Back to page 1
The Design
So what is BB&T Ballpark like once you’re inside the gates?
 |
If you’re like most fans, you’ll enter through the outfield entryway where the ticket windows are located. The outfield concourse truly represents the park’s wide-open spaces … and if you rush forward from the gates to see what the main seating bowl looks like, you’ll see a scene like the one in the photo above.
Immediately to your right is an expansive plot of ground (12,000 square feet, to be exact) devoted to activities for the younger set. Between that and the playing field is a huge, open concrete pit (below right). “Inside the gates, only one part of the ballpark isn’t finished,” said Lassiter, referring to the massive hole with concrete sides. “In the original plans, this was supposed to be where the bullpens would be (stacked, like in Baltimore or Anaheim). After construction started, though, we saw that it was a little too ‘big league’ for our Minor League ballpark, so we decided to move the bullpens to the sides of the field along the foul lines. That’s great for the fan experience anyway.”
What will go in the big concrete space? When fans come to Dash games in 2011, they’ll find a large tiki bar there, something that is all the rage in new minor league and spring-training parks. By the way, the only grass berm in the park is next to this area. I like the way it wraps around the left-field foul pole, plus they did a nice job of making it sufficiently steep, which is not the case in a number of Minor League parks.
  |
Almost beneath the huge scoreboard in right-center field are four sections of “Home Run Porch” seats (above left). It’s important to note that there aren’t bleachers here, like there are in most other parks’ outfields. In fact, there are no bleachers to be found at BB&T Ballpark at all, and I give the Dash high marks for this.
Connecting this area to the main concourse is a structure they call “the bridge,” which isn’t only functional, it provides a very nice vantage point of the field (see the first picture in The Essentials section below). Note how short the outfield fence is below the bridge in the background of the left-hand shot above. I asked Alex Vispoli, the team’s broadcaster, about this fence, because I feared that many a right fielder had tumbled over it head first. He told me that no injuries or “blooper” type mishaps had happened there, but a number of balls that perhaps could’ve been caught had bounced over that short wall. One suspects that the right fielders have been overly cautious in that corner, knowing that a calamity could befall them if they hit that low fence at full speed.
Between the bridge and the infield concourse is the Blue Rhino Backyard picnic area (below left). Groups of up to 275 can reserve this tiered area. Note the servicing area for their food is down on the level of the field, away from the hustle and bustle of most of the fan traffic above.
  |
Another group area — although one that is much more exclusive — is the dugout suite. It can accommodate either one group of 20 or two groups of ten, and it is right on the field between the backstop and the first-base dugout. As I’ve said in previous reviews, I’m not crazy about VIP seating sections that are physically separated from the rest of the stands, but almost every new park seems to have them. Not only does chopping up the seating area like this dampen the aesthetics, it also provides unique challenges for the architects. As John Eyler, a principal at 360, told me, “The seating bowl in Winston-Salem is an interesting and complicated one, with many unique premium and specialty seating areas.”
The concourse within the main seating bowl, though, is simply excellent, as restrooms, permanent concession stands and food kiosks are intelligently spaced (above right). Not only is its ceiling quite high above you, the concourse is open to the field almost all the way around. The exception is for an area containing the “control room” for the stadium’s scoreboards and TV production, and the temporary home for the souvenir shop. The latter is certainly in an unusual spot, because you wouldn’t expect it to offer windows where you can keep track of the game, and you most certainly don’t expect to find the the home and visitor radio booths actually located within the square footage of the store (the doors to the booths are on the left side of the left-hand shot below). Vispoli explained to me that once the five-story commercial building is completed in the outfield, the souvenir shop will be moved to its ground floor, making it accessible even when no game is going on. The space now occupied by shirts and caps will become the permanent press box. Accessing the radio booths through this area will be a lot more logical then.
A nice aspect of the control room and what will become the press box is that there are windows that allow fans on the main concourse to look at the proceedings within (below right). I like this, as your average fan never gets to see these areas because they are usually tucked away on an upper level.
  |
And what’s on this ballpark’s upper level? A lot.
In the center of this level is the aforementioned Womble Carlyle Club, available only to members of the “Founders Club.” Here you’ll find a beautifully decorated dining-and-drinking area (below left). Tucked at the back of this 5,000-square-foot space is a gorgeous bar area (below right). Outside of the windows — that is, outside the air conditioning — are several rows of seating that I think represent the best vantage point in the park.
  |
Also on the upper level are 16 luxury suites — two of which are rented on a single-game basis — and party decks at each end. Extending from the roof of this level is a very nice overhang. I’m always a fan of those!
When I asked 360’s Eyler about other design elements, he was quick to point out that “the light standards are integrated into the building for a cleaner look.” Indeed, until he mentioned it, I hadn’t even noticed that the bottom portion of the infield towers completely blend in with the rest of the structure.
The last point I want to make is that the color scheme used throughout the park is very attractive. Perhaps influenced by Camden Yards, most brick ballparks have ubiquitous dark-green seats (so common that I abbreviate them UDG in my ballpark report card) and exposed steel girders painted a similar green. Here, though, the steel is painted “a warm, dark brownish-gray,” according to Eyler, and from my perspective, it works very well.
As does just about everything about the design at BB&T Ballpark. 360 Architecture and CJMW drew up the plans for a beautiful park, and Samet did a great job (under some very trying circumstances, especially in 2009) coordinating its construction. “It was a team effort for sure,” said Eyler.
The Essentials
So it took an extra year for the ballpark to be completed, but it turned out beautifully. Is the Dash’s gameday experience up to the level of the stadium, though?
 |
Let’s first examine what it costs to attend a Dash game. If you park in one of the “paid” lots closest to the main entrance, it will cost you $5. Keep in mind that for weekend games, a free shuttle will bring you to the park from garages and lots within the central business district.
Tickets vary widely, from $60 apiece for a spot in one of the dugout suites to $7 to sit on the berm. Reserved seats in the main bowl cost $13 for box seats in the infield, $11 for the sections behind 1B and 3B, and $9 for the last sections down each foul line. The Home Run Porch seats in right field also cost $9. Note that the Dash also offers a long list of full-season, half-season and partial-season plans, some that include food, and some that don’t. “We have a seat for everybody,” Lassiter told me. “You can build the best ballpark in America, but for that ballpark to be successful, the people have to want to come to your games.” Indeed, there are plenty of seating options here.
While we’re talking about the cost of admission, let me point out that groups of at least 20 can reserve spots in the Blue Rhino Backyard or the Home run porch for $25 per person — and that includes food and a ballcap for everyone in the group. The upper level party decks cost $1,800 for a group of 50, and include food. The dugout suites and their food cost $600 for a group of ten. The only thing that is shocking to me is that the Founders Club, which includes parking, a fantastic seat (below right), access to the Club lounge, an upscale buffet, and all the soda, beer and wine you can consume, costs only $30 per person per game. And that’s whether you buy it for a full season, half season or partial season. Oh, I guess I should point out that the Founders Club is completely sold out. At only $30 a game, it’s no wonder.
  |
It’s nice that you don’t have to pay for a program here. The Dash produce a free publication called PlayBall! that has rosters and player profiles. Souvenirs cost about what you would expect at a new ballpark like this. Fitted caps are $28 and adjustable ones are $20. T-shirts for adults cost $20 and for kids $15. My favorite novelty item, lapel pins, are $6. And unlike in Eugene that also has its souvenirs in temporary quarters, the Dash’s store (above left) is air-conditioned and attractive.
“But what about the food?” you undoubtedly want to know. Well, it does not disappoint … and a big reason for this is that the company with the concessions contract here is Legends Hospitality. Why does that sound familiar? It’s because you undoubtedly saw the news reports when the NY Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys announced a joint venture for the food service for their new stadiums. That venture is Legends. “We’re the first Minor League team outside the Yankees’ organization to get to have Legends,” Lassiter told me proudly.
And he should be proud, because this is a very good thing for Dash fans. In addition to the standard hamburgers ($5), hot dogs ($3) and chicken tenders ($7), they also feature an outstanding BBQ pork sandwich (that uses vinegar in what the locals call “Lexington style” for $5) on the third-base side. Around on the first-base side, there’s perhaps the best hot dog stand I’ve ever encountered.
Here, for $4.50 you’ll get one of the best dogs you’ve ever eaten. They feature Chicago Dogs that are topped by seven different ingredients (“Fans from out of town always tell us that our Chicago Dog is a true Chicago Dog,” said one of the servers at the stand) and a culinary masterpiece called a Carolina Dog. This offers a Vienna Beef Hot Dog on a steamed poppy-seed bun, topped with (in order) mustard, chili, slaw and chopped onions. It is indescribably good, and it was completely consumed within about 30 seconds of the photo below being taken.
  |
Nearby is a clever stand with different flavors of popcorn that you can mix and match in a bag for $4.25.
And to wash it all down, beer is $5.00, whether it’s on tap (Natty Greene’s seem to be the prevalent brand) or from a can.
So the food and drink is reasonably priced and of excellent quality. The Dash made an great decision when they went with Legends.
As mentioned, there is a huge fenced-in play area (with extra netting to keep batting-practice home runs out) featuring inflatable attractions and the same merry-go-round that thrilled youngsters for years at Ernie Shore Field (above right).
   |
There is a 185-foot-long ribbon board on the left-field wall that can show ads, which helps cut down on clutter on the other outfield fences. The main scoreboard is a beauty, with a 40-by-28-foot high-resolution video screen over the standard three lines of game info (above left).
The ballpark features a lot of what I like to call “nice touches” — things that aren’t essential, but that really add a lot to a fan’s experience. One example is a timeline of the history of baseball in the Winston-Salem area (above center), starting with the city’s first pro team in 1905. Note the beautiful masonry retaining wall — not ugly concrete — that the timeline blades are attached to. Also, all around the main concourse are write-ups of significant figures in the area’s baseball past, such as Earl Weaver, the star second baseman on the 1950 Winston-Salem Cards (above right). The timeline, posters of historical figures, ads by corporate sponsors and even the signs directing fans to their seats were designed by 360 Architecture Graphic Design Studio. Their goal was to create “historical images with classic, timeless text and fonts,” Eyler noted, adding, “It is all well integrated into the project.” I’ll say!
Yes, there’s a lot to enhance the game-day experience for those attending Dash games!
Summary
I was certainly glad that there were a lot of “nice touches” around BB&T Ballpark for me to study, because I had to wait out a lengthy rain delay the evening I visited Winston-Salem. Unfortunately, the wet stuff didn’t stop, and the contest was washed out after two innings. While this is a shame because I wasn’t able to photograph everything I wanted to (and the damp air caused what I did shoot to lack sharpness), it was a blessing in disguise. Why? Because I was able to have an excellent visit with the personable president of the Dash (Geoff Lassiter — many thanks to him by the way), and to scrutinize the impressive food at his park!
 |
I guess I’ll have to wait until another time to take in an “official game” at BB&T Ballpark … but that wait is nothing compared to what the baseball fans of Winston-Salem had to endure to see their new ballyard completed.
Despite many screams that they would never set foot in the place once it opened, I’m thankful that many relented. Those who didn’t are missing out on a whale of a facility. If I could give them one piece of advice, it would be this: dash on over to BB&T Ballpark and take in a game. It really was worth the wait.