Greenville Drive Baseball

[gs3]

Thanks g-man! Great video!

[goodbye]

WYFF did a live feed from West End Field this morning and I must compliment Mark Allen for referring to it as a ballpark rather than a stadium. If only we could get Beth and Nigel to do the same.

Also, there is a huge New York Life sign on top of the Fieldhouse building, right above the Green Monster. They mentioned that NYL is the first tenant. If that's not a kick in the teeth for Boston fans. Go NY!!!

FOX Carolina's The Morning News has had a live reporter in the ballpark all morning who earlier interviewed the Drive manager. WSPA also showed a few live shots of the new ballpark from Air 7. Love the video screen! Looks awesome with video actually being played on it! This is really a beautiful ballpark from every angle!

[RestedTraveler]

Oh my gosh!!!! The Greenville News is finally referring to this sanctuary as a "ballpark!!!!!!"

[StrangeCock]

Does anyone know if they will be selling beer at the stadium on Sundays. I've looked everywhere for an answer but haven't found one.

[gs3]

Drive at home in downtown. Another GV News article:

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs..../604060305/1008

[RestedTraveler]

Does anyone know if they will be selling beer at the stadium on Sundays. I've looked everywhere for an answer but haven't found one.

West End Field is inside of City Limits, so I'm sure they will be selling beer on Sundays, yes.

Does anybody know...has the Web Cam been moved inside of West End Field, or have they just zoomed in and cleaned up the housing and lens? It looks great!

http://www.pincongrp.com/drive/webcam3s.swf

[goodbye]

Okay, I am so siked up for this ballpark/season-opening game, everyone!!!

[gs3]

^ Love the snack emoticon!

For everyone attending the opening tonight, a "beg" here for photos. I won't be attending until tomorrow night. D-Day (Drive Day) is here!

[StrangeCock]

Activity is really starting to pick up on the webcam. Fans should be taking their seats soon.

[Fiddlestix]

Activity is really starting to pick up on the webcam. Fans should be taking their seats soon.

And THEN....it stopped. I had left the webcam window open on my computer and your post made me look at it, to see the crowd during the game. Alas, the image that's there -- no matter how often I REFRESH -- is the one from 5:59:59 pm. As if a webcam experience is going to rival actually going to the park! Even so, it's a sellout. You'd think they'd lift their blackout restriction. Could there possibly be some explanation for stopping the webcam that's not totally inane? First they tell me that I can't buy season tickets until AFTER this weekend series. Now the webcam is on a "blackout" for the game. Do they think that little of their product that they can't compete with a free, but generally crappy, webcam? If they're too busy this week to sell season tickets, how'd they find time to cut off the webcam? Don't get me wrong. I like the people with the Drive. I like the front office people I know. I like the coaches from Greenville, Taylor and Kipper. I am very happy that the team is downtown. And while they are under the gun, sometimes you still have to shake your head and wonder...WTF?

[whitehourseview]

I've watched the Drive web cam for a few months. It has been cut off at around 5pm (or 6pm for Eastern Daylight Time) since I've watched it. That's nothing new. Some evenings, it's been strange to see a bright sun over the field from the web cam.

[RestedTraveler]

For everyone attending the opening tonight, a "beg" here for photos. I won't be attending until tomorrow night. D-Day (Drive Day) is here!

Check out my flickr Photo Stream...uploading them now.

Edited April 7, 2006 by RestedTraveler

[RestedTraveler]

Opening Night was FANTASTIC!

There was lots of pomp and ceremony before the game, as one might expect for an innagural game at a new ballpark such as this. Geoff Hart from WYFF-4 was our host for these ceremonies. Greenville Mayor Knox White was there as well as the City Manager, Jim Bourey, and most of City Council. The owners and management of the Drive were there, of course. Richard from "Flip This House" was there with his kid and a small film crew following him around. They got in line behind me at the concession stand and I pulled out my camera and then realized how rude I was being, so I quickly put it away. I've been on the other side of that lens and didn't much care for it, myself, so I know what he was probably thinking of me at that moment. Bad RT!

There was great side entertainment both before and throughout the game, although I didn't see Reedy Rip'it anywhere. Shoeless joe hit a rocket out of the park and lit up the scoreboard before the game. Mayor White threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The first home run ever hit at West End Field was hit by a player on the Columbus Catfish; however, the Drive prevailed 6-1 on the strength of some great pitching and a pitching meltdown in one inning from the Catfish.

I've uploaded some photos to my flickr Photo Stream, if anyone wants to go have a look. I may post a few of the better ones online here, too.

EDIT: The only thing I did notice that was bad tonight were the lines for the concession stands. This was, in part, I believe because nobody was walking up and down the aisles in each seating section offering sodas, beer, pretzels, cotton candy, peanuts, hot dogs, etc. to those who were seated. If I were the Drive, I'd seriously consider providing this to stave off the huge lines.

Edited April 7, 2006 by RestedTraveler

[Fiddlestix]

I didn't see Reedy Rip'it anywhere

Thanks for the update. I had a ticket and couldn't go. As for Reedy Rip'it, he (she? it?) will be unveiled on April 20 -- according to their promotional calendar (not the schedule, not the HTML promotional calendar, but the .pdf file). If you thought TONIGHT was big, you just wait for our very own poor man's Kermit to come a courtin'! (In fact, I bet that's when Theo Epstein will be in town....)

[krazeeboi]

Congrats to Greenville for a successful opening night with the new team! Can't wait to see pictures of the developments that will pop up in that part of downtown in the near future.

[NYTransplant]

Here's a few photos, I will try to get more up later.

I ended up with a great seat! Third row, just to the left of home plate. The only thing I had to contend with was the screen in front of me as you can see from the photos. I also had to bump my ISO up to 1600 with the (cheap and slow) long lens I had, so all the pictures are quite soft and grainy.

Shoeless Joe walking up to home plate.

Shoeless Joe hits one out of the park

The Drive lineup

Batter Up!

Edited April 7, 2006 by NYTransplant

[NYTransplant]

Here's a poorly stiched panorama, but you get the idea.

[gs3]

Thanks for the great pictures guys and for the update on opening night RT! Sounds like it was great event! Can't wait for my chance to see it all tonight!

[gs3]

Here's a poorly stiched panorama, but you get the idea.

Excellent photo NYT! Thanks! Love the New York Life sign glowing on top of the Fieldhouse. From the angle of your photo, it definitely feels very Fenway.

[TREY]

Very cool

[RestedTraveler]

Shoeless Joe hits one out of the park

Wow, you did get a great seat, NYT! I LOVE this photo.

I somehow managed to be late on the draw on this one.

[breed]

EDIT: The only thing I did notice that was bad tonight were the lines for the concession stands. This was, in part, I believe because nobody was walking up and down the aisles in each seating section offering sodas, beer, pretzels, cotton candy, peanuts, hot dogs, etc. to those who were seated. If I were the Drive, I'd seriously consider providing this to stave off the huge lines.

Overall, I'd say the game was a great experience... I'm embarassed to admit I got chills from the Shoeless Joe event. Pretty cool.

Just one comment on the lines... Given the fact that it was a capacity crowd, only had four of the six concession stands open, and there were no vendors, it wasn't too bad. I waited about in line for about an inning and a half, which is not good. But, it is still better than Municipal stadium, at which I've waited more than four innings at a time waiting for concessions during a game that was significantly less than capacity.

[Fiddlestix]

But, it is still better than Municipal stadium, at which I've waited more than four innings at a time waiting for concessions during a game that was significantly less than capacity.

WHOA! FOUR innings? You either have kids you love dearly, a date you wanted to get another beer into, or one hardcore appetite! Seriously...the concessions staff just had their orientation on Tuesday, last night was their opening night, too, without any spring training or dry runs (as the Open House events were too different). This is one of those areas where I think the scheduling worked in their favor. They get 4 cracks at putting it all together and then there's a decent road trip for them to work it on out. I thought the Sally League had screwed them by not allowing them a few extra days to get it together by starting them out on the road. The reality is, that would have only extended the construction time and it wouldn't have helped the game day personnel get their act together. A short opening homestand is the way to help the team have as much success as possible -- in terms of improving the overall fan experience that the team is marketing.

EDIT: Hey, what exactly happened with Shoeless Joe? I see the picture, but what happened? I also see THIS -- bringing in an actor portraying Jackson to have an at-bat -- being far more offensive to the MLB and MiLB ban than naming the team the Joes. They also had a Jackson bobblehead night last year. While I'm one of those who believe that Jackson knew how to count (even if he couldn't read) and that he was in on the fix while the fix was on, I find the continuation of the lifetime ban well beyond his death to be absurd. Even if he remains permanently ineligible for the Hall, who -- besides fans of the game -- do they think they're punishing by not allowing a Single A team to be named after him? Surely not Jackson. And if it lets Pete Rose imagine that one day, after he's dead and gone, a minor league team might be named after him, so what? Well, they got this Jackson ban figured out. Too bad they haven't put as much energy into banning steroids.... (end of rant)

Edited April 7, 2006 by Fiddlestix

[gs3]

Just one comment on the lines... Given the fact that it was a capacity crowd, only had four of the six concession stands open, and there were no vendors, it wasn't too bad.

Do they plan to add the roaming vendors in the future? That's a big part of the experience to me. "Peanuts, Peanuts" "Red Hots, Red Hots"

[goodbye]

...Hey, what exactly happened with Shoeless Joe? I see the picture, but what happened?...

"Wow" is all I could say yesterday after the opening sequence. It was absolutely perfect for Greenville-lovers. The Shoeless Joe Jackson sequence was a replay of the scene in the movie 'Field of Dreams,' where Jackson steps through a misty cornfield onto the ballfield and closely looks it all over before smashing a homerun. In this case, he entered through a door in the bottom of the Green Monster (left field wall), and his homerun sent two rockets on a beeline over the center field wall where a couple simultaneous bursts shot into the air. It was incredible! I completely agree with breed that it sent chills down my spine also. If this was repeated before every night home game, I would strongly consider going to every one.

As for problems, I noticed several, but they are to be expected as this all came together at such a rapid pace.