Hop into the future with new ballpark news

Plus, Amarillo gets bullish with a nutty rebrand [Ben's Biz Beat]( [By Benjamin Hill]( March 16, 2023 Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States, and this is the 46th edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter. I bring that up only so I can raise the following point: Beginning next week, this newsletter will be in wholly un-presidented territory. Got it? Good. Let’s talk about Minor League Baseball.   NEW IN THE PNW: HILLSBORO BALLPARK SLATED FOR 2025 [Rendering of the Hops' forthcoming home]( No new Minor League ballparks debuted in 2022, and none are scheduled to open in 2023 or 2024. But fear not, as this unprecedented (in this century) ballpark drought will soon come to an end. Case in point: The Hillsboro Hops, who [announced on March 8]( that they will play in a new “year-round entertainment venue” come 2025.  The Hops arrived on the scene in 2013 upon relocating from Yakima, Wa., playing in the Class A Short-Season Northwest League as an Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate. Their debut marked the return of Minor League Baseball to the Portland, Ore., region, as the Portland Beavers played their final season in 2010. The Hops’ current home of Ron Tonkin Field, located in the sprawling Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, opened in 2013 in conjunction with their inaugural season. Ron Tonkin Field, home of the Hillsboro Hops So why, barely more than a decade later, is a new ballpark being built? Let’s go to the press release:  With the Hillsboro Hops promotion to the High-A level [prior to the 2021 season], the Hops must now meet updated Major League Baseball (MLB) facility standards. The City of Hillsboro is partnering with the Hops to support the team in its efforts to meet the new baseball requirements. The ballpark design will address player health and wellness, improve security, elevate the fan experience and enhance home and visiting facilities.  The original intent of the project was to renovate Ron Tonkin Field to meet the new MLB standards. After the completion of preliminary design and analysis, it was determined that it will be more cost effective to design and build a new ballpark. [Hillsboro's field] The above calculation is currently being made by various teams across the country, while many others have already opted to renovate. (For more on this topic, listen to the Show Before the Show’s “Renovations Spectacular” podcast episode [HERE](. As for the Hillsboro Hops, their new ballpark will be located on the northwest side of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex. The move from Ron Tonkin Field will therefore amount to little more than a walk across the street.  Other Minor League ballparks with a targeted opening date of 2025 include Salt Lake City, Knoxville and Chattanooga. Timelines, of course, are often subject to change but one thing’s for sure: The new ballpark drought will soon be over.   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TRIVIA The Hillsboro Hops are so-named because Oregon is the second-largest hops-producing state in the nation, behind Washington. What area of Washington is responsible for the majority of the state’s (and the nation’s) hop production?  There’s a Minor League Baseball connection here, I promise.   JOSH JACKSON INTERRUPTS [Josh Jackson in the old Red Sox bullpen cart]( This is Josh Jackson, pulling over to toss some heat to all of you out there in newsletter land. I host Ghosts of the Minors, the segment from [The Show Before the Show podcast]( in which I insist you identify an actual historical Minor League team hiding amidst two fraudulent ones.  Last time, we got peppy with the Meridian Peps. This week, I ask you which of the following teams went the whole nine yards on a baseball field in the Minors of yore:  - The Marfa Cowboys - The Lexington Patriots - The Salinas Packers  [For the answer, tune into the next Ghosts of the Minors!](   LOW-HANGING FRUIT: AMARILLO’S NEW ALTERNATE IDENTITY On March 8, the same day that Hillsboro announced its new ballpark project, the Amarillo Sod Poodles made an announcement of a completely different sort: For six games during the 2023 season, the Double-A San Diego Padres affiliate will [suit up as the Calf Fries](.  So what is a calf fry, exactly? The Sod Poodles did not specify in their press release or on social media, only saying that “they love to celebrate our region’s uniqueness and historic cowboy ways. If you have lived in Texas or the Southwest for any amount of time, you know about Calf Fries.” [Calf fries tweet]( So, for those who don’t know: Calf Fries is a euphemism for a pan-fried delicacy made from, uh, castration byproduct. I tried them once, at Oklahoma City’s Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, where a different animal was involved and they were therefore known as lamb fries. Calf fries are also commonly referred to as “Rocky Mountain Oysters,” and in my travels I have seen them available at ballgames in Boise, Colorado Springs and Missoula (where they were served alongside fries and the platter was called “Bats and Balls”). [''oysters'' of the Rocky Mountain variety] A Rocky Mountain Oyster burger, procured at a Colorado Springs Sky Sox game in 2018.   QUESTIONS OF MINOR CONCERN Last week’s question: Imagine, if you will, that you’re talking to someone who is planning a visit to your favorite Minor League ballpark. What advice would you provide regarding things to do, see, eat, etc.?  While I did not get a heavy response to this question, the replies I did receive were of a very high quality. This week, I’ll turn the floor over to Taylor Wilson, a regular at the Nashville Sounds’ home of First Horizon Park. [The Nashville scoreboard] “It all starts with when you go. Late spring nights in Nashville are delightful when dry. And if you make it to the park, Winning Wednesdays are the best.  "I pick Wednesdays when bringing guests to the park because half the time they are giving away Nashville baseball-inspired T-shirts so [new fans] can fit in repping the home team. On top of the swag they give out scratch-off perks that range from pro shop discounts to free soda at the concession stand.  "Speaking of food, my favorites are the Nashville hot chicken tenders or the BBQ nachos. [Hot chicken in Nashville] Hot chicken, served at First Horizon Park "Now that you have your gear and grub, time to head to your seats. If you're sun-sensitive, head towards the first-base line, but if you're like me, you love watching the sun set over Nashville. So I sit in the best section in the house: 111 right behind the Sounds dugout.  "And if you happened to bring the kids, you're in for a treat. If the Sounds win, the kids get to run the bases to wear them out before the car ride home.  "Come see the sounds in Hit City, baby!”  I’m going to keep this as the question for next week as well. Hopefully Taylor’s response inspires others to get in touch with replies that are similarly thoughtful. So … What recommendations would you give to fans visiting your local Minor League ballpark for the first time? Send your emails to benjamin.hill@mlb.com   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE TRIVIA ANSWER! Washington’s Yakima Valley, the so-called “hops capital of the world,” accounts for approximately three quarters of all hop production in the United States.  There’s an irony here, in that the Yakima Bears relocated to Hillsboro following the 2012 season and it wasn’t until then that the Hops moniker was adopted. That’d be like if a team from Philadelphia relocated to Trenton and only then rebranded as the Cheesesteaks. (Sorry, not a great example, but it’s the first one that came to mind and, would you look at the time? I’ve got to go.) [Yakima Bears logo] The Yakima Bears coulda been called the Hops.   [IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER, TELL THEM TO SUBSCRIBE HERE](   Contact [Benjamin Hill](mailto:benjamin.hill@mlb.com) [Twitter]( Online]( © 2023 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. [Visit MLB.com](. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. 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