Ticket To the Game

Saying Goodbye to Rosenblatt Stadium

David B — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:49:19 +0000

College World Series Statue

As the season gets ready to kick off in ballparks large and small around the country, we begin the final curtain call for one of baseball’s most influential stadiums, Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. Rosenblatt Stadium has been the home of the College World Series for 61 years, as well as being the home of the AAA Omaha Royals / Golden Spikes / Royals again. Starting in 2011, the College World Series will have its own brand new home in downtown Omaha, and the O-Royals move to suburban Papillon, Nebraska in a new $25 million facility.

Baseball America had a nice cover story recently called Rosenblatt Remembered, telling the story of the park from those who are a part of its lore. Ballpark Digest is chronicling nicely how the Royals will say goodbye, with special uniform patches, and a last-game event sponsored by AT&T.

I’ve only made one trip to Omaha, and I have to tell you, it’s a bit of a blur. I was on assignment in Des Moines, IA, and I found myself with a free afternoon. I had a rental car, and Omaha was only2 1/2 hours away, so off I went – due West to Omaha, with no real sense of how to get to the ballpark once I reached Nebraska. Fortunately, once you cross the border into Nebraska, it’s pretty much on the left.. hard to miss.

2010 Rosenblatt Sleeve Patch

For a minor league game, it’s not a great park… with the expansion, it’s too big for the small gathering of baseball faithful I found there on a random Tuesday. You just always have a sense it’s meant for something more. The energy and the crowds of the CWS almost haunt the space. But it has a nice open feel, there’s plenty of parking, and lots of good seats generally available with room to relax.

It’s a closed concourse, meaning you generally cannot see the field from the walking areas behind the plate and down the baselines. I specifically remember two things about the food choices. First, there was an old Asian woman manning a cart selling mini egg rolls that were surprisingly good, considering my expectations for chinese ballpark food in Omaha. Secondly, there was an “International” stand along the 3rd base line, generally offering Mexican fare. I ordered a taco, but received the equivalent of Hormel chili on pita bread. Not a classic combination.

There’s so much history here – the walls are teeming with it. If you’re local, I would recommend going back one last time to say goodbye. Not many ballparks last 60+ years anymore, and this one has served us well.

The Lansing Lugnuts Know What It’s All About

David B — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:02:51 +0000

The Minor Leagues know they have to be different to stand out in a crowded entertainment market. The need to appeal to families, sure, but they also need to continue to surprise and delight us, and give us new reasons to come out to the ballpark for another season of fun and frivolity.

On Facebook, the Lugnuts have spent the winter trying to inject some of that fun spirit, while teasing out what will be new and different at Co0ley Law School Stadium (formerly Oldsmobile Park). They have a team page, and they also have a very active mascot page that fans can interact with.

While some may scoff at the gluttony of an All-You-Can-Eat-Night, here at Ticket to the game, we embrace it, because it usually comes with some great unique food options. The Lugnuts have been slowly leaking some of those new food options on their fan page for the last 2 months are so, in anticiaption of Opening Night Eat-A-Palooza. $15 gets you a ticket and a smorgasbord. Let’s Take a Look at some of the new fare they’re rolling out:

George Costanza's Ice Cream at the US Open

Philly Cheesesteak Nachos: Sure, anybody can have regular nachos, or even super Nachos… but how about dropping a cheesesteak on top of the whole thing? Sounds good to me.
Sweet Station family size Ice Cream Sundae: I get the idea that ice cream is grweat on a hot summer day, but a family size sundae is sure to make ther whole clan look like George Costanza at the US Open… Pass.
Buffalo Chicken Pizza: I’ve got a kid, so I’ve been to CiCi’s. No it’s not great pizza, as I am classically trained in NY pizza, but it’s edible if you stick to what they do well and it’s cheap. The buffalo chicken, and the white spinach pizza are the best CiCi’s has to offer, so I’m interested to see if the Lugnuts can make a good one.
Big Bone Smoked Turkey Legs: Smoked Turkey Legs are the bastion of state fairs and the Renaissance Faire. Never been a big fan… never gonna be a big fan.
The “Spare Tire” Giant Pork Tenderloin Sandwich: How do you argue with that? Not a word wasted in that name. Serve it up!

If you get out to Lansing this year, make sure you try some of these, and let us all know what your favorites were.

Ballpark Preview: Winston Salem Dash

David B — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:53:38 +0000

I’m excited about the new ballpark in Winston-Salem. It’s been awhile since there’s been a new park available to me within a 2 hour drive, so I plan on making a number of trips up to see the Dash this year.

Dash home clubhouse

The Dash are doing a nice job of providing construction updates on their facebook page, and you can really start to see the park taking shape. The seat installation seems to be going well, and they’ve shown a nice, if generic, endcap on the aisles. The video board is going in, and you can see the orientation of the field.

Ah, the field. Something’s missing… Oh yes, the grass! I’m more than a little concerned about the grass. I asked the Dash why other new parks, like Target Field, and Tulsa, and Nationals Park a few years ago, put their grass in in November, but sod installation in Winston-Salem isn’t scheduled till March. Their staff was unconcerned, and felt that the 6 weeks they will have prior to the start of the season will give them plenty of time to get established.

A November installation gives the grass a full dormant season to really take root for the punishment a baseball season gives it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a few turf malfunctions in April and May as this grass gets established. Should they have more issues once the summer heat stress kicks in, with brown patch or bare spots, that wouldn’t surprise me either.

The rich wood appointments of the clubhouse and luxury suites are starting to go in, and they look nice, but what we have yet to really see is any sense of personality. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do in both the public and private space to make it unique.

This piece of branding is always a tough balancing act. You can go overboard and quickly go from classy and understated to a sort of strip-club cheesy chic. For example, years ago, I had the pleasure of viewing a Carolina Panthers game from a gorgeous double suite in the end zone. In an effort to carry the blue black and silver team colors into everything they do, the Panthers chose one of the most garish carpet patterns I’ve ever seen, and it quickly took the suite from elegant to gentleman’s club.

Personality is coming, and I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

2009 Top 5 MLB Ballparks

David B — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:00:52 +0000

Everyone loves a good list, right? So here’s ours. America’s top 5 ballparks for 2009. These reviews come from our personal experiences, as well as the research we continue to pour into our first book (more on that coming soon). I’ve tried to leave the

#5 -Citizen’s Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA: A great mix of a cozy downtown park, with some of the consistently best food in the majors. As the Phillies continue to succeed on the field, I get the feeling that this park will age very gracefully. Good sightlines through, great, retro-styling, particularly along the outfield walls. The Ashburn Alley area along the centerfield concourses are like a baseball carnival during batting practice, without feeling overly kid-friendly in a way that would turn off the baseball purists.

#4 – Nationals Park, Washington, DC: I recognize this may be the most controversial of the top 5, as there have been few signature moments at Nationals Park that would have brought it into the national spotlight. I took an in-depth tour of the stadium last winter, and cam away so thoroughly impressed, that I had to include the park here. Getting a chance to sample the park from so many vantage points, I was consistently impressed with how there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. The staff we met were incredibly helpful and friendly. But, one of the things that really set Nationals Park apart, was this is the first new park that isn’t “me-too retro cool”. this is a modern park in an historical setting, and that’s a nice change of pace. As the ownership group digs its way out from under the mess MLB made of the on-field product during the Expos transition years, the crowds will come, and the park will have the energy it deserves filtering through the stands.

#3 – Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL: Man, it’s tough to put Wrigley as low as 3rd, because it is a truly awesome place to see a game. As much as I have ranked two aprks ahead of it, Wrigley is still a “bucket list” experience that doesn’t disappoint. Go sit in the bleachers for an afternoon game, drink an Old Style or three, and have a dog. Once you’ve done that, you have the baseline of the American Baseball Experience upon which you can make all further comparisons.

#2 – Petco Park, San Diego, CA: You’re in San Diego, so you’ve already got a leg up on the ballpark experience. It’s not too hot, or too cold. You’ve got a modern ballpark, but there’s a building that acts as the left field foul pole. You’ve got great food, a great downtown atmosphere.. the gaslamp district for pre and post game nightlife. It’s really a tremendous setting for a game, and the city-park feel of the concourses, including the tee-ball field and grassy berms for picnics just add to the laid back SoCal experience.

#1 – PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA. This is still America’s best place to watch a ballgame. If the team had been any good in the last 15 years, I don’t even think there’d be an argument. most of the country really didn’t experience PNC until it hosted the All-Star game, but the placement and layout really defined the aesthetic most nouveau downtown ballparks are hoping to achieve. The Clemente Bridge just frames the city perfectly in the outfield, and the in-game experience is quintessential Pittsburgh.

Honorable mentions: I know I’m going to get roasted for leaving off Fenway Park. The first year reviews of Citi Field and new Yankee Stadium were mixed, but I’m sure that history will be kind to these parks as they mature. I’m hopeful that planned renovations to Camden Yards will bring it back up the list.

50 year old Cheney Park may get $30M facelift

Amanda — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:26:04 +0000

Cheney Park, home of the AAA Tacoma Rainiers since 1960, may be in line for a $30 million facelift. The team, the PCL and the city all appear to be working harmoniously towards some major improvements that will update an historic facility, and ensure the future of Tacoma baseball for another 20+ years.

Changes are planned for the dugouts and press boxes, as well as a new grandstand superstructure, concessions and a restaurant. The fate of the wooden reserved seats, that had originally been brought up from San Francisco’s Seals Stadium, was not disclosed.

The Tacoma Rainiers are the Seattle Mariners AAA club, and drew just less than 5,000 fans a game in 2009, which places them 4th from the bottom in attendance in the PCL. Sacramento led the league with an average of more than 9,100, and Colorado Springs trailed with just 4,350 per game.

The Rainiers finished atop their division for the first time in 4 years in 2009, but were bounced from the playoffs by the Sacramento River Cats in the Pacific divisions’ playoffs. Sacramento was then dispatched by the Memphis Redbirds for the PCL title.

Twins garage sale a success / disaster, depending on who you ask

David B — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:37:58 +0000

The Minnesota Twins announced a garage sale to help them clean out the closets of the Metrodome, and get them ready for starting fresh at Target Field in 2010. The promotion of the sale was a rousing success, as thousands of Twins faithful lined up around the dome hours before the sale was supposed to start.

While it seemed that many people were able to find a little something, like a bobblehead or a promotional bat, many of the special and unique items were apparently “held back” for a memorabilia dealer with a friend in the organization. According to the comments on the mlb.com article, there was a large box containing a number of championship flags and stadium banners, that were not “first come, first served” as advertised.

So, that particular failure comes from the fact that the deal wasn’t completed before the garage sale, but during… of course some premium items are going to a dealer to get them a better price, but you don’t have to be so public about it. There were other mistakes though, that could have been avoided.

Once you realized there would be a line around the stadium waiting to get in, maybe you could have called in some extra cashiers… only 4 were on hand.
The sale was confined to a small corner of the Metrodome, as a college football game was also taking place there that day. If the sale were held on the Metrodome floor on a non-game day, they could have been much more accomodating to the folks waiting outside, and given more people an opportunity to preview the items before they were gone.
Anything you were going to hold back should never have seen the light of day on the public sale. Just incredibly bad form.

So, what’s the right way to do this kind of a sale? You want to open it up to the public, and you know that these garage sale prices aere cheaper than the items will be when they resurface on eBay, but do you just put them up for auction in the first place, and reduce the secondary market? When the Yankees and Mets have done this, prices have been so sky high that the “average joe fan” is shut out. Do you put limits on how much someone can buy?

I’m not sure, but I commend the Twins for trying to do the right thing, but just failing a bit on the execution.

Camden Yards getting a major facelift – What’s next in ballpark renaissance 2.0?

David B — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:09:55 +0000

So, when you’ve already re-invented the ballpark experience, what do you do for an encore?

The Sports Business Journal (link via sister publication SportingNews) reported last week that the Maryland Ballpark Authority has sent out the RFP for the first major overhauls to Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. The exact details of the RFP were not released, but the SBJ and SportingNews are speculating about new restaurants and concessions vendors.

Fully 2/3rds of all major league stadiums were built after Oriole Park at Camden Yards set off the new wave of ballpark building that has hallmarked the last 20 years of the game. Smaller parks, more intimate settings, many with a retro feel, eschewing the concrete multipurpose donut for unique, brick and steel experiences that remind people of Ebbetts Field, even as there are less and less people around who remember Ebbetts Field first hand.

As the uniqueness of Camden Yards has subsided, and the “newer new” have sprouted up across the country, including Nationals Park in Washington DC, attendance has waned with the abysmal play on the field, and it only makes sense that the Orioles look to do some things to freshen up the park to re-energize the fan base.

So, what do you the Orioles do now to usher in the next phase of ballpark advancement? Let’s run down a couple of ideas that we’ve heard bandied about, and see if they still fit.

In seat video replay – Is this really still a viable idea? Seems like too much hardware to worry about, especially in a sea of beer, soda and nachos. Better off just providing solid wifi access in the park, and access to video on smartphones
New gourmet restaurants – apparently a trend brewing in having restaurants behind the batter’s eye in CF witha smoked glass view of the game. Not really an innovation, but more of a “me too” hand-waving.

Now, what’s on our wish list for ballpark experience improvements?

Ejector seats that get the guy in the middle of the aisle to the concourse without making everyone else get up.
Web cams that give you a look at the length of popular concession lines
Seats with 2 true armrests per person, and MORE legroom (the author is 6′7″ and really likes legroom)
Up to 3 sections per game get a visit from a staffer (one in each level of the park) Sit ‘em down.. talk to ‘em about their concerns at the ballpark. Then, over the next few days… follow up with them, and thank them for their thoughts.
Public photographer’s wells: I love taking my camera to a game… How can I get a good photo if I can’t get close enough to the field? Have Kodak sponsor some public space, specifically for taking game photos. For $10, you get 15 minutes in the photographer’s well at field level. My guess is it would be so popular, you’d need reservations.

What do you want in your next park? Leave a comment and let us know.

World Series Ballpark Preview

David B — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:58:56 +0000

OK.. here we go… Seven games that decide seven months and over 2,500 previous contests to determine baseball’s champion. So, what do you need to know about these ballparks in order to get the most out of the Series.

Homers. Lots and Lots of Homers: these are Earl Weaver stadiums, the perfect place to get a couple guys on base and wait for the 3 run homer. The Yankees hit 136 of the 237 homers (57%) hit in new Yankee Stadium in 2009, while the Phils hit 108 of the 207 (52%) at Citizens Bank Park. As much of a hitter’s parks as CBP is, the Phillies hit even more on the road (116)
Baserunners: The Yanks have a home OBP of .368 and an OPS of .858. They’ve held their opponents to 40 less points of OBP, and 130 less in OPS. The phillies have a home edge as well, but it’s nowhere near as pronounced, nor their numbers quite as gaudy. These two teams combined for 1,252 walks this year, meaning nearly 8 per game in total… and that leads us to…
Long games: The average Yankees / Angels game in the LCS was just shy of 4 hours, with no game being completed in under 3 hours. The Yankees stadium policies allow you to bring your own water in a factory sealed bottle only. I think you can pack a snack, and with the price of World Series tickets these days, you might need to. Phillies games were about a half an hour shorter on average, with 2 games just barely eclipsing the 3 hour mark.

Playoff baseball isn’t really about the stadium, the way a regular season game can be… it’s really about the game on the field, and the energy in the stands. I’ll be interested to see how Yankee Stadium III holds up as a World Series venue. My last playoff visit to New York was for Game 7 against the Red Sox in 2004, and that was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I’m hoping that the new park can shake some of its sterility tonight with some playoff magic of its own.

If any of you are going, please leave a comment, and let us know how your World Series experience stacked up against previous visits.

The marketers are running the asylum, and missing the point

David B — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:42:00 +0000

In my day job, I’m an online marketer and online strategy consultant, so I should probably like ideas like this : The New York Mets are partnering with a company called txtstation to bring elements of social media to the ballpark experience. Vote for game MVP’s, post your in-game cell-phone pix, and you’ve got “a whole new way for sponsors to interact with fans, and fans with each other.”

Well, as we all know, this isn’t really new, and only the part about sponsors and fans in the quotation is really true. When you text your game MVP vote, you are not interacting with other fans – in fact you’re doing the opposite… you are distracting your attention away from the fans around you, as well as away from the game, in order to stare at the shiny multimillion dollar object in the distance.

Social media, at it’s best is about establishing community and building relationships. These gimmicks fail at that, horribly. the fact of the matter is, the best social experience is about you being with 50,000 other fans so you can root together for the home team. We all know that you could just as easily watch the game on TV, and have a better view, comfier seat, cheaper and more accessible snacks… but we go to games anyway because of the social experience that already exists.

So, if you’re looking for a “social media” experience at the ballpark, here is my tried and true plan to achieve that goal

Go with friends. A game alone is great sometimes, but it’s always better with some buddies – especially when you’re road-tripping.
Go early and tailgate. The parking lot experience for most baseball games is an anonymous herding process – a nameless, faceless stream of bodies heading toward the gate. You want to turn it into a social experience, then a tailgate is the thing. Offer hot dogs to random strangers who are wearing cool fan gear. The key is don’t stick to your group… invite random conversation. Tip: The smaller the ballpark, the better. You tailgate at a Brewers game, and it’s not that big a deal. You tailgate in Lynchburg, VA, and the team’s staff may even come out and hang out with you for a bit.
Once you’re in the park, engage the people around you. Talk to them, about the game. If you’re road-tripping, talk to them about the area… good campgrounds, golf for tomorrow, bars for tonight.

The point is, you are sitting in the middle of one of the largest groups of people you may ever be with. Staring at your phone and typing with your thumbs is not social, it’s anti-social. Get out there and be truly social. Engage the people around you, and you’ll be surprised what you learn, and how that evokes true great memories of a trip to the ballgame.

Oh, and after the game… you can send a review to us to post, or hit us up on facebook

Offseason Rumblings: Richmond gets a new tenant, and perhaps the 6 worst name choices ever

Amanda — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:09:54 +0000

Richmond, VA - The Diamond

The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia has a new tenant for 2010, after spending 2009 vacant with the loss of the Braves to Gwinnett, Georgia. The Eastern League has approved the relocation of the Connecticut Defenders to Richmond, a long-speculated rumor that came to fruition in late September.

Of Course, every new relocation usually comes with a “Name the Team” contest, and this one is a doozy. Originally, five potential names were announced: Rock Hoppers, Rhinos, Flatheads (it’s a fish), Flying Squirrels, and Hambones. Hope was held out that a wild-card 6th choice, provided by CNBC would bring some sanity to the process. No such luck, as Hush Puppies is the sixth choice.

Richmond immediately becomes one of the largest markets in the AA Eastern League, and there was significant competition amongst a number of Eastern League teams, including Harrisburg and Binghamton wanting to relocate.

The Defenders were last in the league with 203,005 in total attendance, less than half the annual turnstile clicks as league leaders Reading, PA and Portland, ME. This, despite the fact that the Giants franchise produced a team high 85 wins, and featured the top two pitching prospects in the system with Madison Bumgarner (9-1 1.93 ERA) and Tim Alderson (9-2 3.88 ERA).

The Defenders, and Norwich Navigators before them, spent 15 years in Dodd Stadium. The outgoing owners say they remain committed to seeing organized ball return to Norwich, but for now, there are no suitors.