| After much debate and financial wrangling, Greenville finally got a new ballpark built for the 2006 season. Not that they really needed a brand new one since their old one was built in 1984. But what they've built in West End Field (now known as Fluor Field) is certainly a vast improvement over Greenville Municipal Stadium. Nestled in the downtown, the ballpark is located at the very end of what's known as the West End District. It is built of recycled bricks which gives it a feeling of being here much longer than it has and allows it to fit in nicely with the surrounding area. Parking can be found in small lots surrounding the park (for $5) or for free at the County parking lot, which is just a short walk away. The main entrance to the ballpark is located in the left field corner, adjacent to a new building that houses restaurants on the first floor and condos on the other floors. Some of the condos actually have a view of the park. Because the ballpark was tucked into a rather tight space, there is no wraparound concourse, a feature that I love seeing at the newer parks. The most distinctive feature of West End Field is the mini Green Monster they have built in left field. While it is cool to see some unique touches put on a ballpark, I'd rather that they not steal from major league ballparks, especially one that is almost 1000 miles away. Besides, who's to say that the Drive will always be affiliated with the Red Sox ? The seating here is made up mostly of fold down chairs, though there is a section of bleachers along the first base side as well. There is also a grass berm in the left field corner and a large picnic area in the right field corner. One of my biggest complaints with West End Field has to do with the sightlines. For some reason, the team felt it necessary to extend the netting all the way past the dugouts. As someone who likes to sit behind the dugout, this was a disappointment as the netting obscured my view. What exactly is the purpose of extending the netting so far ? It is so rare that foul balls actually get hit into the stands behind the dugouts. So almost anywhere you sit, it will feel like you're watching the game from inside a cage. There are a couple of other nice touches here, however. First, the team did a great job of recognizing the history of baseball in Greenville. Banners along the concourse tell about the various teams and several plaques at the first base entrance recognize famous players who have come through Greenville. One other cool feature is the field level luxury box which is located down the right field line. It almost looks like an extra dugout. While the quality of the concessions is good, I thought the variety was somewhat lacking. There is a Mexican stand in left field and a Chik Fil-A stand behind home plate, but few other unique offerings. Where is the BBQ and boiled peanuts ? The atmosphere is actually a bit tame here. While there is the typical rock music blared between batters and the team threw lots of junk into the crowd, there was only a couple of between inning games. The team also has a mascot, Reedy, who is a Wally (from Fenway Park) lookalike. In addition, "Sweet Caroline" is also played before the bottom of the 8th, just like at Fenway. Can't the Drive come up with their own traditions ? I really doubt that there are a lot of Red Sox fans in South Carolina. That said, West End Field is definitely a ballpark worth checking out. It has a couple drawbacks (especially the netting), but overall is a fun place to take in a game.
|
