A 'lil HooHaa

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Summer of Baseball: Mahoning Valley leaves a sour taste, despite a nice stadium

I’m torn on Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio.

There were a lot of good things about the stadium. But at the same time, there were some things that really ruffled my feathers, so to speak. And it’s just small things. But when you have enough of them, it adds up.

To be fair, it was opening night in the New York-Penn League. So I can chalk some of my issues up to that. But some of the others, well, I just think are silly and not necessary. Let me explain with this review what was good and what was bad.

You walk in, you pay.

You walk in, you pay.

First, the stadium. It’s extremely easy to get to and there’s ample parking. But this is where I have issue No. 1. It’s next to a mall, which means a ton of free possible parking. Except, well, if you park over there, you get charged to walk in.

No, I can’t make this up.

If you walk to the stadium, you get charged $3 per person. So I wonder if somebody lives a little ways away and just wants to walk… they have to pay $3, too? This, to me, is unacceptable. You are charging people an entrance fee no matter if they walk or park. How about this? Up your ticket prices a little and can the fee. It’s stupid and uncalled for. Or, work something out with the mall where you rope things off so people can’t park at the mall and walk in. Or work it with the mall where you can charge people to park there and give them a cut. There are so many ways around this. But to charge $3 for a person to walk into the area? Come on. It’s short-season Single-A baseball.

That made the night start off not-so-good. If a uniformed cop hadn’t been there, I can guarantee one of the two of us would have walked through without paying the fee (not me, I’m unfortunately too nice). Alas, that didn’t matter as there was one there and we paid.

See, here’s the other issue — I’m doing a review on the stadium and I’ve just spend that much time talking about a negative thing. Seriously. Oh, by the way — if we parked in the stadium area, it would have been $3 total in a gated area.

OK, onward.

It took us a few to get the tickets because the lines were huge. We saw no fewer than three people get visibly angry because they had been told they were in the wrong line, get to another spot and be told to go back to where they were. Thankfully, the will-call window I had to go to was a short line. In we went, and it was fine and all but … my lord it was a zoo. Again, I realize opening night, but it’s not like it’s the first time the team had been through this.

Glad I stamped in for this one as I'm not sure I'll get back.

Glad I stamped in for this one as I’m not sure I’ll get back.

Lines were immense throughout the whole game. Again, I get with opening night and a lot of people, things might be slower. But this was slow. Like, get in line and miss an inning or two long. I’m there to watch baseball, not sit in line for food. Thankfully, a vendor came around with hot dogs later in the game. I’ll chalk this up to opening night, but it shows me they weren’t prepared.

OK, the field. It’s excellent. I like the feel of the place. The ambiance was pretty solid. Fans seemed into the game, for the most part (though, people in seats next to ours had to move because they double-sold the seats — can’t make that stuff up), and it was a good place to catch a game. The sight lines are solid and you can see the field from pretty much all angles. You’re also pretty close to the action, which is always a nice thing when you are at a baseball game.

The concourse is like many other smaller stadiums in that it’s behind the main area, and not open. Therefore, if you go searching for food and are in line, you can’t see the game. Bathrooms are easy enough to get to and the team store, for a Single-A team, isn’t bad. You actually get to walk in, unlike a few others in the NY-Penn, so that’s a welcomed situation.

One final note, though. I came across many people who worked for the team and I was a little shocked that it felt like it would be a chore to smile or say hi. I said hi to several people and they just kind of looked at me. I asked a few questions and each person acted like they were doing me a favor to answer. Several walked by groups of people with their heads down and didn’t say a word or smile. This wasn’t everybody, but it was enough where I felt like it wasn’t the most friendly place in the world.

In the end, I’d go back to the stadium to see a game, but I’d do it on a slower day and I’d still not be happy about having to pay if I walked in. Like I said, a few of the items I chalk up to opening day (not that I think it’s right), but some of the things just left a sour taste in my mouth.

Park Notes:  

Eastwood Field
Niles, Ohio
Home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians)
Visited on: June 17, 2016
Opponent: West Virginia Black Bears (Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 6.5/10
  • Parking: 5/10
  • 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!

The perfect game … that wasn’t (for me, anyway)

For six seasons, I covered short-season Single A baseball.

The team I covered was the farm team of the Detroit Tigers. That team has since left my area and moved to another place. It’s a shame, too, being the long history. Alas, that’s six years ago now, so have to move on, right?

In those years, I never had the chance to cover a no-hitter or a perfect game. The funny part is three times over the time I covered the team, this happened.

Three.

A New York-Penn League ball and a scorebook ... but not from any perfect game.

A New York-Penn League ball and a scorebook … but not from any perfect game.

Allow me to explain some things, though. Despite it being my beat, I didn’t travel for away games, and we didn’t cover Saturday games (we were a six-day paper). There were also other times that I would get send to cover other things, thus leaving the game coverage to somebody else or nobody at all. I guess that’s the bad part of a small paper and being a person who covered many different things that, well, others didn’t want to cover. So I would get sent.

July 15, 2007.

It was a Sunday. I remember that day well. The Tigers were playing an earlier game (5ish maybe?) and I wasn’t, unfortunately, going to cover the game. Instead, I was sent to cover the national motocross race that comes to our area once a year. Another reporter was sent to cover my beat.

It’s a decision I wish had never happened.

What happened was magical. Guillermo Moscoso, who eventually saw some time in the majors, went nine innings. That, on its own, is something special in the NY-Penn, where pitchers usually have a pretty tight pitch count.

But history was made that night as Moscoso threw just the second nine-inning perfect game in NY-Penn history. There, at that point, were only three total (including Moscoso’s) in league history. The last one had been a seven-inning perfecto, thrown by somebody in the same organization (then with the Yankees) in 1974.

As this was unfolding, I got a call from my editor to tell me. Unfortunately, I was stuck in traffic leaving the motocross and didn’t get back in time to see the ending. Didn’t matter anyway as it would have still annoyed me that I was at a motocross that day and not covering … my beat. Unfortunately, the beat was always treated like I would have liked, but that’s water under the bridge.

Then in 2008, the chances were there once again. Not for a perfect game, this time, but still.

On June 21, the Tigers were no-hit by the Tri-City ValleyCats (three pitchers). That game was at home, but it was on a Saturday, so…

Just nine days later the Tigers returned the favor, this time to the Lowell Spinners. Three pitchers combined for a 2-1 no-hit victory in seven innings. Alas, the game was on the road, so once again…

To be fair, I once covered a perfect game in high school softball. I actually think I may have covered two. But it’s not the same. Not one bit.

The perfect game was on my beat and I was sent somewhere else. Nothing I can do now, but looking back, it definitely stings knowing how fun it would have been to be keeping book, taking notes and snapping a few photos as the game went on. Maybe one day I’ll get to see one in person. Maybe not. But I’ll always remember the one I missed.

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: Auburn gives you the small-town feel

Auburn’s Falcon Park is a place to go if you want to watch baseball.

Always have to stamp in!

Always have to stamp in!

It’s one of the smaller places in the New York-Penn League and unless something massive happens to ownership, it’s possible it will remain that way for a long time. The Doubledays are owned by the City of Auburn in a unique ownership setup. Still the attendance isn’t the best for the games and with how professional baseball is going, there’s no telling what will happen in the future.

Still, this is small-town baseball at its finest.

The New York-Penn League used to be dotted with places like this, but the trend in recent years is to almost eliminate these places. It’s a shame, too, as short-season A ball is made for the smaller areas.

As for Falcon Park, it’s much like a lot of smaller minor league areas. The stadium is not bad and you are close to the action. The team store is a walk up couple of windows where you can see items. There’s one main concession area that offers your normal game food at affordable prices. Tickets are priced well and getting them is no issue.

They do offer nice selections of beer.

Outside of that, there’s not a lot of frills here. You’ll have the giveaways and some between-inning things, but the game is what talks. The scoreboard is fine, but it’s not the big “jumbotrons” you find in some minor league parks these days.

Parking is free and right across the street from the park. That’s a bonus, I’ve always figured.

Falcon Park is a great spot to watch a game.

Falcon Park is a great spot to watch a game.

We sat in a set of box seats down the right-field line and we had good sight lines. This was my second trip to Auburn and if I lived closer, I’d definitely go a bit more often. This might not be the best stadium ever, but if you are there for baseball, it’s nice.

The field itself looks solid and well-maintained. Seats are comfortable and give you enough room.

It seemed like there were a lot of interns working, which is a good thing. A couple of them weren’t the most knowledgeable when being asked questions, though a couple others I talked to were very friendly and went out of their way to get an answer.

In the end, it’s small-area baseball. These players are within the first couple years of their professional life, so it’s fun to watch them grow. I covered NY-Penn baseball for six years, so I saw Auburn a bunch of times. I hope they keep this level of baseball there for years to come.

Park Notes:  

Falcon Park
Auburn, New York
Home of the Auburn Doubledays (Short-season A affiliate of the Washington Nationals)
Visited on: August 7, 2015
Opponent: Williamsport Crosscutters (Short-season A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies)

Ratings (out of 10)

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

I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit in 2015. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version.

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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: Visiting Tigers in Connecticut

When I worked in newspapers, I had the chance and fortune to cover a professional baseball team for six seasons.

The team was the Oneonta Tigers, the short-season Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. There was a storied history with this team, dating back to the 1960s. The same owners had run the team through the years, which included more than 30 as an affiliate with the New York Yankees.

But, in 2009, the owners sold to a group who fled Oneonta after one season and went to Norwich, Connecticut. The city had lose its AA team and now had the blessing of the New York-Penn League to bring a squad there — and that team turned out to be the Tigers.

All stamped in and ready for baseball.

All stamped in and ready for baseball.

Since that move, one in which I’m still heavily disappointed about, I’ve said I wanted to catch a game here.

Allow me to say this — though the stadium itself is better than Damaschke Field in Oneonta, it’s just not the same. Short-season A ball is something I like to be more intimate. Norwich is definitely a stadium for a larger league, though it seems the area didn’t support it well enough (thus why the AA team left).

With all that in mind, two of us made the trek to Dodd Stadium on July 4 to watch the Tigers take on the Vermont Lake Monsters.

There was a good crowd that night, one in which fireworks were to follow the game. An announced crowd of 3,776 watched the home team win, 7-6, in just under three hours.

So, let’s take a look at the stadium itself.

First, one issue I’d have is it’s not easy to get to this spot. It’s in an industrial park area and one way in is closed on game days. So after winding and weaving and such, you come to the stadium.

It’s definitely baseball here. The parking cost a few bucks, even though we got there before they started collecting. They came and asked for it when they did start collecting and then told us we also had to move elsewhere, even though the whole parking lot was … empty.

Another fan told me this was here from the AA team's days.

Another fan told me this was here from the AA team’s days.

It was a bobblehead day, so we got there early enough to snag our bobbleheads and in we went.

A couple of things to note — it’s definitely more of a stadium feel here than in the past. While Oneonta was intimate and “old school,” Dodd stadium is much like many parks in the current day. In others words, there’s a large selection of food and drink. The team store, while a tad cramped for space, is well stocked with the normal items people might want.

The food selections were pretty solid (hot dogs were good) and the beer selection, too, was good. An interesting side to it — there was one beer stand that had some “older” favorites, such as Schlitz and Schmidts. That’s a pretty cool feature and one I’ve not really seen at a park. Heck, there was even PBR, if I remember right.

Lines for ice cream that night were pretty long all night (as to be expected on July 4), but there was a small Ben and Jerry’s cart that people seemed to walk right past, so you could get some ice cream without issue.

The sight lines for the stadium were pretty good. Seats were normal, though felt a little tighter because there was a strong crowd. Therefore, one couldn’t stretch out as much.

The ambiance was decent as people seemed to be watching baseball. We were lucky to see a pretty decent game with some good action, so that helped.

People were also quite friendly here, which is always a good thing. Outside of the one or two people we dealt with in the parking lot (who seemed to be a little pushy), everybody was welcoming and friendly, which is always good in a small-league team.

In the end, I’m glad I finally had the chance to go see the Tigers in Connecticut. It made for a good end to a two-game weekend and is a place I’d likely visit again, especially with two new teams (New Britain in the independent Atlantic League) and Hartford (Eastern League) going to be in Connecticut this upcoming season.

Park Notes:  

Dodd Stadium
Norwich, Conn.
Home of the Connecticut Tigers (Short-season Single A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers)
Visited on: July 4, 2015
Opponent: Vermont Lake Monsters (Short-season Single A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics)

Ratings (out of 10)

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

I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit in 2015. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version.

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 “Dutch” a good spot to see a game

Since I started hitting up baseball stadiums a bit more, Hudson Valley has been on my radar.

For one, it’s in the New York-Penn League and being I used to cover a team in that league, I’ve wanted to see every stadium. For two, it’s not too far of a trip for me, so it seems silly to not go see it!

All ready for a game at Hudson Valley!

All ready for a game at Hudson Valley!

The chance to see the stadium finally came this year.

Dutchess Stadium was built in 1994 and holes nearly 5,000 people. For a stadium that is a little more than 20 years old, it’s aged well. It has the feel of a smaller stadium, though. One thing, though, is the Renegades draw a solid crowd.

What’s interesting about the stadium though is that it was constructed in fewer than three months (71 days). According to the team website, workers were bolting seats into place when the gates opened for the first game.

Needless to say, the seats are in place now.

We sat in an interesting spot – a single row of chairs and a table-style setup down the third-base line. It’s a great view for a game and it was comfortable because you actually had some space.

The food selection was solid, that’s for sure. But here’s a tip for the future – if you sit in the seats where we did, don’t worry about taking advantage of the “in-seat” service. I say this because when we were there, it was one person doing all the work. The service, unfortunately, was slow and I didn’t get my check until the ninth – and the change didn’t come until the game ended. That’s not a good thing.

We had a great night for a game!

We had a great night for a game!

On the flip side, the person I was with at the game went and got his own food and the selection and prices were all pretty solid. There was a pretty good beer selection. Though the concourse wasn’t fully open, it was a good stroll to check things out. The walk-in team store had a decent selection of items and the prices weren’t too out of the ordinary.

The views were nice from each part I walked around to see.

One downer worth mentioning is that going in and out of the stadium is a two-lane highway. So, depending when you arrive or when you leave, you could be in a long line. The parking is ample, though it’s a little pricy for short-season Single-A at $5. I usually take my time when leaving, so the line wasn’t that big of a deal. Still, it’s something to think about.

The baseball here is solid. You can be close to the bullpens. You aren’t far from the action. In the end, it’s a pretty solid place to watch a game.

A funny note from the game we attended – it was fireworks night. Dutchess is an artificial turf stadium, but it’s the newer turf. For about 15 minutes after the game, they were watering the turf in centerfield, likely because it’s a way to make sure no sparks from the fireworks actually do any damage to the surface. It was still funny to see them watering turf.

In the end, it was a nice trip to take and an easy down-and-back for a day. It was pretty good baseball, too, and another NY-Penn stadium checked off my list.

Park Notes:  

Dutchess Stadium
Wappingers Falls, NY
Home of the Hudson Valley Renegades (Short-season Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays)
Visited on: June 26, 2015
Opponent: Vermont Lake Monsters (Short-season Single-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics)

Ratings (out of 10)

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

I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit in 2015. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version.

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