Reading

On the Best Damn Park in the Minors

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 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.

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

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.

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:

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.

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, 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.

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

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2013 Stand-Alone Trip

New Britain

On a Lovely Day for Some Baseball

New Britain Stadium, 2012

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates) vs.
New Britain Rock Cats (Minnesota Twins)
New Britain Stadium
Eastern League (AA)
7:05 PM


Outside the Game:
It had been nearly a month to the day that I got home from Korea. Since starting these international trips, July has become a "recovery period," where I process everything from the trips (pictures, blogs, etc) and just get back to normal in living in America again. August, subsequently, has been when I realize how little time is really left in the baseball season and I get out on the road again.

Almost completely from the ether, I decided to finish seeing all the pro teams in New Jersey last year. As these things often do, I extended this out to try for all the teams in Connecticut and Rhode Island this August. There are only a grand total of four, although some of them are pushing 3.5-4 hours from my house, making day trips out on the weekend less likely, especially night games.

The way the gods of scheduling had it, the first one I could go see was one of the further out. New Britain, CT, is about 2.5-3 hours as the crow flies from Hoboken, but it seemed doable enough for a day trip out for a night game on a Saturday. I generally am bumming around anyway, and it is not like I have to get up early on Sunday.

After an abortive attempt to go into Connecticut in June (and the short version was after chancing a city crossing, a parade stopped me dead and sent me home), I decided to go the safer "up and over" route via the Palisades Parkway and the Tapen Zee Bridge.

I game myself plenty of time by leaving at 1:30, and off I rode. Outside of hitting a little bit of congestion at the bridge toll and due to an accident on 84 in Connecticut, the ride up was pleasantly uneventful. Even with stopping off for gas and lunch, I got to the stadium about two and half hours before the start of the game. I was able to get parked before they even set up the parking lot (which got me out of paying for parking), and I was the first one at the window to buy a ticket (though three other families showed up right after me). There was plenty of time for pre-game wandering about and the like.

After the game, most of the people in attendance were going back to their cars to get the gear for the Scout sleepover that night. There was no traffic at all getting out, and I was heading back to 84 in the other direction in no time, which was good given that I didn't get out until after 10:30.

Finally the West Coast swing by the Mets was working for me, as I was able to listen to the second half of the Mets-Padres game on the way home. I didn't make any stops, and outside of the TomTom trying to take me back into New York to take the West Side Highway down to the Lincoln Tunnel (because somehow that would be faster than the Palisades, in its mind), I had an uneventful ride home, the Mets won, and I managed to drag myself to bed a little after 1 AM.


The Stadium & Fans:

Home plate to center field, New Britain Stadium

The curiously uncorporatized New Britain Stadium lies at a particularly fortuitous crossroads: it is equidistant from Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, making it a go-to destination for people in the area looking to see some baseball. This was my first game after Korea, and it was a continuation of that experience in a couple of ways. Firstly, the ballpark was located in a larger complex of stadiums. Secondly, it was largely wedged-in as well. Around the outside of the left field, there was a tiny path that let you get all the way around the stadium.

But that's where the similarities ended. This was very much a minor league American park. It was a nifty little design, and for the most part symmetrical. There were two rows of seats that only extended out the beginnings of the outfield. Each seating area ended with a special section (the events picnic area and kid's playground on the left field end, and the Comcast Patio on the right field side). Each area at the top of the park behind the bases had their own special area, as well (the MVP Seats on the third base side and the All-Star Terrace on the first base side). Even the "luxury" boxes behind home plate were symmetrical around the press box, with the Heineken Suites on the first base side and the Advance Copy Suite on the third base side. Two opposing stairwells led up to the seating areas on both sides of the field.

The interior of the stadium was one horseshoe around the stadium. At the main gate was the fan service desk and other booths. Concessions stretched down the first base hallway, and in addition to the concessions on the third base side was also the large team store. Right by the store and behind a bank of condiments were the placards for the "New Britain Sports Hall of Fame."

Beehive Field

The real gem was next door. "Beehive Field" was a nearly completely wooden park that was the former home of Rock Cats, and their earlier incarnation as a Red Sox minor league franchise. They left for the less green pastures next door in the mid-90s, but the town fathers had the wisdom to leave the old park standing. I can understand how minor league personnel must have hated Beehive Field, with its rudimentary facilities, but it was just everything an old park should be. Sadly, it seemed to be under repair during my visit, as large parts of the structure had warning signs on it, but it was still touted as hosting the New Britain high school team and other organized amateur ball. It makes me happier that old parks like this are still in existence.

Back at the new stadium, they got a pretty big crowd for the game that night. It was Scout Night, and registered scouts were going to do a sleepover in the outfield after the game that night. Though the scouts and families were perhaps a quarter of the crowd, the rest were families and baseball fanatics out to see a game. What was notable was that for a minor-league game, there were a lot less of the between-inning shenanigans than normal, as usually at this level of ball the between-innings periods are chock full of musical chairs, and spin races, and the like. Not to say that there weren't any, but just a lot less than I was expecting. This night was also a tribute to 30 years of pro baseball in New Britain, so there were a number of video presentations on that milestone as well, perhaps replacing some of the games.

Surprising

It was another case of a predictably named mascot, however. The New Britain Rock Cats had a rock cat as a mascot. You know what? Just based on that, guess the rock cat's name. Correct, it was Rocky.


At the Game with Oogie:

Chicken fingers and water

I arrived plenty early at the park that day, predating the parking guys to the point where I got free parking for my promptness, or at least, that is the theory I'm going with. (I did ask about buying a parking ticket after the ropes went up, and I got a shrug of complete ambivalence from the teen on duty.) As per usual for minor and indie games, I sprung for the "expensive" seats behind the home dugout, to the tune of $15.

With a lot of time to kill, I ended up doing the full circuit of both New Britain Stadium, and their previous home next door, the Beehive. I get the impression that not a lot of people walk around the back of the stadium, as it is just a grass field backed by some woods and the high school, but I was surprised to find someone else out behind center field with his mitt. We both were made extremely sheepish by being found by other human beings, and it seemed clear that we had to talk to each other. I figured he was out there shagging any balls that cleared the stadium during batting practice, and god only knows what he thought of me.

"Doing some fielding practice for BP?"
"Cheap way to get a suntan."

And we both smiled and wished the other person would go away, as I did passing around to the other side of the stadium in my circuit.

After doing my normal walkabout the stadium, I grabbed some chicken fingers and fries and had some dinner at a stand-up table by the left field entrance. My seat was right at the end of the dugout, in front of an indented area where the grounds crew apparently kept all their rakes and such. Either way, it let me stretch out my legs after the long drive up, and it was welcome.

There were tons of families around me at the start of the game. As it got later and later into the night, especially with the long game, the families eventually petered away, and kids made their way into free seat upgrades to try and get balls out of the home players on the way back to the dugout. Some later arrivals weren't as lucky, but the kids that were already there shared their bounty with them. It was straight up one of the nicest things I'd have ever witnessed. One of the kid's dads caught me scoring and we talked about it for a while.

Before the family exodus, when the rock cat mascot came out for the first time, the kids of the family in the row behind me took notice. Their approximately six-year old daughter said this, word for word: "My goodness, that is a big kitty. I must hug it." I wasn't quite sure what to do with that. She eventually went over to get his autograph, and presumably a hug. I wish her well.

The stadium seemed to be facing dead north, because the sun was absolutely pounding down on the first base side as it started to set. Usually teams will align their field so that the blinding sun will fall on their opponent's dugout, but for whatever reason, the sun was right in our faces until it mercifully set behind the trees on this sweltering August evening. I've never been happier to see the lights come on before.


The Game:

First pitch, Curve vs. Rock Cats

With AA ball, you never quite know what you are going to get, except that there is going to be a big old dollop of slop worked in somewhere. Maybe there will be all hit, no pitch. Maybe it will be all pitch, no hit, but you can be sure there will be an error or two to get you through it.

The visiting Curve went down in order in the top of the first, but the Rock Cats got their lead-off hitter home after a single with a stolen base (that got my section $8 off an oil change), and error on the first baseman, and a wild pitch, while the rest of team went in order, leaving it a 1-0 Rock Cats lead at the end of one.

The Curve lead off the second with a single, and then a walk made it two on with no outs, which is never good if you're pitching. After a strike out, the Rock Cats gave up another single to load the bases, and then things got bizarre. The next batter up grounded one slowly to short, who went for and got the sure out at first. The runner from third scored, but the runner going from first to second either thought it was a double play, or forgot how many outs their were, because he made for the dugout. The first baseman fired back to the shortstop who tagged him out, for a simple 6-3-6t double play to end the inning. I would not want to be that runner going back to an angry manager after that level of bonehead play. But the Rock Cats went in order, leaving it tied at the end of two.

In the top of the third, the Curve got a lead-off walk thrown out on a steal attempt and nothing else. The Rock Cat's lead-off runner got to first on a shortstop error, moved over after a sacrifice bunt back to the pitch was successful enough for an infield single, and then a ground out to short left it first and third with one out. Another single brought home the run, but a double play ended the third with the Rock Cats up 2-1.

A potent mix of a single, a walk, and an error brought in a run with no outs for the Curve in the fourth. A sacrifice fly brought another in, but they could do no better, taking back the lead at 3-2. The Rock Cats started off their half with back-to-back singles, but could do nothing with it. In the fifth, the Curve scattered a single and a walk to no effect, but the Rock Cats started the sixth with a line drive homer to left to tie it at 3. The bases got loaded with back-to-back singles and another E6 before a sac fly brought in another run. But they got nothing more, regaining a slim 4-3 lead.

The Curve went in order in the sixth (thanks in part to a superman catch by the Rock Cat's center fielder), while the Rock Cats rudely greeted a new Curve pitcher. A lead-off walk was followed by a single, and a wild pitch moved them both over. A one-out single brought them in, but a hit batsman and single got them nothing more before the end of the inning, with the Rock Cats having some breathing room at 6-3.

The seemingly deflated Curve went in order in the seventh, but the Rock Cats turned a hit batsman and three more singles into two more runs, opening it up to 8-3. The Curve only managed a single and walk that went nowhere in the eighth, and the Rock Cats coasted to the ninth with a walk to show for their half of the eighth.

Then things got interesting. A new Rock Cats pitcher promptly gave up a single, a double, and another single to chip off one run of the lead. A sacrifice fly brought in another. After getting a fly out to right, it looked like the pitcher would be able to finish it off, but he got pulled before he had the chance. The new pitcher then gave up two more singles, to make the score an uncomfortable 8-6, with runners on first and third with two out. The go-ahead run came to plate, and struck out looking, giving the pitcher a save, and the Rock Cats the far too close 8-6 victory.


The Scorecard:

Curve vs. Rock Cats, 08/04/12. Rock Cats win, 8-6.

For the first time since Washington, PA, I had a new score card to explore. The score card was part of the $3 program, and was just a separate double-sided copy of what looked to be an official scorer sheet. The xerox was also a little off, and some of the column headers on the left were cut off because of it. Certainly not the worst scorecard I've gotten at a minor league park, but certainly interesting.

The reason I surmise it was an official scorer sheet is because it had a section up top to prove out your card (which involves adding up at bats, walks, sacrifices, and hit by pitches and comparing it to the total for runs, left on bases, and put outs to see if they add up), as well as a tracking for every pitch outcome or throw to a base, as well as a section for pitch counts. Even after Pittsburgh, this was the most involved scorecard I have ever had to fill out, but even though it was labor-intensive, I had a lot of fun with it. The layout made substitutions very easy to handle, and I have to say how much I like the pitch count tracking system they had in place, which I'd never seen before. If the at-bat goes for more than ten pitches or throws to bases, however, you are going to run into big problems. Also, the score sheet only took into account nine innings, so if your games goes to extra innings, or a team bats around on you, you are also going to have some rather serious difficulties.

Scoring-wise, there were some doosies. I think if I live to be a hundred, I will never have to repeat the DP 6-3-6t double-play from the second inning ever again, and the 5U-5-2 DP in the sixth was also a rare one.

Tracking pitches also lets to ferret out some really weird patterns that you otherwise would have missed. In the forth, for example, the first three batters started with a ball and then put the second pitch into play. The next two after that head nearly identical "BBTBH" lines (ball, ball, taken strike, ball, in play), except that the pitcher walked the second guy. Not mind-changing insights by any stretch, but still fairly interesting.


The Accommodations:
After a long, late drive after a long game, Hoboken.

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2012 Stand-Alone Trip