Sauget sights
Following a leaguewide off day, the Wild Things begin a three-game series Tuesday night in Sauget, Ill. (at last check, population 249) at GCS Ballpark against the Gateway Grizzlies. I haven't been to every ballpark in the Frontier League but GCS Ballpark is defintely my favorite of those I've seen.
Before entering the park on the third-base side, you get a view of the St. Louis Arch in the distance. The park has a short porch in right field - 301 feet down the line with a four-foot high fence - with a lawn area and huge scoreboard atop the back wall. Left field also is a hitter's delight at 317 feet down the line and a high wall.
Here are two photos of the 6,000-seat ballpark, courtesy of WJPA Radio's Randy Gore. When looking at the first photo, keep in mind that one of Mario Garza's two home runs in Game 2 of the playoffs last year went over the left corner of the Budweiser sign atop the scoreboard. You can click on each photo to increase the size.
Before entering the park on the third-base side, you get a view of the St. Louis Arch in the distance. The park has a short porch in right field - 301 feet down the line with a four-foot high fence - with a lawn area and huge scoreboard atop the back wall. Left field also is a hitter's delight at 317 feet down the line and a high wall.
Here are two photos of the 6,000-seat ballpark, courtesy of WJPA Radio's Randy Gore. When looking at the first photo, keep in mind that one of Mario Garza's two home runs in Game 2 of the playoffs last year went over the left corner of the Budweiser sign atop the scoreboard. You can click on each photo to increase the size.
posted by Chris Dugan at
5:12 PM
7 Comments:
I have been to this ball park. Very nice. What I really like is the concession stands face the playing field. You can go to the stands without missing several innings such is the case at CEF.
Is the locker room and showers still in portable trailors?
That when I visited really cheapend the whole thing.
Also, they did not charge for parking which was wonderful.
Nice looking ball park for the Frontier League. It seems to have the same general layout of the former Falconi Field. However. there is no place for us old geezers to hide in case of severe weather!
Am I wrong about that? Can’t see the entire place form the posted photos.
Not much going on here with the blog. Did everybody just give up? Hope not, the Wild Things still have a good shot at a play-off spot. “Course if I had MY way there wouldn’t any such thing as play-offs in this League. The winner of the East Division would play the winner of the West Division for ‘all the marbles!
That’s the way things used to be – no team could get lucky at the very end of a season and ‘back in’ a la Evansville 2006!
I know, please don’t remind me, those days are gone! And it’ too freakin’ bad they are. Ok all you young horses go ahead and fire away at me. Please be kind – I’m old.
Ron Wilson
Illegitimati non carborundum!
Locker rooms are in a block building in the left-field corner. They're fairly large by FL standards. A definite improvement. In Randy's photos you can see the office complex behind the left-field wall that is now complete.
Great amnities in Gateway. Great Organization. Fan Friendly, Players love playing their. HORRIBLE to manage a game their, as its like managing a whiffle ball game thats never going to end until someone gets tired. Right field alley needs to be moved back. Garza's other home run in the playoff gamelast year was a single in Washinginton
That is one heck of a field! Does anyone know anything new on Pat O'Brien?
Pat O'Brien--
Former Wild Things catcher.
Soon to be a college baseball coach, Wake Forest I believe I heard.
I've been to ballparks, from major league to the lowest minors, all over the country, and I think we have a pretty nice place here in Washington. My one consistent complaint is the concessions operations. It takes FOREVER to get some food and a beverage. I was at a game the other night, and the lines were so long and so slow-moving that I said, "I don't need a beer this badly." Now, if you know me, you realize this is an incredible statement. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that there was once an additional concession stand down toward the party tent on the third-base side that has been replaced by an area full of video games. If that's the case, it was a terrible mistake. As I said, I've been to bigger, smaller and similar-sized parks all over the place, and I've never seen one where the concessions operations were this bad.
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