Category Archives: double a

Ballparks I saw AA ballgames in.

double a, eastern league, minor league, pennsylvania, pittsburgh pirates affiliates

Blair County Ballpark, Altoona, PA

July 7, 2009 Paul Comment

Blair County Ballpark, Altoona, PENNSYLVANIA

Number of states: 21
States to go: 29

Number of games: 1
First game: August 4, 2006 (Altoona Curve 6, New Britain Rock Cats 4)

(Blair County Ballpark has been renamed Peoples Natural Gas Field. Incidentally, this is the same name as the airspace within five feet of me at any given moment.)
(Click on any image to see a larger version.)

A ballgame was welcome after a day of American Tragedy Tourism. I spent much of the morning at the Shanksville memorial, which is a pilgrimage I believe

every American should take, and then at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, which was depressing in an entirely different way. Blair County Ballpark was a refreshing change at the end of the day. I had heard many positive

reviews of the ballpark–some call it the best in the United States–and while I prefer a few others to this one, it still was a tremendous place to see a ballgame, and well worth a detour if you’re anywhere nearby.

Blair County Ballpark sits adjacent to Lakemont Park, and a roller coaster sits past right field. This creates a carnival atmosphere to the ballpark. I could see this being a bad thing–after all, I loathe any ballpark with a carousel, and

I don’t like distractions during my baseball (though between innings, they’re fine). But Blair County Ballpark manages to take its baseball seriously without taking itself seriously, which is fantastic.

First, the bit about not taking itself too seriously. There’s plenty of wackiness going on, and not just from the multiple mascots. The night I attended was a promotion to honor bowling in the Altoona area. Kids could bowl out on the concourse, and the first pitch was bowled out (a bowling ball painted to look like a baseball). There were

about 800 first pitches, including one from Mrs. Pennsylvania (I didn’t know they still did that), and loads of promotions between every inning. Many of the distractions were quite hilarious–they recruited youngsters to walk along the tops of the dugouts between every inning with a card saying the inning number, like the ring card girls in boxing. It was really very funny.

On the other hand, however, when it came time for baseball, the ballpark provided a great experience. Unlike any other lower-level ballpark I’d been to, the ballpark gave in-progress scores of other minor-league games.

A true fan of the Eastern League could keep track of the divisional races on one of the two big video screens. Speaking of which, I was impressed that a double-A ballpark would have two big scoreboard screens. Some might feel it’s unnecessary,

but I don’t see anything wrong with a small-town park having a gorgeous couple of scoreboards that they use properly.

And who can come up with a better use for a scoreboard than to put me on it? Altoona’s radio pre-game show interview takes place on the concourse behind home plate, and is broadcast on the scoreboard. That means that, if I place myself just right, I can see myself on the scoreboard, and if I bring a camera and are especially vain, I can photograph the back of my purple T-shirt as broadcast on the scoreboard, just over the guest’s right shoulder.

Memory of the game: a foul ball glanced off of a three-year-old girl a few rows behind me. Sweetly, the entire Curve dugout came out to look and see if the kid was okay. I believe Steamer came to give her a Diesel Dawg stuffed animal. People are really nice.

I had the pleasure of hanging out with a great guy for most of the ballgame. As usual, the conversation began when we both scored the game.

He’s a history professor (emeritus? I don’t remember) at nearby Indiana University of Pennsylvania. We talked a bit about teaching, baseball, and travel. I teach history sometimes (although literature is more my game), and I recognize that a love of history plays into a love of baseball. I had spent an entire day reflecting on the history of our nation, both distant and recent, and was in a place that respected its history–from the locally-appropriate name to the plaques honoring every former Altoona player to make the majors. Hearing about the area through the eyes of a historian was a nice touch–the icing on the cake. He was kind enough to give me a business card…which I, like a bonehead, have since lost. Nonetheless, thanks for the conversation, Professor.

On the whole, it’s a unique ballpark experience in a lovely, while often overlooked, part of the country. It lands very near the top of my list. The atmosphere was the perfect blend of frivolous and baseball-respecting, and the people were quite fun.

BALLPARK SCORE:

Regional feel: 7.5/10
Pretty good, but not quite great. I like the unique feel of watching a game in the shadow of a roller coaster, but I can’t say I could look around and now where I was. Still, the team name and a sense of local baseball history is apparent.

Charm: 5/5
Nice.

Spectacle: 5/5
They get this right.

Team mascot/name: 3/5

Steamer and me above, and Steamer’s pet dog Diesel Dawg below. Steamer has his own email and his own pets. Weird. I like the idea of Steamer, but he looks derivative of the Phillie Phanatic, and the dog, while adorable, could be anywhere.

Aesthetics: 4/5
Not bad.

Pavilion area: 5/5
Loads of activity, all within view of the ballgame.

Scoreability: 4/5

Fans: 2.5/5
Surprisingly quiet.

Intangibles: 4/5
On the whole, a fine night, but maybe I had my expectations too high.

TOTAL: 40/50

BASEBALL STUFF I’VE SEEN HERE:

Brett Roneberg’s first-inning two-run triple gave the Curve the lead they never gave up.

Milver Reyes goes three-for-four.

(Written December 2006.)

alabama, double a, former milwaukee brewers affiliates, minor league, no longer in use, southern league

Joe Davis Stadium, Huntsville, Alabama

July 6, 2009 Paul Comment

Joe Davis Stadium, Huntsville, ALABAMA

Number of states: still 32 (cancellation)
States to go: 18

Number of games: 0
July 28, 2006 (game cancelled–unplayable fields)

(Joe Davis stadium is no longer used for baseball as of the 2016 season.)
(Click on any image to see a larger version.)

It had rained all morning the day we headed to Alabama, but cleared up significantly in the afternoon. I went back and forth all day on whether there would be a baseball game played that night. Even as I walked up to the stadium, I thought that maybe there was a shot at a game. The lawns surrounding the stadium were dry to the touch. But the game was cancelled–unplayable fields. Which led my wife and I to speculate: how could the field

be unplayable when the lawn outside was nearly dry?

Our conclusion: in spite of the forecast, somebody must have forgotten to cover the infield before the rain began. Not impressive.

The Stars were running a promotion that day where fans could get in free with a donation to a local food bank. Workers for the food bank were outside taking canned food and exchanging it for tickets to future games. These nice people said I could probably find someone to talk to at the ticket office.

I wanted to ask for two things, both of which were longshots. First of all, I wanted to see if I could get a refund for our tickets. In the past, efforts to do this had been a mixed bag, but I was deeply appreciative last year when the folks in San Diego offered refunds for their freak rainout for anyone from out-of-state. I understand that baseball teams have to make a buck, but this seems a reasonable policy to me. Secondly, I wanted to see if, after all of that effort to get there, somebody might let me into the ballpark to

take a few pictures.

There was nobody from the Stars anywhere to be found. (They should take a customer service lesson from the food bank people, who were all over the place.) That’s strike two–they forgot to cover their field, and now they’re nowhere to be found.

The next morning, while on the road to Nashville, I called the Stars and talked to a staffer. While she stated that they couldn’t offer a rebate, even to an out-of-stater, I was disappointed but not surprised. She offered me an exchange for merchandise at their store, but I had already left the state. Oh well.

What followed was breathtaking.

ME: “Do you work with any charities that my wife and I can donate our tickets to?”

HER: “No.”

ME: “You don’t work with any charities?”

HER: “Not that I’m aware of.”

ME: “Not Big Brothers/Big Sisters? Not the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs? Nobody?”

HER: “Hold on…let me check.” Long pause while she checks with co-workers. She then returns. “Sir? We don’t work with any charities.”

Net result: we decided to send the tickets to a Huntsville charity on our own. And, as beautiful as I found the Huntsville area (gorgeous country there in northern Alabama), you can bet that I won’t go back for a Stars game. When I return to officially cross Alabama off the list, I will do so in Birmingham, Montgomery, or Mobile.

(Written August 2006.)

chicago cubs affiliates, double a, former arizona diamondbacks affiliates, minor league, southern league, tennessee

Smokies Park, Kodak, Tennessee

July 6, 2009 Paul Comment

Smokies Park, Kodak, TENNESSEE

Number of states: 18
States to go: 32

Number of games: 1
First game: July 27, 2006 (Tennessee Smokies 6, Carolina Mudcats 5)

(Click on any image to see a larger version.)

“Hi, Paul,” the friendly email, subject line “Continuing Your Quest,” began. “I was searching the internet for promotions ideas and I came across your website…I see that you have not been to Tennessee yet. I am not saying

that you will have a better experience than at any other minor league game, but I can assure you that you will enjoy yourself…I look forward to hearing from you and hope you will consider the Smokies for your Tennessee trip.”

With that email from the Smokies’ Dan Blue, I was hooked. The idea that a guy in the front office of a minor league club

would take the time to actually invite me to a game…well, that flattered me. Since Tennessee was on the list for that summer anyway, I told him sure. He then tried to talk me into a VIP package. It was a little spendy, but it included killer seats, a free hat, and a chance to throw out the first pitch. That sounded pretty good, but since there would be four of us traveling, I wanted all four of us to have something for that kind of money; not just one of us throwing out the pitch and one of us getting a hat. He threw in an autographed baseball and a chance to announce a batter over the PA. SOLD! We divided out the tasks: Rob would throw out the first pitch, Yolonda would get the hat, Michelle would get the ball, and I would get to go to the press box and announce a batter. It was official: I was a VIP. Seriously. Look–I really was:

With that, the fun began. Rob had to get his arm in gear for the first pitch. We snuck past a “no admittance” sign

back by one of the foul poles and got Rob’s arm into shape. Nobody stopped us…indeed, I’m not sure anybody noticed us. We all threw a baseball around, and Rob warmed up.

Next, Rob made it to the field. He was one of about eight “first” pitches. Included in that group was the Shoney’s bear and a boy celebrating his tenth birthday. Here’s where we learn Rob is a fairly sick man. The birthday boy didn’t know why he was on the field–I guess his parents wanted

it to be a surprise. So Rob told him: “I think you’re going to sing. Do you know the words? ‘Oh say can you see…'” The kid would have nothing of it. “I don’t know that!” Rob said “Well, how about this one? ‘Take me out to the balllllgaaame…'” He said he could sing that. But he threw out a pitch instead. As did Rob…a strike into the glove of left-handed pitcher Bill White, who signed the ball (which Rob subsequently annotated).

With that, we got going with the game.

What a gorgeous ballpark Smokies Park is. The outfield is surrounded by hills. They’re not quite as gorgeous as the nearby Great Smokies, but they provide a lovely backdrop. In fact, just past the right-field wall, there’s what

might be the best picnic-table-for-baseball-fans in the US. It was, at least at one time, the KOA Kampground for East Knoxville. I currently cannot find a KOA listing for East Knoxville, but the picnic table remains. There’s a good view of the field from all seats and just about all of the concourse. One can circumnavigate the stadium on a walkway, or sit and chill on a grassy hill beyond the outfield wall.

On a night warmer than Waffle House syrup, it’s nice to see the hills fade into darkness behind quality double-A baseball.

The Smokies did well balancing the wacky promotions with the baseball. There were some promotions between innings–a three-legged race which caused a pair of siblings to become exceedingly angry with each other, for starters–but for the most part, they let the baseball take center stage. Dan came by to hang out with us for a couple of innings, chatting about his past experiences in baseball with me and my wife–a veteran of the minor league baseball milieu. He addressed the unique challenges of promoting the Smokies; since they play so close to the most-visited national park in the USA (in fact, there’s a National Park office in the stadium building), about 25% of their visitors are

tourists. It certainly held true to my experience–I chatted with a mother from Florida for a good part of the game.

Next came my big moment. In the fifth inning, I headed up to the box with Dan and awaited my big moment announcing a batter.

This was no consolation prize to Rob’s throwing out of the first pitch. I wanted to do this. Big time. I serve as the PA announcer for the football team at the high school where I work. The key to it, as I see it, is to avoid cheerleading for the home team, and to keep the voice under control. In fact, during high school games, when I give credit to the chain crew, spotters, and scoreboard operator, I finish by saying: “And I

‘m Bob Sheppard.” So to avoid the sins of some other PA guys I’ve heard, I knew what I would do. Take it easy. Take it slow. Give the number, position, and name. Savor the syllables. But at Smokies Park, I actually felt a little bit guilty taking a batter away from George Yardley, the PA announcer. He may well be the best PA guy I’ve ever heard at a minor league ballpark…a deep, deep voice with just enough of a gorgeous pecan-pie Southern accent to remind me where I was. George: you’re the man.

I didn’t expect to enjoy being in the press box as much as I did. The guys–mostly good ol’ Tennessee boys–made me feel exceedingly welcome. They clearly loved doing what they did for a living. They have the best view of the game of anyone. The scoreboard operator was even wearing a glove. They were enjoying a conversation with me about my ballpark travels as Mark Reynolds came to the plate…

and that conversation was soon

interrupted by their whoops. Reynolds hit a massive home run off of the scoreboard. It was awesome to be there for what turned out to be the biggest play of the game. In the midst of the cheering, George grabbed a stuffed bear, squeezed it so that it made a heartbeat sound, and held the bear to the microphone. That sound reverberated throughout the ballpark.

Unfortunately, I had to follow that up, so it’s possible nobody heard my big moment. George said: “And now, to announce the next batter, here is V.I.P. Paul Hamann.”

All I wanted was a batter with a kick-butt name; ideally a Hispanic one (I, like Sheppard, love pronouncing those Latino players’ names). And I got it. Complete with pregnant pauses, and without a hint of homerism:

“Now batting…the first baseman…number thirty-one…Augustin…Murillo.”

Sheppardesque? Yardleyish? Maybe not. But damn fun. (For the record, Murillo popped to the catcher.)

Ever wonder how they figure

out how far a home run is hit? I saw the incredibly scientific process take place right in front of my eyes. Somebody asked: “Where did that ball hit?” They figured out that it hit an advertisement on the base of the scoreboard. After some argument as to whether it reached there on the fly or on the bounce, the best PA guy in the minor leagues got out a list of distances. He ran his finger down to the distance to the base of the scoreboard, added a few feet, and queried: “Does 441 feet sound okay?” They agreed, and he informed the crowd in his million-dollar voice: “That last home run by Mark Reynolds traveled 441 feet!” Not exactly a scientific process, but they did the best they could with the tools they had.

I don’t have anything bad to say about Smokies Park, and that is reflected in its very high score. Does the score have anything to do with the fact that Dan bumped up his VIP package to include getting me onto the microphone? Absolutely! This isn’t Congress. This isn’t Consumer Reports. Bribery is completely acceptable here. (Minor league salespeople everywhere: take note!).

BALLPARK SCORE:

Regional feel: 7/10
Could do a little better here: perhaps it’s hard to feel local-Tennessee when one is surrounded by so many tourists. But the surrounding hills help this score.

Charm: 5/5
Lovely architecture and nice surroundings.

Spectacle: 5/5
My VIP experience was filled with baseball-centric spectacle.

Team mascot/name: 4/5

Three mascots. The top one is from Shoney’s: he threw out a first pitch after Rob. In the middle is a shark from Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. At the bottom is Slugger with the annoying promotions guy. The team name is great, and I like the multiple mascots, who were fun while never interfering with the game. But I’m not a big fan of the generic name “Slugger” (or of his sister’s name, “Diamond,” not pictured).

Aesthetics: 4.5/5
Quite lovely.

Pavilion area: 4/5

Scoreability: 4/5

Fans: 5/5

Intangibles: 5/5
Just tremendous. A great VIP night with fellow baseball-lovers. One of the best nights I’ve ever had at a ballpark.

TOTAL: 43.5/50

BASEBALL STUFF I’VE SEEN HERE:

Mark Reynolds is the difference-maker, hitting a three-run homer as far as you’ll ever see a ball hit.

Augustin Murillo went 2-for-4 with two runs.

Brett Carroll his a 2-run home run for the Mudcats to make it closer.

Ria Cortesio serves as the first-base umpire, making this the first baseball game with a female umpire I’ve ever attended–at any level.

(Written August 2006.)

colorado rockies affiliates, double a, minor league, no longer in use, texas league

Drillers Stadium, Tulsa, Oklahoma

July 6, 2009 Paul 1 Comment

Drillers Stadium, Tulsa, OKLAHOMA

Number of states: 3
States to go: 47
Number of games: 1
First game: April 11, 2004 (Tulsa Drillers 1, Frisco RoughRiders 0)

The Drillers left this ballpark in 2010, and it was demolished in 2019.

I attended the ballgame in Tulsa on Easter Sunday. I challenge anyone to find another person who visited Tulsa that holiday who was not drawn there by family or business. The best part about the trip to (and from) Tulsa was avoiding the interstates. Just like I had done

with my father nearly twelve years earlier on our trip to Arlington Stadium, I stayed entirely off interstates–on state and county roads, my preferred mode of travel. And wow, was it fun. Driving through the little towns along the way in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma…with every tiny town the host to one (or more) big churches, and every church packed to the gills with cars. I must admit, that morning was a little I-love-the-USA moment for me. Because of my recent ancestry, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Midwest, and looking at all of these packed churches even made my then-lapsed religious self feel like we are a country filled with a lot of decent, kind people. Sure, if I’d taken the time to step into, say, the First Baptist Church in whatever tiny town and listen to the sermon, I may well have been blown out of my I-love-the-USA reverie by whatever makes-me-embarrassed-to-be-Christian garbage was emanating from the pulpit, but on this morning, I gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. I drove through the crops on a cool sunny Easter with Jesus Christ Superstar cranked up on my rented car’s CD player. And I felt good.

I only wish the charm of my journey to Drillers Stadium was matched by the charm of Drillers Stadium. The stadium fails on a few counts, but mainly this one: it is absolutely impossible to tell what city you’re in while seated in the stadium. Seriously. Check out the photo here.

Were it not for the Tulsa World advertisement, would you have any idea what city you were in? What state? What region? There is literally no hint to that in the photo. We had a Walgreens past left field, a Lowe’s past right, and a city utilities department behind a foul line. There’s no skyline in view (although within city limits, the ballpark is several miles from downtown, in a suburban-feeling location near the state fairgrounds and an old horse track…cars park on the infield of the track). There are no natural landmarks to see from the park (the nearly dried-up Arkansas river runs on the other side of town), and not even any local promotion that leaps out at me as “Only in Oklahoma” or even “Only in the Southwest.” Look, I know we’re losing regional differences in this country, almost to the point where only weather, flora, fauna, and natural landscapes differentiate us. I bet that, with literally every ballpark on this journey, I’ll be able to sip a Starbucks before the game and head to either a TGIFridays, Outback, Chili’s, or Applebee’s afterwards. This bothers me, and the ballpark needs to combat that. It’s not that I’m incapable of grading suburban parks highly, even with our nation’s similarities between suburban locations–Everett, for instance, is in a humdrum suburban location, but redeems itself by providing a huge grassy pavilion and a view of the mountains. Tulsa does nothing, and as a result, is charmless.

Even the mascot, which I felt was promising at first, fell flat when measured for local color. The blue-colored bull (with whom I asked an usher to photograph me…only to find when I got home that he didn’t properly take

the picture…what’s with my luck in choosing only complete incompetents to take my picture at ballparks?) is named Hornsby. What an awesome name for a mascot. I asked the mascot if it was after Rogers Hornsby. He gave me a thumbs-up. (He could only communicate with charades.) I then asked the mascot if Rogers Hornsby was from Tulsa. The mascot shrugged. I really wanted Rogers Hornsby to be from Tulsa, or at least Oklahoman. Didn’t turn out to be true…he just turned out to have played in the Texas League for a while. Close to a great mascot idea, but no cigar. There’s just a tiny little hint at Drillers’ history in

the ballpark, and it’s misplaced…it’s on the inside of the seating bowl, right under the press box behind home plate. There are nice paintings of past great Drillers, mostly Texas Ranger products of the ’80s and ’90s like Sammy Sosa and Juan Gonzalez. Surely Tulsa has a richer history than that. Another near miss.

My ballpark experience was certainly not helped by an astonishing screw-up by Drillers ticket staff. Not long after my arrival, a good-natured guy seated a few seats to my left asks me a strange question. “Did they sell you that seat?” The answer was yes…row two behind third base, right on the aisle. “Really? Man. I bought that seat as a season ticket, and they’ve been selling it to people.” Geez, I said, do you want me to move? (Hardly a problem, due to the very low attendance on a chilly Easter Sunday afternoon.) He said it wasn’t necessary. Apparently the fine folks at the Drillers had taken his money for season tickets…and then went ahead and sold his seats to anyone who wanted them on Ticketmaster. Worse, when he called to complain, their solution was this: that, in the event there was another patron with his seat, he was to tell them to report to the ticket office for reseating. Amazing.

It was here, in the fifth ballpark of the minor-league quest, that I became conflicted about the “Promotions” portion of my score.

Tulsa did few, if any, between innings. But it occurred to me that, at least with quality Double-A ball in front of me, I didn’t miss them. Short-season A ball? Okay, distract me a little between innings (but never during the game). So I will take care to remember that only distracting promotions are to be penalized from now on.

So, in the end, the nice people of Oklahoma were the best part of this ballpark. Although I can’t say I had a rip-roaring conversation with any of them, one did let me stay in his season-ticket seat without sending me to the ticket office as he’d inexplicably been asked to do. Good thing, too…being in the second row of a quiet, nearly-empty ballpark like this enabled me to hear Tulsa manager Tom Runnells argue a safe call at third base. (He was actually quite polite in his disagreement…no foul language or personal attacks.) Another let me take a photo of her with rabbit ears on her head. And this high-school-aged couple were terribly cute and clearly quite affectionate for each other without any groping or tonsil hockey…it was very sweet to watch. So it was certainly a nice Easter at the ballpark, but I’m afraid the ballpark left an awful lot to be desired.

I know there’s a lot of Tulsa/Oklahoma City rivalry, but if ever I’m back in Oklahoma, I’ll look forward to visiting the ballpark in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown. It certainly looks to be superior to Drillers Stadium.

BALLPARK SCORE:

Regional feel: 2/10
Quite simply none. The Walgreens in left is hardly Fenway’s Citgo sign. The Lowe’s Hardware in right could be any Lowe’s. Flat Oklahoma offers no real views from the seating bowl. Drop me in the ballpark and cover up any text that says “Tulsa,” and I would have no Godly idea where I was. Only the few photos of ex-Drillers save this score.

Charm: 1/5
Simply none. Between the utilities plant and the former horse track…nothing to show any personality. I’m writing this two weeks after my visit, and I barely remember anything about it.

Spectacle: 3.5/5
Nicely and quietly integrated promotions…both quiet and effective. Strangest promotion…the Kansas City Royals, neither the parent club of the Drillers nor at all close to Tulsa, advertised heavily, including giving away tickets to home Royals games.

Team mascot/name: 4.5/5
As I said, I have minor quibbles with the name “Hornsby,” but the name “Drillers” may be one of the best nicknames in the minors. Perfectly locally appropriate, unique, and sort of intimidating. The usher screwed up my picture of Hornsby, so instead, I will reproduce this photo of this innocent, completely non-stereotypical mascot from a local Mexican restaurant.

Aesthetics: 1/5
Neither the ballpark nor its surroundings do anything for me.

Pavilion area: 3/5
Not bad. Good lineups, but not a lot of character.

Scoreability: 5/5
Excellent job by the scoreboard guy communicating a tricky passed ball/wild pitch ruling on a botched intentional walk.

Fans: 3.5/5
Nice people, but not enough of them.

Intangibles: 3/5
Maybe I was just tired from the drive, but there just was nothing that seemed to impress me on this day. The game was pretty good, though, which helps.

TOTAL: 26.5/50

BASEBALL STUFF I’VE SEEN HERE:

A pitchers’ duel between Tulsa (the Rockies’ affiliate…the Rockies basically only draft pitchers because they figure no decent free agent will willingly pitch for them) and Frisco (the Rangers affiliate, who had drafted a lot of pitching lately due to a complete lack of it with the big club). Justin Hampsen and Kameron Loe, the starters, put a lot of zeroes on the board.

RoughRiders reliever Frank Francisco (that’s Spanish for Frank Frank) gives up the only run of the game in one of the most bizarre fashions I’ve ever seen. Bottom of the eighth. He walks the Drillers’ Tony Miller, who steals second. He strikes out Jayson Nix, then intentionally walks Shawn Garnett. But catcher Josh McKinley lets the ball get by him on the first pitch of the intentional walk. Passed ball. First screwed up intentional walk I’ve ever seen at any level, in person or on TV. So, they finish the walk. First and third, one out…and Francisco balks in what turns out to be the winning run. Weird. Minor league baseball…catch it!

demolished, double a, former kansas city royals affiliates, kansas, minor league, no longer in use, texas league

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Wichita, Kansas

July 6, 2009 Paul Comment

wichitaexterior

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Wichita, KANSAS

Number of states: 3
States to go: 47
Number of games: 1
First and last game: April 10, 2004 (Arkansas Travelers 10, Wichita Wranglers 0)

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium was no longer used for the affiliated minors as of the 2008 season. It was destroyed in December of 2018.

(Click on any image to see a larger version.)

Spring Break 2004. I set out for my spring break, leaving chilly, rainy Seattle for warmer climes–Wichita, Tulsa, Arlington, and Houston. Why did I have to pick a week when Seattle had beautiful, record-setting temperatures and a mass of Northern air settled over Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas? The first Saturday night of the baseball season in Wichita was colder than the proverbial witch’s tit (and, I am sure, colder than a literal witch’s tit…not that I have any experience. With witches.) Thank goodness for the $23 K-Mart jacket I secured earlier that day. In any event, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium was an excellent Texas League ballpark that nobody in Wichita seems to have found.

For starters, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium has a rich sense of baseball history. Its pavilion makes a special point to commemorate Wichita baseball history, most notably the National Baseball Congress

tournaments held there through the years…basically the semipro baseball championship. There are plaques all the way around the ballpark talking about folks from Whitey Herzog to Mark McGwire. A fun walk! I must admit, I enjoyed that a good deal, but I felt it was sort of cheating. I mean, it’s just a tournament they host…not really related to Wichita minor league history. But when I learned that Mr. Dumont was responsible for the tournament, I relaxed my concerns a bit. After all, it was he and Mr. Lawrence, the mayor of Wichita, who decided to build the stadium. Hence, that pesky hyphen in “Lawrence-Dumont Stadium”: it’s named after two guys, not one.

But the walk around the stadium also teaches us about Wichita’s minor league past. Included in this was a list of all of the teams that have played minor league ball in Wichita. On that list, I was delighted to find the infamous Wichita Jobbers.

Now maybe I’ve watched a few too many episodes of Beavis and Butthead, but I couldn’t stop snickering about that. Somewhere, after squandering a series of late-inning leads, an article must have been written under the headline “Jobbers Blow Another.” So I’m walking around enjoying a juvenile snicker (and thinking that, as bad a nickname as “Jobbers” is, it’s actually better than “Jabbers” or the feminine “Witches”) when I come upon a plaque commemorating the 1910 Jobbers, considered one of the best minor league ballclubs in history. And what picture did they put next to it? God as my witness, they put it next to popular former Wichita Aero and major league stalwart Pete LaCock.

Perhaps most impressive was the story–I hope it’s true–that Joe Carter hit a home run during an NBC tournament that hit the Metropolitan Baptist Church on one bounce. The church is nearly 900 feet away. This picture probably doesn’t do it justice, but still, check out this view of the church from home plate. The church is the red brick building with the white steeple beyond the left field wall.

On the whole, this was an excellent night of baseball. The staff with the Wranglers have done a fine job of putting together solid entertainment. They ran wacky ads starring their young staff (a send-up of The Apprentice, for instance). There were frequent promotions, but not so frequent as to take away from the baseball. The ballpark has a fine location on the Arkansas river–there’s a view of downtown right past the outfield fence. And Double-A baseball is great entertainment in and of itself. Still, only 155,547 showed up to watch the Wranglers in Wichita in 2003…barely 2,000 per game, only about a quarter of the league leaders and behind even Midland, which is a far smaller city than Wichita. I can’t for the life of me figure out why. It’s not because they have a less-than-good ballpark…Lawrence-Dumont is a great place. It’s not because it’s a poorly-run night of baseball…it was excellent. It’s not because it’s inconveniently located…it’s right in the heart of town. There’s no excuse, Wichita. Get out to your wonderful ballpark. You’ll have at least as good a time as I did.

Okay, now that I’ve said that, let me cut the Wichita folk some slack…the weather certainly was the lion’s share of the reason that attendance was so abysmally

low the night I was there (announced as 528, but that was a laughably high number…I put attendance at 130. That’s right, I actually counted…I figure that the people who were in the bathroom are counterbalanced by ushers I mistakenly included in my count.) It’s funny who you see among the most die-hard fans who would show up on a 40-something degree night in April with horrendous winds. I noticed a good number of women sitting alone and wondered why. Of course! Wives and girlfriends. And there were a good number of scouts with radar guns. Also, several close relatives. Notable among the latter were the friendly brother- and sister-in-law of a backup catcher I chatted with throughout the game…I had a long conversation with their four-year-old son. It’s awesome how four-year-olds start conversations. His starter? “I have the same name as my grandpa. His name is James…and my name is James!” And later: “I live out in the country.” Cool kid! He’d get along with my nephew, but as his mother said, “1500 miles is an awfully tough play date.” I like the Midwest. Friendly people. Women with ponytails and minimal makeup. People who assume you’re a good guy and talk to you.

And I like Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, which more Kansans should get out to see, especially on a night where they can’t see their breath.

BALLPARK SCORE:

Regional feel: 9.5/10
The celebration of Kansas baseball in the museum-like pavilion is fantastic. Add to that a location on the Arkansas river, a view of downtown Wichita, and a few friendly Kansans, and there’s not a doubt as to where you are.

Charm: 2.5/5
There’s a contagious love of baseball here. But ICK!!! The astroturf infield with the grass outfield? WHY???? Back when Wichita fed the Astros, it made sense. But now they feed Kansas City, who has a grass infield. It’s just an eyesore now. Lose it.

Spectacle: 3.5/5
Didn’t get in the way…but I didn’t see much of the mascots.

Team mascot/name: 5/5

Didn’t see much of Wilbur–the best I can do for a picture is the distorted shot at left. I think the cold night kept him in. I did take a shot with the Garbage Goblin, however, on the right. Please note that a gust of wind has gone up my K-mart jacket…that’s not my belly under there, it’s mostly cold Wichita air. I never saw Wilbur and the Garbage Goblin together, which strongly leads me to suspect they’re the same guy. “Wranglers” is a completely appropriate name for Wichita, and the horse totally appropriate as a mascot…although, upon reflection, aren’t horses the natural adversaries of wranglers?

Aesthetics: 4.5/5
Quite nice, with a view of downtown and the river.

Pavilion area: 5/5
A wonderful walk through Wichita baseball history that starts at home plate and goes all the way back to center field. Lots of good stories. The best part of the ballpark.

Scoreability: 4/5
No major issues here, but no major plusses.

Fans: 1/5
Nice people, but far too few of them.

Intangibles: 4/5
In spite of the weather, the sparse crowd, and the incredibly lousy game, I got a great feeling from this place

TOTAL: 41/50

BASEBALL STUFF I’VE SEEN HERE:

A god-awful game in hellish cold. Arkansas pounds out 19 singles and a double. The worst part was that 5 of the runs were in the 9th inning, just as all of us were ready to head home. If I’d had a date with me who wanted to take off, I would have probably demurred…and that is saying something.

3 RBIs for Traveler Jason Aspito.

Tim Bittner pitched 6 innings of 4-hit ball for the win, with Cam Esslinger and Dan Mozingo closing out the 4-hit shutout.

The Arkansas Travelers’ road uniforms read “Little Rock.” Their jackets read “Angels.” The Arkansas Travelers are neither Arkansas nor Travelers. Discuss.

Blair County Ballpark, Altoona, PENNSYLVANIA

Number of states: 21 States to go: 29

Number of games: 1 First game: August 4, 2006 (Altoona Curve 6, New Britain Rock Cats 4)

Joe Davis Stadium, Huntsville, ALABAMA

Number of states: still 32 (cancellation) States to go: 18

Number of games: 0 July 28, 2006 (game cancelled–unplayable fields)

Smokies Park, Kodak, TENNESSEE

Number of states: 18 States to go: 32

Number of games: 1 First game: July 27, 2006 (Tennessee Smokies 6, Carolina Mudcats 5)

Drillers Stadium, Tulsa, OKLAHOMA

Number of states: 3 States to go: 47 Number of games: 1 First game: April 11, 2004 (Tulsa Drillers 1, Frisco RoughRiders 0)

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Wichita, KANSAS

Number of states: 3 States to go: 47 Number of games: 1 First and last game: April 10, 2004 (Arkansas Travelers 10, Wichita Wranglers 0)

Number of states: 21
States to go: 29

Number of games: 1
First game: August 4, 2006 (Altoona Curve 6, New Britain Rock Cats 4)

Number of states: still 32 (cancellation)
States to go: 18

Number of games: 0
July 28, 2006 (game cancelled–unplayable fields)

Number of states: 18
States to go: 32

Number of games: 1
First game: July 27, 2006 (Tennessee Smokies 6, Carolina Mudcats 5)

Number of states: 3
States to go: 47
Number of games: 1
First game: April 11, 2004 (Tulsa Drillers 1, Frisco RoughRiders 0)

Number of states: 3
States to go: 47
Number of games: 1
First and last game: April 10, 2004 (Arkansas Travelers 10, Wichita Wranglers 0)