Author's Blog

January 7, 2009

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Northwest Stadiums - Day 8 Yakima County Stadium

Day 8 took me to Yakima County Stadium, home of the Yakima Bears.  Like Spokane the night before, this one is located on a local fairgrounds, so able parking was available.  Yakima charged $4 for parking, however, while Spokane’s parking was free.

The stadium is much smaller than the other Northwest League Stadiums I have been too.  I wondered how that would translate in attendance compared to the 7000 that were at the Spokane game the nigh before.  My first clue was the ticket windows, small with two people working both ticket sells and will call.  The next clue was a very pleasant picnic area, in the concession area behind the right side of the stadium.  The tables were clean with a pot of flowers adorning each one.  These tables were located on green lush grass, however, the likes of which couldn’t service the day to day of a stadium like Municipal Stadium in San Jose or Rancho Cucamonga.

Inside the crowd actually seemed larger than I anticipated based upon my entry to the stadium, but perhaps that was because of the smaller stadium.  Maybe a 1000 showed up for a Sunday afternoon game.  Sometimes you can just tell when a team doesn’t have a large local following, and this was just the case.  Further research upon returning to my hotel revealed that indeed, the Bears have the lowest attendance in the league (based on 2006 attendance figures), by a lot if not for the nearly equally poor draw the Tri-City Dust Devils have (my game for Day 9).

The stadium has one of the strangest entries to your seats.  Instead of entering through the traditional tunnels or gaps between stands, one has to climb a staircase to get to your seat.  Ramps at either end and an elevator in the middle of the stadium help those who have difficulty climbing stairs.   Even those without the nosebleed seats (and in a stadium this small, none of the seats are nosebleed) must feel like must face the daunt of climbing these stairs every time they have to use the restroom or get some concessions, which are all located outside the stadium.  I have to wonder if this hurts concession sales any.

Inside, the stadium reminds be both of Recreation Park in Visalia, and Pecolle Stadium in Reno.  The stadium reminds me of Recreation Park because you fee as if you are sitting above the action no matter your vantage point.  The effect is not as dramatic primarily because you are not as close, but with the first row of seats about 8 to 9 feet above the playing surface, the similarities are there.  The stadium reminds me of Reno’s stadium because of the aluminum benches and blue box seats that dominate throughout.  Not quite as industrial feeling as Pecolle, but similarities are there.

The pride of Yakima County Stadium is a small video board installed during the last offseason.  The Bears website even shows a “New Scoreboard Watch” showing the various stages of construction.  Given the hype, I expected a bit more.  First, the video board is small.  Second, the colors on display where not very good.  If I did not know this was a new board, I would have suspected that it had been there since the stadium was constructed in 1993.  On the plus side, the graphics used where impression given a first year experience.  Also, this is the only video board in the Northwest League, so I have to give the team credit for that.  Unfortunately, they may have adapted Modesto’s habit of relying on the video board for inter-inning entertainment, as much of the field contest where absent.  While the video board may be exciting for the folks in the front office, I am not sure it will help fill seats.  Engaging fans during the breaks, however, just might.

In all, I would have to say that Yakima was a pleasant experience.  The picnic area made for a relaxing meal, even more so as prices at the concession stands where the best I’ve seen in the Northwest (only $2.25 for a hotdog!).  I also have to say the sparse crowd was a welcome break.  Of course, I needed a break after chasing my daughter up and down those stairs.

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