If making a trip south to Yankee or Shea Stadiums to see the
Yankees or the Mets play baseball, or to the east to see the
Red Sox play at Fenway Park, is a part of your summer Major
League Baseball schedule, you’re lucky. It’s an
awesome experience to sit in the stands of these ballparks watching
the “big names” in baseball play a sport that is
synonymous with America. You’ll probably eat a Ballpark
Frank, enjoy a cold beer, and snack on some peanuts; take the
seventh-inning stretch, cheer, boo, chant your favorite player’s
name, and you will have had a great time, especially if your
team won. But, for some, the scarcity of tickets can present
a challenge and be cost prohibitive, especially for families
with young children. So, what can fans of this time honored
sport do to experience the excitement of watching a baseball
game in a ballpark without breaking the bank or having to travel
far? The answer is easy.
Two levels of baseball can be found in our region for fans of
all ages and degrees of interest. By driving no further than
Pittsfield, MA or Troy, NY, baseball enthusiasts will find two
enjoyable and affordable venues. The New England Collegiate
Baseball League (NECBL) level of ball is played at Wahconah
Park, home to the Pittsfield Dukes, and Minor League ball is
played at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, home to the Tri-City Valley
Cats (a class “A” affiliate of the Houston Astros).
Wahconah Park has had organized baseball since 1892, and is
one of America’s oldest ballparks and is steeped in history.
The list of baseball players who have played there is a veritable
“Who’s Who” of baseball. It is also the only
stadium in the U.S. that has a sun delay. The stadium faces
west. As the sun sets—and the way home plate is positioned—it
blinds the batters. As a spectator, you can almost transport
yourself back in time sitting in those stands looking out at
the field. Imagine yourself as a fan, watching baseball’s
future Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Satchel Paige and Ted Williams
(and many more) all facing that same sun waiting for it to dip
on the horizon, choking-up on their bats, anticipating the perfect
pitch.
Now, the Pittsfield Dukes are playing ball at Wahconah. Talented
college baseball players are recruited from all over the country
to play for the Dukes during the summer months. Although the
level of the game is different, they’ll practice and suit-up
just as their historic predecessors did, positioning themselves
on the field, ready to play ball. The Dukes’ first home
game is scheduled for June 9th, when they face the Danbury Westerners.
The game starts at 7 p.m..
In Troy, the 2008 season marks the Tri-City Valley Cats’
seventh season at Joseph Bruno Stadium—dubbed ‘The
Joe’—and on June 20th (Opening Day), they will face
the Oneonta Tigers. Although the stadium is relatively new and
may not have the same history as Wahconah Park, fans have embraced
the team and their new ballpark; attendance has increased significantly
over the past three seasons. As members of the New York-Penn
League, the level of ball promises to be exciting for fans to
watch and enjoy.
Both Wahconah and ‘The Joe’ seat 4,500 fans and
tickets are affordable, ranging in price from $5-$10, a very
reasonable price to start your afternoon or evening out at a
game. Of course, you’ll need to purchase the requisite
ballpark fare, and thankfully you won’t need to mortgage
your home to pay for them. Check out each team’s websites
for specials and promotional nights. Fireworks, giveaways and
theme nights are planned for many of their home games. If you
can’t make it to a game, the Pittsfield Dukes’ home
games are streamed live on the Internet, and you can hear the
Tri-City Valley Cats’ home games on 88.3-FM (WVCR).
Baseball is a huge part of our culture, dating back to the 1800s.
We follow the players, their teams and collect memorabilia.
We immortalize them and baseball’s history, in the Baseball
Hall of Fame located in Cooperstown, NY, and love to watch movies
about them, too. In fact, the Mahaiwe Theatre in Great Barrington,
MA has organized a special event in honor of Father’s
Day on June 15th. They are featuring a special showing of the
movie Field of Dreams. Prior to the movie, Jim Bouton, a former
MLB player and New York Yankee, will share baseball stories
at the Castle Street Café, and field questions pitched
to him by the audience. Get to Castle Street Café early
(next to the Mahaiwe), as a “Ballpark Dinner” of
hamburgers and hotdogs is on the roster from 4-5:30. The movie
starts at 6 p.m..
Put these teams and events on your baseball schedule this summer.
It’s time to cheer on these players whose dreams and aspirations
probably started on a Little League field or a sandlot. The
ballparks where they play may not be “Big League”
stadiums, but Wahconah has withstood the test of time and has
a storied history, while ‘The Joe’, although a young
ballpark, is building its own history. These are our own local
teams and fields of dreams. And, you never know, maybe some
day, one of these players will make it to the Big Leagues or
to the Hall of Fame. Then you can say, “Remember when
we saw him play at Wahconah Park or ‘The Joe’?”
Don’t forget your glove and sunglasses!
www.pittsfielddukes.com
www.tcvalleycats.com
www.baseballhalloffame.org
www.mahaiwe.org
|
