Minor League Baseball

Minor League Teams and Stadiums I've Visited

Frontier Field - Rochester Redwings

As much as I love Major League Baseball, minor league ballgames can be just as much fun.  

The minor leagues provide opportunities for player development and a way to prepare for the major leagues.  Most of the teams in the minor leagues are directly affiliated with a major league club.  There are eight different classifications in the minor league system, the most familiar to baseball fans being Triple-A, Double-A and (Single) Class-A ball clubs. 

Rochester Redwings

Minor League Baseball Team in the Eastern League
  
The Rochester Redwings are a Triple-A team for the Minnesota Twins. The "Redwings" play in Frontier Field located in downtown Rochester, New York.

Frontier Field was built in 1997, but the old Silver Stadium was home for the Rochester Redwings for as long as I can remember. Having grown up in the Rochester area, I've attended 'Redwing' games since I was a child.

Attending a Redwings Game with Family & Friends

Last May I visited my brother in Rochester and, of course, we had to take in a baseball game. We are both crazy about baseball! We belong to a group of like-minded friends, so 10 of us ended up at the game on a very cold night, typical of Upstate New York in the Spring. But 'nothing in the world' is more fun to me than to watch and talk about baseball, especially with other fans and particularly while at the ballpark!

 

The "Quad Cities River Bandits"

Woodmen Park - Quad Cities River Bandits (Wikimedia Commons)

A Minor League Baseball Team in the Midwest League

Modern Woodmen Park located on the Davenport, Iowa Riverfront has been the home of the "Quad Cities River Bandits" since 1931. The park offers a stunning view of the Mississippi River while you watch a baseball game in this Midwest league. The "River Bandits" are a Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.

My grandson, Ryan attended a game at Woodmen Park with his dad the summer he was seven. Ryan had won a reading contest in 2nd grade in his school located near Davenport, Iowa, and the reward was a trip to the ballpark and the opportunity to parade around the outside of the baseball field before the game. At 7, Ryan may not have been much of a baseball fan, but he really enjoyed the experience.

Savannah Sand Gnats Stadium

Grayson Stadium - Savannah Sand Gnats

Class A Affiliate of the New York Mets

Now that I live in Savannah, Georgia, I've indulged my baseball passion for several years by attending minor league games at Grayson Stadium, which was home to the Savannah Sand Gnats from 2007 until the end of last season (2015). The Sand Gnats were a Class-A affiliate of the New York Mets. At one time they were known as the Savannah Cardinals, an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Prior to that, they were affiliated with the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves.

The 'Gnats' (named for that pesky little insect all us locals know well) played in the South Atlantic League in 'Historic Grayson Stadium' built in 1926. Sadly, to us local baseball fans, the Savannah Class-A affiliate left Savannah for Columbia, South Carolina where they will play this 2016 season. Still an affiliate of the New York Mets, they will now be known as the Columbia 
Fireflies. 

Grayson Stadium

 

Grayson Stadium - Savannah, Georgia

Historic Grayson Stadium won't be empty, though. With the departure of the Savannah Sand Gnats comes a new member of the Coastal Plains League consisting of a team of top collegiate players eager to show off their talents to scouts and fans.

A naming contest was conducted for the new team and will be called the "Savannah Bananas".  Their season will run from early June until the end of August.

Minor League Baseball Parks

 

Minor League Baseball Parks Guide

Since there are only 30 Major League Baseball parks, few of us live near enough to enjoy attending a game.  But there are 119 minor league baseball stadiums throughout the country, giving us a chance to enjoy attending a baseball game in person.  And, as us fans all know, most of today's baseball 'stars' in the majors began their careers playing first in the minors. 

Attending a minor league game gives us a chance to see the next up-and-coming crop of baseball superstars.  This guide to minor league baseball parks on Kindle is perfect to download and have at our fingertips locations and information on a park anywhere we live or travel on vacation.


© 2014 Wednesday Elf (originally written for another site)

© Images: all images on this page are mine, except where otherwise noted. 







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Biggest Baseball Thrill

Attending a World Series Game!

 

Kansas City Royals All-Time Greats 1985 - 2015

1985 World Series Game 1 - at Kansas City - Saturday, October 19

What was to become known as the I-70 World Series - a series between two Missouri Teams, the AL Kansas City Royals and the NL St. Louis Cardinals, was special to us because we were living in Central Missouri at the time and were Cardinals baseball fans. It became even more special when we had the opportunity to attend Game 1 in Kansas City on Saturday, October 19, 1985.

At the time, Bob was the Band Announcer for Marching MIzzou, the University of Missouri-Columbia Marching Band, and the band was invited to perform "The National Anthem" for the Opening Game of the Series. We traveled by buses from Columbia, MO to Kansas City, got to stand on the sidelines while Bob announced from the broadcasting booth and the band performed, then got to stay and watch the game. To this died-in-the-wool baseball fan, there is no greater thrill than to be at a World Series Game in person!

A World Series Memory

My Program from the World Series Game

While waiting on the sidelines along first base prior to the marching band getting ready to perform the National Anthem, we saw the players go out on the field to warm up tossing balls around. My two sons were standing with me when George Brett walked right past us close enough to reach out and touch.  I was so 'awestruck' that I just stared as Brett walked past.  My oldest son was a big fan of George Brett and it never even occurred to me to call out to Brett or even try and take his picture with the camera I was holding in my hand!  A never-to-be-repeated opportunity missed!

The 1985 World Series was very exciting and we had a great time cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals. But...Kansas City rallied from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits to capture their first world championship by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in the "I-70 Series"...the Royals became the first club in the 82-year history of the Fall Classic to lose their first two games at home and come back to win the title...KC was only the fifth team on record to come back from a 3-1 deficit and win the Series...the Royals became the first AL expansion club to win a world championship and the 2nd expansion team overall, joining the New York Mets...KC's talented and youthful pitching staff held the Major League's best hitting club to 13 runs and a batting average of .185 -- the lowest ever in a seven-game World Series...George Brett, Willie Wilson, Lonnie Smith and Steve Balboni all hit over .300 during the Series...Bret Saberhagen earned Most Valuable Player honors with two wins and a 0.50 ERA.

Official Film from the 1985 World Series

 

Official 1985 World Series Film

St. Louis led 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series and victory seemed certain. But Umpire Don Denkinger incorrectly called Kansas City's Jorge Orta safe at first and St. Louis responded with a collapse.

The Royals won Games six and seven, and World Series MVP Bret Saberhagen pitched a complete game in the clincher.

Being able to attend Game 1 of the 1985 World Series will always hold a special place in my baseball memories.

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Crazy about Baseball

My Baseball Thoughts & Memories

Available on Amazon

I LOVE Baseball. I'm no expert.....I can't quote 'stats' or tell you what year who played where, but I'm a dyed-in-the-wool fan who believes in the MLB quote "I Live For This". From April through the World Series every year, I watch, read about, and follow my favorite teams with a passion. Between the end of the World Series and the beginning of Spring Training I miss baseball so much it's like a void in my life. I often fill that void throughout the winter months with reading baseball books and re-watching some of my favorite baseball movies like "Field of Dreams" and "For Love of the Game". My son gets tickled with me because no matter what subject he's discussing with me, something he says will remind me of a favorite baseball story to tell. He can't believe how I relate 'everything' to baseball. This page is a collection of my favorite baseball memories.!

My Favorite Baseball Teams - Cards, Cubs and NYY

MLB Team Logos

My two top favorite teams are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. I watch every one of their games I can. I lived in Missouri for 11 years, which is where I became a Cardinals fan, having access to many televised games locally, plus listening to my favorite radio broadcaster, Jack Buck, on radio. I also had opportunities to occasionally see Cardinals games in person at Busch Stadium, since St. Louis was only a two hour drive away.

Cubs Fan Cup

TV also provided a lot of Chicago Cubs coverage in the Missouri area, particularly on WGN-TV in Chicago, so it was easy to also become a Cubbies fan. My favorite games are when the Cubs are playing the Cards, though it's hard to know who to root for then!

I prefer the National League over the American League, because I don't like the 'designated hitter' rule. I think pitchers should also bat, and many of them are really good batters.

Since I grew up in upstate New York, that made the NY Yankees a natural part of my world, so I have to add them to my list of favorites. Besides, they have had some of my all-time favorite players on their roster over the years. Anyone else a Derek Jeter fan?

Baseball Loyalties

Fans can be Fickle...

Being a New Yorker, I also followed the Brooklyn Dodgers during my teens back in the 1950's1950s. I seldom hold grudges, but I have to admit that to this day I refuse to be a Dodger fan because I never quite forgave them for leaving Brooklyn in 1957. That's a long time to 'hold a grudge'. 
(Fans can be fickle sometimes!).

In fact, in 1981 I was living in California when the Los Angeles Dodgers played the New York Yankees in the World Series. We were invited over to our neighbor's house to watch Game 3. Our neighbors were Dodger Fans and I was cheering so emphatically for the Yankees that at one point I was invited to either 'quiet down' or go home to watch the game! (Fans can be rabidly loyal).

*Side note: those darn Dodgers ended up winning that World Series after losing the first two games in New York at Yankee Stadium!

Going to the Stadium!

Personal photo Cardinals-Mets game at Busch Stadium - June 2014

There's nothing more thrilling than being there in person!

I've been fortunate to have been able to attend several games in person in two ballparks - Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals) and the KC Royals Kauffman Stadium, and go to one World Series Game - the opening game of the1985 I-70 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals - the thrill of a lifetime to this baseball fan!

My Baseball Fan Dream...

My dream would be to visit every one of the 30 baseball stadiums to watch a game, starting with Wrigley Field in Chicago!

A Fan's Guide to MLB Stadiums

This  revised addition of The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip includes every new ballpark since the 2004 edition.  It's the perfect guide for my baseball fan dream trip. It's part travel manual, part ballpark atlas, and part baseball history book.

 It even includes stories and statistics on each park, each park’s trademark foods, and profiles of nearby sports bars and baseball attractions.  There is also a guide to restaurants and the city of each stadium.

St. Louis Cardinals Affiliate Meeting  

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri

TV and radio stations become sports affiliates, broadcasting local college and professional sports. Between 1982 and 1993 we lived in Columbia, MO where the TV station Bob worked for was an affiliate for Cardinals Baseball. Each year the St. Louis Cardinals sponsored an "Affiliates Meeting" to thank the stations for their broadcasts and we got to attend approximately every other one.

The meeting was usually held in May or June and consisted of several festivities over a two-day period. This included a reception, then a dinner, which was followed by an evening game at the stadium on Saturday night, then a Sunday morning breakfast with the Cardinals' Front Office people, and often the manager and a few of the players, ending with an afternoon game. It was always a great deal of fun, a chance to meet people from other broadcasting stations in the network, and the opportunity to meet some of the people behind the scenes for St. Louis Cardinals Baseball. The picture above shows Bob & I at one such meeting, along with Jack Buck, Mike Shannon and others, and, of course, the Redbirds' mascot "Fredbird".

My Personal Signed Baseball

At our last Affiliates Meeting before retirement in 1993, the Sunday breakfast gave me another delightful experience in my baseball fan life. I got to meet Joe Torre, who was the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals at that time, and he graciously signed a baseball for me.  It's one of my prized possessions!

What Is Baseball?

Baseball: "It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone."

~~ A. Bartlett Giamatti

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