Tagged: West Michigan Whitecaps
Hurray for Opening Day
Heading downstate, I wasn’t very optimistic about this game actually taking place, as all the weather reports called for thunder storms. The baseball gods must have felt generous, though, and after the first three games of the season were postponed from Lansing, the Whitecaps and Lugnuts were finally able to kick the season off in Comstock Park. The sun was shining as I packed the kids kid in the car. The boys stayed back at my sisters due to illness, so I got to spend the day at the ball park with my favorite girl (my daughter, not Avril Lavigne). The weather was sunny as we played catch in the parking lot before the gates opened at 11:00 a.m. When we were finally let into the ball park our sences were overloaded with the smells of popcorn, hot dogs, and freshly cut grass as we recieved out free hats and found our seats. Lily played at the park for a bit before we got in line for autographs on the field at 12:15 p.m. They only allowed about fifteen minutes on the field, so we had to hustle to get her baseball and cards signed. Lily did get to meet the Tigers number two prospect Nick Castellanos and former Major Leaguers Ben Oglivie and Ernie Young. The rest of the day was perfect for baseball, topping low 80’s (a record high for the ‘Caps openers) with a nice breeze for us to enjoy the action.
The game itself was a real pitchers duel, with the Whitecaps winning 13-12 with a walk-off hit in the ninth. Trailing 12-7, they scored the last six runs of the game for the win. West Michigan battled back with a seventh inning two-run homer by Luis Castillo, and a three-run shot by James Robbins to even the score in inning eight. In the ninth inning, Dixon Machado stole second and scored the winning run on a two-out base hit by Rob Brantly. Machado was 4-5 on the day with a stolen base and three runs scored. Brantley went 2-4 with the home run and a two-run double. Bruce Rondon came on in the ninth to close the door and earn the win.
I simply can’t wait for the next ball game we can make it too. Just another month until our trip in May, which will include a Whitecaps game, too.
Photos property of M.I.B.
Tigers, Whitecaps set 2011 Roster
The Detroit Tigers organization along with the West Michigan Whitecaps have set the opening day roster which includes ten returning players and seven that are on Baseball America’s top prospect list. This will be a young team just like last year, with six teenagers being asigned to Detroit’s Single-A affilate in Grand Rapids.
The top prospect making the team is third baseman Nick
Castellanos (pictured), who is ranked number two on Detroit’s list after former ‘Cap Jacob Turner. The 19 year old was Detroit’s first pick and 44th overall in 2010. Castellanos impressed scouts at the 2009 Under Armor All-American Game at Wrigley Field where he won the home run derby and was named Player of the Game after hitting 4-4 with four doubles. Playing at Archbishop McCarthy High School in Florida, he was named 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year after hitting .542, 41 RBI’s, six homers, and 22 steals.
Other prospects joining this years club are relief pitcher Bruce Rondon, catcher Rob Brantley, shortstop Dixon Machado (sweet baseball name btw), and starting pitchers Kyle Ryan and Ramon Lebron.
The amount of young talent has first year Whitecaps manager Ernie Young optimistic about the upcoming season. He told the Grand Rapids Press: “It’s going to be and exciting group of guys. We’re going to do a lot of things baseball-wise–we’re going to hit-and-run, steal and take extra bases. We’re going to do little things to help us become a better ball club.”
Returnig to West Michigan are Brantly, Lebron, Antonio Cruz, Shawn Teufel, Patrick Cooper, Jordan Pratt, Luis Alberto Sanz, Hernan Perez, Jimmy Gulliver and Jeff Rowland.
Photo courtesy of Grand Rapids Press
Villarreal for Real
A suprise out of this seasons Tigers spring training camp was pitcher Brayan Villarreal. The hard throwing right-hander was thrilled yesterday to find he made Detroits 25-man roster. After hearing the good news, the 23 year old from Venezuela immediately called his parents.
“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time,” Villarreal stated. “It feels really, really good. I can’t say how good I feel. My mom and dad were just so happy. They said ‘You deserve it; you worked hard. I am proud’.”
Villarreal pitched in five games for the Tigers this spring, earning one save, striking out four, and had a 5.06 ERA. I was able to see him pitch against the Peoria Chiefs back in 2009 while he was with the Whitecaps. In that outing he pitched five scoreless innings and had a measely 1.06 ERA at the time.
Also making the cut on Saturday are outfielders Casper Wells and Brennan Boesch. Niether player made last years team out of spring training, but did well when they were called up.
“This is tremendous,” Wells said. “It’s a stepping stone to what I hope to accomplish. And it’s really nice to break camp with the team. I grew up following the Yankees, and went to games at old Yankee Stadium. This will be my first time at the new Yankee Stadium, and I can’t wait.”
In 36 games last season, Wells batted .323 and manager Jim Leyland stated he had the second best outfield glove on the team behind Austin Jackson. Boesch batted .256 last season, and led all American League rookies with 14 home runs and 67 RBI’s.
Boesch stated, “It’s the first time breaking camp with the team and that’s cool. It’s and honor and everything. But I fully expected to be here. I did a few things last year, but I also know competition is good for the organization, and I never have a problem with competing.”
These players join former Whitecaps Alex Avila, Brandon Inge, Joel Zumaya, Ramon Santiago, Don Kelly, Ryan Raburn, and Will Rhymes (who won out the second base job) on Detroit’s Opening Day roster. That’s a pretty impressive list of former ‘Caps. Good luck to all these guys, as there success should be wins for the Tigers.
Photo property of M.I.B
Ten Questions with Casey Crosby
Another segment from MiLB.com‘s Ten Questions asked by Robert Emrich to Detroit Tigers prospect and former West Michigan Whitecap Casey Crosby. Crosby is still high on the Tigers prospect list, despite battling injuries including Tommy John surgery in 2007 (the year he was drafted) and suffering from elbow and forearm discomfort in 2010. He had a solid season for West Michigan in 2009, however, being a mid-season and post-season All-Star, and going 10-4 with a 2.41 ERA.
The Tigers and Crosby are hoping that he’s finally healthy and can climb the latter to the Tigers roster in a few years. I had him slated to start the season with Double-A Erie, but he’s been pitching lights-out in Triple-A games this spring, so there’s a chance of him being assigned to Toledo.
MiLB.com: How frustrating was it to not be able to follow up your excellent 2009 campaign in 2010?
Casey Crosby: It was very disappointing. It was hard for me because, at that point, I knew what I could do, and being unable to perform — that was just a huge disappointment. I just wanted to show everyone that I could perform at the next level.
MiLB.com: What’s the most frustrating part of missing most of 2010?
Crosby: Just the fact that I’m not able to show what I can do, not only other people but myself. You see how good you are, but you also see you’re unable to do it all the time. Last year was just very frustrating and it took its toll on me mentally. Taking this offseason and getting my confidence back heading into Spring Training was a big thing, because I know what I can do.
MiLB.com: What are your goals for 2011?
Crosby: Obviously they are to pitch the whole season and make every start that I’m supposed to. Also I want to continue improving my mental game and my overall performance on the mound. The main thing is mentally I want to be able to handle anything that comes to me in 2011.
MiLB.com: Do you fear you’re going to get a reputation as a pitcher who is always hurt?
Crosby: That’s something you don’t want to think about. You don’t want to think about injuries when you’re playing. When it comes to reputation and being hurt, you just want to take care of yourself and do what you have to do. If people perceive me as a guy that does get hurt that’s fine, but I believe my future will not show that, and I have to believe that.
MiLB.com: What is your favorite off-day activity?
Crosby: If I have an off day, you’ll probably see me at the movies. The last movie I saw was Hall Pass and I thought it was really funny, absolutely hilarious. My favorite movie is probably Dumb and Dumber. I’m a fan of comedies and Jim Carrey. Dumb and Dumber — the first time I saw it I never laughed so hard in my life.
MiLB.com: Since you grew up a Cubs fan, were you grateful to be drafted by a non-rival team? Is getting to play close to home a big deal for you?
Crosby: I really didn’t care. If I got drafted by the Cardinals, I don’t care — it’s still an amazing feeling. Hopefully in the future, I’ll get a good crack at the White Sox. Definitely, I was in West Michigan in 2009, and it’s only about three-and-a-half hours away. My family came and saw me quite a bit, especially my grandma and dad. My grandma is 83, 84 years old, but she still traveled three to four hours to see her grandson play. That’s a pretty cool feeling.
MiLB.com: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Crosby: The best advice I’ve received is to phase out all the outside distractions and things you can’t control. Just trust your ability and everything will take care of itself. Don’t think ‘If I throw this, what will happen?’ And if you don’t succeed, don’t regret what you did. I just remember someone telling me that and I just stuck with it.
MiLB.com: If you hadn’t been a baseball player, what do you think you would have ended up doing?
Crosby: Something in business, like business financing. I like dealing with numbers and handling banking stuff. I’d probably be going to school for business.
MiLB.com: What do you think your best pitch is, and what pitch do you think needs the most work?
Crosby: It’s hard to go against a fastball, but my curveball is something that I can finally locate and it’s something that is my out pitch. It’s close, but I’m still going to go with my fastball. It’s nice knowing that I have that in my repertoire. I feel like my changeup is improving; I feel like I’m throwing that for strikes more. That’s something I’m going to use a lot this year. My four-seam fastball doesn’t do a lot of dancing or moving; it’s pretty much straight. I want to be able to throw my two-seam fastball and get an easy groundball out. My two-seamer isn’t there yet, but it’s something I am looking to improve on.
MiLB.com: You were 10-4, had an ERA of 2.41 and one of the best strikeout rates in the Minors in 2009. What stat from that season were you most proud of?
Crosby: I would have to say, if I didn’t have that blister the last three weeks of the year, I’d have to say my innings pitched. Actually, the thing I’m most proud of were my second-half numbers. They were a lot better than my first half, my ERA and strikeouts per nine innings were so much better. I was coming back from Tommy John surgery, and the fact that I was improving more and more was huge to me.
Photo courtesy of the West Michigan Whitecaps
Ya Just Never Know…
One of the fun things about gearing up for our 2011 travels, is wondering what players we’ll be able to watch who might make it to the big leagues. It takes some players longer to make than others, but some guys just seem to stand out. Last season while in Cedar Rapids, we were lucky enough to watch Mike Trout play, who has been named the top prospect in baseball. His lead-off homer was impressive, but what impressed me more was his attitude. He was nice enough to sign a program for my son who was an Angels fan at the time (he bounces back between the Angels and Cubs..don’t ask). We sat right behind the on deck circle, and our conversation with Mike started when my dad asked him why he had his name and number on his shoes, while his teammates didn’t. He kindly explained that he was their top draft pick and this was part of his deal. He had his own little cheering section which he rewarded with a game ball. It’s nice to see players at this level without the big egos and attitudes. Trout genually seemed gratefull for his fans and to be playing. The next day in DeMoines we saw Hall of Famers Ryne Sandburg again. You really can’t go wrong meeting these guys. We also met some of the Whitecaps players later in the summer, and being a Tigers fan it’s fun to watch these guys progress though the system. So next time you’re travelling by a Minor League ballpark, stop in for a game. Ya just never know who you might see play.
Photos property of M.I.B.
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.
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
Minoring In Baseball 