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The Essentials
So the locals in Billings were thrilled to have a new park. After all, it had been 60 years since the last ballpark debut here, when Cobb Field opened in 1948.
But what kind of game-day experience did the fans encounter when coming to the new jewel of central Montana?
First, they probably encountered the fact that the small parking lot beyond right field at the ballpark isn’t nearly sufficient to accommodate all of the cars coming to the games. That sends fans scouting around the surrounding neighborhood to parking along the streets.
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Fans who enter the park at the main entryway behind home plate are greeted by two beautiful statues. “Home town boy makes good” pitcher Dave McNally is enshrined in bronze on the entry plaza (above left), and legendary amateur baseball coach Ed Bayne is shown imparting some of sage baseball wisdom on the right.
They also encountered fairly reasonable ticket prices. While the ubiquitous dark-green seats directly behind home plate cost $9, those behind the dugouts are only $7, and those farther down the foul lines are an incredibly reasonable $5. If you find yourself in the bleachers down the right-field line (bleachers, I should point out, that were salvaged from Cobb Field), then your price for admission was only $4. There is a grassy berm area all the way down the line near the right-field foul pole (below left), and if you’re content to sit down on the grass, general admission for either kids or adults is $3 — or half the price of GA tickets at the new Double-A ballpark in Northwest Arkansas. Because Billings’ right-field berm “faces” center field, your view of home plate isn’t the best, though.
And if you are anywhere on the first-base side of the ballpark, your view of the famous rim rocks will be excellent (below right). Note that since Billings’ airport is located on top of that plateau, you get the added benefit of watching planes take off and land.
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There are two main concession stands at the park, located behind first base and third base. They are appropriately named “First and Third.” The fare at these stands is astonishingly affordable. Johnsonville-brand hot dogs are only $2.00, and popcorn and peanuts are only $1.50 each. Regular sized sodas are only $2.25, and they’ll refill your cup for just a dollar!
While the lines at the stands were fairly long on Opening Night (a common occurrence at a park’s very first game), fans will be happy to know that about twice as many employees are working at the stands this year as last year at Cobb Field.
There is a small store, a little nicer than the average one in the Pioneer League, behind home plate. As is the case with the food items, the prices of the team apparel and souvenirs are incredibly reasonable. T-shirts are only $15, and for kids they are $11. My favorite souvenir, lapel pins, are only $3 — and I see them running $8 to $10 at big-league parks.
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The scoreboard is certainly as nice as any in the league. There is a color video screen atop a standard three-line board. Along the bottom is a one-line message board that provides the time and temperature.
The public-address system is very good, as high-quality speakers are scattered throughout the park. This makes for excellent sound quality in all seating sections and the concourses.
There’s no playground for the younger fans, but there is a designated area in center field where inflatable attractions will be set up. None were available on Opening Night due to the weather.
Finally, it was nice to see that there are some nice touches in the park that weren’t necessary, but are quite welcomed … but don’t worry, they aren’t ostentatious! For instance, the fences above the outfield walls have ledges (above center) where fans can set their food and drinks while watching the action.
When I asked architect David Juranek what aspect of the park made him most proud, his reply said it all: “That we delivered what the people here wanted.”
Summary
Despite miserable weather, Dehler Park made its debut to the delight of the locals on July 1. Unlike other ballpark openings I’ve been to in recent years, there was a minimum of pomp and circumstance prior to the game. There were no parades, no speeches by politicians and no flyovers by Air Force jets. The Mustangs’ very first pitch, free from fanfare, is shown below.
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I couldn’t help but think about another ballpark’s first game a year earlier, when the Arkansas Travelers opened Dickey-Stephens Park after 75 years at venerable Ray Winder Field. That evening, long-time general manager Bill Valentine was simply deservedly beaming, because he had put so much blood, sweat and tears into the new facility.
The reason I was reminded of this was because there is an individual who also worked long and hard to bring a new ballpark to Billings. Unfortunately, he wasn’t there to see its Opening Night. Bob Wilson, who became president of the Mustangs in 1974 and its full-time GM in 1985, passed away June 25, 2008.
I’ve read many things about Bob, including that he would routinely give away tickets to kids who couldn’t afford them, just so they could see the game he loved so much. Not only did Bob make an unforgettable mark on Billings, his impact on the sport was felt far and wide. The team that wins the Pioneer League title each year is awarded the Bob Wilson Championship Trophy. At baseball’s winter meetings in New Orleans in 2003, he was officially named “The King of Baseball.” And very appropriately, Mustangs players are wearing a commemorative patch in honor of Bob on their uniforms this year.
It should come as no surprise that Bob served on the design team that helped determine what Dehler Park would look like. Considering how it turned out — wonderful without being overstated (which is also an apt description of Bob) — I think he would be thrilled with the results.