A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

minor league

Summer of Baseball: Reading celebrating its 50th with the Phillies

Reading calls itself Baseballtown. With a stadium that was completed in 1951, and one that’s had some renovations over the years, the Reading Fightin Phils have a unique and interesting stadium.

FirstEnergy Stadium is different than when I last visited in, I believe, 2009. They’ve done many upgrades, to make the field a bit more fan friendly, yet have kept the quirky aspects of the park in place.

When you come into the park, you have an area where the food items are and it gives you the feel of a courtyard. It’s definitely busy there, so you might need to push your way around if you want to get somewhere. The concourse is under the main grandstand, so you are behind the action. There’s also not a full walk-around concourse, but that’s normal for older stadiums.

A place to lean and keep score, with a great view.

A place to lean and keep score, with a great view.

You can go out into parts of the outfield, though, to watch the game from different vantage points. Overall, sightlines were OK and it is a tad picturesque of a place to watch a game. Seats are a tad old-school, but it kind of goes with the stadium. They aren’t bad, but I also will say we didn’t sit in ours for awful long.

Concession wise, there is the regular fare from ballparks. Being it was a dollar-dog day, I chose that as my choice for the night. It looked like they had a lot of the regular choices, which is good. I didn’t get too deep into the area with everything going on as it was crowded and after a long weekend of baseball and other items, I just wanted to watch a game.

The field is nice and it has some cool areas. Like many parks today, there were spots people could rent out etc., for large groups.

The on-field things were fine and didn’t detract from the game too much, which was good.

The team store is not huge, but it is very well stocked with different items. Because of that, it’s not easy to get around, but if you want something – odds are they likely have it. That’s always a bonus, of course, as it makes no sense not to stock up, especially with the rebranding the team did a year or two ago.

This was the 50th anniversary of the team being associated with the Phillies, so it was nice to get there during this season. The action on the field was solid, and it’s an easy place to watch a game. The atmosphere is pretty good as people seem to enjoy watching baseball.

I will note this, though – it seems like some of the people (the fans) weren’t the friendliest in the world. I’m not saying this is all of them, and I’m not even saying the people we encountered were regulars. But it was … odd.

Let me give an example.

Throwing hot dogs in Reading.

Throwing hot dogs in Reading.

The tickets I purchased were underneath the overhang, as there had originally been a threat of rain. We got to our seats and made sure we had the right spot. No sooner than we sat down, the lady (an older lady) made sure she told us “If they aren’t your seats, you’ll have to move.”

I’ve never had that happen to me before, especially by somebody not working for the team. I will say as we came up the stands, one of the people there had their feet up on our seats, and a jacket over top the back. So I guess we were infringing on their “territory.” Still, it was a little off-setting.

We decided, instead, to stand for the game at the top of the bleachers where there’s a place to lean etc. Two more people were encountered – and they were the same. I asked one person if people could stand here and he looked at me like I was green and had three heads.

As I walked the concourse a little later, three – yes three – people bumped into me as they weren’t watching where they were going. I tried to avoid the collisions but they weren’t paying attention. None of them said excuse me (despite them being at fault and watching their phones and not where they were going), rather gave me a dirty look.

Honestly, these aren’t things I want to share because it’s hopefully not the norm. But this was part of my experience and, honestly, it took away from my experience.

I didn’t really interact with many people who work for the team or stadium, but it seemed like there were a lot of people around.

Park Notes:  

FirstEnergy Stadium
Reading, Pennsylvania
Home of the Reading Fightin Phils (Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies)
Visited on: June 12, 2016
Opponent: Altoona Curve (Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 7.5/10
  • Concessions: 7/10
  • Parking: 8/10
  • Ambiance: 7.5/10
  • Friendliness: 6.5/10

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: Southern Maryland has the independent feeling in a good way

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the chance to hit independent baseball teams and stadiums and I’ve found that, for the most part, it’s pretty solid.

Atlantic League teams have stadiums that have a similar feel, but also have uniqueness to them. The ambiances at most of the ones I’ve visited have been pretty solid as well.

That brings us to Southern Maryland.

A great night for baseball in Southern Maryland.

A great night for baseball in Southern Maryland.

During the planning of a trip to see Nationals Park for an afternoon game, the Blue Crabs had a night game at home. From where we parked to take the metro into DC for the Nationals game, it was only about 30 minutes to Regency Furniture Stadium.

The parking was free (awesome), though the lines to get to the will call tickets was a little long and slow, which confused me. Turns out a person at the front of the line was attempting to buy tickets to add on to ones he already bought. Once he got out of the way, it went fast.

The team store wasn’t bad. There were a bunch of items available and prices were actually pretty strong. It didn’t have a lot of items in the store, but if you wanted a shirt or a hat, you could find one. Again, prices were pretty good overall, too.

Food prices were relative to most baseball parks. There were the normal items and such. Hot dogs were decent, so that’s always a bonus. There were also souvenir cups. On another note, it seems like the milk shakes were top of the line, too.

As for the park itself, I found people to be friendly and the park as a whole was cool. The sight lines weren’t bad, though if you were all the way down a corner (where the stands are pointed toward home plate), it’s not a perfect view. You can walk around the whole park and in left field, there’s a small water park and a basketball court, which I could do without seeing at a baseball field.

One of Southern Maryland's coaches watches fireworks following the game.

One of Southern Maryland’s coaches watches fireworks following the game.

People seemed into the game, so the ambiance was solid. They had an on-field guy who was decked out in a colorful outfit who worked to get the crowd pumped up. There were some good spots for photos, so that’s good as well.

The night brought fireworks, which were really good. After the game, we talked with a couple of season-ticket holders who helped us land an Atlantic League ball (with the red and blue seams) via the manager.

In the end, I had a really good experience at the park and would definitely go again. There had been reports that the Batavia Muckdogs (NY-Penn League) would be moving there, but that apparently got squashed. So for now, it seems the Blue Crabs will continue. One thing I’ve realized with the Atlantic League is it’s always a good experience and decent baseball. They had a pretty solid crowd that night, too, which helped.

For fans of professional baseball, it’s a good spot to catch a game. Check it out if you are in the area.

Park Notes:  

Regency Furniture Stadium
Waldorf, Maryland
Home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Independent)
Visited on: June 11, 2016
Opponent: Long Island Ducks (Independent)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 7/10
  • Parking: 10/10
  • Ambiance: 8/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

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: Rockland a good independent experience

It would seem independent professional baseball is doing quite well. There are several league that all seem to be unique and have solid ballparks and players.

In the end, it’s baseball and it’s usually pretty solid.

Looking in from right field.

Looking in from right field.

Last season, I went to several Atlantic League games. Thus year, I might do the same but I also want to sprinkle in a few Can-Am League games.

The Can-Am League, founded in 2005, is a six-team league with teams in the United States and Canada. One (Rockland) is in New York, two (New Jersey and Sussex County) are in New Jersey, and three (Québec, Trois-Rivières, and Ottawa) are located in Canada.

Over the years, some other teams have come and gone. Québec is the crown jewel of the league, it seems, winning six of the 11 league championships.

By chance, the first Can-Am League game I’ve seen featured the Capitales as they visited the Rockland Boulders and Palisades Credit Union Park.

As has been my experience with independent ball so far, the stadium delivered for the most part. There were some things that seemed like they could be better, but overall this stadium is really solid and probably could even be good for a minor league/affiliated team.

The 4,500-plus seat stadium opened in 2011 and cost $38 million to build. A full walk-around concourse gives you the chance to have some really cool views. Parts of the stadium are really nice, while others seem a tad unpolished. The seating bowl is really nice and gives you excellent views of the action.

There were several seat features that I liked. First, in right field, they had the Budweiser Short Porch that put you field-level and close to the action. As you went toward center, there’s a higher bleacher area, but it also had a table in front of you. So every seat had a place to lean. If you do book (like I do), it’s even better in that regard. It almost gave me the feeling of an older press area.

As you continued around, the left and left-center bleachers are nice and give you a good view. In the left-field corner, there’s a “party” bar area with more seats – in foul ground – that are field level. Pretty cool.

It was definitely a cool place to catch a game.

Keep a watch on the action!

Keep a watch on the action!

The concessions were standard ballpark fare. Hot dogs were average. The fries were normal. They had souvenir cups, which is always a bonus. One total plus? Rita’s Italian Ice. That’s always a bonus when I go to a park on a warm night.

The seats were comfortable and wide, which is always nice. There didn’t seem to be a bad seat in the house. The lineup board (double-sided) was right when you came in. Programs were free, but a scorecard (which had rosters and such for both teams) was just a buck. The team store had a variety of items and the prices were solid overall.

The food choices were OK, and what I tried was decent.

There were some negatives here, though. There seemed to be a lack of security as some kids in our area threw their baseball gloves all over the place for much of the game. The section wasn’t crowded, mind you, but it was annoying and the father had his nose in his phone for most of the game. In the right field section, there was a massive play area for kids. Now, if you stayed away from there, bonus. But it’s there as a warning. There’s also a kid’s train that goes arounf the park the whole time.

The focus didn’t seem to be on baseball for many in attendance. It was a scout night, though, so that could have been a major factor in it. But the ambiance at the park didn’t seem like a baseball focus.

In the end, I’d go again. It was a nice stadium at a decent price and extremely easy to get to. The baseball was pretty solid overall and I enjoyed the night. The stadium is nice and it has its own unique features, making it a place to check out if you get the chance.

On a side note, Québec’s uniforms were awesome and I need to get a hat. I did like Rockland’s uniform’s, too – very solid.

Park Notes:  

Palisades Credit Union Park
Pomona, New York
Home of the Rockland Boulders (Independent – Can-Am League)
Visited on: June 4, 2016
Opponent: Québec Capitales/ Les Capitales de Québec (Independent – Can-Am League)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8.5/10
  • Concessions: 7.5/10
  • Parking: 8/10
  • Ambiance: 7/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

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: Pawtucket gives a true experience

It’s always nice to visit older stadiums, even ones that have had some improvements. These stadiums give you a feel of baseball from year’s past.

Pawtucket, Rhode Island has a stadium like that.

McCoy Stadium, originally built in 1942 and renovated in 1999, seats more than 10,000 fans in a bowl-like stadium. The fences have some distance to them and, depending where you sit, you have a pretty solid look at the full field.

In fact, it didn’t seem like there were pretty much any bad seats in the house, outside of not being able to see fully down the corners in certain areas. But it’s a small percentage of the game, so overall, it’s not bad.

A great way to spend a night.

A great way to spend a night.

What’s interesting about McCoy Stadium, which is home to the Boston’s triple-A team – affectionately known as the PawSox, is the dugouts, which are field-level, cut into the stands, and have no protective fencing in front of it. It was just an interesting aspect to me as they are tucked back a bit and, surprisingly, I didn’t see any foul balls go flying into the dugouts.

As you come into the stadium, the team store, which is a little on the smaller side because of the amount of items they have, is on your right. You then head up a flight of steps where you hit the concourse and can see the field. It looked as though you could make your way around the stadium some, but the concourse didn’t seem to go all the way. Some of it was not available, so I’m not sure if one can walk all the way around. Also, bleachers in the outfield and way down the first-base line weren’t open, so we couldn’t even wander out there to take a peek.

The team store was pretty solid. It was well-stocked with PawSox gear, and it had something you don’t see everywhere – hats from other teams in the International League. I like that. It’s a smart move as visiting fans can get a hat etc. I heard somebody in the store question why they would carry hats of teams like the Durham Bulls and it’s actually quite simple – it’s smart business. It’s only a small section of the store and it could get some extra sales.

We’re now about a month into the season and it has been a chilly spring, but not every concession stand was open. Maybe they open more as the warmer weather comes? But the odd part is the night features a doubleheader, so two seven-inning games, and some of the stands were closing up by the second inning of game 2. Now, I understand the crowd wasn’t huge (nowhere close to the 5,000-plus announced), but people do still want to get some ballpark fare.

As for the choices, all the traditional food was offered. Hot dogs were very good, as were the fries. They had souvenir cups (though it was from the 2014 championship team? Leftovers maybe?) and the prices were on the higher side, but it’s almost what I expected being the area. For example, regular hot dogs were $4 (though jumbo ones were $5), and sausage and peppers were $8. It’s expected at the park, though. Beer selections were quite strong, too.

An excellent choice of brews was available.

An excellent choice of brews was available.

Those we interacted with were extremely friendly and helpful and offered some chatting. Though I didn’t say anything after it was done (maybe I should have?), I did notice two employees who didn’t take their hats off during the national anthem. That’s something that should be second nature to anybody working at the park.

One thing that did, somewhat, irritate me was the lack of “Take me out to the ballgame.” Normally, with two seven-inning games in a doubleheader, they have the fifth-inning stretch in each game. There was no fifth-inning stretch and the song was never played. I joke with one guy I go to games with about him missing the seventh-inning stretch last year in Syracuse during a game (during the eighth he asked me if they did the seventh-inning stretch … they had), but for a team to miss the stretch not once … but twice?

We did ask a few workers after the game and they said they didn’t know why nothing had been played. Maybe it was a glitch? But it was a little odd, that’s for sure. We even tweeted at the team, but never got a response.

One major prop – the program/yearbook is only $3 and is one of the best I’ve seen in the minor leagues. It’s thick and has a lot of information. A scorecard and stats are inserted (and show a $1 price tag, so maybe you can get them separate?), which is always a bonus. And, they had had a person selling them outside the main gate, so that is always cool to see.

Anyway, the stadium as a whole is excellent. From the parking lot, you get to see a big “PawSox” done up in shrubbery and the music being played before the game is excellent. If gives you the feel of baseball. Those in attendance seemed to have a pretty good grasp on baseball, which is a good thing. The seats were comfortable, but if it was a packed house, I can imagine it being a little uncomfortable at times.

In the end, this is one of those stadiums I wanted to get to see and am glad I got to make the trip. I’d definitely watch a game or two here again. Ticket prices are reasonable, and there’s an old-school baseball feel to the place.

Park Notes:  

McCoy Stadium
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Home of the Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox)
Visited on: May 7, 2016
Opponent: Rochester Redwings (Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 7.5/10
  • Concessions: 7/10
  • Parking: 8/10
  • Ambiance: 8/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

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: Rochester is well worth the trip

The 2016 baseball season is underway.

That also means the Summer of Baseball is back and in action. Six games are in the books already (including a doubleheader), but there’s only one new stadium among those.

On a cool spring Friday night, the road took a couple of us to Rochester for a doubleheader between the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders and the Rochester Redwings. This stadium is one that was on the schedule last year, but it had to be skipped a couple of times so it was nice to get there early this season.

Stamped in, lineups down, and two batting practice balls!

Stamped in, lineups down, and two batting practice balls!

And Rochester is an excellent spot for a game.

The unfortunate part to this is it was a spring game where the weather was less-than stellar, thus meaning the attendance wasn’t that good. Though they announced a semi-decent number, reality is it wasn’t that high. But that happens in the northeast, for sure.

Anyway, we showed up a tad early and went to get tickets. After walking over, batting practice was going on, and a ball came toward the fence. Unfortunately, it hit the bottom of the fence as I was ready to grab and bounced away but a nice usher hooked me up with the ball. A few minutes later, when we got in, I grabbed another BP ball, which is pretty cool.

OK, on with the review.

Frontier Field is a solid spot to watch a game. The seats we originally had are tighter and not the most comfortable. Some rain came in (light), so we hightailed it to go higher and under some cover and the seats were much more comfortable, so it seems like there are different seats in different parts of the park.

The main concourse is under the main stands, thus meaning it’s not an open-aired stadium where you can see the field from all parts. Still, it’s spacious and easy to get around. Further, the choices of concessions is excellent. There are local favorites, as well as traditional ballpark fare. The beer selection was top notch and the prices were pretty decent. I’d say it’s some of the best concessions I’ve seen in the minors. People were friendly and helpful all around, especially in the concession area, which is always welcomed.

Walking around the park, the sight lines are pretty solid. Depending where you sit, you could miss some things if they get into the corners of the outfield. You can see the bullpens (and if somebody is warming up) and there are plenty of opportunities for foul balls. Seriously. In the night we were there, there had to have been 50 foul balls that landed in the stands. It’s spacious behind the field and that’s kind of cool if you are looking for foul balls.

Parking is $6 and right across from the stadium, but it needs some work. The pavement is pretty shoddy and there are caution cones and such all over.

There are a couple of grassy berms, one down each line. It seemed like a place for kids to hang out and play, which is cool.

I would love to come back in the warmer months to see the atmosphere here. Though it wasn’t bad the night we were there, with the lack of people it was a little hard to get a feel for how it is with many more people

There is one thing where Rochester stands above other minor league stadiums I’ve been to — they have an organist. This might be the coolest feature there. The organist is excellent and gives that old-school traditional feel to the ballpark. That he plays the national anthem, and God Bless America, and Take Me Out To The Ballgame is an added bonus on top of all the other things. Kudos to Rochester for having an organist.

In the end, the stadium is an excellent place for a baseball game. I would highly encourage anybody to go check a game there if you have a chance. It’s one I am thankful I had the chance to add this one to the stadiums I’ve been to.

Park Notes:  

Frontier Field
Rochester, New York
Home of the Rochester Redwings (Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins)
Visited on: April 29, 2016
Opponent: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 9/10
  • Parking: 7/10
  • Ambiance: 7/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

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