A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

minor league baseball

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

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Renaming a minor league team isn’t easy

Maybe the Blue Rocks will be in play, after all?

As many of you know, I covered professional baseball for six seasons. The final season was under a cloud of new ownership preparing to move the team from the small community to a bigger one in another state.

Exciting, eh?

During that time, I had to try and find leads and such and one was somebody who did a lot of minor league things for a website. Though much of what he told me was off-the-record and items that I could use to try and find out other information, the one thing he told me about minor league teams being rumored to move was “If there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Sure enough, he was right. Following the season, the team bolted for “greener pastures,” leaving the area without a professional team for the first time in more than 40 years. They now have a collegiate wood bat team that does decently well attendance wise to fill in.

Over the past few years, there had been rumors about the Binghamton Mets being sold and moving. In fact, the rumors not only talked about moving – but where. To Wilmington, Delaware, home of the single-A Blue Rocks. In turn, that single-A team was apparently going to move to North Carolina somewhere. Heck, during a trip to Wilmington last year, people who worked there were chatting a little about it as well.

Binghamton would have likely had the chance to get something else, but who knows what level. Though it might not be the most amazing place out there, NYSEG Stadium is too nice to go without a team, that’s for sure.  I know I’m a fan of it.

After some legal battles and all, a new owner did eventually buy the Mets – and he said he is intending on keeping the team there.

Bravo! Having Double A ball so close is awesome.

He also noted earlier this year that the team planned on re-branding after this year (their 25th in Binghamton), which could be a good move in the long run, but for now it’s not going to be the easiest of things to pull off. Besides teams who are connected to the Yankees, I’ve never understood minor league teams keeping the parent team’s name. Why? Basically because affiliations can sometimes bounce around – but the team stays where it is. So, for example, if the Mets decided to move their affiliation elsewhere, they don’t take the Binghamton team. Another affiliation signs on with them. It happens often enough.

So by keeping the team separate, it allows the community to connect. Therefore, the re-branding idea is a good one. The names came in and the team selected the six finalists.

  • Bullheads
  • Gobblers
  • Rocking Horses
  • Rumble Ponies
  • Stud Muffins
  • Timber Jockeys

Reactions were interesting to say the least.

I can’t lie – I like a couple of them. The Bullheads have potential. The Timber Jockeys could be interesting. A lot of the names are connected with the carousel history in the area. Some of these are just crazy.

I do hope there is room for overturning a fan vote, though.

I love unique names in minor league baseball. I truly do. But some of these could really be hard to get over. The Stud Muffins? Rumble Ponies? Gobblers?

I’m not so sure.

Hopefully, whatever names is chosen, the team gets extremely active on social media (see the Hartford Yard Goats and how they’ve done it) to really get connected to the community. If not, and the community revolts against the name, maybe Wilmington will end up looking pretty good after all.

Hopefully, though, it won’t come to that.

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Down in the minors: deciding what to eat

One of the beauties of minor league baseball is the creative things teams do to attract fans. It might be with a great promotion, or that they have an excellent team that year, or it could be food options.

With the minor leagues, the talent on the field is only going to be there a year or two. Players come and go, based on the whim of the Major League affiliate. It’s a bit different when it comes to independent leagues, but players from those teams are plucked by affiliated organizations as well.

My normal ballpark fare is some hot dogs and fries.

My normal ballpark fare is some hot dogs and fries.

Therefore, teams have to have an identity as a whole, rather than based on the parent club or certain players. That means there could be a lot of items to help said teams.

Food is always one.

It seems most minor league teams have a signature item — or something they are known for. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. You never know. But the creative limits of the ballpark culinary delights are definitely pushed.

MiLB has something going on right now called Food Fight, where fans can vote for their favorite foods. Some of these are pretty interesting, but the signature foods are definitely out there. Some look amazing. Some, not so much.

I’ve looked at the full list of foods and have pulled out ones of places I’m planning on hitting this year, or possibly might hit, or that I’ve tried in the past and put them below. Then, I’ll give my comments on if I plan to try it or not.

Obviously, too, I have to watch myself when eating some of these things as I don’t want my blood sugar to get so out of whack that I get worried. Being diabetic makes some of these things a little tough to try, though I usually plan for things like this when I go to a park.

So, without further adieu… here’s a look at some of the food I might look to try this year.

The Squealer (Akron Rubberducks): Half-pound, all-beef, foot-long hot dog stuffed with pulled pork and cheddar cheese, wrapped in bacon, deep-fried and drizzled with BBQ sauce.

My take: I’m not sure about this. As much as I think I’d like to try it, this seems like a whole heap of calories and a lot of bad stuff going in you. I can’t say I won’t, though, so I’ll put it at 50-50.

Pork Cantina’s (Carolina Mudcats): Slow-roasted seasoned pork with salad mix, mango salsa, aioli on a flour tortilla.

My take: This actually sounds really good. Right now, visiting the Mudcats this year is up in the air, pending when the “Southern Swing” trip happens. If I end up there, this will likely be tried

Pulled Pork Nachos (Buffalo Bisons): Corn tortilla chips topped with slow-roasted BW’s BBQ pulled pork, sharp cheddar cheese, jalapenos and sour cream.

My take: If I could get it without the jalapenos, then yes, I’d be in to try it. If I can’t, then no.

Chicken and Waffle Cone (Charlotte Knights): Waffle cone stuffed with house-made macaroni & cheese, fried chicken tenders, topped with slaw and BBQ sauce.

My take: This is one of those things where if I ate it, I’d be looking to take several laps around the park after it. That being said, I’m strongly going to consider this one.

Angus Barn Steak and Cheese Sandwich (Durham Bulls): Certified angus, grilled onions, peppers, cheddar cheese, ‘secret sauce,’ toasted roll.

My take: Where do I sign up? Though, to be fair, I will see if I can get it without the peppers as I am not a pepper eater. If the answer is no, I’ll have to debate if it’s worth trying to pick them off.

Shipwreck (Erie Seawolves): Beef burger, American cheese, Italian sausage, Swiss cheese, lettuce, red onion, tomato on a brioche bun.

My take: Erie is likely a longshot for me this year, but if it happens — then I think I’d be in to try this one. I’d have to see it, though, as I might feel it’s too much for me.

Sweet-n-Salty Grilled Cheese (Greensboro Grasshoppers): Texas toast, prosciutto, brie, mascarpone, vanilla, strawberry preserves .

My take: This sounds extremely interesting. This is one I’d for sure like to try.

Mac & CrawDog (Hickory Crawdads): Footlong hot dog topped with Monterey Jack mac & cheese.

My take: Hickory is another team that’s up in the air, based on when the Southern Swing Happens. This sounds interesting, but I often tend to shy away from things like mac and cheese on my hot dog. It’s 50-50.

Southern Hudson Comfort (Hudson Valley Renegades): Belgian waffle with scallions, bacon and cheddar baked in, topped with chicken tenders, crispy bacon, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and honey bourbon BBQ sauce.

My take: I am not sure if this was at Hudson Valley when I visited there last year. I would like to make another trip to the stadium this year as I enjoyed myself. If I so, this would be interesting to consider. There’s a lot of stuff on this, though. I’d have to hopefully see it live before I said yes or no.

Mater Sandwich (Kannapolis Intimidators): Grilled white bread, tomatoes and mayonnaise with salt and pepper.

My take: I’d probably give this a go.

Jersey Delight (Lakewood Blueclaws): Case’s pork roll, deep fried in funnel cake batter, topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream.

My take: I love going to Lakewood and I like attempting to get there at least once a year. But I think I’d skip this one … just doesn’t sound good to me.

Bacon, USA Funnel Cake (Lehigh Valley Ironpigs): Funnel cake topped with confectionery sugar, thick bacon crumbs and maple syrup.

My take: The Pigs definitely think outside the box when it comes to culinary delights. But I think this one would have way too much sugar and carbs for me. Not saying I wouldn’t split it with somebody, but no way I’d do it on my own!

The Mount Dessert Island (Portland Sea Dogs): Fried dough shell filled with soft-serve ice cream and topped with hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, Reese’s Pieces, M&Ms and cherries in a Sea Dogs helmet.

My take: While this sounds delightful, I think it would have to be shared with several people.

Desperately Seeking Chicken (Rochester Redwings): Mac & cheese, Buffalo wing sauce, blue cheese dressing, chicken and cheese sauce.

My take: I’ve already been to Rochester this year and decided to pass up this choice. Though it sounded interesting, it wasn’t something I was curious enough to try.

Pierogie Pulled Pork Sandwich (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders): Fried pierogi, pulled pork (smoked in-house), homemade Bent Buckle BBQ sauce.

My take: In my first trip to see the Railriders this year, I tried their poutine and there wasn’t any cheese in it, so that disappointed me. This, though, sounds somewhat interesting and I might be up to giving it a go.

Pop’s Tots (Syracuse Chiefs): Tater tots, queso cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives.

My take: This is an easy one — next time I’m at a Syracuse game, I’m trying this.

Pig Pen (Trenton Thunder): Chopped pork roll, pulled pork, bacon bits on a bed of mashed potatoes.

My take: There’s no telling if I’ll get to Trenton or not this year, but they have a lot of good food options. Therefore, I don’t see me going for this one.

I had the Sweenie Dog last year.

I had the Sweenie last year.

The Sweenie (Wilmington Blue Rocks): Hot dog in a custom-glazed donut bun, topped with raspberry jelly and bacon.

My take: I only put this on the list because I was in Wilmington last year and I tried this. While I thought it was OK, and I’m glad I took the risk to have it, I likely wouldn’t do it again. A one-time experience!

Cheesy Pig Dog (Winston-Salem Dash): Hot dog topped with BBQ, macaroni & cheese and shredded cheese.

My take: Not sure about this one. Again, not always a fan of mac & cheese on my hot dogs, so I’m not sure if I’d try it or not.

There you have my thoughts on some of the food options at places I am hoping to visit this summer. Visit the link up top to see all the choices and see if there’s any you’d be looking to try if the chance was presented to you!

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!