Springfield Cardinals 10 at Northwest Arkansas Naturals 6 (Texas League)- May 4, 2016

It was another school day at the ballpark, this time in Springdale, home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. I had to leave Springfield quite early to make it for the 11:10 start. Google Maps recommends the fastest route using I-44 and I-49, but you can save 30 miles and only add five minutes by taking a straighter route along US-60 and MO-37, which I did. As an aside, Google Maps always suggests the fastest route regardless of miles driven and you should consider alternatives if you want something other than endless interstates. As it turned out, there was a bit of road work on US-60 that delayed me ten minutes, so when I arrived at the ballpark, I had no time to do a tour, particularly as the concourse was crowded with kids.



The stadium is southwest of the town of Springdale, which is itself a few miles north of Fayetteville, famous for the University of Arkansas. It was opened in 2008 to house the relocating Wichita Wranglers, and has a capacity of 7,305. From afar, it looks more like a soccer stadium with its undulating rooftops. Next to the entrance is a small rock garden that serves no particular purpose.



There is no street parking around, so you will have to fork over $3 to leave your vehicle, with the lot far enough away from the diamond to avoid any dings from foul balls The naming rights belong to a bank that operates in Arkansas and surrounding states, which also happens to be owned by Jim Walton of the Walmart Waltons.



There were no people with extra tickets, so I bought a reserved seat for $9, which happened to be surrounded by a group of kids and their teachers. Rather than infringe on their space, I moved to a slightly better location and was not disturbed for the duration.



With only about 15 minutes to first pitch and the concourse crowded with kids at the concession stands, I didn't even bother walking around until after the game, when most of these pictures were taken.



There is a Naturals Hall of Fame with one inductee per season. Incidentally, the first honoree was Clint Robinson, who is now with Washington.



The Naturals are affiliates of the Royals and there are a number of posters around showing current Royals stars along with their Naturals debut, Royals debut, and any accomplishments. Apparently the Royals won the World Series last year, an event which I do not recall.



There is a long rectangular scoreboard in right field (barely visible below) which had quite a bit of information, though player positions were not listed in the lineup, something I have never seen before. The PA guy also did not mention the player numbers when announcing the starting lineup. Minor quibbles, but they should be included. Overall, I thought this was a pretty nice, relaxed ballpark, but I wish I had more time to explore it.



The Game

Springfield was in town for a battle of Missouri MLB affiliates with Corey Baker (49th round in 2011) starting for the Cardinals, while Eric Skoglund (3rd, 2014, KC's #28 prospect) took the hill for NW Arkansas. The big news was the AA debut of Ryan O'Hearn (8th, 2014, KC's #13 prospect) who had just been promoted. The Naturals scored in the first when Hunter Dozier singled home Orlando Calixte, but both pitchers were on their game after that, at one point combining to retire 14 in a row.



In the top of the 5th, with one out and a man on first, Luis Cruz grounded to O'Hearn, who threw a bit wide to get the lead runner. For some reason, Naturals manager Vance Wilson decided to come out to have a discussion with the umpire. I couldn't believe it, not only because there was nothing to be discussed (there was no interference), but also because Wilson was disrupting Skoglund's rhythm. Obviously, I have never pitched professionally, but I did as a kid and I always felt better when in a steady rhythm. I expected Skoglund to suffer a bit with this slight delay, and sure enough he started Harrison Bader (3rd, 2015, #10 prospect for St. Louis) with a couple of balls. The next pitch was forced and Bader pounced, doubling home Cruz. The wheels came off after that as C.J. McElroy (3rd, 2011) doubled home Bader and Bruce Caldwell (15th, 2012) homered to make it 4-1. Skoglund got out of the inning without any more trouble, but his day was done and I blame Wilson for his pointless excursion. Considering he was a major league catcher, he should know better and only argue when his team is on offense.



Anyway, Estarlin Cordero pitched the next two innings for the Naturals and gave up 3 runs in each, ending any suspense. In the bottom of the ninth, NW Arkansas scored five runs, including a no-doubt homer from O'Hearn, but that only made the score less embarrassing as Springfield won 10-6. The scoreboard was turned off before I could snap a shot, something that always annoys me.

Notes

Bader, out of Florida, finished 4/5 with 2 RBI and is certain to be patrolling the outfield in St. Louis by next season at the latest. I saw his pro debut last year on Staten Island and he hit two very long homers in that game. Less than a year later and he has jumped all the way up to AA and shows no signs of slowing down, hitting .388 with five homers for Springfield. In general, AA is the best level to watch prospects against their peers, many AAA players are older and on their way down, so you don't quite get the proper comparison and it seems like Bader has all the tools to be a major league regular.

Best,

Sean

Northwest Arkansas Naturals 7 at Tulsa Drillers 5 (Texas League) - May 1, 2016

Day 2 of my Texas League trip began early as I had to make the four-hour drive to Tulsa for a 1:05 start. Highways were clear and the weather was good, and I arrived in downtown Tulsa just after noon, giving me plenty of time to check out ONEOK Field, the new home of the Drillers.



The ballpark was opened in 2010 to replace Drillers Stadium, which I visited in 2001. The new venue is located north of downtown, right next to I-244 that encircles much of the city. There are parking lots nearby, but I found a spot on the street just a couple of blocks away and wandered over. There wasn't much of a crowd, so rather than wait for a freebie, I forked over $5 for a lawn seat and made my way in.



The stadium is quite typical for this level, with a single seating bowl from foul pole to foul pole, and a suite level above. Party areas and berms are in the outfield, though some sections were closed off on this day. There are ushers at each section, but they generally weren't checking tickets as long as it is not behind home plate.



The concourse is quite wide, and the poles have pictures of past Drillers, such as Pudge Rodgriguez. The team store is located near the left field entrance and is one of the largest I have ever seen in the minor leagues. The smaller souvenir stand is called Drill Bits, a nice pun.



You can complete an entire circuit of the field, something that is quite common nowadays and allows you to capture the views from many different angles.



The best part of the stadium is the Tulsa Skyline beyond right field. For this reason, sitting along third base is somewhat better than first base. The picture below was taken while a weather phenomenon known as cloud iridescence was visible.



The netting here does not extend to the entire dugout, unlike the ballpark in Frisco. With the sun out and shining brightly, I chose to sit further back as the last two rows are shaded by the overhang.



Later on I moved to the seats behind home plate, where there were several scouts watching. Again, quite a nice view.



The mascot here is Hornsby, a blue buffalo with a great baseball name (Rogers Hornsby began his career in Hugo, Oklahoma, a town about 160 miles south of Tulsa). Hornsby is quite energetic, below challenging some of the visiting Northwest Arkansas Naturals to a boxing contest before the game.



If you are looking to grab some food, try Franx, a stand that sells five varieties of specialty hot dogs. The other thing to note is the mascot race, which is sponsored by a local hardware or appliance concern, and features a toilet with a mustache (I missed the name so please supply your own joke), a furnace (Bernie) and an air conditioner (Breezy). We need a list of all mascot races across minor league baseball because nearly every team has one these days and some of them are very creative.



Overall, I really enjoyed the afternoon here. This is a simpler stadium with a more sedate crowd than that in Frisco, but its downtown location and backdrop, plus very cheap tickets and friendly staff, make it a great place to watch a ballgame.

The Game

This was my third time seeing the Naturals in the past two weeks after I watched them in Midland a couple of times. The team is loaded with prospects, including Matt Strahm (21st round in 2012, now KC's #10 prospect, below) who started. He pitched five solid innings, striking out 8 and walking none while yielding a single run. His offense managed 4 runs off Tulsa (Dodgers affiliate) starter Brock Stewart (6th, 2014), with Raul Mondesi's 2-run double the key.



Bubba Starling added a homer in the 7th, but Tulsa replied when Erisbel Arruebarrena (a Cuban who spent a few games with the Dodgers in 2014) hit a 2-run shot in the bottom half. Starling doubled to lead off the ninth to start a small rally that resulted in two more Natural runs and a 7-3 lead, runs that were absolutely necessary when Paul Hoenecke (24th, 2012) hit a 2-run shot in the bottom half. Arruebarrena followed but fouled out to first to end the game as Tulsa dropped a 7-5 decision.



This was actually a very good game, with no walks issued by either side, a rarity in the minors. I like it when pitchers pitch and hitters hit, and the game moved at a great pace, finishing in 2:28, with a PPM (pitches per minute) of 1.78.

Player to Watch

Strahm is the obvious choice, but I try to avoid picking top prospects here, so will go with Hoenecke, who was 3/4 with the dinger and the only Driller to not strike out.

Notes

This was my 650th venue lifetime and 240th ballpark.

Arruebarrena was suspended for the rest of the season a couple of days later, so this might have been his last game. Not sure why, but it is the second time he has been so disciplined.

I didn't have time to explore Tulsa this time as I needed to drive to Springfield for a game Monday morning. More on that in the next post.

Best,

Sean

Northwest Arkansas Naturals 3 at Midland RockHounds 4 (Texas League) - April 18, 2016

When I lived in Vancouver in the early 1990s, I went to many Canadians games at beautiful Nat Bailey Stadium. In those days, they were the AAA affiliate of the White Sox (Sammy Sosa played there for a few games in 1991) and then the Angels, whose AA club was in Midland, Texas. Whenever a player got promoted or demoted, we'd hear that mysterious Texas town mentioned yet again. As this was before the Internet, we had to use a paper map to look it up, and found it to be in the western part of the state, about midway between Fort Worth and El Paso and possibly the most remote minor league location. Back then, I could only dream of making the trip to rural Texas, but now that I am on a mission to visit all minor league ballparks, I finally got to see what Midland is all about.



The Midland Rockhounds of the AA Texas League play out of Security Bank Ballpark, which opened in 2002 to replace Christensen Stadium, the long-time home of the team. The new ballpark is part of the Scharbauer Sports Complex in the southwest corner of the city, surrounded by a business park and some new residences, but almost nothing in the way of bars and restaurants. There is also a 15,000-seat football stadium next door which hosts two high school football teams and the Midland/Odessa Sockers of the PDL.



Parking is free in the large lot, and tickets range from $9 for reserved seats, which are the best bet as the park is quite small. Moreover, the protective netting extends all the way along the top of the dugouts, so only the reserved seats have a clear view of the field. On Mondays, you can get a reserved ticket for $2 if you bring a 7/11 cup.



There are a number of features here that are worth a quick look. Out front is a statue of a catcher, with plaques behind him denoting the team's successes. Most notably, they are the back-to-back Texas League champions.



Of course, make note of the Josh Donaldson picture on the team store doors next to the main entrance. Midland is Oakland's affiliate and Donaldson played here in 2009. There is another Toronto connections: Joe Carter stopped in for a visit in 1981-82 as a Cub farmhand, and he is honoured by a small banner along the concourse, as are other past stars such as Lee Smith and Bruce Sutter.



For evening games from Monday-Wednesday, gates open only 30 minutes before first pitch, which was very frustrating as I need more time to complete the tour, particularly since I am doing the review for Stadium Journey. I had to rush around taking pictures and notes and didn't even have time to fill out my scorecard. As you can see below, there is a single seating bowl with blue seats, while the suite level is up top, a very typical design. You can see the netting in the shot below.



One interesting feature is that the bullpens are actually out on the field, making a homer to right relatively easy at 322 feet.



The design is quite different down the left field line, where the visiting bullpen lies.



There are a number of concession stands but the offerings are pretty basic, though inexpensive. Try the chicken tenders, $5 for three, not bad. The strangest item was the peanut butter and jelly bacon hot dog, which is not as bad as it sounds and gets you all four food groups for only $5.



Despite perfect spring weather and two teams filled with prospects, few fans showed up for this one. Those that were in attendance didn't seem to care much about the game, and neither did the mascots. With the dugout now protected, they stood on top and blocked my view during the action, tossing frisbees to the crowd among other antics. I had to move to get a clear view, not a big deal in an empty park, but rather annoying to fans who actually want to watch the game.

Overall, Security Bank Ballpark is a pretty typical minor league venue in its design. The boring neighbourhood and inattentive fans should not dissuade you from making a visit however, because the other aspects are actually pretty good. Minor league baseball is still the best value out there, and although there are some franchises that are sacrificing fan friendliness in the name of the almighty dollar, this is one that is not. So next time you are in Texas in the summer, see if the Rockhounds are home and get yourself to West Texas for a game.

The Game

Northwest Arkansas (Kansas City) was visiting with top prospect Raul Mondesi Jr. (whose father Raul played for Toronto). The younger Mondesi actually had an at-bat in the 2015 World Series at age 20, and he was very gracious in signing for the young lady next to me.



Another top prospect is Bubba Starling, drafted 5th overall in 2011 and given a record $7.5 million signing bonus, enough money to stop him from becoming the Nebraska QB. Starling has struggled however, and is looking like the next Drew Henson. He's only 23, but his early .152 average and a seeming inability to hit breaking pitches do not bode well.



Alec Mills (22nd round, 2012) started for the Naturals, while Midland countered with Chris Jensen (6th round, 2011 by Colorado, below). Both pitchers lasted six innings, yielding three runs apiece. In the bottom of the 7th, the Rockhounds had runners on second and third with two out and Jaycob Brugman (17th, 2013, Oakland's 21st-ranked prospect) at bat. He laced one to center that Starling appeared to catch, and the umpire ruled Brugman out. The Naturals left the field and I updated my scorecard, only to look up and see the umpires conferring. Uh-oh. Turns out the ball was trapped, so the call was reversed, sending Naturals manager Vance Wilson into conniptions and an ejection. One run scored and that turned out to be the winner as Midland won 4-3. The radio broadcast indicated that the correct call was made, so I'll have to believe them, but that was something I had never seen before.



There's the final below, unfortunately the linescore was removed immediately after the last out was recorded. The game took just 2:27, very quick even at this level.



Notes

I attended the following game on Tuesday morning, when gates opened much earlier to allow kids in, and enjoyed a more thorough walk around. I noticed that the grounds crew has a pet dog that follows them around before the game.



I also noticed that many foul balls land in the parking lot. I saw one foul ball end up underneath a truck, and when I left the game (after 6 innings as I had to get to El Paso), it was still there, so I scooped it up. According to my buddy Andrew, that counts, so I now have a Texas League ball.

Best,

Sean