The Trip Ends Up Aces!

In 2009, the Reno Aces began play after relocating from Tucson. In the same season the Las Vegas 51s became Toronto's AAA team. So I'd had my eye on Nevada as a baseball roadtrip destination for the past two years, but the schedules had not matched favourably with mine. So when my brother told me he would be in Las Vegas for a conference in April, 2011, things quickly came together as both the 51s and Aces were to be at home during that time. That's how this trip got started and that's how it ended as I finished up with a long drive to Reno and two games in beautiful Aces Ballpark.

Las Vegas to Reno

I don't write much about the drives I take, because they are mostly boring interstates that get me from one game to the next as quickly as possible. But the route between Las Vegas and Reno is one of the more enjoyable drives and worth a quick mention here. From Las Vegas, you head northwest on US95 (also known as the Veterans Memorial Highway) which becomes an undivided highway a few miles out. Traveling through numerous small towns along the way, you can go at least 75 along the highway, passing slower traffic with little waiting. The main town on the route is Tonopah, which is a good place to stop for a break and get gas. Be careful driving through these tiny towns though, the speed limit drops to 25 in some places and this is where cops are waiting for the inattentive. I saw two cars get pulled over when they failed to slow in time, while there were almost no cops on the actual highway. The shot below is from Luning, one of the towns where I saw someone get stopped.

After about 6 hours, you reach Fallon, a larger town where you turn west onto US50/Reno Hwy and drive 25 miles before hitting I-80 to finish the trip. I found the drive through the desert to be very scenic with distant mountains, and nearby buttes and mesas most of the way. There's no radio once you leave Vegas, so I was fortunate to have XM with me, which enabled me to listen to an NHL playoff game as well as several MLB games during the 7.5-hour journey.

When I spoke to locals in Reno, though, they said the drive is boring and they absolutely hate it. So I guess it depends on what you are used to. If you haven't done it, give it a try someday.

Reno Aces

When I visited Fresno a week ago, I mentioned how the Grizzlies had moved from Tucson when the Arizona Diamondbacks began play in 1998. Coincidentally, the Reno Aces were the visitors in Fresno. Until 2008, the Aces were the Tucson Sidewinders, who had moved from Phoenix to become the Diamondbacks' AAA affiliate as part of a complicated ownership reorganization that involved the Grizzlies' move as well. The Aces franchise has been part of the PCL since the league's inaugural season in 1903, when they played in San Francisco as the Seals, and can boast of having Joe DiMaggio as one of their alumni. From San Francisco to Phoenix to Tucson to Reno - an interesting history that shows how minor league ball teams can get around, even if it takes over a century.

The Aces nickname came from a name-the-team contest and combines the city's gambling background along with a baseball connection. The eight letter combination ties for the shortest in minor league baseball along with Iowa Cubs and Orem Owlz.

Aces Ballpark

The Aces play in the appropriately named Aces Ballpark, located in downtown Reno. The park is the first of eight planned phases to renovate the area, some of which has fallen on hard times. In particular, there is a homeless shelter just on the other side of left field and the streets east of the ballpark are rather sketchy. So in an effort to revitalize the entire area, the owners of the Aces are using the ballpark as the centerpiece of a new entertainment district, much like has happened in Denver, San Francisco, and elsewhere. The whole project is expected to last for several more years but so far, it is off to a good start.

There is no general parking at the ballpark proper, but there is plenty on streets (meters are free in the evening and on Sundays) and nearby casinos and garages also have parking, although some may charge. I saw one lot with a $7 sign, but would suggest you find something for free on the street.

Aces Ballpark was built in just over a year and opened in time for the Aces' first home game in April, 2009. The park is bounded on the south by the Truckee River, which provides an interesting view from both outside and inside.

Before you even enter the ballpark, take the time to look at the features outside. There are three entrances, with the main one denoted by a large baseball sculpture above the gates.

This entrance is also where the Freight House District is located. There are four dining establishments, each with a different specialty, that comprise the district, named after an old building that sits next to the ballpark. You can visit any of the eateries without a ticket, although Bugsy's Sports Bar and Grill also has indoor and outdoor seating which does require a ticket.

Below is the view from the Sports Bar seats.

Tickets here are not cheap, running as high as $32 for the home plate box seats. However, you can get standing room/general admission tickets for as little as $6. These allow you to sit in the berm area behind the right field fence or to stand along the concourse. Usually I suggest that you buy the cheapest option and sit where you want, but that is not a good idea here. The Aces draw very well and there are not a lot of empty seats close to the field. As well, ushers are very strict and rarely let anybody by without checking their ticket. I found the standing areas along the baselines, which also have a drink rail, to be perfectly adequate but if you really want a good seat here, you'd better pay for it.

The park design is quite interesting. Although it may appear to be standard at first glance, with a single concourse atop the seating bowl (above), there are a number of features that are not as typical. For one, you can walk around the entire park which provides some good views of the downtown area behind home plate. Beyond left field there is a railroad track along which the occasional train goes rolling by, sounding its horn. However, the track is well below field level and is not visible from the seating bowl. As you wander, you will see a number of other party areas, such as the Coors Light Party Zone in the left field corner, which is a collection of picnic tables (below).

Just to the left of the bullpens, which are behind the right field fence, lies the Bullpen Deck, another party area (you can see it in the left of the picture below).

Beyond the bullpens lies the berm, which is a great area for families with room for the kids to play. Above that is Baseball Mountain, a seating area that is attached to a bar and provides a good view of the entire park (below). Note the white poles to the left in the photo with the PCL team logos on them - these light up during night games when the Aces score.

Given the higher elevation in Reno, the park is a bit bigger at 340 down right field, 423 to right center, 410 to center and 339 to left. Didn't stop the ball from flying out during the two games I saw there.

Another unique feature is the press box which is above first base, as the owners preferred to put suites on the upper level behind home plate. The press box, which also contains the video production room, is the leftmost, lighter area on the second level in the shot below. You can also see the parking garage behind the stadium.

The radio booth is still behind home plate, on the concourse level, which prevents you from seeing the action while you walk behind it. It is a bit strange to have the radio guys separate from the press box but that is the result of having suites behind home plate.

There is one other seating area, the Dugout Club, which are the two rows of seats that are below field level directly behind the plate (above). These are generally held by season-ticket holders and come with snacks and in-seat service. The view from these seats is below.

Given all the amenities here, the scoreboard is surprisingly basic, with a linescore beneath a video screen that shows player stats and fan cams. The pitch speed is also shown here. One funny feature was the Oblivious Cam, a pre-game bit where they would pick out a fan, put him on the scoreboard and run a timer until the fan noticed.

Overall, Aces Ballpark is a great place to watch a game. I like the variety of seating options and the standing areas, as well as the Freight House District. I would obviously prefer it to be a bit cheaper but can't argue with the pricing as the crowds here were the best on the trip. I'm really looking forward to returning to see the improvements around the ballpark. Reno is certainly a fine addition to a PCL roadtrip and I'll try to stay more than 24 hours next time.

Game 1 - Tacoma Rainiers 11 at Reno Aces 9

Kevin Mulvey started for the home team while Chris Seddon took the bump for Tacoma, Seattle's AAA affiliate. Mulvey was the starter in the aforementioned Fresno game and is good for giving up a run an inning, and obliged by allowing the Rainiers an early 1-0 lead when Matt Mangini singled home Matt Tuiasosopo in the first. But Reno replied with a 3-run shot from David Winfree in their half and that opened the floodgates as both teams scored 3 in the second to make it 6-4 Reno. The Aces added one in the third and then both hurlers settled down for a little while.

Mulvey was chased in the 6th after giving up a triple to DH Johan Limonta (above, before the game) who scored on a groundout, and then walking Sean Kazmar. But his bullpen was solid and when Reno added two in the 8th off Manny Delcarmen (below) to make it 9-5, it looked like it was game over.

I should point out two things here: the night before, Reno blew a 1-run lead in the 9th and lost 9-6; and it was extremely cold by this time, as often happens in early spring games in the high desert. So the bullpen was struggling and the fans wanted to get home. Not a good combination.

Daniel Stange had thrown a strong 8th and was kept in for the 9th. He got Kazmar for the first out and then walked Dustin Ackley (2nd overall pick in 2009 and Seattle's #1 prospect). Tuiasosopo grounded to short but Cody Ransom threw wild to put runners on second and third, and Mangini knocked both in with a single. It was 9-7 and the fans were suddenly very restless.

Stange was done and Jordan Norberto was called on to close things out. He promptly hit Carlos Peguero, threw a wild pitch, and walked Alex Liddi to load the bases. Limonta followed with a run-scoring single to get Tacoma within one and then Mike Wilson doubled to give them the lead as the fans threw up their hands in disgust. Kazmar added an RBI groundout to make it 11-9 as the Rainiers finished with a 6-spot.

Denny Bautista closed for Tacoma, getting Wily Mo Pena (above) to strike out leading off and ending the game on a double play. The whole affair took an agonizing 3:24; the ugly result is below, blurred because I was shaking from the cold.

Game 2 - Reno 10, Tacoma 8

The final game of the trip was played on a beautiful Sunday afternoon; yesterday's chills long forgotten. But that was about the only difference as another scorefest was on tap.

It was 4-4 after 4 when Kazmar doubled home Wilson to give Tacoma the lead in the fifth. But Reno responded with a big fifth frame of their own, plating six on just three hits to make it 10-5. In the 7th, Liddi hit his second monster shot of the game to close within 4. After Reno's Rafael Rodriguez pitched a scoreless 8th, Kam Mickolio was called on to preserve the win. Keep in mind, the Aces' bullpen had blown 9th-inning leads the last two nights.

Peguero singled to lead off and Liddi drew a walk and the fans groaned in unison as another 9th inning meltdown appeared to be underway. After Josh Bard flew out, Wilson and Limonta singled to bring the Rainiers within 2 and the fans to their breaking point. After Kazmar flew out, Ackley (above, earlier in the game) sent one deep to center and it looked like the tilt would be tied. But Cole Gillespie tracked it down and made the game-ending catch to send the fans home with a win and end my 3-week journey with the only home-team victory in Nevada.

Sean Burroughs on deck - note the pinstripes as the Aces have two home unis

David Winfree singles

After 20 runs on Saturday, another 18 on Sunday. Not an ideal way to end the trip but I'm glad to see the home team take the final game.

Notes

The Aces don't announce the starting lineups, which is a first. The only time the lineup is displayed is when the players take the field in the top of the first.

The 7th inning stretch here has an interesting feature. An inflatable baseball pops up above the centerfield fence and sings along with the fans.

One of the umpires for this series was Takeshi Hirabayshi (below), the first Japanese national to officiate in AAA. Would be good to see if he can make the majors and how the media here will respond, if at all.

Thanks to Aces' media relations chief Zak Basch for his assistance and answering some questions about the park and the team.

Next Up

I'm already back in Japan. I'll be attending a few NPB games this summer as part of my Stadium Journey work, but won't be reporting on those visits here. I'll also be working at a real job for a while as I don't want to risk my work visa like I did in 2009, so my travel will be limited for the next year if not longer. I'll still update the blog with other road trip ideas and commenting on sports in general, but it will be a relatively quiet 2011 with both the NFL and NBA likely to go through work stoppages. Regardless, check back on occasion to see what is happening.

Best,

Sean

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Losing in Las Vegas - 51s drop a pair

Las Vegas is not a typical sports roadtrip destination, unless you believe gambling, drinking, and eating to be sports. But there are over 2 million people who live here and they need some distractions of their own. In the summer, the PCL's Las Vegas 51s provide the entertainment out at Cashman Field. Three years ago, the 51s became the affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays which made Las Vegas a compulsory roadtrip objective. So when my brother told me he had a conference here, I checked the schedule and found the 51s would be home at the same time, sowing the seeds for what would become a 3-week west coast trip.

Cashman Field

Located on Las Vegas Blvd. about eight miles north of the Strip, Cashman Field (sometimes referred to as Cashman Stadium, above) is an older venue that still has something to offer fans. The stadium is part of the larger Cashman Center, an entertainment facility that includes a theatre and convention center. There are several lots surrounding the center that offer parking at $4; I used the one off Washington Blvd. as it seemed less popular and easier to exit and return to the highway.

The stadium is a sand and rust coloured structure befitting its desert location. It is connected to the convention center on the third base side so you can't walk around the whole building. There is a single entrance that leads to ramps that go up to the main concourse (above).

Ticket options include dugout seats which are 3 rows of blue seats behind the screen at field level ($20, above), field seats which are the first 6 rows between the bases ($14, yellow in the photo below), plaza seats which are the remaining 20 rows behind the screen ($13, red) and reserved seats, which are benches that stretch down the lines ($10). The plaza seats are mostly covered and are a good option during day games, when the sun can be particularly strong.

You can see a small walkway between the first six rows and the rest of the seating area, so avoid row G unless you want your view continuously disrupted by people walking back and forth. The seating area is not steep, so your view may be blocked if someone sits directly in front of you, but with attendance at 50% of capacity, it's not hard to find a good seat.

There are also a few options outside the seating bowl. First is the club level restaurant which offers a full meal, including soup and salad, for just $9.50. Given that a hot dog is $5.50, the restaurant is a bargain and the food is pretty good too. Tickets are required for tables by the window but there are counters above that are open to the public and provide a reasonable view of the field. I recommend visiting before the game if you are hungry.

If you want to sit away from the crowd, try the Skyy Bar above third base, which provides a complete view of the field and the mountains beyond and offers more than just beer if you are looking for libations.

There are also berms near each foul pole. They were closed before the game, but I noticed children playing in the right field berm later, so they seem to be accessible, but they are too far away to be useful for actually watching the game.

Down the left field line is the Bank of America Patio, which takes up a large amount of foul territory but provides on-field seating and all-you-can-eat ballpark food for groups.

There is only one concourse above the seating bowl but it provides a clear view of the field so you don't miss any of the action while buying food. I didn't try any of the typical fare here as the club restaurant was the best option.

The field is quite interesting as the left and right field walls are perpendicular to the line for most of the way, only turning to meet at center field, which lies 433 feet away from home plate.

The scoreboard is above left field and is quite basic with a linescore and a TV screen that seems to be as old as the stadium itself, as well as the speed gun underneath.

Overall, I really like Cashman Field. The club level restaurant is great after weeks of boring ballpark blech, and there are few distractions from the game. The views beyond the fence are nice and the ushers are friendly and let you move around. Given how noisy Las Vegas can be, you should definitely make a trip over to Cashman to enjoy some relative quiet and AAA baseball as well.

Game 1 - Sacramento River Cats 13 at Las Vegas 51s 9 (13 innings)

I saw two games while I was here, both with the Sacramento River Cats as visitors. I saw these two teams play twice in Sacramento earlier in the trip. Since then, Las Vegas has struggled and came in on an 7-game losing streak.

For the first match, the wind was blowing straight out resulting in plenty of homers, with nine hit on the night. Unfortunately, six of them were by Sacramento sluggers.

After 51s starter Scott Richmond (above, warming up) gave up 4 runs in the first two innings courtesy of a Jai Miller 3-run homer a solo shot to Anthony Recker, Las Vegas replied with 4 of their own, including a 3-run shot from Dewayne Wise that tied the game and chased Sacramento starter Bobby Cramer after just 12 batters.

The middle frames were quiet with Jemile Weeks' solo shot the only damage sustained by Las Vegas. Weeks doubled and scored on an Eric Sogard two-bagger to start the 7th, but Las Vegas added four runs in their half, highlighted by a 3-run dinger from Eric Thames to take an 8-6 lead.

Las Vegas reliever Winston Abreu loaded the bases with nobody out in the 8th but Rommie Lewis and ex-River Cat Daniel Farquhar (above) retired the next three batters to preserve the 2-run cushion. Farquhar remained in the game in the 9th, but he gave up a leadoff triple to Miller, who scored on a single by Matt Carson to cut the lead to one. After two walks loaded the bases, Sean Henn came in. With two out, Henn walked Weeks to tie the game and send us to extra innings.

Both teams scored a run in the 11th, with the 51s coming on a Scott Podsednik (below) double. Podsednik is working his way back from an injury and this was only his third game for Las Vegas.

After a scoreless 12th, Chad Cordero came on in the 13th and promptly gave up three taters, all of which were well hit. Weeks hit one of them which left him just a single shy of the cycle. Las Vegas couldn't respond and the game finally ended with the River Cats winning 13-9. The affair took 4:34, with just a smattering of the 4,094 remaining for the whole thing. It was dollar beer night, and the I'd say half the crowd left when the dollar beers stopped after the 7th inning. Many of those who remained were inebriated so the heckling was pretty entertaining, but the pitching certainly wasn't.

Game 2 - Sacramento 2, Las Vegas 1

I convinced my brother and his wife to join me for this one, as it was UNLV Rebel Replica Jersey night. The wind was again a factor, but this time it was blowing right to left, causing havoc with pop ups and fly balls all night.

Brad Mills took the mound for Las Vegas and pitched six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. He left with a 1-0 lead thanks to a wind-assisted run scored in the second. Chris Woodward, who had just been sent down, sent a fly ball that got caught up in the wind and fell in between three fielders. Woodward was running all the way and ended up with a double. Adam Loewen (below) then singled him home.

That was all that River Cat starter Graham Godfrey would give up, going six innings yielding just two other hits. In the 7th, Abreu relieved for Las Vegas and promptly gave up a single to Recker. Adrian Cardenas followed with a fly ball that should have been caught but the wind played tricks again and the ball fell in for a double. Josh Donaldson hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game and Adam Heether walked on a wild pitch that somehow bounded over the protective netting behind the plate, moving Cardenas to third. Josh Horton grounded out to score Cardenas and give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

There would be no hometown heroics this night as Sacramento reliever Joe Bateman pitched two perfect innings and Vinnie Chulk tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

Steve Tolleson from the dugout seats

All-in-all, a rather depressing pair of games for Blue Jays fans but certainly an example of just how different baseball can be; a 22-run homerfest followed by a pitching duel.

Notes

The hold might be the stupidest statistic in baseball. In the first game, Farquhar came in with his team up two. He left with the bases loaded and then Henn came in and allowed two inherited runners to score. Farquhar gets credit for a hold while Henn gets a blown save. So the hold depends not on what you do, but what someone after you does. Dumb.

Best,

Sean

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Reno Aces 5 at Fresno Grizzlies 12 - April 24, 2011

One of the best things about expansion in the major leagues is that there are 10 new minor league teams that also need to be created. Such was the case in 1998, when the Arizona Diamondbacks entered the National League. The PCL's Phoenix Firebirds, affiliate of the San Francisco Giants at the time, moved to Tucson where they became the Sidewinders and began an affiliation with Arizona. However, Tucson already had a team, the Toros, who then had to become affiliated with the Giants and find another city to call home. The lucky location was Fresno, who named the team Grizzlies and have hosted AAA ball since, watching as a number of great players passed through on their way to the 2010 World Series championship.

Chukchansi Park

The Grizzlies play in downtown's Chukchansi Park, whose naming rights are owned by a local casino operated by the Chukchansi Indian tribe. The park was opened in 2002 and is apparently part of an effort to improve the downtown core, which is still rather rundown in some parts.

There are plenty of $5 lots surrounding the stadium and the streets in the immediate vicinity have meters which are apparently enforced during games. However, you can find free parking just across the railroad tracks on G street. Be aware though that the phrase "wrong side of the tracks" comes to mind in this area - I felt fine parking there for a day game, but a night game might be a different story.

The stadium has a lower level that stretches to the corners, an upper level around the infield, and five small bleacher sections above left field (view from there shown above). Tickets range from $8 for the bleachers to $16 for the Diamond Box seats near the field. Some sections are $2 cheaper if bought in advance. There is also a club section on the second level above first base which will run you $40. Capacity is over 12,000 but attendance is much less, so you can pretty much sit where you want.

There are a number of interesting features here that merit some time. In the spacious concourse behind home plate there are some displays that show the makeup of bats, balls, and gloves.

There's also a Fresno Sports Hall of Fame near one of the gates. This honours players as far back as Fresno-born Frank Chance, and includes two former Blue Jay managers in Bobby Cox and Jimy Williams. The Grizzlies do an excellent job preserving local history here and you can spend more than a few minutes reading about the local heroes, who also include Tom Seaver.

There is a display of Grizzlies memorabilia that has been loaned by some fans. The team also created an All-Decade squad and have banners lining the concourse with photos of those players in Fresno uniforms. Below is Tim Lincecum before he and his hair became famous.

As usual, starting lineups are posted but I liked how they had the visiting team's logo on the board as well.

There are two scoreboards, one is a digital board which shows the batter's photo and stats (below), the other is a hand-operated linescore, which I've shown later in the post.

Chukchansi Park is a ballpark I really like. I enjoy watching minor league games from the second level, which provides a different view than you would get from the upper deck in a major league park. Despite having a relatively short history, the Grizzlies are doing their part to commemorate both their past and that of the area. The park is a great place to relax and spend a sunny afternoon, at least early in the season. Rumour has it that the summer becomes unbearably hot and misters are required to cool down. Regardless, if you are in town, check out a game here, it's well worth it.

The Game

The Reno Aces, Arizona's affiliate, were visiting for the second of a 4-game set. Observant readers might wonder how Arizona's affiliate went from Tucson to Reno; the Sidewinders left southern Arizona for northern Nevada two seasons ago.

Kevin Mulvey (above) got the start for the visitors against Matt Yourkin (below). Mulvey pitched a no-hitter in college and was part of the Johan Santana trade, but appears to have hit his limit after appearing in 10 MLB games with Minnesota and Arizona, posting a 7.90 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. Things aren't going well for him this year either, as he was pounded in his first three starts, giving up 20 ER in just 13.2 IP. Yourkin has yet to taste his major league cup of coffee, having worked his way up the system after being undrafted out of St. Mary's College.

Given these two pitchers and the hitter friendly PCL, I expected a lot of runs and that's what I got. Fresno opened the scoring when Brandon Belt, recently sent down from the Giants, singled home Conor Gillaspie in the first inning.

Reno tied it in the third on a Collin Cowgill (below) homer, but Fresno regained the lead with three consecutive doubles in the 4th.

The wheels fell off for Mulvey in the fifth. After Gillaspie walked and Belt singled, Brett Pill was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Travis Ishikawa, who played in 2 games in the World Series but is starting the season in Fresno, then sent the first pitch he saw to deep left field for a grand slam that made it 7-1. Mulvey continued to struggle, giving up a single, walk, and hitting Yourkin before finally being taken out. His replacement, Tom Layne, allowed all three inherited runners to score, plus one of his own as Fresno plated 8 runs in the frame. Interestingly, all 3 Reno outs in the top half were fly balls to centerfield (position number 8).

Cody Ransom had a 3-run homer for Reno in the 6th and Cowgill scored after tripling in the 7th, but it was way too little, way too late as Fresno won in a blowout, 12-5. There's the linescore below, but the guy was in a rush to go home and immediately began dismantling it after the game. Leave it up for a few minutes at least guys!

The Grizzlies pounded out 17 hits with their top 7 batters all enjoying a multi-hit game. Despite the high score, the game was played in a tidy 2:48, which allowed me plenty of daylight to drive south to Bakersfield.

Notes

With both teams having parent clubs in the National League, pitchers batted for themselves.

Marc Kroon, who spent six seasons in Japan with Yokohama and Yomiuri, is the Grizzlies' closer this year, and he needs just one more save to notch 250 in his pro career (177 of those coming in the NPB). Unfortunately, with the blowout here, he didn't make an appearance. With the way Brian Wilson has started the season, maybe Kroon will be called up. But I doubt it.

As it was Easter Sunday, the Grizzlies had an Easter egg hunt for kids after the game. The word "hunt" might be a bit of a stretch as they just poured 5,000 eggs in the outfield and then let the kids run wild.

An interesting promotion is a race between two eyes and a nose. One eye was blue, one was red (from too much drinking?) and the nose was running. The race is sponsored by a local eye care concern and as you can see below, the blue eye won. Yay for blue eyes!

I skipped the Braves-Giants game which turned out to be the smart move. I listened to the pre-game show on the car radio and heard that fans began lining up 4 hours before the game to get their hands on the replica World Series trophy. As one caller noted, why not giveaway enough for everyone? The game was won by Atlanta, 9-6 in 10 innings. So I didn't miss anything other than bad pitching and disgruntled fans.

Next Up

I'm in Bakersfield today. The "tough" part of the trip is over and there's just six minor league games to enjoy over the final week: two Cal League games here and in High Desert and then four PCL games in Las Vegas and Reno before I fly back to Japan a week from today. Updates will be posted as usual, so check back regularly.

Best,

Sean

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