Good morning everyone!
I'm writing this update the morning after it happened considering I was just flat-out exhausted when I got back from the game last night. However, the delay has given me an opportunity to lay out my thoughts completely and to create a blog posting that is insightful and informative for all of you.
Currently, I am in San Bernardino after witnessing the Lake Elsinore Storm play the Inland Empire 66ers (another whimsical Minor League name!). The 66ers play at Arrowhead Credit Union Park in downtown San Bernardino. It is about a fifteen minute walk from the train station to the park if you cut through a massive parking lot at an adjacent mall.
Arrowhead Credit Union Park is very curious in the setting which it exists. It reminded me a lot of Fresno in the way that there is a beautiful downtown ballpark built to spur development, but it just hasn't come. I will be the first to say that downtown San Bernardino is very freaky at night and walking back to the hotel kept my head on a swivel. This really is too bad because downtown ballparks usually work so well in this area, but maybe it just has to do with the pre-conceived stigma of these less desirable communities, like Fresno or San Bernardino. Whenever I see thick bars on windows and rampant graffiti on the buildings, I know that there are some issues with a city. To be honest, the area looked like a de-militarized zone.
When you first arrive at the park, there is little doubt that you are in California. The ballpark is designed in the Mission Revival style as it is sandy-gold in coloration and has the distinctive California style arches. This is the first time I have seen a stadium look like this, and it really is nice to see a more unique touch rather than the often repeated brick or red coloration of parks nowadays.
What it does lack in placement in the downtown, the ballpark makes up for in the setting from the seats. The San Bernardino Mountains tower over the park creating a beautiful backdrop, especially when the sun goes down. Unfortunately, the beauty is tapered slightly because the enormous amount of smog in the area creates an orangish-haze on the mountains that renders them almost invisible aside from a faint outline. I can only imagine what the view would be if there was no smog.
The grandstand seats 5,000, but it really felt smaller than that. I know that they barely drew 1,000 to the game I went to but the way the grandstand was shaped and how it was overall laid out, it really created an intimacy within the crowd and with the players on the field. You could hear the conversations of the umpire and manager, the signals being barked out by the catcher, and so forth. I find it funny how a stadium like PK Park, which is much smaller, lacks this type of intimacy. It seems like it is much bigger than it seems, which I think is kind of a detriment in a Minor League setting.
The fans, while sparse in number, certainly seemed into the game and were incredibly nice. The staff who worked the game were very nice as well even coming up to me during the game and talking to me about baseball. This really allowed me to gain some knowledge of the park and to tout my baseball roadtrips. One thing is for sure, these last two ballparks I have been to have had some of the nicest fans I've ever met.
I do have to knock the stadium operations down a little because of their concessions. While they were quick and efficient in taking and delivering my order, the hot dog and pizza I had were downright nasty. I work concessions at a Minor League park, so I know how tough it is to work in a setting like this. But with the sparse crowd and with zero line, I expected more from the concessions in terms of quality. I actually felt a little sick after eating those two items.
Lake Elsinore used a six-run fifth inning to vault ahead of the host Inland Empire to take an 8-6 victory.
The real question now is how does Arrowhead Credit Union Park stack up in the broad scheme of Minor League parks? I would have to say pretty good. I like the uniqueness of the design and I love the intimacy. These are certainly pluses in my book. But the real depressed setting, the crumbling downtown and smog covered hills, and a sparse crowd knock this down in my book a little. It is really sad because if they can clean some of that stuff up, I think this could legitimately be the best park in the Minors. I come away from Arrowhead Credit Union Park with a smile on my face, but a sadness inside. It really is too bad that they exist in that type of setting, which I think they have no control over. Like Fresno, a nice park knocked down because of intangibles.
I will shower up here and walk back down to the San Bernardino train station. Thankfully, it is light out, so I will be able to visually identify any attackers that may come and mug me in this depressed city. I will board another Metrolink train back to Los Angeles where I will board an Amtrak train to San Diego. I am hoping to be in San Diego in the early afternoon. I would like to just walk around and see the city, considering I have no real sight I want to see. Around fiveish or so, I will make my way to Petco Park to see the Padres play host to the Rockies.
Until tonight...
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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