Baseball Stadiums: Regions Field

After playing in the suburbs for 25 years, the Birmingham Barons moved back to downtown Birmingham in 2013 when Regions Field opened.  I didn't get to visit Regions Field during its inaugural season, but I put it high on the priority list for 2014.  It was also much easier to accomplish now that I live just an hour away.  A few days ago, I made the trek to Birmingham for my first visit.

Per usual, I perused Benjamin Hill's piece on Regions Field when he visited during the ballpark's inaugural season (click here for his piece).  After reading about his visit, I was happy that I was visiting during the stadium's second season of operation because all of the kinks should have been worked out.

The most unique aspect of the stadium is the steel facade that spells out "BIRMINGHAM."  I walked past this as I approached the stadium, and made sure to get a picture.

The signature signage at Regions Field.

The stadium has three entrances, but the primary entrance is at the corner of 1st Avenue South and 14th Street South by the Serra Kia Auto Plaza.

Main entrance by the Serra Kia Auto Plaza.

After getting a pair of seats behind home plate an hour before the game, my friend and I decided to walk around and check out the food options.  While we were checking out the concession stands, we came across something neither of us expected to see.  With the Aaron's 499 running at Talladega Superspeedway just 50 miles away, the Barons celebrated with NASCAR Night.  The team had NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison throw out the honorary first pitch, and had his 1988 race car on display.

The car Bobby Allison drove to victory lane at the 1988 Daytona 500.

After getting a photo with the race car, we continued touring concession stands.  I didn't take photos of each stand because Benjamin Hill covered most of them during his 2013 visit, but I did find two unique stands.  The first we ran across was a food truck.  MELT: a grilled cheese truck has a title that says it all, but what it doesn't say it that it offers a special take on the classic grilled cheese sandwich.  One example is the Flyin' Hawaiian, which has smoked ham, Cajun grilled pineapple, and Monterey Jack cheese on a pretzel roll.

The food truck craze is growing nationally, and some minor league teams have organized special nights around local food trucks (read Benjamin Hill's piece here).  However, the South has been very slow to catch onto the food truck craze, so I was shocked to see this inside the gates at the stadium.

MELT: a grilled cheese truck had setup shop beyond right field next to the batting cage.

The food truck contrasts nicely with the next stand, something Southerners know and debate about a lot: barbecue.  There's probably a master's thesis about the spelling of said food item, too.  Without stirring up a debate about how to spell it or what kind of sauce to use, there is one name that is most often associated with barbecue in Alabama: Dreamland.

The stand was not open during the early part of last season, but was up and running on the night I visited.  In addition to BBQ nachos, fans can get a half rack of ribs or a sandwich at this stand.  The BBQ nachos are a signature item, but I opted not to get them because I ate them in 2012 when I visited Regions Park during the Barons' last season in Hoover (you can read about that visit here).

Dreamland Bar-B-Que originated in Tuscaloosa and has spread throughout the Southeast.

Continuing to walk around the outfield, I came across the Brobdingnagian video board.  Just how big is the video board?  So big, I couldn't fit it all into the shot I took.

The American idiom would be "big ass video board."

Not far from the video board is the Bright House Family Fun Park, where I found a giant inflatable bounce house in the form of the team's primary mascot: Babe Ruff.

An inflatable bounce house is only part of the Bright House Family Fun Park, which has a variety of games for kids.

After walking around the stadium, my friend and I settled into our seats behind home plate to watch the start of the game.

First pitch between Mobile and Birmingham.

After watching the first three innings, my friend and I went to find food.  My friend had initially committed to getting the Dreamland BBQ nachos, but kept waffling on his decision as we walked around the stadium before the game started.  He thought about getting something at MELT, and then the Magic City Dog, and then Steel City Burger, and finally settled on getting a Chicago Dog at Piper's Pub & Grill.

I opted for the Magic City Dog after reading about it last year.  Plus I generally try to get an encased meat when I visit a ballpark.  I'm not a picky eater, and really just want to try a signature food item.  However, hot dogs and baseball have been synonymous for decades.

Magic City Dog, which is a sliced sausage with sauce, cole slaw, and spiced mustard.

If I hadn't gotten the Magic City Dog I would have ordered the Steel City Burger.  The description says it is 1/3 lb. all-beef patty on a bed of grilled onions and topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon, a fried egg and Sriracha mayonnaise and served on a Ciabatta roll.

I did watch some of the game beyond the first pitch, so I have this photo from the first base line.

Barons starting pitcher Myles Jaye on the mound.

Based upon my photos so far it may look like the stadium lacks a second deck and luxury suites, which is not the case.  So while I took this next photo primarily to capture the action, it shows off other facets of the ballpark.

More game action, but also a view of the luxury suites.

And in case you didn't get a clear view of the video board before, I made sure to take photo focused on it.  It certainly is a large video board.

The elephantine video board.

The team's web site says that steel and brick are used to evoke the city's industrial heritage, which you can see when you take a look back and view the entire third base seating area and its berm.

A view of the third base line from the right field foul pole.

My friend camped out in right field at the end of the game because we wanted a good seat to watch the post-game fireworks.  However, it was tied 1-1 at the end of the 9th inning.  We hung around until the 13th and decided to finally head out with the contest still knotted, and seemingly no end in sight as the pitcher's duel continued into the extra innings.  Ultimately, the game went 17 innings and lasted 5 hours and 25 minutes.  It fell one inning short of tying the longest game in franchise history, but took the record for the longest game time in team annals.

I hate leaving a game early, but the temperatures were dropping and I was constantly yawning at 11 p.m. when we departed.  Sadly watching fireworks was as likely to happen as my photo with the team mascot: nonexistent.

Despite missing out on fireworks and my mascot photo, the ballpark experience was great.  There's a wide variety of food items (signature and standard), beers, and entertainment options.  The area around the stadium is still undergoing redevelopment, but Railroad Park (which Benjamin Hill covered here) provides a great option for families and Good People Brewing Company, right across from the stadium provides an adult option.

Regions Field reminds me a lot of ONEOK Field in Tulsa.  Both are located in gentrifying areas.  Both brought baseball back to downtown.  Both are the envy of teams in their league.  Both area a great place to watch a game!

Baseball Stadiums: George M. Steinbrenner Field

After deciding to visit Clearwater and Bradenton for games while in Tampa for a conference, I opted to make the short trek from my downtown hotel to watch a Tampa Yankees game at George M. Steinbrenner Field.  I made the short 15-minute drive from my hotel, and arrived armed with the code of "Peter O'Brien" to take advantage of the ticket deal on Bill Currie Ford Social Media Friday.

Before delving into details about the stadium, fans should see the signage that greets visitors as they arrive at the ballpark.

The signage for the Tampa Yankees home is easily visible off Dale Mabry Highway.

After taking advantage of the free parking (a rarity at minor league games), I was quickly inundated with imagery related to the big league club that calls this facility home during Spring Training.  A life-size statue of former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, namesake of the stadium, greets fans as they walk up the stairs to the entrance.

The bronze, life-size statue of George M. Steinbrenner was added in January 2011.

In addition to the Steinbrenner statue, there is a sculpture dedicated to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

"We Remember," a memorial to the people who died at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2011.

Using the social media promotional code, I got my reserved seating ticket for $4 instead of the usual $6.  I could have gotten a general admission ticket for $2, but I preferred to have a reserved seat behind home plate.  Either way, it was a steal.  Ultimately, I got a refund after the ticket office staffer happened to print me a ticket for Sunday's game, and I had to return to the box office and swap out my ticket.  He apologized and comped my ticket without me asking for any kind of compensation.

So with the proper ticket in hand, I headed back upstairs to enter the stadium.  Steinbrenner Field is unique for a minor league ballpark because you walk up a large set of stairs before entering the stadium, which then requires you to descend many steps to reach your seats.

Main entrance.

Visible beyond the main gate is a merchandise stand that notably sells "New York Yankees" merchandise.  There is a larger souvenir stand downstairs, but like its smaller counterpart it was stocked primarily with items from the big league club and did not have a wide selection of Tampa Yankees paraphernalia.  Admittedly it was just a few weeks after Spring Training had concluded, and one staff member assured me they would be receiving more Tampa Yankees gear in the next few weeks.

My first impression of this being home of the New York Yankees did not change when I took a closeup view of the concession stands, which has the scalloped grandstand facade of the original Yankee Stadium.  While I am not a New York Yankees fan, I attended a game in "The House That Ruth Built" during its final season in 2008, and appreciate the Tampa ballpark's homage to the Bronx.

Concession stands with the scalloped facade of old Yankee Stadium.

After looking over the pedestrian concession options, I decided to walk around the stadium and explore the landscape.  As I walked out to the seating bowl, I saw the night's lineups...

Lineups for the Daytona Cubs and Tampa Yankees.

As I walked toward The Walgreens Deck in right field, I can into the mascot: Blue.  Naturally, I had my picture taken with the alien from Pluto.

Me with Blue by The Walgreens Deck.

I didn't think to ask Blue what he thought of Pluto's demotion from planet status, but he seemed focused on meeting and greeting people.

On my way back to my seat behind home plate, I stopped by the Yankees bullpen and got a picture of the night's starting pitcher warming up.

The Tampa Yankees starting pitcher Rafael De Paula warming up before the game.

Eventually I wandered back to my seat and relaxed while waiting for the first pitch.

First pitch between Daytona Cubs and Tampa Yankees.

Speaking of seats, I found a pair of seats reserved for the 2014 Most Valuable Patrons.

Two specially reserved seats.

I'm not sure what makes Manuel and Jean Perez the "Most Valuable Patrons," but I expect it relates to them being season ticket holders.  Regardless of the reasoning, it's a cool designation.

Continuing the theme of seats, the seat at the end of each aisle had a New York Yankees logo on the side.

It's obvious the seats need a fresh coat of paint.

With a design that mimics old Yankee Stadium, George M. Steinbrenner has a scalloped overhang.  Unlike old Yankee Stadium, the ballpark in Tampa has sunscreens that spell out the team name.  These have become an iconic part of the facility, and are commonly featured in photos of the ballpark.

The iconic Yankees sun screens.

As I mentioned previously, the stadium lacked any signature food items.  Unless I wanted to have all-you-can-eat chicken wings on The Walgreens Deck, the concessions choices were hot dogs, burgers, or chicken tenders.  I ultimately decided upon a Chili Cheese Home Run Hot Dog, which is a foot long dog with nacho cheese and chili.

The ubiquitous food at the ballpark photo.

The Chili Cheese Home Run Dog was OK, but the most distinctive part about the concession stand experience for me was the sticker shock about beer prices.  There were no craft beers or regional brews offered, instead all the options were macro-brewed choices like Bud Light Platinum or Miller Lite.  However, the prices for these 12-ounce beers was $7, which may not be shocking at a major league stadium, but is very steep for a minor league ballpark.

Despite some of the things I disliked about the fan experience, the video board is definitely a plus.  It's been in the background of some photos, but it merits its own photo and commentary.

Tampa Yankees first baseman Reymond Nunez's info on the video board.

The video board's columns evoke design elements of old Yankee Stadium, so it contributes further to the feeling of the stadium as the springtime home of the New York Yankees.  My camera struggles taking some nighttime photos, but the resolution on the video board is fantastic.  It's impossible to miss any tidbit of the game because the video board has it all covered.

The other highlight is a more personal one, but something any fan can enjoy.  It's not secret to those who know me that I love using social media, especially Twitter.  For the second year in a row, I won something at a minor league game because of social media.  During the game, the Yankees had a giveaway during the game to a fan who tweeted their seat location.  I won 4 tickets to the next night's game plus a serving of Mini Melts, which are similar to Dippin' Dots.  I ended up giving away the tickets, but definitely enjoyed the winning experience.

Like most minor league games, after the game the Yankees hosted a launch-a-ball contest.  Blue made his way down to the field during the contest to check for any winners who landed their ball in the bucket, but alas there were no winners.

Blue and a staff member watching for potential winners during launch-a-ball.

Despite the pricey beers and lack of signature food items, the gameday experience at George M. Steinbrenner Field is enjoyable.  Ticket pricing certainly makes it an attractive option for families, whether they live in the area or are visiting an want to attend a game.  While I understand the appeal of making the stadium experience like a visit to mini Yankee Stadium, I hope the staff can incorporate some uniquely Tampa items into the food and souvenir selections.

Baseball Stadiums: McKechnie Field

While in the Tampa region for a conference, I aimed to visit as many of the area Minor League Baseball stadiums.  From downtown Tampa, where I stayed for the conference, there are five minor league teams within an hour drive.  So after committing to watching a Clearwater Threshers game (more on that visit here), I had to choose between the other ballparks to visit.

Eventually I decided to make a trip to the south end of Tampa Bay, and visit the Bradenton Marauders.  I decided to visit Bradenton for a few reasons.  1: It is near DeSoto National Memorial, and visiting NPS sites is another one of my traveling objectives.  2: The Marauders are a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, and with my family roots in Pittsburgh it felt appropriate to visit a Bucs' farm team.  3: I've read and heard stories about McKichnie Field being a great venue.

McKichnie Field has a unique history because it has hosted Spring Training games since it was built in 1923, but did not have a minor league team for several years because the stadium lacked lights.  Lights went up in 2008, and in 2010 the Marauders came into existence.

Unlike many of my other recent Minor League Baseball stadium visits, I did not have anything to prepare me for the visit because Benjamin Hill from MiLB.com has not visited Bradenton yet.  I was excited about exploring a place that Ben hasn't visited, and it guaranteed that I would be getting to the stadium as soon as the gates opened so I could explore as much of the ballpark as possible before the game began.

Main entrance.

The stadium is at the intersection of two major roads, so it lacks the parking lots that have become commonplace with ballparks.  In my case, a colleague told me that parking was limited and encouraged me to park far enough away from the stadium to avoid having my car struck by a foul ball.  As I wrapped up my visit to DeSoto National Memorial around five o'clock, I knew that I would have some time to kill before the gates opened.  Along 9th Street I unexpectedly found Motorworks Brewing, and stopped in for a couple of beers to kill the 30 minutes before the gates opened.  After asking the bartender how much further to the stadium, he said I could leave my car in the lot and walk the three blocks.  Not everybody may be as lucky, but I saw that some small lots surrounding the stadium charged $5 for parking.

Walking up to the stadium there are a series of banners.

Bradenton will be hosting its first Florida State League All-Star Game this year.

The second set of banners...

McKechnie Stadium has hosted Pirates Spring Training since 1969.

Like many facilities that host Spring Training, McKechnie Field has decor that promotes its springtime residents: the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The box office reflects this with markings for the Pirates and Marauders.

The box office and main gate.

One of my first stops at a stadium is the gift store to get something for my friend's 3-year-old son.  Usually I buy a soft baseball or the mascot depending upon what the store carries.  The gift store at McKechnie Field is small, so I didn't bother taking a photo of it.  However, just outside the store was the up-to-date Florida State League standings and the night's starting lineups.

The night's starting lineups along with directions to the Clubhouse Store.

While the Marauders don't have a large gift shop, I had a great experience mostly due to the team's general manager, A.J. Grant.  In addition to looking for a soft baseball and the mascot, I wanted to get a polo shirt with the Marauders logo on it.  The store didn't have any polo shirts on display, but after I asked the workers for help A.J. quickly tracked down a selection of shirts.  I opted for a black shirt with the alternate logo, and I'm hopeful the team will introduce a shirt with the stylized B on it.

After completing my most important task, I explored the selections at the concession stands.  First up was the Pirates Cove Grill...

Pirates Cove Grill concession stand.

Just down from the Pirates Cove Grill was the Yuengling Plaza Bar, so no food but a variety of beer choices.

According to the bartender, it is packed during Spring Training.

The Yuengling Plaza Bar has one especially unique tap: Pirate Brew Reserve.

Pirate Brew Reserve a.k.a. Pabst Blue Ribbon.

As I hadn't found any really unique food, I continued exploring the ballpark and ventured out to the Kona Bar built by NDC Construction in right field.  However, before I got there I encounter the Marauders' mascot, Marty.

I ran into Marty as I was heading to the Kona Bar built by NDC Construction, so I got my mascot photo done early.

After getting my picture taken with Marty, I made it to the Kona Bar built by NDC Construction.  It was Thirsty Thursday, so there were a lot of people already hanging out at the Kona Bar.  While I don't consider myself a beer snob, I wasn't excited about the prospects of $1 Bud or Bud Light so I was standing at the bar waffling before a couple in their 20s came up and the guy offered to buy me a Bud.  I wasn't about to refuse a free drink, so it was Buds all around!

The Kona Bar built by NDC Construction was a popular spot on Thirsty Thursday.

As I talked with the couple, I told them I was a geography professor at The University of Alabama, which was met with a groan from the guy.  He was a graduate of Auburn University, and was a bit dismayed about buying me a beer in hindsight.  However, he was gracious about it and the pair recommended I ask for a deep fried hot dog at the main concession stand if I wanted something unique to eat.

After finishing my beer, I continued walking around the stadium and made sure to get to my seat so I could catch the first pitch.

First pitch between the Palm Beach Cardinals and Bradenton Marauders.

Before hunting down the deep fried hot dog, I watched a few innings from my seat right behind home plate.  It allowed me to take this photo...

Palm Beach designated hitter Alex Mejia taking swings on deck.

When I got to the stadium, I asked workers what they considered the most unique food item that I should eat and all of them said that there wasn't anything unique or special that I had to eat.  The menu choices were not bad, but just the standard ballpark fare.  When I went back to Pirates Cove Grill, I asked for the manager and requested a deep fried hot dog with nacho cheese.

Deep fried hot dog with nacho cheese and pickled jalapenos.

The hot dog was good, but not great.  I would have it again though.  I later found A.J. Grant and asked him about why the stadium didn't have Primanti Brothers sandwiches, which are a famous Pittsburgh food item and available at PNC Park.  Grant said that Primanti Brothers would only open a location if they could get the bread specifically used for their sandwiches, so until Mancini's Bakery makes their bread available in the Tampa Bay area there will be no Primanti Brothers available at McKechnie Field.

Moving along from food, I took a few shots of game action to capture a fuller sense of the ballpark.  So as I walked around a bit during the game, I snapped this shot...

Palm Beach starting pitcher Mike Mayers delivering the pitch to Bradenton designated hitter Max Moroff.

I also got a different view of the Kona Bar built by NDC Construction.

The Kona Bar built by NDC Construction with the batter's eye.

And this view of the stands in left field....

The left field bleachers were nearly barren.

Along the exterior of the seating bowl, a variety of banners promote the Pirates, Marauders, and their sponsors.

Banners on the backside of the seating bowl.

While McKechnie Field may not have a signature food item, it certainly has a variety of unique beers.  In addition to Yuengling being served at the stadium, a concession stand called The Pitt-Stop had a wide variety of beers.

The Pitt-Stop and its selection of beers.

The selection at The Pitt-Stop was great.  The stand had a wide variety of imported beers, domestic craft beers, but most importantly it had some Pittsburgh staples like Iron City and I.C. Light.  As a good son of Pittsburghers, I had an Iron City Beer while enjoying the game.  Even if fans don't want an Iron City there are lots of options for beer connoisseurs.

Like many minor league games I have attended, the Marauders conclude the night's festivities with launch-a-ball.  I'm used to hearing it called tennis ball toss, but regardless of the moniker the result is the same.  Fans get an opportunity to throw tennis balls onto the field aiming for a selection of targets to win prizes.

Marty checking the tire to see if anybody won the launch-a-ball contest.

There were no winners from the launch-a-ball contest, but I certainly came away a winner after my experience in Bradenton.  Yes, I was disappointed that there were no unique food items that I "had" to eat.  No, the lack of a marquee food item did not deter from my enjoyment at McKechnie Field.

Yes, the stadium has a wide selection of quality beers.  What the Marauders lack in the food department, the beer offerings more than make-up for it.

Most importantly, the hospitality of the staff stands out.  Every staffer that I spoke with about food or while perusing the Clubhouse Store was extremely helpful, and made sure that I found anything I wanted.  It was great that someone attending the game as a fan, and not a member of the media was able to talk with the team's general manager when running into him on the concourse or while getting help looking for a polo shirt.

Baseball Stadiums: Bright House Field

Since 2010, the start of spring means that I am traveling to a new city to attend the AAG Annual Meeting.  The 2014 conference was in Tampa, Fla., which was a slight letdown because Tampa doesn't scream "tourist destination" to me.  However, I was optimistic that I could see the Tampa Bay Rays play at Tropicana Field and maybe catch a few minor league games.

As it turns out, MLB's schedule makers had the Rays on the road during my conference.  However, with five teams within an hour drive of downtown Tampa I had the opportunity to visit my choice of minor league ballparks.  The first stop was Clearwater because I had a New Year's resolution to get my photo taken with the Threshers' mascot, Phinley, after casting many ballots for him during the 2013 Mascot Mania contest.

In 2014, I resolve to visit @Threshers and get a photo with @PhinleyThresher while attending @theAAG conference in @VisitTampaBay. #PlayBall
— Steven Ericson (@geoSteven) January 2, 2014

As the conference approached, I made sure to circle a Threshers' game on the schedule.  I ended up going on the day that I arrived, and went to the game with a pair of fellow geographers.  We arrived at the stadium just as the National Anthem began, and got fantastic seats behind home plate for $10.

Main entrance to Bright House Field with the sculpture called "The Ace" by Kevin Brady.

Per my planning before taking any kind of trip that involves attending a Minor League Baseball game, I checked out Ben's Biz for pointers about enjoying the stadium experience.  So for anybody who regularly reads his pieces, you'll see some similarities to his 2012 visit to Clearwater.

As I attended a Tuesday night game, I didn't get to enjoy any special giveaway item, but I did get to enjoy floridacentral Credit Union $1 Tuesday.

We didn't make it into the stadium for first pitch, but I was able to get my customary photo from behind home plate.  Unfortunately, I just missed getting a photo with the first batter for the Tampa Yankees at the plate.

The view from behind home plate.

Over the past few years my interest in getting my picture taken with baseball mascots has grown, and it's become of a bit of an obsession when it comes to minor league games.  Thankfully one of my travel companions, knows about this interest and quickly pointed out Phinley approaching as we neared home plate.  So he encouraged me to get my photo with the landshark.  So I was quickly able to fulfill one of my MiLB resolutions.

After a standard photo of me next to Phinley, he insisted upon a picture with him trying to eat me. I love it!

Whenever I go to a baseball stadium, I always try to find something unique to that stadium/city/region to eat.  My preference is to find an encased meat, such as a hot dog, bratwurst, or sausage of some kind.  However, in Clearwater that was not going to be the case.  From reading Ben's Biz I had seen that Bright House Field served Philly cheesesteaks from Delco's Original Steaks and Hoagies, which has locations in Dunedin, Fla., and Chadds Ford, Pa.  On dollar beer night, I opted for what one of my companions calls his "cheap beer" of choice and paired the cheesesteak with a Yuengling Lager.

My Delco's cheesesteak that I topped with a variety of pickled hot peppers.

The cheesesteak was pre-wrapped, and adhered to the original cheesesteak recipe and used only onions.  However, these were diced onions and were not sauteed to my liking, and I wanted a bit more spice to my dinner so I topped it with a variety of hot peppers.  I'm not a cheesesteak expert, but it was a great meal and the provolone cheese was melted into the meat to offer a creamy taste.

Like many ballparks in Florida, Bright House Field also serves as a Spring Training facility.  The Philadelphia Phillies have trained in Clearwater since 1947, and moved into Bright House Field in 2004.  As a Spring Training site, the stadium has just as much Phillies branding as it does Threshers marks.

Aisle seat with a palm tree and a variant of the Phillies logo.

As a Spring Training facility, Bright House Field has a much larger seating capacity than a standard High-A stadium.  However, it also has a few more amenities than other ballparks at that level.  While many minor league stadiums are getting newer and bigger video scoreboards, there are still some at the lower levels that do not have this feature.  I can't say for sure whether the Threshers would or would not have such a scoreboard without playing at a Spring Training site, but they do and in addition have a nice outfield berm.

The scoreboard with part of the outfield berm next to the home team bullpen.

Perhaps my favorite part about the ballpark's amenities was the tiki bar in left field.  It is sponsored by Frenchy's, which is a local chain of restaurants noted for their grouper sandwiches.

I didn't have any food at Frenchy's, but enjoyed another $1 Yuengling Lager.

In front of the tiki bar is a large seating area, and even though it was a bit chilly that night it didn't dampen the crowd's spirits.  The crowd wasn't too raucous, even though Phinley was fraternizing with the locals.

Phinley having fun with people by Frenchy's tiki bar.

After the three geographers bellied up to the bar, I asked the people in front of us to take a picture of the trio together.  I got my camera back, although it seemed like I may have harshed the woman's buzz.

Fred Shelley, Jonathan Leib, and myself enjoying drinks at Frenchy's.

Not far from the tiki bar, we found an advertisement promoting the upcoming summer concert schedule.  While I understand it's minor league baseball, I got a laugh that Jamie Lynn Spears was promoted as "(Sister of Britney Spears)," as if music fans wouldn't know her otherwise.  Seriously, if I lived in the area I would probably attend the concerts on May 30 and June 20.  I genuinely like Journey, and absolutely love funk music.

We just missed watching Jamie Lynn Spears (Sister of Britney Spears).

Like most minor league stadiums, Bright House Field has an extensive kids' play area.  In addition to the playground, it has a ball toss apparatus that attracted a handful of kids.

The random head is from a kid trying to see whether he tossed a home run from long range.

The game ended with the Threshers' rally falling just short in the 9th inning, but the night concluded with a launch-a-ball contest.  It's become common fare at minor league stadiums to sell tennis balls and allow fans to throw them onto the field aiming for targets to win a variety of prizes.

While the weather was overcast and a little nippy by Florida standards, it was a great experience.  The food was reasonably priced, the workers were friendly and the stadium had a plethora of entertainment options.  It's also important for me to say that while I'm not a Phillies fan because I grew up in the Atlanta area cheering on the Braves in the early-'90s, I am definitely a fan of the Threshers and their friendly landshark.