2010 Free Agents

Is it Opening Day yet? The last MLB award was handed out yesterday, with Albert Pujols winning his 3rd MVP unanimously. Mostly because I'm already excited about the upcoming season, here is my list of the top free agents this offseason and where I think they will go.

1. John Lackey, LAA - to Tigers

Lackey is, surprisingly, the best starting pitcher on the market this winter, and therefore is the hardest to predict where he'll go. Any team with any sort of payroll flexibility, even mid-market teams that are starving for pitching like the Brewers and Nationals, are going to throw their hats in the ring on this one. If I didn't think that Boston was going to go after Halladay and several other free agents, I would say he'd be a sure bet to land there. For now, I'll say the Tigers - they don't have a lot of payroll coming off the books this year, but they're probably losing Washburn and Edwin Jackson and will need a starter. They have a great manager and a good team, but there's always that X-factor with Detroit though - who would want to live there?

2. Matt Holliday, StL - to Red Sox

This is the reason I think that Lackey will land in Detroit - because Boston will spend all of its money on Holliday. St. Louis simply doesn't have the payroll to resign DeRosa, which they desperately need to, and Pineiro or another starter. If they don't end up getting Holliday, I'm sure they get Jermaine Dye or Hank Blalock.

3. Rich Harden, ChC - resigns with Cubs

Harden seems to be getting overlooked by a lot of analysts for some reason, possibly because everyone including myself thinks he will resign. The Cubs have the money to resign Harden, and there's not a lot else out there on the market, so I think they'll offer him somewhere in the 4yr/$50-60 mil range, some time after Lackey gets signed.

4. Mark DeRosa, StL - resigns with Cardinals

Mark is that player that every manager wants on their roster. Smart, tough guy who can hit anywhere in the lineup and play several positions well. The Cardinals have shown no interest in bringing Glaus back, so I think he'll be back with the Red Birds next year.

5. Jason Bay, BOS - to Blue Jays

Bay rejected an initial $60 million contract offer from the Red Sox this past week, and I even doubt that he's worth that much. I think that he's a slightly above average hitter and fielder that flourished at Fenway Park. He will command a lower salary than Matt Holliday and will generate a lot of interest as a cheaper left field option. The Blue Jays dumped Alex Rios' entire absurd contract onto the White Sox last year on waivers and will probably trade Halladay at mid-season, and Jason is from Canada. This seems like a good fit to me. I think the Mariners and Mets are going to be big players for him, too.

6. Miguel Tejada, HOU - to Reds

I don't necessarily think that Tejada is one of the top 10 free agents out there, but I list him because he's the best viable shortstop option on the market. A lot of teams are looking for a shortstop, most notably Cincinnati and Boston. I don't think he'll get a big offer from Houston because of their already powerful and old lineup. I'm gonna go on a limb and say he signs with the Reds. They have a lot of young position players and he could bring it all together.

7. Mike Cameron, MIL - to Yankees

This is the pick I feel the most confident with. He was almost traded to the Yankees for Melky Cabrera last year, and the Yankees will be losing between one and four outfielders this offseason. Cammy also fits the mold of all the "great clubhouse guys" the Yanks signed last year. Seems like a no-brainer.

8. Jermaine Dye, ChW - to Braves

Another great free agent outfielder this year. If any of my picks of Holliday to Boston, Bay to Toronto, or Cameron to New York fall through, Dye would go to one of those clubs, and will probably get offers from all three. I'm going to go ahead and assume that I'm right, and that leaves Atlanta, San Francisco, Colorado, and the Mets all possibly needing outfield help as well, and I will choose the Braves as the team that comes out on top. There have been a number of reports about Atlanta trying to trade Derek Lowe for an outfielder, and I think this would be a better route for them to go.

9. Randy Wolf, LAD - to Brewers

The Brewers are going to go hard after almost every single pitcher on the market this year, and this is the guy I think that they will sign, along with Mark Mulder. Brad Penny and Pedro Martinez are too much of injury risks with them already signing Mulder, and Ben Sheets doesn't seem to be interested in a return to Milwaukee. That leaves Brett Myers, Jarrod Washburn, and Wolf, and the latter seems more feasible to me. I think Myers is only useful as a bullpen pitcher, and Washburn will sign with the hometown Twins.

T-10. Vladimir Guerrero and Hideki Matsui, LAA/NYY - Angels/Mariners
I put these two tied for last because they're similar players - both once great hitters that are now on the decline, and may not physically be able to play the outfield anymore. This pretty much limits potential teams to the 14 in the AL. You might see these two go down to the wire like Bobby Abreu did last year. I think that the Angels will make every effort to resign Vlad and Chone Figgins. The Yankees will probably resign Damon and let Godzilla go. If Hideki proves he can still play the field, he signs with the Mariners, otherwise he will probably retire.

Another Season in the Books

All photos of Brewers final home game and Ducktoberfest available on Flickr.

I can't believe the regular season is over already! Definitely a lot of ups and downs for our teams this year. The Brewers finished the year very strong - split with the world-champ Phigtin Phils in the final homestand, played the red-hot Rockies very well, swept the 1st-place Cards on the road - but still finished at 80-82, 10 games below last season's playoff year. A pretty good season all things considered though. It just goes to show you how much every inning, every pitch, every hitter means. 10 wins is like 1.5 extra wins a month, and that gets the Crew into the playoffs. One less one blown save, one more quality start, a couple more hits here and there. If Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan don't get injured, there's 7-8 wins right there. It also goes to show you that the two key factors for any team making the post season is a solid rotation with a legitimate ace, and being relatively injury-free, neither of which the Brewers had this year. On a high note, the middle of the lineup enjoyed a breakout season. Ryan Braun became the first Brewer to lead the league in hits (203) in 18 years, and became the 4th fastest player to 100 homers. Prince Fielder set club records in walks and RBI, became the first Brewer to lead the league in RBI (141) since Cecil Cooper, and became the youngest player ever to have two 45+ homerun seasons. Casey McGehee finished the year at .301 and in the top 3 in almost every rookie offensive category, all while riding the pine well into May.

The Reds improved by 4 games over their 2008 campaign, and a lot of questions will loom in the offseason. Who will play the outfield? Dusty Baker seems to favor guys like Wladamier Balentien, Wily Taveras, and Chris Dickerson, even though Drew Stubbs, Johnny Gomes, and Jay Bruce all made significant contributions at a young age. Can Joey Votto and Scott Rolen remain healthy? Bronson Arroyo led the team in wins, but is it worth it to keep him for this high salary? The Reds might want to think of dumping him and Harang on a pitching-hungry team (like the Brewers) and rebuilding for a couple years. Both Arroyo and Harang had a lot of bad starts to go with their good ones. Can Cueto and Bailey continue to progress, or will Dusty run them into the ground like he did Volquez, who had Tommy John surgery a couple months ago? Who will catch for the Reds? A bright spot for the Reds this year, besides Votto and Rolen, was the bullpen, and look for this to be a strength going into next year, due in large part to Dusty's general disregard for pitch counts.

Minnesota is still in it, and are playing in a Game 163 elimination game for the 2nd consecutive year. I don't know how they did it down 7 games in September without no Justin Morneau, and with that rotation, but they did. I've said it before - Ron Gardenhire should win the Manager of the Year every year in the AL. The Twins always field a competitive team no matter who they lose to free agency/trades or what the attendance is, with a lot of credit going to the front office for drafting and retaining young, cheap pitching.

The Twins may be hanging on for another day, but the Mallards have been hanging onto the '09 season for dear life after finishing 38-29. Since the last day of the season in mid-August, Warner Park has hosted two alumni baseball events, roller derby, and this past weekend was the 1st annual Ducktoberfest. As I noted in a previous post, the Mallards finished with the #1 overall attendance in all of college summer league ball, and decided to reward their awesome fans with a little party at The Duck Pond on Saturday. Ducktoberfest is Wisconsin's and the Mallard's version of Oktoberfest, and in general just another excuse to visit the ballpark. It was decent for the first go-round but needs to be better organized. It wasn't nearly as good as Milwaukee's Germanfest, but it never really claimed to be - clearly with all the free tickets and prizes, this 6-hour event was just a way to get people to spend money on beer, and to give away trailers' worth of 2009 merchandise in the process. The best part of the day was drinking a cup of hot spiced apple cider while watching the Stoddard's Brat Eating Contest. I've included pictures at the Flickr link up at the top.

Back to the major leagues, here's my take on the '09 playoff matchups and how I think things will shake out:

Colorado (WC) v. Philadehlphia - Phillies in 5
Key Storyline: Phillies closer issues. Brad Lidge's inability to save games this year makes the series go the full five, but they'll squeak by with their power and strong rotation. The Rockies have been riding the Momentum Train since early June, which makes this my hardest pick of the four series.

St. Louis v. Los Angeles (NL) - Cardinals in 5
Key Storyline: Battle of managers. This series will be a long game of chess between Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa, both with decades of playoff experience. Torre once had the deepest rotation in baseball, but is now struggling to find a reliable 3 guys for the 1st round. The Cards wimpered into the playoffs, but matching up against Carpenter, Wainwright, and Piniero still won't be easy. I think that the Pujols-Holliday combo will be a wash with Ramirez-Ethier and it will come down to late-game hitting with RISP.

Boston (WC) v. Los Angeles (AL) - Angels in 5
Key Storyline: Can Angels win at Fenway? These two teams have matched up the last two seasons, with the Angels clearly being the better team each time and losing to Boston because of their inability to play well at Fenway. I want to give the nod to Boston because of the history, but again, I think Anaheim is the more complete team, and will go with the "they're due" hunch.

Detroit/Minnesota v. New York (AL) - Yankees in 4/3
Key Storyline: A-Rod & Joba. I think that the Yankees can get out of the 1st round even if A-Rod hits poorly and if Joba doesn't pitch, because this year the Yankees have lineup and bullpen protection. However, these two will definitely have to assert their roles and step up in Round 2 if the Yankees expect to win another pennant. I think the Tigers would win either Verlander's or Jackson's start, and the Twins - who are 3-23 against the Yanks under Gardenhire and 0-7 this season - would get swept.

World Series - Cardinals over Angels in 6
I originally picked the Phillies and Athletics to go to the World Series in April. The Phillies could very much still repeat if they can get Lidge straight, but having seen a lot of Cards games this year, I see them as the team of the 8 with the fewest holes, if any. In defense of my A's pick - they were much improved this year, have a great young starting staff all under 25, and were one of the best teams in the AL after the break. I also called the Rangers being good this year with the addition of Mike Maddux and Elvis Andrus, FYI. If Hamilton isn't injured all year they win the West.

Early 2010 Predictions:
Every year there is a "feel good story" that celebrates the parody of baseball - the '03 Marlins, the '06 Tigers, the '07 Rockies, and the '08 Rays just to name a few. Next year, look for the AL West to be an exciting race for once. Inevitably by September or earlier, one team always ends up running away with the division, and for most of this decade that team has been the Angels. Look for all four teams to play down to the wire next year. I love Kenny Williams, but I think that the Rios-Peavy signings will bust and the White Sox will continue having medicore seasons until Ozzie is replaced, he's just not lighting the fire anymore. In the NL I think the Nationals will not contend but will be much improved. They have great nucleus of young players that can really hit the ball, and they have two stud pitchers from the 2009 draft that will pitch in September. Don't forget about the Mets either, they will rebound in a big way next season. I want to say every year that the Royals and Pirates will run off 90 wins and make the playoffs, but unfortunately I still think they're a few years out from that because of upper (mis)management. The Brewers, Marlins, Giants, and Rays are all one big move away from contending next year, and I think if the Cubs can get Mark DeRosa back that they will contend again as well.

FINAL STANDINGS & UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 10.05:
Brewers 80-82, -11.0
Reds 78-84, -13.0
Twins 86-76, -- (one-game playoff v. Tigers - Tue.)

FINAL 2009 GAMES ATTENDED TALLY:
Erik - 41 (+21 worked)
Peter - 61

Bobby V is Back

In a story released by ESPN, it was announced that Bobby Valentine will be returning to America after six productive seasons as the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. He will appear as an analyst during the LCS and the World Series, and will be a regular on Baseball Tonight starting next season. It's a shame that the Marines could not afford to pay Bobby's salary - despite over 100,000 fans signing a petition to try to convince the Marines to let him stay - because they are losing a great manager that really knows how to win ballgames. Bobby Valentine is one of the managers I remember the most from my adolescent years, due in large part to his popularity with his players and fans, and his famed "Groucho Marx incident" after being ejected from a Mets game (pictured above). It's a shame to me that someone with his knowledge and zest for the game has been kept out of American baseball for so long. He is still the last Mets manager to lead the team to consecutive postseason berths, in 1999-2000.

Here's to hoping this new TV gig gets Bobby V some much deserved exposure and lands him another coaching job in the bigs. Not to throw any names out there, but this is the guy I wished the Brewers landed last year instead of Macha.

STANDINGS & UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 09.29:
Brewers 77-79 (3 @ Rockies, 3 @ Cardinals)
Reds 74-82 (3 v. Cardinals, 3 v. Pirates)
Twins 81-74, -2.0 (4 @ Tigers, 3 v. Royals)

RACE FOR 2009 "MOST GAMES ATTENDED" TITLE:
Erik - 41 (+21 worked)
Peter - 61

Odds and Ends

As the 2009 season draws to a close (14 days remaining), here are just some factoids and tidbits I've been compiling over the year that didn't really warrant an entire post.

- In July, the Wall Street Journal released a "Cooperstown Code" that I think is worth a look for any avid baseball fan. It's a computer-generated formula that calculates a player's probability, based on statistics and any outside factors such as drug use, of whether or not he will make the Hall of Fame. It seems to be pretty accurate and ingenious. For example, a shoe-in guy like Trevor Hoffman was calculated at 86% probability, whereas maybe a guy that might get in on his 10th ballot like Mike Mussina was calcuated at 47.8% probability.

- A couple weeks ago, Erik emailed me an article entitled "Can a Ballclub's Record Justify its Beer Prices?" This article points out that, as you may expect beer price to be affected by the quality of the stadium and the team as ticket prices are, it is not always the case. The Phillies were noted to have the best beer value in the majors, based on them being the best team charging the least per ounce (31 cents, or $6.75 for 21-oz beer). The cheapest beer overall is in Pittsburgh, as you'll only pay $4.75 for 21-oz beverage. Fenway Park, Nationals Park, and Citi Field top the list as the most expensive beer. In Boston, you'll spend an attrocious $7.25 for only 12 ounces. One flaw I found in the system was the souvenir cup factor - I am willing to pay the second highest price in the majors at Nats Park because they offer three varieties of souvenir cups - at least they did when we were there in 2008.

- Keeping an eye on the Northwoods League as I always do, the league announced a yet-unnamed expansion franchise in Willmar, Minnesota will begin in 2010. To make an even number of teams, probably one of the league-owned teams (Brainerd, Battle Creek) will cease operations, or Waukesha, Wisconsin's Frame Park proposal will go through and get built for a new team, or some combination of these. The Green Bay Bullfrogs are also fielding proposals for much-needed new stadium. The Madison Mallards achieved the highest attendance of any college summer league team in America by quite a substantial margin, for the 3rd year in a row.

- In other ballpark news, Marlins Park looks to be a go as ground was broken in July, and there are some pretty cool renderings out - finally a park that seems to deviate from the beloved brick retro style! Erik and I look forward to visiting the park on the site of the old Orange Bowl in 2012. Meanwhile, the Athletics and Rays parks look to be going nowhere. The Rays had planned on building on the site of their spring training home, Al Lang Field, and the A's are now fielding proposals for a joint MLS-San Jose Earthquakes/Oakland Athletics stadium. Wisconsin's two minor league teams, the Timber Rattlers and Snappers, are also both exploring options for new stadiums. As regular readers may know, I think that Pohlman Field is a disgrace, so Beloit's proposal talks are coming not a moment too soon.

- A sad day for baseball fans and preservationists everywhere, as the final remaining pieces of Tiger Stadium were demolished yesterday. Like Detroit has anything else going on right now that they needed that land ASAP? What, a big Ford expansion?

- For anyone who has not picked up "The Yankee Years" yet, it is a great read and I highly recommend it. It's over 400 pages but reads very easy - I read it in about 5 days. I'm also looking forward to picking up a copy of "The Machine" (about the Big Red Machine, obviously), which came out this week.

- Ever notice that injuries are getting weirder and weirder every year? Oblique strains, post-concussion syndrome, tired arm, anal fissures, and who could forget this year's blessure du jour, anxiety disorder! This year, the Mariners' Adrian Beltre took the cake, after recently coming back from a 30-day stint on the DL with a bleeding testicle. Maybe he'll think about wearing a cup next time.



- Last but certainly not least, Major League 4 is becoming a reality - the writers and directors from the original, as well as Bob Uecker, are already signed on.

STANDINGS & UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 09.21:
Brewers 74-75, -10.5 wc (3 v. Cubs, 4 v. Phillies)
Reds 69-81, -16.0 wc (3 @ Pirates, 3 @ Astros)
Twins 76-73, -3.0 (3 @ White Sox, 3 @ Royals)

RACE FOR 2009 "MOST GAMES ATTENDED" TITLE:
Erik - 41 (+21 worked)
Peter - 59

MiLB Playoffs & September Call-ups

Labor Day signifies the unofficial end of summer in many ways, the most disheartening of which of me is the end of the minor league season. Almost every MiLB league began their playoff schedules early this week, and here's a look at some of the matchups.

International League, AAA:
Gwinnett Braves v. Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees
Durham Bulls v. Louisville Bats

The Braves had a fine first season in suburban Atlanta after the move from Richmond for the 2009 season, and they take on Scranton, who will look to defend their 2008 IL title. The player to watch in this series is Gwinnett outfielder Jason Heyward, who is ranked as the MLB's #3 prospect and has done well at three levels in the Braves' system this year, including 4-11 with 2 RBI since a recent promotion to AAA. The Bats have had a lot of their breakout players called up by a depleted Reds team before and after the September 1st roster expansions, including IL All-Star starter Justin Lehr and top prospect Drew Stubbs. They will struggle to piece together a solid rotation in this series against the hard-hitting Bulls.

Pacific Coast League, AAA:
Albuquerque Isotopes v. Memphis Redbirds
Tacoma Rainiers v. Sacramento River Cats

Every offense at all levels of Cardinals' baseball has done well this season, and four players on the Redbirds' everyday roster finished the season over .300. The Dodgers have had a lot of the same players at AAA the entire seasons because of the high volume of major league acquisitions over the past year, so they definitely have that familiarity going for them. The players to watch in the other series are the River Cats' two slugging 1st basemen, Tommy Everidge and Chris Carter. Everidge finished the season at .368, and Carter has 14 RBI in 13 games since being promoted from AA-Midland. The Athletics perennially have one of the best minor league systems and will be tough to beat.

Southern League, AA:
Birmingham Barons v. Jacksonville Suns
Huntsville Stars v. Tennessee Smokies

The Barons had the best season in their franchise's history, and were highlighted for most of the year by several propects that have since seen action with the White Sox, including Gordon Beckam and Tyler Flowers. The Suns seemed to be the hottest ticket in town this year, amidst rumors of the entire NFL Jaguars' home schedule being blacked out for the '09 season. Huntsville is going to be the lone representative for the Brewers in the playoffs at any level this season, and Tennessee is affiliated with the Cubs. The Brew Crew promoted 2008 first-round draft pick Brett Lawrie to AA a couple months ago as a DH to prepare him for international play, and he has flourished. The Stars' roster also features most of the Brewers' top organizational prospects, including 3B Taylor Green, C Jonathan Lucroy, and CF Lorenzo Cain.

Midwest League, low-A:
South Bend Silver Hawks v. Fort Wayne TinCaps
Great Lakes Loons v. West Michigan Whitecaps
Burlington Bees v. Kane County Cougars
Peoria Chiefs v. Cedar Rapids Kernels

The Midwest League Playoffs feature 8 of the 14 teams in the league playing three rounds. Fort Wayne will definitely be the team to beat. They enjoyed a 94-46 record at their new ballpark, including a 16-4 mark against their first-round matchup South Bend, and they had the best season of all minor league teams this year. The 2008 MWL champion Burlington Bees went a measely 64-79 this season, and are certainly enjoying the fruits of the large NBA-style playoff schedule as they look to defend their title. The players to watch in this postseason are batting champion Alexi Amarista of the Kernels, and league co-MVP Kyle Russell of the Loons, who led the MWL in homeruns and runs batted in.


Minor League playoffs are fun because they feature so many of MLB's rising stars, and are so hard to predict because of September call-ups. Players that remain on minor league posteason rosters are then often rewarded with a later call-up. Many of these players will just be bats off the bench or spot-relievers, but there are a few every year that make an immediate impact for contending teams, or fight for consideration for next year's roster on the teams that are out of the race. Some players, including ones I've listed, get called up even earlier out of necessity due to underperformance at the big-league level, or trades opening a roster spot. Tampa Bay's David Price last year, and then-Angel Francisco Rodriguez in 2002 immediately come to mind. Here's my potential 2009 class:

1. Alcides Escobar, SS, Milwaukee
2. Drew Stubbs, OF, Cincinnati
3. Matt LaPorta, OF, Cleveland
4. Cameron Maybin, OF, Florida
5. Kila Ka'aihue, 1B, Kansas City
6. Josh Thole, C, New York Mets
7. Garrett Jones, 1B, Pittsburgh
8. Buster Posey, C, San Francisco
9. Carlos Carrasco, P, Cleveland
10. Wade Davis, P, Tampa Bay

STANDINGS & UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 09.10:
Brewers 66-73, -17.0, -13.5 wild card (3 @ Diamondbacks, 4 @ Cubs, 3 v. Astros)
Reds 63-76, -18.5, -16.5 wild card (3 @ Cubs, 3 v. Astros, 4 v. Marlins)
Twins 70-69, -5.5 (3 v. Athletics, 3 v. Indians, 3 v. Tigers)

RACE FOR 2009 "MOST GAMES ATTENDED" TITLE:
Erik - 41 (+21 worked)
Peter - 58

New batting helmets

A few days ago, it was announced by Major League Baseball that Rawlings' S100 batting helmet, which has already been used in little leagues across the country, will now be required in the minor leagues starting next season. Six helmets have also been sent to each major league team to try out for the rest of this season. The helmet is designed to better protect players from head injuries caused by beanings and foul balls. In response to all of the star players - including Scott Rolen, David Wright, and Edgar Gonzalez - that have gone on the DL this season after being hit in the head, Major League Baseball felt like it needed to remedy the problem as soon as possible. The S100s are heavier and use an extra-thick layer of polypropylene foam on the inside to help withstand direct impact of fastballs up to 100 mph.

This story came to my attention when I was watching the FOX Saturday game and saw Ryan Dempster wearing a huge helmet that made him look even goofier than usual. He said that it made him feel like "a Smurf" and that it was "my own bobblehead day." Dempster, along with several columnists and players, feel that these helmets will not be received well because they are much heavier. A ballplayer spends his entire playing career perfecting his swing based on repetition of motion and constant factors, e.g. balance, hand position, weight - any disruption of this will take some getting used to. Football and hockey players probably felt that today's required padding was bulky and inconvenient at the time, but in hindsight it has probably saved hundreds of careers, if not lives.

The unfortunate part of the story is that as of right now, there doesn't seem to be anything being investigated for pitcher protections. Hitters at least have a helmet and are in a position to react. There have been many pitchers that have had their careers cut short after getting hit with a line drive, and Joe Martinez is lucky to still have his life after what happened to him on April 9th. It's also clear that catchers and umpires could use a new case study in their current padding. There are the sudden-impact cases like Mike Matheny's of 2006, but there are also many unofficial reports floating around about cases involving retired catchers and umpires that suffer head trauma from years of repeated glancing blows and foul tips, much like a boxer. The bottom line is that baseball will always be a very fast and dangerous game, and injuries will still occur, but for every Tony Conigliaro or Mike Coolbaugh case that can be prevented, these new helmets and any future equipment improvements will be worth it.

STANDINGS & UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 09.01:
Brewers 64-66, -12.0, -7.5 wild card (3 @ Cardinals, 3 v. Giants, 3 v. Cardinals)
Reds 58-73, -18.5, -14.0 wild card (4 v. Pirates, 3 @ Braves, 4 @ Rockies)
Twins 62-63, -3.5 (3 v. White Sox, 3 @ Indians, 4 @ Blue Jays)

RACE FOR 2009 "MOST GAMES ATTENDED" TITLE:
Erik - 41 (+21 worked)
Peter - 56

Principal Park

All photos of Des Moines and Principal Park available on Flickr.

Following our amazing day at the Bob Feller Museum and the Fair, Erik and I spent our Sunday taking in a doubleheader in Des Moines, which was already my 4th and Erik's 3rd double-dip of the season. The Iowa Cubs are obviously the AAA-affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, and have existed since 1969 when the Oakland Oaks moved to Iowa. The I-Cubs, as they are often referred to, play at Principal Park in downtown Des Moines, formerly Sec Taylor Stadium. It was designed by ballpark powerhouse HOK Sport (now Populous) and opened for business in 1992.

We got to the park around 12:30 for a 1:05 first pitch. The ballpark is situated near a great little neighborhood called the Court District, which we explored after the game. It reminded me of a smaller version of LoDo in Denver - near downtown, lots of brick buildings renovated into brewpubs, shops, and restaurants, old warehouses converted into apartments, and the city's courthouse on one end of the avenue. The ballpark is right on the river too, just as Coors Field is. Another similarity to Denver is the gold-domed capitol building that you can see beyond centerfield when inside the ballpark. The view to it currently is obstructed by a bridge being constructed over the Des Moines River, but it is still a nice view, and one of the better ballpark neighborhoods you'll find.

We got our typical GA seats for $7 and walked around the concourses until gametime snapping photos. The concourses and seating are nothing special, but there are a few interesting features in the outfield. There is a hand-operated scoreboard in right that reads "Out-of-Towners" v. "Local Boys." We ended up sitting next to the scoreboard guy in an awesome secluded row of seats in right-center below the jumbotron. There is also a kids' fountain area in the right field corner that Erik and I were tempted to jump in on this hot day. Beyond the left field wall, there is a block of suites with a few rows of private seats in front of them that I thought was a great use of space. Strapped to the top of these suites are a couple of "Hit It Here" elements found in many minor league parks, except these would maybe only be hit by Albert Pujols. The walls are also very tall, ranging from 15'-25' in height. Typically I like to be able to see the jumbotron, but the view from our outfield seats for both games was amazing due to the high walls, and well worth the small sunburn I got on the left side of my neck. We had an ongoing conversation with perennial top Marlins' prospect Cameron Maybin in center, and we only had to fight with each other to grab a free t-shirt launched our way between innings. Regarding concessions, the food and beer were fairly priced with a good variety, and I had one of the best BBQ beef sandwiches I've ever had. As always, bonus points for helmet sundaes and souvenir cups.

The first game featured former Notre Dame TE and Cub big-leaguer Jeff Samardzija on the mound. I thought at first that there just wasn't any room for him currently in Chicago's bullpen. After watching him give up six runs (4 ER) in 4 innings and throwing 90% 4-seam fastballs, I realized that he still has quite a bit of work to do. Gookie "The Gook" Dawkins went 3-3 with a 2-run jack, and Hayden Penn tossed a 7-inning complete game for the visiting Zephyrs in their 6-0 victory. Familiar faces So Taguchi, Micah Hoffpauir, Nate Spears, and Luis Rivas all got starts for the I-Cubs. Veteran junk-baller Casey Fossum toed the rubber for the home team in game two and collected his 5th win of the season, giving up only one hit and striking out 8. He baffled all the young Zephyr hitters with his blazing 79-mph fasball and ridiculous 55-mph curveball, but for some reason was pulled after 5 innings and only 69 pitches. On the other side, the visitors finally dipped into their bullpen after 12 innings. Our favorite player Gookie had another hit for New Orleans, and LF John-Ford Griffin had both RBI for Iowa.

Sadly, the minor league season is ending in a couple weeks, and Principal Park will be the final new ballpark I visit in 2009. As for Erik, stay tuned for his travels to a new job in Virginia Beach.

park stats and rankings:
aesthetics - 5
views from park - 7 (Iowa Capitol, downtown)
view to field - 9
surrounding area - 8 (Court District)
food variety - 8
nachos - 4 (come in bag with cheese cup)
beer - 8 (microbrew stand, bonus points for Mug Club and souvenir cups)
vendor price - 7
ticket price - 7 ($7 GA)
walk to park - 6
parking proximity - 2 ($6 is ridiculous for minors)
concourses - 3 (some areas are dark and underutilized, no view to field)
team shop - 5 (lots of non I-Cubs stuff)

best food - BBQ beef/pork sandwich with Cookies' BBQ sauce
most unique stadium feature - suites in left field
best jumbotron feature - "crazy cap shuffle" game played with cell phones
best between-inning feature - throw ball through tires, win a prize

field dimensions - 335/400/335
starters - Hayden Penn (NO) v. Jeff Samardzija (IOW); Matt DeSalvo v. Casey Fossum
opponent - New Orleans Zephyrs
time of game - 1:48; 1:41
attendance - 6051
score - 6-0 L; 2-1 W
Brewers score that day - 8-3 L