Going to a game at Falcon Park is one of the few authentic minor league experiences remaining. While corporations and suburban cities have sucked up the majority of minor league franchises, Auburn is a reminder of a different era. The team is owned by the city and they take great pride in calling the Doubledays their own. Falcon Park opened in 1995 and replaced
the old, rickety park that Auburn had for many years before. Though the
new park is nothing special, it is clearly better than what they had before. Essentially, it is an exact duplicate of Dwyer Stadium in Batavia. There are a several rows of box seats that are close to the field, but
the majority of the seating is metal benches. There is also a small roof which covers the seating area directly behind home plate. A roof has certainly become a very rare site in the newer parks so it is a nice touch to see here. The concourse, featuring a single concession stand, runs behind the grandstand. Concessions are limited to the standard ballpark fare - hot dogs, pizza, sausages, french fries, etc. Quality and prices are both average. So while the "amenities" certainly don't stand out at Falcon Park, the atmosphere definitely does. Sure the team does a few between inning contests (Race The Mascot, Dizzy, etc.), but mostly the focus is on the baseball game. There are no sound effects and no play areas for kids. Fans are here to watch baseball and that's what they do. Even on a fireworks night (which at most ballparks means bratty kids and adults who aren't paying attention to the game), the fans seemed into the game and were not concerned about the wait for the fireworks. Auburn had been one of the worst draws in the league for many years, but thanks to a new ballpark and some great teams of late, attendance has been increasing, and there doesn't seem to be any threat of the team leaving. Let's hope not, as going to a game at Falcon Park is the way minor league baseball was meant to be. Unfortunately, with the minor leagues restructuring in 2021, Auburn was left without a pro team.
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