ballpark review

Summer of Baseball: SWB gives fans a great experience

August 13, 2014

PNC Field is a great place to watch a game.

There’s something to be said about renovations instead of demolishing and rebuilding a stadium. If done right, it can be a wonderful thing.

Take, for example, PNC Field. Formerly known as Lackawanna County Stadium, the park underwent a major renovation – with a price tag of more than $43 million – in 2012, which forced the AAA Yankees affiliate to play all their games on the road.

But when they returned for the start of the 2013 season – what a change the stadium had.

Seats are good and give excellent sight lines.

I had been to this stadium back when it was home to the Red Barons, the AAA affiliate of the Phillies. And I came last year to see the new work. I’ve been twice this year and this stadium truly impresses me in its looks, sight lines and amenities.

If it wasn’t for the stadium that houses the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, this one would top my list for minor league parks.

The neat part of the park is you can still feel some of the old stadium still here, despite it having an incredibly shiny new look.

Overall, this is one excellent ballpark. The parking is easy, the entering of the stadium is simple (and they allow you to leave/re-enter if you need to go to your car – which came in handy on a giveaway night) and it’s simple to get to off of I-81. For the game we came to in 2013, the leaving was really crazy and tough, but it seems like they’ve learned and made it better as both times I’ve visited this year, we’ve left quickly.

Back to the stadium.

A free program is always appreciated.

This is a great spot for baseball. The seats are roomy and there’s plenty of room. There are standing spots all around the stadium with a small “table” that runs around the stadium. The outfield standing section is especially nice with a wonderful view of the stadium. One other nice tidbit to note — it’s another stadium that has gone to the free program setup. It’s nice to see that being done more and more.

There are some excellent places around the park, too, including a seating section in right field that is set up near a bar area. The only downfall there – and for the bleachers in the right-field foul ball area – is the sun will beat down on you. The same can be said for the outfield lawn seats, which seem to be more and more the normal at minor league parks and it a really smart idea. The stadium has a full walk-around concourse, which is always nice to see at parks. It gives people a chance to stretch their legs and take a stroll around the park without missing a pitch.

This is near the outfield lawn seats.

The food choices here are pretty standard and the prices aren’t too bad. Each time I’ve been here, however, ice cream has been off the list because I can’t see waiting in massive lines when I am there for a baseball game. The beer selection, too, is pretty solid.

The Rail Riders have their fair share of in-between-innings games, which is fine. They aren’t too crazy and they don’t disrupt the game. The mascots are seen and are friendly and engaging.

Finally, the team store is really nice and has a lot of items available for purchase. The prices aren’t too bad, basically what you’d expect at most parks.

In the end, this is a great stadium to watch a game at. It’s comfortable, affordable (tickets are around $10 each) and it makes for a fun evening at the park.

Park Notes:

PNC Field
Moosic, Pennsylvania
Home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders (AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees)
Visited on: Saturday, June 21 and Friday, August 8.
Opponent: Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox) and Columbus Clippers (AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians)

Ratings (out of 10)

Stadium: 9/10
Concessions: 9.5/10
Parking: 9/10
Ambiance: 9.5/10
Friendliness: 10/10

I am embarking on a summer of baseball with the plan to hit a minimum of 10 stadiums this summer. Hopefully, there will be more than that. I will report on each park that I hit on the blog.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Summer of Baseball: Williamsport is a throwback

August 6, 2014

There’s something to be said about an old baseball park.

If you are a fan of the game, it’s definitely the way to go to watch. It’s a throwback of sorts. Many of you know that during my newspaper career, I covered a minor league baseball team. It was short-season Single A (so about a 72-game schedule, if I remember right) and I only covered the home games, so it wasn’t a full beat, so to speak.

But it was covering professional baseball during the summer.

Bowman Field is definitely and old-school feel and experience.

The team played at an old, rickety ballpark built decades and decades ago. The team was bought in the 1960s by a group of locals and was still owned by two of them when I covered them. One was the figure head, the other was a partner who didn’t like to say much. Both were classy gentlemen. They were baseball people, though.

And that’s what it was about – watching baseball. But the stadium for those who weren’t fans of nostalgia and such usually didn’t like things much. No beer was served (one of only a couple teams who didn’t sell beer), there weren’t many on-field promotions and the mascot wasn’t always around.

It was baseball.

I’m a fan of such stadiums, usually. But I’m also one who still keeps a scorecard at each game, so I’m a little different as it is.

The team I used to cover was in the New York-Penn League, where older stadiums used to be a mainstay. In this day and age and as minor league baseball becomes a bit more mainstream, teams are looking for better and more current parks.

So getting to see some of these old stadiums is a must for me. They might all be a little rickety and such, but there’s the baseball feel. Bowman Field still maintains an ambiance like that, though there are parts that make it a little tougher.

Let’s take a look at the park.

One of the few places I’ve been this year that still charges for a program, but it’s understandable at this level.

Bowman Field in Williamsport – for now – has stood the test of time. Built in 1926, it’s an old park in every sense of the word. There are pillars to sometimes peek around and the seating setup is that of an older park. It’s not to say it’s awful, but choosing your seat can definitely give you a better feel of the park. One set of bleachers, down the right-field line, wasn’t open. I spoke to one usher who noted that section had been closed for as long as he could remember.

It made me wonder why.

The press box is at the top of the stands behind the plate and is quite small. The safety netting goes around quite a bit of the field to save the crowd, which is fine. But, for whatever reason, the netting seemed to be a bit thicker than other places I’ve seen it.

The dugouts are also in a non-traditional spot as they are further down each line. That, of course, makes it a longer stroll for the players as they come to bat or head out onto the field.

The field, itself, has the feel of an older one. The advertising boards in the outfield seem to fit a nostalgic stadium, and the rest of the aura made me feel like we went slightly back in time. Parking is available for free, or in one part, for a fee. People cram into the area for parking though, which definitely give an old NY-Penn League feel.

The sight lines are OK, but there are beams, of course, if under the grandstand. If I ever went back to watch a game, I think I’d make sure I got one of the closer box seats as I believe it would be a lot better to watch a game from there.

The concessions seemed decent. We had eaten at a brew pub before coming to the game, so I didn’t dabble in much. The beer selection was on the weaker side and the hot dog I had was of normal ballpark feel and taste. The souvenir store was actually pretty solid for a small team and I walked away with a t-shirt.

It’s a stadium I’ve long wanted to see and I’m glad I had the chance to see it.

Park Notes:

Bowman Field
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Home of the Williamsport Crosscutters (Short-season A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies)
Visited on: July 5, 2014.
Opponents: Auburn Doubledays (Short-season A affiliate of the Washington Nationals)

Ratings (out of 10):

Stadium: 7
Concessions: 7
Parking: 7
Ambiance: 8
Friendliness: 9

I am embarking on a summer of baseball with the plan to hit a minimum of 10 stadiums this summer. Hopefully, there will be more than that. I will report on each park that I hit on the blog.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Summer of Baseball: Perks aplenty at State College

July 28, 2014

There’s not any bad spots to watch a game in State College.

The lower levels of Minor League Baseball can feature a lot of types of stadiums – from old and worn to modern with amenities.

State College, Pennsylvania – home of the Spikes – seems to have found a good mix of a new stadium with the feel that it’s not being overly done. That’s something to be appreciated.

The Spikes are the Single-A short-season affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The stadium in which they play is located on the campus of Penn State, in the shadow of the famed Beaver Stadium. That, of course, makes parking plentiful (though it did cost, if I remember right, $3). And if you get there early enough, as we did, you had the chance to walk around the massive stadium before heading over to the smaller, more comfortable Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

The stadium seats about 5,500 people and is home to the Penn State baseball team, as well as the State College Spikes. A nice piece to this stadium is being able to see Mount Nittany beyond the outfield wall.

A free program is always welcomed!

To be honest, this is definitely one of the top New York-Penn League stadiums I have been to.

When entering, the team store is close by and, for a lower-level team, the store is stocked with everything one might need. The items – shirts, jerseys, hats, balls and most things you expect to find – are reasonably priced and there are plenty of sizes. With such a cool logo, I walked out with a nice shirt.

After exiting the store, the field is straight ahead, and is below the concourse level, so you walk down to your seats. The seats are of the fold-down variety, but are solid and roomy.

But, if you want to roam, you can do so and not lose sight of the game. There are picnic tables spread throughout the concourse area, as well as a picnic area in left field. Right field features an area with high-top tables, as well as a bleacher section at the top of the right-field wall. That’s a very cool aspect of the stadium, I thought. Kind of a “cheap seat” type feel, which is excellent for a baseball stadium.

The netting behind home plate extended a little further, it seemed, than many parks. I wasn’t a fan of how it was set up, either. I know teams do it differently, though.

Play ball!

My only other thought is it seems like there could have been a walkway around the whole park. It would have been nice to be able to walk around and catch the game from different vantage points. Also, there was a video arcade. I’m not a fan of this, mainly because when I go to a ballpark, I go to watch a game. I understand families attend, but if you’re going to let your kids hang out in a video arcade the whole time – why come to the park? To be fair, the few times I passed by it, I didn’t see many – if any – in there.

The concessions were pretty strong, including a Burgatory spot (very good burgers), a craft beer stand and a spot just for ice cream. There is also normal ballpark fare, but when I went to get lunch, my plan was a hot dog and a bratwurst (I think it was bratwurst…), but they didn’t have the specialty, so I just went with a couple of hot dogs. They were above average, but nothing fully special. Their fries were decent.

I attended on July 4, too, so the area was having a full celebration and fair of sorts. Later in the evening, they open the park up so people can watch the fireworks (which apparently are ranked No. 3 in the country – I can believe it). We took one of the high-top tables in right field and enjoyed the show, so that’s another bonus.

In the end, this is a solid, stadium and one worth attending. I had wanted to visit it for a bit, so it was nice to get down here and see a game. There wasn’t a bad seat in the house and with the roominess of the sitting area (good legroom, too), there wasn’t a chance of being crowded or feeling stuffy

Park Notes:

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
State College, Pennsylvania
Home of the State College Spikes (Short-season A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins)
Visited on: July 4, 2014
Opponent: Jamestown Jammers (Short-season A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates)

Ratings (out of 10):

Stadium: 8.5
Concessions: 7.5
Parking: 8
Ambiance: 8
Friendliness: 9

I am embarking on a summer of baseball with the plan to hit a minimum of 10 stadiums this summer. Hopefully, there will be more than that. I will report on each park that I hit on the blog.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Summer of Baseball: The game is the main event in New Britain

July 23, 2014

If you’ve ever read books about baseball players and their growth through a system, you probably realize what the minor leagues are all about.

It’s not glamorous, that’s for sure.

Often enough, stadiums aren’t that great, travel is tough and the living conditions differ from place to place.

New Britain is a pretty solid place to watch a game.

In recent years, it’s becoming more of a money-driven setup. Top-of-the-line stadiums are being built. Former major leagues coach and manage young prospects in their ascent to the big leagues. Travel conditions have improved and, in some spots, the living setup has changed.

But with big-money comes bigger places looking to take these minor league teams to a new spot. I watched it happen when the new owners of the then Oneonta Tigers packed up and moved to Connecticut a year after buying (despite agreeing to keep the team in Oneonta through its lease). Other small towns have watched it happen (to be fair, Norwich watched it happen, too, before snaking the Tigers).

Of course, when that happens, it also means these smaller areas lose a part of their community and identity.

New Britain, Connecticut appears to be next on that list.

The city is trying to keep the team from moving to nearby Hartford.

It was announced in June that the New Britain Rock Cats would be moving to nearby Hartford in two years, once a $60 million stadium is built. I didn’t know that until actually heading to New Britain for a game and to take in New Britain Stadium, built in 1996, which makes it far from a relic.

The Rock Cats are the Double-A affiliate for the Minnesota Twins. New Britain has hosted a Double-A team since 1983, but a move to Hartford could signal the end of minor league baseball in New Britain. Often, when a team leaves an area, another will move it. That might mean a lower level (such as a Single-A team), but with Hartford being so close to New Britain, territorial rights will likely come into play. That being said, it appears there are some issues with the whole Hartford thing, so we’ll see how it all plays out and if the owner has to eat crow and stick it out in New Britain.

I didn’t know about all this until the day of a visit to New Britain Stadium. Waiting in line to get in (it was Ted Williams bobblehead night, so worth getting there early), a few fans chatted with us about the impending doom of their team and how it seemed like attendance had started to go down since the announcement, which is fully understandable. Signs were handed out as we parked, asking people to support and save the Rock Cats.

Free programs are always appreciated!

And from reading reports, it doesn’t sound like Hartford – at least those who pay – are too thrilled with paying for a new baseball stadium when other things (such as a good supermarket) are needed.

New Britain Stadium doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. It’s a baseball stadium. The seats are decent (though the ones we had were permanent bucket seats, almost like enlarged child seats) and the sight lines were pretty strong. But, much like stadiums built in the past 20 or so years, there’s not a lot of cover, which is good and bad. It’s bad because there isn’t a good way to get out of the sun, but good because there aren’t any beams and such blocking views.

There is a walkway between the box seats and upper seats that goes from the third-base line to the first-base line, giving you open looks at the park. The concourse is covered and behind the baselines — and below the main seating area. The club store is a tad small and the prices are average. I did walk out with a past-season sweatshirt for a good price, which was nice. They have the normal offerings, however.

Rocky was easy to find.

One bonus — and I’ve seen this at more stadiums than not this year — free programs. That’s truly a bonus. The programs were given as we came in the stadium and you could get statistics and a lineup at the customer service booth, which was directly in front of the main entrance.

Food offerings were normal ballpark fare. The hot dogs weren’t bad, but there were no cups for drinks, rather just a bottle. That’s a little on the odd size as it’s nice to have a cup with ice to keep your drink cold. It’s also another stadium without a souvenir cup, which was disappointing. I’ve been trying to collect them at most stops this year, at least when they are available.

In the end, I enjoyed the park. It’s in an easy-to-reach area, the parking is right at the park (if I remember right, I think it was $3 or $5) and it’s easy to get in and out. The old ballpark is next door, though we didn’t check it out. It’s a shame if the Rock Cats do leave. as it’s a nice setting for a minor league baseball game.

Park Notes:

New Britain Stadium
New Britain, Connecticut
Home of the New Britain Rock Cats (AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins)
Visited on: June 14, 2014
Opponent: Trenton Thunder (AA affiliate of the New York Yankees)

Ratings (out of 10):

Stadium: 7.5
Concessions: 7
Parking: 8
Ambiance: 8
Friendliness: 10

I am embarking on a summer of baseball with the plan to hit a minimum of 10 stadiums this summer. Hopefully, there will be more than that. I will report on each park that I hit on the blog.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Summer of Baseball: Allentown raises the bar

July 3, 2014

When it comes to minor league baseball – there are stadiums and then there are stadiums.

Depending what a fan looks for, you can find anything. You can find the places set more for families with playgrounds and things always going on, to finding parks where baseball is what it is all about (and, in my eyes, should be). Sometimes you find a good middle ground.

Coca-Cola Park is a great place to watch a game.

And then there’s Coca-Cola Park, home of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Opened in 2008, this park has been on my must-visit list for a long time. It’s not easy to secure a ticket to these games, but one can get them when needed (StubHub, Craig’s List etc.), so seeing a game isn’t impossible by any means.

In my summer of baseball, this was on the list. And I’m glad I did finally get here – and have been there twice so far this year.

This is the top of the line when it comes to minor league parks, at least those I’ve been to. Though I won’t give it a perfect score across the board – it is going to take a lot for me to do that – I will say the experience here was top of the line.

Everything I need at the park!

The park itself is much like newer ones – there’s a wrap-around concourse, which is nice. Lawn seats in the outfield lend for a nice view of the field, as well as a spot for possible home runs. The seats are nice and roomy – and even better that they angle toward the field, giving you a good view from wherever you sit. One downer to the setup, however, is a lack of shade when sitting. The first time we were there was a Sunday afternoon game and I baked to the point where I had to get up and head to the concourse for an inning. The second time, we went at night and where the sun set, it was caught behind the luxury boxes and it was a lot nicer.

This is a park that goes beyond the game, though. There are other things to do and see. The concessions are aplenty. But it doesn’t take away from the product on the field, which is nice. They definitely push the pig part of the name as there is a lot of bacon reference. In fact, they have bacon hats and uniforms for certain days.

A great touch – you can pick up a pre-made scorecard with the day’s lineups.

The sight lines are nice and you can see everything going on. The bullpens are a bit interesting and it’s nice to be able to stroll around the entire park without missing a pitch. There’s also plenty of standing room, where you can lean on a small “table” and watch the game.

The team store is pretty big, too, which is super nice to see at this level. There were plenty of options, one of which was a team pin – something many minor league teams don’t seem to have. As a collector of pins, it’s nice to find these.

One very cool thing is the IronPigs’ social media center, which is in the concourse. It’s a small room where you can see all going on with the social media world. I spent an inning my first trip chatting with the person running it and it’s a very cool setup. It’s definitely a smart move to have something like this as social media is an extremely important part of society and sports.

Though the ad walls in left and right are a little too much, the park overall is really nice.

One more cool thing – lineups. As person who keeps a scorebook at each game I attend, I always look for the lineup board. Coca-Cola park doesn’t have one, per say, but they take it up a notch by having a spot where you can pick up rosters and lineups at a customer service spot. The best part is the lineups are on a scorecard, so if you don’t have your own, it’s right there for you. Programs (titled Pork Illustrated) are free as you enter the park, too, which is a nice thing. Three stadiums (Allentown, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, New Britain) I’ve attended this year, so far, have free programs and it’s a touch that is very nice to see.

Though not many, there are a few negatives to cover – specifically advertising. In right field and left field there are monster walls full of ads. Though I understand revenue is important, this is a bit of an eyesore. It doesn’t block anybody from seeing the game, which is good, but it does make the stadium look a little cheaper.

The IronPigs also sett their media guide, something I don’t see a lot of minor league teams still doing, or even having.

Parking was also a concern of sorts. Though both times it was pretty easy to get in and out, the first time was a nightmare when leaving the park. There was a massive holdup and it was backed up a long way. It did improve the second time immensely. One note – parking lots are set up so roads run through it, which means when you are exiting, you’ll likely have seas of people walking in the roads.

In the end this is a great experience and a great park to watch a game in. It helps, too, that it’s a farm team of the Phillies. They put some great work in here. Those who work here, at least those I interacted with, were top line, too. They were knowledgeable, friendly and fun, which is a good thing. It makes the overall experience that much better.

It’s also a relatively short drive for me (2.5 hours or so), so I can see getting back there a couple of more times this year. If you are looking for a solid minor league baseball experience, this is a good spot to choose.

Park Notes:

Coca-Cola Stadium
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies)
Visited on: June 10 and June 27.
Opponents: Indianapolis Indians (AAA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) and Rochester Redwings (AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins)

Ratings (out of 10):

Stadium: 9.5
Concessions: 9
Parking: 8
Ambiance: 10
Friendliness: 10

I am embarking on a summer of baseball with the plan to hit a minimum of 10 stadiums this summer. Hopefully, there will be more than that. I will report on each park that I hit on the blog.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!