Category: Dailies
Safe At Second?
Once again, the Detroit Tigers start the season with
their starting second baseman up in the air. Last season, former Whitecap Scott Sizemore (pictured) was slated to be the starter, but was coming off an ankle injury. He started anyway and stuggled both in the field and at the plate. He batted only .206 before being sent down to Toledo. Carlos Guillen was moved over to second before (big suprise) going onto Injured Reserve. Coming up to take his place was another ‘Caps alumni, Will Rhymes. Rhymes impressed everyone with his work ethic and the fact that he hit .304 in 191 at bats. Dubbed ‘Mighty Mouse’ by the Detroit announcers, he always seemed to add a much needed spark to the Tigers offense. Sizemore was called back up late in the season (finally healthy) and hit .308 in September and October. With Giullen not expected to be in the Tigers lineup until late March after having micro-fracture surgery on his left knee, Sizemore and Rhymes are the two most likely to be battling for the Opening Day spot during Spring Training. However, also in the mix is Danny Worth. Worth is possibly the best defensive option, but we’ll see how he hits this spring. This triad of player aren’t only battling for the same position for the first month or so of the season, but possibly the starting job if Guillen goes down with another injury at some point during the season (yeah, what are the chances of THAT happening?). M.I.B. Pick: Will Rhymes. I like his left handed bat, and his ability to hit behind runners and just get on base. My feeling is that they’ll go with Sizemore, though, which I wouldn’t mind since he was my favorite player from the ‘Caps 2007 Championship team. Dombrowski likes his power, and will be eager to prove he was right by starting him last season. I’m looking forward to watching these players duke it out this spring and thoughout the season.
Photo courtesy of TigsTown.com
Ten Questions With Jacob Turner
This is re-printed from the ’10 Questions’ segment over at MiLB.com composed by Ashley Marshall. Turner played for the Whitecaps the first half of the 2010 season before being promoted to the Class High-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. Jacob represented West Michigan in the All-Star game also, and was one of the most prominant prospects the Tigers have sent to play there. He was drafted ninth overall by the Tigers in 2009 after completing high school in Missouri. In a season split between the Whitecaps and Flying Tigers, Turner was 6-5 with a 3.28 ERA with 102 strikeouts.
MiLB.com: You’ve always thrown hard, but I read that you could throw 92 or 93 mph as a 14-year-old. Is there any truth to that?
Turner: My freshman year was the first year I had been clocked by a radar gun and I was up to 92, and that was when I was 15. Ever since then, I just slowly got stronger and gained more and more velocity. I had never really thought I was throwing that hard because I had never been clocked, so it was hard to tell. But I was definitely surprised to find out.
Not throwing too many curveballs was one of the things that my dad had looked into, and he decided it would be a better idea for me to hold off on throwing any kind of breaking pitch for a while and let my arm develop naturally. And that benefited me in the long run by keeping my arm as healthy as possible.
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MiLB.com: Your pitching coach in high school was former Major Leaguer Todd Worrell. What did you learn from him?
Turner: The biggest thing I learned from him was how to go about your business on the mound from a mental aspect. He also taught me how to throw a curveball. I hadn’t thrown a ton of them and it was pretty far behind my fastball in terms of location and how consistent it was. He really helped me along with that and got it to the point where it was today.
MiLB.com: Heading into the 2009 Draft, can you put into words your emotions and what you were experiencing?
Turner: A lot of things — I was excited, but at the same time I was nervous and I didn’t know what was going to happen. With the baseball Draft, especially for a high school player, it is so unpredictable, so we didn’t really know if I was going to get drafted high enough that I would bypass college or end up at North Carolina.
I just decided to let the chips fall where they may and then decide after that, see how everything shook out and then take a step back, look at both options and see what was best for me. When I was younger, that was every kid’s dream — to be drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft, much less the first round, so it was definitely a dream come true. There were a lot of things going through my mind, but when the Tigers picked me there was a lot of excitement.
MiLB.com: How did it feel to be a multi-millionaire as a teenager?
Turner: It was definitely a weird feeling at first to know you have a certain amount of money from the Tigers. It was a good feeling both ways, without going to college to have some financial security, but at the same time you also feel like the Tigers really made a commitment to you to develop you and make you the best player you can be.
I had a car before I signed and I kept that, and I haven’t bought anything too exciting yet. The contract hasn’t changed me too much as a person, and I always tell my brothers and my parents that if you ever see a change in me, to let me know because I don’t ever want to be someone that gets changed by the money. It is just money, so I didn’t really change my lifestyle because of the contract.
MiLB.com: You had an impressive professional debut on April 10 for West Michigan, striking out seven and allowing two hits over five shutout innings. What do you remember about that day?
Turner: I was actually pretty nervous, considering it was my professional debut in a regular-season game. I wanted to go out there and kinda prove I belonged. Once I got out there, the nerves calmed down and I was able to do my thing. My parents weren’t able to come up for that game, but they got to a few games when I was playing for the Whitecaps because they lived in St. Louis and we played a few teams in the Midwest area.
MiLB.com: You made 11 appearances with West Michigan over three months in the Midwest League before earning a promotion to Lakeland. What differences did you notice at each level?
Turner: The biggest thing at the start was the adjustment to the professional game. It’s a lot faster than high school. The players are a lot better and pitching every five days definitely takes a toll on your body and your arm. And it takes time to get used to it.
When I first got down to Lakeland, I struggled at the beginning and I think that was really good for me because in high school you’re facing lesser competition. The hitters were more patient and stronger here, and if you left pitches up in the zone, they hit balls a little bit harder and a little bit farther. My mechanics got out of whack because I was trying to do a little too much rather than just trying to stay within myself. When I got back to that, I was fine.
To struggle and come back strong definitely gives me a better mind-set coming into next season.
MiLB.com: How would you evaluate your first season?
Turner: I would say there were some ups and downs, but overall it was a solid year. I felt like I learned a lot and improved and that is what the Minor Leagues are all about — improving each and every year and trying to reach your full potential. The biggest thing I want to work on, pitching-wise now, is getting consistency with all three of my pitches — my fastball, my curveball and my changeup. Obviously, right now my fastball is ahead of both my other pitches, but that is one of those things that I’ve been trying to work on. I try to make sure I have the same mechanics and progression through every pitch, throwing it just like a fastball.
MiLB.com: You got an opportunity to travel a lot with the Whitecaps. What cities have you enjoyed playing in?
Turner: My favorite city so far has probably been Grand Rapids, where West Michigan is. I really liked it up there and it reminded me a lot about home in St. Louis. There were a lot of great cities in the Midwest League, but I loved playing in Dayton. They have a great fan base and they really pack out the stadium. Their fans are into every game and it was a fun place to play.
There were a couple bus trips in the Midwest League that were pretty long, but I tried to sleep and make it go by as fast as I could. The other guys would watch movies and try to kill time and we definitely had a few characters on the team that lightened the mood. Once I got to the Florida State League, there weren’t many long trips at all.
MiLB.com: The names of top pitching prospects often get thrown around in the offseason when trade rumors are rampant. With the Tigers possibly looking to make some moves before April, have you been paying attention to what fans and writers have been saying?
Turner: I haven’t really heard anything about that. Rumors are always going to be prevalent when you’re talking about baseball in the offseason, but I don’t really concern myself too much with stuff like that. I’d definitely say it is an honor if other teams value me, but ultimately every Minor Leaguer is in the same position, trying to get to the big leagues as fast as they can.
MiLB.com: Realistically, how far away from the Majors do you think you are?
Turner: I really don’t have any idea. I go out there every single day and do my best and let the Tigers take care of the rest.
We unfortunately never had a chance to see Turner play, as he was promoted before we were able to make it down for a game. I like his props on Grand Rapids, though. I look forward to seeing how his career progresses.
Whitecaps Update 1/11/11
Winter Banquet and HOF: The Whitecaps 2011 Winter Banquet will be held on Wednesday, January 19th this year, and will be headlined by Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski. Also speaking at the event, is new ‘Caps skipper Ernie Young and alumni Will Rhymes and Brennan Boesch. This event will also feature the 2011 Whitecaps Hall of Fame ceremony which will induct current Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya, catcher Ramon Hernandez, and groundskeeper Heather Nabozny. Heather took good care of Fifth Third Ballpark in Grand Rapids before becoming the first female head groundskeeper in the Majors with the Tigers.
Alumni Moves: Former Whitecap center fielder Cameron Maybin was shipped from the Florida Marlins to the San Diego Padres for Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica. Maybin was on the Marlins opening day roster in 2009 and 2010. Maybin was sent to Florida from Detroit in the deal for Miguel Cabrera and was part of West Michigan’s 2006 Midwest League championship team. The Padres look for his range in center to be a great asset playing at Petco Park. Also on the move is pitcher Alfredo Figaro. The Tigers sold his contract to the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League. In eight appearances for the Tigers, he was 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA. Figaro was 10-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 23 starts for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in 2010.
Tiger Fridays: Tigers Fridays are back at Fifth Third Ballpark for this season. Former Tigers Johnny Grubb, Steve Kemp, Frank Lary, Mickey Tettleton, Dick Tracewski, Jason Thompson, and Richie Hebner will be making appearances. The dates are June 3 & 17, July 1, 22, & 29, and August 12 & 26. The team hasn’t released the dates each former Tiger will be attending, though. I hope I have a chance to make it down to meet Tettleton. He’s one of my favorite players of all time.
Non-Roster Invite: Outfielder Avisail Garcia in one of the 18 non-roster players the Tigers have invited to spring training in Lakeland, FL. Garcia has spent the last two seasons with the ‘Caps and is ranked as the Tigers ninth-best prospect by Baseball America. In 2010 he batted .281 with four home runs, 63 doubles, and 20 stolen bases. In 2009 he was a .264 hitter in 81 games in West Michigan. He’ll be at Spring Training with former ‘Caps outfielders Andy Dirks, Ben Guez, Casper Wells, Clete Thomas, and Brennan Boesch.
Fifth Third Burger on TV…Again: Last year the famous West Michigan Whitecaps Fifth Third Burger was featured on Man v. Food. This year, the giant hamburger will be featured on the Food Network’s series ‘Unwrapped’ with host Marc Summers. The show will air at 9:00 p.m. on January 22 in an episode called ‘Game Day Goodies’. I plan on tackling this monsterous burger this season, but I’ll have three hungary kids to help polish it off. In two seasons, the ‘Caps have served 3,253 Fifth Third Burgers to fans, and 761 have attempted the Challenge to eat the whole thing by themselves. A total of 483 people have won the challenge, earning a T-shirt and their pic on the ‘wall of champs’.
A Look Ahead: This should be a fun year for us at the Whitecaps games. I’m trying to get my work schedules manipulated so the kids and I can make it to Opening Day and hopefully Star Wars day again in July. Brian will be making his debut at Fifth Third Ballpark this season, also. Below is a pic of him sporting his new hat he got for his third birthday on the 11th. I’ve also added a ‘Caps game to my baseball trip, as we’re flying back into Michigan via Grand Rapids. Why not stay and catch one more game?
Photos property of M.I.B.
My ‘Minor Trips Newletter’ Arrives….Yeah!
I’m always happy to recieve my ‘Minor Trips’ Newsletter, and the January 2011 version does not disappoint. What is ‘Minor Trips’ you ask? Well, it’s a two part publication put together by baseball fans who share my passion for Minor League Baseball. The first part, the newsletter, is packed full of baseball stories, letter from fans, and ballpark reviews, book reviews, contests, and more. The second part is a guide to all of the Minor League and Independant Pro teams in the country. It lists every team by state, along with their home schedule and directions. Really, it’s like my Bible. It’s an easy way to help me plan my baseball trips. The creators are very commited to this printed publication, despite the fact that we live in the computer age where info is only a key stroke away (without the internet, how could I reach out to the 2-3 people who actually read my blogs?). Since the editors actually ENCOURAGE readers to reproduce their work with no rights reserseved, I will be sharing an article from the current newsletter that I really enjoyed.
Reflections Of A Minor League Rookie Fan by Bob Kuntz
I’m heading back to my hometown of Akron, where I havn’t lived for forty years. My destination is the minor league ballpark that no one even imagined when I was growing up. The park was built years ago, but this is my first visit. On a sweltering Sunday afternoon in June, my dad and I are going to our first game.
Downtown, we turn down a street filled with childhood memories. To my left if the big department store where I bought my Cub Scout uniform, rode the clacking wooden escalators, and admired the animated Christmas decorations. We park on the street, right next to the stadium, for free.
We walk down the street. More childhood memories flash through my mind. The ballpark sits where Scott’s 5 & 10 used to be. I remember exploring the store as a child, buying gum and toy soldiers. Now it’s gone. In it’s place, a modern brick stadium rises modestly above the street, surrounded by landscaped corners and strips of shady trees and brightly colored flowers.
We pass through the turnstile. Our first order of business, in this heat, is buying frozen lemonades. Our seats are in the sun, three rows behind the dugout, right at the edge of the field.
I have never sat this close to the field in my life. There’s a great view of the city skyline, tall buildings on the edge of downtown. The advertising signs on the home run fence highlight local businesses and spark memories of a distant Akron when Goodyear and Firestone were city giants. A slight breeze cools us for a moment.
The park is smaller than major league stadiums. But not the diamond. It’s a magic green oasis with baselines and home plate.
On this day of tripical heat and humidity, the stands are more empty than not (attendance is 2,810). But those who are here are fans. They root, cheer, and clap.
I don’t know the players, but I wonder about their stories.
I love sitting this close to the field. The first baseman snags a grounder a few steps behind the bag and I see the subtle wag of his hand as he waves off the pitcher and covers the base. I hear the sharp crack of a grounder smacked toward third. The fielder gloves the ball and throws. For a moment, the ball seems suspended in mid-air on it’s way to first base.
My dad tells me about the old League Stadium where, as kids, he and my Uncle Bill watched the Akron Yankees play. He doesn’t remember why the two of them were let in without paying, only that they were. The family who lived beside the ballpark put lawn chairs on the garage roof to watch the game.
Families are sitting all around us-grandparents, kids, teens and moms and dads, slurping their giant drinks and munching on nachos. The whole place is more relaxed than major league parks. It’s not an impersonal big city, but a friendly small town.
The runs, the Aero’s offense shines, catching a runner off the bag for a put out and slamming the door shut on a steal of second. But, alas, the final score: 8-5 Mets.
During the game, kids too young for T-Ball gather in front of us, right next to the dugout. When the first baseman snags in a foul ball, they wave their hands and shouth, “Here! Throw it here!” He rolls the ball across the dugout roof, one of them grabs it and races to his parents waving the ball in the air.
A batter sends a foul ball soaring out of the stadium. A little boy watches it on it’s high slow journey until it crests the brick work. He shouts to his parents, “That ball went over the house!”
Hearing him, I realize I’m in the place where parents explain the infield fly rule, where dreams of turning double plays and hitting grand slams are born. This is the place where kids fall in love with baseball, and, after the game, get to run the bases. And a big kid like me…I’ll be back.
I hope that piece was as enjoyable for everyone who reads it as it was for me. The newsletters are filled with great stuff like that. To subscribe, just send $15 to the following adress:
Minor Trips
P.O. Box 360105
Strongsville, OH 44136
Learning from the Lakers
The Lake Superior State women’s softball team has been busy in the community teaching young players about the game. They hosted weekly hitting and pitching clinics in the weeks before Thanksgiving, and just completed a weekend camp which incorporated all aspects of the game. I was lucky enough to get my daughter to most of the clinics and the camp, in fact, I recieved a call from first year head coach Lori Shimasaki inviting her to join the clinics. She’s become a favorite among the college girls, even hanging out with them for awhile at the local hockey games. She’s having a lot of fun and this will hopefully inspire her to keep playing. She’s been playing baseball since she was 5, but next summer will be her first shot at softball if she decides to play. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because she’s a good player and this could open up some doors for her in the future. Sorry about the low quality of the pics, but they were taken with my phone. The (ex)wife got the camera in the settlement.
Property of M.I.B.
Logo of the Month: Omaha Storm Chasers
Primary Logo:
Secondary Logo:
MLB Affiliate: Kansas City Royals
Home Field: Werner Park
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
League: Pacific Coast League
Fun Facts: The former Omaha Royals decided to change their name while moving into the new state of the art Werner Park in 2011. The team held a contest, and the Storm Chasers were the winners. When I first saw the name and logo…I was like..you gotta be kidding me. As I thought about it, though, this is what the Minors is all about. It’s a fun original name that is significant to the region and city it’s from. Good luck to the Storm Chasers this next season…may your t-shirt sales go through the roof.
Official Storm Chasers website
M.I.B. Prime 9: Favorite Baseball Movies
Again, making a list like this was harder than I thought. Narrowing it down to nine, I had to leave some of my favorite off, but I’ll leave my ‘honorable mention’ list for the end. Meanwhile, such movies as Ed and The Slugger’s Wife were fairly easy to cast aside. Here we go:
9) Bang The Drum Slowly: This could be the best movie you’ve never seen. I was able to pick it up for $5.00 and what a good investment. A young Robert DeNiro plays a fatally ill ball player who basically rallies his team around him. The acting is excellent, and the story is original. I was really suprised and impressed when I was able to sit down and watch it. Some of the scenes are a little dated, since it was filmed in the 70’s, but the story itself is just timeless. The ball players are member of the New York Mamoths club, but look ridiculously close to the Yankees. The writing is well done and I have to believe this movie was nominated for some awards at one point in time. You know it has to be pretty good to beat out The Sandlot…which is still one of my favorites, but had to be left off. It’s worth at least checking out if you have a chance.
8) Major League III: Back To The Minors. I know I’m gonna get a lot of flack for this one….I know it can’t compare to the original, but I still find it very entertaining. For some reason I find myself watching it quite a bit, and it’s a tradition to watch during my annual baseball trip. I like it a lot better than the first sequel because of it’s original and not a ‘remake’ of the first one. Also, the fact that it revolves around the Minor Leagues is a plus in my book, too. It doesn’t involve the Indians, but has the Twins as the ‘bad guys’ and the Salt Lake Buzz as the misfit AAA team brought together my rookie coach Gus Cantral (Scott Bakula). There are a few familiar faces, such at Cerano, Tanaka, and ‘Rube’ Baker. There is a lot of good baseball stuff in this movie along with some laughs to go along the way. Not as funny as the first, but I think you’d enjoy it for what it is. Trust me on this one….
7) Bull Durham: Another movie that revolves around the Minors, most of you would have ranked this one a lot higher. As funny as it is, I lose interest at the end when the baseball parts are over and it focuses on the relationship between Kevin Costner and Susan Serandan. It does have some of the funniest one-liners to date. It’s too bad that the original ballpark the Durham Bulls played in isn’t used anymore, but now the Bulls are part of the Triple-A International League instead of the lowly Class A Carolina League. My favorite scenes are when Crash (Costner) tells the batters what pitches Nuke is preparing to throw. The movie also turned the Durham Bulls into one of the most recognized Minor League ball clubs in the country. It’s on my baseball trip ‘to do’ list for sure. With so many ball clubs in North Carilina, you could get a lot of baseball games in a short time. I don’t think I really have to recommend this one, as most either own it or have seen it many times.
6) Everyone’s Hero. This is a sentimental favorite of mine. This is one of the first movies I took my two oldest kids to see at the theater, and my youngest is becoming a big fan of it as well. It’s a good way to expose kids to baseball, history, and Babe Ruth himself. It’s quite a bit off the wall, with a talking baseball and the Babe’s bat ‘Darlin’. The story goes that the evil Cubs owner has Darlin’ stolen to the Babe can’t hit and the Yankees will lose the World Series. The main character, a kid named Yankee Irvine, has his dad blamed for the mishap and fired. Yankee must rescue Darlin, make his way to Chicago, save the World Series for the Yanks, and try to get his dad’s job back. Yeah…that’s a lot of responsibility for a little kid. Of course he makes friends along the way, and learns more about baeball. The main theme of the movie is ‘keep swinging’ and the Babe keeps stating that anythng can happen in baseball. It’s highly recommended for the kids.
5) Field of Dreams. I know for most people, this movie is probably number one. The movie based on the novel ‘Shoeless Joe’ really captured the imagination of baseball lovers everywhere. I enjoyed the novel, but this is one of the few movies that I actually enjoyed more. They did a great job with it, and really got the point accross of the magic of baseball. The scenes with ‘Moonlight’ Graham are my favorite, but lots of memorable moments. I was also lucky enough to visit the movie site in Dyersville, Iowa earlier this year. Unfortunately there was no corn stalks, but it is still a great place to visit. I was able to take some infield, pitch off the mound, and play catch with my dad which is what I’m supposed to do, I guess. I’ll have to take my kid there when they’re a little older and have watched the movie themselves. It’s a timeless classic that I really never get tired of watching.
4) The Bad News Bears (1976). Their are many reasons why I like the original to the remake of 2005. The original has to be one of the funniest baseball movies ever, and the first in sport ‘underdog’ movies. Movies like the Mighty Ducks, Big Green, and Little Giants are all basic remakes substituting hockey, soccer, and football. It doesn’t hurt that I had a mega crush on Tatum O’Neal when I as a little kid, either. How cool would it have been to have a girlfriend who could throw a curve ball? Walter Mathau was great, and this movie works on so many levels. I actually enjoyed the second sequal, Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, and it barely missed the list. If you havn’t seen the original, I highly recommend it. In retrospect, I probably should have named one of my boys Tanner. This kids really makes the movies and provides some of the most memorable moments.
3) The Rookie. I love this movie and have watched it quite a bit. The fact that it’s based on a true story just adds to the magic. The fact that Jim Morris really made it to the Majors and fullfilled his dream is actually amazing. The movie is actually based on his autobiography ‘The Oldest Rookie’. I havn’t read the book yet, but hope to when I get a chance. I’m sure the movie embelishes a lot of the story, but it’s well put together and seems to be as realistic as possible while being entertaining. It’s something I can watch over and over again. My favorite scenes involve Morris coaching his team to the district championship, and telling his son over the phone that he’d been called up to the Majors. The Minor League scenes are really fun, too, and seam to bring the feel of that level to the audience. Dennis Quaid does a good job in the movie, also, in bringing Jim Morris to the big screen. The whole concept if the movie is really inspiring and was perfect fit for a family Disney film.
2) The Final Season. This movie didn’t get a lot of press, but I loved it and have watched it many times over the last year. Another film based on true events, it follows a small Iowa high school on their quest for a 20th state championship. Unfortunately, the school is closing and they fired their legendary coach Jim Van Scoyc in hopes the team will fail to make the merger with a larger school more tolerable to the community. It’s directed by the same guy who did the Sandlot, so that should add to some of it’s credibility. I was so inspired by this film I had to go to Norway, Iowa, where the movie took place and visit the museum there. Everyone was very nice, and I was even able to meet coach Van Scoyc. I asked him how much of the movie was accurate, and he replied, “well…there’s a lot of bullsh!t.” Still a great movie and an ever better true story.
1) Major League. This is simply the funniest baseball movie I’ve ever seen. It rivals my beloved Star Wars for how many times I’ve veiwed it. You can hear a lot of the one-liners form this film at almost any ballpark, and it’s probably impedded in our pop culture more than people realize. The cast was perfect, and the characters they portrayed were original and hilarious. I can watch the second one, but not nearly as much as the original. I don’t think I could ever hate the Indians, no matter what after this movie. My favorite scenes include Lou Brown wizzing on Dorn’s contract, Willie Mays Hayes getting cut early, and the Wild Thing arriving at Spring Training. There’s really nothing I don’t like about his movie, and will continue to watch it whenever I feel the need.
My list of honorable mentions include The Sandlot, A League of Thier Own, Mr. Baseball, 61*, For Love of The Game, and Mr. 3000. No, seriously, Mr. 3000. I also liked The Natural…but I simply dont’ find myself watching it all that much. I like to see what everyone thinks and whay your list would be. This is my Prime 9…what’s yours?
M.I.B. Prime 9: Favorite Minor League Ballparks
With the MiLB season over, it’s time to look forward to next year. I can do this with some good ol’ American plagerism-ripping of MLB Network’ Prime 9 show for a littlle countdown of my own. Narrowing the list to just nine parks wasn’t as easy as I thought, but here we go.
9) Fox Cities Stadium-Appleton, WI: Wisconsin Timber Rattlers/Class A Midwest League. Picking number nine was the hardest of all. Fox Cities Stadium barely beat out the ballparks in Dayton, Cedar Rapids, and Charleston, respectively. The stadim itself isn’t huge, with a capaicity of only 5500, but it’s a nice place to watch a game. The fans gave this ballpark the egde, with it’s spacious parking lot perfect for tailgating. And Wisconsin fans love to tailgate. The beer and the brats are always perfect for a game, before and after. The affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers has really helped the atmosphere here, and the attendance. The park itself is basic, with no real site lines, but not a bad seat to watch baseball. The park is very easy to find, but with only one entrance and exit, there might be a wait.
8) Pilot Field-Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Bisons/Triple A International League. Now called Coca-Cola Field, Buffalo is a major league city with a nice minor league park. At a capacity of almost 21,000 it’s a good sized ballpark to watch a game. There are still no bad seats in the house, though, and the sightlines of the city are pretty awesome. We always got there by train, so I’m not too sure about the parking situation. The concessions are good and there is a resteraunt in the right field area. The Bisons draw a good crowd, which is probably even better now that they’re affiliated with the Mets. I was able to watch the Bisons play here in 1993 along with some of the World University Games matchups. If I can ever find my pictures I took back then, I’ll scan them and get one put up. Until then you can check it out here. This is probably as close as you can come to a major league feel for the minor league price.
7) Fifth-Third Field-Toledo, OH: Toledo Mud Hens/Triple A International League. Opening in 2002, this ballpark is great all round. It’s carved into the downtown, and even has and area of seating in right field called the ‘Roost’ which is attached to a neigboring building. These have been dubbed the best seats in Minor League Baseball. The sightlines of the downtown area arn’t quite as good as Buffalo, but are more than enough of an eyefull. The seating is great, and the prices are very reasonalbe. We paid $8 and sat behind the dugout. You can’t really beat that. Parking is tough because it’s right downtown, so get to the park early, and even eat at Tony Paco’s accross the street, who you’ve might have seen Klinger on MASH talk about. Of all the the stadiums, this is one I’d love to visit more often. Throw in the fact that the Hens are the Tigers affiliate, and it’s a winner in my book.
6) Baseball Grounds-Jacksonville, FL: Jacksonville Suns/Double A Southern League. The Baseball Grounds was like my second home in the summer of 2005 when I was training in southern Georgia for over four months.Being at the ballpark was about the only thing that could take my mind off the fact that I was missing my wife and kids hundreds of miles north in Michigan. Add to the fact that it’s a great ballpark and the Suns won the Southern League in 2005, and this could easily be moved up on the list. The park holds about 11,000 and is nestled next to the Jaguars Alltel football stadium and Jacksonville’s indoor arena. It’s located right on the river and has great seating. Solid promotions and cold beer make this one of my favorites also. This is another parks I wish I could find my pictures of, but here are some good pics of it.
5) Louisville Slugger Field-Louisville, KY: Louisville Bats/Triple A International League. The front of the stadium is unique, as it’s built into an old train depot, which they also built two resteraunts into. The seats are great on right on the field where fans like them to be. It sports a large concourse and a huge party area in the outfield for all of the drinking crowd. The kids park is really put together nicely, too, with a carosel and all. Not much for sightlines, other than the bridge over the Ohio River. With the Louisville Slugger Museum/Factory down the street, this is a baseball experience every fan should take part in.
4) Modern Woodman Park-Davenport, IA: Quad Cities River Bandits/Class A Midwest League. USA Today billed this as the best Minor League ballpark in the country. It’s easy to get to and has one of the best views of probably any ballpark in the country with the brige over the Mississippi in right field. The concourse is set up so you can walk all the way around, which I like, and get a good view of the river and riverfront. The baseball atmosphere wasn’t as good as I thought it would be, which is why it didn’t make the top three. This is a must see for any baseball fan.
3) Victory Field-Indianapolis, IN: Indianapolis Indians/Triple A International League. I really enjoyed the games here in Indy. The whole town is sports nuts and the atmosphere is great. The entrance to the stadium is in the outfield, which makes it unique from other parks. There are also some kids games going on in the concourse which makes it very kid friendly. The whole park is set up with the family in mind, and it seems to be working. The sightlines downtown are great, but there was a lot of construction going on at the time that was a little distracting. The seats in the upper deck are some of the best I’ve had and are the perfect spot to watch the game. The wost part is there is a very small parking lot, so you have to find a parking garage downtown. The best part is there is a parking garage right accross from Hooters…
2) Fifth-Third Ballpark-Comstock Park, MI: West Michigan Whitecaps/Class A Midwest League. Yeah, I’m a bit of a homer here, but this is the list of my favorite ballparks. With a seating capacity of 10,000 it makes it pretty large for a Class A stadium, competitive with some Triple A and Double A stadium. It’s run and taken care of like a big stadium, too, with lots of unique concessions. The Fifth-Thid Burger was even featured on Man vs. Food last season. Located just north of Grand Rapids, there is a great atmosphere for baseball. The Whitecaps being a Tigers affiliate helps with that. All the memories of my kids and I here easily puts this ballpark toward the top of the list.
1) Grayson Stadium-Savannah, GA: Savannah Sand Gnats/Class A South Atlantic League. The reason historic Grayson is at the top of my list is quite simple. I just really really like it there. In truth, I have a love affair with the whole city of Savannah. I got a taste of it while down there training in 2005, then last summer I was actually stationed there for a week. Luckily the Gnats were in town, and I couldn’t get enough. The horrible pics I took with a disposable camera can not do this ballpark justice. It’s small and cozy, and as a baseball fan you just feel at home. You can actually feel the history of the sport sputter though you’re vains while watching a game here. It’s like actually taking a step back in time and seeing the game in it’s pure form. The brick exterior is classic baseball, while the weeping trees make it classic south. Nothing really fancty about the park, other than pure baseball. Savannah offers so much to look at, but catching a game here would be worth it.This is defiately a place I’d like to bring my kids down to someday.
So, there you have it. Again, it was very difficult choosing just nine, but truth be told I have never been to a ballpark I didn’t like. Everyone is unique and meeting the great fans everywhere makes every team worth checking out. So that’s my Prime 9. What’s yours?
Photos property of M.I.B.
Whitecaps Season a Success
Despite statistically having one of the worse seasons on franchise history, there is a lot of positives to be found in the West Michigan Whitecaps 2010 season. The fact that the team was 29 games below .500, then bounced back in the second half to make the playoffs was amazing enough. More importantly, though, the season was just fun. Going to the games were fun, and just being able to be at the ballpark instead of anywhere else is victory enough. I was able to spend fun times with my kids and other families were able to do the same. Below is the link to the Whitecaps 2010 promotional video, so everyone can get a feel for a game at Fifth Third Ballpark. I also posted pics from throughout the season of the Whitecaps, Crash, and staff at children’s hospitals, veteran’s hospitals, and other appearances around town. To these folks I think they would say it was a great season.
Whitecaps 2010 Promotional Video
Ph
Phtos courtesy of the West Michigan Whitecaps
Playoffs Are Here!
Despite ending the first half of the season in last place, the re-vamped West Michigan Whitecaps clinched a wild card playoff spot due to their second half performance. They were a dreadfull 26-43 in the first half and have a franchise worst 76 losses overall. The ‘Caps turned things around, however, going on a 26-12 tear since July 28. This is the seventh year in a row West Michigan will be involved in the Midwest League’s post season, and the 14th time in the franchises’ 17 year history. Whitecaps’ manager Joe DePastino said there absolutely is no complacency that his team is just happy to make the playoffs after dropping to as many as 29 games under .500 in late July.
“None at all,” DePastino said. “When you’ve gone from rock bottom to where we’re at, you want to win it all. These guys want to win it. To do what they’ve done, they would be disappointed if they didn’t finish it off with a championship.”
The Whitecaps might not be favored to win the MWL title, but may have as good a chance as any team. They start tonight at home against the Lake County Captains who finished first overall in the first half, but finished below West Michigan in the second stanza. The ‘Caps played the Captains more than any other team this season (21 times!), and are 7-5 against them since the All Star break. What could be interesting here, is if Lake County activates former ‘Caps All Star pitcher Giovanny Soto who the Indians organization picked up the Jhonny Peralta deal. If the ‘Caps can slip past the first round matchup, it’s possible they could play in-state rival Great Lakes Loons who, at 90-49, have the best record in professional baseball. This won’t scare the Whitecaps too much, though, as they went 7-5 against them in the second half.
Game 1: Whitecaps 2, Captains 4
Game 2: Whitecaps 8, Captains 0
Game 3: Whitecaps 2, Captains 3-Whitecaps Eliminated
Captains go on to win Midwest League Championship
Meanwhile, north of Grand Rapids up in Traverse City, the Beach Bums are making history of their own. Ending the regular season on a three game winning streak at home, the Bums qualify for the Frontier League playoffs for the first time in their five year history. They snagged the wild card bid with a 7-0 romping of the Washington Wild Things on the 4th, and ended the regular season in dramaitic fashion beating the Wild Things again the next night 4-3. Their first playoff game is on the 9th, while hosting the Windy City Thunderbolts on September 11-12. Good luck to both teams, and I’ll be updating this post with the results.
Game 1: Beach Bums 1, Thunderbolts 5
Game 2: Beach Bums 9, Thunderbolts 2
Game 3: Beach Bums 5, Thunderbolts 3-Bums advance to Championship Series
Game 1: Beach Bums 5, River City Rascals 3
Game 2: Beach Bums 0, River City Rascals 8
Game 3: Beach Bums 2, River City Rascals 6
Game 4: Beach Bums 0, River City Rascals 2-Rascals Frontier League Champions
Photos courtesy of West Michigan Whitecaps and Traverse City Beach Bums
Minoring In Baseball 