The Hangar

Lancaster JetHawks, California League

7/10

The hangar has an F-18 on a post in front of the park.

A somewhat hot Mother's day drew about 1,000 people out to the park.

This place is a virtual carbon copy of at least 3 other parks in the southwest.

I came into Lancaster after making the relatively short trip up from Victorville, where I'd stayed after catching a game in the High Desert the previous evening. It was a pretty warm Mother's Day Sunday, featuring the Lancaster JetHawks, then an affiliate of the Houston Astros, hosting a Visalia team that got off to a solid start in the season and this game. 

This was my last new Cal League park of the 6 I took in in May 2016 and it's probably a tie with Modesto for the most average. There just isn't anything unique about it at all. It's the same design as Mesa, San Bernardino and Peoria, but some of those parks have done a little more with the overall appearance as here, where everything is very beige and grey. Food was ok, but nothing spectacular and the atmosphere never really had a chance to get going, as only about a thousand people were actually here at any point and the Rawhide just blasted Lancaster without mercy, getting revenge for a similar scoreline against them the night before. 

After my visit here, the shuffle of affiliations in the Cal League led to Houston leaving the league altogether, to move their high A team to the Carolinas. Colorado took this affiliate after their old affiliate in Modesto was snapped up by Seattle. At any rate, this is a perfectly acceptable facility for the level it hosts, but there's nothing unique or "must see" about it. A textbook 7.

Linescore

2016-05-08

Temp: 70F Time: 3:09 Att: 1,403 

Visalia Rawhide(ARI) 19, Lancaster JetHawks(HOU) 2

Changing it up for the linescore! Lancaster didn't get a run in the bottom of the ninth.

Target Field

Minnesota Twins, American League

8/10

This is another one of the parks where my photos were lost to the great camera caper of 2012.

*Sigh*

Anyhow, I did manage to get here after a night game the night before in Milwaukee. I drove to Eau Claire, getting in around 2 AM, grabbed a quick 6 hours, then hit the road for Minneapolis.

I arrived in plenty of time and found parking around 5 blocks away for a reasonable price. The park is built in an arena district, with the Minnesota Timberwolves playing at Target Arena, nearby. It's in a pretty decent neighbourhood.

The exterior is mostly made of yellowish tiles made from local rocks. The park is "sunken" slightly, with the field below street level. The concourse is wide open and has a clean, uncluttered look to it. Crowds of people are able to easily move around the ballpark. I found the staff to be extra friendly, as per Milwaukee the night before. Food was passable.

The game saw the Twins play division rival Cleveland on a nice afternoon in front of 25-30 thousand. People enjoyed the game from what I remember. I sat under an overhang, which meant shade, but I was far forward enough to see the same clearly.

This was a decent park overall, I just wish I could remember a bit more and that my photos survived. It's undoubtedly a massive upgrade from playing at the Metrodome. I will absolutely have to go back soon.

Update 2016: I have not been back to this point. I had the option on a weekend trip of going to watch the last place Twins play the White Sox, but I opted for a game in St. Paul instead. I upped the rating here to an 8, as the park itself is deserving of the extra point.

Linescore
2012-07-29
                      123   456   789   RHE
Cleveland        000  100  000   160
Minnesota       000   210  20x  580
Temp: 72F  Time: 2:28 Att: 34,720

Adelanto Stadium

High Desert Yardbirds, Pecos League

8/10

The relatively nondescript entrance.

Warmups pre-game v. Rancho Cucamonga. The people next to the mound are dressed as Stormtroopers for Star Wars night.

A look back at the seating bowl about 40 minutes to game time.

I came into the High Desert after driving down from San Jose. This was a bit of a somber visit, as it appeared that rumours that had circulated about this team moving to the Carolinas, along with Bakersfield, were really picking up some momentum. Still, for the moment, it was just another new park in a week of new Cal League parks and I headed in. Parking here was either two or four dollars, can't remember, which was a nice change after paying 15 the previous evening in San Jose. This was a Saturday night fireworks home game against Rancho Cucamonga, which was only so far away on I-15, so maybe a hundred of their supporters made the trip. I arrived well before first pitch on what was also Star Wars night. The park's about 25 years old, but has aged relatively well from the fan's standpoint, save for the fact that the left field corner isn't visible from behind home plate, as the bullpen is pushed almost right onto the foul line by some sort of club section. The Texas Rangers, who were the parent club at the time, were reportedly concerned with the tendency here for desert winds to turn fly balls into home runs somewhat regularly. This game turned into a slugfest as well with the Quakes beating the home side 14-5.

The atmosphere was up to standard, but that was about it. Food was pretty decent, which is why this place gets an 8. I had some sort of burrito named after Mavericks manager and former major leaguer Howard Johnson, which consisted of eggs, hashbrowns and I think peppers. It was pretty unexpected to put it mildly.

But, after my visit here, the rumours picked up and soon became an announcement that the team's 2016 season in the Cal League would be its last. The situation in Adelanto had become untenable, as only a last second court injunction kept the Mavericks in their ballpark, as the local government had been attempting to have them removed, in a dispute over their lease. But after this, the proverbial writing was on the wall and with a second club in Bakersfield having long since exhausted it's options to stay in California, the Mavericks were off to the east coast.

I was in California in September 2016, when I noted that despite their off field turmoil, the Mavericks continued to win, making it all the way to the Cal League finals against a really good Visalia team. I tentatively planned to attend on a Sunday night, after a game in Anaheim, but the Mavericks finished it off on Saturday instead, playing their last game ever as league champions. Apparently, around 10 thousand dollars of damage was done to the stadium after this, according to the mayor, with the team denying it. A toxic end to a clearly toxic relationship.

That should be the end of the story, but it is not. When I went to check while writing this to see what summer league had settled here, I was stunned to find that the Pecos League, always eager to pick up other league's castoffs, had gone into not only both the High Desert and Bakersfield, but two other cities as well. The High Desert Yardbirds will play their first year here in 2017, with the stadium referred to as Adelanto Stadium. The majority of fans won't notice the difference and life will go on. It'll be interesting to see how long the new team lasts before they clash with city council.

Linescore
2016-05-07
                                                           123    456   789     R H E
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes(LAD)         051   000   161    14 17 0
High Desert Mavericks(TEX)                  000   202    001      5  7  2
Temp: 63F  Time: 3:10  Att: 2,233

Nat Bailey Stadium

Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League

10/10

 A large crowd outside just before 1st pitch, waiting to get in, pick up tickets, or come up with a new plan for the afternoon, as the game sold out.

 The first pitch of the Vancouver Canadians taking on the visiting Boise Hawks.

A great sell out crowd on a Friday Afternoon.

Firstly, this park is now known officially as Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. But I went there before this change and most people still use the old name, so we will stick with that.

I went to my first ever Pro baseball game when I was 8 years old in 1992. It was here, at "The Nat", to watch the then AAA Vancouver Canadians battle the Edmonton Trappers. This was in the midst of the Blue Jays first championship season and baseball enjoyed a higher stature in Canada than it does now. I'd love to say I enjoyed it and was hooked, but it was a slow game, with the final being either 1-0, or 2-1 and runs not coming in until the 6th or 7th inning. Eventually we left early and I jokingly taunted my Aunt and Cousin that it was their fault, knowing full well it was mine.

I went back in 2000, having turned 16, to watch the now Short Season A Vancouver Canadians take on the now defunct Portland Rockies with my Stepfather, Brother and some friends. It was the first season of the Canadians having moved down 4 rungs on the Minor League hierarchy, but as my Stepfather heard from a local die-hard, the difference in the quality of play was only so much. The team went from a poorly drawing AAA team in a small old ballpark to an NWL team in a big city, with a gem of an old park and a strong following locally. I attempted to go back in 2013, but discovered the game I wanted, the last Saturday night home game of the year, had completely sold out.

I finally got back to Nat Bailey Stadium in August 2014 and have to say that I LOVED it. There's just so much to like.

The park is a 1950s era grandstand that is very basic, featuring lots of painted concrete and wooden benches, outside of the box seats. My ticket behind the aisle cost 12.50 Canadian, which is higher than most low minor parks, but for Canada is very cheap. The park has the main concourse under the seats, but a smaller one to move people to their seats in view of the field and a teeny one at the top of the grandstand. There is a videoboard, but the main scoreboard is hand operated, which is always a nice touch.

Parking was free on the street a few blocks away, as the stadium is located in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park. Parking right next to the stadium was 7 dollars and had bad entrance and exits, so if you're able, I'd suggest parking on the street, it saves time in the long run.

I went back solo for a Friday afternoon "Nooner at the Nat"(which actually started at 1, but we'll spot them that) against the Boise Hawks, who I hadn't seen play since my visit to Boise. The game sold out, but not every seat was filled. Still, about 4,000 people or so showed up and from die-hards to casual fans, most people were into the game...which was a good thing, as the Canadians took it on the chin, losing 10-3. I read a review from ballparkreviews.com about how the atmosphere at minor-league games in Canada is usually better and having been to a few different parks now, I totally agree. People who go to ballgames in Canada want to watch at least some baseball, pure and simple.

Another reason I enjoyed Nat Bailey was the food, it was fantastic. I was in the mood for a burger, but with the line at the main concession looking quite long, I went to the shortest line "Sushi and Asahi Beer". It's a great pairing and me, my Asahi and my Sushi had a good time(despite me spilling the sushi trying to break apart the chopsticks). I also got an ice cream helmet. Also of note, the team uses the tiny concourse at the top of the grandstand to have a few beer stands, which kept a lot of people from walking past my seat during the game, and kept the beer people and the food people from all being in the main concession area. I can't think of another older park that did that as well.

The location in a park isn't terribly scenic, but is pleasant enough for the park's purposes. Between the well maintained gem of a park, good layout and use of space, plus good food and atmosphere, it doesn't get much better than a game at "The Nat" and it now ranks among my favourites. I thought it was a strong 10/10 as of right now, it's my favourite in the low minors.

Update 2016: I enjoyed this one so much that I went back and typed a lengthy update almost right afterwards. There's little to add, except for the fact that the C's have put in a party deck in left field, which has boosted capacity somewhat. The Canadians are the leading draw in the NWL, averaging just over 6,000 a game. That's 21st in MiLB period, with only the Midwest League Dayton Dragons drawing better in the low minors. It's pretty remarkable how their numbers have jumped in the last few years. I found the 2014 line score with little issue, but the other two will take a lot more digging. I will save them for the next update.

Linescore
2014-08-22
                                                123     456    789    R  H E
Boise Hawks(CHC)                     231   003     001    10 11 2
Vancouver Canadians(TOR)        000    010    002     3 12 2

San Jose Municipal Stadium

San Jose Giants, California League

8/10

The main entrance is not quite behind home plate.

An overcast, moist evening for the opening game of a weekend series v. Lake Elsinore.

The stands empty quickly after a win, with those remaining waiting for fireworks.

I pulled into San Jose after taking a long, meandering route through the Napa Valley from Stockton and fighting a small amount of rush hour traffic, which given my track record in the Bay Area, was not too bad.  Municipal Stadium is located in a more industrial part of town, not far from Spartan Stadium, where the San Jose State football team plays. Parking was in a empty lot down the block with a run down paved jogging track. Because it was fireworks night, this cost 15 dollars, which having paid 5 to park right outside the one in Stockton, seemed insane. This park is another WPA ballpark from the early forties, which hasn't seen a whole ton of work since it opened. There are a ton of outbuildings, especially on the third base side, which are mostly for more food. The facility reminds me of Vancouver, if anything, although there's no roof whatsoever here. It's old and cramped, but still adequate for this level.

The atmosphere here was good. It was a Friday night, which helped out because it was also overcast and moist, and while it never did rain, it started off at a cool 59F and only got worse. The game was a series opener against Lake Elsinore, which saw the Giants plate 4 in the first three innings and the Storm peck away inning by inning, until the Giants used some late offence to win a good game, 6-4.

The food was also neat here. As mentioned earlier, outbuildings housed all kinds of options, including my eventual choice, some wood-fired pizza. Usually this sort of food village is a bit of a mess, but this was well laid out, like with Maryvale. I'd give it a plus.

Overall, a good option with a bit more character than some of it's newer competition in the Cal League. A good 8. I'll be back here in a few years.


Linescore
2016-05-06
                                              123  456   789   R H E
Lake Elsinore Storm(SD)           010  010   110  4 11 1
San Jose Giants(SF)                103  000   02x  6  6  2
Temp: 59F Time: 2:59  Att: 3,084

Volcanoes Stadium

Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, Northwest League

7/10

 Batting Practice just wrapping up prior to the Canadians/Volcanoes. That van is on I-5. It's that close.

 The seats in the back are all club seating.

The masses enjoy a decent night at a decent park.

I went here in July of 2008 for the final game of my 2nd Northwest League trip. We had driven by on the way out of town from a Eugene Emeralds game the previous year, with the park all lit up, having just finished a game as well. I noted at the time it was literally directly next to Interstate 5, which seemed a little interesting.

Well. Fast forward to the next year and we pulled in for a game between the Volcanoes and Vancouver Canadians. The Volcanoes were in the midst of a stretch of amazing seasons, which resulted in a period of around 4 years where they were at least tied for 1st place every day of the season. The Giants take their farmhands seriously, and it showed.

Anyhow, this is a pretty average ballpark located, as mentioned, right next to I-5, which honestly, imposes some pretty big limits on the experience right away. I-5 is busy and traffic goes by constantly throughout the game. In addition, there is a driving range style net, which is required to keep homeruns from ending up on the freeway, which they reasonably could without it, it's that close. The most mind boggling thing of all though is that while access was ok, getting out of the parking lot, back onto the highway, was quite time consuming, as there's only one overpass in the area. Most other off-ramp ballparks have a few, to divide up the traffic.

Besides my location rant, the ballpark is pretty decent. The configuration focuses pretty heavily on a club behind home plate, but still leaves plenty of good seats for the rest of us. The food here is above average, with lots of unique options. The team store featured clearance bobbleheads of team mascot, "Crater" who is a half-baseball/half dinosaur. For 7 dollars, I decided to get one. The park does have the smallest video screen I have ever seen. It was difficult to really watch, but it turned into a decent auxiliary scoreboard once the game started.

Overall, this is an average park, which has the plus of a good menu, but the big knock of being pretty much on the shoulder of an Interstate highway.

Update 2016: I have still not been back here, it'll be 9 years between visits this year, so it's at the top of my list in the northwest this season. I thought the team was continuing to draw acceptably, but attendance has dropped from 2,900 to 2,100, which in 2016, was the lowest in the NWL. I'm not entirely sure why this is, but with no obvious market trying to lure a team and the ballpark still being acceptable, I don't expect much controversy surrounding this team for at least 5 more seasons.

Linescore
2008-07-15
                                                 123   456   789   R H E
Vancouver Canadians(OAK)          510  000  101   8  8  0
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes(SF)        000  531  00x   9 11 2
Temp: 84F  Time: 3:13  Att:  2,628

Stockton Ballpark

Stockton Ports, California League

8/10

Parking was 5 dollars and was right outside the doors.

A relatively small crowd on free hat night waits for the Ports and Giants to start up.

Looking back at the home plate area during warm ups.

I made a much anticipated stop in Stockton after a getaway game earlier in the day in Fresno. Clouds had begun to roll in with some sporadic showers, but the rain held off to a short sprinkle or two until after the game. I arrived well before the first pitch and was rewarded with 5 dollar parking right in front of the entrance, a free hat and the last Caesar salad wrap in the building. The facility is very nice, with a wide concourse and some nice stone work. There is a "party deck" in the outfield, as well as some club sort of seating down the first base line. Food was reasonable, with nothing too memorable, I did find the aforementioned wrap stand hidden down the first base line, but it was almost sold out well before the game started.

It was a mid-week game in May on an overcast, moist day, which meant only so many people showed, but I could see the atmosphere here being good later in the summer. The fans were treated to a defensive contest as a 2 run homer in the 1st was met only by a solo homer in the 7th as the baby Giants eked out a 2-1 victory.

In the end, a nice ballpark, with decent, but not spectacular food options and the potential for a good atmosphere, I'd give it an 8 for the moment. I will totally come back here again given the chance.



Linescore
2016-05-04
                                     123   456    789    RHE
San Jose Giants(SJ)       200   000    000   230
Stockton Ports(OAK)      000   000    100   160
Temp: 64F  Time: 2:43  Att: 1,522