Baseball Stadiums: Reviewing 2016 Resolutions

Like many people, I make New Years' resolutions.  Unlike most people mine aren't about losing weight, spending more time with family, getting organized, or any of the other most common resolutions that people end up breaking a few weeks into the new year.  Instead, my resolutions are about travel related to baseball teams.  Specifically, I tweet my resolutions about the baseball teams/stadiums I hope to visit during the upcoming year.

So as 2016 is nearly coming to a close, I've taken some time to sit down and look at my success of accomplishing my New Years' resolutions.  Since 2014, I've written four resolutions on January 1st of each year.  So without further ado, I'll review how I did accomplishing my resolutions for 2016.

In 2016, I resolve to see @GoTourists play on a #ThirstyThursday. #PlayBall

— Steven Ericson (@geoSteven) January 1, 2016

Attending a Thirsty Thursday game hosted by the Asheville Tourists was easily accomplished as part of my trip to the Carolinas following my engagement.  It was the second stop of our trip through the Carolinas, and we did indeed took advantage of the beer specials that night (read about it here).

In 2016, I resolve to see all four S.C. @MiLB teams: @ColaFireflies, @ChasRiverDogs, @GreenvilleDrive, and @Pelicanbaseball. #PlayBall

— Steven Ericson (@geoSteven) January 1, 2016

It's tough for me to assess this resolution because I did not get to see all four South Carolina Minor League teams play at home, but I did make it to all four towns and had the intent of attending a game at all of the stadiums.  However, the Greenville Drive's home game was rained out on the night I was in town as part of my #SCMiLBTour.  So I ended up seeing the other three Minor League teams in the Palmetto State.  You can read about my experiences in Myrtle Beach (here), Charleston (here), and Columbia (here).

In 2016, I resolve to see all three @MiLB teams in Kentucky: @BGHotRods, @LexingtonLegend, & @LouisvilleBats. #PlayBall

— Steven Ericson (@geoSteven) January 1, 2016

Since 2014, I've tried to see all three Kentucky Minor League teams in action, and have failed to accomplish that resolution.  Sadly, this past year was no different.  In early August, Katie and I attended a Bowling Green Hot Rods game (read it here), but we were unable to incorporate visits to Lexington or Louisville into our trip.

In 2016, I resolve to see a @Braves game during their final season at Turner Field. #PlayBall

— Steven Ericson (@geoSteven) January 1, 2016

I hoped to make it to multiple Braves games at Turner Field during the 2016 season, but had to settle for just one ballgame before the club moved out.  However, in late May on the way back from the Carolinas, Katie and I watched the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Atlanta Braves in Turner Field.

It's a beautiful night to watch @braves in these great seats in @downtownatlanta at Turner Field. #mlb #baseball #Atlanta #ChopOn

A photo posted by Steven Ericson (@geo_steven) on May 25, 2016 at 4:21pm PDT

As I've previously mentioned, trying to assess whether I accomplished all four of my resolutions is a bit difficult.  However, if I apply a black-or-white filter things become much clearer.  In a black-and-white world, I accomplished two of my four resolutions by attending a Braves game at Turner Field during their final season there and by attending an Asheville Tourists game on a Thirsty Thursday.  So overall I finished the year 2-for-4 (0.500 average).

If I break down the individual components of the resolutions my average climbs to 0.667 or 6-for-9.  As usual, my eyes are often bigger than my schedule when it comes to attending baseball games.  But now it's time to consider my resolutions for 2017...

Baseball Stadiums: 2016 MiLB Mascot Mania Recap

Baseball's Hot Stove season is in full swing, as teams wheel and deal pro players and prospects alike.  Earlier this week I recapped the baseball stadiums I visited during the 2016 season (read it here), and felt it was appropriate to wrap up the mascots I had my picture taken with during the year.

I attended 14 games during the season at 11 stadiums.  Four stadiums were first-time visits, so I was keen on getting my photo taken with mascots at those ballparks.  One big difference this past season was traveling with my now fiancée, who was included in all my mascot photos this season.

The first stop on our trip through the Carolinas was actually in Tennessee, as we attended a Tennessee Smokies game (read it here) and got our photo taken with Homer the Hound.

Katie and I with Homer the Hound.

The second stop on our trip to the Carolinas was Asheville, N.C., where we saw the Asheville Tourists and along with enjoying the Thirsty Thursday promotion (read about our visit here) we got our photo taken with Mr. Moon.

Katie and I with Mr. Moon almost immediately after walking in the gate.

The next stop on our trip was Greenville, S.C., but the Greenville Drive game got rained out that night.  So our next game was on the Grand Strand, as we got to see the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.  I hoped to get photo with Splash, but unfortunately that was not the case (read about rest of our visit here).  Instead late in the game we got our picture with Rally Shark.

Katie and I with Rally Shark.

After Myrtle Beach, our next stop was Charleston to see the RiverDogs and Charlie T. RiverDog (read about our visit here).

A Charlie T. RiverDog sandwich with Katie and I.

The final stop on our #SCMiLBTour was the state capital: Columbia.  We got to attend a game at the newest ballpark in Minor League Baseball and see the recently relocated Columbia Fireflies in action (read about our visit here).  All the superlatives meant we also got to take our picture with the newest mascot in the South Atlantic League: Mason!

Katie and I with Mason as the sun sets.

Although last season I had a picture of just myself with the Nashville Sounds mascot Booster, Katie and I got a picture with the hot chicken together when we attended the Sounds' first playoff game at First Tennessee Park this September.

Enjoying the first @nashvillesounds playoff game at @firsttnpark on a beautiful night in @visitmusiccity. #PCL #baseball #minors #milb #playlouder

A photo posted by Steven Ericson (@geo_steven) on Sep 9, 2016 at 6:55pm PDT

So this season I added photos with five more MiLB mascots while Katie got her first six photos with team mascots.  The best part about our journeys is that these photos with mascots give us a great memento of our trip to each ballpark.

Baseball Stadiums: 2016 Recap

I usually write the recap of my baseball stadium visits in September or October at the latest, but unfortunately I got behind with my responsibilities and didn't get to reflect on the past season until recently.  So it seems appropriate that during the chill of December, I think about the various ballparks I visited during the 2016 season.

I visited three MLB stadiums, and wrote about two visits.  I visited Kauffman Stadium (home of the Kansas City Royals) for the second time, but the first time since I started seriously blogging about my baseball stadium visits (read it here).  I attended an Atlanta Braves game at Turner Field during the club's last season as the ballpark, but wrote about my 2015 visit.  Although I attend one to two games at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati during my week in town for the A.P. Human Geography Reading, and decided to write about my visit this year (read it here) to watch the Cincinnati Reds because so much changed at the stadium as it hosted the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.

I visited four new MiLB stadiums and revisited four ballparks during the season.  The most exciting part of my summer revolved around a week-long trip to the Carolinas with my now fiancée Katie.  After departing from Nashville, we stopped near Knoxville, Tenn., and saw a Tennessee Smokies game.  Although I've seen the Smokies twice at home before this stop, I had never written about my experience at the ballpark (read it here).  The remainder of the ballparks we visited on the trip were all first-time experiences for me.  The next night we attended a Thirsty Thursday game in Asheville, N.C., where the promotion originated with the Asheville Tourists (read it here).  The following night we were supposed to watch the Greenville Drive, but the game was rained out.  So our next ballgame was in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where we saw the Myrtle Beach Pelicans host a Military Appreciation Game (read it here).  After an evening off and my in-person audition to be a contestant on Sports Jeopardy!, Katie and I attended a Charleston RiverDogs game (read it here).  The last leg of our #SCMiLBTour brought us to Columbia where we saw the newly relocated Columbia Fireflies play in the newest ballpark in MiLB (read it here).

Although not technically part of our trip through the Carolinas, Katie and I concluded our journey by attending the previously-mentioned Braves game.  Concluding my visits to Minor League ballparks, the other parks I revisited besides Smokies Stadium were First Tennessee Park (home of the Nashville Sounds), Regions Field (home of the Birmingham Barons), and Bowling Green Ballpark (home of the Bowling Green Hot Rods).  I did not write about my visits to see the Sounds or Barons, but did write about my visit to see the Hot Rods because Katie and I enjoyed the game from a pair of Club Level seats and dined at the Stadium Club (read it here).

In keeping with my map making from last season, I have continued to add my stadium visits to my Story Map.  I made a change to the design of the map, instead of showing the main entrance to the stadium I changed the primary image to the first pitch as seen from behind home plate.  You can see the updated map here.

Screen capture of my updated Story Map.

As the 2016 season enters the height of the Hot Stove Season, I wrote about eight baseball stadium visits and attended 14 games at 11 ballparks across the MLB, Triple-A, Double-A, Advanced A, and Class A levels.  The only level of affiliated baseball I didn't watch this past season was ShortSeason-A/Rookie level.

These trips now bring my stadium tally to:

• MLB = 21 (14 active)
• Triple-A = 10 (8 active)
• Double-A = 21 (16 active)
• Class A-Advanced = 6 (6 active)
• Class A = 11 (8 active)
• Class A-Short-Season = 6 (5 active)
• Independent = 5 (2 active)
• Spring Training = 10 (9 active)

I have now seen professional baseball games (including Spring Training) in 30 states, the District of Columbia, and one Canadian province (British Columbia).  I attended games in nine states during the 2016 season, and added North Carolina and South Carolina to my list of states.

Baseball Stadiums: Bowling Green Ballpark (2016)

Coming into the baseball season I thought I was going to have the opportunity to visit all three Minor League Baseball teams in Kentucky.  Unfortunately, scheduling prevented me from making the trip.  However, in early August things started to come together that would allow fiancée Katie and I to make the trip to see the Bowling Green Hot Rods over her birthday weekend.

I started by reaching out to Alex Cohen, the team's broadcasting and media relations manager, about securing a pair of tickets to the Club Level.  I also got assistance from Telia Butler with the Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, who helped me find a great hotel in town.  I ended up staying at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, where Katie and I were upgraded to a king suite.  The hotel is only a year old and featured newer design elements, and has all the amenities people expect from the Fairfield Inn brand: a great breakfast, indoor swimming pool, and gym.  The next time I stay overnight in Bowling Green, I will definitely stay at this hotel.

After a trip to the Historic Railpark & Train Museum (photos can be seen on my Instagram account), Katie and I ended up exploring some of the local beer and liquor stores in town.  We ultimately ate dinner at El Mazatlan, which was good, but nothing spectacular.

The following day Katie and I went to Mammoth Cave National Park, ate lunch at a Bosnian café/grocery store, and had some beers at White Squirrel Brewery.  Then finally we got to the primary reason we made the trip from Nashville to Bowling Green: to watch the Hot Rods play ball.

Approaching the main entrance of Bowling Green Ballpark.

I previously attended a game a Hot Rods game in 2014, and blogged about that experience (read it here).  So this time I wanted to do something different, and thanks to a pair of tickets to the Club Level at Bowling Green Ballpark Katie and I got to do just that.

Main gate of the ballpark.

There's a lot to explore at any ballpark, but my focus on this visit was on new additions to the stadium and specifically the Club Level.  The first difference between my visits that I noticed was the starting lineups and Midwest League standings alternating on a flatscreen TV.

Starting lineups for the West Michigan Whitecaps and Bowling Green Hot Rods.

Midwest League standings entering play on Saturday, Aug. 6.

After taking the elevator up to the Club Level, Katie and I got to enter the Stadium Club.

Entrance to the Club Level.

Upon entering the club there is a collection of home plates along the wall, which isn't unusual considering it's a baseball stadium.

Home plates in the Stadium Club.

However, upon further inspection it becomes apparent that the home plates are autographed.  Most of the home plates are not autographed by former players, but my notable guests or music performers who have been to the stadium.  My favorite home plate was the one autographed by former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods, who was best known for his touchdown celebration: The Ickey Shuffle (see video here).

Home plate autographed by former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods.

Past the home plates on the wall is the bar that serves the Stadium Club.  It looks like this...

Main bar at the Stadium Club.

As the photo illustrates, there is a full bar with a few beers on draft.  As the craft beer scene has grown in Kentucky, I hoped you find a few on draft, but that was not the case.  Instead the beers I found on tap were Michelob Ultra, Blue Moon, Bud Light, and other domestic macro beers.

While we mulled our beverage options, Katie and I went out to our seats and saw something you don't see at many Minor League stadiums: both teams in uniform in the stands.  As MiLB.com's Ben Hill previously detailed (read his story here), Bowling Green sits on limestone, which makes the area susceptible to sinkholes.  So when it rains the dugouts are prone to flooding, which was the case before tonight's game.

Bowling Green Hot Rods hanging out in the stands while water drains out of their dugout.

While the Hot Rods hung out in the stands, the umpires had declared that the game must go on.  So while sitting high above home plate I was able to capture my usual first pitch photograph.

Bowling Green Hot Rods starting pitcher Jose Mujica delivering the first pitch to West Michigan Whitecaps center fielder Derek Hill.

We watched a bit of the action I captured some views of the seating in the upper level, too.

View down the first base line.

View down the third base line.

After awhile of watching the game, Katie and I decided we should order something to eat.  While we could have ordered anything from the main concourse and brought it back to our seats in the Club Level, we decided it was best to stick with the options available on that level.

There are two menus in the Stadium Club.  The Club Grill Menu is what I would call the usual ballpark items with chicken tenders, a jumbo hot dog, the wings basket, and other items you'd expect to find at a baseball stadium.  The Past Specials Menu is what it sounds like it would be.  It is a menu featuring a variety of specials that have been available at the club such as a Meatball Sub, a Taco Bowl, and a BLT Chicken Wrap among other items.

As Katie and I wanted to eat something unique we wouldn't traditionally find at a baseball stadium, we ordered from the Past Specials Menu.  We decided to split the bacon mac-n-cheese bites and the BBQ shrimp burger.

The BBQ shrimp burger (left) and bacon mac-n-cheese bites (right).

Both items were undoubtedly unique, as I've never seen a BBQ shrimp burger at any baseball stadium.  The bacon mac-n-cheese bites are a food item that has gained notoriety recently as people experiment with ways to macaroni and cheese, but there was a unique twist with diced jalapenos mixed in with the mac-n-cheese.  Katie and I agree that we'd get both items again.

After letting our meal settle, we decided we needed something to "close our stomaches."  We didn't need to explore or debate any choices, as the Hot Rods had been promoting their funnel cake fries during the MiLB Food Fight.

I had some amazing funnel cake fries to cap off my food at @bg_hotrods game. They are best dessert I've ever had at a ballgame. #fandriven #baseball #milb #minors #milbfoodfight

A photo posted by Steven Ericson (@geo_steven) on Aug 6, 2016 at 6:55pm PDT

After finishing up the funnel cake fries, we decided to watch the remainder of the game from the field level.  As we walked around the stadium, I felt obliged to take a photo of the grandstand from the outfield to provide an overall view of the ballpark.

A view of the grandstand from right field.

The amenities at Bowling Green Ballpark haven't changed since my first visit in 2014, which is good because it is a park that has everything a fan needs.  I wouldn't normally splurge on club level tickets, but can say from my first experience (thanks to Alex Cohen) that the additional expense is well worth it.  The food that is exclusively available at the Stadium Club was excellent, and the views were great.  Additionally, the staff at the stadium really is #FanDriven.

Final Score: West Michigan 3, Bowling Green 7
Box Score

Baseball Stadiums: Great American Ball Park

Since 2011, I have participated in the AP Human Geography Reading in Cincinnati, Ohio, which means I have gone to a number of Cincinnati Reds games - specifically 11 games over the last five years after this visit.  However, I did not post about my first visit to Great American Ball Park, but after starting this blog I wrote about my visit in 2012 while combining it with my visit to a Dayton Dragons game (read it here).

As I've grown my blog and the stadium underwent renovations in preparation for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, I decided that I should write a more complete entry about the stadium.  So I decided that I would write about my first visit to the stadium this year, which was a Friday night game between the Reds and Washington Nationals.

So after making the usual mile trek from my downtown hotel to the ballpark, I captured what most fans see as they come to Great American Ball Park.

"The Spirit of Baseball" sculpture designed by Mark Riedy.

The sculpture is part of the Reds' office space and varies based upon sunlight and artificial light, but really what people care about seeing when coming to the stadium is the actual main entrance.

Main entrance.

Outside the main entrance there are multiple statues honoring former players, the team's main gift store, and the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum.  There are nearly too many statues honoring players to photograph, after all the Reds are the oldest professional baseball club and claim a history dating back to 1869.  So I don't have photos of every single statue, but did capture some noteworthy players' statues and one of the most recent additions, a mustache.

To promote the 2015 MLB All-Star Game the Reds commissioned mustache statues that are now throughout Cincinnati.

In homage to the franchise's history the Reds created a monument in front of the main entrance called the "Reds Legends of Crosley Field" that was designed by Tom Tsuchiya.  The sculpture includes Joe Nuxhall pitching, Ernie Lombardi catching, Frank Robinson batting, and Ted Kluszewski waiting on deck.

"Reds Legends of Crosley Field" monument that honors of team's former home field (1912-1970).

The Reds also have some decorative shrubbery by the main entrance that has become a popular place for fans to take photographs.

Decorative shrubbery by the main entrance.

Besides the imaginary baseball game featuring former star players there are two other sculptures by the entrance recognizing some of the Reds greatest and most beloved players: Tony Perez and Johnny Bench.

Tony Pérez (1964-76, 1984-86) was inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Johnny Bench (1967-83) was inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.

So what do fans see when they walk into the concourse?

First sight upon entering the stadium.

There are also two mosaics called "The First Nine" and "The Great Eight," which commemorate the 1869 Red Stockings (the first professional baseball team) and the 1975-76 Reds teams known as the Big Red Machine that won back-to-back World Series titles.  Both mosaics were designed by Mark Riedy, who also designed the bas relief that welcomes fans outside the stadium.

"The Great Eight" and "The First Nine" mosaics that are immediately inside the main gates.

There are a lot of great food choices, but I ate before the game on this particular night.  So I don't have the typical food photo to share, but have shared a pair of signature Cincinnati food items on Twitter from previous visits.

Gotta have pair of @Skyline_Chili cheese coneys when I'm at @Reds game during #APReading. pic.twitter.com/nd1LJE4qm9

— Steven Ericson (@geoSteven) June 4, 2014

Completed the @CincinnatiUSA food trifecta with @LaRosasPizza at @Reds game. #APHGreading pic.twitter.com/MYbZhTJl1c

— Steven Ericson (@geoSteven) June 8, 2015

Food porn photos aside, the options at the concession stand cover the spectrum, but most notably incorporate a lot of items associated with food in Cincinnati.

The hot dog and sausage stand is known as Porkopolis, which was a nickname given to Cincinnati in 1835
because the city was a major hog packing center.

There's pizza...

LaRosa's Family Pizzeria was founded in 1954 in Cincinnati, but now has stores in nearby Kentucky and Indiana plus Dayton.

There's also a burger chain...

The Big Boy statue by the Frisch's Big Boy concession stand.

While Big Boy is a national chain, Frisch's owns the rights to the franchise in most of Ohio and all of Kentucky and Indiana, so it is a chain many Reds fans know.

Additionally, there are Skyline Chili stands throughout the stadium that serve not only the namesake chili, but also coneys (a hot dog topped with chili and shredded cheese).

Beyond hot dogs, beer might be the most famous ballpark item, and Great American Ball Park does not lack for a selection of excellent local craft beers.  Near home plate there is an extensive bar that features macro brews, but also great Cincinnati-brewed beers and some solid regional choices from Kentucky and other parts of Ohio.

Brewery District Bar near home plate.

For fans along the first base line and in the outfield there is another large bar.

Bootleggers Bar along the first base line.

By Bootleggers Bar there is a sign commemorating Cincinnati's brewing heritage, which runs very deep.  It may not be as well-known outside the region because there are no major macro breweries in town nor is the craft beer industry as well established here as elsewhere around the United States (read about it here), but Cincinnati has a rich brewing history that recently has begun to be celebrated.

Sign showing off the Cincinnati Brewing Heritage Trail.

While exploring the concourse I happened to encounter one of the team's mascots: Rosie Red.

Me with Rosie Red.

Perhaps one of the most unique things I saw while walking around the terrace level was a special seat between the Sun/Moon Deck in right field and the Power Stacks in right center field is a vacant seat designated to the memory of American prisoners of war and and those missing in action.

The Chair of Honor was dedicated in 2014.

But enough of the concourse, what do fans see what sitting in their seats?  After all, fans comes to games to watch a game not tour a stadium, right?  Well, most fans come to watch the game.  I generally do, even when I explore and check out the unique components of a new ballpark I'm visiting for the very first time.

So onto the game's first pitch from my seat high above the field.

Reds starting pitcher Brandon Finnegan getting ready to deliver the first pitch
to Washington Nationals center fielder Ben Revere.

The most unique feature of the outfield has to be the riverboat above the batter's eye in center field.  Cincinnati was once well known for its riverboat, and still has some in service now that do tours along the Ohio River.

The Riverboat Deck in center field.

Along side the riverboat is a pair of smokestacks, which are a staple of the vessel.  Additionally, highlighting the smokestacks allows me to point out the secondary videoboard in right field that was added during the 2015 in advance of the All-Star Game.

Right field's Sun/Moon Deck with the secondary videoboard alongside the PNC Power Stacks, which shoot fireworks.

With the secondary videoboard in right field, the stadium's primary videoboard stands over the left field bleachers.

With the bases loaded early in the game, the videoboard features a graphic referencing a common phrase
used to describe the situation.

While enjoying my view from the upper deck, I was able to capture a photo of the pitcher's mound.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

I have shown off most of the stadium except for the seats down the first base line, where the JACK Cincinnati Casino Champions Club is located.  It is a member's only club that features a buffet along with seating inside and outside.  It had been the Riverfront Club, which was open to all stadium-goers, but it was renovated prior to the 2015 season and became a members-only area.

View down the first base line featuring the JACK Cincinnati Casino Champions Club.

The stadium faces the Ohio River, which is great because so much of Cincinnati's history is tied to the river.  However, the views into Kentucky can be considered a little lackluster as there are no skyscrapers or other stunning sights.  So in order to get views of the city's skyline fans need to walk to the outfield.  Normally fans wouldn't be able to see much of a skyline outside a stadium because the upper deck would block the view, but Great American Ball Park has a specially designed gap that allows fans to see the downtown Cincinnati skyline.

View of Great American Insurance Group Tower, headquarters of the namesake sponsor of the ballpark.

While capturing the view of the skyline, I also got a photo of the grandstand behind home plate.  Naturally this includes the press box and many of the luxury suites, but all of the franchise's retired numbers are also honored

View of the grandstand behind home plate with the press box and the franchise's retired numbers.

As the oldest professional franchise in baseball, the Reds have a lot of retired numbers (read about them here).  So I won't detail all of them, but instead focus on the one number that was not posted when I attended this game in June: Pete Rose's #14.  Following Rose's banishment from MLB in 1989, the Reds did not retire his number.  Finally entering this season the Reds announced they would retire his number.  A few weeks after my visit the team fêted Rose as part of a weekend-long event that also honored the 1976 World Series (read the details here).

The first game I attended in Cincinnati was on a Friday, so following the Reds victory over the Nationals fans got treated to a fireworks show.

Fireworks over the Ohio River.

Fireworks above the Sun/Moon Deck in right field.

A colorful fireworks display.

Great American Ball Park really does live up to its name.  It is a great American ballpark.  It has wide concourses.  It has tons of concession stands with local-inspired options.  It has lots of great craft beer selections.  It has great architecture.  It has a penchant for incorporating history into the stadium.

There is one very minor drawback about the stadium.  The views from the seats are good, although the Kentucky hilltops aren't the most aesthetically pleasing.  However, the stadium beautifully incorporates views of the Cincinnati skyline for fans sitting in the outfield.

Despite this minor drawback, the stadium lives up to its name.  It is a great American ballpark.

Final Score: Washington 2, Cincinnati 7
Box Score

Baseball Stadiums: Spirit Communications Park

After two days in Charleston (read about it here), Katie and I headed to our last stop on our tour of Minor League Baseball stadiums in South Carolina.  Before making it to Columbia to watch the Fireflies, we explored Congaree National Park, which is the place that inspired the team's name (read about it here).

Before heading to the game, we stopped at a couple of local breweries (Conquest Brewing Company and Hunter-Gatherer Brewery & Alehouse), but those will be covered in a separate post.

Following parking in a field on the grounds of the former Bull Street Lunatic Asylum, we headed toward the newest Minor League Baseball stadium in the United States: Spirit Communications Park.

Main entrance.

Although Katie and I made the 1/3-mile loop around the concourse and checked out the gift shop, we opted to wait on food and beverages to watch the beginning of the game.

Columbia Fireflies starting pitcher Andrew Church delivering the first pitch to Augusta GreenJackets shortstop Lucius Fox.

Somehow I never found a posted lineup for the game or the South Atlantic League standings posted at the stadium.  However, due to an online box score I was able to see what San Francisco Giants prospects (see full list here) were playing for the visiting Augusta GreenJackets and what New York Mets (see full list here) prospects were on the field for the hometown Columbia Fireflies.

After watching a few innings of play, Katie and I made another trip around the concourse so I could take some photos.  So first things we saw was the kids zone in left field.

Inflatables in the kids zone.

Grandstand with suite boxes on the second level.

Among the buildings in the outfield there are a number of displays detailing Columbia's baseball history.  One of the displays specifically discusses the first professional team in Columbia, which used a variety of names before settling on the Comers.

One of two displays detailing the history of baseball in Columbia.

Display detailing the Columbia Commies, which played in the original South Atlantic League from 1903 to 1930.

Second set of display detailing Columbia's baseball history, including the Columbia Reds and the Capital City Bombers, who were the last professional team in Columbia until the Fireflies moved to town before the 2016 season.

Display honoring Larry Doby, a native of nearby Camden, was the first African-American player in the American League
and second  African-American to play in the Major Leagues after Jackie Robinson.

Beyond the current stadium wall is the South Carolina State Hospital, which was locally known as the Bull Street Lunatic Asylum.  The stadium and other planned developments are being built on land that once belonged to the hospital, which the Babcock Building (read its entry on the National Register of Historic Places here) and other structures still stand (read about development plans here).  The Babcock Building's Italian Renaissance Revival architecture provides an aesthetically pleasing perch overlooking the ballpark.

The Babcock Building just beyond the ballpark.

After getting beers at the bar in right field, we fortunately ran into the Fireflies mascot Mason.  So Katie and I waited for him and had our picture taken with him for the second time that day.  We originally got a photo with Mason by the main entrance, but the staff member's shadow was evident in the first photo.

Katie and I with Mason.

Following our trip around the concourse, I finally settled on my dinner choice.  There is a portable concession stand near home plate that serves barbecue.  South Carolina is noted for its unique take on barbecue, so I felt like having some was appropriate as we had not eaten any during the rest of our trip.

Barbecue Sliders with three sauces: Carolina Gold, Sweet 'n' Spicy, and Pepper Vinegar.

The shredded pork was excellent.  It was moist yet not sopping wet.  The sauces were a mixed bag, as could be expected.  The Carolina Gold sauce was great.  It is a mustard-based sauce, but it was sweet and tangy all at once.  The Sweet 'n' Spicy was a tomato-based sauce that matched its name to a T.  The Pepper Vinegar sauce was OK, but I have never been a fan of vinegar-based sauces.

Following my meal, I decided to take a few photos of two notable locations on the concourse that I had missed earlier.  The first was the gift shop, which unto itself is not special, but I wanted to capture the iridescent glow on the marquee that is featured at other locations along the concourse.

The gift store.

The other location I wanted to feature was the SweetWater Brewing Company-branded bar behind home plate.  SweetWater is an Atlanta-based regional craft brewery.  So I was a little surprised to see their name splashed across the bar instead of seeing one of the local breweries featured.  While beers from Columbia-based breweries are available at the stadium, I did not expect to see an Atlanta-based brewery to have naming rights at the ballpark.

Home Plate Bar featuring the branding of Georgia-based SweetWater Brewing Company.

In addition to capturing these two shots of the concourse, I realized that I did not have a photo of the videoboard or any good pictures of players in action.

Videoboard in left field.

Augusta reliever Jake McCasland facing Columbia right fielder Kevin Kaczmarski.

Unfortunately my camera does a mediocre job taking photos at night, but I felt like it was necessary to show off the Fireflies' uniforms.

Perhaps one of the funnest things Katie and I got to do took place after the game when all fans were allowed to run the bases.  Running the bases is a common event at many MiLB stadiums, but it's usually reserved for kids and typically takes places only one day a week.  However, the Fireflies let fans of all ages run the bases after all home games, so Katie and I took advantage and ran the bases after the final out.

Although the stadium opened on time for the season, the push to complete the stadium meant that the parking lot was not completed when we attended the game in mid-May.  However, all the amenities at the stadium were completed.  So I got to enjoy delicious barbecue and a good selection of craft beer.

While the barbecue was great, I was a bit disappointed to see that the team didn't push the envelope by offering more unique food items.  In their first season, the team may not have wanted to experiment too much with food choices.  Regardless, the food available at the stadium was excellent, and the beer selection covered the bases with domestic macro brews, regional craft beers, and local craft beers.  The stadium is beautiful and was completed on time, as promised.  Hopefully fosters further development as Hardball Capital's stadium project in Fort Wayne did.

Final Score: Augusta 2, Columbia 14
Box Score