A 'lil HooHaa

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Summer of Baseball: Sussex County felt a little dusty

As the World Series is underway, I thought it was time to continue the Summer of Baseball posts and reviews. With going to 75 games this summer, I saw a lot of new stadiums and I have a lot to catch up on.

We’ll start the return with the Can-Am League, which is an independent professional league based in the Northeast and Canada.

Sussex County was the second Can-Am game of the year, following a trip to the Rockland Boulders. The experiences were extremely far apart.

The Sussex County Miners grabbed me with their cool logo and such, so it was a Sunday afternoon trip down. I did pick up a hat, for the record. Once there, it was easy to find parking (there were no more than 150-200 people there the day we were there — tops) and in we went. It was hot as could be that day, so we basically were looking for shade. The ticket person was an excellent help and set us up.

In we went.

First impressions go a long way though, and the impressions weren’t positive. The team store was decent, but was based outside the actual stadium. The inside area for team items wasn’t bad, either. Food choices were average and normal for baseball.

The field had seen better days, that’s for sure.

sussexcounty2

I did grab a ball…

Let me preface that by saying we were in a drought, but I’ve played on bad softball fields that were better than this field — and that’s saying something. It was dry all over and just didn’t have the feel of a “professional” team.

I realize, too, that I’ve been spoiled going to Atlantic League games. But Rockland County’s stadium and such was excellent as well, so I was shocked at how downtrodden Sussex County seemed to be.

Skylands Stadium, in Augusta, New Jersey, isn’t the newest of stadiums, being built in 1994. Still, it’s only a little beyond 20 years, so it shouldn’t feel this down. The seats are the ones that are already down and boxy, so that usually just irritates me, too.

I couldn’t get a vibe, either. Of the workers I spoke with, I thought there was a friendly aspect. But at the same time, you have to wonder how many of them enjoyed being there through a game like that with nobody in the stands.

It was in the mid 90s that day — and I only saw one or two people go to the ice cream vendor on the main concourse in the stands. The poor girl kept searching for shade when nobody was there.

Kids did run rampant, dashing all over the field for foul balls and such. That can get annoying when nobody is in the stadium because they don’t care where they go in search of the ball.

Let me give an example — with the full story. When we got there, we checked out where we were sitting and then went for a snack and to walk around. When we came people we in our seats. I wasn’t going to create a stink over it, so we just went to the aisle across from where we were sitting. In the second inning, those people got a foul ball.

That stunk.

Later in the game — in the fifth or sixth inning — an elder lady (probably in her 80s) slowly walked up the steps. We were sitting in the top row. She informed us that I was sitting in her seat.

They say fans in Los Angeles show up late?

Anyway, we decided to pack up and head to the main bleacher area (where like five people were sitting) because it was now in the shade. So I told the lady to give me one moment as I packed up my stuff. As I did, a foul ball came flying up, hitting the “luxury” suites over me and then dropped right in front of me. I picked it up, packed the rest of my stuff and started walking down the steps.

Then came the mad rush of 10 kids rushing for the ball asking where it was. All the while it was in my bag.

Look — I don’t mind if you give a ball to a kid who is sitting near you and acting nice all game. But kids who are running all over the stadium, jumping over seats, and not caring about other people for one — they ain’t getting it.

Not to mention the section we were in was one where a lot of people were because there was shade.

Anyway, that’s my story.

In the end, the experience was that of a baseball game on a sub-par field. The action wasn’t the best that day, which made it worse. Overall, it was a below average experience and one I likely won’t look to replicate. The lack of a crowd didn’t help, either, as the ambiance was basically non-existent. It seemed like a group of people were there for when one of the original Batman helicopters landed and made a dust storm. I was actually shocked it left before the game started as it didn’t seem like it was going to.

The hot dogs were pretty solid, though, so that’s a good thing. The hat I got was excellent as well. Prices, as it seems to be in independent ball, were a little high all around, making the subpar experience a little more of a sting.

Park Notes:
Skylands Stadium
Augusta, New Jersey
Home of the Sussex County Miners (Independent)
Visited on: June 26, 2016
Opponent: Quebec Capitales (Independent)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 4/10
  • Concessions: 7/10
  • Parking: 9/10
  • Ambiance: 4/10
  • Friendliness: 7/10

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!