Ballpark Digest is previewing what every MLB team is doing to begin the season, both on and off the field, as the 2019 season is underway. Up next: the Cleveland Indians and Progressive Field.
In a 2019 season that includes July’s All-Star Game, Progressive Field will feature several new elements. The Indians are set to debut a revamped club space at the ballpark, along with a refreshed food and drink menu, and a slate of amenities that includes an upgraded kids zone and a Sensory Room.
Over the offseason, the Indians gave Progressive Field’s newly rebranded Discount Drug Mart Club its first major renovation since the ballpark’s 1994 opening. Serving as a gathering space for ticket holders in sections 326-348, the Discount Drug Mart Club’s capacity has been increased to 398 fans, providing a 29 percent bump from 309 in 2018. New outdoor and indoor bars are part of the area, along with two arrays of nine 75-inch TVs, 13 70-inch TVs, and new floor-to-ceiling retractable glass doors that should provide a better perspective on the playing field. Ohio-based microbrewery The Brew Kettle is the presenting sponsor of both bar areas, with the indoor bar to include 36 beer taps while a section of drink rails will be underneath the new outdoor bar.
The Discount Drug Mart Club will also offer revamped food options, including two exterior grab-n-go locations, a Chefs Corner with rotating hot items, and a Garden Greens space. In addition, a new and expanded buffet is equipped with menu monitors.
In another change related to beer, MillerCoors will have a large presence at Progressive Field beginning this season. As part of a new partnership with the Indians, the ballpark’s left field area has been rebranded as the The Miller Lite Left Field Experience, which includes the Miller Lite porch, two Miller Lite bars, and drink rails featuring the beer’s branding. In addition, Miller Lite is now the Official Domestic Beer of the Cleveland Indians. Great Lakes Brewing Company has been named the Official Craft Beer of the Cleveland Indians, part of a partnership that will include a lineup of rotating seasonal/pub exclusives at Progressive Field throughout the season.
Along with changes to Progressive Field’s beer offerings, the Indians are introducing other new food and beverage items in 2019. This season will see the debut of Harvest & Grounds Coffee Cart, Progressive Field’s first coffee cart. Located near Section 138, the coffee cart will feature a menu that includes hot and cold brew coffee, as well as mini donuts.
New food menu items for this season include the Cleveland Kraut Dog (above), which will be served in the Right Field District, along with Pasta Al Dante–a concept from local chef Dante Bocuzzi in the Left Field District that allows fans to choose their own pasta sauce. New Pierre’s Ice Cream portables will be added around the ballpark, while Barrio will open a second ballpark location at Section 529 prior to Memorial Day. Also new for this season is Fat Rooster, which will serve hand breaded spicy chicken at its location at C182. In addition, the ballpark’s Terrace Club is adding a slate that includes a meatball sub, spinach dip, and a Beyond Burger veggie burger.
A few other notable additions are expected to be made during the 2019 season. The Kids Clubhouse will receive a new virtual reality Home Run Derby, adding another amenity to the area. Additionally, after becoming a certified Sensory Inclusive Facility in 2018, Progressive Field will add a new dedicated Sensory Room in 2019. The location of that space will be announced at a later date, but it is one of the sensory-friendly initiatives the Indians will offer this season, along with Sensory Bags, a conversion of the Infield Gate into a sensory-friendly entrance, and giving fans access to quiet areas available upon request.
Image courtesy Cleveland Indians.
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