Stade Municipal (Quebec)

Quebec Capitales, American Association

10/10

Firstly, I did not even own a camera at this point and as a result, have no photos. I will write at least a thousand words to make up for it.

Stade Municipal was the 6th pro ballpark I ever went to, back when I didn't go on Baseball specific trips, outside of the odd run to Seattle.  I was in Quebec for a month long course and made a point of looking to see if the local nine were in town, or even started. I was more than happy to note that the Capitales started their season the last weekend I was there. I went to two games here, one was opening night, on a Thursday, against the now-defunct New Haven Cutters. The second was the Sunday afternoon tilt. I had no idea what to expect, as I'd never been to an Independent league game and hadn't been to a minor league park since Telus Field, 6 years before. I ended up thoroughly enjoying my two games.

The park itself is a 1930's era ballpark. It definitely has a rustic feel to it. There is also a Stade Municipal in Trois-Rivieres(about an hour east of Montreal) that is exactly the same park, that park also hosts a team in the CanAm, Les Aigles(Eagles) who just finished their first season in 2013 and will be back for a second. I only found out while writing this article that the four CanAm teams have been absorbed into the American Association and will form their own CanAm Division starting with the 2014 season. It's not a total surprise though, as they had been playing an interlocking schedule for a few years now and with the league down to just four teams, it makes sense.

Probably my favourite thing about the Capitales was the atmosphere. With 2005 being the first season without the Expos, the Caps were Quebec's lone pro ballclub. The fans in attendance were clearly very interested in baseball above all else. When the Capitales needed a late inning rally, fans in Le Dugout Molson Ex began banging on empty seats, making quite a bit of noise. The announcements for the game were in French and English. Someone who only spoke English would have no trouble following along. My two games were opening night, on a Thursday, which was well attended and a sunday afternoon that saw a very light rain for most of the game. Some of my neighbours(who refused to stand for The Star Spangled Banner, haven't seen that before or since) asked me later on where New Haven actually was. It's in Connecticut. George Bush the elder played some college baseball there for Yale.

Concessions were simple, but cheap and of good quality. Ordering in English is ok, as most of the workers are students working summer jobs, but patience is a must, as you may not be understood the first time. There is some parking in the area, but it's possible to walk along the St. Charles river to go to the park, although at half an hour from downtown, it could be too long for some.

Overall, a trip to Stade Municipal is a pleasant outing, to a baseball first, classic ballpark. The atmosphere is just an added plus. For those who haven't been to Quebec, it's a good way to experience the province in only a few hours, although I'd highly suggest staying for longer. I give this park a 9/10, with the only knock being that it was a little dirty when I went, especially considering it was opening night. I would love to make a return trip and with parks now in Trois-Rivieres and plans for a second try at Independent baseball in Ottawa, it may be part of an all-Canadian road trip in the future.

Update 2016: The Capitales are still in the CanAm League, which has stopped the interlocking schedule with the American Association. If I re-rated the park according to the new scoring system, according to my 11 year old memory, I'd have to give it a point for each of Facility, Atmosphere and Food. I'd really like to go back this summer, it's been much too long.

Linescores
I have searched high and low for the scores of my two games here in 2005, with no luck to date.

Hi Corbett Field

Arizona Wildcats (Pac-12)

No Rating

A photo stop at Hi Corbett in 2010 shows how the main tenants at the time were the Colorado Rockies for Spring Training and the Tucson Toros of the Golden League for summer baseball. 2010 was the last year for both.

                

A nice usher let us in to have a look, as long as we stayed in sight of him. You can see how the stadium was expanded a few times from this one.

2012 saw Hi Corbett alive with Spring Baseball again, as the Arizona Wildcats moved in. Here, a pause between innings versus Stanford.

                    
Firstly, I didn't rate Hi Corbett, because I have only seen a few college games there, still, I did see enough to write a review. Consider it an exchange.

I first saw Hi Corbett the way most people saw it, on the screen as the Spring Home of the Cleveland Indians in the baseball cinema classic Major League. I remember Willie Mays Hayes doing his happy dance outside the front entrance. I first saw it in person in 2010, when we made a photo stop between the Pima Air and Space museum and a quick bite at Jack in the Box. The Rockies were out of town for the day, but due to play the Dodgers the next afternoon. The park is more a collection of different stands than one big unit. There's the main grandstand, under a roof, to large bleachers offset to either side and smaller metal ones beyond that. The Rockies were due to leave for 2011, when they moved to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, along with the other team in Tucson at that point, the Arizona Diamondbacks. The move ended Hi Corbett's run of 65(!) seasons of Spring Training between the Rockies and Indians. The local independent league team, the Tucson Toros of the Golden League, packed up after 2010, when it was revealed that the Portland Beavers would be moving to town for a 1 year pit stop as the Tucson Padres(they ended up staying for 3). The Padres ended up playing at Tucson Electric Park, although Hi Corbett was their first choice, with negotiations breaking down.

I made a point of travelling back in 2012 when I had seen all the Cactus League parks and wanted to pick up a game. I arrived late thanks to the Phoenix traffic and found out about something I noted in 2010: there isn't much parking. I highly recommend arriving early. The park itself is a nice place to watch a game. There is a relatively thick screen though, with large posts. I found moving up high on the third base side to be a smart move, you could see the whole field well, which is important, because this park is quite large. The college ballgame can be a lot of fun at the right place, Hi Corbett is one of them. The atmosphere was a good mix of baseball and college shenanigans(including a drunken student singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame). Old Park, good crowd, cheap everything, and a product that translates to somewhere between Rookie and Short Season A for the major conferences. I enjoyed my time here and if I was rating it, would give it an 8 or 9. I'm even considering a trip back just for the atmosphere.

Update 2016: I went back here in 2014 for another Wildcat game against Oregon State. I found out about something I didn't notice in 2012, the sun shines into the seats in the afternoon and it is very hot. The 2012 Wildcats ended up winning the College World Series. Pro baseball is giving Tucson another try this summer, with a Pecos League team setting up at Tucson Electric Park.

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

Arizona Diamonbacks/ Colorado Rockies (Spring Training)

9/10

The exterior of this one kind of defies convention. I've been here three times and tried multiple angles, but this one I like best.

Finally got a good home plate photo of this one. This was a nice day.

A sizeable crowd sees the Rockies host the Mariners on a pleasant Arizona evening.

I went first went to Salt River in 2011, going straight from the airport to a night game between the Mariners and Rockies. Salt River fields were the talk of Spring Training that year, as its opening meant the end of Spring Training in Tucson, as the Diamondbacks moved there from Tucson Electric Park and the Rockies from Hi Corbett Stadium. In a word, this place is elaborate. Built on the Salt River Indian Reservation, in the Scottsdale area, the stadium seats 11,000, but has been known to squeeze in a thousand or so more. It is very popular, but also expensive, which is the biggest knock I have against it. Still, it is likely the class of the Cactus League at the moment, and was the scheduled as the site of two group games for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, with one moving to Chase Field at the last second due to weather. This is where Italy upset Mexico, to send the Phoenix group on the tournament into disarray. I've been to two Cactus League games and a fall league contest at last count.

But, even if it is expensive, there's a lot about Salt River I like. The layout of the seating is quite good, with a high capacity, but it still feels like there's enough room to be comfortable, with the spectators well spread out, which means it takes a few seconds to get to your seat. Sight lines are good and watching the game is an enjoyable experience. Parking is a bit of a pain, but there are enough spots and some of the farther lots are free, to make it a little easier to swallow. Speaking of easy to swallow, the food here, while expensive, is perhaps the best in the Cactus League. Bison Hot Dogs, numerous varieties of actual ice cream and many other terrific choices make Salt River a park you just have to grab a meal at. The games here are well attended, especially when Arizona is in action. A combination of locals going to their nearest park, fans from across the valley going to their favourite and the usual crowd following the visitors, Salt River has a pretty good atmosphere. It's one of two parks off the top of my head that looks like a strictly Cactus league park instead of a Triple-A park like some of the others.

Overall, Salt River is a good one to visit if you haven't been, or are in the area, but it is a bit of a chore to repeatedly justify the drive over from the western suburbs of Phoenix.

Update 2016: I got some newer pictures here in 2015. I've also been here 4 times now, for 3 cactus league games and one in the fall league. I upped the rating to a 9. The food here is great, I've had a Bison Hot Dog, Garlic Knots, Pizza and I'm not sure what else. A little expensive, but all good. Also, the facility itself is still impressive. Only the atmosphere wasn't amazing, and it was par for the course for the Cactus. Still, I wish I'd been able to sneak another game or two in here.


Linescores

2011-03-23
                     123   456     789   RHE
Seattle           001   020     020   580
Colorado        005   010     00x   661
Temp: N/A  Time:  2:45 Att: 12,261

2011-10-05
                                123      456    789      R  H E
Peoria Javelinas         011     260     300      13 15 0
Salt River Rafters       000     070     000       7  8   2
Temp: 80F   Time: 3:14   Att: 479

2012-03-24
                           123      456     789     R  H  E
Kansas City          200     001     300     6  12  2
Arizona                 000     102     020     5  12  0
Temp: N/A   Time: 3:01  Att: 12,513

2015-03-27
                         123      456      789     RHE
Cleveland            000     000      011      241
Arizona              100     000      02x      381
Temp: N/A     Time: 2:42   Att:  11,537

Royal Athletic Park

Vacant

6/10

The exterior of the relatively modest park is equally modest.

On this summer night before a home game vs. the Chico Outlaws, the field was in great shape. However, this wasn't always the case.

One of the bigger crowds of the 2010 season watches the home opener against Maui.

I let out a big sigh before I started to write this. Victoria is my hometown, and while it's a hotbed for baseball, it doesn't have a good track record when it comes to most kinds of teams. Victoria had the Northwest League for 3 years in the late 70s/early 80s, then Royal Athletic Park(RAP) saw semi-professional fastball(softball) as the summer tenant for many years. But, in the 2000s, pro baseball came back....for about 5 minutes, as the Canadian Baseball League's Victoria Capitals played for two months before the league folded. I never went to a game in person, as I was working on the east coast at the time, but did see them play a road game against Trois-Rivieres on TV, for one inning, before it was rained out. The Capitals did poorly on the field, finishing the short season in last, but had the best attendance in the league, averaging 1,700 a game.

After a 1 year run in summer league baseball(I went to the opening game and never went back), Victoria was awarded a franchise in the Golden Baseball League in 2009. The Seals, as they branded themselves, would play home games at RAP. I went to a getaway game against the Yuma Scorpions my only time that season, but it just never fit into my schedule and I couldn't be convinced that they'd even be around the next season. But, they finished an entire pro season in Victoria, for the first one in nearly 30 years and that off season, I suddenly became interested.

In 2010, I went to the home opener against Maui, a sparsely attended mid week game against the Orange County Flyers and their apparently potty-mouthed manager, Paul Abbott, Military Appreciation day against the Calgary Vipers, A June game against the bottom-feeding Tijuana Cimarrones, the Canadian debut of the "Knuckle Princess", Eri Yosihda and the Chico Outlaws and my going-away party, against the Tucson Toros. I left for work in August of 2010 and missed the rest of the year. While I was still gone in early December, I got a text from my brother that the Seals had folded.

The park itself is a big rectangle, with an L-shaped grandstand that starts off on the third base side, before meeting a wall where the soccer/football grandstand is. Some kids sat in the soccer stands against Maui and around 500 people were in for the Yoshida game, which drew around 5,000 people.

That's around the time when things came to a head in Victoria. The ownership of the Seals scored a bit of a coup by getting Yoshida to pitch a road game, when the Outlaws came to Victoria for a mid-summer roadtrip. The Seals promoted the game well and drew their largest crowd ever, by a wide margin, even exceeding the number of people that could be comfortably seated for baseball.

Bonus Picture: The seats are jam packed against Chico.

 This is the long side of the L, the short side was full too.

But, the problem that soon emerged was the same problem they'd had all year, the concessions were very slow. The Seals were a tenant of the city at RAP, which meant that concession staff didn't work for the team, which meant staffing levels were set by the city. When the team tried to have the city call in extra staff(whether this was before or during the game I don't know), they refused and lines ended up being nearly 2 innings long for pretty much anything, with items selling completely out.

This was one of a few issues with RAP the Seals had, the other was the condition of the field, namely, the temporary outfield fence. The city insisted that the fence be able to be removed, so the outfield could be used with the rest of the soccer field while the Seals were away. The Seals, wanted something more permanent for the entire season, but removable for the winter.  The pitcher's mound was in such bad shape for a game against Calgary during a rainy May that a relief pitcher for the Seals came out and ended up borrowing the tools of the befuddled grounds crew to fix it himself.

These issues became even more important when the Seals discovered that the Golden League would merge into the North American League the next season and travel costs were likely to go up. Apparently, building their own park in suburban Langford was considered, but never went anywhere and the Seals folded. Their rights were purchased by a group that intended to set up shop in Fort McMurray, Alberta, a rough and tumble oil town of around 75,000 with a brand new rec complex, but that didn't go anywhere, especially with Calgary going broke and Edmonton suspending operations.

Anyway, especially in their last year, the Seals gave RAP the feel of a legit minor league ballpark, which, considering the commissioner of Minor League Baseball once reportedly said it would be one of the three worst facilities in the whole of MiLB if the Portland Rockies moved there, says a lot(The Rockies became the Tri-City Dust Devils, more on them later). The food, if you could get some, wasn't bad, as a local sports bar had a BBQ pit on the third base side, which wasn't well advertised. The beer was fantastic local microbrews. The park looks old and dingy. There isn't one stadium seat in the entire place, but the atmosphere was electric and almost always about baseball, which is like a precious gem these days. Casual sports fans in Victoria don't go to baseball games, but baseball people do. The park is quite old and I would have hoped if the Seals could have strung together a few good years, a baseball-specific stadium would have been built. Sadly, they are gone and with Independent level baseball well and truly dead in the Northwest, it looks like Victoria's last pro ballclub.

But, there is some relief, as the Victoria HarbourCats of the summer league West Coast League, just finished their first season, hosting the WCL all star game and finishing 2nd in attendance averaging around 1,400, which for summer league isn't bad at all. Still, memories of summer nights at RAP in 2010 will always be amongst my most precious in baseball.

Update 2016: The HarbourCats continue to draw well, averaging 1,900 this past season, best in the WCL. This is still around a thousand less than the 2,957 the Seals drew in 2010. This is ahead of 4 teams in the NWL for 2015, with 45 home dates compared to 38. Victoria would be a great market for the NWL, minus the travel and the unsuitable ballpark. 

This place must be rescored, a little more realistically. Firstly, the facility is inadequate for any level of professional baseball. The fence isn't permanent, there weren't any actual seats anywhere(there might be now) and it's mostly wood and concrete. The concessions, while having some good options, suffered from a reputation for slow/poor service, as even a crowd of 3,500 led to long lines. The atmosphere here was great though, people in town are big on baseball and it showed when you went here. I give it a point for atmosphere, but take a point for facility and food, leaving a 6 as the new(and likely more accurate) score.

The team ended up leaving not just because of the concession issue, but because they simply didn't make enough money, as the city took most of the revenues generated and with a 1.2 million dollar budget, the team simply didn't come close to breaking even. Hopefully, someday somehow, the region gets a better facility with a better business model. Until then, the Cats will continue to draw well.

Linescores

2009-07-09

                            123    456    789   R H E

Yuma Scorpions    101   012    101     7 13 0

Victoria Seals        020   000    010    3 5 1

Temp: 19C  Time: 2:38  Att: 2,846 

2010-05-21

                                    123   456     789    RHE

Maui Na Koa Ikaika        001  001    000    271  

Victoria Seals                012  101    00x    592

Temp:13 C  Time:  3:02  Att: 3,521

Temp is Afternoon High

2010-05-27

                                            123   456   789    R H E

Orange County Flyers             000  400   101   6  13  4

Victoria Seals                        301  000    310    8 7 4

Temp: 14C  Time: 3:25  Att: 1,157

Temp is Afternoon High 

2010-06-08

                           123    456   789    RHE

Calgary Vipers      011   110   101     6 10 2

Victoria Seals       000   101   001     3 6 2

Temp: 15C  Time: N/A Att: 2,537

2010-07-02

                                     123    4  5  6  789      R H E

Tijuana Cimarrones          100   0  0  0   000      1 8 1

Victoria Seals                  000   0 11 0   100     12 11 0 

Temp: 17C Time:  3:48   Att: 4,310

Temp is Afternoon High

2010-07-29

                            123    456   789   R  H  E

Chico Outlaws        210   021   000   6   10  1   

Victoria Seals         063   100   020   12  6  2

Temp: 18C   Time: N/A  Att: 4,763

Temp is Afternoon High

2010-08-06 

                           123   456   789   R H E

Tucson Toros        000   023    201  8 13 2

Victoria Seals       001   000    020  3 6  2 

Temp: 16C  Time: 3:07  Att: 1,623

Temp is Afternoon High

PGE Park

Vacant

8/10

The exterior of the Stadium was one of the best features.Ivy, a old-fashioned neon sign and a schedule out front? Absolutely.

                                   

From the street, prior to the gates opening. You can see how much of PGE was in a hole.

         The giant, ivy colored wall and hand-operated scoreboard were unique touches.Was that giant bell for homeruns? I didn't see one, so I'm not sure.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Oregon minor league team leaves old-time ballpark for uncertain future(Eugene?).  I drove to Portland from Everett, not a very long drive at all and took in a game featuring the Portland Beavers, who were the San Diego AAA affiliate at the time and the Tacoma Rainiers. I stopped in the southern suburbs of Portland and drove all the way to San Francisco the next night.

This place is also a depression-era park, it’s a unique setup as it’s built on a slight hill, so the park is sunken below street level. The concourse isn’t usually a favourite of mine, but this one looks great, has good souvenir stands and lots of food options, definitely a plus. But, there must be progress. The Beavs’ summer roommates, the Portland Timbers soccer team moved into Major League Soccer in 2011. One of the caveats? No more turf and no more dirt. So the Beavers had to move. There was talk of going to Beaverton, Oregon, there was also a possible temporary home at the Clark County Fairgrounds in nearby Vancouver, Washington, across the Columbia.

Still, the Beavers' attendance at PGE(Now JeldWen Field) was terrible, as they drew under 7,000 for their home opener in 2010. I couldn't believe it was so poorly attended. “I’d hate to see Portland get their team taken away after fighting to get them back” was what I said when I reviewed the park in 2010 after a 2009 visit, but that’s exactly what happened. The team and city couldn’t settle on a new site for a stadium, and the Beavers were sold to a group that will have them play in Tucson for 2011, then Escondido(a suburb of San Diego) for 2012 in a new park. Such are the ups and downs of having a minor-league ballclub.

As of 2014, this team finally has a permanent home. The plan to build a park in suburban San Diego failed to gain support from local legislators, once their preferred method of financing was shut down by the state government, so, the Tucson Padres, as the Beavers became, ended up making a three year run from 2011-2013 before finally building a park in El Paso, TX and taking the name, the El Paso Chihuahuas.

The area around PGE was residential, I can’t think of too many others where’s that’s the case. Large condo buildings, a hotel and a gym(The Multnomah Athletic Club, which has a seating area overlooking the park) are in the neighbourhood, as is a stop for the MAX light rail, so if you’re set up to stay the night in Portland, take the train to the park. There is a decent looking sports bar in the basement of a condo building on Morrison Street. Parking was in a parkade across the street and was around 15 bucks, but there were so few people in the area that it was ok to get out.

It was quite empty, but it’s a nice park. There's so many unique quirks, the layout is pleasant and shows the results of some prudent renovations the last time the Beavers moved away. Don't even get me started about the feral cat colony for pest control(didn't see one). There is an electronic video board, but it’s small enough that it augments the nice hand operate scoreboard in left. The park being in the middle of the city is always a plus in my book, that’s where they belong. There are plenty of places to hang out before or after the ballgame. 

The only criticism of the park that I had was the relatively poor attendance, which is one of the reasons they left town, still everything else was top notch. It was a pretty place to watch a ballgame and is probably one of my top 5 parks period.

Update 2016: In the end, the Chihuahuas, as they're now known, got a shiny new ballpark in El Paso, Texas. PGE Park is now Jeld-Wen Field and home to Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers, who won the 2015 MLS Cup. There is a whole new stand across the former outfield, plus a grass field. Both the franchise and city seem better off without one another.

I have had to seriously revise the rating here though from a 10, down to an 8. While there's no doubt in my mind of PGE being a good ballpark, the atmosphere was lacking, as only 4,000 in a stadium like that seemed empty. The only other person in my section left very early. I also didn't eat here, my fault, but I don't give out the food point if I didn't. It's still too bad things didn't work out, but at least with Hillsboro's new park, there's an option for local fans.

Linescore:
2009-08-26
                                          123     456     789  10   RHE
Tacoma Rainiers(SEA)         000     001     000   1    250
Portland Beavers(SD)           001     000     000   0   160
Temp:81F   Time: 2:57  Att: 4,052

Suplizio Field

Grand Junction Rockies, Pioneer League

8/10

 Like other parks of this type, Suplizio Field shares an entrance with the football stadium next door.

This park has a ton of seats, this is from the back behind home plate.

The giant shared press box/suites for Baseball and Football.

I stopped in Grand Junction after driving all day from suburban Phoenix. I arrived late, during the third inning, of a game between the "GJ Rockies" and the Ogden Raptors, the LA Dodgers' affiliate. The team was in their 2nd season in Grand Junction, around 2 and a half hours west of Denver, after moving from Casper, Wyoming, where the team drew around 1,400 a game, 7th of 8 in attendance. The team was lured to the area by extensive renovations to Suplizio Field, which also hosts the Junior College World Series. The stadium has a similar setup to Hillsboro Ballpark, where the ballpark shares entrances and some concourse with a football stadium next door, only at Suplizio, it joins on the first base side.

Parking's a bit of a nightmare, the lots were filled when I got there, so thanks to my ballparking experience, I bailed, rather than searching for that elusive "only unoccupied spot in the parking lot" and parked a few blocks away, for free on the street.

The extensive renovations to this park entailed firstly rebuilding the shared grandstand down the first base line, which is actually where all the season's ticket holder sit, in seats with backs on them. The press boxes and suites are in this building too. It towers over the field and does an effective job of blocking the football stadium from view. Then, they put in all new bleacher style seating all the way from just to the right of home plate, around to the left field foul pole. Then, a bleacher section in left field put the capacity way up to 12,000 people. This has the unintended effect of having the cheapest seats have some of the best views, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The only knock on them is that there isn't much room between rows, I'm glad I sat at the end of mine.

I stayed for around 2/3rds of the game in my original seat at the back of the section behind home plate, then moved down the third base line. I ended up with two foul balls, both of which ended up with kids. The atmosphere was not bad, with all the season ticket/suite types in their own little world by 1st base, the rest of the park was left for the unwashed masses. A large group of kids were led in cheers by the mascot, who otherwise kept to himself. Concessions were cheap, with good quality, but pretty bad lines, which confused me all the more considering the park had a crowd of around 3,000. I'm sure the lines for the JUCO tournament get very bad. When I went to leave, the concourse was blocked to allow the home side into their clubhouse, like in Hillsboro, which I though made way more sense than parading the visitors past the crowd.

The game went into extras and ended with one of the more anticlimactic plays in baseball, the walk-off walk. Oh well, at least I saw 9 innings.

The attendance at Suplizio puts the baby Rockies into the middle of the pack in the PBL, after being stuck in 7th, beating only Helena. The attendance is still roughly doubled from Casper, which makes the move look pretty good. I'd say the atmosphere puts this one up to an 8. It's relatively new, but it's quirky setup and interested fans give it some personality that other new parks sorely lack.  I would absolutely go back if the opportunity presented itself.

Update 2016: Not much to offer in the way of updates here. Attendance has slipped to an average of 2,100, good enough for 6th of 8 teams, but still almost twice as many as the bottom two clubs. The team was also named the best Short Season franchise in the minors by Baseball America, based on how the team is run, community involvement and so on. 

Linescore
2013-09-04
                                                      123    456     789  10  11   R H E
Ogden Raptors(LAD)                        101    051     210   0    0   11 16 1
Grand Junction Rockies(COL)           103    104     101   0    1   12 16 6
Temp: 95F   Time: 3:56   Att: 2,289

Telus Field

Vacant

6/10

The park actually has a relatively pleasant, redbrick exterior.

Then you get inside....with the turf infield and grass outfield. A sunny June afternoon saw the Edmonton Capitals play the Lake County Fielders.

                                

Here you can see the unusual configuration of the field, seats on top, suites on the bottom.

We went here for two games(I think in 1998 or 99) to watch the Edmonton Trappers play the Vancouver Canadians during Vancouver's final year in Triple A when we went on a Vacation to Edmonton. The Trappers were either an A's or Angel affiliate at the time. The field was a still unique to me with the combination of a grass outfield and a turf infield. Not too sure why. Attendance was higher the second game, because Chubby Checker had a post-game concert. That’s right, the King of the Twist, reduced to AAA post-game entertainment, plus fireworks.

Eventually, the Trappers moved away, after getting a few more years than Calgary, thanks to building this new park. They were replaced by an independent team in the Northern League, the Edmonton Cracker Cats. The 'Cats moved to the Golden League after 4 seasons and after one there, became the Capitals under new ownership. After two more seasons in the GBL, the Capitals took to the field with their new counterparts from the remnants of the Northern League and the United League for the North American League's first and subsequently only season.

I went back in 2011, with Edmonton now the closest park to my house. The Capitals were in the first month of the inaugural North American League season and playing the Lake County Fielders. The park is a very nice facility, with a brick façade and roomy concourse, it’s a legitimate minor-league park. They STILL had the turf infield with actual outfield which is a bit ugly. I would go back to see the Capitals play the Chico Outlaws, the Yuma Scorpions twice(even seeing an aged Jose Canseco whiff going for a homerun), the Calgary Vipers, then the Rio Grande Valley Whitewings for the NAL flag. That series was played entirely in Edmonton with the Whitewings having to borrow players from the San Angelo team they'd just knocked out. This was necessary because many of their Central American players were refused entry visas into Canada. 

Edmonton won in 5 games and never played again, as the entire league slowly withered away over the summer, leaving only just 4 teams lined up for the 2012 season. The Capital's owners, the group that owns the Edmonton Oilers hockey team, elected for a yearlong hiatus, to try and find a new league. As of 2016, that hiatus is ongoing, leading most to consider the team defunct. A big handicap is the lack of progress in Calgary, which most consider essential to having baseball here, as it allowed teams based in the US to rack up 8 or so games with one border crossing.
 
Telus Field hosted the Women's World Baseball Championships in 2012, which drew some large crowds for certain games, but has as the primary tenant, the Edmonton Prospects, a summer league team that averages a few hundred people, but boosts the totals with a few days they almost sell out. The Prospects have been relatively poor in the last few seasons, but have shown slight improvement. I went to a game in 2013, but didn't enjoy it and left early. Apparently the players only enjoyed it so much as towards the end of the 2013 season, the manager and numerous players walked off the team, in protest of how it was run. Their prime example? Not ponying up for a hotel in a city 4 hours away, leading to the team busing back and forth, some late nights and poor results. The team seems a little better run now and went from a .200 record to .450, partially because of bringing on the Capitals old manager. I might be convinced to go back this year.

The city of Edmonton, which owns the field was reportedly considering knocking it down in 2014, to redevelop the entire neighbourhood it's in. This idea got shut down, with the wood bat league continuing to operate.

Telus itself isn't too bad of a park, it was built in the mid 1990s with the hope of keeping the Trappers around, which sort of worked, they played 9 seasons there, before moving to Round Rock, Texas to become the Express. It's a nice looking park on the way in and on the concourse for sure. Concessions are straightforward, but what's there is good and lines are usually short. The atmosphere was quiet when the Capitals were there and for the Prospects, it's limited to friends and relatives most nights. The choice of having the suites on the bottom meant that the whole seating bowl got lifted up, so sight lines aren't as good as they could be. I would take a point off for the stadium because of this, plus the field consisting of a turf/dirt split with the turf looking rock hard. Atmosphere was a half point off as well.

I previously gave Edmonton a 6.5, but I've since bailed on half-points. Is it closer to a 6, or a 7? I'd say 6. It's built where the previous ballpark was, with parking being in a grassy field and not being within a walk of much besides the river valley, there isn't much to do in the area before or after a game. Location is the biggest knock in my opinion. Still, with Edmonton being my home for awhile, I certainly hope the Oil City can lure an Indy league team back soon, but I know I'm hoping for an awful lot.


Update 2016: 2016 brought a deal where the Prospects agreed to operate the park themselves for two years. The city itself seems to have accepted that professional baseball of any kind is no longer viable in Edmonton, largely because of it's location. I left the rating at a 6.

Linescores:

Notes: I cannot find all the games I went to. I had two AAA games here in the late 90's but not much more info. Just looking at the limited players I remember, I think the AAA games here may have been in 1998, or possibly earlier. I may have a program around the house somewhere, it will linger as an unsolved mystery on the blog.

2011-06-11
                                    123    456   789   R H E
Lake County Fielders     002   000   020    4 4 1  
Edmonton Capitals         020  121   02x    8 10 3
Temp: 19C  Time: 2:31  Att: 1,311

 2011-07-23
                                   123    456    789   RHE
Chico Outlaws              001   000     000  180
Edmonton Capitals        023   000     000  552
Temp: 15C   Time: 2:36  Att: 1,373

2011-08-12
                                    123    456   789    R H E
Yuma Scorpions             013   011   100    7 13 0
Edmonton Capitals         021   001  202     8 15 1
Temp: 23C  Time: 3:32  Att: 4,155

2011-08-16                      123    456   789    R H E
Yuma Scorpions             302   402    000    11 17 2
Edmonton Capitals        351   210    11x     14 19 0
Temp: 21C   Time: 3:30  Att: 1,736
Temperature is afternoon high, gametime temp not available

2011-08-25
                                    123    456   789    R H E
Calgary Vipers               100   000   102     4 8 0         
Edmonton Capitals         022    043   00x    11 15 0

Temp: 19c  Time: 2:46  Att: 3,932

2011-09-08
                                                      123    456   789    R H E
Rio Grande Valley Whitewings          000     010   000    1 7 1     
Edmonton Capitals                           101     130   10x   7 12 1
Temp: 29C    Time: 2:50  Att: 3,083

Miller Park

Milwaukee Brewers, National League

8/10

Milwaukee was another park that fell victim to the great camera caper, but rest assured, I went, I have the fridge magnet to prove it.


I swung through Milwaukee after driving from Indiana, back through Chicago(and it`s total gridlock) and up in time for a Saturday night game against the Washington Nationals. The gates opened pretty early, which gave me time to have a look around. The stadium is one of the few newer parks with a retractable roof, similar to Seattle`s Safeco Field or Marlins Park in Miami. I've heard complaints that it is somewhat cavernous, but I honestly enjoyed my visit.

I was looking forward most of all based off my multiple visits to Maryvale Ballpark, the Brewers' spring home. Maryvale has some of the best food and atmosphere you'll find anywhere and the Brewers home field is much the same. People were tailgating on a hot Saturday afternoon in the nearby parking lots and had clearly driven from all over the state to take in the game(as evidenced by stadium cups lying around at a rest stop a few hours away after the game).

The food at Miller was pretty good I have to say and by food, I mean Brats. You must have a Bratwurst at either Miller Park or Maryvale, they're easily the best at any ballpark anywhere. People also enjoyed their beer at Miller, I can't remember if I had one here, but Leinenkugel's is a favourite of mine from Spring Training that's popular in Wisconsin.

The game itself was Negro League night, with the Brewers taking on the colours of the Milwaukee Bears and the Nationals the Homestead Grays. I enjoyed it pretty thoroughly, people were into it and just seemed to really enjoy being there. I thought Miller did a relatively decent job of being an outdoor park with the roof open. Now, Safeco Field is still the best in that regard and I think Phoenix does better too, but Milwaukee is ahead of Toronto in this regard for sure.

The only real drawback to my trip to Miller Park was the Parking. Getting in was easy. Getting out was almost an hour. Showing up early punishes you in the end. Also, leaving the game, Milwaukee had to be the most intoxicated crowd I've ever been around. Even getting out of the parking lot was an adventure, as a drunk thought he'd assist me in getting out by standing in front of me and giving me hand signals(not that hand signal, but still). Overall, I'd say Miller Park is slightly above average, the Brewer fans are some of the most fun to watch a game with anywhere and combining that with the food, I would absolutely go back to Miller Park. I likely will if I go back to Wrigley again in the near future.

Update 2016: This place could maybe factor into my summer travel plans. Looking back on it almost 4 years after the fact, the question is, if the atmosphere and food were both good points, why isn't Miller Park a 9 under the new rating system? I have no good answer for this. I have upgraded the rating here from 8 to 9.

Linescore
2012-07-28 
                        123     456   789     R H E
Washington       000    310    000    4 11 0
Milwaukee         000    100    000    1  6  0
Temp: 76F    Time: 2:41 Att: 41,890

Cheney Stadium

Tacoma Rainiers, Pacific Coast League

7/10

       2013: The façade is totally redone. From the outside, it doesn't even look like the same place.

                                      

2007: The relatively more modest exterior of Cheney.

                                    

2007: The outfield wall is wooden, with large ads, the scoreboard is a simple electronic line score with a message board. They moved this thing out to right field.

 2013: The outfield wall is completely transformed.  There is an LED messageboard over the power alley, plus a full colour video screen.

                                       

2013: This is the biggest change by far.The two story plus building featuring the "Suites and Clubs" as per the exterior signage.

  2007: While not the greatest shot, this gives a bit of an impression as to the way the grandstand used to be laid out.

I have been looking forward to writing this one. I have been to Cheney Stadium twice, once in 2007  and a second time in 2013, after the park had undergone extensive renovations.

I went to Cheney Stadium for a midweek game against the Portland Beavers in 2007, after seeing the Mariners play the Red Sox the previous two nights. I went again in 2013, making it my first stop after a visit to my hometown of Victoria and saw the Rainiers play the Salt Lake Bees.

In 2007, I wasn't doing ballparking trips or anything quite like it, so I wasn't "reviewing" it per se. The stadium appeared to be a largely average minor league ballpark and reminded me a bit of Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, as that's about all I had to compare it to. The atmosphere was low key, as the Mariners were at home to the Yankees that night as well. The main quirk was Rhubarb the Reindeer(get it?) the mascot, who apparently had a background in ballet, and challenged an "umpire" to a dance off. Cheney Stadium in 2007 simply came across as a decent place to watch some pretty high level baseball for not much money and that was fine with me.

In 2013, I returned, eager to see what the renovations had turned Cheney into. It is a much different place. Firstly, the park's grandstand is larger, with a building of suites at the back that was two stories tall. Secondly, and this is a big plus for me, the concessions were of Major League quality, with me enjoying a bread bowl of Ivar's clam chowder.(Ivar's is outstanding fast seafood, track one down if you're in Seattle).

On the whole, while the park likely did need renovations and the lease will keep the Rainiers in the park until 2041, I found the post-renovations atmosphere to be a little more obnoxious. The team is clearly gravitating towards the trend of having AAA teams in wealthier suburbs, as opposed to mid-sized cities and with all the amenities that weren't there before are definitely targeting suburban families with disposable income, as opposed to putting on a good baseball product and hoping for a good crowd. Fans have apparently let out a collective yawn, as the team's attendance is virtually unchanged from before, 2nd last in the PCL, ahead of only the temporary Tucson franchise. Still, the renovations headed off any talk of a move, as opposed to letting things drag out. I gave the park a 7 in 2007 saying it was average and would also give it a 7 in 2013, with the plus of great concessions cancelling out the negative of a somewhat obnoxious atmosphere.

Update: I disagreed with my own review until the end. 7/10 is still applicable. There have been only a few minor changes here. Firstly, the Rainiers finally abandoned the Mariner colour scheme and have reverted to red and white, which is more consistent with the old Seattle Rainier uniform. Secondly, the team has made modest (like a few hundred) gains in attendance. Probably won't be back here anytime soon, unless I have no other option.

Linescores 
2007-06-27
                                        123   456   789    R H E
Portland Beavers(SD)         007   000   000    7 12 1
Tacoma Rainiers(SEA)       000   200   001    3  7  1
Temp: 72F  Time: 2:37  Att: 4,144



2013-08-28
                                        123     456    789  10  11 12  13  R H E
Salt Lake Bees(LAA)         002     030    100   0   0   0    2    8 12 1
Tacoma Rainiers(SEA)       004    101    000    0   0   0    0    6 13 2
Temp: 77F  Time: 5:07  Att: 6,218

Hillsboro Ballpark

Hillsboro Hops, Northwest League

7/10

             The ballpark has a pretty basic exterior. On the left, you can see the football grandstand.

The Eugene Emeralds' hitter, clad in his tie-dyed jersey, tries his luck at the bat.

A pretty decent crowd on one of the last nights of the season.

I got to see the Hillsboro Ballpark in its first year in 2013 as the 2nd stop of my ballparking trip for the year. I took the scenic route down from Tacoma, enjoying some great views on the Oregon coast before making the trip inland to Hillsboro, a western suburb around a 20 minute drive west of downtown Portland. I arrived to find the newly minted Hillsboro Hops, the Arizona Short-Season A affiliate battling the Eugene Emeralds, the Padres' team, with the Hops attempting to reel in the Boise Hawks for the division flag. Not every fan was aware of the pennant race, but those that were very interested in the game, which was fun to be around for.

The Portland area had been without pro baseball after the Beavers moved away following the 2010 season. The Yakima Bears were dissatisfied with Yakima County Stadium, as well as the state of the local economy. Combine that with Portland being the biggest market for the NWL without a team, and the local government in Yakima not budging on renovations and the writing was on the wall. A proposal in Vancouver(the other Vancouver) just across the state line from Portland fell through, so the Hillsboro group made their play and got the job done, pro baseball is back the Portland area.

The park was built on a pre-existing rec complex, attached to a 7,600 seat football stadium, Hillsboro Stadium. It works out that the ballpark and football stadium share a concourse, on the third base side. You can see the football stadium clearly in the photos I've posted. Because of this, things like parking and access routes have already been figured out, so there weren't any headaches here. The concessions have numerous offerings, including local beers and there are more than a few of them, on the third base side, they're shared with the football stadium.  The atmosphere was enjoyable in general, nothing too overbearing, but nothing particularly unique either.

Hillsboro has a very sleek, clean looking park, with ample concessions, but there are a few issues that arose. First of all, the main entrance is just offset from the third base side and shared used with the football stadium. This means most fans head in this way. The only way to the seats on the first base side is to walk past the entrances to the suites, on a relatively narrow concourse. I got out of there prior to the game ending, but could see it being a chokepoint. As well, I watched the last inning from the third base side, to facilitate a speedy getaway.

Not.

So.

Fast.

Security gave us the stop sign going down the stairs, so we all waited. Out a side door the vanquished Eugene Emeralds had to walk right in front of us, to go down a path to the football stadium, to access the visitors clubhouse. I don't know if this wasn't planned, or if a tunnel for the visitors isn't ready yet, but awkward doesn't even begin to describe this. About 500 people or so had built up by the time the team was walking out and one fan broke the silence: "Well, thanks for comin'" After the team was gone, we filed out. It sticks out as probably the single worst logistical error at a ballgame I've ever come across. After an ugly game, it has the potential to turn into an ugly scene. I really hope it gets fixed.

Anyhow, besides that, Hillsboro has turf. Fair enough, most places seem to these days, but Hillsboro has A LOT. Including two different colours between the infield and outfield(this is supposedly an error by the company that installed it, which they are fixing for free during the offseason) as well as something else I've never seen before: turf base paths. Combine this with a few hours of rain before the game and sliding became an interesting proposition. I'm hardly a physics expert, but as I saw, it's pretty difficult to stop while sliding on wet turf. A torrent of water came up every time and even the slowest minor leaguer looked like Robbie Alomar doing a headfirst slide. The Hops' players seemed to know their park and were hooking at least one foot every time, or sliding right at the base, while a few Eugene players literally slid into the base coaches box, having to scramble to avoid a close play. I realize the Pacific Northwest is hard place to keep grass serviceable(I grew up in BC after all), but maybe dirt base paths aren't a lot to ask for at a pro game? I'd hate to see a bad injury or something...

Overall, don't get me wrong, I liked this park and it's a noticeable improvement for the club when compared to Yakima. I'm also glad Portland has a pro ball club right next door after losing the Beavers THREE TIMES. This looks like a good home for the team, and hopefully with time, it'll get a bit of a personality and some of the more obvious issues(as little as they probably matter in the long haul) will get ironed out. I'd be open to going back in a few years to see how things are coming along. For now, it's a 7/10.

Update 2016: Not much else to add here. The ballpark is now Ron Tonkin Field, named after a dozen or so car dealerships in the northwestern part of the state of Oregon. The Hops have won the NWL flag the last two seasons and are 3rd in attendance, only drawing behind Spokane and Vancouver. They have about twice as many fans on average as they did in Yakima. I would consider a return trip, but if I had a choice, my review in Salem needs to get touched up first.

Linescore
2009-08-29
                                        123    456   789    R H E
Eugene Emeralds(SD)        000   002    000    2 7 0
Hillsboro Hops(ARI)            004   301    01x   9 11 0
Temp:72F    Time: 2:59   Att: 4,535

Pensacola Bayfront Stadium

Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Southern League

7/10

        The exterior of the park is still pretty bare, omitting even a sign with the name of the building(I had to look it up when I got back). I'd suspect its being left blank for a corporate sponsor.
         This staff member is covering her mouth, already over-apologetic for standing in my picture.

 

          I was here SUPER early, which gave me a chance to really walk around.

                                    

The Jackson Generals take batting practice.

I was excited to include the new stadium in Pensacola on my loop through three southern states in 2012. The team had just relocated from the Carolinas, and was enjoying its inaugural season in this brand new ballpark built right on the shore of Pensacola Bay. I had travelled from just outside of Atlanta after catching the Braves and swung through Alabama, making a pit stop in Mobile to see the USS Alabama in all its restored glory, prior to arriving in P-cola.

The evening's contest featured the hometown Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Cincinnati Reds AA club, matched against the Jackson Generals, the equivalent for the Seattle Mariners. The park itself is located right in downtown Pensacola, one of the bigger cities on the Florida panhandle, as part of a new waterfront complex. One of the first drawbacks is that there isn't very much parking in the immediate area of the stadium and it's pretty much all snapped up by disabled parking, VIP parking, or season ticket holders. There are numerous pay lots in the area, as well as a ton of FREE on street parking, which I opted for.

The façade of the park is so basic that I didn't get a photo of it. As mentioned above, I doubt this place will be so generically named for too long. Entrance is on the first base side and up a few flights of stairs. Once you're up, you are confronted by a sparkling new ballpark, with just under 5,000 seats. It is well laid out and the outfield views are of the bay to right and an inlet to left. It isn't just Barry Bonds that can hit one into the water here. The team shop/ offices are in the main building behind home plate.

I'm a bit of a hypocrite with the issue of Minor League teams in particular taking on goofy names to sell shirts. "Blue Wahoos" is a goofy name. I also now own a Pensacola Blue Wahoos running shirt(featuring a Blue Wahoo wrapped around a baseball bat to form a "P") AND kept the bag it came in. I'm deeply conflicted.

One of the aspects of the Bayfront Stadium that I really liked were the concessions. The food itself was above average, but the layout is actually pretty innovative. Firstly, they were referred to as "Port" and "Starboard" which pays homage to the nautical theme of the park. Secondly, they were removed from the concourse, meaning that the lines for the concessions aren't going to spill over. There were extra tills not being used, which for big home dates, could get the lines moving. Also, ordering and paying are two separate people, kind of like a drive-thru. It was a little clunky, as most people didn't know quite where to go(me too), but with time, the locals should get the hang of it.

Overall, I enjoyed my game here. The Wahoo starter took a perfect game(or maybe a no hitter) into the final three frames before losing it. The ambience was alright, but like with other debut parks I've been too, there aren't many local traditions yet. Ownership seems pretty approachable, soliciting fan concerns pretty hard(I got a survey in my e-mail the next week) and actually trying to act on them(Don't climb over the seats for instance. I'm a seat climber. I'll try and stop.) But, as of right now, there isn't anything that makes this place particularly special, although that's not to say that won't ever change. 7/10.

Update 2016: This place still doesn't have a corporate sponsor, which going into season 5, is borderline miraculous. On the team website, it's referred to as "Blue Wahoos Stadium", I've also seen "Community Martitime Park", but I'll just stick with this name for now I suppose. As for the ratings, I was going to keep the 7, but I did say the food was above average, so it can have an 8.

Linescore
2012-06-27
                                                 123   456   789  RHE
Jackson Generals(SEA)               000  000   000  040
Pensacola Blue Wahoos(CIN)       200  000  21x  580
Temp:83F   Time: 2:24  Att: 4,625