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