Tagged: California League
On the Road: Nachos, Corn and Pickles in Visalia
To see all posts from my August 5 visit to the Visalia Rawhide, click HERE. To see all my posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all my “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
If you live in the Visalia area, then you might know Chad Stafford and Mike Pesto. They’re local celebrities.
Specfically, Chad and Mike are local radio celebrities. Chad is a longtime DJ with KJUG 106.7, a Rawhide media partner, and currently does traffic reports for KJUG as well as three other local stations in the same ownership group. Mike recently switched to one of those stations, My 97.5, which plays Hot Adult Contemporary.
“We’ll play Usher, Maroon 5, Nickelback, then switch to some old ’80s songs like Madonna and Cyndi Lauper,” he explained.
Mike grew up outside of Chicago, and his resume reads like a Minor League Baseball player’s transaction roster. He started in Salinas, then went to Las Vegas and then back to Salinas and then back to Las Vegas and then back to Salinas and then Peoria and then back to Salinas and then, finally, Visalia.
Chad is a homebody by contrast, having spent 32 years in the Visalia area.
So why are Chad and Mike being featured on this blog? You guessed it — they had been recruited to serve as my designated eaters, eating the ballpark cuisine that my gluten-free diet prohibits.
Chad is that rarest of creatures: a repeat designated eater. He performed the task back in 2013, when I first visited Visalia. In 2013, Chad had no hair.
Chad Stafford, circa 2013
When Chad served as designated eater in 2013, it was a quiet night at the ballpark and the team put together a formidable spread for him. This time around, things were different. It was a fireworks night and the place was filled with fans and assistance from the team in assembling a culinary sampling was minimal. That, combined with the exceedingly speedy pace of the ballgame (it finished in two hours and four minutes), led to a comparatively rushed and improvisational designated eating experience.
But, hey, we’re all professionals. We can adjust. We were in the Rawhide’s Hall of Fame Club, and we procured two orders of nachos. But not just any nachos. Nachos that were served in a full-size helmet and topped with pulled pork, nacho cheese, barbecue sauce, “regular” cheese, peppers, onions and jalapenos.
A closer look.
Alright, guys. Do your thing.
“I love these. It’s a perfect thing to share with friends,” said Chad.
“Or not. You can just say you’re gonna share them,” replied Mike. “I love that there’s pulled pork, that they switch it up from beef.”
“You can wash the helmet and wear it out the next day,” said Chad. “I’ve got one at home. It fits perfectly.”
Okay, so what to do next? I’m always looking to highlight that which is “unique,” and as far as I could tell the most unique thing we could obtain was “Spicy Corn Nuggets.” They were available at this stand located behind home plate. It was practically deserted down there, a stark contrast to the bustling environment of the Hall of Fame Club.
These were the Spicy Corn Nuggets which, like most fried food, look rather unremarkable from the outside.
But within lurked a world of corn-centric color and flavor.
Also pictured: fingernails
The Spicy Corn Nuggets came with a triumvirate of dipping sauces: barbecue, mustard and ranch. Mike and Chad were psyched to try them.
Mike: “They ain’t so hot.”
Chad: “But there’s an afterkick. I like it with the ranch.”
Mike: “I do it with the barbecue. It’s sweet, and counteracts the spicy. It’s perfect.”
Chad: “I’ll try the mustard. [Tries mustard] It’s pretty good, but I like the ranch better. It’s basically like jalapeno poppers, but with a fancier kick.”
And that was not at all. This particular food stand also had Fried Pickles.
Mike then demonstrated the proper way to eat one.
“I miss the juiciness. I need juiciness from a pickle,” said Chad. “I don’t know, there’s just something about a hot pickle.”
“I don’t think I’ve had a pickle in any way, shape or form,” said Mike. “But I had to go to Walgreens at three in the morning to get pickles for my wife when she was pregnant, so now I’m having flashbacks.”
After careful consideration, Chad said that the best sauce to accompany the pickles was, once again, ranch. Mike agreed.
On this note of agreement, Chad and Mike then said goodbye. They’re professionals.
Thanks, Chad. Thanks, Mike.
***
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
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On the Road: Time Flies in Visalia
To see all posts from my August 5 visit to the Visalia Rawhide, click HERE. To see all my posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all my “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
On August 5, the evening in which I paid a visit to Visalia’s Recreation Ballpark, the Rawhide defeated the Inland Empire 66ers in a ballgame that took just two hours and four minutes to play. The game’s brevity impacted my experience, in that I didn’t have the time to fully document the ins and outs of the Rawhide experience. The evening zoomed right by, leaving me with a dazed feeling and questioning whether or not I was ever there at all.
Oh, but I was! I have proof.
Recreation Ballpark is 70 years old and has a capacity of 2468 (who do we appreciate?). It is, therefore, one of the oldest and smallest ballparks in Minor League Baseball. In its original form it was just a modest grandstand built around a mound of gunite, but a variety of expansions and renovations have slowly transformed it into a far more dynamic environment. This is a topic I covered the first time I visited Visalia, in 2013.
Upon entering the ballpark, this was my view to the right.
And this my view to the left.
I headed leftward, to the Visalia Rawhide clubhouse, my meeting point for a pair of interviews that would soon transmogrify into MiLB.com stories. On the lighter side of things, I spoke with Rawhide third baseman Marty Herum about how he was doing. (Spoiler alert: Marty’s doing pretty good.)
I then spoke with Rawhide pitching coach Jeff Bajenaru and his wife, Alysa, about marriage and family within the context of a professional baseball career. I’ll have to check the stats, but I think that was my most-read “On the Road” story of the 2016 season. You can read it HERE.
Alysa and Jeff and their kids, Leila and Joe
On the way back from the field I received a gunite mound-based crash course in Visalia division title and championship history.
The Rawhide haven’t won a championship since 1978, the second-longest drought in all of Minor League Baseball. The reason they haven’t won since then is because the ghost of Joe Charboneau’s pet alligator put a curse on the franchise. True story. I’ve written about it already.
This tree represents the present moment (or at least that’s my interpretation).
Many exemplary players have passed through Visalia over the course of the last seven decades.
And this is the field they played on.
Yep, this field. This field right here.
In the Rawhide Hall of Fame Club, I said hello to Rawhide general manager Jennifer Pendergraft and her newborn son, Maverick. Maverick was just two and a half weeks old at the time, and this was his first time mingling among the fans.
Maverick was one of four babies born into the larger Rawhide family this season — and all of them wore born during the month of July. This led to a “Red White and Due” promotion.
I wasn’t there, but I assume that this was the highlight of the promo.
As I mentioned at the top of the post, this was an evening that just flew by. After spending time with my designated eaters — that, of course, will be documented in the next post — it was already the sixth inning. My next stop was the press box, to visit with Rawhide broadcaster Danny Angel.
Danny was preceded in the broadcast booth by the great (some would say immortal) Donny Baarns, who is now with the Omaha Storm Chasers. I believe that this would be an appropriate way to honor Donny’s legacy in Visalia:
The view from the broadcast booth:
My friend Jon Fischer was once again with me at the ballpark. He took the following picture, of a comfortable young fan.
I spent the seventh and eighth inning on the air with Danny. Then, shockingly, it was the ninth.
After the Rawhide wrapped up their lightning quick victory, fireworks filled the night sky as classic rock blared in the background.
After that, there was nothing left to do but write and disseminate a Groundbreaking and Subversive Ballpark Joke.
Good night, Visalia. I hardly knew ye.
***
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
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On the Road: Turkey Mike’s in San Jose
To see all posts from my August 4 visit to the San Jose Giants, click HERE. To see all my posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all my “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
Never before in the history of this blog have I split a designated eater post into two parts…UNTIL NOW! The San Jose Giants have brought me to this historic moment, simply by offering too much food to coherently document in one post. After previously highlighting the offerings found along Gigante’s Alley, we now move on to the main event: Turkey Mike’s barbecue.
Turkey Mike’s, located on the third base side of the ballpark, has long been a staple of the San Jose Giants experience. The lines are generally long, as one can see from the zig-zagging rows of chain-linked stanchions that guide patrons to their barbecue hopes and dreams.
Turkey Mike’s is named after turn-of-the-20th century outfielder “Turkey” Mike Donlin, who logged time in San Jose during a long and generally illustrious baseball career. He was named “Turkey Mike” because of what Wikipedia refers to as his “unique strut” (not because he was an actual turkey).
Turkey Mike’s has a sprawling menu, which fans have plenty of time to contemplate as they pass stanchion after stanchion after stanchion.
Turkey Mike’s is overseen by food and beverage coordinator Ramiro Mijares.
After taking that picture of Ramiro, I said “Ramiro, can I take another one? You weren’t looking at the camera.” Ramiro obliged, but then once again didn’t look at the camera (though one of his employees picked up the slack).
I think Ramiro was messing with me. But Ramiro wasn’t there to make friends. He had a barbecue plate to assemble:
First row: Chicken Apple Sausage, Ribs, Chicken
Second row: Tri-Tip, Big Filthy, The Heater
(The Kansas City-style barbecue sauce is made for the team by San Jose’s Oso Pepper Company.)
Two of the above six items need a bit of explanation. In addition to being Donald Trump’s Secret Service code name, the “Big Filthy” is a double cheeseburger topped with pulled pork. The “Heater” is a hot sausage link topped with pulled pork and jalapenos.
In lieu of close-up photos of the above items, please view this Vine. The man at the end of it is John Lambert, who was the evening’s designated eater.
Mike, his wife, Kristen and their friends Julia and Mike quickly dug into this barbecue feast. I was not able to document their thoughts and reactions to the extent I did in the previous post, as I kept having to leave the scene to observe (or compete in) between-inning contests.
Mike and Kristen certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves, however.
“The chicken sausage was delicious, but the ribs weren’t very good,” said John. “The chicken was great, because it had a good rub to it.”
“My favorite was the Heater,” added Kristen. “It as phenomenal, but not burn-your-mouth spicy.”
Those in the know know that no visit to the San Jose Giants is complete without a visit from Paul “Super Churros Man” Cerda. He’s a ballpark icon, to the extent that the Giants sell “I’m Just Here for the Churros” t-shirts in the team store (Kristen wore one to the game, in fact). For more on Paul, check out my MiLB.com story HERE.
Paul, Mike and Kristen are the stars of this not-at-all awkward Vine video.
When you’re in love, this is the only way to eat a churro.
Oh, and we also got some ice cream in a helmet. This is Willow Glen Creamery’s famous “Dole Whip.”
And…that’s it. I’m done. Between this and my previous San Jose Giants posts and articles, I’ve written over 4000 words about my night at Municipal Stadium. This is insane.
John, please accept this “Designated Eater” t-shirt as a token of appreciation for your food consumption efforts.
And thanks, everyone. It was my pleasure.
***
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
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On the Road: A Trip Down Gigante’s Alley in San Jose
To see all posts from my August 4 visit to the San Jose Giants, click HERE. To see all my posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all my “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
If there’s one thing you might know about me, it’s that I have a designated eater at nearly every ballpark I visit. That individual is tasked with consuming the ballpark cuisine that my gluten-free diet prohibits. At San Jose’s Municipal Stadium, home of the California League Giants, that individual was John Lambert.
John, a resident of San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood, grew up in Los Angeles. He went to college at Santa Barbara University, where he met his wife, Kristen. She finished school there, but John left before graduating and joined the Navy. He served in Iraq and southeast Asia as a Hospital Corpsman, spending time with the Marines because, as he explained, “Marines don’t have medical personnel so you get attached to their units.”
Upon leaving the military, John enrolled at USC business school and is planning on finishing next year. He now works for Kaiser Permanente, and hopes to remain in the healthcare field after finishing school.
On this evening, John wasn’t just a designated eater. He was a credentialed designated eater. The Giants do things the right way.
He also would not be eating alone. John was accompanied by Kristen as well as their friends Julia and Matt Messinger, who happened to be visiting from out of town to attend the Outside Lands music festival.
Clockwise, from top: John, Kristen, Julia, Matt
The designated eating crew was certainly rolling deep on this evening. In addition to the above foursome, my friend Jon was along for the ride and taking pictures all the while.
Meanwhile, the six of us were accompanied by Giants CMO Juliana Paoli, marketing coordinator Sarah “Queen I’m A Balla” Acosta and food and beverage supervisor Tara Tallman. Phew! Let’s begin at the beginning. Where we began was the row of food carts stationed along “Gigante’s Alley.”
First up was the “Frickle” — a grilled cheese with fried pickles, served on garlic-buttered bread. It’s available at the Lagunitas stand. Tara, who would know about such things, said it’s been a “huge hit” at the ballpark.
Have at it, John.
“It’s buttery, crispy and not too salty,” said John. “I’d get it again.”
So would Kristen and Julia.
The Giants sell Hard Frescos at the ballpark, at a new Gigantes Alley cart. Hard Frescos are 5% ABV Mexican fruit ciders, using all-natural ingredients. They are gluten-free, so I indulged.
I spoke briefly with Hard Frescos co-founder Peter Sterns, who explained that the product was inspired by the aguas frescas (fruit-flavored water) he’d often enjoyed on trips to Mexico. They use real fruit and cane sugar, and aim for an authentic taste. (“It’s not a Senor Frogs, Cancun, Bud Light kind of thing,” he said). There are four flavors — Citrico, Cola Buena, Juicy Jamaica and Tangy Tamarindo — and while I can’t remember which one I had I do remember enjoying it. So there you go.
Here’s Peter, flanked by his wife and in-laws.
As you can see in the above picture, the Hard Frescos cart also sells Noodle Bowls.
John got some help from Julia on this one.
“They have a good texture, and I like that you can hold it and eat it during the game,” said John. “If it falls, it goes right back inside.”
(Unless, you know, someone is feeding it to you from three feet away.)
We then moved on to a Barbecue Chicken Pizza, courtesy of Willow Street Pizza.
“This is good. The barbecue is definitely the most pronounced taste,” said John. “Chicken’s good. Cilantro’s good. And there’s a good, crispy crust. I’m a big fan of flat crusts.”
And, hey, look! We had French fries! Garlic fries, even. I don’t know where these fries came from (my notes are distressingly silent on the matter), but that they existed is indisputable.
And then there were tacos, from the Coors Light Taco Truck. On the left we have pollo asado, on the right is beef barbacoa.
These were gluten-free, as tacos often are (and always should be). So John and I enjoyed our tacos in tandem.
I’ve had plenty of experience through the years when it comes to posing with food. Note that the item should always be held so that it is visible to the camera. I’m not faulting John for not doing so. These things take years of practice.
“Good!” said John, regarding his taco. My notes tell me that these were “solid street style tacos, gone in two bites.”
I’m not sure what inspired this particular reaction on my part.
Believe it or not, the items documented above only constituted the appetizer portion of the evening. The main event was still to come. In what will be a designated eating first, I’m going to split this into two posts. Let’s just take a step back, digest, and reconvene in a couple of hours.
***
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
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On the Road: A Smashing Evening in San Jose
To see all posts from my August 4 visit to the San Jose Giants, click HERE. To see all my posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all my “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
AUGUST 4 (part two) — San Jose’s Municipal Stadium has hosted a lot of ballgames throughout its 74-year history. I’ve only attended one of them. It was a beautiful evening in August 2016, the Giants were hosting the Stockton Ports, and the game time temperature was 69 degrees.
Per usual, I kept me eye out for interesting characters. There had to be some around here somewhere.
Okay, found one. Gigante spent the early innings mingling with his friends and admirers, who, truth be told, didn’t seem all that excited by his presence.
Also in attendance was California League president Charlie Blaney, whom I had never crossed paths with before. Charlie was decked out in a California League blazer and a tie featuring the San Jose Giants color scheme (he said that he has a tie for each team in the league). I hereby declare that Charlie Blaney is the best-dressed league president in all of Minor League Baseball. If you’re a league president and disagree with me, then get in touch and make your case. Send photos.
It wasn’t intentional, but it’s pretty cool that the logos of all the California League teams are visible just above Charlie’s head. He said that, as president, his job was to “keep the small problems small.”
I met with my designated eater shortly after the ballgame started, and these culinary endeavors took place throughout a large chunk of the ballgame. That, of course, will be documented in the next post. As that was going on, and after it ended, I did my best to document and make note of between-inning endeavors.
Among the most ridiculous such endeavor was the nightly “Horse Race,” which was difficult to document properly. In a nutshell, horses (and at least one zebra) pop their heads out from behind the outfield wall and race from left field toward center. In the below photo, the horses can be seen just above the sign reading “Go Horseback Riding.”
How appropriate.
An easier concept to convey is the nightly “Beer Batter,” a tradition that is ingrained in Municipal Stadium. The evening’s Beer Batter was the Ports’ Richie Martin, who tripled in the second and popped out in the fourth before coming up to bat in the sixth. Despite the fans’ persistent chant of “BEER! BEER! BEER!” he drew a walk. No free beer would be forthcoming. Thanks for nothing, Richie.
(Someone could build a hip-hop beat over the audio in this Vine.)
The Giants’ “Smash for Cash” promo is one of the coolest I’ve seen, anywhere. A repurposed bread delivery truck is driven out onto the field and parked just beyond first base.
Giants players then attempt to smash one of the headlights by throwing a baseball at it. If successful, a cash prize is split with a fan. Usually three players take part (receiving two throws apiece), but on this evening it was two players…and me.
In the below video, my introduction to the crowd occurs amid a wave of intense booing. I wish I could say that that’s just the sort of reaction I elicit in people, but what happened was that the player who went before me hit one of the headlights. The headlight didn’t shatter, however, it just popped out of its hole like an eye out of a socket. The judges ruled that this didn’t count. For a prize to be awarded, the light had to be shattered.
I didn’t shatter it, either.
I was close, though, on that first throw. I was real, real close.
“Shucks!”
I’d like to take a moment and acknowledge my friend Jon Fischer, a fellow Wissahickon Class of ’97 alumnus who now lives in San Francisco. He had met me in San Jose earlier in the day, and went on to travel with me to Visalia and then Vegas. He also took a whole bunch of photos while visiting Municipal Stadium, including the ones shown above. He’s a good photographer, and if he’s a good photographer that means he’s a better photographer than me.
Jon also took this photo, of a fan patiently awaiting to take the field for a between-inning contest. It’s one of my favorite photos of the 2016 season.
Might as well stretch out those muscles while for waiting for the action to begin.
In the top of the ninth, “Beer Batter” Richie Martin struck out. Since beer sales had concluded, the fans had to settle for free apple juice.
At the time that Martin struck out, the Giants were nursing a 4-3 lead. I went over to the third base side of the ballpark, where I hung out with Giants CMO Juliana Paoli and marketing director Sarah “Queen I’m A Balla” Acosta. We were planning to throw orange balls into the crowd after the Giants won.
Those orange balls would have to wait. The Ports tied the game, 4-4, in the ninth and the game went into extra innings. I suddenly had time on my hands, and passed it by wandering around and taking random photos. Photos like this one, of Municipal Stadium’s spectacular concourse decorations.
Who’s up for a marginally clever observation? Anyone? Anyone?
Those orange balls never left the bag. The Ports scored four runs in the top of the 11th, with the go-ahead run driven in by Richie “Beer Batter” Martin. Revenge is sweet.
And thus concluded my time at Municipal Stadium, a facility that is, truly, one of my favorites in all of Minor League Baseball. It is the place where dreams come true.
Of course, an obsessive-compulsive blogger’s work is never really done. Even though the ballgame had lasted 11 innings, I never came up with a Groundbreaking and Subversive Ballpark Joke of the Day. This led to a good half-hour of parking lot angst until, finally, this emerged.
I didn’t say it was a good joke. Only that it emerged. Good night from San Jose.
***
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
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On the Road: Signs of San Jose
To see all posts from my August 4 visit to the San Jose Giants, click HERE. To see all my posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all my “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
Generally speaking, almost all Minor League Baseball stadiums could be described as a “riot of sound and color.” But very few stadiums have these traits as hardwired into its DNA as does San Jose’s Municipal Stadium. I was immediately enamored with the place, even before stepping inside.
Municipal Stadium, a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, first opened in 1942. 2017 will mark the stadium’s 75th anniversary as well as the 30th consecutive season in which the team has been a Giants affiliate. There is a lot of history here, and history goes hand-in-hand with personality.
Upon entering the stadium and taking in the cramped, colorful, chaotic concourse, I was reminded of Reading’s FirstEnergy Park (home of the Reading Fightin Phils). Municipal Stadium is the West Coast equivalent — an old stadium that presents many operating challenges, but which has been well-supported by fans and kept vital and vibrant by the dedication of the front office.
Perhaps no man was more responsible for Municipal Stadium’s aesthetic than Tony Lima, the Giants’ sign and mural painter. Lima — whom the local Mercury News once called “the Michelangelo of Municipal Stadium” — passed away in 2012 at the age of 70.
This window is popular.
Painted pennants from Minor League teams past and present adorn the concourse walls.
This mural pays tribute to 3′ 7″ Eddie Gaedel and his lone Major League appearance.
San Jose alumni, of which there are many, are celebrated in myriad ways.
Please excuse the glare: In this bit of restroom signage, Tommy Lasorda is quoted as saying “If Mike Scioscia raced his pregnant wife he’d finish third.”
A pay phone used to be behind this door, thus this Superman-themed mural. This room is now an office, and I am unsure if Clark Kent still uses it as a changing area.
It was a lot to take in then, and it’s a lot to make sense of as I write this now. My friend Jon Fischer, a resident of (relatively) nearby San Francisco, joined me for this leg of the trip and took many photos of his own. Some of these photos depicted me in action, such as this one of me alongside media relations coordinator Matt Alongi (because you can’t spell “alongside” without “Alongi”). I’m sure that whatever it was that I was writing was very important.
In the above photo, you’ll notice a door. This door opens into the office of Giants CMO Juliana Paoli.
You might think that an office located within a cramped concourse of a 70-something year-old stadium would leave something to be desired, but if you thought that then you thought wrong. Juliana has made the most of her surroundings.
You might be able to see that Juliana is wearing a very large ring on her right hand. That’s a 2014 Giants World Series ring, which the organization distributed to individuals throughout the farm system. She let me try it on.
Juliana said that the San Jose Giants’ are walking a fine line, in that they “need to stay up-to-date while keeping the historical charm.” Evidence of this effort is everywhere, as the team tries to utilize every inch of available space while appealing to longtime fans as well as the influx of new residents working tech-related jobs in Silicon Valley. (On the night I was in attendance, the Giants were hosting large group outings for both eBay and Yahoo.)
“Gigante’s Alley,” named for the Giants’ mascot, is on the third base side of the ballpark. We’ll return here in a future post.
The Dugout Store is also located along this pathway. The pig, named “Pigante,” previously resided with the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants had a lot of success this season with their team-logo San Jose Fire Department hats. The fire fighters wear them frequently, but not when fighting fires.
It has been speculated that the “Beer Batter” phenomenon originated in San Jose. You’re probably familiar with the concept — a hitter in the visiting team’s starting line-up is declared before the game to be the “Beer Batter,” and if he strikes out then fans can get a free beer. In San Jose, if the Beer Batter strikes out after the seventh inning, then fans get a complimentary Martinelli’s apple juice. The fans are known to chant “Juice! Juice! Juice!” in anticipation of this scenario.
Some fans are here for the Beer Batter. Others are here for the churros. There will be more churro documentation in an upcoming post.
I had never seen these New Era “reflective technology” hats before.
In the dark:
In the light:
But the biggest Municipal Stadium attraction is Turkey Mike’s BBQ. That will also be covered in detail in a forthcoming post. In the meantime please enjoy the (not very) reassuring statistical comparison noted in the sign below.
After all this time, I still hadn’t seen the field. And then I saw it.
The field, as it turns out, is a beautiful place to be.
We had already spent time wandering Gigante’s Alley, but here was Gigante himself.
I threw out a ceremonial first pitch, as I am wont to do. The ball crossed the plate on the fly — I circled it in red — and you know what that is in my book? A perfect strike!
I didn’t act like it, though. As is often the case with me, life events in retrospect seem far more positive than they did in the moment.
I posed for a lot of post-ceremonial first pitch pictures this season, and never did I look like more of a weirdo than in this one.
Through my travels, I have often seen young fans recruited to clean the plate before a game. The Giants have gone a different direction, partnering with a local exterminator. The plate is bug-free now. This girl killed all the bugs.
Next, a local radio DJ (and surely the coolest man in San Jose) played a great Hendrix-style rendition of the National Anthem.
What is there to do now but…well, you know.
See you on the flip side.
***
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
instagram.com/thebensbiz
On the Road: Leaning Healthy in Modesto
To see all posts from my August 3 visit to the Modesto Nuts, click HERE. To see all posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
This man, his name is Derek Nyquist.
Derek lives in Turlock, California, located approximately 15 miles south of Modesto. He’s an eligible bachelor who regularly attends Nuts games, as well as those hosted by the Stockton Ports and Fresno Grizzlies. Derek said that he’s been a huge baseball fan ever since he was nine years old; he is a big autograph collector, and also plays on Sundays for a team in the amateur Mexican-American League.
Derek earns his living making milk cartons for Evergreen Packaging, who have a plant in Turlock. He said that if you “drink a milk carton, then there’s a good chance I inspected it.”
“I put on the side panels [of the carton],” he continued. “There are games for kids on it, no missing persons. I once did a side panel for the Everett AquaSox.”
Derek’s job on this evening was to serve as my designated eater (the individual recruited to eat the ballpark cuisine that my gluten-free diet prohibits). We were in attendance on a Wednesday evening, and on Wednesdays the Nuts offer $1 specials on a variety of concession stand staples. Ed Mack, who oversees the Nuts concessions, quickly assembled a cavalcade of dollar items for Derek to sample.
The soda in the below picture happened to be a Columbia sarsaparilla. In my youth, I remember watching an episode of Full House where Stephanie is unable to spell “sarsaparilla” correctly and, consequently, I have never made the same mistake. This is one of many ways in which I am superior to Stephanie.
As for this particular sarsaparilla, it’s made by Columbia Soda Works. Derek said that Columbia Soda Works is a “tourist attraction” and that “they film Westerns there.” I had a sarsaparilla as well, and was heard to remark that it was “creamier, sweeter and less fizzy than your average root beer.”
Continuing on this “interesting non-alcoholic beverages served at Modesto Nuts games” tangent, please note that the team sells “Noah’s Spring Water.”
Noah’s is bottled by the Modesto-based Varni Brothers Corporation. The company website notes that the “Noah’s” name was chosen because it is a “friendly and refreshing symbol with more than 4000 years of recognition.”
Finally, if it’s beer you’re wanting while attending a Modesto Nuts game, please note that the team offers selections from Turlock-based Dust Bowl Brewing. The picnic pavilion at John Thurman Field is sponsored by Dust Bowl Brewing, as a matter of fact.
But back to the subject at hand, which I believe was Derek and the dollar menu. Derek took his dollar dog and dressed it up accordingly.
Then he ate it.
Derek was ambivalent about the hot dog, calling it a “standard hot dog.”
“It wasn’t cold,” he said. “You get a cold one every once in a while.”
We moved on to a new addition on the Nuts’ concession menu, one that is rather unorthodox by ballpark standards: a Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl. Ed told us it was part of an attempt to “lean healthy” on the ballpark menu and that it had “been well-received and one of our bigger sellers.”
Have at it, Derek.
“It’s better than I thought it would be,” said Derek. “It’s got a little bit of spice to it. I’ve never had anything like this at a ballgame. Normally I’d go toward junk food.”
Next up was the Pulled Pork Quesadilla, a made-to-order item which also contained a melted, four-blend cheese. It is served with a side of tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa.
“I haven’t had a lot of quesadillas in my time,” said Derek, who can be seen brandishing this quesadilla in the photo at the top of this post. “It’s good. There’s plenty of meat and they didn’t overdo the cheese.”
And speaking of cheese, these are deep-fried cheese curds. The Nuts sell them at a finger food stand that specializes in garlic fries.
Curds? No whey!
Derek quickly provided a demonstration on how to eat a deep-fried cheese curd.
Derek’s an athletic guy, but nonetheless he was unable to pull off the ol’ “throw a cheese curd in the air and catch it in your mouth” stunt. He made a yeoman’s effort, though.
“They’re as advertised, I guess,” said Derek, of the cheese curds. “I can’t say they’re anything out of the ordinary. I’d be more apt to get the rice bowl again.”
Thus concluded Derek’s stint as a designated eater.
“You filled me up. This is the most ballpark food I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’d definitely rank the Teriyaki Bowl at the top. The quesadilla and hot dog are tied, and then the cheese curds. And I’d never had Columbia Sarsaparilla before either.”
As a token of appreciation for his hard work, Derek received the official “Designated Eater” t-shirt.
Derek was the second person to ever receive the t-shirt, and the first to pair it with a Salem-Keizer Volcanoes hat. The Volcanoes are pleased, which is a good thing. No one wants to deal with a displeased Volcano.
@bensbiz @ModestoNuts The hat is the real impressive thing here. #GoSKV
— S-K Volcanoes 🌋⚾ (@SKVolcanoes) August 4, 2016
***
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On the Road: Going Nuts in Modesto
To see all posts from my August 3 visit to the Modesto Nuts, click HERE. To see all posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
After attending August 2’s game in Stockton, I immediately drove 34 miles to the southeast. And — bam! — just like that, I was in Modesto. Modesto is the home of the Nuts, and the Nuts play at John Thurman Field. This is where I spent the evening of August 3, which began under a blistering, blazing sun.
John Thurman Field, which opened in 1955, looks a bit underwhelming from the outside. But within, one finds a verdant wonderland.
The nine-hole Modesto Municipal Golf Course, which opened in 1939, is located adjacent to the ballpark. I took this photo through a chain link fence on the concourse.
It was “$1 Wednesday,” and these fans showed up early to get the biggest bang for their bucks.
This concourse kiosk distributed complimentary sunscreen, and was complemented by another kiosk loaded with free hand sanitizer. I would like to see more teams offer such things.
As game time approached, the sun remained blistering, blazing, practically blinding.
While there’s nothing funny about getting hit in the head by a foul ball, there is something at least a little funny about this sign.
But getting hit in the head might be preferable to getting hit in the Nuts — all three of them.
Wally Walnut and Al Almond have been around since 2005, when the team adopted the “Nuts” moniker. The nut in the middle — Shelley the Pistachio — made her debut this season.
Shelley is such a sweetheart, my favorite mascot that I met this year and maybe even my new favorite in all of Minor League Baseball. Several minutes after the above picture was taken, the mascots and I were milling about on the field in advance of the pregame ceremonies. Shelley signaled to me that she would like to see my notebook and pen, and I obliged her.
Color me smitten.
I threw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the ballgame. While I don’t have any photographic evidence of the pitch itself, I do have this picture of the immediate aftermath. It’s a near-certainty that the six individuals seen below will never again pose for a photograph together. Savor the moment.
With the requisite pregame ceremonies out of the way, it was time for the evening’s action to truly begin. The Nuts were hosting the Visalia Rawhide, whom I was slated to visit two days hence.
During the ballgame, I enjoyed a stint as a t-shirt distributor. These are the tools of the trade.
It really is harder than it looks!
But I got the hang of it eventually, shooting tightly wrapped tees deep into the evening sky.
This wasn’t the only method in which I distributed t-shirts. Before the game began, I tweeted that the first fan to come up to me and say “Give me a t-shirt, you beautiful man, you” would get a Ben’s Biz t-shirt. One Christopher Glynn took me up on the offer. Here’s our not-at-all awkward reenactment of this momentous moment.
I also played a very important role in an on-field potato sack race, as the contestants had to slap five with me before turning around and heading to the finish line.
The kid in the black shirt missed my hand completely. The look on my face in the photo below is, basically, “C’mon, you can do better than that!”
Through it all, a game was going on.
The Nuts enjoyed a walk-off victory, defeating Visalia, 5-4, in 10 innings. This turn of events subsequently inspired my Groundbreaking and Subversive Ballpark Joke of the Day.
Thus concluded my Wednesday evening in Modesto. It was — wait for it — totally Nuts.
***
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On the Road: Asparagus, and much more, in Stockton
To see all posts from my August 2 visit to the Stockton Ports, click HERE. To see all posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
Joel Zamora and his son, Fernando, are Stockton natives. Joel is a union organizer now based out of Washington, D.C., while Fernando, an avid fisherman, works at a local Loew’s hardware store.
Joel and Fernando have attended Ports games for years, and have many memories based around their time spent together at Banner Island Ballpark. But on this particular August evening, they were able to enjoy a brand new experience. Joel and Fernando were designated eaters (the individuals recruited to eat the ballpark cuisine that my gluten-free diet prohibits).
As was the case three years ago, Nick Jackson of Ovations Food Services oversaw the designated eating experience. We began with Sriacha Fries, Baked Potato Fries and, for me, a gluten-free Chicken Caesar Salad.
The Zamoras began with the Baked Potato Fries, topped with bacon, sour cream, cheese and chives.
Have at it, father and son.
Joel praised the Baked Potato Fries as “very rich and flavorful” while Fernando said they were “filling, with good bacon flavor.”
Next up were the Sriacha Fries, topped with Parmesan and the titular hot sauce.
Fernando said that he could taste both toppings equally but that, all in all, these were “more of a snack.”
“Yeah, these were more a snack,” Joel responded. “The Baked Potato Fries, they were more of a meal.”
My Chicken Caesar Salad, enlivened by lemon and Parmesan and generous strips of chicken, was easily a meal in and of itself. In the below photo, the girl sitting behind me is like, “Who is this idiot?”
As mentioned in my previous Ports posts, Stockton is the asparagus capital of the world. Thus, the Ports often offer asparagus-centric concession items. Deep-fried asparagus is available on a nightly basis and, on occasion, one can get an Asparagus Dog. It’s an Alpine Meats eight-inch hot dog, with an asparagus spear on each side.
The above tweet got an immediate reaction, almost all of it negative.
The Zamoras were undaunted, however.
“I can’t really taste the asparagus, and I’d prefer to have onions,” said Joel. “But I’ve been all over the country, just like you have, and Alpine is the best hot dog. And they’re made right here in Stockton.”
Fernando was all for the asparagus, saying that it gave the dog “an extra kick.”
“I must have liked that hot dog, because I finished it pretty quick,” concluded Joel.
Well, then how about some Pulled Pork Nachos?
“This is the first time I’ve had nachos,” said Joel. “I’m trying to get into it, but I’m more traditional. I think that the pulled pork takes away from the chip.”
This was, therefore, the lone item to result in a generational divide.
“I understand the concept,” replied Fernando. “I like it. The pulled pork is very flavorful.”
“See, I like the old stuff and he likes the new,” said Joel. “When it’s just cheese and jalapenos, you can taste the chips. You can taste the cheese.”
While father and son were bickering about nacho preference, I laid in to a gluten-free cheeseburger that had been presented to me like a gift from the gods. Never have I looked better.
Joel and Fernando moved on to the Naan Pizza. There was a bit of kitchen confusion regarding just what was in the Naan Pizza, and whether it was gluten-free, so I don’t feel comfortable going into any specifics. But here’s what it looks like. It’s all about the visuals anyway.
“The bread’s good, it’s not overcooked and it has a perfect crunch to it,” said Joel.
“Yeah, and there’s not too much sauce. It tastes homemade,” added Fernando.
Once again, Joel and Fernando were able to present a unified front. The great nacho argument of 2016 was already a distant memory.
As the Zamoras finished their pizza, I obtained a Volcano Splash drink. These are available at the aptly named Volcano Splash stand, provided by an outside vendor. It’s really amazing what dry ice can do to a beverage.
While I was lost in a fog, Joel and Fernando moved on to a dessert of their own.
As you can see, Fernando’s a chip(wich) off the old block.
“I’d highly recommend the Baked Potato Fries, the Sriacha Fries, the ice cream and the pizza,” said Joel, summing up his experience.
“My favorite was the the Naan Pizza, the hot dog and the Pulled Pork Nachos,” said Fernando. “I definitely found some new favorites.”
Joel had to leave before the ballgame was over, but Fernando stuck around. It’s a good thing he did, as I remembered that I was in possession of my brand-new official designated eater t-shirts. Fernando became the first recipient.
I’d write Zamora if I could, but that’s all I’ve got. Thanks to Joel and Fernando.
***
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On the Road: Song and Dance in Stockton
To see all posts from my August 2 visit to the Stockton Ports, click HERE. To see all posts from my August 2016 “Out West” road trip, click HERE. To see all “On the Road” posts, click HERE. If interested in seeing posts covering a visit to a particular team, search for that team’s name in the blog search bar (it’s to your right).
AUGUST 2 (part two) — Could August 2, 2016, possibly go down in history as the most entertaining and action-packed day in the history of Stockton, California?
“Yes,” I would humbly submit. “Yes.”
Kevin Hart may have slightly outdrawn the Ports on this Tuesday evening, but it was nonetheless a very enjoyable night at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports were taking on the visiting Rancho Cucamonga Quakes — the only Minor League team in all of California that I have yet to visit. (Since they’re the Quakes, I’m sure they’ll find “fault” with my scheduling priorities.)
After spending a few innings with my designated eaters — that, of course, will be documented in the following post — I returned to the press box and logged time on the air with Ports broadcaster Zack Bayrouty.
I don’t know why I look like such a moron in this picture of Zack and I.
Zack was modeling what is known in the business as “broadcaster casual” apparel. His colleagues took note.
There was rarely a dull moment, on the air with Zack or during this Tuesday evening in general. Shortly after taking my leave from the airwaves, I emceed a “Knockerball” contest. These, for the record, are Knockerballs.
I have no record, and barely any recollection, of my stint as a Knockerball emcee. Just know that I was proudly following in the footsteps of Jerry Springer.
My subsequent stint as a t-shirt slingshot artist is also lost to time. My attempt to “Dance for my Dinner” has been documented for posterity, however. This was easily one of my top three moments of the 2016 season.
Later, I led the crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” I feel like, all things considered, I am a more talented man than Jerry Springer.
When not participating in between-inning shenanigans, I engaged in the usual: idle wanderings and random conversations.
This is Greg “Kool Papa” Bell, who first spent time at Banner Island Ballpark as a fan. He took an interest in the operation, one thing led to another, and now he’s the Ports’ leading salesperson.
This bit of concourse signage explains what, to me, seems like a really good deal.
As the game wore on, I took the long view.
While I was in the outfield, a young man walked over and said that he recognized me from MiLB.com. This young man was the Ports starting pitcher, James Naile, who had allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings of work and was now watching the game in street clothes. He described himself as “an innings eater” who “moves around a lot,” and expressed a genuine love for the fact that Minor League Baseball allows him to meet people from all over the country and all walks of life. In my notes, I wrote that Naile is “a real positive guy.”
And he certainly isn’t in any one place for long. In 2016, Naile opened the season with Class A Beloit, where he made nine appearances. He then went to Triple-A Nashville for one start, then back to Beloit for one start, then back to Nashville for another start, then to Double-A Midland for two starts, then back to Beloit for five starts, then up to Class A Advanced Stockton for eight appearances before, finally, returning to Midland for one last start. All told, he went 9-11 with a 3.39 ERA over 28 appearances (26 starts). His ERA climbed along with the level of play (2.66 in Beloit, 3.76 in Stockton, 4.66 in Midland and 5.73 in Nashville). And this was all in his first full season! What a whirlwind.
James Naile: Well-traveled
Despite the sparse Tuesday night crowd, a positive energy prevailed at the ballpark. Between Naile, Kool Papa, blog readers Brian Bice and Pat King, designated eaters Joel and Fernando Zamora and, really, the entire Ports front office staff, I met a lot of friendly and interesting individuals. Despite the fact that it had only been three years since my last visit, it felt eminently worthwhile to be back in Stockton.
Once the game was over — a 3-2 Ports victory — and the fans had filed out, I still had one more thing to do. That thing, of course, was to write and disseminate a Groundbreaking and Subversive Ballpark Joke. This particular joke references the Ports’ long-standing celebration of asparagus, as Stockton is the asparagus capital of the world.
Good night, Stockton.
***
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