INDIANAPOLIS, IN – After a year away, I’m back in Indianapolis for the annual Christian Comedy Association retreat, and as usual, I always look forward to attending an Indianapolis Indians baseball game while I’m in town.
The Indians are the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and this time around they are playing the Iowa Cubs; who’s MLB parent club is of course the Chicago Cubs.
I have my friend Earl Musick with me and it’s his first time visiting Victory Field, so I’ll share some of his thoughts about the day, as well as mine.
This ballpark is still one of my favorite minor league stadiums to visit. It’s a great baseball atmosphere, the on-field promotions are done quickly and are entertaining, the P.A. announcer and music selection are generally on point, and the concession prices are still reasonable, for the most part.
The seats we had were not the best, but it’s my fault because I selected them and purchased them. We were down the third baseline right in front of the home team’s bullpen, which was kind of cool because we got to see the pitchers warm up. However, if you sit square in your seat, you would be facing the outfield, instead of home plate. I had to sit at an angle to see the pitcher and batter, but it was only a minor inconvenience.
I got the chicken strip and French fries’ basket at the concession stand and it was very good. I usually get a hamburger because I really like those here, but I had a hamburger last night at a restaurant. Earl got a hamburger and a hot dog.
“I was looking forward to eating a hot dog at the game, but when I saw how good the hamburgers looked, I had to try one and it was delicious,” Earl said. “I also got a hot dog later and that was very good, as well.”
Earl enjoys attending sports events but leans more toward college football games with his sons and has been to many stadiums, but he really enjoyed his visit to Victory Field.
“The stadium seemed very modern and clean everywhere we went in the ballpark,” Earl said. “The crowd was respectful and everyone seemed to be really into the action on the field. I was impressed by all the youngsters wearing their jerseys and all the activities they had for the kids on the concourse around the ballpark.”
For the kids, there was face painting, a fun zone and other activities.
“It’s one of the best ballpark experiences I’ve had in years,” Earl said.
It was a fun game to watch in that the home team won 8-1. Although we didn’t see any home runs in the game, we did see the Indians’ catcher, Rapheal Flores Jr., hit a pair of triples.
The Indianapolis starting pitcher, Jose Urquidy (2-3, 4.78 ERA), pitched seven innings giving up only two hits, no runs, one walk and six strikeouts.
It was another fun experience at a baseball stadium while traveling around this great country of ours. Next week, I’ll be in Jamestown, N.Y., and will get to see the Tarp Skunks play. More on that next time.
TULSA BEACON RADIO
Tune in to “Tulsa Beacon Weekend” radio show every week, featuring interviews with local and national guests, talking about everything from politics to family issues. This week, we’ll talk baseball with Mike Melega, vice-president of the Tulsa Drillers. The show airs on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CST on 970am KCFO.