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8/16/2026 0 Comments A long weekend in Minneapolis…A graduation trip for our son turned into a long weekend in Minneapolis. We started with a night game followed by a day game at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. We’ve learned that our favorite seats at many big league ballparks are in the upper deck. These seem to have the best view of the ballgame and the city skyline. For just $22 a seat, we sat up high on the 3rd base side with an exceptional view of the field, the screen, and the skyscrapers of Minneapolis.
 Highlights of the night included:
 While it was nice to enjoy the night game with my family, I returned solo for the day game the next afternoon. The same seats were selling for $18. The starting pitcher for the Twins was Bailey Ober, a Charlotte area product.
All-in-all, Target Field seemed to be a family-friendly environment where value and comfort represented well.
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The Smokies moved from Kodak, TN back near the Old City of Knoxville in 2025. Finally, on July 3 2026, we were able to get back to East Tennessee and see the newly constructed Covenant Health Ballpark. As much as we loved the old Smokies Stadium, Randy Boyd and company built another masterpiece. While a little more sleek and chic, much of the small town comfort and charm remains.  On arrival, we could tell this place was going to be special. There is a parking deck adjacent to the stadium. While it is a paid lot, the team had an employee in the deck telling people that game day parking was complimentary: a genuine attempt to make the Smokies experience affordable and family friendly. The walk up to the stadium featured new apartments, team offices, the team shop, and finally, an iconic staircase. All of this built suspense to what’s actually inside…
We love solid branding. Affiliation, location, and iconic imagery builds a sense of belonging. The Knoxville Smokies excel in all of these areas. The video board is in the shape of Tennessee. Many items at the park feature the tri-star from the Tennessee flag. There are several references to the Wrigley Field and their affiliation to the Cubs. The Smokies also have their brand on most of the drinking cups at the stadium.  I can’t give enough praise to the Knoxville Smokies on their affordability. Our experience started with the complimentary parking. Many of the drink options are refillable throughout the ballgame. The team sells a plastic mason jar that is refillable for beer ALL SEASON. At a $6 price point, the refill includes any beer on draft, not just the cheapest domestic options. Fountain drink cups are sold and refillable (for free) at any fountain station ALL GAME. With this consideration, I felt like I could afford some food…and EVEN AN ICE CREAM HELMET. So grateful!
More features around the stadium:
 We wish we could have made it to Covenant Health Ballpark in 2025 for the inaugural season, but we know we were meant to be there in July 2026 celebrating America 250 weekend. This is such a great facility that clearly works very hard on marketing, branding, and making a Smokies game a destination for family entertainment.  By: Matt Preslar If you build it, they will come. That is apparently the case as the Carolina Mudcats pulled out of Zebulon, moved 30 minutes east, and became the Wilson Warbirds. Although I’ve umpired Barton College at a couple locations in Wilson, I’d never ventured to downtown before this ballpark adventure...  Taking advantage of a rare Saturday off from umpiring summer baseball, we made the three hour trip east. The main event of the night was the Wilson Warbirds hosting the Charleston RiverDogs. We also hit a couple spots downtown before the game as we got to town very early. Up First... Stadium WalkWe parked at a free parking lot in the downtown. Before anything else, we walked the couple blocks to the stadium to preview the ballpark. While many new stadiums are cookie cutter and made by the same architects, Wilson Warbirds stadium seemed a little different. There are several entrances, but the best looking entrance was “VIP” at a gigantic brick wall. It’s quite a site of grandeur.  As we walked the full perimeter of the stadium, we saw the bullpens basically neighbor each other in right field. There is also a hotel (still under construction) that lines the 3rd base side of the ballpark, creating a unique aesthetic. While the view past the outfield is currently a little bare, construction in the coming years will surely remedy and create a better backdrop.
Back to Town... Casita Brewing Company Our first stop was Casita Brewing. This was a great local spot to sit and unwind with a beverage. A plentiful amount of indoor seating, while also having a fenced in side yard with some playground equipment, selling the family-friendly vibe. I also overheard the bartender telling a patron about the Warbirds game that night. It’s always a good sign when the local businesses support one another.
Dinner Time... Ruckus and RedemptionThe restaurant was very quaint. We had an early dinner, but there was an outdoor patio and green space that turned into a live music venue at night. The restaurant featured upscale bar food—a lot of premium burger options and sandwiches. I elected on the Smokehouse burger with tots. The bacon, steak sauce and onions all sealed by a melted piece of cheese was too good to pass on. However, the Ruckus combo of a burger, PBR, and shot of whiskey was tough to ignore. Maybe next time…
Almost Game Time... But First the WhirligigsOfficially named, Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, this has been the centerpiece of downtown Wilson until the baseball stadium was built. Whirligig Park is a collection of piece metal artwork suspended well above the ground. The concept is so unique that anybody can appreciate the art and craftsmanship. 
Finally... Game TimeA Saturday night game created plenty of buzz around the stadium. As we explored the 360 concourse, we took note of the pros and cons of the ballpark. Not many negatives:
Plenty of positives:
Although, Wilson was quite a long day trip, we enjoyed our time in downtown. The breweries and restaurants were relaxing with good food. The stadium looked nice. The overall presentation met expectations. I also look very forward to the next 3 years or so to go back and see the improvements. As always, we are very grateful for the investment capital spent in North Carolina, the best baseball state in the country!
12/2/2025 0 Comments A Day in Sparkle City2025 brought a little freshness to our semi-local baseball world. Relocated from Kinston, NC, the Down East Wood Ducks moved into the brand new Fifth Third Park, coyly renamed Hub City Spartanburgers. Spartanburg has not hosted affiliated professional baseball since their last team, a Phillies affiliate, left for Kannapolis in 1995. 30 years later, the “Sparkle City” looks more than ready to try again with the beautiful, new Fifth Third Park.  Logistics around the ballpark: A parking deck is already complete in left field. Things such as this are sometimes a secondary thought, but if you build it, they will come. I was happy to see I could park in a shaded deck for a very reasonable price. Fifth Third Park is built in downtown Spartanburg and is meant to help revitalize their downtown. Many establishments are open and thriving within blocks. Our pregame was a Mexican restaurant across the street. All the needs were met to help us be ready and excited for our Friday night game.
The Ballpark: The park itself breaks out of the cookie cutter mold that has taken over the minor league baseball world, at least the more recently built parks we have visited. Unlike most new parks, there is not a 360 degree concourse that wraps around the stadium. Odd but unique. In my mind, this helped me focus on the game and not watch what was going on past the field. There was so much signage around the park. There’s a blue “Hub City” on the main walking path. It’s great to stand with to take pictures. On the roof above suite level straight back of the plate is a LARGE red “Spartanburg”. There were other items and displays touching on local baseball history and other things relating to Spartanburg. These are great ways for the city to build an identity at and within the ballpark. There was also signage that indicated the affiliation with the Texas Rangers and their sister affiliates within that organization. Not only will the fans love their team, it helps them know the family tree to which they belong. Great touches for sure.
Burgers? Somebody got really creative and hit the spot for marketing. Hub City is a reference to Spartanburg, SC being a convenient hub location off I-85 between Charlotte and Atlanta. I’m not sure if the residents actually call themselves "Spartanburgers", but hamburgers and baseball seem to go hand in hand. Hamburger and diner themed hats and shirts and jerseys and anything else. Burgers are located at a grab and go stand, but were on such demand I actually didn’t get one. I settled for an order of fries then went to the topping bar. All the cheeses and sauces and toppings you could imagine. Also of note, the food areas of the concourse are very spacious. Your walkways will not be blocked as you try to find the food of your choice. Food also seemed to be located in categories. There was the burger stand, a Bojangles, and other stations that were very easy access. The food situation is very well thought out.
This was a great place to visit and I would love to go back, especially if passing the area, and I look forward to seeing the development of their downtown in the coming years.
BY: MATTHEW PRESLAR Yet another example of how the stars align for us… Due to local minor league ties, the Chicago White Sox are the Major League team we follow the most. Confirmed by our August 2022 visit, PNC Park in Pittsburgh has to be the most beautiful ballpark in the country. Combine all that with school spring break... And that's how we ended up at the Pirates 2023 home opener, with the Pittsburgh Pirates hosting the Chicago White Sox! And here we go… To make this visit extra special, we were joined by my sister (Dodgers fan 👎) and our kids who didn’t make our previous trips to the Steel City. It’s always a joy to share our special places with them. It’s also the first major league games I’ve attended with my baby sister. All this made for an extra fun trip!
At the ballpark, the first two games featured explosive offense, both teams capturing a win. Many home runs were hit including one in a losing effort by Andrew McCutchen. The series came down to Sunday. In typical fashion, when we sit close in the outfield the game is always low scoring. The Pirates pulled out the game and series with a 1-0 victory. The home crowd left happy. We packed it up and headed back to NORTH CAROLINA even bigger fans of the Pirates and Pittsburgh. And we are already dreaming of when we can go back!
This summer we had the opportunity to take an unbelievable family vacation across Tennessee, culminating at WWE's SummerSlam in the crazy town of Nashville. As with most of our family outings, we made a few stops at the minor league parks en route from NC to Nashville. Our first stop was in Kodak, TN to see the Tennessee Smokies (amazing ballpark!), followed by a night in Chattanooga, TN to see the Chattanooga Lookouts (less amazing)! Then, the real fun began...
1/22/2022 0 Comments New Year, New Website (Sort of...)2020 messed everything up. After visiting 8 ballparks in 2017, 18 ballparks in 2018, and 16 ballparks in 2019, suddenly our tally was back to 0. 2021 was a relief. Baseball was back. The energy was high! However, after relocating to Kannapolis, NC and becoming season ticket holders of the newly formed Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, our travel plans dwindled. We still made it to a few new parks over the summer months, but nothing like we'd experienced over the previous few years. With Matt's increased umpiring schedule taking over his nights and weekends, and the expectation that we will remain Cannon Ballers season ticket holders in the years ahead, we decided we need to change things up a bit on ballparkadventures.com.  Our purpose has always been to show that going to a baseball game is the best value in entertainment, and that isn't going to change. The way we share information with the world of baseball fans who happen to be visiting this site will.
If you aren't already following us on Facebook or Instagram, you should. We share photos and videos live from the games and throughout the off-season, and we love interacting with fans in the comments. Keep it up! On the website, you'll be seeing less REVIEWS and instead, more content about our fun at the ballpark — from different perspectives. Who knows, maybe even the teenagers we drag along to the games with us will have something interesting to share (besides raving about their love of dipping' dots!) So stay tuned. Keep reading. We're excited to keep sharing all of our Ballpark Adventures! 8/12/2021 0 Comments MLB at Field of Dreams!We are feeling excited and nostalgic about our 2019 visit to the Field of Dreams in Dyersvile, Iowa... and of course we're rooting for the White Sox tonight! MLB at Field of DreamsBY: MATTHEW PRESLARThe plan for the future was to one day settle in a small town that was home to minor league baseball. The setting would need to be one that fit our personality: a smaller town in a growing area and preferably a new stadium that would indicate a stable baseball market. In our years of ballpark visits we saw many areas to help us build a template. Under normal circumstances our world would not have had a 2020. Everything would have remained as planned and our schedule for this new life would be in seven to ten years. The children would be through with high school and hopefully much less on the payroll. Rebecca and I would still be young enough to enjoy a fresh start. We talked often of where we might be in ten years. BUT LIFE HAPPENS AND YOU STILL HAVE TO MAKE YOUR WAY!Even in the wake of the unusual, we need to see inconveniences as opportunities. Income changes, work schedule changes, and habit changes aren’t always negative, just different opportunities. Amidst the medical uncertainty and political turmoil, somehow the real estate market was doing very well. We learned we could make an outstanding profit on our house so we decided our future may be NOW. We began to research selling our home in Union County, NC and exploring the idea of finding that small town minor league market. To our surprise, we didn’t have to look very far! Just an hour away from our Union County home is Kannapolis, North Carolina. While we have been to baseball games in Kannapolis, this small town hadn’t been on our radar until 2020.
The organization rebranded to the Cannon Ballers and built a beautiful new stadium, Atrium Health Ballpark. While still residing at our home an hour away, we bought into Kannapolis baseball and became season ticket holders for what would have been a ONE HOUR drive for that many ball games... WHAT WE WERE THINKING??? 2020 happened resulting in several job difficulties. Problem? No, opportunity! Our future plan presented itself NOW, but could Kannapolis check all our boxes? New stadium indicating baseball stability, CHECK! Growing area which makes owning real estate a great investment, CHECK! A wife and children that never ask why, but why not? CHECK! Finally... here we are, on the morning of opening day, May 4th (please keep your Star Wars jokes). We own a beautiful home less than ten minutes away from Atrium Health Ballpark. We have great neighbors and love everything about life at the moment. Even though not “K Town” by birth, we are the new generation that will make this town a great place to live! 5/3/2021 0 Comments The Weekend I Went PRO!BY: MATTHEW PRESLAR
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Our Purpose is to show that going to a baseball game is the best value in entertainment. Baseball Makes Memories.
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