparks I have visited so far, Brent Brown Ballpark features a great view of the mountains. The mountains you are viewing is Mount Timpanogos and the Wasatch Range. The most interesting thing about the stadium is the odd dimensions and height of the outfield walls. This makes any routine fly ball an adventure for the outfielders. The grandstand only goes half way down the 1st baseline and extends much further down the third base side. The concourse is on top of the grandstand and features everything that you would expect to see in a concourse. <span class="Georgia-24pxFFFFFFn">There is a berm </span>that goes all the way down the third base line and goes across to mid center field. This stadium features a ton of foul territory on both sides which can lead to you feeling a little distant from the action depending on where you rest your fanny.<br />
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The 2,500 box seats feature a lot of leg room which is always good and I only observed two oddly angled seating sections (Section 4 & 6 ) The scoreboard/video board is very nice and rivals some AA stadium scoreboards. The left-field corner features a kids' play area and a picnic area which are perfectly placed to still watch the action on the field. Gift store is nice. What the stadium lacked in character, it made up for it by providing a clean and comfortable stadium<br />
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For a small stadium, the stadium does features a lot of dead space and the stadium really could place some concession stands along the outfield berm to spread out the crowds. Another entrance or exit would be nice. This stadium featured the most staff members I have ever seen at a Minor League game and they were very accommodating. <span class="st">Baseball promotions for the most part were geared towards kids.</span><br />
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<b>Baseball Atmosphere: B</b><br />
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The fans for the most part were there to watch a baseball game. The only problem was the fact that I could barely hear the PA announcer and the in between inning announcer was even harder to hear. Sometimes the PA is my set of eyes. For a modern stadium, sound effects and music was almost non existent. I enjoyed the crowd making Owl sounds through the game. <br />
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<b>Pricing: B</b><br />
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Anytime you charge $4.00 for parking you're going to get a C with me. However, the Owlz management realizes that taking cash out of my pocket for parking means I am not going to spend as much on drinks and souvenirs. How do they counter this ? By including a $2.00 discount coupon when I order $5.00 or more at the concession stand. Smart ! Owlz, it worked plenty of time I bought a 16 Ounce Dr Pepper in a souvenir cup along with a $3.00 hot dog for a total of $5.50 minus the coupon. If you like to imbibe on some adult beverages while watching games, this is not the stadium for you- they do not serve alcohol. I always got a lawn ticket for $4.00 which is the cheapest I have ever paid to attend a minor league game! Programs were free for the whole season but never changed during the season making them useless after numerous visits. Avoid food from the Owlz BBQ Perch. While the food options might sound great, the portions are very small and not worth the price. Gift store is a little bit overpriced. $15.00 for a team set ?<br />
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<b>Autographing: D</b> <br />
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Brent Brown Ballpark was not built for autographing. Both teams enter the field from under the grandstand from their locker rooms. Graphing the Owlz side of the field along the 3rd base line is cake once they exit their dugout and you have easy access to the Owlz bullpen. The visitors side of the field is a different story. Netting blocks your access on one side of the dugout and no one is allowed on the berm on the other side of the visitors dugout . You can jump the guard rail but an usher will ask you to remove yourself from the berm. The berm only gives you about 15 yards of graphing space and you have zero access to the visiting teams bullpen once they pass the berm. Forget about graphing the team after the game unless you bring a flashlight. There is no lighting were the visiting team boards the bus from their locker room. Having Orem players signing before the game in the concourse is always nice. <br />
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I probably visited this stadium the least during my 17 months of living in Salt Lake City. It was hard to photograph and the drive from Salt Lake City to Provo was a pain. A very simple stadium other then Mount Timpanogos in the background. However, its differently worth experiencing if you have the time. The Owlz do a lot of things right by with what I imagine is a tough balancing act with your stadium being on a college campus.<br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-53759898984106208532010-06-25T02:18:00.018-05:002011-12-29T16:49:22.735-06:00Lindquist Field - Ogden, UTLindquist Field is home of the Ogden Raptors, the Pioneer League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Heading into their 14th season of professional baseball and their 11th season at Lindquist Field, the team has led the league in attendance every year since moving into Lindquist Field. Last year, 134,961 fans crossed through the gates for an average of 3,552 per game. That easily dwarfs some Double A stadiums. I had only visited one other ballpark below AA before my stay in Utah, however the Pioneer League to me is professional baseball at it's purest.<br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: 5</b><br />
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I am going to assume that nothing I type here has not already been written about Lindquist Field. Having just moved to Utah, I am still easily distracted by the scenic and sometimes mountainous backdrops many stadiums out West feature and Lindquist Field is no different. Upon approaching the main entrance gate, you can see the concourse is located under the grandstand thru the cast iron bar fencing along the 3rd base and 1st base side of the stadium. Once inside the stadium, the main plaza does not feature a whole lot other then a ton of advertising along with a banner that is welcoming you to " Dodgertown, Utah".<br />
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Throughout the concourse, dinosaur and baseball images have been etched into the walls along with some signs dedicated to former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda. From inside the stadium out in centerfield, you can see the Ogden temple and tabernacle of the Latter-day Saints; beyond them, the Lewis Peak towers. I did not know what these structures were until I researched them after editing my photo's. Crazy outfield dimensions make for some crazy plays in this stadium. Lindquist Field features a elevated concourse above the left- field wall that is littered with picnic tables. If they had some stools along this elevated concourse, these would be the best seats in the house. A small berm section for those that like to spread out on their own blanket is located down the right-field line along with a playground and some very uncomfortable bleachers. The only flaw with the stadium is the lack of shade at times during the game and the narrow passageways going under the the seating areas. I have noticed that people will no intention of watching the baseball game will just loiter in these tunnels which makes it hard to come and go into the concourse on busy nights..<br />
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You have access to just about everywhere in the stadium with a basic ticket which is rare nowadays in most stadiums. The stadium itself is very comfortable ( accept for the small bleacher seating section ) with plenty of leg room regardless of the seat you choose to rest your fanny. My suggestion is to sit behind home plate or along the 1st base side of the stadium due to all seats being close to the field. I found the seating past the Raptors dugout on the 3rd base side to be two different worlds with the poor sightlines and being too far away from the action on the field.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HeppSMD9ws/TqnX5U3SECI/AAAAAAAAA0A/5uvfHQo_AIQ/s1600/new+Ogden+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HeppSMD9ws/TqnX5U3SECI/AAAAAAAAA0A/5uvfHQo_AIQ/s400/new+Ogden+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><b>Baseball Atmosphere: 5</b><br />
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The sound effects and music are almost non-existent and the fans seemed dedicated to the team. I had no problem pointing out the host families of the players.The Raptors sell a T-shirt with the slogan" Dogden" on it which I think is very clever and reminds you that you are watching the future of the Dodgers. I also like how the PA announcer will announce the visiting teams starting lineup and the crowd will say" Who ?" after a players name is announced and then the PA announcer will say something witty about the player , and then the crowd will say" Oh". <br />
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<b>Pricing: 5</b><br />
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It cost a total of $10.00 for me and my wife on our first visit to Lindquist Field. Concessions were good but not great. My small hot dog cost $3.00 and it was very small. Programs were priced at $2.00 and I bought a 2009 Raptors team set for $5.00. The best thing though, all parking is street parking around the stadium which means it is free. Upon my 2nd visit, I was told that the Raptors are running a free ticket promotion with local restaurants for all home games. Fans have the option of upgrading the free tickets for an additional $5.00 to boxseats. Along with the upgrade, you will receive a $2.50 food voucher that is accepted by all vendors inside the stadium. The general admission seating is not the best, but for free I am not complaining. The only local oddity menu item is the Raptor Burger. It is basically a bratwurst covering a hamburger pattie. For beer lovers, local brewery Roosters serves a dark amber Raptor Ale throughout the game.<br />
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<b>Autographing: 5</b><br />
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One of the things I was worried about with the Pioneer league stadiums is a lot of restrictions due to the netting to protect the fans.. That is not the case with Lindquist Field . Both teams enter the field from their clubhouses that are located along the outfield wall.. The Raptors enter the field along the 3rd base line and the visiting team from dead center. The walk for the Raptors to their dugout is rather long which gives you plenty of time to ask the same player twice if he didn't hear you. You have easy access to both bullpens. With no ushers, the large number of kids are the only thing between you and the players. Graphing outside of the stadium is even easier. Both teams clubhouses are street level access with no gates nor a parking lot for the players. It doesn't get any easier than this unless your attending a Fall Instructs minor league game. <br />
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For the seventeen months I lived in Utah, I visited this stadium the most. During that time, I got to see a new stadium scoreboard installed and meet a ton of former Dodgers that were part of the Minor League Development staff.. Lindquist Field is a classic baseball park that provides fans a comfortable, scenic, and affordable experience while focusing:on the most important thing: the game. <br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-40282099076217705222010-04-20T13:07:00.011-05:002012-01-08T17:46:58.038-06:00Spring Mobile Ballpark- Salt Lake City, UTSpring Mobile Ballpark opened in 1994 under the name Franklin Covey Field and was recently renamed in 2009. The stadium is located on the site of old Derks Field which use to host Pioneer League games. I even found some signs and plaques that did not reflect these changes while roaming outside the stadium. The stadium also hosts several University of Utah baseball games each year. My first visit to the stadium was to watch a Utes game against San Diego State in early April. At that time, the stadium maybe had thirty people in it. The stadium is the home of the Salt Lake Bees which the is the AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels in the Pacific Coast League. <br />
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Random Fact:</b> Locals call the stadium "the Apiary".<br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: A</b><br />
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Spring Mobile Ballpark biggest oddity is the location. I imagine very view stadiums can be found near a city's downtown area, have a gas station in front of the stadium, a residential neighborhood placed outside the stadiums outfield wall, and an awesome view of snow topped mountains depending on the time of year. Parking and traffic can be somewhat aggravating and once you learn your way around the city, the Trax station is probably the easiest way to get to the stadium. The outside the stadium features your tradition bricked stadium and it is a double-Decker. Luxury boxes and the press box seating is on the top deck. The stadium features a 360 degree wrap around concourse and is wide enough that it makes it very easy to navigate from one side of the stadium to the other while not missing any of the game action. Its a very colorful stadium once you get inside.<br />
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The interior of the concourse features small circular posters picturing members of the baseball Hall of Fame are posted along the walls. Gift shop did not offer anything that you would not find any other stadium. My wife questioned the construction date of the stadium ( 1994) because it had a lot of the same comfortable elements that Riverwalk Stadium.<br />
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We decided to bring a blanket and enjoy the grass berm section of the stadium. Spring Mobile Ballpark has its picnic area placed in the perfect area and the stadium features zero bleacher seating which was a staple in older stadiums. Box seats and reserved seating looked very cramped with very little leg room and elbow space throughout the stadium. Parents will also enjoy the built in babysitter playground located along the outfield wall. A pavilion and party area is also located along the outfield wall. The ushers were very friendly and accommodating to the point they are not annoying. Numerous exits make entering and exiting the stadium very easy. Bathrooms are spotless and smell good.<br />
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</div><b>Baseball Atmosphere: B</b><br />
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For the most part, the PA announcer was very low key which is always a plus, and the music was kept at a low level. Stadium was packed and it is not hard to believe that this stadium can hold over 15,000. I did not really get to watch the in-between inning promotions due to me roaming around the stadium. However, the remote control car race looked like it would be fun. Overall, it seemed people were interested in watching a baseball game.<br />
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</div><b>Pricing: D </b><br />
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Sadly, this stadium is not cheap and could be a problem for the potential young married couple on a budget ( my wife and I) or the college student. Our berm seats were $16.00 and we opted to walk to the stadium because we live two blocks from the stadium so we did not have to pay for parking. I saw ticket prices ranging anywhere from $8.00 to $24.00 dollars. We saw parking for $5.00 and $7.00. I had a good chuckle with seeing a minor league first outside the stadium: a ticket scalper! No one offered me a program and if they did have them for sell, I did not see them. For food, we had the two All- Star hot dogs that were dressed with fajita toppings for $5.25 each along with some pretzel bits with cheese for $5.00 and finally two drinks at $3.75 a piece. Ouch ! Sadly, no souvenir cups for non-alcoholic drinks were available for purchase which is a rarity in a minor league stadium and something I always purchase. Only thing that saved the rating from being lower is that the food is exactly good. The All-Star hot dog is the best ballpark hot dog I have ever experienced.<br />
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<b>Autographing: A</b><br />
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I could very easily take the autograph review from Riverwalk Stadium and paste it in this thread. Setup is the same with no nets or other objects restricting your access to the players or the dugout. Box seat Section 19 on the visiting teams side and box seat Section 7 on the Bees baseline is where you need to setup. Bullpen players will also walk pass you in these sections. Did I get everyone I needed ? No, but it was not due to the stadium. Security and the ushers for the most part seemed relaxed and did not monitor my actions around the players, which is always nice. Graphing the outside of the stadium as the players leave looks like it could be a potential problem but looks like with Spring Mobile Ballpark's setup that graphing the outside the stadium will be rare.<br />
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Overall, I could not think of a better place to build a ballpark in Salt Lake City. However, let me warn you. The panoramic view of the Wasatch Mountains make it hard to pay attention to the action on the field once your inside Spring Mobile Ballpark. It will be the 7th inning before you know it. I stayed in Salt Lake City for 17 months, I probably attended 15 games in this stadium and noticed something different about the stadium every time I entered it. The photo's above were mainly my favorites from those 15 games and for the most part captured what I enjoyed about the stadium. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499823262076867747.post-68114991919702112082009-08-21T15:09:00.005-05:002012-01-08T17:51:15.564-06:00AT & T Field - Chattanooga, TNEarlier this month, my new wife and I decided to go to Tennessee with no destination determined before we departed. One stop we had planned once we were pass Birmingham was to catch a game a Stars game in Huntsville. Sadly, I read the schedule wrong and the Stars were out of town that week. We decided to go to Chattanooga, Tennessee. and visit Rock City which I have never been to along with attending a Lookouts game. AT & T Field is located on top of Hawk Hill in downtown Chattanooga carefully placed along the Tennessee River, a highway that parallels the stadium along the outfield part of the stadium and is with walking distance of the Tennessee Aquarium. AT & T Field was completed in 2000 and was originally named Bellsouth Park and later changed to AT & T Park in 2007. The program that was given to me at the gate stated the stadium can hold around 6,000 people which kind of surprised me. The only complaint I read about this stadium before I visited is that you cannot see the river from the stadium. My view on that is if I want to look at water I will go fishing. Biggest problem one will have in attempting to watch a game at this stadium is finding a place to park. <br />
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<b>Stadium Rating: B</b><br />
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The stadium itself does not offer anything that really stands out when compared to the other stadiums I have visited this year. You can tell it was built on a budget similar to Hank Aaron Stadium with the intent to not waste any space. The 1st thing I pointed out to my wife was how tall the outfield walls were throughout the stadium. The bullpens for both teams are hidden within the outfield wall that also features a hitting area. The stadium has more of a college stadium feel to it due to the large amount of bleacher seats and reminds me a lot of Stanky Field in Mobile, Alabama. Chattanooga's playing field dimensions were nothing out of the ordinary and there are no power alleys. There isn't much foul terrority on either side of the field.<br />
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We purchased two general admission tickets and sat in the family section which was bleacher seating. The majority of seating is located along the 1st base side of the stadium. We picked this area due to it being the only area that provided shade from the sun which was a request by my wife that was not located under the press boxes. From our seats, you could see the mountains. The concourse is located under the seating area and features all the stuff you expect to be in a Minor League Baseball stadium. The only area of the stadium that has limited access besides the luxury boxes is the picnic pavilion which provided seating that is elevated above right field by at least 30 feet. The designers of this stadium placed this area in the correct place and it is the only place in the stadium that one can view both the bridge and the river while inside the stadium. The luxury boxes did not seem that luxurious and kind of small when compared to other stadiums that I have visited this year.<br />
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The Big River Beer Garden was closed and I never found out what function it was suppose to serve. I didn't get to see the Chattanooga Choo-Choo train move at all and if did I was exploring other areas of the stadium. I didn't understand the barber chair until after I returned home from my trip. AT& T Field has a lot of poor sight-lines depending on your seat. I like how they provided a scoreboard for other Dodgers affiliates in center field. We all want a nice setting, convenient parking and good sightlines. As a fan, you also want good concessions, a wide concourse and plenty of leg room. With AT & T Field I was comfortable and the concessions were cheap which was okay with me.<br />
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</div><b>Baseball Atmosphere: D</b><br />
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One of the things that I did notice is the lack of excitement from the PA announcer throughout the game. This made the stadium feel even more like a college stadium. Crowd mostly seems to be more interested in the cheap beer due to the length of the concession lines and it being a makeup firework night game. One thing I did enjoy was the lack of music playing in between at bats and innings. Some music is okay but I prefer sound effects and movie bits in key parts of the game over music. The atmosphere may be to relaxed for most people.<br />
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<b>Autographing: A</b><br />
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If you have trouble obtaining autographs inside AT & T Field then you are not putting forth the effort to obtain them. My wife did the Lookouts side and had no problem getting the players attention because they had to enter the field from a door in the right field corner. I could see how this area could get very crowded if you did not arrive early due to it being near the picnic pavilion entrance. The only part of the stadium that is working against you is the location of both teams’ bullpens. The bullpen players do not have to come anywhere close to either dugout if they do not want too. On this particular night they didn't which was okay considering I did not have many cards for either team. Your best bet is to graph the visiting team before game and do the Lookouts after the game while inside. Gates opened a hour and half early and I got to graph some of the Suns players has they were finishing batting practice. The height of the brick walls that separate you from the field make for a very easy setup on both sides of the stadium.<br />
Outside the Lookouts and visiting team are easy. The home team players have to walk across the field to their cars parked behind left field but most of them come out on a small concourse area in right field just outside the gates by some steps that I used to enter the stadium. The visiting team also uses this entrance. <br />
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<b>Pricing: A</b><br />
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It cost me 4 dollars to park, 8 dollars for two general admission tickets that included two free drinks along with two free hot dog vouchers. The lady at the concession stand gave me a free souvenir cup. We got a free firework show and the program only cost .25 cents.<br />
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</div>You will have some locals tell you that the stadium is nothing like the old stadium that the Lookouts played in before they moved into AT & T Field. However, I enjoyed the stadium due to its relaxing atmosphere and my main purpose was to get autographs. I would mind attending a Lookouts game again in the future and take some better pictures.<div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds.feedburner.com/DiamondVisits</div>William Lee Coleman IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15799284459888389982noreply@blogger.com2