Play Ball, Y'all
The homers. The strikeouts. The mascots shaped like peppers. A guide to minor league baseball in Texas: Where and how to see it and why you should root, root, root for the home teams.
(Page 2 of 2)
Founded 2000 (see "A Big Hit").
Affiliation The Houston Astros.
Ballpark The Dell Diamond (3400 E. Palm Valley Boulevard, 512-255-2255), which was designed based on Express president Reid Ryan's favorite parts of ten other stadiums: The outer facade is like that of the Ballpark in Arlington, the outfield bullpens are as visible to fans as they are at Camden Yards in Baltimore, and so on.
Number of seats 7,816, plus 24 skyboxes, plus room for about 2,500 people to stand on the outfield berms.
Where to sit Section 119, row 1 (directly behind the catcher) is 55 feet from home plate — closer than the pitcher's mound. Seats 1 to 4 of sections 112 and 126 are only ten feet from the foul lines. General admission standing room at the end of the first-base-side concourse looks directly over the right field corner, à la Camden Yards.
Schedule Seventy home games between April 16 and August 30. Monday to Saturday, games begin at 7:05 p.m. Except for opening day, when the game starts at 4:05 p.m., Sundays games begin at 2:05 p.m. in April and May, 6:05 p.m. the rest of the season.
Ticket prices Box seats, $8; reserved seats, $7; general admission, $5. Active military personnel, seniors 60 and over, and kids 12 and under receive a $1 discount.
Parking $3 for a spot in the stadium's 2,000-car lot.
Popular promotions On Thursdays, beer and soft drinks are $1. On Tuesdays, $1,000 is given away. On Fridays, a fireworks show follows the game.
Team mascot Spike the Bulldog.
Best bets at the snack bar Nolan's Nachos, named for you-know who.
Manager Jackie Moore, formerly a catcher for the Detroit Tigers and a Manager of the Oakland A's.
Players to watch Pitcher Eric Ireland, who threw a perfect game last year for the Class A Kissimmee Cobras; pitcher Wilfredo Rodriguez, a fireballing strikeout ace.
Listen to the games on KVET-AM 1300 or KVET-FM 98.1.
Web site www.roundrockexpress.com
MEXICAN LEAGUE
Laredo Tecos
Founded 1954.
Affiliation The Toronto Blue Jays.
Ballpark Veterans' Field (2200 Santa Maria, 956-795-2350). Owned and operated by the Laredo Parks and Recreation Department, it's a work in progress; the old backstop has been replaced this season, for instance, considerably improving sight lines.
Number of seats 5,000.
Where to sit The box seats behind home plate or in the covered grandstand farther back — but not in the bleachers along the third-base line, which are home to the rowdiest fans (unless, of course, you like that kind of thing).
Schedule Twenty home games on Wednesdays and Saturdays from April 12 to August 19. Games start at 7:30 p.m. (The remaining home games are played across the Rio Grande at La Junta Park, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.)
Ticket prices Reserved seats, $6; general admission, $3.
Parking Stadium Parking is reserved for season ticket holders. Parking on the street or in the nearby Laredo Civic Center lot is free.
Popular promotions Straight-A Night, June 7 (all Laredo schoolkids with perfect grades get in free); Laredo Children's Museum Night, June 17 (petting zoo with miniature horses, llamas, sheep, and goats; kids 6 and under get in free).
Team mascot The Bud Owl, whose costume has a built-in air-cooled interior.
Best bets at the snack bar Corn in a cup (boiled kernels with Mexican sour cream, butter, and chile powder); deluxe Frito pie (with chili con carne and nacho cheese); pumpkin seeds.
Manager Armando Cabrera, who coached a Cuban youth league team that won a world championship.
Players to watch Shortstop Joel Chimelis, a University of Texas ex; outfielder Willie Arano, the Tecos' Carlitos Hustle.
Listen to the games on XENLT-AM 1000.
Web site www.tecolotes.com.mx
TEXAS-LOUISIANA LEAGUE
Rio Grande Valley White Wings
Founded 1994.
Affiliation None; the Tex-La operates independently of major league baseball.
Ballpark Harlingen Field (1216 Fair Park Boulevard, Harlingen; 956-412-9464), which has a main grandstand that extends to the bases and bleachers along both foul lines. The fences are tight — 310 feet down the lines and 380 feet in dead center — which is why the P.A. announcer is often heard to exclaim, "¡Adiós, béisbol!"
Number of seats 4,000.
Where to sit High in the stands behind home plate, so you can catch the Gulf breezes. Or, if you're lucky, the Bob Uecker Seat, which is eight feet off the ground in the corner by the right foul pole; it's awarded during the game to one fan, who also receives a free meal.
Schedule Fifty-six home games from May 20 to August 28. Monday to Saturday, games start at 7:05 p.m.; Sundays, 6:05 p.m.
Ticket prices Box seats, $6; reserved seats, $5; general admission, $4. White Wings brand tortillas, available in the Valley, have proof-of- purchase stickers that can be exchanged for four tickets.
Parking $1 for a spot on the grass around the Ballpark.
Popular promotions Every other night beach towels, mouse pads, caps, and other goodies are given away to the first one thousand folks to arrive. Every night the dirtiest car in the Parking lot gets a free car wash, a lucky fan gets to toss four dice for the chance to win $10,000, and another fan can win $10,000 worth of groceries if a WhiteWing player hits a ball through the hole in the H-E-B sign on the outfield wall. Beer is only $1 on Thirsty Thursdays.
Team mascot The Wild Wing, a six-foot bird that has been known to douse umpires with a Super Soaker.
Best bets at the snack bar Fajita burgers (fajita meat on a bun); sausage wrap (sausage meat folded into a tortilla).
Manager Eddie Dennis, who was a coach for the Toronto Blue Jays in the mid-eighties.
Players to watch Sluggers Malvin Matos and Andre Johnson; Brownsville ex Andy Buitron.
Listen to the games on At present, no station carries WhiteWings games.
Web site www.rgvwhitewings.com
Amarillo Dillas
Founded 1994.
Ballpark Potter County Memorial Stadium (North Third Street west of Grand, 806-342-3455), which is across the street from the stockyards; visiting players say they always know they're in Amarillo the second they step off the bus.
Number of seats 6,500 — and they fill up quickly; the defending Tex-La champs lead the league in attendance every year.
Where to sit The first four rows of box seats have waitress service. Sections I and J on the third-base side have a good, straight view of the action. Sections K, L, and M, also on the third-base side, don't force you to look into the sun.
Schedule Sixty home games between May 4 and September 1. Monday to Saturday, games begin at 7:05 p.m. On Sundays, they begin at 5:05 p.m.
Ticket prices Box seats, $7; club seats, $6; general admission, $5.
Parking Free and practically unlimited.
Popular promotions Fireworks May 6, September 1; T-shirt giveaways Fridays and Saturdays. When a Dilla player hits a home run, fans put "green in the screen" — they stick dollar bills into the backstop for the slugger to collect after rounding the bases.
Team mascot The Dilla Dude, an armadillo.
Best bets at the snack bar Hot dogs; nachos.
Manager Daren Brown, who pitched in the Toronto Blue Jays farm system.
Players to watch Third baseman Derek Henderson, who led the league in hitting last year.
Listen to the games on KPUR-AM 1440.
Web site www.dillas.com
San Angelo Colts
Founded 2000.
Ballpark Colt Stadium (1600 University Avenue, 915-942-6587), a brand-new facility where the wind blows out; look for lots of homers and high-scoring games.
Number of seats 5,000.
Where to sit Anyplace; no seat in any section is more than twelve rows from the field.
Schedule Fifty-six home games from May 13 to September 3. Monday to Saturday, games begin at 7:05 p.m. On Sundays, they begin at 6:05 p.m. On July 3 and 4, they begin at 1:30 p.m.
Ticket prices Box seats, $8; reserved seats, $6; general admission, $4.
Parking $2 for a spot in the stadium's 925-car lot.
Popular promotions If a Colt hits a homer through a hole in the KKCN ad on the outfield wall, a fan will win $10,000.
Team mascots Casey the Colt.
Best bets at the snack bar Homemade ice cream; barbecue plates, which are available only in the picnic area.
Manager Dan Madsen, who played in the Chicago Cubs farm system.
Players to watch Slugging first baseman Gabe Duross, who holds the league record in RBIs; catcher Robin Harriss, who was invited to spring training this year by the Cleveland Indians but chose instead to sign with the Colts so he could play in his hometown.
Listen to the games on KKSA-AM 1260.
Web site www.sanangelocolts.com
Pages: 1 2
My Library
