2010 Baseball Trip: Day 5-Burlington, IA
Burlington Bees vs. Kane County Cougars: Our trip concluded in Burlington, Iowa, with the Bees. Community Field is the smallest Class A stadium in the country, but it is very intimate and well maintained. They get pretty solid attendance here for such a small community. The team and field are both locally owned, so no plans on this team going anywhere. We had good seats next to the thrid base dugout, but there was the protective netting in front of all of the primary seats. Still very close to the action and players, though. No problem chatting with the guys taking their cuts in the on deck circle. My colon and liver were both glad this was the last beer and cheesey brat of the trip. Luck here, too, to have a foul ball hit right to me on my way to the rest room. The Baseball Gods were good to us on this trip again. Final: Cougars 6, Bees 1. Best: Season tickets for box seat are only $270. Wow, that’s cheap, folks. Worst: No mascot present. The attitude seemed to be that it was a night game during the week, so why go all out. I wanted to see a giant bee, dammit.
Photos property of MIB
Minoring In Baseball 
MIKE-Love the pictures. I was digg’n the Field of Dreams entry too. Love that you’re out there giving the Minors their props. Great work, great road trip. ..D
http://baseballsnatcher.mlblogs.com/
I agree. Seeing a Giant Bee would have been nice. The park itself looks like a gem. This was a great trip you took us on. The pics were great. Give my regards to your colon and liver for me. I hope they recover well. I know those trips can get rough on the pipes. I can’t wait for the New York-Penn League (A) to get started next month.
be well!
mike
http://thebrooklyntrolleyblogger.mlblogs.com/
When I was a kid I was most proud of my Burlington Bee baseball cap… it was so soiled by the time I was in college that I had to toss it out… the laundry could do it no justice. Finally, this is one ballpark I have been to (there are Royals fans mixed in my fam, boo!!!) 🙂 Love the pics as usual! Thanks for sharing!
–Jeff
http://redstatebluestate.mlblogs.com/
http://mtrredstatebluestate.com
Good stuff! Did the bees change their colors and logo? I thought they were green/purple with more of a Georgia Tech yellow jacket logo. Who knows? My brother had a hat and wore it alot, but maybe it was a different team. Glad you can finally get home and eat some veggies and drink some water. Come back to the beer n brats next weekend…
http://raysfanboy.mlblogs.com
Hey, I was just scrolling thorough your other entries from your trip, and it looks like you had a great time. It’s so nice that you could chat with these players so easily. That’s why I love minor league baseball. You’ve got some great pictures!
Elizabeth
http://redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com
‘D’-the whole trip was fun. Iowa is a great baseball state.
Brooklyn-I’m just starting to recover..The NY/Penn League is a classic. You’re lucky to have a team in that league. I’ll have to start taking my trip later in the summer to catch some of these games.
Jeff-the Bees logo, especially the older one, is classic. The ballpark is great for family get-together, too (even if it is a Royals affiliate).
Rays-not sure on the Bees colors. The logo changed a couple of years ago, though.
Elizabeth-the Minors are the best. I’m looking forward to reading up on your adventures this summer.
–Mike
Great pics as usual. The smaller stadium makes the players seem so accessible, which is one of the pleasure of minor league baseball. And they look so young compared to the hardened vets I’m used to watching!
– http://janeheller.mlblogs.com
Awesome blog! Good content and great pictures. I love small parks, how close you are to the players makes it a great way to watch baseball. The intimacy of todays MLB stadiums is great, but its nothing compared to the real thing.
Mike
http://mikebarryu.mlblogs.com/
I was lucky enough to see the giant bee mascot when I was in Burlington last year. No such luck this year. Something I really like about the Burlington experience is that despite the low attendance, the people who do go to games there all seem to be regulars and hardcore followers of the team. I’ve had nothing but great experiences with people there. That goes for fans and team officials alike.
Craig
http://mwltraveler.com/
Craig-I noticed the great atmosphere during our visit there, too. It’s a great little ballpark run by the community, and you can tell they’re proud of their team.
–Mike