Review from July 21, 2017
Greeneville Astros vs. Pulaski Yankees
The Greeneville Astros, playing on the campus of Tusculum College, was a pleasant surprise and tack-on to a vacation stop in Pigeon Forge, TN. We only came across the Astros because a few other teams were out of town or other ballparks were just a little too far for us to drive. However, it's hard to imagine any other park would have the same authentic Tennessee experience as we found at Pioneer Park. With the recent success of the Houston Astros, it was nice to see where their major leaguers got their start. Seating on the infield allowed us a chance to closely study two-man umpire mechanics, as our seat was in-line with the first base umpire. ​From the uniforms reminiscent of the major league affiliate, to all the posters displaying former Greeneville players, this was a great stop that was a catalyst to our baseball tour (and this website). Wearing my "G" hat back home has received a lot of attention. Pioneer Park is also the ballpark where I got my first professional game ball — a keepsake a baseball lover will treasure forever. 

PIONEER PARK
Greeneville, Tennessee

OUR RATING: 
43 / 50

HOME OF THE:
GREENEVILLE ASTROS

MLB AFFILIATE:
HOUSTON ASTROS

BUILT: 2004
CAPACITY: 2,572
CLASS: Rookie
LEAGUE: Appalachian League

TICKET VALUE  9/10

  • Not a bad seat in the house
  • All seating was within infield dirt
  • $10 behind the plate area / down base line
  • $8 GA last two sections on both sides, with assigned seating
  • ​Safety nets stop at plate side of dugouts, providing most seating with an unobstructed view of the game
  • ​Daily line-ups posted on Instagram lets you know the players you are coming to see that night

CONCESSIONS  7/10

  • $3 souvenir soda in a high quality plastic cup — best drink value of all parks visited summer 2017
  • Standard variety of food, cost may hurt sale volume in a small town

FAMILY FRIENDLINESS  4/5

  • Section 103 advertised as family section / no alcohol
  • Gizmo the mascot sat in the crowd for some of the game
  • Did not notice a kid's activity area

ATMOSPHERE  9/10

  • Facilities (bathrooms/ concessions) accommodated attendance well
  • Experience matched the home audience
  • "ROCKY TOP" played after "take me out to the ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch and the crowd went wild
  • No big scoreboard or video board more typical of stadiums and higher leagues

CHARACTER  10/10

  • Brick stadium / concourse beautiful for Division II / Rookie League
  • ​Uniforms virtually a replica of the Houston Astros, buying a G-astros hat made me a fan of the Houston Astros
  • Posters around stadium of Greeneville players that have made the major leagues — notables included Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, J.D. Martinez, Mike Foltynewicz
  • One of the few stadiums we noticed sold souvenir refrigerator magnets at team store

PARKING  3/5

  • $3 parking fee
  • Paved lots, with season pass holders having VIP parking
  • Guests / Occasional visitors had a much longer walk to stadium

TICKET VALUE
(10 points)

• Ticket Prices
​• View from Seat

​CONCESSIONS
​(10 points)

• Variety, Quality & Price of Food
• Variety of Drinks / Souvenir Cups
• Length of Lines at Concession Stands

​FAMILY FRIENDLINESS
​(5 points)

• Play Areas
• In-Between Inning Activities & Contests
• ​Mascot
• Family Bathrooms

​ATMOSPHERE
​(10 points)

• Local Experience
• Sound-Effects & Music
• Programs
• ​Restrooms

​CHARACTER
​(10 points)

• Home Team Uniforms & Colors
• Architecture of Stadium
• History of Stadium
​• Tributes to MLB Affiliate / Local Players
• Location of Stadium & Surrounding Scenery

​PARKING
(5 points)

• Price for Parking
• ​Size, Quality & Location of Lot