| Goodwin Field was my first experience with minor league baseball in southern California and it certainly did not leave me with a favorable impression. The ballpark itself is fine, but the atmosphere and the team operations were simply pathetic. With a huge population base, you'd think the Flyers would have no problem drawing decent crowds, but instead they struggle to draw 500 fans most nights. But after experiencing it first hand, I guess I know why. Goodwin Field is located on the campus of Cal State Fullerton, a university with a strong baseball program. Parking is plentiful, but costs $5. But only on weekdays. On weekends it's free for some reason. The ballpark features a complete uncovered grandstand with mostly stadium seats, though there are some bleacher sections down each line. Most of the seats are close enough to the field, but unfortunately the netting extends to the end of each dugout meaning the majority of the views are obstructed. A large scoreboard is located behind the left field fence, though the message board is not used at all. I was surprised to see that the field was in such bad shape – the grass had lots of brown patches and it just did not look good. Perhaps it just gets too much use. The concourse runs along the top of the seating bowl and is in view of the field. There are no permanent concession stands – instead there is a trailer which serves as the main stand and several other smaller stands. The concessions are lacking in both variety and quality. And besides that, they are overpriced. Hot dogs are $5, sausages are $6, and a large beer is $12. The only unique item they have is the tri-tip sandwich, which seems to be a favorite in SoCal. Other than the poor concessions, my biggest complaint was with the atmosphere and unprofessional staff. When I arrived at the park just before the gates were to open, employees were shooting each other with water guns and goofing off. Even after the gates opened, they still didn't seem to care that they had a job to do. If they had a boss, he was either not there that night or just didn't care. As for the atmosphere, it was hardly family friendly, which is always the case at minor league ballparks. I realize this is southern California, but do the Flyers really need to have a dance team of scantily dressed “women” ? Lots of men were gawking, but apparently even they couldn't help to bring out more fans. There were several on field promotions between innings including race the mascot (a wolf named “Coal Train”), tug of war, and “throw the hoop on the dance girl”. Lots of music was blared between batters, but sound effects were kept to a minimum (with the exception of an occasional howl). The team has a play area in the left field corner which consisted of two dirty inflatables. Overall, it just didn't seem the Flyers were putting much effort into impressing the fans that did come out. Lackluster concessions, an atmosphere geared more towards dirty old men than kids, and staff members who didn't want to work are all signs to me that the Flyers' management is just plain lazy. Tapping hall of famer Gary Carter to manage the team in 2008 seemed like a great move, but it didn't help to draw any more fans. Although the Flyers did end up winning the Golden League championship. With so many other ballparks in southern California, it's hard for me to recommend Goodwin Field. Because of a poor lease situation, the Flyers have decided to pursue a new ballpark at the location of Ameriage Park. During this time the Flyers will be on hiatus.
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