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TEAM ::: GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
LOCATION ::: GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
MY FIRST VISIT ::: MAY 16, 2006
OPPONENT ::: ASHEVILLE TOURISTS
LEVEL ::: SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE 'A'
RATINGS
BALLFIELD ::: A
SCOREBOARD ::: B
FOOD ::: B
FACILITIES ::: B
MASCOT ::: B
MY TAKE ON THE PARK
IN 2005 THEY OPENED FIRST HORIZON PARK IN GREENSBORO. I WAS NEVER AT WAR MEMORIAL
STADIUM BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE PEOPLE OF GREENSBORO
REALLY LIKE THE NEW PARK.
ON MY FIRST VISIT TO FIRST HORIZON PARK, I FOUND MYSELF GETTING OFF THE INTERSTATE
AND FOLLOWING THE SIGNS THAT SAID "DOWNTOWN BALLPARK". I THEN SAW THE LIGHT TOWERS AND HEADED TOWARDS THEM. AFTER PARKING
I HEADED
TOWARDS THE NEW BRICK STADIUM THAT LOOKS VERY SHARP IN THE CITY. TO MY SURPRISE, A TUESDAY NIGHT GAME IN
MAY IN NORTH CAROLINA WAS EXPECTED TO
HAVE A LARGE CROWD, I DIDN'T THINK THERE REALLY WERE ANY LARGE CROWDS OUTSIDE OF
DURHAM IN NC BUT I WAS PROVEN WRONG ON THIS NIGHT. THE PLACE LOOKED TO BE A NEAR SELL OUT!
THE PARK IS VERY SIMILAR
TO ALL OF THE NEW PARKS GOING UP, A SPACIOUS CONCOURSE WITH A LARGE SOUVENIR STORE AT THE ENTRANCE. I WAS SURPRISED THAT IN
THIS NEW PARK, YOU CANNOT CIRCLE THE PARK, A FEATURE I'VE COME TO ENJOY IN OTHER PARKS. DOWN THE RIGHT FIELD LINE YOU CAN
GO AS FAR AS THE THE FOUL POLE WHERE A KIDS PLAYGROUND WILL END YOUR WALK.
WALKING TOWARDS LEFT FIELD THE BRIGHT CHROME OF THE LEFT FIELD BAR IMMEDIATELY GETS
YOUR ATTENTION. ALL OF THE TABLES AND BAR STOOLS ARE A BRIGHT CHROME WHICH GIVES LEFT FIELD ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE LOOKS IN
BASEBALL. BEYOND THE CORNER BAR IS A PICNIC AREA WHERE YOU CAN WALK AS
FAR AS CENTER FIELD.
THE PROBLEM I FOUND WITH THE BAR AREA WAS IT DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE A BASEBALL ATMOSPHERE.
THE BAR AREA AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE PARK SEEMED LIKE A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO AFTER WORK AND SOCIALIZE, NOT TO HAVE A
FEW
BEERS AND TELL THE LEFT FIELDER WHAT YOU THINK OF HIM. THE BAR AREA WASN'T THE ONLY AREA THAT SUFFERED FROM THIS, IT SEEMED
MOST FANS WERE THERE TO BE 'AT' THE NEW BALLPARK, NOT TO SEE A GAME. THE CONVERSATIONS
I OVERHEARD CONSISTED MORE OF "WHAT
LEVEL IS THIS?"
"DO THESE GUYS MAKE A LOT OF MONEY?" AND MY FAVORITE ONE WHERE THE
GUY WAS ON THE PHONE
"HAVE YOU BEEN TO
SEE THE PARK YET?"
MORE OF THIS WAS PROVEN BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE STILL AROUND AFTER THE 6TH INNING.
A TRIP TO FIRST HORIZON PARK IS MORE OF A CORPORATE
/ FAMILY OUTING THAN A TRIP TO A GAME. THE GRASSHOPPERS HELP THAT ALONG BY HAVING PROMOTIONS BETWEEN EVERY INNING AND MAKING
SURE ALL THE GROUP NAMES GET ON THE
BOARD. FROM WHAT I COULD SEE THOUGH, THEY ARE GIVING THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT SO I
GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I THINK.
I WILL SAY THAT ALL OF THIS IS VERY EASY TO TAKE BECAUSE THE SEATS HERE ARE VERY
COMFORTABLE. ALSO, AFTER USING THE REST ROOM, THE FAUCETS HERE MAY BE THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN.
THE MANAGERS
ASHEVILLE MANAGER :::
20 JOE MIKULIK
GREENSBORO MANAGER :::
15 BRANDON HYDE
ASHEVILLE TOURISTS
24 Dexter
Fowler cf
2 Eric Young Jr. 2b
10 Phillip Cuadrado ss
32 Kyle Blumenthal dh
7 Daniel Carte rf
16 Travis Becktel
lf
35 Christopher Cook 3b
9 Michael Paulk 1b
27 Nelson Robledo c
19 Xavier Cedeno p / LP
GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS
12 Agustin
Septimo ss
11 James Guerrero 2b
20 Jeff Van Houten dh
16 Gabriel Sanchez 1b
35 Kris Harvey rf
7 Jared Gaston
lf
31 Jonathan Fulton 3b
10 Brett Hayes c
21 Greg Burns cf
28 Aaron Thompson p / WP
ASHVL TOURISTS 000 101 000 2 6 2
GRASSHOPPERS
103 131 03x 12 17 2
TIME ::: 2:31
ATTENDANCE 5,157
WEATHER : 67 COOL
SEND ME AN E-MAIL
UNCLEBOBSBALLPARKS@GMAIL.COM
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