AAA baseball

[abq]

I've become a big Albuquerque Isotopes fan and a fan of AAA baseball in general the last couple years. Lots of cities are spending the bucks to build nice stadiums, tickets are still cheap, the overall entertainment value is great.

However, there is the one big drawback. When one of your favorite players gets called up. Happened today here when Josh Willingham got called to the Marlins. Great for him and I'm happy for him, damn happy. But, damn, I'm gonna miss watching him play. Now I have to learn to apprectiate a new name in the lineup.

All in all though AAA baseball kicks ass. Fan support across the country is growing and more stadiums like The Lab in ABQ are drawing 9/10 thousand fans on average. The Isotopes come damn close to selling out on a night like this one.

Any other AAA fans on board. I know Maniax is a huge fan.

[Bomis Hawg]

I like all baseball leagues, AA and up mainly.  I have to go see a game in Memphis sometime.  I have seen the stadium from outside, hear the entire place is awesome.  I don't get to see/watch much, but its cool to look at.  Normally, I'll surf the Cardinals' farm teams, read reports and stuff.  They did have the affiliate in Kodiak, Tennessee, which is just outside of Knoxville.  Great area, not to bad stadium for AA.  Didn't get to go to a game there, but I bet it would be a blast.  I remember going to Pine Bluff Locomotive games.

[maniax22bolts20]

You have me at Play Ball ! If I had an RV and the $ I'd live on the road going to games.For that matter my car and a tent even. I'm a huge fan of MLB and the PCL,IL,TL,EL,SL,FSL,SCL, you name it. Independent ball is good to see too. The Frontier,Northern,Atlantic and Northeast Leagues all draw well and some of them play in small palaces. The KITTY League has been revived this year as a college summer wood bat league so they need support too. Among other sites I recommend www.digitalballparks.com .

[Oklahawg]

I spend a few evenings every summer at Tulsa Drillers' games. My game-attending friend has season tickets directly behind the Drillers' dugout. We get to interact, on occasion, with the players (much more so than in pro games, that's for sure!)...generally with the promos. Its great to watch the young pups eyeball the ladies. We are also getting to know a couple of the local umps, which is cool. Great interaction with the regulars in the section and you can afford to eat/drink and be merry.

[hawkeyefan17]

I spent much of my summer days growing up in Des Moines, Iowa at Sec Taylor Stadium (now Principal Park) going to Iowa Cubs games. They used to play in the old American Association but now play in the Pacific Coast League (they need to change the name of the PCL). Since I grew up minor league baseball I love it. I go back to Des Moines to  catch a few Iowa Cubs games every summer (except this summer) and I love it. Cubs games are one of the few things I miss about the city of Des Moines. It is a great time.

On a trip to Iowa City last summer I made it a point to catch a Cedar Rapids Kernals game. The Kernals are the full season Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels (a step below the Arkansas Travlers) and it was a blast. The Kernals play in a fairly new ball park (Veterans Memorial Stadium) it is a nice, quaint park and a great place to see a game.

I hope to make it to Little Rock sometime this summer to catch a Travelers game but I don't know if that will happen this year but I do look forward to going.

Having grown up around minor league baseball and seeing how it can affect towns it is a great thing and one of the best ways to spend a summer day or night. I wish more towns in Arkansas had minor league teams so they could experience the benefit and joy of having a minor league baseball team.

[maniax22bolts20]

Since you are a Cubs fan I highly recomend Pringles Park on the north side of Jackson,TN. It is about 80 miles north of Memphis on I-40 and 125 from Nashville. Beautiful open ai r ballpark that opened in 1998.www.diamondjaxx.com.

[Bomis Hawg]

Since you are a Cubs fan I highly recomend Pringles Park on the north side of Jackson,TN. It is about 80 miles north of Memphis on I-40 and 125 from Nashville. Beautiful open ai r ballpark that opened in 1998.www.diamondjaxx.com.

When I was moving out here to Tenn, I drove by it a couple of times.  It looks nice, at least from the road.  I wanted to go by and watch a game there since.  Its RIGHT on I-40 in Jackson.  You won't get lost getting to it, right smack dab on the interestate and in the middle of the "city" area on the Interstate.  I might be going there for a game someday.

[hawkeyefan17]

My wife has some family that just recently moved near Jackson so I will visit the West Tennessee park at some point in the future. I saw a couple Iowa Cubs vs. Omaha Royals games in Omaha at Rosenblatt Stadium. some years ago back when both teams played in the old American Association, I really like Rosenblatt however I have never been there to see the college world series.

[maniax22bolts20]

Wednesday night tv viewing:  Southern League All-Star Game 7pm Central on CSS from Mobile,Alabama  AND at 9pm Central the AAA All-Star Game live from Sacramento,California  .

[hawkeyefan17]

I went to the AAA all star game some years back at Sec Taylor Stadium in Des Moines. It was a great time. The night before the game I went to the homerun derby and watched Todd Helton and Aaron Boone hit some bombs. It was awesome

[maniax22bolts20]

Oklahoma City has won the first round of 3 approval votes to host the AAA Championship next September at the Redhawks Bricktown Ballpark to be televised on ESPN2 Live. Congratulations !

[xkyrie]

Oklahawg: what's the best place to sit if I go to a Driller's game?

My wife has got it into her head that she'd like to go, and we both love Tulsa.

[maniax22bolts20]

X- most of the seating is bleachers as far as I know

[maniax22bolts20]

I saw today a story that the afilliated minors have drawn over 21 million fans this year, a slight increase from last years record crowds.

[Sbrokeski]

I'm recently relocated from Texas and the Dell Diamond in Round Rock is great.  Great family atmosphere, clean, and not to mention a sweet yard.  It's so awesome what the Ryan's have done so much with minor league ball there and in Corpus Christi.