Hi – back again as I try to catch up on my first month out of the workforce…let’s talk
The Chicago Dogs
I mentioned in my first note about Beloit being affiliated with a Major League team. Most of the other teams I attend regularly are independent – they are not affiliated with an MLB franchise. As a result, they need to find and pay their own players. Frequently, these are players who didn’t make it in affiliate ball and are bucking for one last chance at the MLB dream, or they are looking to stay in the game and make a few bucks.
An example of this type of league is the American Association – the name was pulled out of mothballs from an affiliated Triple A league that was consolidated away some years back. It is a 12-team league with two divisions, The West division is made up of mostly long-standing teams in mid-size cities like Fargo, Lincoln and Sioux Falls. The East division is made up primarily of franchises that have sprung up as expansion franchises or come in from other leagues. Five of the six teams in the division are in the Chicago/Milwaukee metro areas. The 6th (please don’t ask me why) is in Texas. LONG road trips!
The Dogs are an example of an expansion franchise. They came into being a few years ago in Rosemont, IL a town located in the shadow of O’Hare Airport. Very few people live in Rosemont – it is a commercial hub with offices, a large convention center and multiple entertainment venues, including a lovely theater, a large casino and the Allstate Arena which I haunted for many years as the home of DePaul Blue Demons basketball (more to come on those horrors in the winter) and the Chicago Wolves, a long-time successful minor league hockey franchise. The Dogs play at Impact Field, a very nice stadium built for them. As a newer stadium, and appealing to a business-oriented area, there are a number of group gathering areas within the stadium. It is only about a 10-mile drive for us, but with the proximity to the airport and other businesses, traffic can be a bit challenging. The stadium features a parking garage with a nominal $3 charge, making it pretty easy.
I went to two Dogs games over my first retirement month – one on a Sunday afternoon, and a few weeks later on a Monday night.
- The Dogs definitely push the Chicago hot dog theme. For those unfamiliar, the Chicago dog has very specific toppings, including mustard and pickles but NEVER ketchup. This is reflected in the team’s mascots – Squeeze is the typically friendly mustard-bottle mascot, while Ketchup (BOOOOOO….!) is portrayed as a criminal with a mask, jail outfit and trench coat. In addition, there is the Rally Pickle in a green body suit. If the Dogs are tied or trail going to the bottom of the 9th, the Rally Pickle runs through the crowd to fire everyone up. I love Minor League baseball.
- The Dogs also have the Top Dog seat – a lifeguard’s style chair directly behind home plate. A fan occupies it while the Dogs bat. If the Dogs hit a home run, the Top Dog gets to blow a foghorn and gets a $25 gift certificate to the Dogs team store. That would finally fund a purchase of the $21.99 stuffed Ketchup mascot for my wife…
- There is not a lot of shade in the ballpark for a day game. For the Sunday game, while the temperature was in the 70’s it was amazing how much warmer it felt in the sun.
- At the risk of a product endorsement, I love a good microbrew. Atwater Street’s Dirty Blonde is a great ballpark beer – tasty, low in alcohol, light body – perfect to have 1-2 without being overly buzzed.
The Dogs lost the first game I went to against that Texas team Cleburne, but a 7-run 4th inning gave them a win over Sioux Falls. I enjoyed both but being able to go to the Monday night game without thinking about work the next day…ahhh, that’s the retirement dream!
The USPBL in Utica, Michigan
Taking a break from the Chicago – Beloit tour, my wife and I needed to spend some time at her parent’s house in suburban Detroit. That opened me up to a new experience.
The United Shore Professional Baseball League has four teams playing at one stadium – Jimmy John’s Field in Utica (a northeastern Detroit suburb). The players were generally in college, so this was a good opportunity to sharpen skills over the summer. Obviously, since the teams all use the same stadium, travel costs are avoided.
- The stadium itself had an odd setup – lots of stairs, not obvious concession selection, and particularly limited in the concourse where most of the fans were sitting. And lots of foul territory for the players to cover.
- Where IS the Jimmy John’s? Despite the stadium name, we could not find any Freaky Fast sandwiches.
- There was however a Swag Trailer (I want to trademark that name). It contained gear for all four of the teams in the league. I got through without a purchase – which will surprise anyone who knows me (I have a LOT of hats and other garb – as my son once commented, “the sports memorabilia never stops here.”)
- My favorite in-game promo: An intern was dispatched to the parking lot (it may have been a full-time employee, but it seems like the kind of thing you would send an intern to do). They found the dirtiest vehicle, which was then shown on the stadium video board with license plate and received a certificate for a free car wash. Public shaming vs. a freebie tradeoff? Discuss.
- Excellent Michigan-based beer selection!
- Finally, it was Ladies’ Night and two of the losing contestants from The Golden Bachelor TV show appeared. Proving that one’s 15 minutes of fame can be extended…by Minor League baseball!
The Westside Wooly Mammoths easily handled the Eastside Diamond Hoppers. The Wooly Mammoths victory anthem is still ringing in my ears (“Wooly Mammoths, Wooly Mammoths…”)
More to come!