The Silver State Beckoning

Greetings followers!

The midway point of the 2010 Baseball season has come and gone and I wanted to first write about my recent trip up to Portland, the recent scathing editorials about PK Park, and, finally, the next planned Baseball Roadtrip.

Last Sunday, I took another routine trip up to Portland. Unlike my last excursion to the Rose City, I was graced with incredible weather that didn't even hint at any precipitation. With temperatures in the low eighties, I took the opportunity to do some walking around Portland and really enjoy the seeming routine of going to Beavers games. I took the train up, went to Powells, hit the game grabbed dinner at Panda Express an came home. It worked like clockwork and, as always, I had a great time.

Looking at the schedule, it appears that I have one more date available to make a trip back up to Portland for the final time. The Portland Finale, scheduled for September 3, will undoubtedly have the same emotion that the last game at Civic had last year. However, being the ardent supporter of the Beavers and of PGE Park, I have to see the park one last time before baseball leaves.

The past week in the Register-Guard there have been multiple scathing letters to the editor from disgruntled fans complaining about PK Park. Everything from the ticket prices to the atmosphere to the concessions have been fair game for the dozen or so letters that have poured onto the pages of the Guard. I have to walk a very fine line here in my opinions simply because I am an employee with the Eugene Emeralds, but as a baseball fan and the ever-analytical side of me has to weigh in, at least somewhat, on these accusations.

Attendance at PK Park has been significantly less than what it was at Civic. It certainly is a smaller ballpark, but I also feel that the "over-the-top" promotions that the Emeralds are doing may turn some people off. One of the biggest draws of Civic was the simplicity and uncomplicated nature of the atmosphere. The fans didn't require stimulation like on-field promotions or gimmicky-themed nights to bring them out to the ballpark. They were attracted to the cheap ticket prices, the cheap food, and the old ballpark. I think that PK Park is holding up well as a venue, but the Emeralds are not holding up so well as an organization. I think the business plan they have now is suited more for places like San Bernardino or Stockton, where there are other attractions for people to go to besides baseball, but not necessarily here in Eugene.

There are some things about the new Emeralds organization that I really do like. First, the addition of Sunday day-games is an awesome thing that I tried for years to get the old management to do at Civic, but to no avail. Second, I really admire their efforts to cover up all the Oregon logos and stuff and make the park feel like it IS the Emeralds park. Thirdly, I am very glad they have decided to let me run the manual scoreboard in Right Field. It is sort of a a vestige of the old park and brings about a certain degree of nostalgia to an otherwise modern park.

Ok, now on to the title of this blog post. After much research, I have decided that the next roadtrip I will go on will be to the State of Nevada and the two Triple-A teams they have there. First, I will fly to Las Vegas and see the Portland Beavers take on the Las Vegas 51s at Cashman Field just north of The Strip. The next day, I will fly up to Reno and see the Tacoma Rainiers play the Reno Aces at Aces Ballpark in Downtown Reno. This trip will be taking place over the weekend of August 21-22.

I will be going with a very good friend who has talked about a trip to Vegas ever since we graduated from high school, so I'm also very excited to hang out with him.

Of course, there will be the obligatory activities that are involved with a trip to Vegas and Reno, and I promise not to waste all my baseball roadtrip money at the blackjack table. But, remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

So, that is the update on the Baseball Roadtrip front. I will post an update before I leave for Vegas and Reno.

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)