Note: Spring Mobile Ballpark was renamed Smith’s Ballpark in 2014. The visit was originally filed in 2013. Among the Salt Lake Bees’ ballpark “Facts and Figures” on the team website, there is the unique detail of “VIEW: Sensational.” This is the honest-to-goodness truth: Spring Mobile Ballpark, home of the Triple-A Bees, sits at the feet […]
Author Archive | Jesse Goldberg-Strassler
TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark / Myrtle Beach Pelicans
At the ballpark, the term grandstand refers to the fan’s natural habitat; along the Atlantic coast, the Grand Strand indicates a stretch of beach land that proceeds over 60 miles in South Carolina — and the centerpiece city of the Grand Strand is Myrtle Beach, home of the Pelicans and TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. […]
Appreciating the Voices of Summer
At the risk of sounding redundant, let’s talk broadcasting. Broadcasting is, after all, nothing but talk — and sometimes not even the most substantive talk at that. But the presence of a broadcaster has become a central part of baseball’s essence, writes Jesse Goldberg-Strassler. Vin Scully is both the voice of baseball and the heart […]
Cooley Law School Stadium / Lansing Lugnuts
There are some baseball parks that are a ways out toward the countryside, rising out of the hills or farmlands, and there are parks that can be found on the outskirts, right on the border, miles away from the heart of the city. Cooley Law School Stadium, home of the Lansing Lugnuts (Low Class A; […]
Glory days for the National Pastime
Everyone loves to think the Golden Age of Baseball came during their childhoods, but Jesse Goldberg-Strassler argues that the best times for the National Pastime are happening right now, with the minor leagues in great shape and major leaguers at the top of their games in a very competitive environment. In an article from the […]
Classic Park / Lake County Captains
Many corporate ballpark names come off as rather awkward or incongruent. Not so with Classic Park, sponsored by the Classic Automotive Group and home of the Lake County Captains. Just the sound of Classic Park, located right around the corner from Cleveland and Lake Erie, has a great ring to it. FAST FACTS Opened: April […]
Today in Baseball History: the early January edition
Baseball broadcasters and fans alike love the idea of “Today in Baseball History.” It’s the perfect middle-inning diversion during a mundane game, and a perfect diversion for fans. But that about the baseball events in the offseason? Jesse Goldberg-Strassler shares key events in baseball history for the beginning of January. —- Earlier in the day, […]
Holidays are days of optimism in baseball world
The time period between Christmas and New Year’s is an odd one, and more than a little awkward, too. That goes for the world in general, but it’s especially true for those who work in the baseball industry, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler explains. There is a hangover effect to Christmas, which has so much time and effort […]
Arm & Hammer Park / Trenton Thunder
Arm & Hammer Park, one must admit, has a pretty darn good baseball-sounding ring to it. The ballpark, the only primary home the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) have ever known, was renamed from Mercer County Waterfont Park at a press conference this past November. FAST FACTS Opened: May 9, 1994Capacity: 6,341Dimensions: 330L, 407C, […]
Evaluating player trades via rookie cards
Let’s begin with this: On Sunday, December 9, the Kansas City Royals acquired pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis (as well as a player yet to be named) from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery, and Patrick Leonard. It will be five months before we begin to see […]
Prepping for the Baseball Winter Meetings
What do the Baseball Winter Meetings mean to you? “I know equally as many people who dread the Winter Meetings as who love them,” writes Jesse Goldberg-Strassler on the eve of baseball’s big event. The Meetings, depending upon your perspective, are a party, a chore, an adventure, a once Major League institution now mostly co-opted […]
Bringing back the winning Jays ways in Toronto
Why can’t the Toronto Blue Jays be a titan again? For all of those who’ve forgotten, the Blue Jays built an excellent farm system in the 1980s on their way to fighting for the American League East title. In 1987, they battled the Detroit Tigers right down to the end; in 1988, they were nosed […]
Smokies Park / Tennessee Smokies OLD
This article has been replaced by a more recent visit to Smokies Park. Check it out here. FAST FACTS Opened: April 20, 2000 Capacity: 6,412 Dimensions: 330L, 400C, 330R Surface: Bermuda grass Owner: Sevier County / City of Sevierville Website: smokiesbaseball.com Ticket Prices (2012): Field Level, $10; Bleacher Level, $8. Phone: 865/286-2300 League: Southern League […]