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That stadium REALLY needs to be facing north, not south. Some cars on 5th Avenue are gonna get blasted by HRs
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Originally Posted by tbailey1138
I agree but you never know what the final product will be until construction starts. The field will have to be surrounded by nets either way though. Foul balls have the potential to hit some cars as well.
Looking at other baseball parks I have seen, it's not the HR balls that are the problem. Seats or walkways or other open space beyond the outfield fences usually take care of HRs. It's the foul balls that go anywhere. Unpredictably. They go straight up and come down outside the park beyond the seats between home plate and 1st and 3rd bases (sometimes). They go up so high that nets are sometimes no help at all. At the old ball park in Charleston, foul balls would sometimes fall on cars in the parking lot along the 1st base side of the park.
Looking at other baseball parks I have seen, it's not the HR balls that are the problem. Seats or walkways or other open space beyond the outfield fences usually take care of HRs. It's the foul balls that go anywhere. Unpredictably. They go straight up and come down outside the park beyond the seats between home plate and 1st and 3rd bases (sometimes). They go up so high that nets are sometimes no help at all. At the old ball park in Charleston, foul balls would sometimes fall on cars in the parking lot along the 1st base side of the park.
I can attest to the foul ball thing. I watched two foul balls (during the WVU vs Duke NCAA regional game) leave the stadium and land on the road (first time I have ever seen it happen though), one about 5 feet in front of a moving truck (probably scared the crap out of that guy).
Here's hoping the new MU Ballpark keeps most of the seats behind home plate, between 1st and 3rd base, has areas for socializing, and incorporates a lot of shade structures. These are needed for fan comfort.
Per the renderings, the ballpark seating appears to be thin and stretched out far down each baseline. IMO, that would be a mistake. I agree, aeros, keep most of the seating between 1st and 3rd, and possibly grass seating/standing area's down the foul lines. It would be much better served and fan friendly that way. I also hope they have a large concourse platform for viewing the game.
I can attest to the foul ball thing. I watched two foul balls (during the WVU vs Duke NCAA regional game) leave the stadium and land on the road (first time I have ever seen it happen though), one about 5 feet in front of a moving truck (probably scared the crap out of that guy).
One possible exception was a [rumored] home run hit at the old Watt Powell park in Charleston. Rumor has it that it went so far over the fence that it landed in a coal car in a train being pulled down the track just outside the right field wall. If true, it would be the longest home run ever hit. Period.
Here's hoping the new MU Ballpark keeps most of the seats behind home plate, between 1st and 3rd base, has areas for socializing, and incorporates a lot of shade structures. These are needed for fan comfort.
I hope they design it that way too. The park in Charleston has a broad walkway all the way around the stadium, so you can get up behind 3rd base, walk around behind home plate, visit a bathroom, get food and beer, and sit down behind 1st base. That's where they set up all the beer tents when they have the Brew Fest Charlie West every April. Other promotions are set up in that area all the time.
Per the renderings, the ballpark seating appears to be thin and stretched out far down each baseline. IMO, that would be a mistake. I agree, aeros, keep most of the seating between 1st and 3rd, and possibly grass seating/standing area's down the foul lines. It would be much better served and fan friendly that way. I also hope they have a large concourse platform for viewing the game.
I've heard that the rendering released to the public for the announcement is just that, a rendering and not the final plan.
I've heard that the rendering released to the public for the announcement is just that, a rendering and not the final plan.
That's how it usually is with renderings - especially for stadiums. Now that HMDA has agreed to buy the ACF property, which includes the parking lot to the north of the ballpark parcel and south of 3rd Ave, there may be some room to alter the stadium plans.
I hope they design it that way too. The park in Charleston has a broad walkway all the way around the stadium, so you can get up behind 3rd base, walk around behind home plate, visit a bathroom, get food and beer, and sit down behind 1st base. That's where they set up all the beer tents when they have the Brew Fest Charlie West every April. Other promotions are set up in that area all the time.
I've only been to the Charleston ballpark once, but one peculiar thing I noticed was that instead of having traditional bullpens for pitcher warmups, they had warmup areas adjacent to the first and third base lines. Is that the plan for the Huntington ballpark too?
I've only been to the Charleston ballpark once, but one peculiar thing I noticed was that instead of having traditional bullpens for pitcher warmups, they had warmup areas adjacent to the first and third base lines. Is that the plan for the Huntington ballpark too?
The plans aren't that far along yet for the Huntington ballpark. The only rendering they have presented so far was just conceptual.
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