West End Field

[RestedTraveler]

RT I Know this is very last minute but my wife and I would like to tag along for the tour if possible. I sent you a personal E-mail also.

Thank you Trey

My apologies, TREY, but I was already out and about with the wife at 1:30pm and didn't see this until now. We would have had room for you though and I wish you could have made it.

It was nice to meet people on this website, but since it was so cold, I am not sure all of the people I really met. Hopefully next time we meet it won't be so strained, cold or quick... I would like to extend an invitation to those that visited the site: I like to go out to Chiefs, Wings and Firewater on Congaree at least once a week... anyone interested?

Yes, it was good to meet you all, though I'm not sure I caught everyone's screen name either.

Thanks again to RT for setting it up. My wife and I both found it very informative.

It was great to meet everyone! I wish we could have had a more formal meet-up and I like Suzanne's idea of having meet-ups periodically, if anyone else is game. Maybe we should start a separate thread for meet-ups. What do you think, Skyliner?

Skyliner and gsupstate: I only managed to get two photos of the group and neither is the best, due to the angle from which I took them and the light at that time of the day, but I'll post them here and caption them with screen names.

The tour was much shorter than I had anticipated, unfortunately. I think Nate must have stood down there and realized that the size of the group combined with the work that was being done made walking around the ballpark more prohibitive. At least it was very informative. Nate does a very good job at relaying information and stories to people, doesn't he? It was very nice of him to offer this opportunity up to us all.

While sitting and waiting for folks to show up, I was surprised at how many people drove up to the Field Street Entrance, parked, got out and walked in (many with cameras) and then came back out and left. There is a lot of anticipation and buzz about this ballpark and what it could do for the West End.

OK...here are the bad photos:

Left to Right: ablebody_suzanne; Mrs. NYTransplant; NYTransplant; pacersfan218; pacersfan218's Dad; g-man430's Dad; breed; jarvisj3; jarvisj3's Friend; and Nate Lipscomb from the G-Drive. Others (g-man430 and btoy) were obscured in this shot.

Left to Right: Mrs. NYTransplant; NYTransplant; g-man430; pacersfan218; btoy; breed; g-man430's Dad; and Nate Lipscomb from the G-Drive. Others (pacersfan218's Dad, jarvisj3, and jarvisj3's Friend) were obscured in this shot.

Between the two, I think I got everybody (except me)?

[NYTransplant]

We can't forget our fearless leader RestedTraveler.

[RestedTraveler]

Oh geez.

Staring into the sun.

[gs3]

Thanks RT!! Looks like a good crowd of people! Wish I could have been there! Hope you guys had a great time. After seeing the ballpark up close, do you guys feel confident it will be ready in time for the first game? Did Nate give any details about the grand opening / first game?

[RestedTraveler]

I'm confident it will be ready for opening night, especially after seeing how the place has transformed over just the past couple of weeks. They'll get it done.

Nate did give some details and suggestions; however, he asked that they be kept in confidence, so I'll PM you on the hush hush.

[goodbye]

Great to finally see some of the faces behind (or in front of) the UP brains here in Greenville! Hope everything went well, despite not being longer. RT, I'd also like any confidential info you are at liberty to share through a PM. I feel terrible I couldn't be there, but hopefully we will work out another meeting in the near future.

[gs3]

A good article on the new ballpark and baseball from today's Greenville News:

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs..../602270315/1002

[RestedTraveler]

A good article on the new ballpark and baseball from today's Greenville News:

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs..../602270315/1002

Thanks, gsupstate! That's a pretty good article! Bart called it a BALLPARK, too! Finally, the Greenville News is using the right terminology!

[NYTransplant]

Thanks gsupstate!

[jarvismj]

With compacity crowds being around 5500, I would wonder if the demand was there, would they be able to expand the stadium by possibly putting an upper deck above the skyboxes? By looking at some of the pics, it wouldn't seem impossible.

[goodbye]

My guess is that any expansion (in the distant future) would most likely happen along the left and right field lines toward the outfield fence. I wouldn't mind seeing the day when an expansion is considered to add bleachers in the outfield. That would be pretty awesome, although it would severely hamper the nice view of our downtown skyline, if not completely wipe it out. I'd love to see more stands behind homeplate, but that is very improbable for the simple reason that the height of the ballpark was kept low to appear less dominating to the rest of the neighborhood, therefore satisfying many local critics of the location.

[breed]

With compacity crowds being around 5500, I would wonder if the demand was there, would they be able to expand the stadium by possibly putting an upper deck above the skyboxes? By looking at some of the pics, it wouldn't seem impossible.

Another possible location... beyond the right field fence. Although that is a bit unorthodox for the minor leagues.

[RestedTraveler]

Wednesday, March 1, 2006:

Light Posts and Lights!!! Whoo hoo!!!:

Seats (Green Seat Backs in the Box Seating Sections and Blue Seat Brackets in the Reserved Seating Sections):

Warning Track:

Warning:

Grassy Berm:

The View from Sitting Behind Home Plate, 8 rows up:

The field is just BEAUTIFUL:

Field House at West End (Office and Retail Side):

[goodbye]

What an oxymoron :

[RestedTraveler]

Yea. Needless to say, we didn't get to run around on it during our tour. Those signs were probably put out there just before we entered the ballpark.

[ablebody_suzanne]

"t was great to meet everyone! I wish we could have had a more formal meet-up and I like Suzanne's idea of having meet-ups periodically, if anyone else is game. Maybe we should start a separate thread for meet-ups. What do you think, Skyliner?"

If Chiefs isn't a good place, we can find another. I figure we could share some wings...

[gs3]

Great photos RT! Feel like I'm there!

[RestedTraveler]

Thanks!

The bleachers are being installed now and almost all of the seat backs have been installed. Also, the brick work is almost finished on the ballpark side of the Field House. I'll try to get over tomorrow with a camera, if I can.

[g-man430]

They were installing the light posts yesterday for the new baseball stadium. It looks sweet.

[RestedTraveler]

Heheh...I just commented on that over in the Field House thread.

Yea - it looks sweet, indeed! It's starting to look like the finished product over there!

[NYTransplant]

Here are a couple light pole shots. Again, sorry about the third one.

[GvilleSC]

I'm excited about looking at the Stadium, NO, not stadium, BALLPARK, from other parts of downtown and seeing the glow of the lights on a game night.

[RestedTraveler]

Thanks, NYT! You can see from these photos that the lights have shields on them to keep th elight focused on the field so as not to disturb the surrounding area. That's just what Nate was saying. It's awesome to see it come together!

We'll forgive the 3rd one, NYT. I wish they'd go ahead and bury those lines underground before someone drives down Markley Street and hits that utility pole (since its in the middle of the road).

[Greenville]

You mean they aren't going to bury those telephone poles in the picture?

[RestedTraveler]

Oh yea, they're going to bury them....don't you worry.