Featured Discussions - Ballpark Chasers2024-03-28T17:59:55Zhttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/group/minorleagueballparks/forum/topic/list?feed=yes&xn_auth=no&featured=1Birmingham-Regions Fieldtag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2014-06-12:1681163:Topic:1937562014-06-12T03:34:09.545ZTimhttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/Tim
<p>Birmingham has been known as a typical Minor League city. It has fielded a team starting in 1885 and has pretty much had a baseball team in the area for the near-130 years since. Most of the games they played at was at legendary Rickwood Field, a true classic ballpark. After 1987 the Barons moved to the Birmingham suburb of Hoover and played their games at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, or locals called it, the Met (later it would be known as Regions Park). </p>
<p>The place was what a…</p>
<p>Birmingham has been known as a typical Minor League city. It has fielded a team starting in 1885 and has pretty much had a baseball team in the area for the near-130 years since. Most of the games they played at was at legendary Rickwood Field, a true classic ballpark. After 1987 the Barons moved to the Birmingham suburb of Hoover and played their games at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, or locals called it, the Met (later it would be known as Regions Park). </p>
<p>The place was what a cookie-cutter park was like if you turned it into a Minor League stadium. A unappealing exterior with an unappealing interior and a symmetrical layout. That said, the Met held some fine players such as Frank Thomas, Bo Jackson, Robin Ventura, Magglio Ordonez, and manager Terry Francona, and some big moments such as Michael Jordan trying to "play" baseball." Fans came out big time during those years of great Barons players. However, as time progressed, the attendance at the Met waned. The Barons wanted a new park to put back into Birmingham.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Enter Regions Field. A place that screams Birmingham with a nice exterior predominantly of steel (to honor the city's history of the steel industry) and you felt that as you were inside the park. In its first year, the Barons drew very well and won the Southern League championship for the first time since 2003 (if I am not mistaken).</p>
<p>I went with my dad in April to catch a game at the new park and was amazed. It was light years better than their predecessor. I didn't go without some small problems of the park. The parking was a bit problematic as there wasn't really a major parking spot within the park, and the one that was, was "VIP." We parked 2 blocks away for an expensive $10. </p>
<p>We got into the park and it was a real gem as you can see some of the Birmingham skyline from RF and the UAB hospital (with a helicopter flying in & out every hour). The place was clean and what you expect from a new minor league park (unique dimensions in the outfield, the nice scoreboard, luxury boxes and suites on the second level, etc.). Sightlines here were very good if not great, though corners you would lose a bit of the outfield. One gripe was the fact the rows were somewhat smushed in. Food was varied throughout with barbecue and different gourmet hot dogs and hamburgers. The one that stood out the most was the "Steel City Burger" which tasted magnificent (had bacon, egg, pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo). Actually it is one of the best burgers I ever had. But come with your wallet as Birmingham's grub is about what you expect at a MLB game. Speaking of high prices, the souvenirs were extremely high for a Minor League game (and rivals that of some MLB spots). </p>
<p></p>
<p>The one thing about the place that was changed from the old park was a different atmosphere. The last time I went to the old park was 2011 and the place seemed dead. The new park was lively and jumping. Fans were into the game (though a couple around us were drunk and decided to stand up in front of us and have a chat, preventing us from watching the game). </p>
<p></p>
<p>Overall, the place was awesome and Birmingham did a good job of this new park. I still think there are some hiccups of the place, but overall, a mass upgrade from Regions Park. I rate the place an 80.5 on my score list, which anything over 80% is great in my book.</p>
<p></p>
<p>WHAT I LIKED:</p>
<p>The food: best tasting food in the Minors to this point.</p>
<p>The structure: Place screams Birmingham and it has some unique color lights after the game. Inside it is very nice too.</p>
<p>Atmosphere: You were in a true minor league park.</p>
<p></p>
<p>WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:</p>
<p>Parking: Hard to find a spot and one that didn't cost you a lot of money for a Minor League Game.</p>
<p>Prices: MLB level prices for food and souvenirs.</p>
<p>Restrooms: Dirty, and the sinks weren't working properly.</p> Joe Davis Stadium-Huntsvilletag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2012-06-23:1681163:Topic:1162612012-06-23T23:58:30.595ZTimhttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/Tim
<p>I have gone on other sites with Minor League ballpark reviews ripping Huntsville's Joe Davis stadium to no end. They talked about the stadium was a trainwreck and that it is possibly the worst stadium in Minor League baseball. Now on top of it the ownership, knowing the ballpark is not a great stadium, has been religiously threatening to move the Huntsville Stars out of Huntsville and elsewhere in the Southern League. Most recently a deal for a new park has fallen through, leaving the…</p>
<p>I have gone on other sites with Minor League ballpark reviews ripping Huntsville's Joe Davis stadium to no end. They talked about the stadium was a trainwreck and that it is possibly the worst stadium in Minor League baseball. Now on top of it the ownership, knowing the ballpark is not a great stadium, has been religiously threatening to move the Huntsville Stars out of Huntsville and elsewhere in the Southern League. Most recently a deal for a new park has fallen through, leaving the Stars future in doubt. Meanitme, the ballpark remains poorly maintained.</p>
<p>Given the fact it *could* possibly be the final season for the Huntsville Stars and since I am fairly close by (3 hour drive), I HAD to get there and my Father's Day present from my wife and kids was going to Joe Davis Stadium. Going in there, I had low expectations. The stadium did not look like something that I would rate highly on my wish list given the pictures of the place I have seen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I got there and entered more into an area that used to be probably strong in the industrial complex with tons of metal buildings, but there was a nice sports complex near the park and most of the buildings were sports related so the park actually fit in the area. We arrived at the stadium and parking was $4. Parking was plentiful but I made sure I stayed well past the foul ball zone. I looked at the outside and saw the aluminum siding all around. It isn't a gem to see something you would see outside a school gym, but I've seen way worse and it wasn't something I wanted to gouge my eyes out over. After it took us 10 minutes to get everything we needed to get in the park (2 kids mind you), we bought our tickets. It was $8 anywhere in the ballpark. We get in the fenced gates and the employees were all very nice gave us FOUR bobblehead dolls of Alabama native Hunter Morris and his kid (his toddler son was the only head that bobbled). We went to our seats, which was on the last row along the 1B side with any shade. The seats were excellent and I did not have a sore rear end from them. The sightlines were great actually. You could see any part of the field just fine from anywhere. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The inside view was a mixed bag. There were tons of seats given they use the park for football in the fall so tons of empty seats were around. Most of the park had that high school stadium feel with cement and bleachers dominating. The largest issue was the stadium upkeep where there were vacant signs and even signs that were ripped off, exposing rusted metal beyond the outfield. There were a couple of "saving graces" though. There were plenty of signs saying "stay alert" but it had a NASA font (given Huntsville is a major NASA city) and out beyond the walls were the Northern Alabama mountains. It gave a real scenic view to the area.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The food there was actually pretty good and had a decent variety for a park. I chose the burger on a bagel, which tasted excellent. My wife had a burger as well and loved it while my kids shared a dog and tater tots, which I snuck a bite on both and tasted pretty good. Prices save for the burger on a bagel and a hotdog on a pretzel bun were pretty good (everything was $4 or less). There was nothing in the way of souvenirs besides shirts, caps, and foam fingers. I actually overheard an employee get worried about the Stars leaving next year so even they don't know what is going on. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The game was a fun one though we nearly had a heart attack with a foul ball that nearly got my wife. But it went past her and bounced back behind me so I have a souvenir foul ball from the game. The scoreboard itself was brutal with only the line score working. The LED screen portion wasn't on nor was the ticker on which stunk. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But overall, I actually liked Joe Davis Stadium despite the blips. It wasn't the BEST stadium I've been to, but it had something that the other Southern League Stadiums that I've been to at this point lacked: charm. I have only been to Chattanooga and Birmingham so I can't say anything about the other parks. The employees were very friendly and did alot of the "dog-and-pony-show" gimmicks that made the fans interested in the game. I got to take my daughter out between innings and run on the field with the rest of the kids so that was neat. But obviously the big issues was that the park was not maintained properly and it looked very run down because of it and I blame that more on the owners than anything. I sure hope that Huntsville is able to keep the team because the fans were very knowledgeable and friendly as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE STADIUM:</p>
<p>1. Nice scenic background</p>
<p>2. Great food</p>
<p>3. Very friendly employees</p>
<p> </p>
<p>WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE STADIUM:</p>
<p>1. Horrendous scoreboard</p>
<p>2. Not properly maintained</p>
<p>3. Too many extra seats</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On my overall ratings board, I put this ahead of Chattanooga's ballpark and Birmingham's ballpark actually. </p>
<p> </p> Regions Park in Birminghamtag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2011-07-19:1681163:Topic:746472011-07-19T20:42:18.033ZTimhttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/Tim
While I make my home slightly outside of Atlanta and have been blessed to see Braves games at Turner Field and actually State Mutual Stadium up in Rome (if you ever are around the Atlanta area, give it a check), I called Birmingham home for almost 3 years. I was able to head to numerous Barons games from 1992-1994. The manager during that time was Terry Francona and the two minor leaguers I still remember watching play were Ray Durham and a great basketball player named Michael Jordan. Too bad…
While I make my home slightly outside of Atlanta and have been blessed to see Braves games at Turner Field and actually State Mutual Stadium up in Rome (if you ever are around the Atlanta area, give it a check), I called Birmingham home for almost 3 years. I was able to head to numerous Barons games from 1992-1994. The manager during that time was Terry Francona and the two minor leaguers I still remember watching play were Ray Durham and a great basketball player named Michael Jordan. Too bad he was not a great baseball player (but I did get to see him hit a home run and charge the mound).<br />
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I was a teenager during that time and I spent most of my times at the ballpark sliding along the right field/left field corners on those hot dog/cup holders using them as sleds on the grassy hills or the times I actually tried to flirt with girls my age as well. Normally the latter didn't work so I did the former. But my parents loved going to the games and sat behind the Barons bullpen as most of them were very casual with my parents. My parents loved going to the games, but since I thought Minor League ball was below me (after all I spent most of my childhood at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, so good reasoning) I never paid CLOSE attention to the games. The few things I did remember about the park was sliding on the hills, the park was very clean, and more importantly the place was packed (even before Jordan came to Birmingham) and were into the games.<br />
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After seeing 6 other Minor League parks since, I hoped to return to Birmingham to see if it had that great Minor League feel like it did and how it stood out. I knew in terms of the architecture as it was built in the 80's it wouldn't hold up to the likes of the parks of Rome, Greenville, and Savannah, but you got baseball. But the stadium that was once called "Hoover Metropolitan Stadium" (AKA the Met back in the day), I have to say it felt like the park was forgotten since 1994.<br />
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The park looked very run down with faded paint (once it had a blue concourse as it looked fairly gray, ad signs on the wall looked like they were about to peel off, murals of teams who won league championships were hard to see due to the oxidization (sp?) of being out for so long, the floors all around (in the concourse, by the seats, and of course the bathrooms-and the restrooms were almost a biohazard when I went in there) were dirty, the team shop was small and it looked like it was having a "going-out-of-business" feel to it.<br />
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There were a few bright spots to the park though: prices were actually cheap for t-shirts, caps, and other souvenirs (compared to other places-an authentic ball cap, which goes for $30 in most parks went for $20-maybe they were having a going-out-of-business) and most foods were under $4.00 like dogs, sandwiches, and other things. The only "expensive" iterms were healthy wraps that went for $5 or $6. However after having a brat for $4 there is probably a good reason why they were that low. And I didn't see anybody eat a wrap at the park. The sightlines inside the park were excellent throughout and you had good spacing of leg room. No cupholders by the seats, which stunk, but my dad and I grabbed a few general admission bleacher tickets so we really didn't care to begin with. They had numerous contests and fun things to do between innings (a ball throw after the game from the stands to the field, Harry Potter Night, beat Babe Ruff-the Barons Mascot, around the bases, etc.) and the scoreboard was a high-definition scoreboard (first one I've seen in a Minor League park, the Birmingham media throwing out free tshirts) so that was good. Too bad the scoreboard was misused as it only showed the inning-by-inning scores and no stats of the players at all and they would not tell you who was at the plate for the visiting team as you had to guess who it was by looking at the number. Along the concourse there was a really nice display of Barons memorabilia of Rickwood Field programs, bobbleheads of former Barons players who went made it big (Terry Francona, Joe Crede, Magglio Ordonez, etc.) as well as some magazines showing the White Sox winning the World Series in 2005 (guessing most of them went through Birmingham too; and most probably were on the Barons last league championship team in 2002).<br />
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The fans did not come out. The attendance was around 4,000 but my dad and I thought the place looked to be more of 2,000 at the highest (it did rain in the area before gametime), and there was little noise during the game. You still had diehards in the crowd, but nothing to really show they were into it (minus a few deep fly balls some Barons hit, it just seemed like a lifeless crowd. The biggest bummer was I am guessing the Barons ownership did not like the teens playing on the hill, probably because of safety and maybe the lack of interest they had for the game so they closed it off (though they still have the hills in the corners, but they made sure you can't slide down it with chain link fences right at the top of the hill and on the middle part where the sidewalk is located).<br />
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For me, maybe because I had a few friends come see me and caught up on old time, I found myself having a hard time staying with the game (how things stay the same). It was neat to see them again so I had that going for me during the ballgame. I did pay attention for the most part but the Barons did play flat and lost 7-1 so maybe the lack of good play did not help matters either.<br />
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Stadium-wise, Regions Park, probably because of the poor condition it is in now, I rank at the bottom of my Minor League stadium trips. I mean in its heyday I probably would like it better than what Chattanooga currently has or even Gwinnett and it still has a Minor League charm that I once remembered. I am guessing the Barons ownership, they have not really invested much in terms of upgrading it (though the city of Hoover has, and has been a spot for high school football games, beach volleyball tournaments, and the SEC Baseball championship) and it has gone to waste for the mere reason that they have agreed to play in a new stadium back in downtown Birmingham for the 2012 season. However, they have not found a location for the new park and no construction has started. This actually reminds me of how RFK was not properly maintained in its last season of baseball in 2007 with the Nationals. If you're a diehard Minor League ballpark chaser or have a history with the park, it is worth the trip. If you're a casual, it might be better if you wait until the new park is up OR you end up getting tickets to the Rickwood Classic they have every year in early June. That is something I do want to try if my work schedule can ever cooperate with it. Dayton Dragons Sellout Streaktag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2011-07-09:1681163:Topic:724472011-07-09T20:31:54.088ZCraig (17)https://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/craig
Today the <a href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t459" target="_blank">Dayton Dragons</a> will have their 815th consecutive sellout, surpassing the national sports record set by the Portland Trail Blazers from 1977 to 1995. This is an incredible record considering the declining trend of ballpark attendance as well as the current economic climate.…
Today the <a target="_blank" href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t459">Dayton Dragons</a> will have their 815th consecutive sellout, surpassing the national sports record set by the Portland Trail Blazers from 1977 to 1995. This is an incredible record considering the declining trend of ballpark attendance as well as the current economic climate. <a target="_blank" href="http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/team1/page.jsp?ymd=20090308&content_id=520865&vkey=team1_t459&fext=.jsp&sid=t459">Fifth Third Field</a> is one of the most beautiful Minor League Ballparks in the country and a must see when in the Dayton area. Flour Field-Greenvilletag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2011-04-10:1681163:Topic:575942011-04-10T21:07:55.349ZTimhttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/Tim
Just came back from Greenville to see a Drive/GreenJackets game.<br />
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I went with my dad who loves Minor League ballgames. Greenville didn't start off too great. We had a small challenge trying to find a quality parking spot, but ultimately found out we went to a "municipal district" five minutes away from the park where the employees and fans were parking for free so problem averted there. We went to Greenville, hoping to get there early to see the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum. It was closed. Then…
Just came back from Greenville to see a Drive/GreenJackets game.<br />
<br />
I went with my dad who loves Minor League ballgames. Greenville didn't start off too great. We had a small challenge trying to find a quality parking spot, but ultimately found out we went to a "municipal district" five minutes away from the park where the employees and fans were parking for free so problem averted there. We went to Greenville, hoping to get there early to see the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum. It was closed. Then we tried to get in, but two employees treated us like garbage saying how gates weren't opened unless we were a part of a certain company to watch a baseball game. That soured me a bit.<br />
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However, behind left field is apartments and a grill under them so we went in there. It was a little more upscale than we had imagined but we went in, sat and had arguably the best tasting burger around. I would do that all over again. We went in the team store and while they had shirts galore and more than reasonable prices for t-shirts, anything that wasn't a sweatshirt was expensive. Also, they didn't have a normal pennant and it is a tradition of mine to get one whereever I went (along with a team ballcap and a tshirt). So they had a baseball pennant (which I didn't care for) or a standard pennant that was pink. I chose the pink one. Hah.<br />
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We got into the park and got to our seats. Ushers were very friendly and gave me a pat on the back to tell me to enjoy the game. Never had that but I liked it okay. We sat about 12 rows behind home plate and the place took a lot of Fenway Park's characteristics into it (Green Monster in LF, Pesky Pole in RF, the triangle out in CF, Sweet Caroline being played, etc.) The fans were very friendly supportive and followed the game and didn't care to get sidetracked by all the little nooks of the mascots goofing off or the kids playing in the small playground by the corner of LF.<br />
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The concourses were fairly wide and clean with old pictures of Greenville baseball history on the beams (notably Shoeless Joe) and everything was labeled in the sections that were appropriate.<br />
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The outside exterior was entirely of brick and it had a classic old-time feel to it. When you went into the park from the RF gates, you could see Greenville's "Wall of Fame" with former players who made their mark or came by there (Nolan Ryan, Tommy Lasorda, John Smoltz, and yes, Mr. Shoeless himself). One ironic moment was out in right field they had the 500 club and a list of guys who have hit 500 or more HR in the Majors. And one column had 3 players currently in the Majors...one being Manny Ramirez...the day after he retired.<br />
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Overall, Greenville is an AWESOME place to watch a game. The sightlines are overall decent (you do lose a small portion of the foul poles given the layout), but the seats are very comfortable, the stadium is neat, clean, and just flat-out screams BASEBALL, and it is a nice nod to Fenway Park. The scoreboard was top notch as well. My ONLY complaints about it was the food didn't taste great (I ordered a pizza and the cheese tasted slightly sour and my dad had an ice cream which he said the waffle cone was stale). Their prices for food save for the pizza and a regular dog was bordering on the MLB stadium prices. I don't think that's right.<br />
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But overall, it is the best ballpark I've been to, Minors or Majors.<br />
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In terms of Minor Leagues, obviously it beats them all so I have Greenville #1, Rome #2, Savannah #3, Chattanooga #4, and Gwinnett #5.<br />
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Since my wife is pregnant with our second kid and is due in mid June while adding the fact this kid is probably going to be early, I probably won't get to a Memorial Day game in Montgomery unless things are going fine. But July I'll be heading to Birmingham at Regions Park (it is their final season at the park). Used to go there as a teen when I lived in Alabama but I didn't pay much attention to the park really. Favorite MiLB Events and Promo's?tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2010-08-06:1681163:Topic:321952010-08-06T02:34:42.316ZRob Khttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/RobKing
What are your favorite MiLB events (activities that involve the fans) and promo's (usually something given to fans)?<br />
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Promo's: I am a sucker for anything Bobble-Head. My favorite was the Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Vice-President Joe Biden bobble head. I especially like to have a player's bobble head in his MiLB uniform in my collection when he makes the majors.<br />
<br />
Events:<br />
1. Reading Municipal Memorial Stadium: From back in the day; Max Patkin, the Clown Prince of Baseball. If you are not…
What are your favorite MiLB events (activities that involve the fans) and promo's (usually something given to fans)?<br />
<br />
Promo's: I am a sucker for anything Bobble-Head. My favorite was the Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Vice-President Joe Biden bobble head. I especially like to have a player's bobble head in his MiLB uniform in my collection when he makes the majors.<br />
<br />
Events:<br />
1. Reading Municipal Memorial Stadium: From back in the day; Max Patkin, the Clown Prince of Baseball. If you are not familiar with Max, check out Bull Durham in which he performs.<br />
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2. Seen it in many MiLB stadiums: One of my family's favorites can be summed up in two words: Monkey Rodeo. Trained monkeys riding on the backs of border collies. The dog/monkey combinations herd sheep into a small corral.<br />
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3. My favorite: Wilmington Blue Rocks tribute to Judy Johnson, one of the Negro League's greats. This night has a silent auction of Negro League memorabilia, autograph sessions with Negro League players and vendors on the concourse selling anything Negro League. Last year for Fathers Day, my family gave me a game of my choice in which I would throw out the first pitch. I chose this game. It was great sharing this experience with four Negro Leaguers.<br />
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What are your favorites AT&T Field-Chattanoogatag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2010-07-27:1681163:Topic:316862010-07-27T23:44:57.583ZTimhttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/Tim
I was really hoping for a good experience at Chattanooga, but unfortunately, I felt a little disappointed. Heading there was actually a little tricky. When you get off of Highway 27 and it is right there in your face. I was thinking, "Great! I can get a spot to park close to the park and I'm in!" Not the case. Much like the MLB ballparks, Chattanooga is located in the downtown area and there were only a few regular parking spaces but also a parking deck. So after trying to find what I was…
I was really hoping for a good experience at Chattanooga, but unfortunately, I felt a little disappointed. Heading there was actually a little tricky. When you get off of Highway 27 and it is right there in your face. I was thinking, "Great! I can get a spot to park close to the park and I'm in!" Not the case. Much like the MLB ballparks, Chattanooga is located in the downtown area and there were only a few regular parking spaces but also a parking deck. So after trying to find what I was looking for 15 minutes, I went in the parking deck. Then the next thing came and that was to get to the park itself. I climed what felt like endless flights of stairs since the stadium is built on a hill. And even when we got in, we still had to climb a set of stairs to get to our seats. Very rough.<br />
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We got to our seats which was behind home plate and they were fine, but due to the seating at Chattanooga, there were no cup holders or any space in the front row. Also noted was because of how the right field foul line seats were angled in so much it actually blocked off a bit of right field from home plate. And the game itself was fine, but there just seemed like something was missing from the park, giving it an authentic Minor League feel.<br />
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Prices were actally very good but the selection was limited in both the food category and the souvenir seciton (mostly shirts and ballcaps). The burger and fries they had there was good, but the pizza was not unlike what you would find from your local grocery store in the freezer (i.e. those $1 frozen pizzas). The scoreboard at the park was small and there weren't any cameras on the field beside the one behind home plate. I was saddened on that, especially since the Class A Savannah and Rome were able to have at least 3-4 cameras inside the park.<br />
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I did like the push to have the Chattanooga fans try to rally behind the prospects and the Dodgers franchise (Dodgertown, Tennessee was what they were gunning for, but I am not sure if they will do well since it is Braves country). The fans, though quiet, stuck around to watch the final out of the game and I liked that (though some were heckling their own players which made no sense).<br />
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Overall I would have to say I was very disappointed by the park. It wasn't BAD, but nothing really good on it. It just seemed like they wasted a golden opportunity to have a great minor league ballpark like they had with Engel Stadium (from what I have been told).<br />
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WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BALLPARK:<br />
1. Prices were cheap throughout<br />
2. The whole place was very clean (save for the bathroom where paper towels were all over the floor<br />
<br />
WHAT DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BALLPARK:<br />
1. Poor location-wasn't in a bad area of town for sure but just set on a hill and I wasn't keen on that<br />
2. Variety of food/souvenirs<br />
3. The park just lacked a true minor league charm that I have experienced at Rome, Savannah, and even Gwinnett<br />
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But overall, this park is still better than Gwinnett. Should Engel Stadium in Chattanooga be saved?tag:www.ballparkchasers.com,2010-06-05:1681163:Topic:272952010-06-05T16:25:11.842ZYankeebiscuitfanhttps://www.ballparkchasers.com/profile/Yankeebiscuitfan
I found this article on MiLB.com. I thought it would be interesting to discuss wether it is necessary to save Engel Stadium from an eventual demolition. Thoughts?<br />
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Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew was the guest of honor at Wednesday's Rickwood Classic, an annual contest played at the oldest professional stadium in America.<br />
When Killebrew played at Rickwood Field, however, it was as a member of the visiting Chattanooga Lookouts. The slugger's home base in those days was Engel Stadium, an iconic…
I found this article on MiLB.com. I thought it would be interesting to discuss wether it is necessary to save Engel Stadium from an eventual demolition. Thoughts?<br />
<br />
Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew was the guest of honor at Wednesday's Rickwood Classic, an annual contest played at the oldest professional stadium in America.<br />
When Killebrew played at Rickwood Field, however, it was as a member of the visiting Chattanooga Lookouts. The slugger's home base in those days was Engel Stadium, an iconic facility that turned 80 this season.<br />
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The stadium, named for flamboyant team owner Joe Engel, has not hosted a professional team since the Lookouts departed for AT&T Park following the 1999 campaign. Over the last decade, the already antiquated ballpark has fallen into a state of considerable but certainly not insurmountable disrepair.<br />
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But Engel Stadium is dripping with character and imbued with history, and it certainly has the potential to be turned into another Rickwood -- a functional ballpark that is utilized by the community while serving as a living link to a long-ago era of baseball history. In a nutshell (which, incidentally, still litter the aisles of the ballpark), Engel has the potential to be a must-see destination for fans of the national pastime.<br />
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"I've heard talk about restoring Engel and I certainly hope that they do," Killebrew said Wednesday while standing on the pristine playing surface of 100-year-old Rickwood Field. "It would really be a bad thing to tear down that old ballpark, there's just so much history there. At one time it was the biggest Minor League park in all of baseball -- 385 feet down the left-field line and 470 to dead center field!<br />
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"When I was in my first year playing in the Southern Association, I led the league with 29 home runs. I've had people tell me, 'That's not a whole lot of home runs,' and my answer to that was always, 'Well, have you ever seen Engel Stadium?'"<br />
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A return to glory?<br />
Killebrew was right. There has been a lot of talk recently about restoring Engel Stadium and lately, that talk has been turning to action. The Engel Foundation was formed in April 2009 and the stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places eight months later. That allayed fears that the facility would be torn down.<br />
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I toured Engel Stadium with a cross-section of supporters on Friday afternoon, a gathering organized by Engel Foundation director Janna Jahn. Brian Wright, a recent high school graduate who fell in love with the stadium after sneaking into it, represented one end of the generational spectrum. At the other end was journalist Ray Deering, who grew up attending games at Engel and still reminisces about a mammoth home run by Jim Lemon that cleared the left-field light tower.<br />
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Jahn, a municipal employee with boundless energy and a knack for networking, did not grow up with a particular connection to the stadium. But her interest was piqued considerably once she heard the story of Jackie Mitchell, a 17-year-old girl who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game in 1931.<br />
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"Once I heard that story, it really bothered me that I had grown up in Chattanooga and never heard about it," Jahn recalled. "And that got me thinking about Engel. What are we doing with it and why is just sitting there?"<br />
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Jahn has since assembled a community All-Star team to serve on the board of the Engel Foundation, individuals of diverse backgrounds, ages and interests who are united in their love of the stadium.<br />
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The group has largely cleared up a murky situation involving the facility's ownership and plans on assuming control in the near future. Soon, the group will launch a private sector fundraising effort, with the goal of restoring Engel to playable condition.<br />
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"We've identified about $150,000 of repairs that need to be made," said Jahn. "That will be phase one, to get this place to a point where it's clean, safe and playable."<br />
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After that, the options are nearly limitless. Speaking with a contagious level of enthusiasm, Jahn mentioned the possibilities: concerts on the playing field, audio and video storytelling projects and partnerships with local education non-profits and the Chattanooga History Center (to name just a few).<br />
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And, of course, baseball.<br />
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Jahn and her fellow Engel supporters imagine a Chattanooga version of the Rickwood Classic, a historically themed regular-season game in which the Lookouts return to their former haunt.<br />
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"Wouldn't it be great to create a Birmingham-Chattanooga rivalry, with the two teams playing one another in their old ballparks?" she asked.<br />
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Honoring a true innovator<br />
No matter what path the Engel restoration efforts take, the stadium's namesake will be a primary focus.<br />
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"Joe Engel was the Barnum and Bailey of baseball," Killebrew said. "He did a lot of things to promote the game."<br />
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Indeed, he did. A master showman in the same mold as the legendary Bill Veeck, Engel was the sort of individual who would do just about anything to get butts in the seats. His signing of Jackie Mitchell represents just the tip of the iceberg. Equally legendary was his giveaway of a house during the Great Depression (24,000 fans jammed into the 12,000-seat stadium for that one).<br />
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Engel also was responsible for many of the stadium's most famous features and quirks, from the first-ever press box to an idyllic rose garden in right-center field (forcing outfielders to fish the ball out of the thorny bushes).<br />
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"He was a pioneer, larger than life, and he'll be our hook because not many people were like him," Jahn said.<br />
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Engel's spirit lives on in his eponymous foundation, comprised as it is of individuals who will do anything they can to preserve and promote Chattanooga's rich baseball history.<br />
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"Everything we want to accomplish is doable," Jahn said. "Now we just have to do it."