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Quick Facts Year Built: 2012 Capacity: 5,038 Primary Tenant: Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins AA Affiliate) Date Visited: July 13th/17th, 2022 A team that has as great of a name as the 'Blue Wahoos' deserves a great ballpark to play in. Located near the bay in Downtown Pensacola, this park is in a great location. Does this ballpark deliver on all the things you would expect in a modern ballpark? Let's find out. Outside the Ballpark A good parking situation is an essential aspect to any ballpark. Thankfully, the Blue Wahoos have several parking lots within a ten minute walk from the ballpark. Most parking near the ballpark cost $3-$5, but the parking lot on Intendencia Street is free. On the third base side of the ballpark, you can see the name, 'Blue Wahoos Stadium'. This park is one of several in which the field has a separate name from the ballpark, in this case, the name is Admiral Fetterman Field at Community Maritime Park. Community Maritime Park is actually the name of the area surrounding the ballpark, which I'll expand on later. The Blue Wahoos ticket office is located in the home plate area outside the ballpark. There isn't much to say about it, since there isn't much to make it stand out against any other ticket office. There are two windows, which means that the lines to both offices can get long. The prices of each type of ticket are posted next to the box office windows, which I'll get into later. The main gate of Blue Wahoos Stadium is located near home plate. There are no metal detectors or emptying of pockets at the gates, which means you can just scan your ticket and walk in. The whole ballpark is elevated above ground level, which means you have to walk up several stairs to get to the main concourse. The stadium is still wheelchair accessible, since there is a ramp leading up to the gate in right field, as well as an elevator near the main gate. On the wall leading up to the concourse is this picture, which is very inviting and gives you a taste of what's in store for you at the top of the stairs. Inside the Ballpark At the top of the steps to get into the ballpark, you can find the guest services center. If you have any questions or concerns, this is the place you need to be. On top of that, you can pick up a team program and check out both teams' starting lineups for the night's game. Food Options There are four main concession stands (two down each baseline), which offer a diverse selection of typical ballpark food, but also offer items unique to each concession stand. There are also several small carts which serve various food and drinks; those can be found throughout the ballpark. You can find a full list of concession items here. Seating Options There are several types of seating in this ballpark, including some unique ones. Blue Wahoos Stadium holds 5,038 people, the lowest capacity of all Double-A ballparks. Does this mean fewer seating options? Let's find out. Let's start off with the most prevalent type of seating in the ballpark, the box seats. The box seats range from sections 109-110. This may seem confusing, but the way the sections are numbered at this ballpark is quite odd. The sections down the first base line end in even numbers, but the sections down the third base line end in odd numbers. So, to clarify, section 109 is located just past third base, and section 110 is located just past first base. Tickets in these sections cost $15 ($17 if not bought in advance), and offer a great view for the price. The top two rows of each section are elevated slightly above concourse level. Just past the box seats are the reserved seats. The seats themselves are the same as the box seats, and are located in sections 112-116 on the first base side, and sections 111-117 on the third base side. Tickets here cost $13 ($15 if not bought in advance), which isn't a bad price for these seats. All box and reserved seats are this nice, dark blue color, which is fitting for the location. After all, it only makes sense to use blue seats in a stadium near the ocean. I'm always a fan of stadium seating that isn't the typical dark green that are all too common in baseball stadiums. Down the first base line is the Winn-Dixie Party Deck, a large deck that holds two hundred people. Group tickets start at $36 per person ($38 per person) and includes hot dogs and hamburgers. For a small fee, you can upgrade to the Sonny's Barbecue package or the Moe's Taco Bar. In right field is the berm area. For $10 ($12 if not bought in advance) you can get a view of the whole field, as well as an opportunity to catch a home run. This applies to pretty every berm seating area in the minor leagues, but I can pretty much guarantee that there will be about five million kids, who probably couldn't care less about baseball. Moving behind home plate is the Regions Club Seats. Located in the front three rows of the three sections behind home plate, these seats get you as close to the action as possible. Tickets here cost $20 ($22 if not bought in advance) and gives you easy access to the Blue Wahoos autograph tunnel, where Blue Wahoos players will be signing before and after games. Above the right field berm is the Coors Light Cold Zone Deck, which hold 100 people. This deck is similar to the Winn-Dixie Deck, in the sense that tickets are the same price, and both areas offer a complimentary buffet with the rental of the deck. Down the third base line is the Dignity Deck. The deck holds 75 people, and everything I said about the previous two decks can be said about the Dignity Deck. The final seating option is the Hancock Whitney Bank Suite. This is the only suite in the ballpark, and it takes up most of the space down the third base line. Individual tickets for this suite are sold for $55 ($57 if not bought in advance) and offer the best vantage point in the entire ballpark. Other stuff During day games, there isn't much shade to be found. This small awning provides some shade down the first base line in the later innings of day games, but that's about it. In 2022, many MiLB parks implemented these 'Major Fun' signs. For the Blue Wahoos, their sign is located on a wall at the top of the right field berm. The Blue Wahoos team store is located behind home plate, and offers the items you'd typically expect in a team store. They offer a wide selection of hats and t-shirts, as well as novelty items like logo baseballs, mini baseball bats, and baseball card sets, some of which date back to their inaugural season in 2012. The scoreboard is located in right field above the berm area. It's large and elevated high above the field, which makes it easy to see. On both sides of the main part of the scoreboard, you have four static advertising spaces. At the top of the board is the team's logo, with a pennant on each side. The foul territory in this ballpark has an unusual curve to it. For reference, most ballparks have foul territory in a straight line and then take a sharp turn towards the outfield. The reason for the curved choice is likely due to the fact that football is played here during the baseball offseason. Another unique thing about this ballpark is the press box. The press box is disconnected from the concession stand area, as well as the Hancock Whitney Club. Since there aren't multiple suites, there's no need for the press box to be connected to anything. Every seat that belongs to a season ticket holder is marked with this sticker, which shows the name or company to which the ticket(s) belong, as well as the year in which they became season ticket holders. The view beyond the outfield of any ballpark is important. Do the Blue Wahoos deliver on this, though? Let's take a closer look. Beyond right-center field is this large covered stage, which belongs to Community Maritime Park. This stage is part of an amphitheater, which frequently hosts concerts and other events. If you look far enough beyond the outfield, you can see across Pensacola Bay, where you can find the condo buildings located a good few miles away from the ballpark. The Bullpens are located in foul territory, which is fairly common in multi-use stadiums. While this may be worse for pitchers, it brings fans closer to some of their favorite players. The netting at Blue Wahoos Stadium runs from foul pole to foul pole. This may protect fans from hard hit balls, but it takes just a little bit away from the fans' experience. Overall Grade I've started rating stadiums on a scale from one to ten in several categories. See how Blue Wahoos Stadium ranks in the categories below. Seating Options: 8/10 While Blue Wahoos Stadium fulfills most of the seating options you would expect to find in a modern ballpark. The only things missing, however, are multiple suites in the upper deck, as well as seating in left field. In their defense, the Wahoos built their ballpark very close to the Pensacola Bay, where there is no room for seating. Food Options: 9/10 There are many different food options located throughout the ballpark. One food option takes place on One Price Wednesday, where all tickets cost $17, and include a free hot dog, bag of chips, and a drink. Accessibility: 6.5/10 The concourse is elevated off the ground, which means there are stairs that lead to the main gates of the ballpark. There are various elevators and ramps throughout the ballpark, but the overall design definitely wasn't oriented around wheelchair accessibility. Parking: 9/10 There are several parking lots within a reasonable walk to the stadium, most of which cost no more than $5. Considering the close proximity to Downtown Pensacola, it's nice to have open parking lots as opposed to parking garages. Location: 10/10 As I mentioned while talking about parking, the ballpark is in close proximity to Downtown Pensacola. The park is also located right next to the Pensacola Bay, adding a nice touch to the ballpark atmosphere. Atmosphere: 9/10 The atmosphere included great fans and fun mid-inning promotions, including one where kids got to run across the field while chasing a man in a roach costume. The ballpark is on the smaller side, which means the Wahoos generally have an easy time filling the ballpark up. Amenities: 8/10 There wasn't anything too special or unique added into the amenity factor, but there was some uniqueness elsewhere. There is only one large party suite; no concourse suites or smaller suites. The party decks are nice and are one of the best ways to treat your group to a Wahoos game. Non-baseball entertainment: 6/10 Besides running around on the berm or hanging out in the team store, there isn't much to cater to the ones who couldn't care less about baseball, primarily kids. I understand the point of going to a baseball game is... to watch baseball, but if attendance is an issue, some non-baseball entertainment might be something to consider. Thankfully, the Blue Wahoos don't have this problem, so they can do without. View beyond the park: 6.5/10 The view is a bit underwhelming for a waterfront ballpark near a fairly large downtown. besides a large stage in right field, and some apartments in left field, there isn't a whole look to keep your eyes entertained. Ticket pricing: 8.5/10 Blue Wahoos tickets are priced well. Fifteen dollars can get you a seat from dugout to dugout, and twenty dollars can get you a seat in the home plate club. If you're not willing to spend a lot of money, just $10 will buy you a general admission ticket, which includes access to the outfield berm. Total Score: 80.5/100 This ballpark is fun and unique, but there were some things that could've been done differently. One thing that is unique is the elevated concourse. I'm guessing the reason for this being that the higher elevation means the ballpark is less susceptible to flooding, which is always a possibility. The lack of suites is another unique aspect of the ballpark, which takes away some of the seating options that you may expect to find in many newer ballparks. It takes a lot for me to truly dislike a ballpark, because I believe that there are redeeming qualities to just about every ballpark. Needless to say, if you find yourself in Pensacola during baseball season, I would totally recommend catching a game here (no pun intended).

Year Built: 2000 Primary Tenant: Tennessee Smokies (Cubs AA Affiliate) Capacity: 6,412 Date Visited: June 30th, 2022 Smokies Stadium, which, if you couldn't tell by the name, is located within the mountainous region of Tennessee. Does that affect what I think of the ballpark? Let's find out all the details regarding America's Friendliest Ballpark. Outside the Ballpark Since the ballpark is located in Kodak, a small town not too far from Knoxville, TN, that meant they were given plenty of room to build this ballpark. What do you do when you’re a Minor League team with plenty of space? You build a large parking lot that surrounds the stadium. Unsurprisingly, the area was built near a hill, so the parking lot can’t completely surround the ballpark, but you get the idea. The exterior of the ballpark itself is easy to look at. The dark green roof combined with the muted colors of the exterior make for an aesthetically pleasing look. Near the gate behind home plate (the main gate) is where you can find the ticket office. There isn’t much to say about it, except for the seating chart, which enlightens fans on different seating options located throughout the ballpark. To the left of the ticket office is the main gate. It does everything you’d expect it to. You walk up, they scan your ticket(s), and you’re in. There are no metal detectors or emptying of pockets at this ballpark, making the process just a little quicker. Inside the ballpark The concourse is covered from dugout to dugout, which is similar to what you’d find in most modern ballparks. The concourse, along with the main seating area is mostly symmetrical, which I’ll get into later. The Team Store The Smokies team store is called the GoTeez Locker Room, which is also the name of a nearby clothing store which has partnered with the Smokies. The store has your typical items, such as hats, shirts, baseball card sets, etc. The unique thing about the store is located in the back (or front if you enter from outside the ballpark). Located there is a small baseball card shop, which includes $10 and $20 spinners, in which you can win fun prizes, such as baseball cards, bobbleheads, and Smokies tickets. Food Options There are several food options located down both baselines, including a build your own nacho stand located near first base, which was one I personally enjoyed. Located down the third base line is The Batter's Box, a full service restaurant, which is open every day, even during non gamedays. Seating Options There are several seating options throughout the ballpark, so let me break each of them down for you. The field level seating is the most prevalent type of seating to be found in the ballpark. These tickets range from section 103 to section 116 (just past first base to just past third base) and cost $11.50 per seat. There is no club seating behind home plate, so all tickets behind home plate fall under the field level seating description, and are usually available for any given game. Section 111 is the family section, which means that alcohol is prohibited. Section 108 is the giveaway section, in which ticket holders can expect to occasionally win prizes and other giveaway items. Seats in both of these sections cost $11.50, the same as all other field level tickets. The top three rows of Section 116 (just past third base) are padded. For $24, you can sit at these comfortable padded seats and get a great view of the whole field. These seats also have about twice as much leg room as the rest of the field level seats. Sections 101, 102, the top five rows of 103, 117, and 118 are fully comprised of bleacher seats. Bleacher tickets cost $9.50, and provide a good view from down the baselines. The bleachers have backs on them, which adds to the comfort aspect. These seats are also close to the bullpens, where players can interact with players before and after the game. The berm is located from the right field corner to right-center field. These tickets also cost $9.50, and provide a great view from the outfield. With plenty of room to run, this area is prime real estate for catching home runs and foul balls. In addition to the main berm, there is a small berm section in the left field corner, just past section 117. Also located in right field is the Pioneer Porch. For just $25 per person, you can enjoy a ballpark style meal and a great view in home run territory. I don't think any groups rented out the porch for the game I went to, since I was able to access the area despite not having a ticket. In left field is the Yee-Haw At The Yard, a multi level deck consisting of many tables and chairs (with umbrellas). Groups can rent out this section for just $29 per person, and includes an all-you-can-eat buffet with your ticket. Most of the things I said about the Pioneer Porch can be said about this area, but on a larger scale. The Cheerwine Patio is located in the upper deck above the third base dugout. For $900 per game, up to 25 people can enjoy a great vantage point, along with both stadium seating and outdoor patio seating. You also have the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary buffet of your choice. The Garza Law Terrace is very similar to the Cheerwine Patio, and is located on the first base side of the ballpark. Group tickets start at $46 per person, and include many of the same features as the Cheerwine Patio, including access to an all you can eat buffet. There are several luxury suites in the upper deck of the ballpark. For $850 per game, up to twenty guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor seating from a high vantage point. Like the other areas I just mentioned, the suites also grant access to an all you can eat buffet. Other Stuff This part of this entry is going to cover many different parts of the ballpark that I haven't mention yet, so I wasn't exactly sure what to call this section. If you remember the beginning of this entry, you know that I referred to Smokies Stadium as 'America's Friendliest Ballpark.' This sign greets you in a fittingly friendly way as you walk through the main gate at Smokies Stadium. I'm not exactly sure where the name comes from, or how true the name is, but it seems to be a good way to invite fans into your ballpark. Here is the scoreboard, which is located in left field. The video screen only takes up a small portion of the total area, with the rest of the area being taken up be the line score and advertisement space. The press box behind home plate is nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing that sticks out about it is the cameraman standing in front of it to get a great view of the game for the ones watching at home. Each section of field level seating in this ballpark is marked with green diamond shaped signs like the one you see in the image above. Some signs are named after legendary Cubs players, for example, section 107 is named Sandberg Alley. I believe the view beyond the outfield is very important to any ballpark. At Smokies Stadium, the view they provide you with is simple; just trees on top of a hill. When you're in rural Eastern Tennessee, this view is plentiful, to say the least. The view isn't the best or most unique in baseball, but it works well and is fitting for the location. Both bullpens are located in foul territory at this ballpark. While it may be worse for players than an outfield bullpen for various reasons, it gives fans the opportunity to get closer to their favorite pitchers, and even get them to sign things before the game. In 2022, many MiLB teams displayed these 'Major Fun' signs in their ballparks. This gave me the idea to begin documenting each sign in every ballpark I go to. The Smokies' Major Fun sign is located beyond the right field corner, just past the foul pole on the outer wall of the berm. Also near the right field corner of the ballpark is Homer's Playland, an inflatable play area for kids. For $5, you can purchase a wristband which gives you unlimited play time (or, at least for the duration of the game), which is a perfect way to keep your kids distracted if they couldn't care less about baseball. Grade I've come up with a new system of rating ballparks, in which I rate several aspects of each ballpark on a scale from 1-10, then I add up the total score out of 100. Here is the grade for each aspect Seating Options: 10/10 Food Options: 9/10 Accessibility: 10/10 Parking: 9/10 Location: 5/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Amenities: 8/10 Non-baseball entertainment: 6/10 View beyond the park: 7/10 Ticket Pricing: 9/10 Overall Grade: 80/100 For the most part, visiting this ballpark was an enjoyable experience. This ballpark delivered on many of the things you would expect in a modern ballpark, but still lacked on a couple of things. The ballpark isn't in the best location; more than a twenty minute drive from downtown Knoxville. There also isn't much for the non-baseball enthusiasts, but that isn't as much of a bad thing as it seems, since baseball is obviously the main focus. Those things aren't a complete deal breaker, and I would still recommend catching a game here if you're ever in the Knoxville area.

Year Built: 2005 Primary Tenant: Mississippi Braves Capacity: 8,480 Date Visited: June 3rd, 2022 If there’s anything that makes the name of a ballpark great, it’s a name that rhymes. Trustmark Park is a great name for a stadium, but what exactly does the stadium itself have to offer? Quite a bit, actually. Let me show you all there is to see. Above the gate in the right field corner of the ballpark is where you can find Trustmark Park's logo. It's a simple, functional design, but it lacks color. Trustmark is actually the name of a chain of banks based in Mississippi. That might explain the bank-like color palette used in the logo. When you enter the gate in right field, you’re greeted by a large open area with tables and chairs. This is the view of the field from the area I just showed you. If you have general admission tickets, this area offers a great view while also being located in foul ball range. The concourse is covered between roughly first and third base by the suite level, which I’ll talk about later. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about this area of the ballpark. It has concession stands, bathrooms, and large fans, one of which you can see in the photo above. On the walls of the concourse hang two boards, which display the starting lineups for the gam, as well as the current Southern League standings. Behind home plate, you can find this large seating area, perfect for enjoying the great food the M-Braves have to offer. Please beware of bad weather when sitting in this area, as it isn’t covered like most of the concourse. Next to the open area I just mentioned is this wall commemorating M-Braves alumni who went on to become Atlanta Braves stars. The players honored on this wall include stars like Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, Ozzie Albies, and Ronald Acuña Jr. Railings like this can be found throughout the concourse. The quantity of these railings, along with their ability to hold food and drinks, makes the general admission experience slightly less mediocre. Enough concourse talk; let's move on to the seats. We'll start down the first base line and work our way around the whole stadium. The seats you see in the picture above (sections 121-124) are all general admission and cost just $7 ($10 if not bought in advance). Most of the seats in this ballpark are fairly cheap, and these are no exception. On the far end of the seating area, seen in the photo above, are the field level seats. Located on both sides of the field (sections 101-103, 118-120), tickets in these sections cost just $10 ($13 if not bought in advance). These tickets offer a better view than the GA seats, but can still be purchased at a great price. The seats that stretch from the far ends of both dugouts are the diamond level seats. All diamond level seats cost $15 ($20 if not bought in advance), which is a very good price for these seats. Here is the M-Braves club level seating. For $25 ($30 if not bought in advance), you can enjoy the game closer than anybody else. Not only that, but these seats are attended by waiters and waitresses throughout the game, meaning you don’t have to miss any of the action. These seats consist of the front three rows in the sections between both dugouts. All seats that belong to season ticket holders are marked with a sticker, seen in the image above. From what I saw, there aren’t too many season ticket holders, which is better for the individual ticket buyer. Down the first base line is the Yuengling Party Pavillion. Starting at $25 per person, your group can enjoy an all you can eat buffet, with a great view of the whole field. The berm takes up most of the outfield seating. For just $5 ($7 if not bought in advance), you can enjoy a view of the whole field, while also having the opportunity to catch a home run. Behind the berm is the scoreboard. Installed in 2017, this state of the art scoreboard is perfect for a great fan experience, with in depth stats, as well as the occasional on-field movie night. There are a few things I didn’t take photos of, but are still worth mentioning. Trustmark Park has three gates: one in the right field corner, one in the left field corner, and one behind home plate. Trustmark Park is located in Pearl, which is a suburb of Jackson, which allows for expansive parking lots to surround the ballpark. Parking is also free at the stadium. In right field, you can find the Farm Bureau Grill, a full-service restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Attendance is usually fairly low, with an average of roughly 2,500 fans attending each game at this 8,000+ seat ballpark. Overall, I believe this stadium is decent. Not a bad ballpark by any means, but not something that particularly amazed me. I’ll give you a list of the pros and cons regarding this ballpark. Pros The prices are relatively inexpensive. With seating behind home plate being just $15, this ballpark offers great views at a low price. Parking is free, which means you don’t have to worry about spending extra money or interacting with parking attendants. Finding parking is rarely a struggle at this ballpark. There’s a large parking lot that surrounds the stadium, which makes parking easy. The Farm Bureau Grill is an interesting addition to the ballpark. A restaurant in right field isn’t something you see in most ballparks. Cons There isn’t a ton of interesting activities near the ballpark. Located in the suburbs of Jackson, MS., the only place of interest near the ballpark are the Outlets of Mississippi, a Bass Pro Shops, and a Sam’s Club. The ballpark didn’t seem to deviate from the current stadium norms. The Farm Bureau Grill in right field was nice, but other than that, nothing really amazed me. The team store wasn’t anything amazing either. Just your typical hats, t-shirts, logo baseballs, and baseball card sets. The architecture of the ballpark isn’t particularly unique. The concourse area seems pretty generic. I’ll give this ballpark a 7/10. It’s a ballpark that gets the job done, but doesn’t go very far beyond that.

Year Built: 2017 Primary Tenant: Atlanta Braves Capacity: 41,084 Date Visited: May 23rd, 2022 I usually remain unbiased in my description of each place I visit, but I will say that I'm a Braves fan, which makes me very excited to be able to share my experience of their stadium with you. Truist Park has several gates in which you can enter. The one displayed above is the Third Base Gate, one of five gates located throughout the stadium. Other gates at Truist Park are located near first base, right field, left field, and the Chop House, which I'll elaborate on later. Outside the third base gate, you can find this statue of Braves legend Phil Niekro. When I covered Citi Field, you saw the statue of Tom Seaver located near the home plate gate, which looks similar to the Braves' Phil Niekro. While walking along the concourse behind home plate, you can find the Monument Garden, a large display which honors the likes of many Braves legends, such as Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Chipper Jones, and many others. Similar to the Phil Niekro statue outside the stadium, this statue of Hank Aaron is located in the center of the Monument Garden. Behind the statue is a repeating video of Hank Aaron's historic 715th home run, making him the new MLB home run king. Also located in the Monument Garden is the Braves Time Capsule. Originally placed in 2015 during the construction of the stadium, this time capsule holds many items relating to the Braves' history; too many items to name, in fact. I won't go through the task of listing all the items, but here's a link which describes each item. Another site in the Monument Garden are the many jerseys on display which represent different eras throughout the Braves expansive history. The idea of this is to put into perspective how far the Braves have come throughout the past several decades. Now that you've seen all I have to show you regarding the concourse area, we can move on to the main portion of the stadium. I suppose I should go about doing this in a similar manner to my Citi Field entry, in which I go from left to right, talking about everything there is to talk about. Our first and possibly least interesting stop on the Truist Park tour is the backstop. It's made of brick, it has space for advertisements, and it has the name of the stadium on it. Most newer ballparks fulfill these three criteria, which makes the backstop that much less interesting. Above home plate is the press box, in which the brick area beneath reads "2021 World Champions." As you most likely know by now, the Braves won the World Series in 2021, which, as I write this, the 2021 World Series is the most recent one played. The Braves seem to want everybody to know this, which is why there are many signs showing the fact that the Braves won the World Series last year, which I'll show later. The Braves have one of the most expansive club seating selections in all of baseball. All seating between the dugouts in the first and second deck is club seating. The club seating behind home plate includes padded seating, four-top seating, and several suites to optimize your gameday experience. Every MLB team has their retired numbers on display somewhere inside their stadium, and the Braves, of course, are one of those. In the left field corner near the foul pole is where the Braves retired numbers are located. There are eleven retired numbers in total, which means I can't talk about all of them individually. I can offer you a link which tells the names and descriptions of each player; that can be found here. Just to the right of the retired numbers is the Hank Aaron Terrace. The terrace can be rented out on a group basis, and has both indoor and outdoor seating for every member of your group. Just above the Hank Aaron Terrace is the Coca-Cola Porch. If you sit in sections 345-347 during certain games, you can buy your tickets for just fifteen dollars and receive a complimentary 20oz Coke bottle. Beneath the Hank Aaron Terrace and the Coca-Cola Porch is the visitor's bullpen. Located near the far left side of the Home Run Porch, many fans have the opportunity to watch pitchers of the visiting team warm up before and during the game. The six foot tall wall in front of the bullpen also makes it a prime target for home runs. Another way Truist Park honors the Braves World Series victory is with this large sign beneath one of two scoreboards located within the stadium. The secondary scoreboard is located in left field and serves the main purpose of showing pitcher and batter statistics during the game. Considering that Truist Park's secondary scoreboard is larger than a number of primary MLB scoreboards, this makes the gameday experience just that much better. Overlooking the field from center field is the Home Depot Clubhouse. Seating forty people, the Home Depot Clubhouse is one of many designated group areas located throughout the stadium. Located in center field, the clubhouse is elevated, giving groups a great vantage point to watch a game. Located beneath the batter's eye, this greenery adds a unique touch to Truist Park. With trees, bushes, and even a waterfall, in which water shoots upwards after every strikeout from a Braves pitcher, this area of the ballpark is very pleasing to look at and adds character to an otherwise boring part of any stadium. Here is the main scoreboard of Truist Park. Located in dead center field, this scoreboard is in an optimal location for fans' enjoyment. This scoreboard is one of the largest in baseball, which makes it even better. In right-center field, you can find the Braves Bullpen. Ironically located in the Home Run Porch, this bullpen is a primary target for home runs. It isn't all bad though, because fans have an opportunity to get a top down view of their favorite Braves pitchers warm up before and during games. On the two light towers in right field, the Braves display a pennant for each playoff appearance they've made since the team's first in 1872. The light blue signifies a division win, the dark blue signifies a league win, and the red represents a World Series victory. Only one light tower worth of pennants is shown in this photo, but the Braves continue to add new ones for each successful season. The final stop on the Truist Park tour is one of the greatest, the Chop House. Located in right field, the Chop House is a prime home run target for left handed batters. With comfortable seating, large railing for food and drink, and even waiter service, this area is one of the best outfield seats in the ballpark. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a big Braves fan, but I'll try not to let that change my opinion on this stadium. Overall, I've enjoyed this stadium during all of my visits. Opening in 2017, this ballpark is the second newest ballpark in MLB. Given the timeframe of the stadium's opening, Truist Park lacks historical significance in comparison to other ballparks. This is made up for in the sheer volume of modern amenities located throughout the ballpark. Unlike Turner Field, Truist Park's predecessor, the park is located in Smyrna, a suburb several miles north of downtown Atlanta. One thing I dislike about this stadium, however, is the parking situation near the ballpark. There are only parking garages right next to the stadium, which makes parking less convenient. The only actual parking lots within a close proximity belong to hotels or the Cumberland Mall, which is, at best, more than a half mile walk to the nearest gate. That doesn't completely ruin the experience, which means this stadium is still great.

Year Built: 2009 Primary Tenant: New York Mets Capacity: 41,922 Date Visited: May 4th, 2022 I would like to preface this by saying that I'm not a Mets fan. In fact, as a Braves fan, I'm quite the opposite. Despite this, I want to keep this entry as unbiased as possible. Currently, I would be a hypocrite to say that the Mets are better than the Braves, because, as of this game, the Mets were leading the NL East, while the Braves were in third place. With all that said, it's time to move on to a new stadium. The 7 Train is the subway that takes you to Citi Field, stopping at Mets-Willets Point. You can get a great view of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, which I'll expand on in just a minute. Outside the stadium lies this statue of Tom Seaver. His twelve seasons with the Mets landed him the title of the "Greatest Met of All Time." Tom Seaver is not the only Mets player that is honored at Citi Field, but I'll get to that in a little bit. Next to the Tom Seaver statue, you can find this Home Run Apple. This isn't just any apple, though. This is the original Home Run Apple used in Shea Stadium. In case you aren't familiar, this apple would rise out of its base any time a Mets player would hit a home run. When the Mets announced in 2007 that they would be moving to Citi Field, their plan was to retire the Home Run Apple, but after much backlash, they announced that a new, larger apple would be installed in center field of the new ballpark. The area behind home plate, known as the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, was inspired by the exterior of Ebbets Field, the former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson, the namesake of the rotunda, was one of many stars that came and went through Ebbets Field. Inside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, you can find a large, open area, with an escalator and two staircases leading up to the concourse level. The rotunda honors Jackie Robinson in many ways, one being the quote seen at the top of the photo above, which reads, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." This is the view from my seat, specifically seat number 15 in the 23rd row of section 124. The whole view is great from these seats, but I want to take a closer look around, starting from left field and eventually coming full circle back down the left field line. The Metropolitan Grille is a large, multi level restaurant with an overlook of the entire field. The restaurant includes indoor and outdoor seating and and is open on afternoons and non gamedays. In left field you can find this sign, showing the number of home runs the Mets have hit at home this season. For every home run, the Mets donate $2,000 to No Kid Hungry , a charity determined to fight hunger among American children. As of the start of the game I went to, the Mets had hit eleven homeruns at home, but I'll let you do the math on the donations. The home run counter is part of the party deck in left field. The deck was constructed in 2012 and holds one hundred fans. The left field wall became much shorter with the construction of the party deck, with the deck being built on the front of the original, taller wall. The outfield wall matches the Mets' blue, along with the distance markers and the top portion of the wall colored a vibrant orange, which also matches the Mets color scheme. The wall was formerly black, a color which made more sense at the time, since the Mets frequently used black as part of their color scheme. In dead center field lies the Home Run Apple, which rises every time the Mets hit a home run. In case you're unaware, the Home Run Apple is a play on New York City's nickname, "The Big Apple." The main scoreboard at Citi Field is in center field. There isn't a whole lot that makes it better than the rest, though. Most scoreboards nowadays are large, and this one is no exception. In case you're watching a game and you forget where you are, most teams, including the Mets, have your back, with most scoreboards showing the stadium name on top of them. In right field, beneath the secondary scoreboard, you can find the bullpen gate. In front of the gate, you can see the Shea Bridge, which is named after the Mets former home, Shea Stadium. The seats at Citi Field are a dark green color, which is typical for most ballparks. This green color doesn't exactly pop out at you, but it doesn't need to. The seats are comfortable and they do their job well. Besides the two scoreboards in center field, Citi Field also has a smaller scoreboard in the right field corner, which means you have a good view of the scoreboard no matter where you sit. In the right field corner is, of course, one of the foul poles. The foul poles are orange to match the Mets color scheme, which is unusual, considering most foul poles are yellow. I like the foul poles because I think it's great to deviate from the norm from time to time. The backstop at Citi Field is nothing special. It has space for advertising, it has the name of the ballpark on it, and it's made of brick. All the of those things can be said about the backstops of many newer ballparks. On this wall near home plate, which marks the divide between suites and clubs and standard seating, you'll see many notable Mets legends, such as Mike Piazza, Darryl Strawberry, and Nolan Ryan, just to name a few. This stadium is comfortable and visually appealing, which are two of the main criteria I imagine most people look for in stadiums these days. I can't say there was anything inside the stadium that truly wowed me, but I also can't say I was specifically looking for those things, either. The most unique part of this ballpark would arguably be the exterior, with the old brick style exterior, which as I mentioned earlier, was inspired by Ebbets Field. I enjoyed my time here, and I definitely did not dislike my experience.

Year Built: 2013 Primary Tenant: Birmingham Barons Capacity: 8,500 Date Visited: April 8th, 2022 Regions Field is nearly a decade old, but it makes up just a small fraction of the Barons' history. The Barons were founded in 1885 as a member of the original Southern League. In 1910, the Barons moved into Rickwood Field, which is still standing today. In 1988, the Barons moved from Rickwood Field in Birmingham to Hoover, a suburb of Birmingham, where they played in the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, which also remains standing. In 2013, the Barons moved back to Birmingham into Regions Field where they play now. The main gate of this ballpark is behind home plate. Above the gate, you can see the walkway of the suite level, which I'll touch on later. Also, another thing I must add; there is no security at this gate. No metal detectors or emptying of pockets can be found here. What you see here is the view from section 107. Sections 106-110 are all behind home plate, which means you can get great views. Most tickets in the upper half of those sections are available for all games for $16. A common theme I've began to notice in modern stadiums is that many of them have started in-seat delivery services. The way these services work is usually the same; scan the QR code, which will take you a website or app, order your food, and it will be delivered right to your seat. With Regions Field being in downtown, you have a great view to enjoy. Beyond right field, you can see the Alabama Children's Hospital, in which the fans wave to the children during the seventh inning stretch. These apartments were built alongside the stadium, and the apartments facing the stadium give you a great view of the whole field. Like other stadiums I've reviewed, I'll be using the tried and true "walk around the stadium in a counter-clockwise manner and talk about everything along the way" method. I'll start behind home plate, where the closest three rows to home plate have railings to set food and drinks on. These tickets are only available to season ticket holders, but you can sneak down here on lower attended games. The dugout roofs are probably just over a foot off the ground. It may be hard to notice, but you can see my foot as a comparison. You're also allowed to walk on top of the dugout to get to your seats. Also, when it comes to availability, the rows closest to the dugouts are usually not available due to season ticket holders, but during many games, you can wander down to these rows and enjoy the game. Regions Field has done a lot to honor the Barons' history. In the concourse down the first base line, the Barons have a large banner with a picture of Regions Field from its first ever game, as well as a picture of the 2013 Southern League champions. The Barons also acknowledge their past with signs of former players on each section sign. For sections 117/118, you can see former Baron Willie Mays on the sign. Section 119, the furthest main section from home plate, has a row of seats missing. Very few people sit here, so most people probably wouldn't even notice it. Unlike the previous sections I mentioned, almost all of the tickets in this section are available for most games. Above section 119 is this scoreboard, which happens to be on the opposite side of the stadium from the main scoreboard. That just proves the people in charge of designing this stadium had some forward-thinking minds on their team. From right field, you can see downtown Birmingham, which lies just northeast of the stadium. In the original plans for the ballpark, Regions Field would face north, towards downtown, but due to the layout of the city as well as the direction of the sun, they would not be able to have the stadium face downtown. In right field lies the general admission bleacher seating. For just $10, you can enjoy a great view of the whole field for a low price. To add onto that, the bleachers even have backs on them, which adds to the overall value. If you have tickets on the bleachers, one thing to beware of is the occasional firework show. After the seventh inning, the outfield sections will be cleared to make way for the preparation of the fireworks show. Behind the right field bleachers are the batting cages. Before the game, you can watch the Barons take a few swings. This is a great way to build the player-fan connection. The batter's eye in center field is certainly unique, to say the least. It's made up of three ivy-covered concrete walls at the top of a fenced off berm. I would consider myself to be a function over fashion kind of guy, but I commend the Barons for taking a very unappealing part of their stadium and adding a little pizzazz to it. If you're a parent who enjoys baseball, but your kids don't, don't worry. The Barons installed this mini baseball field for your unruly kids who couldn't care less about baseball to play around on. When you move to left-center, you'll find this large area filled with picnic tables. This area is supposed to be used for large groups, but nobody seemed to mind when I wandered down to this section. Behind the picnic patio is the pool area of the apartments located adjacent to the stadium. If you live in these apartments, you can watch Barons games without even buying a ticket. In left field lies the home run porch, which, just like the picnic patio, is only supposed to be used by large groups. If a group hasn't rented out the porch, then there's no problem with you enjoying the game from here. Also, remember the small scoreboard above section 119 that I mentioned earlier? That will come in handy, considering the main scoreboard is directly behind the home run porch. Outside the stadium beyond left field, you can visit the Negro Southern League Museum, which has exhibits and plenty of details explaining the history of the Negro Leagues in the south. Another place for kids to hang out is the berm down the third base line. One thing that many minor league teams seem to understand is that kids can't get enough of grass berms. If you're an adult who actually likes baseball, you might want to skip this section. We've come full circle at Regions Field, ending up at the team store. You can find plenty of Barons gear from T-shirts to team baseball card sets to game used bats. On non gamedays, the store can be accessed from outside the ballpark, so you can buy gear any time. Above the team store is the press box and suite level. This double-decker design is unique; it gives you more room to add luxurious amenities. The same double-decker layout applies to the party suites. If you want to treat your group to a great experience, you can do that in a party suite. You get a great view down the first base line, with an even better vantage point that enables your group to see the whole field at once. If I've bored you thus far, don't worry, I'll give a brief summary of what I liked and didn't like about this stadium. What I liked: The stadium has a large capacity. With a capacity of 8,500, this ballpark gives you the opportunity to enjoy the game from just about anywhere. There are plenty of different seating options to satisfy you. From your standard seats to berm seats to suites, they have every option you could possibly need. You can see great views of the downtown Birmingham area. The tall buildings make for a pristine backdrop for Regions Field. What I didn't like: The parking situation at this ballpark is not great. Late arrivers should beware that most of the parking spots near the stadium will be taken during games. The outfield sections felt a little barren (no pun intended). This may just be a byproduct of the fact that the group areas hadn't been rented out for the game I went to, but I don't imagine it being much different for most other games. There weren't many mid inning happenings on the field to entertain fans. A lot of people think baseball is boring, so why not try to draw fans by including some non-baseball events? This stadium is very nice overall. I believe moving from the suburbs to downtown in a modern, amenity filled stadium was a great move on the Barons' part. If you're a baseball fan who happens to be in Birmingham, I'd recommend stopping by to catch a Barons game.

Year Built: 1912 Primary Tenant: Boston Red Sox Capacity: 37,731 Date visited: July 21st-22nd, 2021 I originally visited Fenway Park last July, but I'm gonna write about it now. The reason I'm doing that for Fenway and not any other stadium I've previously visited is because I took a tour of the stadium, which means I have plenty of photos to share. I will also be showing pictures in the order that I took them during the tour. One of the things you can see outside the stadium are the these banners, which show each year the Red Sox have either won the World Series or were American League champions. You may also notice the brick exterior of the stadium. Due to the age of Fenway Park, most of the features that give this place a nostalgic feel are actually as old as they look. Across the street from the ballpark is the Red Sox team store, which I definitely recommend visiting. Above the team store are large baseball cards of Red Sox players, which change in coordination with the starting lineup. Like any stadium, when you first walk in, you're greeted by the concourse. The concourse at Fenway Park feels a little small, but I suppose that kind of thing is expected with a stadium as old as this one. Unlike modern stadiums, you can't see any part of the field from inside the concourse. Beyond the right field corner of the park is this open area with many concession stands. Not shown here are life size illustrations of Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz you can measure yourself against. We got to go on the field during our tour, and here's the view from the center field wall. You can get a great view of the main grandstand, as well as the press box, which we'll get a better view of later. If you look towards the left field corner, the Red Sox retired numbers are on display, like most stadiums have. In this case, the number are displayed in order by the date they were retired. On the Green Monster, you can find various marks and blemishes from baseballs that hit the wall, but this one hit in a certain way to where you can see the MLB logo on the wall. One of the many quirks in this ballpark is the manually operated scoreboard. Originally installed in 1934, it only included the score for the Red Sox game. In the 1970s, scores for all American League games would be displayed on the manual scoreboard. In 2003, National League scores would be added, but would need to be changed from the outside of the scoreboard between innings, as there is not enough room to access them from the inside. The last addition was made in 2005, in which the AL East standings were added to the left of the scoreboard. Here's a closer look at the main part of the scoreboard. It has everything you need to know about the game; the runs scored in each inning, the total amount of runs, hits, and errors from each team, as well as several bulbs, which light up in coordination with the batter's ball and strike count. Also, I don't know who Brad is, so don't even bother asking. The bullpens, which are right next to each other, give fans great views of the pitcher as he warms up before or during the game. The bullpen walls are removable, which makes room for the occasional football game. Before the 2011 season, the Red Sox installed this video board as an upgrade from a small video board which had been installed in 2000. The John Hancock signature on top of the scoreboard is also the logo of John Hancock Financial, a life insurance company based out of Boston. Out of all the green seats in right field, this lone red seat stands out against the rest. This seat has significance, because, in 1946, Ted Williams hit a home run that struck this seat; 502 feet away from home plate. No player has hit a home run in Fenway Park this far before or since Ted William's shot. Another odd seating area can also be found in the right field area. This row of wooden bleachers are similar to what could be found in the outfield seating area before modern day stadium seating was installed. Arguably one of the most noteworthy foul poles in baseball is Fenway's right field pole, also known as Pesky's Pole. At just 302 feet from home plate, Pesky's Pole is the closest pole in the majors. This pole is named after Johnny Pesky, who, in his decade long career, only hit six home runs at Fenway Park, had many hits that landed near the infamous pole. The press box is one of the best press boxes to look at, in my opinion. That may sound weird, but when you go to a modern stadium, do you even notice the press box? That may be because the club seating and suites near home plate in modern stadiums make the press box blend in more easily. Even with that aside, press boxes nowadays don't have many qualities that make them worth noticing. For example, Fenway has a pennant for each year the Red Sox have either won the American League championship or won the World Series. Fenway Park seats just under 38,000, which means the upper deck is a small one, but still offers some great views. That's one of the advantages of having a small capacity stadium; it offers closer, more intimate views. This technically isn't a part of Fenway Park, but the stadium wouldn't feel the same without the Citgo sign beyond left field. The sign was built in 1940, but wasn't displayed with the current signage until 1965. By 1983, the sign had taken a significant beating from the elements, which meant that Citgo would begin plans to disassemble the sign. This decision would face severe backlash, which led Citgo to refurbish the sign and scrap any plans to disassemble it. This is something you can't find in any other ballpark. Fenway Farms began in 2015 as a way to supply fresh fruits and vegetables to people in need. At over 5,000 square feet, this formerly unused area of the ballpark is a great example of turning nothing into something. I mentioned the upper deck earlier, but here's a closer look. The seats are pretty steep, which has its pros and cons. One of the advantages of this is that the people sitting in front of you won't block the view. A disadvantage, however, is that steep seats are a pretty big tripping hazard, so be careful if you're sitting in the upper deck at Fenway Park. Arguably the most prestigious outfield seats in baseball, the seats on top of the Green Monster give a stunning view of the whole field. The Green Monster has been around as long as the stadium has, but the seats on top weren't installed until the 2003 season. The price of tickets on top of the Green Monster vary heavily based on which team the Red Sox are playing, as well as the time of year. One thing to be wary of are the support beams located throughout the grandstand. While the beams only partially obstruct the view from most seats, be sure to either sit in front of or between them for optimal views. In the top rows of the main grandstand, you'll find these blue, wooden seats. These seats are narrower than any modern day seats, but shouldn't be too uncomfortable for most people. You won't find many first class amenities in the sections closest to home plate. The rows closest to home plate have very thin padding, and the closest row to home plate has several screens showing a TV broadcast of the game. If you're sitting behind home plate, another thing to note is that it's nearly impossible to catch a foul ball due to the netting the extends above the seating area. To summarize, Fenway Park is certainly a must see for any baseball fan out there. When you visit, you'll be able to take in over a hundred years of baseball history, all in one place. Needless to say, if you're into both baseball and history, you'll definitely want to visit, and maybe consider taking a tour of the ballpark. I know I've only mentioned the stadium itself, and not really touched on the gameday experience, so let me do that now. The atmosphere is electric, especially when the rival Yankees are in town. The food selection at Fenway is very nice. My personal recommendation would be the Italian sausage, which can be found throughout the stadium. That's all I can say, and I'll see you at the next ballpark, goodbye!

Year built: 2020 Primary tenant: Rocket City Trash Pandas Capacity: 7,500 Date Visited: March 9th, 2022 Toyota Field is one of the newer ballparks in the minor leagues, and it shows. It has many modern amenities; more than I can tell in words, in fact. Possibly one of the least modern aspects of this ballpark would be the parking situation. This photo shows just part of the thousands of parking spots right next to the stadium. Many people prefer stadiums located in downtown of a given city as opposed to stadiums located on the outskirts of town, right off a highway exit. This stadium is the latter, but I actually like that. Being outside downtown leaves plenty of room for parking, which makes the whole situation way easier on everybody. Now back to modernity, these giant baseballs line the main gate of the stadium. These probably didn't require a lot of smart people to come up with, but they're still pretty cool. This is the gate to Toyota Field, or at least the main gate. there is another one that a lot of people don't know about. Behold, the left field gate at Toyota Field. It doesn't have a name, unlike the Pepsi Gate, or any fancy signage, or anything that makes it stand out. No wonder most people don't know about it. This is what you see as soon as you walk into the stadium. Below is the berm, where, for just $8, you can get a great view of the whole field. Here's a better view of the berm. It looks pretty ugly right now, but that's just the byproduct of the fact that it was early March, and there had been two days worth of rain before the game. Like the berm, the Rock Porch is covered in a general admission ticket. There are plenty of good seats with an even better view. Just make sure you get here early, because the seats on the Rock Porch fill up quickly during games. One of the quirks you can find around the rock porch is the right field foul pole. In what minor league stadium can you get this close to the foul pole? In order to prevent the Rock Porch's overhang from interfering with the field of play, the wall juts out a few feet from the base of the Rock Porch. I'm not exactly sure what this area is supposed to be here for. It looks like dirt, but it's closer to a small, pebble like substance, which is used in warning tracks in most professional baseball fields. The batter's eye, which is prevalent in most high level stadiums, isn't really much to talk about. It's big, it's dark green, and that's all I can say about it. Thankfully, they have made somewhat of an effort to spruce things up. The Trash Pandas have both of their retired numbers on display. The first one, number 42, was retired in honor of Jackie Robinson across all of Major and Minor League Baseball as of April 15th, 1997. The second number, number 5 has been retired to honor Don Mincher. A Huntsville native, Mincher had a lengthy MLB career, but it's what he took part in after his playing days which made him so noteworthy. In 1985, Mincher became the first president and general manager of the Huntsville Stars until 2001, when he became president of the entire Southern League until his retirement after the 2011 season. You can get close to dead center field in this stadium, which I suppose isn't necessary, but is still pretty cool. As you move into left field, the wall takes many sharp turns. Also, like many minor league stadiums, the walls are covered in advertisements for local companies and businesses. The stuff I said earlier is the same for right field. I do enjoy this quirk, in fact. I think it adds a nice touch to the stadium. Moving into left field, we come across this open area, which, during Trash Pandas games, contains various food trucks, which aren't shown here. This would likely be your best bet when it comes to catching a home run. One of the great things about the left field area is that it allows you to get close to the bullpens, while also getting a great view of the game. If you're ever a fan of the visiting team, well, don't worry. The designers of Toyota Field didn't leave you out if that's your situation. Another thing I must add; unlike the right field foul pole, you should not try to touch the left field pole, unless you're not afraid to fall into the bullpen or onto the field. This elevator looks like it leads to nowhere, and you would be right. It's part of the stadium's original plans, which included a restaurant in left field, similar to the Atlanta Braves Chop House. Now that we've been through the entire outfield, we can move into the infield sections. The first of which is this picnic patio. With over fifty tables, this area is perfect for a group of any size that wants a great view of the game. All Stars is one of four main concession stands in the stadium. Each stand serves all the ballpark classics, but they also serve specialty items respective to each concession stand. Right next to All Stars is a side view of the Party Deck. You can have up to ninety guests in the Party Deck for a game, and you can also have a great vantage point over the whole field. Across from All Stars is a canopy, in which they serve an all you can eat buffet, which comes complimentary with any suite, the Party Deck, or the picnic patio. The main concourse is wide, but can still get a bit crowded during games with high attendance figures. What you're looking right now is one of the concourse suites. There are four in total; two of each down both baselines, which can seat up to thirty-five people. This is likely the most unique thing about this stadium. The batting cages are located on the concourse level, which means that fans can watch their favorite Trash Pandas players take some swings before the game. Now that we've made our way around the stadium, we can talk about various seating options throughout the stadium. The four-tops, which you see above, are great seats with a great view, that is, if you can get your hands on them. All of these seats are taken by season ticket holders, so chances are you won't have an opportunity to sit here during a game. The Legacy Seats are usually occupied by season ticket holders, but a couple are on sale for individual games. For $25, you get a great view from behind home plate. You also get high top chairs, which are very comfortable. They also offer in-seat delivery service for these seats. As somebody who has had the opportunity to sit in these seats, I would definitely recommend them. This is what the standard seating looks like. Gray might seem like a boring color choice for the seats, but they're still more original than the typical dark green seats you can find at many stadiums. All standard seats are $16, which is a good deal, considering that most of the seats are close to the field. The best seats in the house are these home plate seats. Like the name suggests, these seats are the ones closest to home plate. For $50, the price is steep, but you can get closer to all the action than anyone else. Not to mention, the seats are padded, which makes for an even more comfortable experience. Overall, I think this is a very nice stadium. It has all the amenities you could ask for. The food is good, the seating is comfortable, and the overall atmosphere is a whole lot of fun. Now, you may be asking when you can enjoy a Trash Pandas game at Toyota Field. Thankfully, pretty soon. Their second ever home opener will be this April 12th against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. I hope to see you there!

Propst Arena Primary Tenant: Huntsville Havoc Capacity: 6,000 Built: 1975 Date Visited: February 26th, 2022 Final Score: Huntsville Havoc, 2, Pensacola Ice Flyers, 1 (OT) Before we begin, I don't just want to talk about Propst Arena, I also want to talk about the experience of going to a Huntsville Havoc hockey game. So, what exactly is there to know about the Huntsville Havoc? Quite a bit, actually. The Huntsville Havoc are part of the Southern Professional Hockey League, which began play for the 2004-05 season, with the Havoc being one of the original teams in the league. One key factor to the Havoc's success over the years are their high attendance numbers. The Havoc have had attendance above the league average every single season throughout their existence. The game I attended enjoyed a sellout crowd of 6,037 fans. A great way to elaborate on the experience would be to give a timeline of events involving the arena, as well as the game. When walking towards the arena from the north end, you'll see Rhythm on Monroe, a recent addition to the Von Braun Center which opened in early 2020. Another recent addition to the area is this parking garage. It looks about as cool as a parking garage can get, but that isn't saying much considering the old parking garage was, to put it simply, ugly. See? I wasn't kidding about the ugly part. Now, one thing I'll have you know is that I'm a very function over fashion kind of person, but even I have to admit the new parking lot is way less of an eyesore than the old one, but I digress. Here's the entrance to Propst Arena. If you're keeping track, you would know the arena was built in 1975. If you're also wondering why this looks a little more modern than 1975, well, that's because it is. This extension was built in 2010 as an improved entrance to the arena. This is what you see once you walk inside. This spacious walkway certainly a nice amenity to have. On the right, you'll see some steps which lead up to the concourse of the arena. At the bottom of the steps are several ticket takers ready to scan your tickets. Once you get up the stairs, you'll see tons of these foam pucks for sale. What are these, and why do they have numbers on them, you may be asking. Well, I'll elaborate on them later. This is what the view looks like from section 310, Row O, Seat 2. The ice may look a little far away, but always remember, photos always make the view look further away. These seats in the upper rows don't just give a great view of the whole arena, but also come at a great price; just eight dollars. I mentioned these seats give a great view, but what all can we observe? Well, I'll show you. Before I go into detail, I need to warn you about something. It may be hard to tell by this photo, but these steps are pretty steep, therefore, it's important to watch your step while in the upper deck. Not only are the steps steep, but the seats in the row in front of you only come to about your shins, which can be a tripping hazard if you're not careful. Now, what was I talking about again? Oh, yeah, I remember now. The first thing we can observe are the seats. This arena has plenty of seats, 6,000, in fact, which wrap around the arena on all sides. There isn't much to describe about these seats other than that they're blue, and sittable. Is sittable a word? Doesn't matter, let's move on. Well, more seats, that's great. these are the lower level seats, which are gray, and have a little more padding than the upper deck seats. These get you pretty close to the action, but believe it or not, we can get closer. Here, we have the suite level. Great for several people at a time, and guarantees you a spot right next to the action. What if I told you there was an even bigger and better seating option than what I just showed you? Would you believe me? If you don't... Now you should! A total of four suites, two of which aren't pictured, each have room for sixteen fans to watch the game, with a great view of center ice. You may be thinking the seats are a bit boring, and I do have to agree that blue and gray aren't the most interesting seat colors, but they weren't always this way. This is a real photo of the original seats at Propst Arena. Moderation clearly isn't a part of these people's vocabulary, but this was the 70s, so I don't exactly blame them. Now that we're back in the present, we can observe more. This is what the walkway in front of the upper deck looks like. This walkway certainly gets the job done, but the railing may get in the way of the view if you're sitting in the bottom rows. The Havoc have their retired numbers on display. These numbers belong to Stuart Stefan, current assistant coach of the Havoc, Chris George, Matt Carmichael, and Mike DeGurse, respectively. The Havoc are currently beta testing in-seat delivery services. Scan the QR code, which will take you to a website where you can order various food and drink items right to your seat. Why walk up and down a ton of steep steps to and from your seat when somebody else can do it for you? This giant inflatable, which is meant to represent the wolf on the Havoc Logo, is what the players come out of during the player introductions. Before the players skated onto the ice, the Havoc's two mascots, Chaos and Rukus, come sliding onto the ice. You can see these guys throughout the arena interacting fans and getting into whatever shenanigans you can imagine. Here, we can see the starting lineup skate out onto the ice. Another thing we can see are the color changing LED lights, which were installed ahead of the 2019-20 season. Another thing I want to cover are the jerseys that the Havoc wore for this game. It may be hard to tell, but the team name on these jersey read "Rocket City Long Dogs". I'll explain what these jerseys entail later. Throughout the game, you'll hear this so-called musical instrument, which is really just a glorified noise machine, called a vuvuzela. If normal clapping and cheering isn't for you, then you may want to pick up a vuvuzela of your own. Every game, about halfway through the first period, three people, dressed up as Coke cans, race across the ice to see who wins. It's very funny to see the more than occasional slip on the ice for sure. Another happening in the middle of each period would be a few guys throwing t-shirts into the crowd. Unfortunately, I was too far away to catch a t-shirt. I imagine it isn't very easy to throw a t-shirt very far on ice skates, and with a shovel in your other hand, so I don't blame anybody for this. Now would be a good time to head back to the game itself. This is one thing I love about hockey; if you break your stick, that's too bad, because your stick is gonna lay there, right on the ice, until the play is over. You may have realized I haven't written much about the game itself, and I have a good explanation for that. Most of the stuff I've covered so far has happened within the first period. During this game, however, nobody scored in the first period, so the hasn't been much worth writing about. Finally, we get to see what everyone came for, the wiener dog races. The whole thing is pretty long, so I'll just show you the final round. Over thirty dogs entered the race, but only three won the grand prize, a bag full of dog treats. The Pensacola Ice Flyers draw first blood in the second period, giving them the 1-0 lead over Huntsville. Remember those foam pucks I showed you earlier? Those are called Chuck-a-Pucks. Every game, after the second period, fans throw these pucks onto the ice. If you make an accurate enough throw to land on one of five signs with local companies' logos on them, you win a gift card to the place your puck landed on. It gets even better than this, though. There's a small bucket on center ice, which wins you 250 dollars if you manage to chuck a puck into it. It goes to show just how many fans get in on the chance to win gift cards and money. You can see the 250 dollar bucket, which should give you perspective on how difficult it is to make it into the bucket. Now, in the third and final period, things begin to get good. The Havoc tie the game up at one with just under fifteen minutes left on the clock. This is what it all came down to. By the end of the third period, the game was tied at one. In overtime, it's all about who can draw first blood. Thankfully, the Havoc pulled through with the win in front of a sellout crowd of 6,037 fans. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Propst Arena. This facility makes a great place for hosting minor league hockey. The arena has many comfortable seating options that surround the whole rink. The arena is very nice, but the gameday experience is what makes it just that much better. I would like to give a shout out to the fans, as well as the Huntsville Havoc staff, and everyone else responsible for making all of this happen.

Year Built: 1994 Capacity: 5,080 Primary Tenants: Wallace State Lions basketball and volleyball teams Location: Wallace State Community College, Hanceville, AL Date visited: February 21st, 2022 I'm not exactly sure what to call this arena, because, in 2020, the name of the arena was changed from Tom Drake Coliseum to Traditions Bank Arena. The thing that makes this confusing is that the current name has been placed beneath the scoreboard, but the old name (which I do not have a photo of) is still shown on the outside of the arena. I suppose the best thing to do in order to save time, would be to call the arena by its current name, Traditions Bank Arena. I feel the best way to express my likes and dislikes about this arena would be to write a list of pros and cons that go over many aspects of the arena. Pros If you can't decide what color you want the seats in your arena to be, just do what Wallace State did and use seats of all colors! These rainbow colored seats add a lot of character to the arena. Almost all of the seats vary in color like you see in the photo on the right. The only exception are the first few rows of seats closest to the court, which are only blue and orange. The other exception are the seats in the corner of the arena, which are just blue. Overall, I think this makes for a unique and creative choice for an arena. Another pro of this arena that involves the seats, is that they're all over the place. With over 5,000 seats, you can sit just about anywhere you'd like. Most arenas, when configured for basketball, have seats near the center of the court, but if you want more than that, this is the right place for you. If you want to sit near either end of the court, you can do that. If you want to sit in the far back corner away from everyone and everything, go right ahead. When it comes to capacity, this is a pretty big arena for a community college, but there are plenty of seating options. One thing I noticed was pretty average about this arena is the concourse. The concourse wraps 360 degrees beneath the seating level of the arena, which makes navigating to every seat easy and convenient. Another observation I made in regards to the concourse was the way the floor is designed. I'm not sure if this is intentional, but I think the running track looking design adds an interesting touch. Another touch to the concourse were the pictures of various players on the Wallace State basketball team located throughout the arena. Besides those two things, there isn't much to write home about when it comes to the concourse. I've just told you all the things I enjoyed about Traditions Bank Arena, but now, it's time to talk about the things I don't like about it. Cons The seats in the arena are a bit outdated. This arena was built in 1994, and I doubt the seats have been replaced since then. One thing the seats were missing were cup holders. This isn't a huge issue, but it would be a small improvement for the attendees of the arena. Another issue with a few of the seats was that the bottoms of them were completely missing. As far as I'm aware, all of the seats with missing bottoms were clustered around the back of of the arena. Most of the seats are fine, but the seats that are damaged could use some improvement. One thing to take into account when visiting this arena is that this arena belongs to a community college, which is easy to forget when you realize that this arena holds over 5,000 people. I highly doubt a town with a population of about 3,400 needs an arena of this size, but what do I know? Maybe the people of Hanceville do utilize their sizable arena. The final con of Traditions Bank Arena is that the closest seats are elevated by several feet due to a wall that surrounds the court. This isn't too bad; after all, it gives you a better vantage point when trying to see the action. However, it does somewhat remove you from being close to the action. To summarize, I will say that this arena works great for basketball games or any event you use it for. It could use some small improvements, but other than that, I enjoyed this arena and I think it has held up nicely for its age. Since this arena is part of a small town community college, not much information about it can be found on the internet. So, if you are considering visiting this arena, I hope I could inform you on all there is to know about it. Thanks for stopping by!