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Forget The Yankees And Mets, The Minor Leagues Have Their Own New Fields

April 22, 2009 at 1:46 PM | by | Comments (0)

Major League Baseball is great and all, especially with the Mets and Yankees getting new stadiums this year, but we’re in a recession (or something) and need to save some cash. That’s why visiting a few minor league games this year is a great recession-friendly idea, especially when there's new stadiums to get your fix of peanuts and Cracker Jacks.

The Bowling Green Hot Rods have been hanging out near the bottom of the standings, but that hasn’t stopped the fans from seeing what the new Bowling Green Ballpark has to offer. A crowd of almost 7,000 welcomed baseball back to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the first time in decades.

The stadium has an unusual design—part of it is concave since there’s a curvy road that runs behind right field. You’ll always be able to check the score on their 16 by 32 foot LED scoreboard. If your butt gets tired in the regular seats, there’s lawn seating for you to spread your blanket and relax, along with a couple play areas for the kiddies. The field and seats are all finished, but they’re still working on the team’s offices and a few other finishing touches—so watch for wet paint.

The Fort Wayne TinCaps opened the gates on their new place last week with a win over the Dayton Dragons in front of a sold-out crowd of over 8,000. Parkview Field was designed by the experts at HOK Sport at a cost of just over $30 million. It looks like money well spent, especially if you scroll through their construction photos.

Without the slightly ridiculous Johnny Appleseed logo—apparently he spent some time in Fort Wayne, Indiana—you’d never know you were in the minor leagues. The new stadium has a freestanding bar behind centerfield, huge video screen, and a roof-top Home Run Porch—similarly to Wrigley Field. We couldn’t find anything too gluttonous for sale here, but they do have hummus and pita chips for those that don’t want a full rack of ribs from the Centerfield Grill.

The centerpiece of a redevelopment effort in Reno is the new Aces Ballpark. Home to the Reno Aces, the field sits next to the Truckee River within the Freight House District. The team relocated from Tucson just for the stadium, bringing baseball to Reno for the first time in a long time.

Although the stadium was built in only one year, there’s still plenty to do, like hanging out in the Coors Light Party Zone and the Bullpen Party Deck. After filling up on even more alcohol at the 360-degree bar, stumble towards the grass seating where you can enjoy views of the river, just in case the game isn’t going your way. Most importantly, you can walk from the stadium to downtown Reno for some post-game gambling.

Related Stories:
·Bowling Green Hot Rods [Official Site]
·Fort Wayne TinCaps [Official Site]
·Reno Aces [Official Site]
·Best Minor League Ballparks: The List [Jaunted]
·Baseball Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Fort Wayne TinCaps]

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