Saturday, August 10, 2013

Reading

On the Best Damn Park in the Minors

FirstEnergy Stadium
FirstEnergy Stadium, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
New Britain Rock Cats (Minnesota Twins) vs.
Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies)
FirstEnergy Stadium
Eastern League (AA)
Reading, PA
6:35 PM


Outside the Game:
And off we go on the road for another August weekend. In my continuing conquest of Pennsylvania, I was traveling to "Baseballtown" in Reading to catch a game with the grammatically challenged "Fightin Phils."

The drive itself was a rather straightforward run west. Get out to 78, switch to 222, and essentially I'd be there. Since not many people are heading in that direction on a summer weekend, especially in the middle of the day, it looked to be clear sailing and about a two-hour drive-time. And it pretty much was.

Things got a little weird after I got on 78 and started driving a bit, as everything suddenly became eerily familiar. It eventually dawned on me that this was the way I drove out to college in central Pennsylvania about twenty years ago. Once I hit the bit of 78 west of my parents' house, it started to come back in fits. It got quite real when I made the dump over to 222 and everything started to flood back with the details: the speed trap in where 222 goes through that one town, the unexplained expressway right after it, the no passing zone where one so-and-so can keep traffic backed up for miles.

So it was with great relief when I eventually peeled off to the side route that got me to Reading. The park was just off the county road, and there were numerous free lots. I ditched the car and went out to do my business.

Leaving before the start of the fireworks and the post-game concert, I got to see its beginnings as I packed into the car and set out. This late in the night, my only delays were getting stuck behind slow pokes in the no-pass parts of 222, and I was home in under two hours.


The Stadium & Fans:
Home to center, FirstEnergy Stadium
Home plate to center field, FirstEnergy Stadium

If you're going to call your park "Baseballtown" (as Reading started doing a decade ago), you better bring the goods.

Baseball Town
It's a bold move, Cotton. Let's see if it pays off for them.

And bring the goods they have. Regularly winning "best ballpark in the minors" honors, FirstEnergy (nee' Reading Municipal Memorial) Stadium is one of the oldest ballparks left in professional ball, opening its doors in 1950. The Reading franchise has been aligned with Philadelphia since 1967, marking the longest such association in the minors. Not content to just rest on those laurels, the organization has renovated the park multiple times, the last being a $10 million revamp two years ago.

And the stadium is just fantastic. They kept the soul of the original grandstand and have just improved every aspect about it. A veterans memorial sits out in front of the entrance plaza, covered in commemorative bricks and plaques. The main ticket office sits at the front of the park, along with the VIP entrance. The municipal sidewalk surrounds the park, and the only other entrances are along the left field bleachers (where you can upgrade your ticket to include the all-you-can-eat buffet just beyond that entrance), and the 67 Club picnic area by third base. Before the game, the live mascot ostriches Ruth and Judy sit in a cage by the main entrance. You read that correctly.

Doors are two hours before every game, which is rare in the minors, but makes all the sense in the world at FirstEnergy Stadium, where there is just a ton of things to do before the game. The area outside from first to right field is a large plaza that they added on to the original stadium. It is the only thing opened two hours before the game, as the seating grandstand behind home remains closed until an hour before gametime.

But the plaza will keep you occupied. A stage in the center hosts live bands, plus the mascot band, which is exactly what it sounds like: a band of guys in mascot uniforms playing songs for the crowd. The team store is just inside the entrance, featuring a kid-sized door for younger patrons. And every last inch of the space in the plaza is crammed with everything that can fit. The Yuengling Hometown Tap Bar dominates on side of the plaza and two huge concession stands (one for adults, one for kids) are on the opposite wall. The area next to each is filled with "Phunland" activities for the kids. You can buy tickets to play the ring toss, speed pitch, mini-golf challenge, or air slide, or just line up to get a free mascot autograph or buy some cotton candy or Italian ice. Oh, and the entire area is covered in netting to protect from foul balls since the whole affair is right behind the right-field bleachers.

In the back in the right field corner is the Reading Eagle Company Pool Pavilion, which is also just what it sounds like: a picnic pavilion with a giant pool from whence you can watch the game. You can also go out to the left field bleacher seats until the main grandstand opens.

When it does, you can funnel into the bowels of the original stadium, with its claustrophobic walkway behind home plate that is livened up with colorful wall murals showing the history of the park and the franchise, as well as a number of classic baseball concession stands. The 67 Club area is right behind third base and has its own entrance for ticket-holders only. You can walk behind it to get to the left field area, which leads you on with a display of Fightin Phils that made it to the Phillies World Series team. Left field is dominated by Bunbino's Tailgate, the all-you-can eat buffet that is flanked by a large picnic area. Out in left itself is another patio with concession stands and bars. A small walkway lets regular folks stand and watch the game from center, but most of the areas out there are special seating areas, including the Launch.com Pub in center, the Coors Light Deck from center to left, and the Weis Foul Porch in the left field corner.

The main grandstand behind home plate is a rainbow of color-coded seats. The press box is the only thing in the top level of the old grandstand, defying the convention of luxury boxes. If you walk to the top of the grandstand, a couple of concession stands flanking the press box can serve you some snacks without missing any of the game, and a ledged row lets you eat while watching the game from the lofty perch.

Disco Brisco
Disco Brisco

And that was just the physical park. Places can boast about a "cast of thousands," but you easily lose track of all the characters at FirstEnergy Stadium: the five-piece mascot band (Bucky, Changeup, Screwball, Blooper, and Quack), the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor, the 11-member Fightin Phils Dance Squad, Disco Brisco (a short guy who performs this inexplicable arm-pumping dance that is a huge hit with the kids), The Candy Man (the pro-wrestler washout-looking guy dressed up as a hard candy who is the bad guy in the vegetable race), the four Vegetable Race characters, the Tooth Fairy (who brushes off the bases with an assistant from the crowd every game), the Bunbino (the hot dog mascot of Baseballtown), the guy in the T-shirt artillery train (you also read that right), The Traveler (a guy in an inflatable suit sponsored by a local travel agency who fights with fake umpires), and the Singing Ticket Taker, not to mention the Fan Crew.

Mascot
Crazy Hot Dog Vendor

Needless to say, the crowd was huge and into everything. The paid attendance was over 9,000, and there were actually over 8,000 in the seats. Everyone stayed involved for the entire game, and it was a crowd that most major league stadiums who love to have. Both the seats and the plaza were packed for the entire game, and most people stayed around for the post-game fireworks and concert as well.

Up until now, I had always said that Keyspan Park (or whatever it is called these days) was the best minor league park in the country. It doesn't come close to Baseballtown. Heck, it might even make the top ten ballparks I have seen in the world.


At the Game with Oogie:
Scoring
Baseball Town Scoring

After hearing how popular a venue this was, I bought a ticket earlier in the day before I went down for as close as possible behind the home dugout. This turned out to be the last row of the "blue" seats, which came with their own cup holders in between seats. It was all rather nice, except that there was a tiny blind spot in the furthest corner of right because of the right field bleachers extending out. But from where I was sitting, I could look into the right field plaza during the game as my interest dictated.

There were a lot of food choices at the park, but how could you pass up the churger? This was a hamburger and a chicken patty separated by slices of cheese. So, technically, I still ate healthy. Except for the fries and pretzel twist I added in. But I'm in central PA. You have to get a pretzel.

The Churger
We dare to mock god: The Churger

The season-ticket section I was sitting in was the only semi-sparse seating area of the park, as a number of people near me weren't at the game. There was an older couple sitting next to me, and a family in front and behind. One of the sons of the family behind me was named "Brian." I know this because his exasperated father kept using the name in sentences such as "Brian, sit down," "Brian, watch the game," "Brian, stop running around," and the ever-popular "Brian, stop bothering your brother."

A moth actually flew into my mouth in the eighth inning. I don't know why I mention it more than recording that it actually happened.


The Game:
First pitch, Fightin Phils
First pitch, Rock Cats vs. Fightin Phils

I don't even know how to categorize this game beyond long balls, speed on the bases, and missed opportunities.

The Fightin Phils starter began the game by inducing two quick ground-outs before walking the next batter. The Rock Cats cleanup hitter lived up to his name and launched one approximately nine hundred feet to center, bringing in two runs before a third ground-out completed the interrupted sequence, with the Rock Cats up, 2-0. The Phils began their half with some hope, as a leadoff error by the third baseman got their first man on, and he promptly stole second. A one-out walk made it first and second with one out, but the Phils didn't have quite enough fight, and two flyouts ended the inning.

The Rock Cats kept it going in the second with a one-out single and a two-out triple that brought in another run, making it 3-0 in their favor. The Phils decided to do something about that in the bottom of the second. They got back-to-back, one-out singles to left, and then their number nine man crushed one to right to tie it up with one swing. The leadoff man got a single and stole second again, but was stranded there with two quick outs, leaving it knotted at three at the end of two.

The Rock Cats finally went in order in the third, and the Phils squandered a two-out walk and single in their half. In the fourth, the Rock Cats got a one-out single, and the next batter hit one to the deepest depths of center. And then he was off to the races. By the time the lead runner was at third, the batter had nearly caught him, and he motored around easily for the first inside-the-park homerun I've ever witnessed in person. A two-out single and stolen base was left on second with a pop to the second baseman, but not before the Rock Cats were up again, 5-3. In their half, the Phils only managed a two-out single that was nearly immediately gunned down trying to steal second.

Things went cool for another odd inning as the Rock Cats only had a walk to show for the top of the fifth, and the Phils went in order. The Rock Cats only had one hit in the sixth, but it was another monster homer to left, putting them up, 6-3. The Phils made another go of it in the bottom of the inning with a one-out walk that got brought in with a double to deep center. A two-out triple (that was nearly another inside-the-park home run) finally chased the Rock Cats starter, and his relief got a pop to short to stop the damage with the Rock Cats still up, 6-5.

Things came to a head in the seventh, as a single, walk and another single started the inning for the Rock Cats. Pitchers were switched to no avail, as the next batter brought two runs in with a double. The next three went in order, but not before the Rock Cats extended their lead to 8-5. The Phils responded with a leadoff double in their half of the seventh. He eventually moved over to third on a fielder's choice, but was stranded there.

Both sides went in order in the eighth. The Rock Cats had a leadoff single over to second on a stolen base, but the next three went down in sequence. The Fightin Phils decided to make it interesting in the bottom of the ninth. The leadoff batter got hit by the throw to first, making him out by interference. With two outs, they got a back-to-back single and walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but he didn't get all of his skyward blast, which was caught by the shortstop to end the game with an 8-5 Rock Cats victory.


The Scorecard:
Rock Cats vs. Fightin Phils, 08-10-13. Rock Cats win, 8-5.
Rock Cats vs. Fightin Phils, 08/10/13. Rock Cats win, 8-5.

The scorecard was a free pamphlet-sized giveaway on a big table by the main entrance. It was on decent paper, and although it looked a little cramped, it actually turned out to be actually quite workable, especially given the ads at the bottom. In one of the many small touches the park got right, they even have the "Bunbino" give the official scoring of every play on the auxiliary scoreboard in left.

There wasn't a ton of oddness in this game. There was the first inside-the-park home run I ever saw in the fourth, which got its own note. There were two fly outs to the catcher in foul ground in the top of the ninth (which were two of three total in the game) that is worth pointing out. Besides those, the only other oddness was the interference call in the bottom of the ninth. The batter was trying to bunt to get on first and was about to get put out 1-3 for his trouble, but the throw hit him before the first baseman got it, making it an "INT 3" putout (as the first baseman was the closest fielder to the play). It also got a somewhat lengthy explanatory note on the scorecard.


The Accommodations:
Plain ole' Hoboken



2013 Stand-Alone Trip

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