Review from May 11& 12, 2018
Winston-Salem Dash vs. Down East Wood Ducks
Winston-Salem Dash vs. Down East Wood Ducks
Winston-Salem and the Dash
By: Matthew Preslar
Our trip to Winston-Salem came about very organically. I had an unexpected opening in my work schedule, so we looked around to see what minor league teams had games over the weekend. We realized Winston-Salem was only 1.5hr from our home, the Dash were in town, and the area also featured historical sites that would provide entertainment for the whole family.
As stated in my post "Winston-Salem Preview", I had researched enough history of BB&T Ballpark to create anticipation for the trip and excitement to see the surrounding area. Apparently, the area had developed reasonably well since the stadium’s inception. Within a half mile, we noticed several restaurants, bars, galleries and museums. Winston Salem is also home to the historic community called OLD SALEM. Old Salem is a living museum depicting Moravian life between 1750-1900. The exhibits featured homes/workplaces of a doctor, gunsmith, silversmith, baker, and many gardens. This trip into the past was a great way to spend the day, adding a little education to our baseball outings.
Now, back to the ball field. The series featured the Dash vs. the Down East Wood Ducks. The Wood Ducks play out of Kinston, NC and are an affiliate of the Texas Rangers. A lot of these players have matched up previously in Single-A Ball as these teams came up from Kannapolis (CWS) and Hickory (Texas). As players keep getting promoted, many of these matchups will have happened at lower levels of minor league ball.
The two games we saw Fri and Sat night had very few notable moments. The Wood Ducks had comfortable leads early in both games which left little in doubt. In our second game, the Dash had chipped away at the lead enough that the Wood Ducks needed their closer (C.D. Pelham) to finish that game. Pelham appeared to be the top prospect in these games. He is a local from Lancaster, SC and quite the physical specimen: left handed and listed at 6’6” and 235 lbs! BB&T Ballpark’s scoreboard radar gun clocked several of Pelham’s fastballs at 99mph. Given his size, his velocity, and being a left handed pitcher, Pelham is virtual certainty to pitch in the major leagues sooner than later.
We enjoyed the whole Winston-Salem experience. This was our first trip to a Carolina League facility and our first experience with Advanced-A level baseball. BB&T Ballpark rated very well according to several sources, and we certainly were happy with the venue. The aesthetics were great. The talent level met my expectations. Our paid seats were very close to the action and had no nets blocking the view. As for value, this was a great experience. I should be able to convince my baseball acquaintances to make the same trip. Thank you #DashCity.
By: Matthew Preslar
Our trip to Winston-Salem came about very organically. I had an unexpected opening in my work schedule, so we looked around to see what minor league teams had games over the weekend. We realized Winston-Salem was only 1.5hr from our home, the Dash were in town, and the area also featured historical sites that would provide entertainment for the whole family.
As stated in my post "Winston-Salem Preview", I had researched enough history of BB&T Ballpark to create anticipation for the trip and excitement to see the surrounding area. Apparently, the area had developed reasonably well since the stadium’s inception. Within a half mile, we noticed several restaurants, bars, galleries and museums. Winston Salem is also home to the historic community called OLD SALEM. Old Salem is a living museum depicting Moravian life between 1750-1900. The exhibits featured homes/workplaces of a doctor, gunsmith, silversmith, baker, and many gardens. This trip into the past was a great way to spend the day, adding a little education to our baseball outings.
Now, back to the ball field. The series featured the Dash vs. the Down East Wood Ducks. The Wood Ducks play out of Kinston, NC and are an affiliate of the Texas Rangers. A lot of these players have matched up previously in Single-A Ball as these teams came up from Kannapolis (CWS) and Hickory (Texas). As players keep getting promoted, many of these matchups will have happened at lower levels of minor league ball.
The two games we saw Fri and Sat night had very few notable moments. The Wood Ducks had comfortable leads early in both games which left little in doubt. In our second game, the Dash had chipped away at the lead enough that the Wood Ducks needed their closer (C.D. Pelham) to finish that game. Pelham appeared to be the top prospect in these games. He is a local from Lancaster, SC and quite the physical specimen: left handed and listed at 6’6” and 235 lbs! BB&T Ballpark’s scoreboard radar gun clocked several of Pelham’s fastballs at 99mph. Given his size, his velocity, and being a left handed pitcher, Pelham is virtual certainty to pitch in the major leagues sooner than later.
We enjoyed the whole Winston-Salem experience. This was our first trip to a Carolina League facility and our first experience with Advanced-A level baseball. BB&T Ballpark rated very well according to several sources, and we certainly were happy with the venue. The aesthetics were great. The talent level met my expectations. Our paid seats were very close to the action and had no nets blocking the view. As for value, this was a great experience. I should be able to convince my baseball acquaintances to make the same trip. Thank you #DashCity.
BB&T BALLPARK
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TICKET VALUE 9/10
CONCESSIONS 9/10
FAMILY FRIENDLINESS 5/5
ATMOSPHERE 10/10
CHARACTER 9/10
PARKING 4/5
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