Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros (National League)

8/10

A classic redbrick facade greets the Sunday afternoon crowd.

The humidity in Houston forced the game to be played under a closed roof, but there was still a good view of downtown through the giant windows in left field.

Looking back on the seating bowl from the right field corner, you can see video board on the wall, for the folks in the outfield. Nice touch.

This was the first of three new MLB parks on my June 2015 loop of 5 states. I had my first game in nearby Sugar Land nixed the day before, as I had travel issues and the game was cancelled anyway due to the massive downpour in the Houston area making the field unplayable. Apparently that same day at Minute Maid, drains in the outfield concourse were overflowing to the point they were shooting in the air. Anyway, Sunday was a much nicer day, hot with some humidity, causing the game to be played under a closed roof. This is one of three parks, the other two being Miami and Phoenix, in southern states, where most games in the middle of the season are played under a closed roof, because of uncomfortably hot weather outside. This park is right downtown, with the Arena, Football Stadium and Soccer Stadium all within about a mile of one another. The soccer stadium can be seen out the concourse windows, on the other side of I-69.

At any rate, that afternoon saw a red hot Houston Astros team, that I would see again later that summer in Oakland take on a mediocre version of the Chicago White Sox. The South Siders ended up taking it 6-0, after a run for Houston was called back upon video review. The ballpark is a relatively nice retro-modern park, with it's neat features being a small hill in centre field, with one of the three flagpoles in fair territory and a small train that runs above the left field concourse when the Astros hit a homerun. The food was average, although a mix up at a concession ended up with me having a Michelob Ultra, which is easily, without a shadow of a doubt, the worst beer I've ever had. The main plus here I found was the atmosphere. Texans are derided for being part-time baseball fans, who pack it in once football starts. While football may be king in the Lone Star State, baseball fans are very much into it here, which was surprising, given the lopsided game.

Overall, the atmosphere here is a plus, I'd recommend it and will likely end up here again in the future.

 Update 2020: Well, the Astros won their first World Series only two seasons after my visit, but it's now under a bit of a cloud. I'm planing to go to Texas hopefuly next year, so this could totally end up on the list.

Linescore    

2015-05-31

                         123    456    789   R  H  E

Chicago(AL)        013    001   100   6  10  0

Houston              000    000   000  0  10   1

 

Temp: 73F Time: 2:37 Att: 27,423

Spectrum Field

Philadelphia Phillies, Grapefruit League
Clearwater Threshers, Florida State League

8/10

 

 

The crowds make their way in for another Phillies/Pitrates showdown

Another glorious Florida afternoon.

The seats filled a lot more than this before the first pitch with almost 8k on hand.

I caught a day game here near the very end of spring training in 2018, before an evening drive to South Carolina, on the way to the Balt-Wash area. As far as I remember, this was the absolute last Spring Training game here for 2018. The all Penn. rivalry made it all the more interesting. 

This is one where the review is getting typed a few years after going, so memories are fuzzy. The park itself is a pretty nice facility, that appears to have inspired some of the parks that came after it, plus some renovations. Food I don't remember much about either way. Atmosphere was pretty decent, especially for the spring. A tight game that ended after 9, tied at 5, helped this out for sure. I'll be back here a few more times I think.



Linescore
2018-03-27
                       123    456    789  R H E
Pittsburgh       400   000    001  5 12 1
Philadelphia    000   040   010   5  9 1
Temp: 79F  Time: 2:55   Att: 7,958

Gesa Stadium

Tri-City Dust Devils (Northwest League)

7/10

This place does have a relatively bland exterior.

The main redeeming quality of the stadium itself is that it faces south, allowing a view of the surrounding hills.

Still, that southern orientation meant that this massive sunshade had to be built to block the setting sun from baking the seating area. It works well.

I first swung through here as part of my 2nd 3-day NWL loop in 2008. It was a near 100 degree night as the Dust Devils took on the Everett Aquasox. My pictures from this night are all bad, so my pictures of a game in 2015 against the Spokane Indians are featured.

The 2008 game saw hot temperatures in the middle of July and Everett pound Tri-City mercilessly. The Dust Devils, then a Colorado affiliate, fielded a young Charlie Blackmon, who would eventually become their starter in center field. In 2015, I arrived mid-afternoon from Boise which gave me enough time to go for a pre-game run along the Columbia River in Richland. It ended up being a cold, windy night, with scattered showers, emphasizing that September had indeed arrived.

This place is located in Pasco, in a (still) developing area right off of I-182, in the middle of a large parking lot that is mostly used for a large youth sports complex. It was built in the mid 90's, to lure minor-league baseball back to the area. They ended up with a team in the independent Western league for 6 seasons, then took on the Portland Rockies NWL franchise when the PCL Beavers moved back to Portland for their third tenancy.

It is a very basic layout however, almost a little too basic. Lots of concrete and lots of aluminum. Not quite as bad as Yakima, but in a similar vein. It is certainly adequate for this level of baseball, but is nothing remarkable either, I actually took a point off for the stadium, my old review of this park was 6/10. The saving grace are the concessions, as the team has a few independent food stands on the concourse. I ended up getting a burrito which was not too bad.

The staples were cheap as it was a discount night(on a Friday no less). I ended up giving the concessions the thumbs up, pulling this one up to a 7/10, making it one of 3 places where this happened on my last few days in the Northwest.

This place is hardly a must, but it's more or less your only option in the Southeast of the state, so to be shy to catch a game(or two) here either. 7/10

Update 2020: I have not been back to this park since 2015, but have been through the area a few times. The Dust Devils are one of two teams apparently on the chopping block in the NWL( Salem-Keizer is the other), as MiLB's re-organization would bring the NWL down to 6 teams. I'm certainly pulling for every team, including this one, but it appears quite a few teams will be out when all is said and done.


Linescores
2008-07-13
                                               123    456    789    R H E
Everett Aquasox(SEA)               000   201    014    8 10 1
Tri-City Dust Devils(COL)           000   000    000    0   7  2
Temp: 96F  Time: 3:00  Att: 1,550

2015-09-04
                                             123     456    789    R H E
Spokane Indians(TEX)             000     000    000    0 3  2
Tri-City Dust Devils(SD)           203    001    20x     8 11  1

Temp: 68F Time: 2:34 Att: 2,570

Tempe Diablo Stadium

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Spring Training)

7/10

The crowd files in prior to the Angels taking on the Brewers in 2012.

A large crowd takes in the game on a nice afternoon.

Albert Pujols swings for the fences against the Rangers in what I believe was his first spring training with the Angels. These two teams battled to the final out.

Tempe Diablo Stadium is one of the older parks in the Cactus League. Case in point: The Seattle Pilots held their only spring training ever here in 1969. I went here for a game against the Brewers in 2011 and against the Rangers in 2012. The stadium was renovated after the other Seattle team, the Mariners, left for Peoria in 1993. The next year, the Angels moved here from Palm Springs  and haven't looked back. They are here, just east of downtown Phoenix until 2025, at least.

This is a relatively basic place, concessions and the stadium itself are markedly average and the atmosphere was not too bad, given the proximity to Los Angeles, but nothing too memorable either. The 2nd time I went, it was a matchup against Texas where both teams appeared poised to battle for the AL West crown in 2012(They kind of did, but Oakland beat Texas by 1 game and the Angels by 5).  I did not get a good shot from the home plate area, but the backdrop features a large hill by the left field pole and I-10 in the background.

I need to get back here sometime soon, as I apparently remember little, but in the meantime, unless you're an Angel fan, or Tempe is your best bet on any given day, I wouldn't be in any particular hurry, given the other options in the east valley.

Update 2020:  It's been 8 years since I made it out here, cannot believe it's been that long. I will keep it in mind the next time I do the Cactus League. I don't believe much has changed, but the next visit will tell the story.


Linescores
2011-03-24                  
                                  123   456   789   R  H  E
Milwaukee                   440   021   000  11 13  0
Los Angeles(AL)          002   003   021   8  13  3
Temp: 68F Time: 3:13  Att: 7,906


2012-03-25
                                  123   456   789  RHE
Texas                          000   000   023  582
Los Angeles(AL)           110   000   022  690
Temp: 79F  Time: 3:00  Att: 9,613

Joker Marchant Stadium

Detroit Tigers, Spring Training
Lakeland Flying Tigers, Florida State League

8/10

The slightly late, such as myself, file in.

The recently renovated stadium had a decent crowd that day.

A somewhat overcast day, but still a good day for baseball.

I started my 2018 trip here. It was a mixture of the very end of spring training, combined with some NHL venues, and getting the new Atlanta park, as well as Baltimore and Cincinnati off my list. On this particular day, I started in southern Georgia, drove here, then drove into Tampa for a Lightning game after. I ended up getting held up on the way down, so showed up in the 2nd inning or so.

This place opened in 1966 and has undergone two complete renovations, with the last one being done for spring training 2017. It hosts the Tigers Grapefruit League games and Flying Tigers high A the remainder of the year. On the whole, I found it to be a pretty decent home for the Tigers spring training, probably above average, but not much else It's tough to comment on the renovations without seeing the before product myself, so I went and found some at Ballpark Reviews here. An entire office building has been added in right field, plus a new scoreboard that's to MLB standards. Another addition was the restless fan's favourite, the wrap-around concourse. I'd hazard a guess that the player's amenities are much improved as well. The atmosphere was nothing remarkable either way, the game was a low-scoring affair with Tampa Bay that ended in a 2-2 tie.

I would definitely come back for another game here, but not before getting the last few I haven't seen in first. I'd give it an 8, without remembering a whole ton about it, because that's what it presents as. I don't think the Lakeland minor league club is in danger of being pulled, but we'll see what happens on that. Not a scientific process here sometimes....

Linescore
2018-03-26
                      123    456  789  RHE
Tampa Bay      200   000   000  250
Detroit             001   001   000  281
Temp: 82F  Time: 2:30   Att: 6,662

Busch Stadium

St. Louis Cardinals (National League)

8/10

The exterior of the ballpark the afternoon after the game I went to, before I headed out.

The StL skyline as Cardinals/Brewers is about to start.

The stadium the next morning, taken from the top of the Gateway Arch.

I first went to Busch Stadium(the current one) in June 2015. I had broken up the long trip from Houston by driving to Texarkana the night before and stopped at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock before heading to St. Louis. This was a Monday night game, featuring a Cardinal team that would have the best record in baseball that season, against a Brewer team that would finish 32 wins behind them.

This Busch stadium, is a retro modern park built more or less in the heart of Downtown St. Louis. Light rail runs right beside the third base side of the stadium, this is how I got to the game from my hotel in the area of the Zoo. There is a good view of the skyline from the upper deck, including the Gateway Arch, as well as the old courthouse nearby. Right across the street from left field is "Cardinals Nation" a bar/restaurant type-place, which rakes in the money for the team before and after games. The only strange thing about this place is while the third level concourse has an unobstructed view of the field, the bottom one doesn't, with only a few pockets fit to stand and watch the game.

The big plus of this place for me, was the atmosphere. For a Monday night, usually the quietest of the week, against a lousier, but divisional opponent, there were an eyelash over 40,000 people here. It ended up being a 1-0 win for the Brewers, with the run coming in the top of the 1st and some tension in the bottom of the 9th, with a few video reviews. The fans were very much into the game, but not rabid, like in some other places. Cardinal fans enjoy a seemingly random reputation for being knowledgeable and well-behaved and I can't disagree after coming here. This place is up there with Wrigley and San Francisco in terms of atmosphere, at least according to me.

The slight knock, was the food. There didn't seem to be a whole lot you couldn't do anywhere else. I went to a Hardee's on the third base side of the upper deck and paid 17.50 for a burger, fries and drink, there's high-priced concessions, which are kind of the norm, and then there's this insanity. Only Toronto is worse, in my experience.

Overall, even gougy concessions can't take away from the increasingly rare pleasure of a big crowd, watching baseball for baseball's sake. Between that and the hotel(The Moonrise, on University Blvd.) I will be back in St.L at some point.

Update 2020: It's very hard to believe that it's been almost 5 years since I was here. I would love to update this place this year, but am not too sure about my summer schedule. St. Louis continues it's solid relationship with the Cardinals, finishing 2nd in attendance for 2019, averaging just under 43k a game. If you look up "Busch Stadium replacement" this place is it. Having only opened in 2006 and drawing good crowds, there's no talk of a new park and I wouldn't expect this to change for at least the next 10 years. A point for atmosphere and concession, with a minus for expensive food mean this place is a solid 8.


Linescore
2015-06-01
                          123     456    789    RHE
Milwaukee           100    000    000     160
St. Louis              000   000    000     081
Temp: 65F   Time: 3:05  Att: 40,689

Newman Outdoor Field

Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks, American Association

7/10

 

The exterior? Red bricks. The field is sponsored by "Newman Outdoor" a local billboard firm.

A late May evening saw a smaller crowd for the opening week of the season in Fargo.

This is a very good facility for this league, especially compared to some of the lesser ones.

I ended up coming into Fargo from rural Wisconsin, where I'd stopped after seeing a White Sox game the day before. I was winding down my 2017 trip and this was the last new park I was going to get to see. It's located in North Dakota's largest city, just across the state line from Minnesota. The park is nestled on the campus of North Dakota State University, which presented as more of an ag school than anything. The park is used for college baseball earlier in the spring.

The field is a redbrick facade with a wide, wraparound concrete concourse with a view of the field.It's not very remarkable, but for this level, its a more than adequate park. Food options were pretty tame, I went into the left field corner and ordered something a little better, but don't remember what it was. Maybe do the reviews a little more promptly? The game was a little one sided for the visitors as a recent NDSU grad threw 7 scoreless innings for Sioux City in his one and only pro start. The atmosphere was somewhat flat, as it was the first Tuesday night home game of the season and closer to 60 degrees than baseball weather.

This place is entitled to it's 7, but not much else. I'd for sure be willing to go back, but it's kind of an outpost for most people. For me, it's on the way south and east, so I'm sure I'll see it again soon enough.


Linescore
2017-05-30
                                                     123  456   789    R H E
Sioux City Explorers                       000  105  010  7 12 1
Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawks            000   000  000  0 5  0
Time: 3:04 Temp: 63F Att: 2,051