10,000,000th Fan in Kane County

All photos of Fifth Third Bank Ballpark available on Flickr.

Upon reading that the Kane County Cougars would be welcoming their 10-millionth fan on July 20th (the first class-A team to reach this milestone) I decided to make an impromptu trip down there on my way home from Milwaukee.  I relish the opportunity to be a part of history as any baseball fan would, and I couldn't discount the off-chance that I would myself be the 10,000,000th fan.  I just had this mental image the whole drive down of me proudly donning my Brewers jersey throwing out the first pitch for a Cubs affiliate, and then refusing all of the free Cougars merchandise they would try to pawn off on me - or better yet, burning it in the parking lot after the game.  Sadly, I was not the lucky fan, but I had been meaning to get down to the park anyways to see the renovation, so this was a good excuse.  I got there pretty early and enjoyed watching the pitching coach teach a kid how to throw a slider before the game started. 

The renovation was completed shortly after my first visit to Kane County, in time for the 2009 season.  It was actually quite extensive, the major component of which was the addition of a second deck to the seating bowl, not unlike what the Timber Rattlers did this past offseason.  This deck holds suites and a new pressbox mostly, and there are also new team offices with a separate 2-story glass entrance behind it. The new parts of the park blend in with the existing fabric and materials pretty well, which I liked It didn't make the new deck feel like a "cake topper."  As a project in and of itself, I can understand why it was necessary, but I think it really took away a lot of the charm the ballpark held previously.  It had sort of a "state fair" atmosphere before with an expansive open concourse flanked by portable concession stands, but now it really just looks like any other run-of-the mill minor league park.  There's nothing left at the stadium that is particularly distinctive, which includes its new name of Fifth Third Bank Ballpark, since there are like 5 stadiums now that have some variation of that same name.  Perhaps the Man Upstairs could sense I did not care for the new deck that much, because the 6th inning ended with a torrential downpour the likes of which I've never seen.  Ironically, had it not been for that 2nd deck, everybody would have been soaked to the bone and had an otherwise pleasant evening at the ballpark ruined.  Along with the new addition and corporate sponsorship, the Cougars have also stepped up their game with some new concessions items, an even wider variety of local beers, and a revamped jumbotron, but with this have also come much higher prices.  Kane County is easily the most expensive minor league park I have been to now (as if I needed more reasons to hate Illinois).  I made sure to enjoy a $7 meatball served in a souvenir sundae helmet before ducking out after the rest of the game was cancelled.  Note: all ballparks should offer food served in helmets, so points for that.

The game was a lackluster performance between two last place teams.  The Lugnuts had recently been no-hit for the third time this season, and going into the game the Cougars had 5 wins in the entire 2nd half.  It was 4-3 Cougars after the first inning and the visiting starter did not even make it out of the 1st, so early signs were all pointing to this being a barnburner.  Lansing went on top in the first by a 3-run bomb by DH Kevin Patterson (who held his average above the Mendoza Line with that effort) but the Cougars then scored 8 unanswered to finish the game.  The Lugnuts issued 9 walks and committed 3 errors in 6 innings, there's really no better way to describe the game than with that statistic.  Perennial contestant for the "Best Name in the Minors," Rock Shoulders, suited up for the Cougars and was 0-1 with a walk and an RBI.

Even though the storm let up after a half-hour or so, the umpires had no choice but to call the rest of the game in the bottom of the 6th because pretty much the entire outfield was a pond.  Which was good for my ride home, but bad that I didn't get to watch another 3 innings of stellar baseball.  I tell ya, I give Beloit a lot of crap, but at least they know how to construct a field that drains properly.

park rankings and statistics
(see also previous post from 7/21/08):

aesthetics - decreases to 4
views from park - 5
view to field - 10
surrounding area - improves to 5 (I found historic downtown Geneva)
food variety - 9
nachos - improves to 6
beer - decreases to 8 (variety still high but price is steep)
vendor price - decreases to 5
ticket price - decreases to 2 ($13 for A-ball!)
atmosphere - improves to 9 (now being a Cubs affiliate helps this category)
walk to park - 1
parking price/proximity - decreases to 5 (charge $5 now, but bonus points for pervious pavers)
concourses - decreases to 4
team shop - 9

best food - giant meatball in helmet
most unique stadium feature - decks in outfield
best jumbotron feature - advertisement for Star Wars Night
best between-inning feature - Zooperstars

field dimensions - 335/400/335
starters - Kendall Graveman (LAN) v. Felix Pena (KC)
opponent - Lansing Lugnuts
time of game - 1:59 (0:30 delay)
attendance - 10,587
score - 8-4 W
Brewers score that day - 6-0 W

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 07.29:
Brewers 43-61, -20.0 (4 @ Cubs, 3 v. Nationals)
Reds 59-47, -5.0 (3 @ Padres, 3 v. Cardinals)
Twins 45-57, -13.0 (3 v. Royals, 3 v. Astros)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 10 (+18 worked)
Peter - 27

Carson Park

All photos of Carson Park available on Flickr.

I made the 3-hour drive to Eau Claire, Wisconsin this past Saturday to visit my 13th Northwoods League ballpark, Carson Park.  As you may recall, Erik and I were supposed to go here together about a month ago but, due to a variety of circumstances including weather and my clumsiness, were unable to attend.  For the time being, Carson Park is the final professional ball field I had left to attend in Wisconsin, but when the Kenosha expansion team starts up in the Northwoods League next summer, I will have to make that trek.

I had actually never been to Eau Claire before, and unfortunately I did not get to see much of the city, but what I can say is that the setting of the ballpark is very pristine and one of the more unique ones you'll find.  Much like Warner Park in Madison, Carson Park is actually part of a larger community park of the same name surrounded by water, wooded areas, and a slew of other recreational activities.  In the case of Eau Claire, this park is actually on a peninsula inside of a small lake, which makes the lake look and feel like a river but in actuality it is a crescent-shaped body of water, hence the name Half Moon Lake.  You enter the park at the base of the peninsula through a winding road, and at the end of the road is the stadium.  Behind the stadium are some other athletic fields, and between the fields and the lake is a heavily wooded area and various zones where you can descend steps to the water.  As you can tell, I had plenty of time to walk around and explore upon my arrival.  There were a bunch of kids fishing down by the lake, various picnic areas in use, a high school football game, and believe it or not a wedding, all occurring around the ballpark at the same time.  The couple actually took it a step further and had their wedding reception in the party deck at the game and got to throw out the first pitch, so I made immediate note of that for that Future Luckiest Girl in the World out there somewhere.

The stadium itself is perched at the highest point in the park and was completed in 1937 as part of the Works Progress Administration.  Carson Park stands out from some of the other WPA gems currently inhabited by the Northwoods League because it is the stadium where the legendary Hank Aaron got his start in professional baseball, as an 18-year old shortstop on the 1952 Eau Claire Bears.  Aaron had a statue dedicated to him outside the park in 1994, and it is the centerpiece of a ring of plaques in a circular plaza highlighting the proud history of Eau Claire baseball.  The Bears would later be renamed the Braves and leave town in 1962, and since then the park has hosted mainly amateur and high school ball until the Express chugged into town in 2005.  In those 8+ seasons of residency, the Express have put a lot of work into this park while still respecting its standing on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The exterior is composed with a beautiful locally quarried stone in an ashlar pattern that is interrupted periodically by the original wooden ticket windows.  Inside the stadium, it is not surprisingly reminiscent of Athletic Park in Wausau, which was built around the same time and has a similar capacity.  The two parks have a similar 3-section covered grandstand with metal bleachers added down the lines at a later date, and both have their concessions in a sort of "bunker" at the entry under the grandstand.  Where Carson Park is different is it has coherent circulation, the seating is less cramped, and seems to be much better maintained.  The concessions area at Carson Park is like a trip back in time and feels authentic, whereas going to get a soda at Athletic Park seemed borderline unsafe and you felt like you weren't supposed to be in that part of the stadium.  And speaking of a trip back in time, you will find some of the cheaper prices in the circuit at this park.  A 20-ounce domestic beer is only $4, and a hot dog is less than $3 - both rarities these days.  Another resemblance to Wausau is the obligatory party deck added in the right field corner, which has impinged on the bullpens and pushed the foul pole in about 20 feet to allow as many people as possible to enjoy bottomless beer.  You can't even really call it a singular deck, it's more like a "village" of decks out there, sort of like how the Duck Blind is now in Madison with all the different sections and levels.  Some of the decks are hoisted up on stilts in a cabin motif set amongst trees leaning into the stadium, it's actually pretty cool. 

The Express had a good showing on Team Trading Card Giveaway Night #1.  Taylor Lehnert fueled the 9-1 victory with 7 strong innings, giving up only 1 run while striking out 6.  Both starters actually faired decently but the Express tagged the Rafters' bullpen for 7 runs in the final 3 innings to break the game open.  Seven of the nine Express players knocked in a run and eight players got a hit, but the star of the game for me was SS Blake Schmit, a Junior at Maryland.  He had 3 hits and 3 RBI out of the 9-hole and made at least three spectacular plays in the field.  There one play where he was ranging to his right and the ball took a really bad hop over his head, and then he reacted quickly by grabbing the ball barehanded and gunning down the runner by a half-step.  Also of note: the Express have a guy on their team with the name Chane pronounced "Shane."  No comment. 

Overall, I'd say this is definitely up in my top 3 Northwoods League parks, and it was totally worth the drive.  The fans in Eau Claire really seem to appreciate good baseball, and in turn the staff really knows how to show everybody a good time.  One piece of advice I will give to any first-time visitors is to bring bug spray.  Sitting in a stadium in a heavily wooded area surrounded by water on a muggy night equaled a lot of bug bites and murdered mosquitoes.  An update on our Tour 2013 trip: Erik is unable to attend, but we had already purchased nonrefundable hotels and Royals tickets, so I kind of still have to go.  It might be a condensed version of what we had planned if I have to go myself, but stay tuned for that at the end of August.

park rankings and statistics:
aesthetics - 8
views from park - 5 (HS football game)
view to field - 5 (pretty obstructed in main grandstand)
surrounding area - 8 (park, lake, athletic fields)
food variety - 7
nachos - 7 (chicken taco fixins)
beer - 9 (decent variety, great price, surprisingly no Leinie's)
vendor price - 9
ticket price - 9 ($6 GA)
atmosphere - 7
walk to park - 6 (could be pretty cool if you parked down by lake)
parking price/proximity - 10 (free adjacent lot)
concourses - 5 (under grandstand)
team shop - 4 (trailers, lots out of stock)

best food - Sriracha chicken bites
most unique stadium feature - ashlar stone exterior
best jumbotron feature - n/a
best between-inning feature - porta-potty race, Trax the mascot harassed by players pre-game

field dimensions - 319/388/302
starters - Brandon Schmidt (WR) v. Taylor Lehnert (EC)
opponent - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
time of game - 2:35
attendance - 2,194
score - 9-1 W
Brewers score that day - 5-4 L

FIRST HALF STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES:
Brewers 38-56, -19.5, last place NL Central (3 v. Marlins, 4 v. Padres, 3 @ Rockies)
Reds 53-42, -5.0, 3rd place NL Central (3 v. Pirates, 4 @ Giants, 4 @ Dodgers)
Twins 39-53, -12.0, 4th place AL Central (3 v. Indians, 3 @ Angels, 4 @ Mariners)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8 (+15 worked)
Peter - 22

Manny Signs Minor League Deal with Rangers

Embattled star Manny Ramirez is one step closer to returning to the Major Leagues.  After hitting .352 with 8 HRs and 43 RBI in 49 games with the Rhinos in Taiwan, the Rangers are obviously hoping that the 41-year-old's ability to dominate the inferior Chinese Baseball league will translate to success back in the states.  Ramirez opted out of his contract in Taiwan last month citing a desire to be closer to his family, and many speculated that the Yankees would be a likely suitor, given their propensity for signing declining free agents with baggage.  But the Rangers were the first team to make a serious offer and Manny jumped at the opportunity.  He reports to AAA Round Rock today and it remains to be seen how he will fit onto the Rangers if he gets called up.  Platooning DH is a possibility as Texas has another aging player at that position currently in Lance Berkman who hits far better from the left side.  Manny can probably still play a little left field too in a pinch.  It's far from certain he will even be called up, however.  Manny latched on with the Athletics in a similar capacity last year, but after serving his second drug suspension and not receiving a call-up from AAA Sacramento despite hitting over .300, he chose to leave the organization.  I'm guessing things will be the same with the Rangers - he'll give it a go for a month and hope for the call, but if not he will just call it a year and go back and play ball in the DR.  It's pretty clear the guy can still contribute and hit for average, but his power stroke has severely diminished and he has not played a full season since 2008.  If the Rangers are willing do deal with the media circus and "Manny being Manny," I'm guessing they could catch lightning in a bottle as the Dodgers did when they traded for him.  The most interesting part of this story that is not getting enough attention is that per the Rangers organizational rules, Ramirez will finally be forced to cut his hair that has been out of control for many years now.  Manny was one of my favorite players when I was a kid, but as the dreads got longer and more disgusting, it just became harder and harder to look at him with a straight face. 

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 07.07:
Brewers 35-51, -18.0 (3 v. Reds, 4 @ Diamondbacks)
Reds 50-38, -4.0 (3 @ Brewers, 4 @ Braves)
Twins 37-48, -10.0 (4 @ Rays, 3 @ Yankees)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8 (+15 worked)
Peter - 21

Interesting First Half Storylines

Most teams have surpassed their 81st game by now, which is the halfway point of the baseball season.  Pretty soon it will be the All-Star Break, and from then on the summer goes by super fast, as we all know.  Here are the top 10 first half stories I will be keeping an eye on the rest of the year.

1.  Pittsburgh Pirates - for real this time?
The Pirates have stormed out of the gate the last two seasons, only to fall to a combined 30+ games below .500 after the trade deadline.  On this day, they own the best record in all of baseball at 50-30, and are the first team to reach 50 wins this season.  The NL Central has three of the top 5 teams in the game right now, so despite their great record they are still only one up in the division.  Most amazingly, they're doing it with a lot of solid contributions, but no one star leading the way.  Can Mark Melancon and Jason Grilled Cheese keep it up?  Will they finally break the longest consecutive losing season streak in all of professional sports?  Will fans still be at PNC in September after football starts?

2.  Josh Hamilton is latest Angels albatross contract
Josh Hamilton has a meager .221 average, .665 OPS, and 21 RBI in the first year of his 5 year/$125 million contract with the Angels.  The Angels have already made the mistake of giving long-term deals, or taking on the big contracts, of several players into their 30s the past few seasons, including CJ Wilson, Vernon Wells, Albert Pujols, and the aforementioned Hamilton.  This certainly isn't a trend confined to the Angels, but it is always more prevalent with big payroll teams with lots of stars on paper.  It is absolutely ridiculous that the free agent system basically rewards big money for past production to players at or past their peak.  Can the Angels get it together and put together a 2nd half like they did last year, and what will this team be like in a couple years?  After all, there can only be one DH in the lineup per game.

3.  Race for Triple Crown in AL
Miguel Cabrera is having yet another superhuman season with a .373/25/82 line, and Chris Davis leads the league in homeruns with 30.  Davis had come on the last year to become a legit force in the AL and is the first players with 30 HRs before the end of June since Barry Bonds in 2001.  Can Davis hit 60?  Can Cabrera repeat as Triple Crown or will Davis catch him?

4.  Man-Bear-Puig
22-year old Cuban defector Yasiel Puig has managed to become the star player and talk of the town in Los Angeles, a city already filled with both.  Since being called up on June 3rd, he has set a Dodgers rookie record for hits in a month with 44, and he hasn't even played the entire month.  Puig trails only Joe DiMaggio's 48 in 1939 for the all-time record.  It's completely within the realm of possibility with the way he's been playing to bang out 5 more hits today.  He is hitting a ridiculous .417 with an OPS of over 1.000.  It seems like every year there is a rookie or two that bursts onto the scene and energizes a club, and Puig is certainly in that category this year.  Can he keep it up, and is he worthy of an All-Star selection?  Note: I just checked the Dodgers box score from today, and Puig did in fact notch 4 hits to tie the record, and raise his average to .437.  Unbelievable.

5.  Jean Segura a bright spot in dismal Brewers season
The only thing I don't like about Yasiel Puig's rise to stardom is that he has taken the attention off of Brewers SS Jean Segura, who has been doing it all year.  He's 3rd in hitting, 2nd in steals, makes highlight reel defensive plays nearly every night, and leads shortstops in many categories.  He has a very realistic chance of being the Brewers lone all-star representative.  Can he also win the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove in the National League?

6.  OK Blue Jays
For no particular reason, I can never help but root for all things Canada.  In fact, if it weren't for the high cost of living and the recent economic troubles, I'd probably have been living in Toronto for awhile now.  So I was super excited with the flurry of moves they made in the offseason.  It seemed to coincide perfectly with the Red Sox identity issues and the Yankees roster being a living Old Timers' game for them to make a run.  It didn't start off good, but they stormed back recently to win 11 in a row and get right back into the race.  Clearly the roster revitalization and the 1990s retro uniforms coming back has residents of Canada and myself excited about Blue Jays baseball again.  Can they win the AL East?

7.  Matt Kemp and the Dodgers are garbage, I called it
I like to see teams with a lot of big names and large contracts struggle just like everybody else, it's the American way.  Excluding Puig, the Dodgers just have a lot of guys that are too old and/or are making way more money than they deserve.  Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford are way past their prime.  Andre Ethier is like 32 now and can't hit lefthanded pitching.  Hanley Ramirez is a punk.  And don't even get me started on Matt Kemp, I just think he's absolute garbage, has there ever been a contract so big based on potential with little production, other than maybe JD Drew?  The man has had 1 1/2 good seasons and people forget that when Torre was managing, he was platooning and hitting 7th.  And now they're going to give Clayton Kershaw 7 years and $200 million, or in other words, nearly $1 million per start.  I love Greinke, but you throw his antics into the mix and you've got a good old fashioned soap opera brewing in the City of Angels.  How will this all unfold and will any of these players play out their contracts with the Dodgers?

8.  Royals going for broke?
Kansas City put it all on the table this offseason, trading one of the top prospects in baseball and a pitcher with great potential (Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi) for James Shields and Wade Davis this offseason.  The AL Central is one of the worst divisions in baseball and is very attainable.  Will they make more trades at the deadline since they've already committed so much to win now, or will they stick with their young hitters?

9.  Trade Deadline
Speaking of trades, who is most likely to move at the break?  I could easily see the Brewers trading a lot or players, I would not be at all surprised if Gallardo and K-Rod are traded, and Aramis Ramirez if he stays healthy, possibly even Weeks too.  I've got to believe Justin Morneau and The Willinghammer are gone from the Twins.  Somebody will probably will want The Big Donkey because nearly all of his hits are homeruns these days.  Alfonso Soriano's name always comes up, and his contract is actually finally, sort of, nearly over so maybe it makes sense this year.  And no doubt the Marlins shed whatever payroll is left.  The problem is with the 10 playoff teams, not a lot of sellers.

10.  Is Erik going on our Kansas City trip?
As always, game-time decision.  I've already paid for the hotel, so screw it I'm going.  Those ribs aren't going to eat themselves.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 06.30:
Brewers 32-47, -17.5 (4 @ Nationals, 3 v. Mets)
Reds 46-36, -5.0 (4 v. Giants, 3 v. Mariners)
Twins 36-42, -6.0 (4 v. Yankees, 3 @ Blue Jays)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8 (+12 worked)
Peter - 20

K-Rod Collects 300th Career Save

(photo courtesy of brewers.com)

Congratulations to Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Francisco Rodriguez, who moments ago picked up his 300th career save!  He became only the 25th pitcher in baseball history to reach this milestone, and with his next save will pass former closers Jason Isringhausen and Bruce Sutter to move even further up this list.  Rodriguez joins a small fraternity of closers, most notably Trevor Hoffman and Rollie Fingers, who have notched milestone saves with the Brewers.

Anybody who follows the Brewers knows that they tend to go through closers like toilet paper.  Some of them have been big name trades or free agents and some of them have been reclamation projects, but the common theme for most has been to string together a great season or two, only to fade into obscurity.  It's because of this short window of success that I have never been an advocate of expensive closer contracts.  It is so rare to have a guy like K-Rod come along who can remain effective and durable enough to collect even 100 saves, let alone 300.  I don't think it can be overlooked how monumental this accomplishment is for K-Rod, and I'm happy he got to achieve it as a Brewer.  For a guy who has not been a full time closer in over 2 years and who wasn't even on the team in spring training, it's pretty incredible.  I was fortunate to see Trevor Hoffman's 601st save, which ended up being his last.  I'm going to the Brewer game tomorrow and hope to see Franky's 301st, and here's hoping there are many more to follow.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 06.22:
Brewers 31-42, -15.5 (3 v. Cubs, 3 @ Pirates)
Reds 44-31, -3.5 (2 @ Athletics, 3 @ Rangers)
Twins 33-37, -6.0 (2 @ Marlins, 4 v. Royals)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8 (+9 worked)
Peter - 17

Return to Target Field

All photos of Minneapolis and Target Field available on Flickr.

I visited Erik this past weekend in Minneapolis, and in doing so, made my first visit to Target Field since its inaugural season three years ago.  Although we were technically both at the park on Friday, Erik was working in the suites, so somehow we are over two months into the season now and have not been to a ballgame together yet.  Target Field is one of my favorite ballparks and I was super excited to be back.  The food, the materials, the urban site, the variety of seating and public areas - just about everything at this stadium is top notch.

I entered at the #3 Killebrew gate in left-center field and did a quick lap before heading to my seat up on the sky, just to investigate if I could notice anything different from my last visit.  The major difference is the batters' eye.  There used to be evergreen trees planted behind the centerfield wall with a tall forest green wall behind that, but as is typical in a lot of parks, the players whined and moaned about it, so they took the trees out and clad the batters' eye wall in some sort of black metal panel.  The Brewers and Reds have both had to do the same thing in recent years and I think it's pretty ridiculous, but I suppose it is important to please your star athletes.  The other thing I noticed that I did not three years ago was Two Gingers Pub on the 2nd level behind home plate.  It's a bar with a direct view onto the field that is open to all fans and I ate my delicious Murray's steak sandwich there.  As I eluded to earlier and talked about in my 2010 review, one of my favorite things about Target Field are all of the standing room and public areas in the stadium.  In contrast, I have talked in the past about how unfortunate I think it is that Miller Park has all of these bars that are not only private access, but also take up most of the standing room space in the stadium.  Target Field is just the opposite - there are many plazas, bars, and gathering areas throughout the park, which are made even more impressive when you understand how tight of a squeeze it was to build on this site.  I think social spaces are very important to break up what can sometimes be a monotonous 3+ hours, and they greatly add to those intangible qualities that put a park above the rest.  The Town Ball Tavern in left field also looked to be expanded, and I spent about half the game at the bar in left field with a great spot right in the front corner by the foul pole.  It's not really related to the ballpark per se, but I also noticed that they are building a huge intermodal transit hub where the Target Field light rail station is.  Erik said that 3 light rail lines and the commuter line will all converge there, so that will be great for fans and the city, and it makes me wish Milwaukee and Miller Park shared such a luxury.

Even though the Twins lost, I had a lot of fun at Friday night's game for a couple reasons.  First off, there was a long pregame ceremony for the 2013 inductions into the Twins Hall of Fame.  Longtime Twins Media Director and official scorekeeper Tom Mee was inducted first, followed by "Everday Eddie" Guardado.  I remember Eddie's crazy antics when he was the closer for the Twins about 10 years ago and he hasn't changed much in his retirement days - including still having the ability to zip a fastball on the black, as he showed when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch.  Mee and Guardado were both clearly humbled to be a part of this Twins fraternity that includes former greats such as Tony Oliva, Rod Carew, Rick Aguilera, Brad Radke, and former manager Tom Kelly.  The other reason I had a lot of fun was when I moved down to the bar in about the 5th and yucked it up with some fans there.  Again, I can't state it enough, social spaces are a great thing at a baseball park.  I love meeting people at ballgames because inevitably it will lead to me telling stories about the '07 Tour.  I bought the cheapest seat in the house because I knew I was going to move to the bar anyways, and after the 600-lb couple standing in front of me waddled out of the way I had a great view and good time talking to Twins fans.

After the game I met up with Erik and his girlfriend Katie for the customary post-Twins game visit to Hubert's, and then we hit up some local dive on the way home.  Saturday is kind of a long story.  Let's just say we had a lot of ambitious plans and planning that day that fell through - both literally and figuratively, as part of the day included me falling through a knee-deep puddle.  I'll pause here for laughter..........ok, ready?  I typically do not handle myself well when things do not go as planned, but I recovered and we had a pretty nice little day despite the adversity.  Our main event of the day was supposed to be a drive out to Eau Claire, but a couple hours of hard rain passed through the area so we didn't chance it.  There's still about two months of Northwoods League season left so I'm sure we will make it out there at some point this year.  I view it as a travesty that I am 30 years old and still have not been to every minor league field in Wisconsin yet.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 06.16:
Brewers 28-40, -15.5 (3 @ Astros, 3 v. Braves)
Reds 42-28, -2.5 (4 v. Pirates, 3 @ Diamondbacks)
Twins 30-36, -7.5 (3 v. White Sox, 3 @ Indians)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8 (+7 worked)
Peter - 15

Biogenesis Clinic Investigation "Ongoing"

Even though I don't really consider it "news" I feel obligated to address the ongoing Biogenesis/Tony Bosch/PED scandal.  A lot of people, myself included, got all bent out of shape last week when it was "revealed" that MLB was seeking to suspend around 20 players connected with the Biogenesis "anti-aging" clinic in Miami that reportedly supplied illegal performance-enhancing substances to a slew of players, most notably Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun.  I was on the phone with my parents when the news broke and it was made to sound as if Braun and A-Rod would soon be receiving 100-game suspensions, and of course I panicked and texted a lot of people.  After the dust settled, I realized it was not really breaking news, and was just like any other of these stories - just saying that the investigation was ongoing and MLB was seeking suspensions.  Well, guess what - in other news, the sky is blue.  It's no secret that MLB has been looking to crucify Ryan Braun since his overturned suspension ruling following the 2011 season.  Despite going through all the appropriate legal channels, and even though his positive test should never have been made public until after the appeal process was over, Ryan Braun was made out to be a villain, and somebody that made Bud Selig look bad.  He was booed the entire 2012 season but responded with perhaps his best statistical year yet, and in my opinion was cheated out of a repeat MVP award in part due to his association with PEDs. 

I've been a proponent of Selig's drug program and I think it's great the game is being cleaned up, and I have been vocal about my opinions of him as one of the greatest commissioners of all time.  But for MLB to resort to shady avenues to suspend Braun and other players it feels have used PEDs seems kind of irresponsible to me.  After failed subpoenas of Tony Bosch's records and interviews that have led nowhere, MLB's next step is to turn Bosch into a witness against players he previously denied associating with?  I'm not a lawyer, but even I could find more holes in that argument than Swiss cheese.  It should be pretty clear to even the most uninformed of people that Bosch is just being paid off to save his own skin.  MLB should be making its rules more stringent, not trying to cover its tracks while looking ridiculous in the process with stunts like this.  I will say that, in this age of instant digital media and breaking news, I don't envy MLB having to conduct their business amongst all the hearsay.  ESPN and MLB Network certainly are not making things any better by reporting third-hand stories and making a big deal out of hand-written notes a known criminal wrote in his drug lab.

The fact is, players are going to continue to bend the rules, as they have since the game's inception.  Before PEDs, it was amphetamines and pitchers doctoring the ball; only the style of cheating has changed.  As with all the other scandals and drugs before this, players are going to keep cheating until MLB makes its penalties more strict and/or changes the rules.  It should be a full year suspension for a first positive PED test, and a lifetime ban for a second.  If a player knows he can cheat, put up big numbers, and then get a huge contract after 50 games (i.e. Melky Cabrera, Manny Ramirez), to many it is worth the risk.  On the other side of that coin, I'm also getting sick of players being unfairly named guilty in the media until proven innocent, which is the opposite of how our judicial system is supposed to work.  As hard as it is sometimes, I believe everything Ryan Braun says wholeheartedly and am giving him the benefit of the doubt, and I hope that educated fans are willing to do the same with all the suspected players until they admit guilt or all the facts are out.  As much as I want to see A-Rod kicked out of baseball, nobody should be paying any attention to this story unless/until suspensions are handed out - but thank you for reading my rant anyways.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 06.09:
Brewers 25-37, -15.0 (3 @ Marlins, 3 @ Reds)
Reds 37-25, -3.0 (4 @ Cubs, 3 v. Brewers)
Twins 27-32, -7.0 (3 v. Phillies, 3 v. Tigers)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8 (+3 worked)
Peter - 14

Northwoods League Opening Week

All photos from the Mallards opening homestand available on Flickr.

Memorial Day is recognized throughout America as the unofficial start to summer, which for me means another exciting season of summer collegiate baseball.  Despite torrential downpours and flooding throughout the Midwest, the Northwoods League kicked off its 20th season this past Wednesday.  I'm beating a dead horse at this point when I mention that the Northwoods League and Warner Park are my favorite league and ballpark in the country, so the week of Memorial Day is always one of the more exciting times of the year for me.  It's especially exciting this year because I moved into a house a couple months ago that is 4 blocks from the park!  I can't even describe how amazing it is to be able to walk to (and stumble home from) a ballgame, and inevitably when the day comes that I move again, I don't know how I'm going to live without this convenience.  The storms predicted for Friday evening stayed to the east of Madison and I was able to take in the first game of my 7-pack in full.

The major renovation that spanned 3 offseasons may be complete, but that certainly doesn't mean a lack of improvements at the ol' ball yard.  The most notable addition this year is the ticket/team office building.  It's totally within the philosophy of Steve Schmitt and Vern Stenman to put fans first, so all these years, the Mallards' own staff has had to make do in very cramped conditions, making this additional 6,500 SF of space long overdue.  The building is clad in shiny aluminum siding and had all of its doors and windows donated by Feldco in exchange for advertising.  The second notable addition to the park is the new jumbotron, which is over 4x larger than its predecessor.  The fact that a summer collegiate team has a jumbotron at all is an accomplishment, so perhaps I shouldn't complain, but in my opinion it's not used very properly.  At Friday's game, really it was just showing the feed of the game on a 3-second delay.  Showing the live game while at the game just does not make any sense to me, unless it's in an area where some fans have restricted views.  It seems like with the way the Mallards approach a night at the ballpark that there should be more wacky animations and advertising on the board, and more player information.  Other than those two items, it's business as usual at Warner Park.  Still an amazing selection of food and craft beers, and a ridiculous promotional schedule.  I obtained a Bike Safety Maynard bobblehead and a sweet Mallards cap before hitting up the buffet and settling in for the game.  I really love my seats this year - they are one section right of homeplate, 4 rows up in the 200 level.  It sounds ridiculous, but last year I was actually so close to the field I was obstructed by the dugout.  The seating bowl is right on top of of the field at this park, perhaps illegally so if it were a minor league field.

The Mallards fell 4-3 to the Loggers.  Usually in this league, it does not take more than a couple games to figure out who the standouts of a team will be.  It was pretty clear a week into the season last year that Tyler Marincov and Jeff Zimmerman would be special players.  2B Eric Cheray was the biggest contributor on this night, with a homerun in the 4th and a couple nice defensive plays.  I've also got an eye on cleanup hitter Sam Koenig because he goes to my alma mater UW-Milwaukee.  3B Genote Jackson also looks to have some pretty good skills.  It's too early to tell but those are the players I made note of.  The day after I was there, C Mike Fitzgerald knocked in 7 on two homeruns, so he will also be a player to watch.  SP Jeff D'Amato only went 4 innings for the Mallards and managed to only give up one run despite struggling with command.  Madison made a game of it in the 9th thanks to some shotty LaCrosse defense but in the end it wasn't enough.  SP Collin Lee of the Loggers pitched very well, he struck out 6 over 6, had good movement on all of his pitches with a large variation in velocity.  Also of note from this game is that the Mallards have really sweet uniforms this year.  They're kind of like the old Astros uniforms with the multi-colored stripes in the front, and the Mallards version also features a silhouette of the Madison skyline.  I'm hoping I can obtain one of those in the team store next year for $30 like I did the jersey I have now.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 06.02:
Brewers 21-33, -15.5 (3 v. Athletics, 4 v. Phillies)
Reds 35-21, -2.5 (3 v. Rockies, 3 v. Cardinals)
Twins 24-29, -5.5 (3 @ Royals, 3 @ Nationals)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8 (+3 worked)
Peter - 13

Dozer Park

All photos of Dozer Park and Peoria available on Flickr.

I recently visited my 11th of 16 Midwest League parks in Peoria, Illinois, home of the Chiefs.  You could say that Peoria has definitely been my "white whale" of ballparks.  It's one of the few parks I had left to visit within an afternoon's driving distance and I've been trying to go there since I finished grad school.  It just seems like they are never home when I'm free to go, or I have plans to go and something comes up, or the weather doesn't cooperate - it just never works out for a variety of reasons.  Thus, with each passing year, I have grown more and more excited to see this park based on nothing more than my own anticipation.  After an affiliate change and a couple stadium name changes, I finally made it there this past Sunday.

The drive down to central Illinois was a little over 3 hours and not too eventful.  I rolled into town about 1:30 and was not expecting Peoria to be as big a city as it was.  With approximately 115,000 residents, it comes in as the 3rd largest city in the circuit - any idea what the largest Midwest League city is?  I would have guessed Lansing myself, never in my life would I have guessed Fort Wayne-Dayton-Peoria were 1-2-3.  Anyways, I would compare Peoria to Waterloo, only with taller buildings and wider streets.  Like Waterloo, it's a very old river town with long-abandoned factories, and has an up-and-coming "main street" area.  I parked a couple blocks up from the ballpark on the street for free - one of many great things about going to a ballgame on a Sunday.  I was also not anticipating the ballpark being urban in nature.  It is wedged between two streets across from the Caterpillar Headquarters and a stone's throw from the CBD.  And when I say wedged, that is not an exaggeration - Dozer Park is very short down the lines and has tall nets like you would see at a golf driving range beyond the fence to prevent balls from landing in the street.  This is exactly the type of long and narrow site you saw ballparks of the late 19th century built on (i.e. Polo Grounds and Borchardt Field), only in Peoria it doesn't take Babe Ruth to hit one out to center.  Incidentally, Dozer Park takes its name from the aforementioned Caterpillar HQ, following a couple of years without a sponsor.

Dozer Park opened for business in 2002 and does not stray from the standard minor league template, at least in terms of the exterior design and the seating bowl.  The variation of this park comes in the outfield.  As I said, it's really pinched down the lines, leaving only about 10-15 feet between the foul poles and the street, which is enough room for an interior walk, a net, and then the public sidewalk.  I've only been to one game here obviously, but it seems to me like the nets should actually be higher.  I would think a 25' high net behind a 310' foul pole is not going to stop many homeruns from smashing a parked car in the street, although these are only A-ball hitters we're talking about.  One thing I found annoying though was that like in Appleton, the outfield concourse is just a tease, it does not wrap all the way around.  Approaching from right field, you can walk out to center field to a picnic area with a little standalone building housing bathrooms and equipment, but the concourse is suddenly interrupted by a grade-level service entry and you have to double back.  Approaching from left field, there is a secondary ticket office/entrance in the outfield corner, which I liked.  The left field corner is actually on the busiest intersection of the park and faces downtown and the parking lot, so it is nice that people can enter at a point which presumably handles the most traffic, rather than have to walk down to the front of the stadium.  Another thing that distinguishes Dozer Park from other parks is the concessions.  There was an amazing smorgasbord of different types of hot dogs and specialty food items, and also a couple of craft beer stands.  The park also features a pretty good size team store surrounded in glass.  Besides the concourse issue and the lawn seating being way too steep to be functional, I thought it was a great park.  A subtle thing that the Chiefs do that I always like to see at ballparks is attention to branding and colors.  Even though it might seem like overkill to slap matching signage around and reference firefighters everywhere, to me it makes the park feel like a home and that it is a part of the community; it really ties everything together.  That was one of the things Fort Wayne did really well and one of the many reasons it is my favorite minor league park.  

Getting to the game - it was a 5-2 win for the visiting Clinton Lumberkings, now a Mariners affiliate.  Clinton led the entire game and was up 5-0 heading into the 8th before Peoria managed to scratch a couple runs across.  It's been a week since I was at the game so I don't really have any memorable plays or players to share.  The highest ranked Cardinals' prospect on the Chiefs was 3B Carson Kelly, who went 0-4 and was hitting 6th in the lineup, so I'm not looking for him to be headed to Palm Beach anytime soon.  2B Jacob Wilson hit cleanup and led the team with 2 hits and a run scored.  SP Tyler Pike was phenomenal for the Lumberkings, giving up only 1 hit over 6 and picking up his 3rd win.  I do remember the atmosphere of the game being very odd because the Chiefs just changed back to a Cardinals affiliate after an 8-year pitstop with the Cubs organization, so there was a mix of different fan allegiances in the crowd.  Rooting for the Cardinals in Illinois is probably not very easy.  I personally hate both of those teams so to me it was just funny.  On a side note, I'd be curious to know if the name "Chiefs" was at one time in reference to Native Americans and was changed to firefighters with a lovable dog mascot to be more PC.

Peoria was my final park in the Western Division of the Midwest League to visit.  My remaining parks in the league are in South Bend, and then 4 in the far reaches of the league - eastern Michigan, eastern Ohio, and Kentucky.  I also hope to make it back to Kane County this year to see the recent-ish renovation.

park rankings and statistics:
aesthetics - 5
views from park - 4 (downtown in the distance)
view to field - 9
surrounding area - 4 (downtown Peoria)
food variety - 9
nachos - 9 (philly cheese steak nachos)
beer - 8 (great variety and fair price)
vendor price - 7
ticket price - 6 ($7 lawn)
atmosphere - 3 (not a lot of between innings entertainment)
walk to park - 3
parking price/proximity - 10 (free street 2 blocks down)
concourses - 7 (points deducted for discontinuity in outfield)
team shop - 6

best food - specialty hot dogs
most unique stadium feature - nets beyond outfield corners
best jumbotron feature - players in Disney character garb for "Princess Day"
best between-inning feature - tug-o-war bucket race

field dimensions - 310/400/310
starters - Tyler Pike (CLI) v. Michael Aldrete (PEO)
opponent - Clinton Lumberkings
time of game - 2:20
attendance - 1,467
score - 5-2 L
Brewers score that day - 4-2 L

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 05.27:
Brewers 19-29, -12.5 (2 v. Twins, 2 @ Twins, 3 @ Phillies)
Reds 32-19, -1.0 (2 v. Indians, 2 @ Indians, 3 @ Pirates)
Twins 19-28, -8.5 (2 @ Brewers, 2 v. Brewers, 3 v. Mariners)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 8
Peter - 12

Brewers "Team Streak" 2.0

There are so many great moments in Brewers history that I will never forget.  Probably the earliest season I remember vividly is 1992.  Early that spring, I recall going to Seat Cushion Night with my family at County Stadium and watching Franklin Stubbs crank a walk-off grand slam.  And of course later that season, perhaps the greatest Brewer of all time, Robin Yount, became the first player in club history to notch his 3,000th hit in a Milwaukee uniform on September 9th, 1992.  I was totally jealous of this girl in my class because she got to go to the game.  Not coincidentally, a year or two later I switched from playing soccer to baseball, and have loved the sport ever since.  I remember Miller Park opening in 2001 and attending some of the All-Star festivities in 2002.  There was Ben Sheets' 18-strikeout game against the Braves in 2004.  In person, I witnessed Bill Hall as a Mother's Day hero in 2006, Prince Fielder become the youngest player in major league history to hit 50 homeruns in a season in 2007, and Trevor Hoffman notch save #601 in 2010.  It used to be that reaching .500 was the Holy Grail for the Brewers, but after playoff appearances in two of the last five seasons, Brewer fans have come to expect a competitive team.  All of these good memories are the things that bring me back down to earth when the Brewers are playing as poorly as they are now.  I think of the good ol' days when you could practically walk by with your hand out for tickets and sit wherever you wanted because the team was so terrible, and I remember what it is like to find the silver lining from a poor stretch of play and root for a player win or lose.  Because a common thread of all the memories I describe above - they were mostly amidst really, really bad teams.

One season I am too young to remember is the 1987 season, a year the club was dubbed "Team Streak."  The Brewers stormed out of the gates winning 13 in a row, which culminated with perhaps one of the top moments in Brewer history, Dale Sveum's walk-off homer on Easter Sunday.  That was also the year of Paul Molitor's club record 39-game hitting streak.  What many people don't remember is that the Brewers also had a 12-game losing streak later that year.  And that's exactly my point - people remember the good times.  The Brewers of 2013 are giving the '87 team a run for their money, with their season already divisible into 3 distinct chapters - starting off the year 2-8, followed by a 9-game winning streak finishing the month winning 12 of 15, and now currently losing 13 of 15 in the month of May.  This team has some good things going for it but just isn't putting everything together at one time.  The season started out with a lot of runs from the bullpen, then the starting pitching was bad, and now the Brewers are hitting below .200 with RISP on their current roadtrip.  The reason I keep watching is for the silver lining: Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura are enjoying breakout seasons and are currently 1-2 in hitting, Ryan Braun is hitting over .300 with 8 HR despite battling neck issues, the Yuni-Bomber has provided some unexpected production, Aramis is back, and free agent signing Kyle Lohse has been as good as advertised. 

Despite an embarrassing stretch against the three teams ahead of them in the division, the Brewers still control their own destiny for how they want this season to be remembered.  Can they use all of their assets and play more consistently?  Or will they just be known as Team Streak 2.0? 

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 05.18:
Brewers 16-24, -10.5 (3 v. Dodgers, 3 v. Pirates)
Reds 25-17, -2.5 (3 @ Mets, 3 v. Cubs)
Twins 18-20, -4.5 (3 @ Braves, 4 @ Tigers)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 5
Peter - 9

Wrigley Field Renovation Proposal

(photos courtesy of ESPN.com)

The Cubs have been in the news a lot recently, but certainly not for their play.  A $500-million renovation plan for the iconic Wrigley Field has finally been formally submitted to the city of Chicago after years of speculation and negotiation.  The team hopes for approval by October so construction can begin in the offseason, and continue over the subsequent five offseasons.  The proposal will include:

• 6,000 SF jumbotron in left field
• 1,000 SF of additional signage in right field
• Permission to increase number of night games and non-baseball events
• Upgraded clubhouses
• Addition to house new visitors clubhouse and 2-story bar
• Widen concourses
• Upgrade concessions, restrooms, and team store(s)
• Substantial repairs and maintenance
• New building to house 175-room hotel, fitness club, and team offices; linked to park with skywalk
• Remove parking on Waveland Avenue to allow for stadium expansion
• Closing of Sheffield Avenue on weekend home games
• Off-site parking garage with shuttle to park
• Better connection of bleachers to rest of ballpark 

Updating Wrigley Field to the standards of modern baseball has been of highest priority of owner Tom Ricketts since he purchased the team in 2009, and to say this renovation is long overdue would be a major understatement.  I have been pretty vocal about my thoughts on Wrigley Field, namely that I think it is a dump and it is overrated.  I understand that I am in the minority, and yes being a Brewers fan definitely contributes to my disdain for the park, but in my mind there is difference between a historic structure and a building that is just old and falling apart.  I get it - it's got a hand-operated scoreboard, and the ivy is cool, and it's in a neighborhood, blah blah blah...I get that.  I get that it is a great atmosphere and a baseball mecca for many.  But in my opinion, the team has to at least give the illusion that it cares and does not just take for granted that Wrigley Field will be around forever.  Granted, it's not entirely the Cubs' fault, but I think it's incredibly stubborn and naive that prior ownership has just left the field to wither and age all these years, knowing that fans will still come to the park and shell out $10 for an Old Style regardless of stadium condition or the team's record.  I personally don't find falling concrete and 50-year old plumbing and cramped concourses to be alluring.  Fenway Park has shown us that it is possible to have a historic structure that has been upgraded yet still keeps its charm.  Until the Cubs follow suit, I will not be going back to Wrigley, aside from next year's 100th anniversary season (just in case the proposal stalls and the park falls down).  As both an architect and a baseball fan, it would be a shame to me if this stadium is not repaired.

So why has it taken so long to get the ball rolling on this?  Part of it is the Cubs just trying to keep costs down and taking the approach of not fixing something that isn't broken - even though in some cases, the park literally is breaking.  The Cubs still make money hand over fist despite Alfonso Soriano's neverending albatross contract and 50+ home day games a year.  I think ultimately having an owner like Ricketts who is a business guy and not a "baseball guy" is a blessing for the Cubs, because he recognizes this golden opportunity to improve an already profitable product and to remain competitive.  The other big reason the process has been slow-moving is because, in the words of Ricketts, the city is forcing the Cubs to run their operation more like a museum than a business.  There are so many outside interests, landmark regulations, neighborhood codes, and historical nuances that the Cubs have to address with their 99-year old ballpark that most other teams simply don't have to deal with.  First, Ricketts wanted the city to help finance the renovation with tax dollars, and the city said no dice.  Then he said ok, I'll just put up some more advertising, and the rooftop owners balked at that, since they have a minority stake in the team's ticket sales and proposed signage would block their view.  Now Cubs' ownership has been left no choice but to pursue outside means of revenue, i.e. hotel.  After continuing to bend over backwards to please all the parties involved, Ricketts reached a boiling point last week when he threatened to move the team out of Wrigleyville if a deal did not go through.  I don't think this would ever happen, but I can certainly understand his frustration.  The fact that I'm siding with somebody associated with the Cubs should let you know how much I think this whole thing stinks.

When the Red Sox went through this same conundrum in the past decade, ulimately the team, the city, and the neighborhood all took a step back and thought about what life would be like without Fenway Park, and a deal got done.  The result was a beautiful and tactful renovation to ensure the stadium is around for generations to come.  In the end, I think Wrigley Field will enjoy the same result.  It's a cash cow for the Cubs, it is singlehandedly the reason the neighborhood exists, and a huge tourism draw for Chicago.  If the rooftop owners continue to be stubborn and bark about a modestly sized scoreboard and a few advertising billboards - things that every team deserves to remain viable - the more critical upkeep and repair will fall by the wayside.  Wrigley Field has been around for nearly 100 years, and this renovation is needed to ensure it is around for another 100.

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 05.11:
Brewers 15-19, -7.5 (4 @ Pirates, 3 @ Cardinals)
Reds 21-16, -3.0 (3 @ Marlins, 3 @ Phillies)
Twins 16-16, -3.5 (3 v. White Sox, 3 v. Red Sox)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 3
Peter - 8

Robin Roberts Baseball Field

All photos of Robin Roberts Baseball Field available on Flickr.

This past Tuesday, the mercury reached an unexpected but welcome 85º, so I scrambled to find a ballgame to go to and enjoy the weather, and Madison Area Technical College was what I came up with.  Even though I now live only a few minutes away, this was actually my first visit to the campus, and I was surprised to see all of the new buildings going up there and that it was relatively consolidated.  This includes the new-ish Robin Roberts Baseball Field, which was dedicated in 2000.  The field is not named after the Hall-of-Fame pitcher nor the fetching newscaster, but rather a former Madison College ballplayer and project benefactor.

Even though Robin Roberts Field is only 13 years old, it looks at least three times that old.  Part of the reason is because it is not surprisingly a very barebones facility, and part of it is because the field does not look like it is maintained too well.  But a large part of the implied age has to do with the fact that they used old Milwaukee County Stadium seats for the grandstand, which are all some combination of rusty, cracked, faded, or just flat-out broken.  I appreciated the sustainable homage to County Stadium and that a park this small has chairs instead of bleachers, but it was not comfortable resting my elbow on rusted armrests.  Another inconvenient thing is that the grandstand is in three discontinuous sections with no front aisle.  The park has a lot of foul ground and a large dugout/clubhouse/concessions building on the 1st base side, so even at a park this size I felt far away from the action and balls hit to right field were obstructed.  One particularly odd thing about the park is that the roof of this aforementioned building is habitable.  There are a few benches up there in the front close to the field, but the rest of the roof is just covered in used astroturf and is mostly wasted space.  I suppose that the team does not draw well enough to warrant installing a set of bleachers up there, but it is disappointing that the roof is really just accessible for its own sake.  I stood up there for an inning and mingled amongst the Madison College softball team that clearly just came from their own game to watch the boys play.  On my way down, I had a good view of the bullpens and batting cages further up the line, and watched a pitcher warm up for awhile.  The park definitely has all of the pieces that can make a park of this size interesting, but none of them are done well.  The roof is a good example of this, or the concession stand that only sells hot dogs and chips, or the dugouts that are built dangerously wide open on ground level.

The game itself was a quick one, only about 90 minutes; it was a 7-inning affair and the second half of a doubleheader.  I got to the park literally as the first pitch of Game 2 was being thrown so I didn't get to see any of the first game.  The Madison College schedule is actually comprised almost entirely of doubleheaders, of which I am a big fan.  In sweeping the doubleheader against College of Lake County, the Wolfpack improved to 28-9 and were ranked #11 nationally in Division II as of my visit.  In the early years of the Mallards, before the Northwoods League was the hotbed of talent that it is now, very often the club would field players from MATC, and I always just assumed it was because they were local.  Yes, that was probably still part of the reason, but it turns out the Mallards weren't doing the MATC kids any favors; they actually perenially field a pretty legit squad.  The Wolfpack won the game I was at courtesy of a 3-spot in the 6th.  Dan Schmidt went 2-2 with an RBI for the home team, and starting pitcher Hayden Hughey provided a serviceable 5 innings.  Nathan Hoffmann picked up the win in relief despite surrendering a run.

This concludes my brief and uneventful Madison community college baseball tour, unless I find out that Madison Media Institute has like a D-6 club team.  Not the greatest of facilities, but certainly not the worst I've been to either.  My experiences at Edgewood College and MATC were unfortunate reminders of how disgusting it is that UW is the only Big 10 school without a baseball team.

park rankings and statistics:
aesthetics - 1
views from park - 2
view to field - 3 (obstructed along first)
surrounding area - 2 (campus, airport)
food variety - 1
nachos - n/a
beer - n/a
vendor price - 10
ticket price - 10 (free)
atmosphere - 2
walk to park - 2
parking price/proximity - 10 (free adjacent lot)
concourses - 1 (there really isn't one)
team shop - n/a

best food - um...hot dog?  I guess?
most unique stadium feature - roof of concessions/clubhouse building
best jumbotron feature - n/a
best between-inning feature - PA guy pumpin the tunes

field dimensions - n/a
starters - DJ Engle (CoLC) v. Hayden Hughey (MATC)
opponent - College of Lake County Lancers
time of game - 2:45 (total for both games)
attendance - n/a (I counted about 30)
score - 4-3 W
Brewers score that day - 12-8 W

STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 05.05:
Brewers 14-16, -5.5 (2 v. Rangers, 3 @ Reds)
Reds 18-14, -2.5 (3 v. Braves, 3 v. Brewers)
Twins 13-14, -4.0 (4 @ Red Sox, 3 v. Orioles)

2013 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 3
Peter - 8