| Apparently the management of the Reno Aces took a very lazy approach to building a ballpark and promoting a unique atmosphere. Putting a team in a big city like Reno would have seemed like a perfect fit for someone wanting to come up with creative ideas for both the ballpark and the marketing of the team that plays there. Unfortunately, the creativity seems to be completely lacking, and the management seems to think that fans will just keep coming out, even after the novelty has worn out. Aces Ballpark (now known as Greater Nevada Field) is located in downtown Reno, very close to the main strip. Parking is plentiful, but not cheap - expect to pay between $5 and $10. The exterior of the ballpark is red and green and features a large neon ball over the main entrance. In front of the stadium is a large grassy area which seems to serve no purpose. After going inside the ballpark and seeing how tight the space was, I was confused as to why the architects decided not to use some of this grassy area to make the ballpark itself more spacious. Once inside, the ballpark itself follows the familiar design with a full wraparound concourse overlooking the field. Unfortunately, much of the concourse is too narrow, making it hard to navigate with big crowds since the long lines at the concession stands clog much of the concourse. Seating is made up of all blue fold down chairs along with a large grassy berm behind the right field fence. One of the really nice features of Aces Ballpark is the copious amount of counters available for fans wishing to stand along the concourse. Sightlines from the main seating bowl aren't the best due to seats not being steep enough. Also, the seats past the bags are not angled towards the infield, so you'll be forced to crank your neck if you sit there. One other small complaint about the seating - is a pod section behind home plate really necessary at a minor league park ? Concessions are one of the highlights of Aces ballpark, even if they are on the expensive side. Three large concession stands (simply labeled "Refreshments") offer a great variety of food options - Mexican, BBQ, cheese steaks, brats, and their signature item, the Triple Play BBQ sandwich. While the quality is good, the service could be improved. For a ballpark in its second year, it was surprising to see the workers so disorganized. No wonder the lines were so long ! The atmosphere is what you'd expect in a city that hasn't an affiliated team in a long time - most fans were there because it was the "cool" place to be rather than because they cared about the baseball game being played. The team didn't help any by not announcing the starting lineups (which is totally unacceptable at a professional game, much less a AAA game) and having the grounds crew dance to songs with foul lyrics. One unique thing the Aces do is during the 7th inning stretch when a large inflated character rises above the center field fence and helps to sing Take Me Out To The Ballgame. The team also has a mascot, Archie, but it wasn't obvious what he was supposed to be. As with many new ballparks, there are too many ushers. And the ones here are a bit rude as they constantly felt the need to check tickets. Overall, Aces Ballpark simply failed to impress me. Despite the team being called the Aces, there are almost no reminders that you are in a city knows for its casinos. I guess I expected more from a place that has been dubbed "The Biggest Little City in the World".
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