Utica Ballpark News and Happenings

New professional baseball league launches with Unicorns, Beavers



As a somewhat proud resident of Shelby Twp, home of Utica, I thought this was it was a pretty cool idea when it was first announced. The more I've thought about it, I don't think this league sees a season opener in year three.  Tickets are $12.00 minimum unless you want to sit on the grass for $8.00.

If you've ever been to downtown Utica, you know what a mess ingress/egress is going to be for 400 or 500 vehicles coming and going before/after the game (at least until attendance wanes).

Once people have been to a game, I just don't think there will be compelling reason to go back.  Sort of a been there done that kind of thing. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I don't think it's sustainable.

I'll say this, though, I drive by Jimmy John's field every day and they did a real nice job with it.  The question is, what does the community do with it three years from now when the league has folded.

Craig Krenzel is all I know about Utica.

I hope it works out for them. If they win I'll bet it does, people enjoy going to see a winner.

Daughter and ex going.

Turtleneck wrote:Craig Krenzel is all I know about Utica.

Craig Krenzel is actually from Sterling Heights TN. It's a common misconception with the particular high school he went to as it is often referred to by the name of the district it is in instead of the city it's in.

Unicorns and beavers. Two things that don't exist in many of the swiller's lives.

DWags wrote:Unicorns and beavers. Two things that don't exist in many of the swiller's lives.

This isn't rcmb dwags. That's where the sexless losers live. Swillsters are here mostly because of their sexual prowess.

Travis of the Cosmos wrote:

DWags wrote:Unicorns and beavers. Two things that don't exist in many of the swiller's lives.

This isn't rcmb dwags. That's where the sexless losers live. Swillsters are here mostly because of their sexual prowess.

Good point. Can you email my wife?

DWags wrote:

Travis of the Cosmos wrote:

This isn't rcmb dwags. That's where the sexless losers live. Swillsters are here mostly because of their sexual prowess.

Good point. Can you email my wife?

Yes.

I do hope it works out well for them, because baseball needs to keep kids interested as they grow up. However, it does seem like they're more than a little late to the game, so to speak.

Travis of the Cosmos wrote:

Turtleneck wrote:Craig Krenzel is all I know about Utica.

Craig Krenzel is actually from Sterling Heights TN. It's a common misconception with the particular high school he went to as it is often referred to by the name of the district it is in instead of the city it's in.

I don't care about facts, Travis. Facts do not interest me. #Trump2016

Turtleneck wrote:

Travis of the Cosmos wrote:

Craig Krenzel is actually from Sterling Heights TN. It's a common misconception with the particular high school he went to as it is often referred to by the name of the district it is in instead of the city it's in.

I don't care about facts, Travis. Facts do not interest me. #Trump2016

I'm pretty sure my brother nailed krenzels sister tn.

Well, they dated. I assume they banged. They were like 17 though. So maybe they just did hand stuff.

Is that the sibling with the hundreds of kids you occasionally have to watch?

Turtleneck wrote:Is that the sibling with the hundreds of kids you occasionally have to watch?

Yeah, that's the one. He only has two though. They're pretty cool. Way cooler than me.

Once you get past 0 there is little difference between X and hundreds.

Grass actually looks like a nice place to hang out.

Tommy Franz ‏@CandGTFranz  36m36 minutes ago  
Noticeably bigger applause for the Unicorns than the Beavers today. Jacob Ezell takes the mound for Utica


Not many beaver fans

Travis of the Cosmos wrote:

Turtleneck wrote:Is that the sibling with the hundreds of kids you occasionally have to watch?

Yeah, that's the one. He only has two though. They're pretty cool. Way cooler than me.

That's taken on faith.

Skydivers deliver game ball.  I guess there was no flyover from Selfridge.

https://twitter.com/jamesbhawkins/status/737337893681831936

How many fucking security guards do they need for some white folk from the burbs ?

Floyd Robertson wrote:New professional baseball league launches with Unicorns, Beavers



As a somewhat proud resident of Shelby Twp, home of Utica, I thought this was it was a pretty cool idea when it was first announced. The more I've thought about it, I don't think this league sees a season opener in year three.  Tickets are $12.00 minimum unless you want to sit on the grass for $8.00.

If you've ever been to downtown Utica, you know what a mess ingress/egress is going to be for 400 or 500 vehicles coming and going before/after the game (at least until attendance wanes).

Once people have been to a game, I just don't think there will be compelling reason to go back.  Sort of a been there done that kind of thing. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I don't think it's sustainable.

I'll say this, though, I drive by Jimmy John's field every day and they did a real nice job with it.  The question is, what does the community do with it three years from now when the league has folded.

23/24 and Shelby... What up


And yeah this will fold in a couple years

Didn't know about the stadium until first seeing it a couple weeks ago on the way to the Shamrock. Only saw the grandstand facade at first and no idea what it was.

Agree it will probably bomb.

Unicorns drilling the Beavers 5-1 in the 6th.

kingstonlake wrote:Daughter and ex going.

So did they have a good time? Any word on how bad traffic was?

Jimmy John's Field has lots of food selections, but no Jimmy John's sandwiches

I guess putting up a few million (speculation) for the naming rights for 10 years doesn't get you on the concession board.

Will the Portland Mavericks make a stop?

Well that stinks:

"But like any opening day, there were a few glitches at Jimmy John’s Field.

Most notably, toilets in a set of restrooms backed up and flooded during the opening innings, forcing the staff to man mops while plumbers worked to repair the glitch."

Star attraction from Monday's festivities.

USPBL sends 1st player to MLB-affiliated team

Just 15 days into its existence, the new United Shore Professional Baseball League has seen one of its players signed to a Major League Baseball affiliate for the first time.

Left-handed pitcher Ross Vance of the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers, one of the three USPBL teams that share the $15 million Jimmy John's Stadium in Utica since the league launched May 31, has signed to play with a St. Louis Cardinals Class A affiliate in either the Gulf Coastor New York-Penn leagues.

He'll report Thursday, the USPBL said in a statement.

Vance, who played at West Virginia University, was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA with the Beavers.

His signing bolsters the league's stated goal of finding and developing players otherwise missed by MLB and its farm system.

Color me shocked.

This (bush) league apparently doesn't publish any standings.  All I can glean so far that the Diamond Hoppers are 3-1, Unicorns are 2-1 and Beavers must be getting the shaft.

Drove by it 5-6 weeks ago and it looked like it was at least 6 months away from being ready. That thing must be held together by duct tape and zip ties.

City Council allows ballpark fireworks for another month

During the town hall, residents packed the council chamber and aired grievances primarily about the noise of the fireworks and how late and often they occurred. Residents also complained about traffic, parking and the volume of the music and announcements.

Nobody saw this coming, said nobody.

“Actually, the ballpark’s kind of ruined my life,” said Tom Galazka, a resident of the city for nearly 37 years. “I can’t use my backyard anymore on the weekends because of all the noise. You try to have a nice, quiet day out there and all you hear is noise.”

@ Tom he sounds like fun.

Ruined his life?

Turtleneck wrote:Ruined his life?

I can only imagine how robust and fulfilling Tom's life was just a few short weeks ago.

Co-worker went to Shamrock Sunday and decided to walk over there. Said the game was in the 7th inning so he asked if he could just walk in for a couple minutes to check the place out. They told him he'd have to buy a ticket so he walked away.

Floyd Robertson wrote:City Council allows ballpark fireworks for another month

During the town hall, residents packed the council chamber and aired grievances primarily about the noise of the fireworks and how late and often they occurred. Residents also complained about traffic, parking and the volume of the music and announcements.

Nobody saw this coming, said nobody.

“Actually, the ballpark’s kind of ruined my life,” said Tom Galazka, a resident of the city for nearly 37 years. “I can’t use my backyard anymore on the weekends because of all the noise. You try to have a nice, quiet day out there and all you hear is noise.”

@ Tom he sounds like fun.

Tom needs to move up here, quiet except for Mario & Gibby on the telly, 65 degrees with the smell of someone's campfire wafting in.

Of course he'd probably be bitching about the campfire smell.

It must be great being Tom's neighbor

The Pantry wrote:Co-worker went to Shamrock Sunday and decided to walk over there.  Said the game was in the 7th inning so he asked if he could just walk in for a couple minutes to check the place out.  They told him he'd have to buy a ticket so he walked away.

That's bullshit, but not unexpected.

By the way, Mio won't be outdone by the Utica Riverwalk festival that starts today.

Unicorn's Donny Murray tosses the 1st USPBL no hitter this afternoon.

Is that Blanch and his hippo at the game?

USPBL sees first no-hitter amid turnstile success

Sunday's sellout crowd of more than 2,000 fans at Jimmy John's Field in Utica got to witness a big moment of the United Shore Professional Baseball League history: its first no-hitter.

The pitching gem highlights a strong start for the inaugural league, which has proved popular with fans and corporate sponsors, and has begun to churn out players to higher levels of professional baseball.

The no-hitter was by Utica Unicorns starter Donny Murray, 23, who pitched nine shutout innings to beat the Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers 3-0. He walked three and struck out 13.

The independent developmental league, which began play May 31, said it's in talks with Major League Baseball clubs to possibly sign Murray and his catcher, Kyle Hamner, to minor-league deals. Murray last played for the Gateway Grizzlies in suburban St. Louis. The Grizzlies are part of the independent Frontier League, the USPBL's chief Midwest rival.