OT: Minor League Parks

[7nohitter]

Originally Posted by sycks22

Durham Bulls, played at old stadium, watched many games at the new one.
Carolina Mudcats
Winston-Salem Dash (won the air guitar showdown with my buddy between the 5th inning break, I'll do a lot for a free t-shirt)
Greensboro Grasshoppers
Asheville Tourists
Myrtle Beach Tourists
Charlotte Knights (Worst park by far)
Savannah Sand Gnats
Iowa Cubs

I love me some minor league baseball.

Hi Pete,

What made the Charlotte park the worst?

[sycks22]

Originally Posted by 7nohitter

Hi Pete,

What made the Charlotte park the worst?

It was their old park (3 years ago). There was no personality to the stadium (same dimensions down the line, to the gaps). Team store was the size of my bathroom. Seats weren't comfortable, nobody really seemed into the game. I heard they got a new stadium.

[7nohitter]

Originally Posted by sycks22

It was their old park (3 years ago). There was no personality to the stadium (same dimensions down the line, to the gaps). Team store was the size of my bathroom. Seats weren't comfortable, nobody really seemed into the game. I heard they got a new stadium.

Roger that. Thanks for the explanation-I hate those 'Kingdome-esque' stadiums.

[mybuddyinc]

Originally Posted by 7nohitter

Roger that. Thanks for the explanation-I hate those 'Kingdome-esque' stadiums.

The old Charlotte park was in Fort Mill, SC, south of Charlotte. The story I got from the old GM: The owners at the time thought Charlotte suburbs were going to expand South, and hoped for enough support to someday be considered for major league team. So they started with a frame work for possible expansion to a major league park. Charlotte however, expanded more East/West, not South, so they gave up on stadium. What was left was a "half-assed 'Kingdome-esque' stadium." As Pete said no personality, and imo, quite confusing, glad they got a new one.

[Shoebox]

Rosenblatt Stadium. Former home of the Omaha Royals and College World Series.

[LKeeler]

Billings Mustangs at historic Cobb Field, Salt Lake Buzz, and the Casper Ghosts.

[z28jd]

I definitely haven't been to enough parks. In order of how often I went.

Lakewood, been to 100+ games
Trenton, close to 50
Wilmington 4 times, 5 games
Jacksonville(Wolfson Park) 1991
Utica, during the last season they played there in 2001
Oneonta in 1991 as a Yankees affiliate
Staten Island

*Bradenton for a Spring Training game, but it's still the same stadium they use for minor league ball

[EGreenwood]

Sam Lynn Ballpark (Bakersfield Outlaws) and LoanMart Field (Quakes) for me.

Erik Greenwood

[CurtisFlood]

Daytona Beach Class A
Springfield, MO Class AA

Daytona is a bare bones park.

Springfield very nice.

[Sean]

Pawtucket (old stadium)
New Britain
Norwich
New Haven
Tidewater
Raley Field (Sacramento)
San Jose Giant's Class A. I went with my father to see SJ play the Modesto A's in 1998. Joe Nathan beat Tim Hudson 2-1 that day. Thanks for reminding me.

[esd10]

Columbus Huntington park and cooper stadium

[Buckeye]

Not sure if all of these parks/leagues exist anymore but here goes...

American League(southern)
New Orleans Zephyrs (AAA)

Texas League
San Antonio Missions (AA)
Wichita Wranglers (AA)
Tulsa Drillers (AA)
Memphis Redbirds (AA)

Pacific Coast League
Oklahoma Redhawks (AAA)
Omaha Royals (AAA)
Iowa Cubs (AAA)
Nashville Sounds (AAA)
Round Rock Express (AAA)

Midwest League
Cedar Rapids Kernals (A)
Swing of the Quad Cities (A)
Kane County Cougars (A)
Dayton Dragons (A)
South Bend Silver Hawks (A)
Clinton Lumberkings (A)

South Atlantic League
Rome Braves (A)
Asheville Tourists (A)
Winston-Salem Warthogs (A)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (A)
Charleston River Dogs (A)
Greenville Bombers (A)
Kanapolis Intimidators (A)
Augusta Green Jacksets (A)
Savannah Sand Gnats (A)

International League
Charlotte Knights (AAA)
Durham Bulls (AAA)

Southern League
Chattanooga Lookouts (AA)
West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx (AA)

Independents
Fargo (I)
Calgary Stampeders (AAA)
Edmonton (AA)

Florida League
Brevard County Manatees (A)
Daytona Cubs (A)
Dunedin Bluejays (A)
Ft. Myers Miracle (A)
Sarasota Reds (A)
Clearwater Threshers (A)
Tampa Yankees (A)

New York-Penn League
Mahoning Valley Scrappers (A)

Northeast League
Lowell Spinners (A)
Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA)
Connecticut Defenders (AA)
New Britain Rock Cats (AA)

[begsu1013]

hello fellow savannhian!

sucks we lost/are losing the gnats and that the current mayor/city council didn't vote to build a new stadium, even though they spent a cold hard mill on an economic survey, which concluded it'd be a "home run".

maybe the new mayor and city council will do something to salvage baseball in savannah. grayson stadium is extremely historic and if I recall correctly babe ruth did play there and hit a homer?!?!

few other fun facts:

grayson stadium has a long history of baseball being played In Savannah. Legends such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, and Jackie Robinson all played on this field in their early days in the Minor Leagues during exhibitions.

originally built in 1926 and named Municipal Stadium, it saw major renovations and reconstruction in 1941 following a hurricane that destroyed the stadium.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once spoke at Municipal Stadium in 1933

In 1959, the Yankees and Reds played an exhibition game at Grayson Stadium. Among the Yankees players was future Hall of Famer, Mickey Mantle.




also, not sure if you know or not but they also used to play games inside fort fulaski way back when...





welp, that's my contribution!

[Writehooks]

My minor league experience has all been outside the US:
1) John Ducey Park (now Telus Field) in Edmonton, Alberta (Edmonton Trappers in the PCL, Edmonton Cracker Cats in the indy Northern League).
2) Foothills Stadium, Calgary, Alberta (saw an 18-year-old A-Rod in his short stint with the PCL Calgary Cannons).
3) Goldeye Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba (indy Winnipeg Goldeyes).
4) Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, BC (PCL Vancouver Canadians).
5) Fengtai Stadium, Beijing, China (Beijing Tigers, China Baseball League).
6) Tianjin Stadium, Tianjin, China (Tianjin Dragons, China Baseball League).

[tachyonbb]

Nebraska:
Omaha Municipal/Rosenblatt Stadium Omaha Cardinals, Omaha Dodgers, Omaha Royals/GoldenSpikes/Spikes/Royals
Werner Park Omaha Storm Chasers
Lincoln Sherman Field, Lincoln Chiefs (Pirates)
Haymarket Park, Lincoln Salt Dogs (I)
Class D Nebraska State League 1956-1959
Grand Island Municipal Field/Ryder Park GI A's
Kearney Memorial Park, Kearney Yankees
McCook Eastside Park (now Felling Field) McCook Braves
Superior Brodstone Field, Superior Senators
Holdrege Fairground Park, White Sox
North Platte Cody Park, Indians
Hastings Duncan Field, Giants
Lexington Fairgrounds Red Sox
Earlier incarnations of the NSL
York East Hill Park, York Dukes
Fairbury Quinn Field Fairbury Jeffersons

Also been to Wahoo's Sam Crawford Field, Tilden's Richie Ashburn Field and Aurora's Clarence Mitchell Field.

The Braves held an open tryout at Rushville NE in 1954. The town recently redid the old wooden grandstand and brought it up to snuff.

Iowa:
Burlington Bees, Community Field
Cedar Rapids Kernals, Veterans Memorial
Clinton Lumber Kings
Des Moines Oaks Sec Taylor Stadium
Quad Cities Only thing I remember is the amazing view

Other
Peoria Ill Chiefs at Dozier Park
Fargo Red Hawks (I)
Phoenix Firebirds Scottsdale Stadium
Savannah Sand Gnats Grayson Stadium (main grandstand is amazing but needs a lot of maintenance)
New Orleans Zephyrs (both Privateer and Zephyr field)