Tour 2026: Coca-Cola Park

All photos of Coca-Cola Park available on Flickr.

It was a little over an hour north to part two of our Saturday doubleheader - a Lehigh Valley IronPigs game in Allentown, PA.  We normally just buy walk-up tickets when we go to non-major league games, but we made sure to purchase these in advance because the I-Pigs are perennially one of the highest attended teams in all of the minor leagues.  That was evident right away when we arrived to full parking lots and were forced to park in a garage across the street.  This did not bother us at all, but on the contrary got us excited to be a part of a 2nd consecutive sellout minor league crowd; this was a far cry from the St. Paul Saints and New Hampshire Fisher Cats games we normally frequent.

Coca-Cola Park was built to house the former Ottawa Lynx, who moved to Allentown following the 2007 season.  As we approached through the parking lot, we were greeted by a rather disappointing and drab exterior, almost resembling a mall.  I was expecting to see a stadium that showcased the beauty of steel, as the famous Bethlehem Steel is what the Lehigh Valley is known for, but I guess they must have went with EIFS and masonry in protest of their bankruptcy.  I'm an architect so I'm going to find fault in just about any design, but I will say that it had the appropriate scale and presence of a AAA ballpark.  This ballpark gets so many fans on a regular basis that they have entry down to a science and were directing people to different gates based on what type of tickets they have.  We ended up walking into the right field corner gate just as we did in Hartford, and we were greeted by a giant food plaza and an intoxicating aroma of pork.  The IronPigs go all-in on the pig theme and you can get just about any sort of pork food dish imaginable here.  We literally had to go on the team website and peruse all of the options just to make sure we didn't miss any options when selecting our dinners.  We had both eaten barely anything by the time we got there and I was salivating just from waiting in line.  I went with the Porker Pierogi Bowl and Erik had a pulled pork parfait, and both were heavenly.  Items such as a Three Little Pigs Sandwich, pork poutine, pork mac & cheese, and candied bacon on a stick were just a fraction of the other options.  Variety and taste are both important but are only a part of our concessions ranking, with vendor price being perhaps equally as important.  We were pleasantly surprised with the affordability here, which speaks to the massive crowds this team draws on a nightly basis in a very blue collar part of the state.  I only paid $10 for my meal, and I would not have been shocked to pay twice that just about anywhere else.  Tickets were nearly half what we paid in Hartford for basically the same seats.  It was only $10 for a 32oz IPA.  It's not the most glamorous minor league ballpark by any means, but the value for your money and the sellout crowds at an I-Pigs game are unrivaled.

Continuing in the community blue-collar spirit of this ballpark, aside from your typical suite level there were very few private areas, with almost everything accessible either to all fans or with an individual ticket.  There was an expansive tiki bar in left field and an open bar in right field that were open to all fans, and we spent a few innings at the RF bar.  I loved the picnic patio in the LF corner that had the seats angled facing directly toward the batter, and I also enjoyed the flame stacks that shot fire upward for homeruns.  The money for this place does have to come from somewhere, so it is unfortunately about the most advertisement-filled stadium you'll find outside of Roger Dorn's redecorating in Major League II.  There are walls of scaffolding whose sole purpose is to display ad signage, and there is no square inch left uncovered in the outfield.  This is but a minor drawback to an otherwise delightful experience in Lehigh Valley.  I was also happy to not run into any of my ex-fiancé's family while we were there, so that was a bonus.

The I-Pigs battled the Columbus Clippers on this night, and came away victorious by a score of 6-3.  As is typical at the AAA-level, the rosters were a hodgepodge of prospects on the doorstep of the big leagues, a bunch of dudes filling out the 40-man roster, a few guys on rehab assignments, and some has-beens and never-will-be's clinging on for one last gasp.  Carter Kieboom and journeyman dickbag Tommy Pham fell into the latter category for Lehigh Valley.  Kieboom acquitted himself well with a 2-run double, but Pham went 0-3 and was batting .183 as of Saturday's game.  We had a fun time heckling him and asking how his fantasy football team was doing (go ahead and google "Tommy Pham fantasy football" if you don't know what I'm talking about).  Chuck King managed just 5 innings and walked 5 but still got the win.  Bo Naylor went 2-5 out of the cleanup spot on a rehab assignment with the Clippers.  Unfortunately, the Phillies and Guardians #1 prospects both did not play in this game.  Aidan Miller is currently on the IL for the I-Pigs, and Ralphy Velazquez was likely already in Philly preparing for the Futures Game we would see him in on Sunday.

Following the game, we were treated to another wonderful fireworks display.  We then of course blasted "Allentown" by Billy Joel on the way home, and immediately passed out after a long and exciting Day 2.

park stats and rankings:

aesthetics - 6
views from park - 2 (blocked by ads)
view to field - 6 (lots of foul territory)
surrounding area - 2
food variety - 10
nachos - 10 (I didn't see any, but I'm just giving them a 10 because I'm sure they had pork on them)
beer - 10 (they have a great beer garden)
vendor price - 9
ticket price - 9
atmosphere - 9 (sellout)
walk to park - 4
parking price/proximity - 3 (across the street for $5)
concourses - 9
team shop - 9
kids area - 8 (good proximity to field and free)

best food - can't go wrong with anything porky
most unique stadium feature - huge crowds, row of seats in front of bullpen
best jumbotron feature - inserting Rodney Dangerfield dancing in Caddyshack into other movie clips
best between-inning feature - pork race

field dimensions - 325/400/325
starters - Logan Allen (COL) v. Chuck King (LHV)
opponent - Columbus Clippers
time of game - 2:37
attendance - 10000
score - 6-3 W
Brewers score that day - 7-6 L, 3-2 L

Return to St. Paul

All photos of CHS Field available on Flickr.

My wife being out of town this past weekend presented a great opportunity to take the kids to their first ballgame of the season.  I decided on a St. Paul Saints game, which was their first visit to CHS Field, and my first visit since its inaugural season of 2015.  A lot has changed in those 9 years, for both myself and the Saints.  Megan and I were newly engaged at the time and living each day as it came to us.  Erik and his not-yet-wife were still living in Minneapolis.  All three of us had the free time to do something absurd like a Twin Cities doubleheader on the train.  And the Saints were still an independent league team in the American Association.  On Saturday's visit, there were now children involved - my two hyperactive children who spent most of the game eating and rolling down the berm, and the Saints as the "child" to its new parent club, the Minnesota Twins, dating back to the MiLB reorganization of 2021.  

We arrived just before a 1:07 first pitch of the first game of a doubleheader, and after a obligatory team store visit and wolfing down some dogs, made our way to our seats on the 1st base line.  My first natural inclination whenever I return to a park after a long layaway is to scan for anything that might have changed since my last visit.  By and large, the ballpark seems almost untouched, and frankly I don't think anything needed to be.  This was formerly my favorite indy park, and I'd still put it in the top 3 of all minor league parks now that it is a AAA affiliate.  It's just a really unique and thoughtfully designed ballpark that you can tell was not designed by a typical stadium architect, but still took the care to research what makes a good ballpark.  It's also very simple, well-organized yet not rigid, and really embraces its site, all of which are things you can ask any architect and they will say are crucial to a great outdoor space.  It feels like an extension of the city when you are inside and it feels like a ballpark that was built specifically for this one site in St. Paul, as opposed to so many parks that are plopped in a green site somewhere with no context.  The one notable addition to CHS Field since my last visit is the City of Baseball Museum near the Craft Beer Corner in left field (which is now operated by Summit Brewing).  This museum opened in 2019 as a repository to showcase the long history of baseball in Saint Paul, and also purposely doubling as a new group space for the stadium on its roof.  Unfortunately, I did not get to go inside with the kids in tow, but my office is only about 8 blocks from the ballpark, so I'm sure I will have many more opportunities to walk through it.  You don't see that many museums inside of ballparks, but when they're done right, they offer a unique opportunity and great use of space for a function that probably wouldn't generate a lot of revenue if it was a standalone building.

We were in our seats for about 3 innings and then meandered around the park, as one does at a minor league game.  We hit up the kids area for awhile (of course), and then settled in to the left field berm for the remainder of the 7-inning affair.  The kids did a great job and I actually got to watch most of the game, which the Saints dropped to the Rochester Red Wings by a 3-2 score.  They would go on to drop Game 2 of the twin bill after we left as well.  Both the Twins and the Red Wings parent Nationals are about middle-of-the-pack in their organization farm system rankings, but it seems like the teams are moving in opposite direction.  The Nats are in a rebuild and will likely continue to climb in terms of farm system depth, and their #2 overall prospect James Wood started in CF with an RBI single on the afternoon.  The Twins, on the other hand, have a lot of their better prospects either currently on the big league roster or in the lower levels at the moment.  Their highest ranked prospect in AAA is SS Brooks Lee, and he would probably also be in the bigs by now if he wasn't injured.  Louie Varland and Jhoan Duran are both in St. Paul right now on rehab assignments and both pitched in this game.  Varland got the start and gave up 1 run over 5, and Duran tossed a perfect 6th inning and has since been activated.  It was a pretty quick and uneventful game until the final inning.  Drew Millas homered and James Wood singled in another run in the top of the 7th for the Wings to break the tie at 3-1, and the Saints got one back in the bottom half with an RBI double by Alex Isola, but ultimately it was not enough for the victory.  As an aside, I got to see the Automatic Ball-Strike System (ABS) live in action for the first time in a game, and it will be long overdue when it is inevitably implemented by MLB.

I had an absolute blast with Molly and Elliot and I can't wait to take them back to another game, hopefully with Megan along next time so that I actually have a free hand to hold a frosty beverage.  The Twins are frankly a waste of money with small children unless you have a lot of help, and the St. Cloud Rox park is a bit too small and cramped for running around, but the Saints were a perfect middle ground.

updated park rankings and statistics

(see original post from 6/8/15):

aesthetics - 9
views from park - improves to 7 (nothing has changed, just not sure why I ever had it that low - great view from outfield to the city)
view to field - 10
surrounding area - improves to 4
food variety - 10
nachos - 8
beer - 9
vendor price - 4
ticket price - improves to 4
atmosphere - 8
walk to park - 2
parking price/proximity - decreases to 3 ($10 for a shady lot under the freeway)
concourses - 10
team shop - 8

kids area - 7 (new category - great location in the ballpark)

best food - not sure if "The Dog Park" still exists but sausages are still best food
most unique stadium feature - use of materials, zero-waste features
best jumbotron feature - Pet of the Game

best between-inning feature - ball pig!

field dimensions - 330/405/320

starters - Thaddeus Ward (ROC) v. Louie Varland (STP)
opponent - Rochester Red Wings
time of game - 2:06 (game 1 of doubleheader)
attendance - 4334
score - 3-2 L (7)

Brewers score that day - 15-3 L

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 5/3/24:

Brewers 19-11, +1.0; 3 @ Cubs, 3 @ Royals, 4 v. Cardinals, 3 v. Pirates

Twins 17-13, -2.5; 3 v. Red Sox, 4 v. Mariners, 3 @ Blue Jays, 3 v. Yankees

Orioles 20-11, +1.0; 3 @ Reds, 2 @ Nationals, 3 v. Diamondbacks, 3 v. Blue Jays

2024 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 1

Peter - 5

2019 Affiliate Dance

There are three new ballparks opening in the minor leagues next year - Amarillo TX, Las Vegas, and Fayetteville NC.  Normally new ballparks means parent clubs jockeying for new affiliations, and that will certainly be true in 2019:

• San Antonio Missions moving AA team to new Amarillo ballpark, name and affiliation TBD
• Colorado Springs Sky Sox moving AAA team to San Antonio, retaining the "Missions" name and its Brewers affiliation
• Helena Brewers moving Rookie League team to Colorado Springs, name TBD.  Expected to remain a Brewers affiliate but not confirmed.
• New York Mets purchase Syracuse Chiefs (AAA), moving from Las Vegas
• Oakland A's switch AAA affiliate to new Las Vegas ballpark, moving from Nashville; name TBD
• Houston Astros switch AAA affiliate to Round Rock Express, moving from Fresno
• Texas Rangers switch AAA affiliate to Nashville Sounds, moving from Round Rock
• Washington Nationals switch AAA affiliate to Fresno Grizzlies, moving from Syracuse
• Buies Creek Astros (high-A) moving into new Fayetteville NC ballpark, name TBD

This sort of thing happens every even-numbered year, as typical parent-affiliate contracts are signed in 2 and 4 year cycles.  What is notable to me and the reason I'm writing about this is the surprising signing of the Brewers with San Antonio.  The Round Rock Express are partially owned by Nolan Ryan's family, who is also a special assistant to the Astros.  So, when the Express announced they would not be renewing with the Rangers next season, it was all but a foregone conclusion that the Astros would sign with them and the Rangers would switch to San Antonio.  I don't think anybody including the Brewers were expecting to get into such a great situation in San Antonio.  It's not the best ballpark in the country - almost 25 years old and 8 miles from downtown - but it a fantastic market in one of the largest cities in the country.  It'll be easier for the team to travel, in the same time zone as Milwaukee, and certainly a better situation than the likely alternative of Fresno, which is one of the worst parks in the circuit.  Between the upgrades being made to Wolff Stadium and the talks of a new ballpark, it was enough to sway David Stearns.  It's only a 2-year deal, so if San Antonio has not broken ground on a new park in the next two years, look for the Brewers to push hard to move to the new Wichita stadium in 2020.  Either way it's great to get out of the 6000+ ft altitude of Colorado Springs, at least on the AAA-level.  I'm not too concerned about the results of our Rookie League team being affected by the move.  At that age you're looking more at raw ability than ERA and homeruns allowed.

Hopefully the Brewers can bring the same excitement to the Missions as they did the Sky Sox this year, who narrowly missed a division title by one game on the last day of the season.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 09.19:

Brewers 86-66, -3.5, +2.0 WC #1 (3 v. Reds, 3 @ Pirates, 3 @ Cardinals, 3 v. Tigers)

Reds 65-87, -24.5, eliminated (3 @ Brewers, 4 @ Marlins, 2 v. Royals, 3 v. Pirates)

Twins 70-81, -14.5, eliminated (3 @ Tigers, 3 @ Athletics, 3 v. Tigers, 4 v. White Sox)

2018 GAMES ATTENDED:

Erik - 15 (+17 worked)

Peter - 22

Victory Field

All photos of Indianapolis and Victory Field available on Flickr.

This year's semi-annual, semi-spontaneous "it's been Spring for awhile but it's still 40 degrees and I need to get the hell out of here and watch outdoor ball" trip took us to Indianapolis, Indiana.  Slowly but surely, the radius of ballparks I've visited surrounding Milwaukee has been widening, and I'm starting to reach into destinations that require me to stay overnight.  Megan and I left Saturday morning and 4 1/2 hours later arrived at Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis.  We bought tickets and checked into our hotel a couple blocks away, and I couldn't help but stop and think for a minute, as I stared out the window from our 10th floor room, just how far I've come since the sleazy motels of the original Tour.  Just across the street, we stopped at a patio bar to hustle down a pregame drink, and in the process shared some laughs watching hoards of gaudy teenagers walk by on the way to their prom.  We arrived at the ballpark around 6:30 for a 7:05 first pitch.

Upon arrival, we soon realized why there was a huge line waiting to get in when we got into town - Wade Boggs was signing autographs.  I'm definitely not one of those fans who likes to hassle players off the field, but Boggs in particular I've always wanted to ask if the legend of him drinking 64 beers on a transcontinental flight was true.  However, in true Wade Boggs fashion, I chose to spend my time waiting in line for a cold one instead.  Megan and I both enjoyed a local Sun King Brewery beer called Indians Lager, and as far as beers go that are brewed specially for a ballpark, this one tops my list.  We paired our adult beverages with rather unimpressive fries and sandwiches, and did a quick lap around the ballpark before gametime.

Victory Field opened for business about 20 years ago as the cornerstone of a large downtown Indy revitalization project.  On the surface it is very clean and beautiful, but because of its age lacks some of the amenities that people have come to expect from modern ballparks.  For example, there is only one small standing room bar / specialty food area in the entire stadium, in left field; everything else is served at concessions stands or carts.  A standard minor league park nowadays is laden with various fan interaction zones, party decks, grills with crazy food items, and picnic areas, like the park in Charlotte we visited last year.  The downside of this at Victory Field is a lack interesting nodes in the ballpark, but the upside is a generous and peaceful centerfield promenade with a full wraparound berm and nearly uninterrupted views.  This walkway culminates at a grand centerfield plaza, which is flanked by the main gate to the northeast, a grove of trees in the batters eye to the southwest, and concession stands and carnival games to the sides (which are meant for children but we played anyways).  If this ballpark was built today, that avenue would have been lined with high-top seating, a shack serving six different types of bacon cheeseburgers, and the plaza would have had a huge bar with TVs, and the ambiance would have been completely different.  Not necessarily better or worse, but certainly not unique.  Speaking of unique, this stadium was also built at a time when AAA stadiums had a much larger seating capacity, so there is a full 2nd deck here that is atypical of minor league parks today.  We sat up here and really enjoyed it - you get a great view of the city yet still feel close to the action despite being higher up.  Nothing about this park really stands out or is particularly glamorous, but it is a very comfortable and spacious place to watch a ballgame, particularly on the first 70-degree night I have felt in 8 months.  A ballpark in a dense urban area doesn't need much to achieve a great sense of place, and I think they pulled this off quite well in Indianapolis.

The night's matchup was a battle of Pennsylvania farm clubs, as the Indians hosted the dismal Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  I recognized quite a few players in the lineups from their time in the majors, including Brian Bogusevic, Jordan Danks, Dominic Brown, Jose Tabata, Steve Lombardozzi, and the Indians' starter Chris Volstad.  At the time, I was wondering how some of these players were not good enough to make the Phillies roster given how awful they are, but now that I see their record going into Saturday's game was 6-18, I guess that answers my question.  Volstad stumbled through 6 innings for Indy, giving up 5 runs, including a booming homerun to the aforementioned Bogusevic.  The I-Pigs actually managed to carry a 5-3 lead going into the 9th, but the Indians had some fight left in them and rallied for the 6-5 walkoff victory.  Perhaps the most unlikely of candidates to win the game was the .136-hitting Brent Morel, but he did just that with a 2-run, 2-out single for the home team.  And that's why you never leave a game early!

Following that thrilling ending, Megan and I explored downtown Indy a little bit.  We were directed to Georgia Street by one of the beer vendors and it was definitely the place to be downtown.  We sat and enjoyed some drinks outside at an Irish bar and walked around to a few other places, trying our best to find bars not charging $10 for the stupid boxing match.  I was extremely impressed with downtown Indianapolis and had no idea it would be as big, as clean, or as lively (now I know how visitors must feel when they leave Milwaukee).  My only complaint would be there are far too many chain restaurants and bars from what little of the city we did see.  I mean, seriously, there's a Hard Rock Café?  I didn't even know those still existed.  On Sunday, we had brunch at a fantastic little scratch brunch place called Milktooth and swung by the Indians' former home, Bush Stadium, before hitting the road back to Wisconsin.  We both arrived home exhausted, yet glad we went and wishing we would have spent an extra night.

park rankings and statistics: 
aesthetics - 5 (entrance is in the back of the stadium)
views from park – 8 (Indy skyline)
view to field - 10
surrounding area – 9 (downtown Indy)
food variety - 2
nachos - 5
beer - 5 (one local brewery, $7.25 for 16 oz)
vendor price - 8
ticket price - 2 ($16 and for some reason upper deck is same price as lower deck)
atmosphere - 9
walk to park – 8
parking price/proximity - 3 (lots close but expensive)
concourses - 9
team shop - 8 (two mid-size ones, lots of retro gear)

best food – anything from "The Cove"
most unique stadium feature – main entry is in centerfield
best jumbotron feature – graphics for "Star Wars Night"
best between-inning feature – Chick-fil-A Cows Race

field dimensions – 320/402/320
starters – Adam Morgan (LHV) v. Chris Volstad (IND)
opponent – Lehigh Valley IronPigs
time of game – 2:33
attendance – 9620
score – 6-5 W
Brewers score that day – 6-1 W

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 05.05:
Brewers 8-18, -11.5 (4 v. Dodgers, 3 v. Cubs)
Reds 13-13, -6.5 (3 @ Pirates, 3 @ White Sox)
Twins 14-12, -3.0 (4 v. Athletics, 3 @ Indians)

2015 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 2 (+4 worked)
Peter - 8

BB&T Ballpark (Charlotte)

All photos of Charlotte and BB&T Ballpark available on Flickr.

My girlfriend Megan and I recently got back from a vacation in North Carolina.  We spent most of our time visiting friends in the Raleigh area, but the trip began with a ballgame at the brand new ballpark in Charlotte.  I have made it very clear to Megan that probably every vacation and free summer weekend I have for the rest of my life is going to involve a ballgame, and so far she has been almost as passionate about my hobby I am.  The friends we flew in to see, Phil and Josh, decided to meet us at the game, along with their wives.  Our plane touched down around 4:45 PM and Phil and his wife (also named Megan) were nice enough to pick us up at the airport.  We drove to our hotel for the night, which was a suite at the Marriott across the street from the ballpark that Phil booked with his government discount.  After meeting up with Josh and pounding a pre-game PBR silo, we headed off to the game.

The first thing you obviously notice about this ballpark is the view.  BB&T Ballpark is situated just west of downtown Charlotte (called “Uptown” for some reason) and boasts a stunning vista of the city skyline.  It's right up there with Davenport and Staten Island in terms of best view I've seen at a minor league park.  The view isn't just amazing for its beauty, but also for what it represents.  The plight of the Knights to build a proper ballpark has been a well-documented history, marred by political jockeying, outdated facilities, and a number of failed attempts to land a major league franchise.  This ballpark is the culmination of over a decade’s worth of efforts to move the team back to the city proper from the suburb of Fort Mill, SC.  I’m not trying to suggest that anybody should feel sorry for a sports team, or that a new stadium should be high on a municipality’s to-do list, but if there is any team that deserved a gorgeous new ballpark, it’s the Knights.

There’s no doubt just about anything that Charlotte built would be better than their old stadium, and residents now have a civic gem they can be proud of in BB&T Ballpark.  But the incredible view looms over the park so much to the point where I found myself asking, “would this place be any good without it?”  The answer I came up with objectively was “yes, but…”  Overall it’s a nice park but I did have some minor issues with the exterior, namely the lack of a prominent main gate and the material selection.  Yes I am an architect so of course I would say this, but given the amount of time that the owners had to brainstorm ideas about this park, I don’t see these things as insignificant oversights.  One of the most important things to me at any ballpark I visit is a clearly identifiable and sociopetal main entry point.  I would guess that the right field corner gate where we came in is probably the main gate by default due to higher traffic, but I think more attention could have been paid to this as a gateway because it faces the city.  The view in to the stadium should be just as important as the view out.  The façade behind home plate that one normally identifies as “the front” is about as uninviting as possible, and there is also a small gate in the left field corner that seems like it’s just there for code purposes.  This stadium is primarily clad in EIFS and brick, both of which seem out of place.  EIFS is always a sure sign of value engineering, and nothing else in the city is made of brick; the downtown is a sea of gray tones and glass.  It is a classic case of a ballpark being designed in the retro palette just for the sake of being retro.

Once inside, it was easy to get swept up in the experiential nature of this ballpark and disregard all of the nuances I found with the exterior.  Some ballparks just have that feeling about them, that energy you get in a great public space, and this one has it.  I’m definitely a victim of this blog sometimes when I focus so much on critiquing a stadium that I forget to just soak in the atmosphere and enjoy myself.  BB&T is really just a lovely and relaxing place to watch a ballgame, there’s no better way to put it.  Great sightlines, good local beer selection, a great set of group areas, and of course that view just slapping you in the face from everywhere in the ballpark.  I particularly liked how the concourses has little places to stand at the top of the seating bowl for people to enjoy the view, instead of not paying attention where you’re walking and running into people like I did.  These viewing areas along with a slew of standalone food carts also make the narrower concourse on the 3^rd base side much more manageable.  At first glance, I was not a fan of the glass club area behind home plate at first because it interrupts the concourse, but when I thought about it more I realized how unique and awesome the experience must be from in there.  I just wish at least part of it was public so that I could have seen for myself.  This would have been a great area for a standing room bar.  Other than the nit-picky things I've outlined, and the absurd price of tickets, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the new home of the Knights.

The Knights wound up losing the game 15-6, but the lopsided score was due to a 8-run 9^th inning by the Indians.  This was a different type of minor league game than I’m used to watching in the Midwest League, which at that level is primarily made up of high-ceiling prospects and teenagers from the Dominican Academy.  AAA-baseball has for the most part become a conglomeration of has-beens and never-will-bes, and Friday night’s game was a perfect example of this.  Players including Felipe Paulino, Vance Worley, Chris Dickerson, Gorkys Hernandez, Jaff Decker, and Robert Andino littered the box score, all of whom have scratched around in the big leagues at some point in the past few years.  The Knights hit up Worley for a 6-spot in the 2^nd, but the Indians quickly tied it with 3 in the 3^rd and a 3-run homerun by Gregory Polanco in the 4^th.  I had never heard of Polanco prior to this game, but he was clearly the best player on the field, hitting .368 with 43 RBI as of last Friday.  The game remained close after his homerun until the Knights brought in Donnie Veal.  He gave up 5 runs without recording an out in the 9^th and sent the fans scurrying for the exits.  Despite this meltdown, Dylan Axelrod was credited with the tough-luck loss in 3.1 innings of solid relief.  The only real “prospects” I recognized were Matt Davidson on the Knights and Chris McGuiness on the Indians.  Davidson was acquired from the D-Backs in the Addison Reed deal this past offseason.  The White Sox are high on this kid as their franchise 3^rd baseman but he is hitting below the Mendoza line so far this season.  McGuiness I recognized from a couple cups of coffee with the Rangers, not sure when he was traded to the Pirates organization.  He had 4 singles and 3 RBI out of the cleanup spot.

After the game we hit up a place called VBGB not too far from the ballpark.  I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting, not only because it was awesome and had $5 liters of PBR, but because downtown Charlotte was surprisingly disappointing and deserted.  I couldn't believe that with the arena and football stadiums nearby there wasn't even so much as a sports bar in sight.  Here’s hoping that new development pops up downtown faster than it took to approve the Knights ballpark. 

park rankings and statistics:
aesthetics - 5
views from park – 10 (uptown Charlotte)
view to field - 8
surrounding area – 4 (surprisingly lame)
food variety - 7
nachos - 7
beer - 9 ($9 for 24oz cans, variety of local brews)
vendor price - 7
ticket price - 1 ($18 by the foul pole!)
atmosphere - 9
walk to park – 6 (only walked from across the street)
parking price/proximity - 5 (team shares parking garage with Marriott for $5, kind of a hassle)
concourses - 7 (a little cramped in some areas)
team shop - 8

best food – Queen City Q
most unique stadium feature – the view
best jumbotron feature – crazy cap shuffle
best between-inning feature – Royalty Race

field dimensions – 330/400/315
starters – Vance Worley (IND) v. Felipe Paulino (CHA)
opponent – Indianapolis Indians
time of game – 3:27
attendance – 10,367
score – 15-6 L
Brewers score that day – 9-5 W

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 05.30: 

Brewers 32-22, +3.0, (3 v. Cubs, 2 v. Twins, 2 @ Twins)
Reds 23-29, -8.0 (4 @ Diamondbacks, 3 v. Giants)
Twins 24-27, -6.5 (3 @ Yankees, 2 @ Brewers, 2 v. Brewers)

2014 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 2 (+6 worked)
Peter - 16 

Durham Bulls Athletic Park

All photos of Durham and Durham Bulls Athletic Park available on Flickr.
Photos from Erik's visit to Bull Durham movie sites and DBAP in 2012.
Photos from Peter's previous visit to DBAP in 2005.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I stopped at a couple of ballgames this week on the way home from a wedding in Charlottesville VA, the first of which being a Durham Bulls game.  My friend Josh, who also went to the wedding, lives in the Triangle area of North Carolina and I drove down there with them Sunday afternoon.  We dropped off our bags at his house in Cary and got to Durham about 10 minutes before first pitch.  It was very hot with a threat of rain, so we decided to watch the game from the Tobacco Road restaurant in left field.  It's kind of like TGI-Friday's in Miller Park, but it's more like a restaurant that happens to have a view of the ballpark with gated patio access to the stadium, rather than an actual restaurant inside the park.

I had previously been to this ballpark in 2005 before the blog existed, and in fact at the time it was only the 2nd minor league park I had ever been to.  In 2013, the park was a lot like I remembered it - a very enjoyable retro-style ballpark with a good atmosphere and a fun mascot.  Of course, when most people think Durham baseball, they think of the movie "Bull Durham," which was filmed at the old ballpark and whose main character was based on an actual Bulls player, Crash Davis.  Admittedly, when I went to see the Bulls 8 years ago, back before I was really into minor league baseball, the movie was the only reason I knew there was a team there.  After being etched into popular culture on the silver screen, the Bulls moved up from class A to AAA and built a new park, and have been an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays since the franchise's inception - a franchise whose history of maintaining a very rich farm system is certainly evident in the sustained success of the Bulls.  I didn't actually spend too much time inside the actual park on Sunday, and I honestly don't remember a lot from my previous visit, but from what I can tell it is a very charming park.  The most notable feature of the park is the giant "hit the bull, win a steak" sign that is residual from the old park and now snorts smoke.  My one complaint would be that I don't really like when ballparks have hidden concourses as Durham Bulls Athletic Park has; I like to be able to see the field from most points.  The tradeoff in the case of DBAP is that even though it is separated from the field, the concourse here is very spacious and tall, and there is also a little walk between the 100 and 200 level seating that circles the seating bowl.  If any park is going to go the route of hidden concourse, I think DBAP did it about the best you can.  It certainly helps the park feel more authentic in attaining that "retro" feel.  Another thing they did right is you are able to circumnavigate the field with some sections of actual seating in the outfield, both of which I think every ballpark should have, no matter the size.  We were able to access the outfield concourse from the restaurant after the last pitch and watch directly into the stadium and out the front without any problems.   

Very similarly to my visit to Great American Ballpark the week before, the most remarkable change to the park was not inside, but what has grown around the park.  There are two large buildings in left and right field now that sort of "enclose" the ballpark as at Camden Yards, and the one in left field houses the restaurant I mentioned.  Neither of those were there in 2005.  Outside of the main gate, there is also a row of old tobacco factories that were abandoned on my previous visit and now are a very impressive example of urban renewal and historic preservation.  As you see happening in many urban blighted manufacturing areas of the country, these buildings have new life as shops, restaurants, bars, and outdoor space.  It reminded me a lot of how the Third Ward in Milwaukee has been almost entirely renovated in relatively the same time frame.  The centerpiece of this "Tobacco Row" development is the transformation of what was basically a concrete-lined drainage creek into a scenic riverwalk full of bends, fountains, and waterfalls that looks to me like it is also functional as part of a hydraulic power plant, but I'm not positive.  Josh and Erik have both told me how cool the area was now, but I really had to see it to believe it.  Repurposing old buildings is my favorite kind of architecture and is always one of the #1 signs of an active downtown.

We walked through the Tobacco Row redevelopment after finishing our delicious dinners and watching the Bulls walk-off 5-2 on a homerun by catcher Chris Gimenez.  Never leave a game early, you never know what you're going to see!  With one out, the Bulls tallied three straight baserunners, including Shelley Duncan and Mike Fontenot who are apparently still scrounging around in the minors.  A sac fly by Kevin Kiermaier tied the game, and then Gimenez hit the 3-run bomb, which actually fell not too far from where we were standing at the restaurant, but an usher caught it and kept the ball.  Come on man, your job is to please the fans, give it to a kid at least!  The excitement in the 9th innings overshadowed two pretty good pitching performances.  Journeyman J.D. Martin went 6.2 for the Bulls, and Zach Stewart was in line for the win with his 2-hit gem until Taylor Thompson blew the game for the Knights.

I had a great but brief time in the area and look forward to visiting again next year for the 2014 Doughman Relay.

park rankings and statistics:
aesthetics - 7
views from park - 5
view to field - 5 (not the best from the restaurant but good inside)
surrounding area - 9 (Tobacco Row, downtown)
food variety - 5
nachos - n/a
beer - n/a
vendor price - 5
ticket price - 8 ($6 outfield and lawn)
atmosphere - 7
walk to park - 6
parking price/proximity - 8 (3 blocks away in free garage)
concourses - 6 (beautiful but can't see out)
team shop - 9 (sweet retro gear)

best food - (ate at restaurant)
most unique stadium feature - Hit bull, Win steak
best jumbotron feature - (sat above jumbotron)
best between-inning feature - general Wool E. Bull antics

field dimensions - 305/400/325
starters - Zach Stewart (CHA) v. J.D. Martin (DUR)
opponent - Charlotte Knights
time of game - 2:58
attendance - 7,591
score - 5-2 W
Brewers score that day - 2-0 L

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

Fifth-Third Field, Toledo, OH

All photos of Fifth-Third Field are available on Flickr.

One of the advantages to moving across the country every couple of months is the opportunities it provides for taking in ball games. I am now four days into a new job in New Hampshire and on the way out I got to make a stop in Toledo and check out the world famous Mud Hens. You may remember the Mud Hens as the team Cpl. Klinger was a fan of in M*A*S*H or the team that Lou Brown managed for thirty years, before getting his shot with the Indians, in Major League. I was pretty excited to get to the game and check out the ballpark but, unfortunately, a hangover from the Milwaukee beer party and construction in Illinois and Indiana prevented me from arriving until just about game time.

Let me tell you, I didnt miss that much in downtown Toledo. I pulled off the freeway and right into a parking lot. On the two block walk to the park i passed several boarded up buildings. The entire downtown was deserted. Toledo is the model for Pete's argument that ballparks don't spur economic development (Fifth-Third Field was built in 2002).

The park itself is pretty nice. As I was making my way across Indiana, I did some quick calculations in my head and realizing I wouldn't get to Toledo until game time called ahead and got a ticket. $11 put me in the third row just to the third base side of home plate, not to shabby. Fifth-Third field has a lower deck, an upper deck of club seats and suites around the infield. It also has a group section called The Roost that is in the right field corner and is hung off two existing brick buildings. The concourses are fairly narrow but it was easy to make my way through them between innings. In left and center field the is a concourse where fans can stand above the 12-15 foot high wall. In right field there are two tiers of picnic tables.

The game itself was quite a long affair. The visiting Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees teed off in the first inning sending eight men to the plate and pushing across three runs. The Mud Hens scratched one back in the bottom of the inning then took the lead with 3 in the 5th. The Yankees fought back to even the game in the sixth and both teams spent the rest of the game wasting opportunites. In all the Yankees left 9 men on base and the Mud Hens stranded 11. Most of these runners reached with less than two out and there were many times that each time had multiple men on base and a chance to take the lead but blew it. The offensive star for the Mud Hens was Timo Perez, going 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored. In the end Yankees SS, and former Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales homered off Francis Beltran in the top of the 12th and the Mud Hens could not draw even in their half of the inning. I did see something at this game that I had never seen before. In the bottom of the 7th with runners on first and second and one out the Mud Hens attempted a sacrifice bunt but Yankees reserve catcher Chris Stewart touched the bat on its way through the zone. The home plate umpire called catcher interference, loading the bases. Of course, the Mud Hens couldn't take advantage as the next batter grounded into an inning ending double-play.

The Mud Hens, and most minor league teams it seems, stretched the Fourth of July into a weekend long celebration and had post game fireworks. Two problems occured with these. First, Sundays are Kids-Run-the-Bases day ad the crowd had to wait for what seemed like all the youths in Toledo run around the bases. Note to promotions people nationwide: Fireworks come before Kids-Run-the-Bases. Secondly, the fireworks display Pete put on in the ally behind his house last Saturday was far superior to that of the Toledo Mud Hens.

So, now I'm in New Hampshire and there are several minor league teams within easy driving distance. Hopefully, I can find some time off and make it to a few games.

park stats and rankings:
aesthetics - 6 (nice entrance but concourses are kind of dumpy)
views from park - 1
view to field - 8 (very close all the way around)
surrounding area - 1
food variety - 7 (pretty standard but there was one made-to-order grill)
nachos - 6 (points for effort with chilli-cheese nachos, but chips to sauce ratio far to great)
beer - 4 (only Bud/Bud Light, pretty expensive, but souvenir cups)
vendor price - 8 (other than beer, excellent)
ticket price - 9 (boo service charge for ordering over the phone)
atmosphere - 4 (not too much excitement for the Hens)
walk to park - 1
parking price/proximity - 7 (free street parking if you get there early enough, otherwise $5)
concourses - 5
team shop - 8 (lots of throwback Mud Hens gear but also half the store was dedicated to the Toledo Walleye, a minor-league hockey team that won't even begin play until the 2009-10 season)

best food - Muddy Dog - a chilli cheese dog
most unique stadium feature - The Roost party area
best jumbotron feature - Hot Dog race
best between-inning feature - one night only Rockin' Ray and Sky Dogs USA

field dimensions - 320/404/315
starters - Ross Ohlendorf (SWB) v. Yorman Bazardo (TOL)
opponent - Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees
time of game - 3:39
attendance - 9,515
score - 5-4 L

Brewers score that day - 11-6 W v. Pittsburgh