MGM Park – page 2

Back to page 1

---

The Design

Leigh Jaunsen of Dale Partners explained to me that MGM Park wasn’t their first baseball project. “We did Trustmark Park when Tim Bennett was successful in bringing the (Atlanta) Braves’ team from South Carolina to Pearl, Mississippi,” she explained. “We then worked with Tim when he started trying to bring baseball to Biloxi about ten years ago. We’re always interested in working on projects that will bring economic development to an area” — especially when that area is where Dale has its offices!

It’s natural to compare Trustmark Park to MGM Park since the same architects did both, but in reality, they don’t resemble each other very much. That’s because the field is below street level in Pearl and is at (or a little above) street level in Biloxi. “We had an excavated seating bowl at Trustmark, while here we actually build the field up,” she said. “Here the field has an elevation of exactly 21 feet (above sea level), which is the minimum allowed to meet flood-zone requirements. By comparison, Highway 90 is at about 10 feet.”

So there was no excavation here. To the contrary, the raised stands and upper deck give the ballpark quite a tall profile.

Another major difference between Pearl’s park and Biloxi’s is the upper level. The Mississippi Braves’ stadium has a free-standing upper level, which means the main concourse at the rear of the seating bowl runs directly underneath the pressbox and suites of the second level. I’m sure there are ample engineering and architectural reasons why this wasn’t feasible at MGM Park, but it’s a shame this couldn’t be done here. Not only would it have prevented the seats of the upper level from being set as far back from the field, it would’ve provided tremendously more cover from the wind and rain for fans on the concourse — and would’ve shaded far more of the seats. And lack of shade was a complaint I heard more than once while at MGM Park.

So the Shuckers’ main walkway at the rear of the seats is an “open concourse” not only in the traditional sense (you can see the field from it), it is also extremely open in the literal sense, since it is pretty much open to the heavens above it, particularly behind home plate.

True, the roof of the upper level extends a little way out over the concourse, so a few fans can escape a downpour under it (like happened the night I was there), but nothing like Trustmark Park. If you’ve visited the majority of spring-training parks in Arizona, you are familiar with what I’m talking about.

As I mentioned, this “really open” concourse causes the patrons in the luxury suites to be positioned a little farther back from the field than in, say, West Virginia or (especially) Nashville. This also makes for an odd visual effect when you look up at the facing of the upper level from the seating bowl. In the two spots where elevators and stairs run up through the structures at the rear of the main concourse and into the upper level, there is only a blank wall facing the field. Signs — that aren’t nearly large enough to overcome the blank space — are the only things on this blank spot (see shot below).

The seating bowl, though, is fantastic. It features something that few ballparks since the cookie-cutter days of the 1970s have done: have a smooth curve in the rows of seats (see below left). So many modern-day ballparks believe rows need to be straight, thereby necessitating odd changes in angles from one section to the next, and often rendering balls in the corners blocked from view. Not here. Not only does this sweeping curvature of the seats here have a beautiful look, it gives very nice sight-lines for the fans. Well done, Dale Partners!

The upper level — while set farther back than I’d like — is extremely nice. The suites are fantastic, and one on the 3B side that is sponsored by Mercedes-Benz is extra large and has a long bar (above right). Really nice, and something you don’t typically see at a ballpark. The press area (unlike in Nashville) is very roomy, and more than met my needs when I was there.

In each end of the upper level are party decks that can be booked by groups. The one on the 1B side has a view of the Gulf. There’s also The Shed BBQ Terrace section down the LF line with table-tops.

Due to the constraints of the ballpark’s footprint (“The stadium starts right on the line established by FEMA as being the edge of the flood zone,” said Jaunsen), the berm in right field (below) is, in my opinion, way too small. You’ll also notice on the right side of the photo, there is room near the RF foul pole for another group area or — even better — a gathering place for millennials like The Band Box at Nashville’s new park. It’s smart to plan for future expansion.

One last observation on the ballpark’s design: the main souvenir shop is on the concourse, behind home plate. That means it’s also one story above street level. It would be nice if it could have been located where it could be open on non-game days by having an entrance on the outside of the park. The team has a large store several blocks away that serves this year-round purpose (and that sold a LOT of merchandise while the team was on its 54-game roadtrip to start the season). but it’s nice when a team’s main retail outlet is within the stadium but accessible from the outside.

So while there are lots of very nice features in MGM Park, the architecrtural design isn’t exactly the most striking in the sport. The bottom line is that it works well in its space, and allowed the team to have a more-than-adequate facility while staying within its budget. And I was happy when the Shuckers’ principal owner Ken Young told me, “We have a lot of things we want to do for next year which will improve (the park) even more.”

---

The Essentials

If the stadium’s design isn’t the best in all of Minor League baseball, the experience of attending a Shuckers’ game more than makes up for it. GM Buck Rogers has won as many awards as anyone in Minor League Baseball, and his fingerprints are all over the gameday experience at MGM Park.

Let’s look at what it’s like to attend a Shuckers game.

Unless you’re staying at one of the numerous hotels in walking distance (Beau Rivage, Best Western, Four Points by Sheraton, Hard Rock), you’ll need to find a place to park. Entrepreneurs sell spaces in vacant lots less than a block from the stadium for $10. If you’re willing to walk a little farther, you’ll find spaces due east of the park for little or no money, plus you’ll get to see the shops (including the Shucker’s main souvenir store) and cafes in the old section of Biloxi’s quaint downtown. And you can park for free in the Beau Rivage parking garage two blocks to the south.

“Before the stadium opened, we envisioned a parking problem when there would be 6,000 fans present for baseball,” recalled Creel. “We warned people that there’d be issues, but so far, there haven’t been any. Besides, we like fans parking downtown because then they are walking right by restaurants and galleries.”

Good news for 2016: a pedestrian bridge over Highway 90 is scheduled to be built from the BR garage to get fans to the park a little quicker — and away from the temptations of the casino inside the hotel.

As is the case with many teams in the Minors, tickets are cheaper when purchased in advance, so plan ahead and you’ll save $2 on all reserved seats. The day-of-game price for the Club seats right next to the field is $27, which is comparable to Nashville ($26) but a good bit higher than Pensacola ($18) which is also in the Southern League and in a fairly new park. Box seats in the infield in Biloxi are a reasonable $15 and reserved seats farther down the line are $13 — and are $1 cheaper for kids and seniors. Berm/General Admission tickets are only sold on the day of the game, and are $10, which is high, especially since there’s no price break for kids. Berm tickets in Nashville and Pensacola are $7 and $8, by the way.

As I mentioned, there are several group areas. The ones at the ends of the upper deck each accommodate up to 36 fans and include a buffet for $2,000. The Bud Light Upper Deck is shown above left. Groups with between 28 and 100 members pay $31 a person for The Shed BBQ Terrace in LF, which includes table-top seating and food (above right).

I love the name of the Shuckers’ 20-game partial season-ticket package, which is referred to as the “Shmini plan.”

If you’re looking for Shuckers merchandise with the adorable oyster logo, you have three places you can go. The main store is two-and-a-half blocks from the main entrance to the ballpark (photo above left). The presence of this retail outlet was crucial during the many months between the announcement of the team name and the opening of the ballpark, and its popularity has led the team to decide to keep it open indefinitely. Your second option for souvenirs is the retail store on the park’s main concourse (above right) — which, you’ll recall, isn’t accessible from the outside. The third is a kiosk on the concourse down the 3B line.

There are a lot of apparel options, and the prices are pretty reasonable. Men’s long-sleeve T-shirts are $29.99 while short-sleeve tees are $21.99 and $29.99. Women’s tees are $24.99 and $29.99, and a tank top is $24.99. Men’s polos are $69.99 and a women’s version is $59.99. Kid’s tees are $15.99 and $19.99, while their caps are $14.99 and $19.99. Adult caps are $24.99 (adjustable) and $34.99 (fitted).

I love the alternate logo of the Biloxi lighthouse, complete with Katrina’s waves crashing into its foundation. Yes, it appears on a T-shirt. And there’s excellent news on the lapel-pin front. They have three different styles, and all are only $4.99 — a great price. Longtime readers will note that this is my favorite souvenir item, as I collect them from every park I go to.

And further proof of the popularity of the team nickname and logo comes from online sales. “Sales to fans out of town have been excellent,” Babs Rogers, the retail manager (and wife of GM Buck Rogers), told me. “People really like our logo.”

Too bad those out-of-town fans can’t sample the phenomenal concessions at MGM Park (hint: come to Biloxi to see this cool park and eat the unbelievable food!). Ken Young, president of Ovations Food Service, is the principal owner of the Shuckers, so it’s only natural that Ovations is the food-service vendor here. They did a great job of bringing their “everything’s fresh” approach to the food at MGM Park, as they’ve done at El Paso, which has perhaps the best concessions in the Minors.

The heart of the menu is, thankfully, local. The waters of Biloxi Bay and the Gulf offer nationally famous seafood, and the Aw Shucks Gulf Grill on the concourse near 1B is where to start your culinary tour of the ballpark. Here you’ll find big, delicious Peel ‘N Eat Shrimp ($9), a tasty-but-not-overly-spicy bowl of Bayou Jambalaya ($9), Grilled Cajun Sausage ($8) and a Cajun delicacy called Boudin that has a rice and sausage mixture in a pork casing ($8). But the star of this stand is the Garlic Butter Grilled Oysters. These delicious beauties are on the half shell, and grilled right in front of you, and served with French bread on a frisbee adorned with the Shuckers’ logo. The dish costs $15 and is worth every penny.

FANTASTIC LOCAL FARE Ovations Food Services and the Shuckers do as good a job of bringing in local food as any team anywhere. The Aw Shucks stand features the creature from which the team derives its name, glorious grilled oysters (above right). The kiosk also features jambalaya and boudin (photo on bottom left). The Pearl’s Po Boys stand offers po boys with oysters, shrimp or sausage. The photo on the lower right shows one with both oysters and shrimp.

I would stack the Aw Shucks concession stand up against any in the Minors. It’s that good.

The most noteworthy BBQ establishment in the area is The Shed Barbeque and Blues Joint. They have two locations nearby, and their marinades and “ShedSpread” sauces are sold nationwide. The have a stand near the souvenir store on the main concourse, and here you will find a Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich ($7.50 with slaw), watermelon slices ($6) and perhaps the most popular food item at the park, the Shuckers BBQ Nachos ($8.50). Ovations’ GM Mike Brulatour told me that when he worked at AutoZone Park in Memphis, fans were crazy for the BBQ nachos served there, so he teamed up with The Shed to create a Biloxi version.

With the Brewers being the Shuckers’ parent team, it only makes sense to serve a Brewers Beer Brat ($6). It’s found at the Home Plate Hot Dogs stand, along with a Vegan Hot Dog ($4. Are there Vegans in Biloxi, Mississippi?), and an excellent Jumbo Hot Dog made by Sara Lee ($4).

Ovations Executive Chef Bob Barlow insisted I try the Savory Hand Fried Chips that are made there at the ballpark. I’m glad he did, because they are delicious. They are served with the sandwiches at Pearl’s Po Boys on the 3B side. There you can have true Southern-style Po Boys made with fried oysters (my choice), shrimp or Cajun sausage. All are $8 with the chips.

MGM Park is a Coke facility, but there’s no denying Barq’s Root Beer a place at the beverage table. That’s because the hometown of Barq’s is Biloxi, where Edward Barq Sr. created the drink in 1898. The Barq’s Creamery concession stand is almost directly behind home plate, and here you can score ice cream, cotton candy and two sizes of root beer floats ($6 and $8). Go for the large.

“You might not realize it, but the Biloxi area has excellent craft beers,” Brulatour revealed. For you craft beer aficionados, check out the Buena Vista Beer Garden down the 1B concourse. As you’ll recall, the swanky Buena Vista Hotel once sat on the spot where the ballpark is now. At this stand, 20-ounce drafts are $8.

All in all, the concessions here are as good as any in the Southern League. “We took the best of what the Gulf has to offer and combined it with the great Southern traditions of this area,” Brulatour remarked. “We think we hit it out of the park.”

Fans also enjoy having two different video boards to view. The original budget only allowed for the board that is in left field. Not huge and not particularly high-res. But deal-maker Tim Bennett stepped in and negotiated an arrangement with video-screen manufacturer Trans-Lux where the City only had to pay for the installation of the boards, while also receiving additional ad revenue from the video screens. Now that less-than-impressive scoreboard in LF is joined by one in RF that is a 32′ by 46′ stunner (both shots above). “Trans-Lux said that they really appreciated the effort I’d put in over 10 or 11 years in bringing this team to Biloxi,” Bennett explained with absolutely no hint of boasting. “They not only gave us a great deal on a board that would normally cost $2 million, but they also bought a suite from us and they provide tickets for underprivileged kids in the area.” No doubt, the Shuckers and the City are fortunate to have partners like Bennett (which is quite an understatement) and Trans-Lux..

You can get a great idea of how important the gameday experience is to the Shuckers by examining what the team and City did on opening day on June 6. Streets were closed and “The Ultimate Tailgate Party” ruled the day. Featured were live bands, free refreshments (courtesy of the Beau Rivage), a parade and a special ceremony to introduce the team members. And, of course, a spectacular fireworks show capped off the evening.

Fireworks, by the way, are set off from the outfield, not beyond it. That’s a nice effect … as is everything about the gameday experience at a Shuckers game!

---

Summary

“Our community is a special place,” said Biloxi Mayor Gilich. “We have a 315-year-old brand here, and we have an obligation to remind people of just how special our place is. We have sun-loving, hard-working people living here in a family-oriented place. MGM Park will keep reminding everyone about that.”

It’s not often that you can draw inspiration from the opening of a baseball park, but MGM Park certainly qualifies. “You know, here in Biloxi we are celebrating Katrina’s anniversary. We’re saying to Mother Nature ‘You gave us your best shot and we’re still standing,’ We didn’t quit. We didn’t give up,” observed Tim Bennett, the man who made so many connections in making the ballpark a reality. During the city’s rebuilding period, “we weren’t cowards. We weren’t going to run and hide. And now we’re back. The concert we’re holding here (on August 29) shows that 10 years after Katrina, we are standing strong.

“This is all about the people of the Coast and for those people,” he continued. “This is like earning a diploma after years of studying. We changed laws. We demanded BP money for the ballpark. We built the ballpark differently where we had to. And now we have a pro baseball team affiliated with a Major League team. What better gift can a community get than that?”

With an inspiring, fascinating story of how it came to be, and with surroundings that deserve to be explored, MGM Park should be attracting fans through any storms and spills that may come to the Gulf Coast in the future.

---

Feel free to add your thoughts about MGM Park or this review below.