Reviews

 July 31, 2010

Nettleton Stadium


Chico - Chico Outlaws


Sunday, August 17, 2008

League:  Golden Baseball

Class:  Independent

Affiliation:  None

Stadium Built:  1997

 

Ticket Prices:  $6 to $14.00

Parking: $4.00 if you are on time.  Free if you’re late.

Address:  800 College Drive, Chico, CA 95926

 

Directions: (Side note: this stadium is hard to find and it is not very visible.  Give yourself extra time if you want to be there for the opening pitch.)

From Highway 99: Take the First Avenue exit.  Head west on First Avenue to Warner Street.  Turn left on Warner Street.  College Drive (the entrance to the stadium) with be on your right, about 1,000 feet off of Sacramento Avenue.  If you get to First Street, you have gone too far.

Food:  ***Food is good with a decent selection.  Being the home of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Chico doesn’t take beer lightly, so expect a good selection of brews as well.  Before the 2008 season, Chico hired an outside company to handle food concessions.  That has meant an increase in service, but also an increase in prices.

Review:

One of the more out of the way locals for a baseball game, Chico, nevertheless is perhaps the city most dedicated to independent baseball.  The Chico Heat proved to be the most successful of the defunct Western Baseball League, and the Outlaws are proving to be the same for the Golden Baseball League.  Of course the reputation of Chico as a great city for minor league baseball was no secret, and the GBL was counting heavily on Chico’s success when launching the league in 2005.

For its size, and considering this is sub-Triple A minor league baseball, the field is not that close to the stands.  As you enter the stadium, you also have to wonder about the large entryways on the first base and third base lines that seem to sacrifice some of the best areas for baseball viewing.  The backstop also has large poles that can block portions of your view if you happen to sit in the wrong location.  At my first visit, I sat in a seat where my view of the pitcher was perfectly blocked by this pole, and I only saw the pitcher during his follow through.

These negatives are more than made up by the real charm of Nettleton Stadium, the fans.  They are both knowledgeable and dedicated, and everyone seems to enjoy being at the game.  This is not just something to do on a Friday night.  Baseball fans in Chico go to Outlaw games (or at least the ones from Chico-Chico is a college town many out-of-towners who may not be privy to this requirement).

One of the most fun aspects of Nettleton Stadium is the trains that race through the outfield.  Well, actually, just beyond the outfield.  I can’t really explain what is so fun about seeing a locomotive race along just beyond the fence; you have to experience it for yourself.  If you go to Nettleton Stadium, you will.  I am certainly not alone in this observation, the stadium staff hold up signs to say the “TRAIN!” cheer every time one comes through, which, of course, only adds to the charm.

Pluses:  Knowledgeable fans.  Good food. 

Minus:  Hard to find.  View of game not as good as many lower minor league stadiums.

Quirky intangibles:  Train racing through the outfield every few innings.

Tips:  Give yourself plenty of time to get to the game; this stadium is hard to find.


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