Friday, June 25, 2010

Lindquist Field - Ogden, UT

Posted by William Lee Coleman III | Friday, June 25, 2010 | Category: |

Lindquist Field is home of the Ogden Raptors, the Pioneer League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Heading into their 14th season of professional baseball and their 11th season at Lindquist Field,  the team has led the league in attendance every year since moving into Lindquist Field.  Last year, 134,961 fans crossed through the gates for an average of 3,552 per game. That easily dwarfs some Double A stadiums. I had only visited one other ballpark below AA before my stay in Utah, however the Pioneer League to me is professional baseball at it's purest.



Stadium Rating: 5

I am going to assume that nothing I type here has not already been written about Lindquist Field. Having just moved to Utah, I am still easily distracted by the scenic and sometimes mountainous backdrops many stadiums out West feature and Lindquist Field is no different. Upon approaching the main entrance gate, you can see the concourse is located under the grandstand thru the cast iron bar fencing along the 3rd base and 1st base side of the stadium. Once inside the stadium, the main plaza does not feature a whole lot other then a ton of advertising along with a banner that is welcoming you to " Dodgertown, Utah".


  Throughout the concourse, dinosaur and baseball images have been etched into the walls along with some signs dedicated to former Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda.  From inside the stadium out in centerfield, you can see the Ogden temple and tabernacle of the Latter-day Saints; beyond them, the  Lewis Peak towers. I did not know what these structures were until I researched them after editing my photo's. Crazy outfield dimensions make for some crazy plays in this stadium.  Lindquist Field features a elevated concourse above the left- field wall that is littered with picnic tables. If they had some stools along this elevated concourse, these would be the best seats in the house. A small berm section for those that like to spread out on their own blanket is located down the right-field line along with a playground and some very uncomfortable bleachers. The only flaw with the stadium is the lack of shade at times during the game and the narrow passageways going  under the the seating areas. I have noticed that people will no intention of watching the baseball game will just loiter in these tunnels which makes it hard to come and go into the concourse on busy nights..

 
   You have access to just about everywhere in the stadium with a basic ticket which is rare nowadays in most stadiums. The stadium itself is very comfortable ( accept for the small bleacher seating section ) with plenty of leg room regardless of the seat you choose to rest your fanny. My suggestion is to sit behind home plate or along the 1st base side of the stadium due to all seats being close to the field. I found the seating past the Raptors dugout on the 3rd base side to be two different worlds with  the poor sightlines and being too far away from the action on the field.

  
Baseball Atmosphere: 5

  The sound effects and music are almost non-existent and the fans seemed dedicated to the team. I had no problem pointing out the host families of the players.The Raptors sell a T-shirt with the slogan" Dogden" on it which I think is very clever and reminds you that you are watching the future of the Dodgers. I also like how the PA announcer will announce the visiting teams starting lineup and the crowd will say" Who ?"  after a players name is announced and then the PA announcer will say something witty about the player , and then the crowd will say" Oh".


Pricing: 5

It cost a total of $10.00 for me and my wife on our first visit to Lindquist Field. Concessions were good but not great. My small hot dog cost $3.00 and it was very small. Programs were priced at $2.00 and I bought a 2009 Raptors team set for $5.00. The best thing though, all parking is street parking around the stadium which means it is free. Upon my 2nd visit, I was told that the Raptors are running a  free ticket promotion with local restaurants for all home games. Fans have the option of upgrading the free tickets for an additional $5.00 to boxseats. Along with the upgrade, you will receive a $2.50 food voucher that is accepted by all vendors inside the stadium. The general admission seating is not the best, but for free I am not complaining. The only local oddity menu item is the Raptor Burger. It is basically a bratwurst covering a hamburger pattie. For beer lovers, local  brewery Roosters serves a dark amber Raptor Ale throughout the game.


Autographing: 5

One of the things I was worried about with the Pioneer league stadiums is a lot of restrictions due to the netting to protect the fans.. That is not the case with Lindquist Field . Both teams enter the field from their clubhouses that are located along the outfield wall.. The Raptors enter the field along the 3rd base line and the visiting team from dead center.  The walk for the Raptors to their dugout is rather long which gives you plenty of time to ask the same player twice if  he didn't hear you. You have easy access to both bullpens. With no ushers, the large number of kids are the only thing between you and the players. Graphing outside of the stadium is even easier. Both teams clubhouses are street level access with no gates nor a parking lot for the players. It doesn't get any easier than this unless your attending a Fall Instructs minor league game.


For the seventeen months I lived in Utah, I visited this stadium the most. During that time, I got to see a new stadium scoreboard installed and meet a ton of former Dodgers that were part of the Minor League Development staff.. Lindquist Field is a classic baseball park that provides fans a comfortable, scenic, and affordable experience while focusing:on the most important thing: the game.


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