Monongalia County Ballpark – page 2

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The Design

The way Monongalia County Ballpark is perched on a hillside not only provides an exceptional view of the valley beyond, it also dictated many of the design decisions. And those decisions worked out very well … but there was one conscious decision that puzzled me. More on that in a minute.

But first, let’s look back at the very beginning of the design process for the park.

In the original drawings of the ballpark by Populous, there was a tower that was a story taller than the one that holds the elevator behind 1B in the finished ballpark. The top of the structure would’ve had a huge “flying WV” (WVU’s distinctive logo) that would’ve been seen for miles.

The reason for the tower? “The original RFP (Request For Proposal) for the ballpark project contemplated a right of way for people parking in the Healthcare facility lot,” DLA+’s Haupt explained. A catwalk would’ve run from the lot to the top of the tower, with both steps and an elevator within the tower to take fans down one level to the suites or two levels down to the main concourse. “It would’ve conveyed the beauty of West Virginia with its bridges and hills.” Yes, that tower — while expensive — might’ve been the ballpark’s iconic, signature architectural feature … if only it had been built. Instead, Haupt said, the University wanted other things, including a significantly larger overhang that would cover more of the stands.

While I’m sure the fans who now sit under that overhang appreciate its presence — especially during the Black Bears’ rainy opening weekend — it’s too bad that the tower that was constructed is only two stories tall instead of three (see photo below left). That, however, is the park’s only design disappointment. What was built far outshines what wasn’t. It is an exceptionally nice ballpark.

Let’s look at the aspect of the design that is the most noteworthy: the seating bowl. It is simple in its approach. No separate luxury seats right behind the backstop. No club sections carved out of the regular seats. Just nine sections of seats clustered in the infield … and built at a pitch that is a good bit steeper than at most ballparks. That seemed logical to me, since the facility was built into a hillside.

The primary byproduct of doing this is inescapable: intimacy. With seats bunched in the infield, and with them seemingly right on top of the playing field, the sense of intimacy is fantastic. This is in contrast to West Virginia’s other Class A ballpark in Charleston, where there are far fewer rows, but those rows stretch almost from foul pole to foul pole. Nice park, but with less intimacy than in Granville.

The seats themselves are a little unusual, although Populous’ Allee assured me that we are likely to see this more and more at new parks. Each armless, plastic seat is bolted onto aluminum benches (above right). In other words, if the plastic seats weren’t there, this would look like the seating at a football stadium where there are miles of silver-colored benches on which you’d sit. When you’re sitting in the seats in Mon County Ballpark, though, the lack of arms gives you a liberating sense of spaciousness, both side-to-side and between you and the seat in front of you. That’s good. However, when someone in the middle of your row wants to get to the aisle, that sense of spaciousness disappears. That’s because these plastic chairs don’t have seats that fold up the way standard ballpark or arena seats do. That makes it somewhat difficult for fans to get into and out of their seats when they have to struggle their way past other spectators, despite the generous legroom you enjoy when you’re sitting.

At the rear of the seats is a nice, wide concourse. Like most newer ballparks, the concourse is “open,” meaning you can see the action on the field when you’re walking to a concession stand or restroom. This is a good thing, because the concourse needs to be able to accommodate fans with standing-room/general-admission tickets — and upwards of 1,000 such tickets could be sold for any one game.

Originally it was conceived that grassy berms down both lines would allow families to bring blankets and watch games from the embankments. Well, the hillsides are there, but they ended up being far too steep to sit on, much less to try to walk up and down. Therefore, the berms were closed to fans during WVU’s games and for Opening Night for the Black Bears. That was a shame, but for safety’s sake, it was a good idea.

The reason the berms turned out to be so steep was because, after work had already started on the park, the decision was made to widen the concourse and create more foul territory. That put the squeeze on the berms. This space is just too close to the action to be permanently off limits, so the architects, WVU and the pro team are exploring permanent ways of making that space fully usable. One idea would be to “terrace” those embankments, making a series of flat steps using lumber. A great example of this is at Albuquerque’s ballpark, which has arguably the best outfield berms in the sport.

In the meantime, the least steep portion of the berms (the lower part of the one on the 3B side) is going to be open to fans the rest of the 2015 Black Bears season. The 1B berm, though, will be closed until at least 2016.

As mentioned above, the concourse begins at the gates next to the ticket-office building, wraps behind the seats and extends all the way to the right-field building. The concourse is especially wide where it runs parallel to the first-base line, resulting in the Premier Party Deck near the RF foul pole. I was told groups can reserve the space for pre-game functions, and once the game starts, anyone can make use of it. However, on Opening Night, there were concession tents (above right) and a stage for a Country band there. By the way, because of its elevation above the field, it’s a good place to watch the action.

The upper level of Mon County Ballpark is nothing short of spectacular. The first time I visited it, I’d just come from the grand opening of Nashville’s $47 million First Tennessee Park. Make no mistake about it — it’s a wonderful park and one can easily see why it cost so much money to build. But considering the difference in the level (AAA versus short-season A) and the price ($47M versus $22.5M), Mon Country’s upper level blows away the one in Music City. The Black Bears’ home has two luxury suites that are larger than typical ones at other parks (including the Majors) and one that is extra, extra large. The suites are on the 1B side of the upper level, and the press facilities are on the 3B side. They include four good-sized radio booths, an enormous TV booth, an area for scouts, a production room (for the scoreboard and sound) and an extra wide spot for the “working press.” Their space is especially impressive, and 12 or more writers can comfortably work there simultaneously. At Nashville, there was only room for six — and three of those were on a back row without a full view of the field.

Anyway, if you can somehow manage to catch a look at the upper level of Mon County Ballpark, I think you’ll be very impressed.

The early concept for Mon County Ballpark called for the locker rooms to be beneath the stands. This would’ve meant a lot more excavation of the hillside, especially since WVU and the Black Bears have to have separate clubhouses. Well, that whole idea was scrapped, and the team facilities ended up in the separate building beyond right field.

That building features separate clubhouses for WVU, for the Black Bears and for the visitors on the first level, and the upper level has office space for WVU’s baseball program and the Black Bears.

The outfield dimensions are fairly standard for college and pro teams, but the wall heights add some variety. The aforementioned Ticket Office building backs up to the left field wall (above left). The designers decided to let it determine the height of the fence, so for the 14-foot width of the building, the outfield wall is 16 feet high. Similarly, the outfield fence closest to the LF foul pole is also taller. All of the rest of the fencing is a uniform eight-feet tall, though.

As is the case with a growing number of college fields, the playing surface is artificial — and I mean all of the surface is artificial, except the pitcher’s mound. The turf is various shades of Astroturf 3D (above right), and the drainage system underneath it is excellent. In fact, about three hours before the Black Bears’ inaugural game, there was an absolute downpour, one that would’ve left lesser fields with lots of standing water — and a sure postponement. Not here, though.

Interestingly, it was the playing surface that caused WVU to have to move some of their early homes games in 2015. Particularly cold temps that winter left the ground absolutely frozen, making the installation of the artificial turf impossible. That pushed back the opening of the ballpark to April 10.

But there’s one aspect of the playing surface that is a mystery to me. While the green color of the field and medium brown of the warning track make sense, the color of the infield “skin” is a very dark chocolate brown. In some respects, it resembles a regular dirt infield that has just been doused with water. But why?

I asked a number of folks associated with both WVU and the Black Bears, and none knew for sure. One suggested that it was WVU Coach Mazey’s idea, since he was the one who selected the exact shades of the playing surface. As to why he chose such a dark color, no one knew.

Regardless, all aspects of Mon County Ballpark work together extremely well.

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The Essentials

Before we address the game-day experience, let’s look at the team’s nickname and logo. When the owners of the Jamestown Jammers (Rich Baseball, a branch of the frozen-food company Rich Products) decided to move to West Virginia, they approached the WVU Sports Management department to help them determine a new name. A team of grad students took on the task, and the Name The Team Contest they organized was promoted by the County Commissioners, major businesses in the area, press conferences and, of course, social media.

The contest generated over 2,500 suggestions, and in the end, 10,000 votes were cast — far exceeding the grad students’ expectations. The winner, of course, was Black Bears, as it is “West Virginia’s state animal and is a representation of the state’s determination and strength,” according to a release by the team.

As for colors, black was a natural choice, and since WVU’s colors (and, hence, the unofficial colors of the state) are blue and gold, those two shades were included as well. The gold and black are also the team colors of the parent Pirates. The result is pleasing combination of the three colors, and the official logo on the players’ caps has a bear in the foreground and a baseball nestled between mountain peaks beyond.

Team merchandise was put on sale during WVU baseball games in April and May, and judging from how a number of items sold out, local fans must’ve liked the colors and logo.

Once the pro games began in June, though, what was it like to attend a Black Bears game?

First, let me say that the game-day experience delivered by the team’s front office was nothing short of spectacular. I was stunned to see such a polished product at the team’s very first game, especially when the franchise brought only two front-office personnel from Jamestown. The rookie crew really pulled off a gem, from the pre-game entertainment, to the on-field ceremonies, to the slick video production on the scoreboard, to the between-innings events, to the efficiency of the concession stands, to the post-game fireworks.

So let’s take a closer look at what it’s like to attend a game at Mon County Ballpark.

While you can probably park for free up the hill at the Wal-Mart or the Healthcare building, it costs only $3 in the lot directly across the street from the park’s center field. Not only does this put you close to the ticket office, it also lets you experience the best view from a parking lot that you’re likely to encounter anywhere (below).

 If you purchase your tickets in advance, they will cost you $12 for the seating sections behind home plate and $10 for those behind the dugouts. Keep in mind there are no seats beyond the dugouts, just berms that are only partially accessible during the first season. General Admission tickets are $8. If you buy your tickets on the day of the game, all of those prices are $1 higher.

While these prices certainly aren’t outrageous, they are higher than the average in the New York Penn League, and represent a jump over the prices in Jamestown in 2014. I asked GM Drayer about this, and he very appropriately pointed out that booming, university-centric Morgantown is quite a different market than Jamestown. He also explained that when they were deciding the price points for the tickets, they looked at two things — the cost for other types of entertainment in Morgantown (like at the movie theaters right down the street) and at the big-market NY-Penn teams like Staten Island and Brooklyn. Fair enough.

The selection of concession items for a short-season-A team is truly impressive — and represented an enlargement of the menu offered at WVU’s games. WVU’s longtime food-service vendor Sodexo handles the duties for the Black Bears.

At the main stands on the concourse behind home plate, fans found the standard ballpark fare like hot dogs ($4), burgers and fries ($8), tenders and fries ($9), chicken sandwiches and fries ($8), pizza ($8) as well as nachos, peanuts, popcorn and so forth. But there is some non-standard fare, too, like an excellent WV Dog ($6) that is covered with slaw, onions, mustard and most importantly, local favorite Custard’s Chili (below left). And if there’s a “national” food item of northern West Virginia, it has to be the pepperoni roll. The brand served at the ballpark is Julia’s Pepperoni Rolls ($5), and even though they are prepared in advance and are served in plastic wrappers, they are soft, fresh and delicious. A must-have food item at Black Bears games. There’s even a “loaded” version of the rolls covered with Custard’s Chili for a dollar more.

There is a food court of sorts down the RF line. Here you’ll find pulled pork sandwiches with chips ($8), a pair of sliders with chips ($6), brats ($6) and the ballpark’s craft beers ($7). Regular drafts are $6, by the way. The main stands also have cute 8.4-ounce cans of wine for $7.

Directly behind home plate is a spot that will satisfy your sweet tooth. In addition to Dippin’ Dots (that you find at a majority of Minor League parks), you can buy a “Bear Claw” for $6.50. This pastry not only has a clever tie-in with the team name, it comes with hand-dipped ice cream (your choice of flavor) and syrup. It is an incredibly tasty combination (above left).

Lara Bealko has been the General Manager for Sodexo’s Morgantown efforts for the past 11 years, and she told me, “We really tried to add a local flavor to our concessions for the Black Bears. We’re also aware that families come to these games, and we wanted our food to appeal to the entire family.”

The team sells a combination program/yearbook for $5. No, the glossy magazine doesn’t have pictures of the players (because the roster was finalized a matter of hours before the beginning of the season), but it does include a paper insert with both teams’ rosters and the same insight into that day’s game that is provided to the media upstairs in the pressbox.

There is a nice, enclosed souvenir shop (below), with more team merchandise than you’ll usually find at this level (although I would’ve liked to have seen more children’s apparel) — but the store’s two points of sale were insufficient for a high-traffic game like opening night, making the lines pretty long.

The merchandise is priced at about what you’d expect for a brand-new team in a brand-new ballpark. Men’s t-shirts were $19.99 and $21.99, sweatshirts were $34.99, polos were $60 and a replica uniform top was $79.99. Fitted caps were $29.99, while adjustable caps ran $24.99 and $21.99 for youth caps. Youth t-shirts were a reasonable $14.99.

The high-def video screen (below left) was nicer than you’d expect at short-season ball, while the stadium’s sound system was excellent.

Opening night also featured the introduction of the team mascot (below right), complete with professional video footage. He is, of course, a bear, and his name is Cooper — a name that wouldn’t mean much to folks outside of the area, but Coopers Rock is a wonderful geological feature just east of Morgantown that offers a view that’s almost as spellbinding as from the ballpark.

Games and contests between innings were well-thought-out, and the young lady who acted as on-field host for these was quite endearing.

I asked Kevin Berry, a parent and the Associate Director at WVU Alumni Association HQ in Morgantown, if he liked the atmosphere. “What a fun night! It’s obvious to me that Rich Baseball is focused on providing a great experience for fans of all ages,” he replied. “Between the game and the in-game entertainment, they engage you from the moment you walk in the stadium until the moment you leave.  Something like this is long overdue here. My family and I will be back frequently.”

That’s what the Black Bears’ ownership wants to hear!

All told, the game-day experience was in mid-season form on Opening Night. It should keep families like the Berrys returning to Mon County Ballpark for many seasons to come … especially since the caliber of play should be really intriguing. For instance, when the Black Bears took the field on June 19, 2015, seven of the top ten players the Pirates chose in the just-completed amateur draft were in uniform, as was Pittsburgh’s overall #1 prospect. Many of the players, in fact, were playing their first professional game. That’s fun stuff.

It was a very grand opening indeed! Friday June 19, 2015 marked the inaugural game for the West Virginia Black Bears. Not only did a sold-out crowd brave threatening skies, they were treated to a stunning Opening Night. The always-entertaining Pat O’Conner, President of Minor League Baseball, welcomed the fans (above left). Kent Tekulve, pitching hero of the World Series-winning Pirates of ’79, side-armed the ceremonial first pitch (above right). The color guard was ready for the National Anthem (lower left). Black Bears’ GM Matt Drayer held two prized possessions: the ball used for the very first pitch in Black Bears history; the ball used by Tekulve (and signed by him) for the ceremonial first pitch (lower right).

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Summary

I was surprised when I learned that the Morgantown area had never tasted pro baseball before — not even when West Virginia fielded teams in the Interstate League (1913), the Middle Atlantic League (the 1920s), the Blue Ridge League (also the 1920s), the Mountain State League (the 1930s) or the modern day Appalachian League. Not even in the West Virginia League that lasted half a season in 1910!

But the NY Penn League seems to have taken a foothold in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. As a West Virginia native, I couldn’t be happier.

There’s no denying the breathtaking nature of the view across the expansive valley that’s visible from Monongalia County Ballpark. It’s worth coming to Granville, West Virginia to see it for yourself. I think you’ll agree that this place deserves to be named our 2015 Ballpark of the Year.

And if you figure out why the color of the infield is such a dark brown, would you please let me know?

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Please share your thoughts on this fine ballpark or on the review!