Check out the best of the best ballparks

Plus, a correction to a trivia answer correction! [Ben's Biz Beat]( [By Benjamin Hill]( May 04, 2023 At 53 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, not far from where I work, there exists a restaurant with the self-evident name of 53. This upscale establishment advertises itself as “an artistic expression of culinary traditions with a tangible edge.” Replace “culinary” with “Minor League Baseball” and the same could be said for this, the 53rd edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter. Dig in.   MINOR LEAGUE BALLPARK GUIDES: BEST OF THE BALLPARKS! [Minor League Ballpark Guides]( You may recall that last month saw the launch of the [Minor League Ballpark Guides]( project, an interactive road trip planning tool featuring searchable maps and in-depth write-ups of every Minor League Baseball park.  If you are one of the (presumed) millions of people who have already enjoyed perusing the Ballpark Guides, perhaps you noticed a section on the landing page entitled “Best of the Ballparks.” It includes links to six articles, of which I shall now provide a handy overview. [Longest affiliations]( Longest Affiliations: Loyalty rewards go to the Phillies and the Tigers, who both boast two organizations on the current Top 10 list. [PERUSE THE LONGEST AFFILIATIONS ARTICLE HERE]( [Minor League Baseball's Oldest Ballparks]( Oldest Ballparks: The 11 most venerable facilities in the Minors opened between 1914-51. It’s not a coincidence that many of my all-time favorite ballparks can be found in this article. [READ ABOUT MiLB’s OLDEST BALLPARKS HERE]( [Best concessions]( Best Concessions: This article, and the three that follow, give me anxiety. It’s hard to pick favorites, and I could justify any number of selections at each level of play. It’s a burden that I must bear, and bear alone. [READ ABOUT AND DISAGREE WITH MY FAVORITE CONCESSION PICKS HERE]( [Best views]( Best Views: Every ballpark’s got ‘em, but some views stand out about the rest. [READ ABOUT BEAUTIFUL MINOR LEAGUE BACKDROPS HERE]( [Best mascots]( Best Mascots: They can’t talk, but boy do mascots get irritable when they’re not mentioned in articles like this. I love them all. I really do. [READ ABOUT MY MOST FAVORITE MASCOTS HERE]( [Ben's favorite Minor League ballparks]( Ben’s Best: If I could only set foot in four Minor League ballparks for the rest of my life, it’d be this spectacular quartet. [READ ABOUT MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE BALLPARKS HERE](   ON THE ROAD AGAIN [Ben's PNW trip ]( Next week I’ll be writing this newsletter from somewhere in Oregon, or maybe Washington? Who knows? The point is, my first road trip is imminent! Check the above itinerary, and, if you missed it last week, [here are all the details](. I’ll be flying to Eugene on Friday and plan to be at the game that night in addition to Saturday. If you have any recommendations or story suggestions for any of the places I’ll be visiting, drop me a line. I’ll catch it. benjamin.hill@mlb.com.   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE TRIVIA QUESTION CORRECTION ... TO THE CORRECTION!  [Meet Designated Eater Tom Lorenzo] Two weeks ago, I asked what was the last Minor League ballpark that did not serve alcohol. I gave the answer as Oneonta’s Damaschke Field, but that was incorrect. So, last week I gave the correct answer: Jim Perry Stadium, home of the Buies Creek Astros (a Carolina League team that existed in 2017-18, biding its time for a new ballpark to open in nearby Fayetteville). However, in belatedly providing you, the loyal reader, with the correct answer, I incorrectly wrote that Jim Perry Stadium is located on the campus of Liberty University. It is, in fact, situated on the campus of Campbell University (the home of the Fighting Camels). My error became apparent seconds after the newsletter came out, when I received the first of what would be many emails and tweets notifying me of my mistake. While I am disappointed in myself for making this error -- and in a correction to the correction, no less -- I am also grateful for it. The fact that so many people noticed helped allay my greatest fear, within this newsletter and within all I do: That no one is paying attention. Thank you to everyone who got in touch. My heart is full. A new trivia question will appear next week, assuming I didn’t make yet another mistake within the above three paragraphs that will need correcting next week.   A JERRY SPECIAL NIGHT IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS [Jerry Springer honored in Minors]( Jerry Springer, daytime TV talk show trendsetter, died April 27 at the age of 79. Springer was a huge baseball fan -- he loved the Yankees, and for a time, had season tickets for the Florida State League’s Sarasota Red Sox. In 2012, he made what may have been his only promotional appearance at a Minor League game, spending an evening at the Northwest Arkansas Naturals’ home of Arvest Ballpark. [REMINISCE OVER JERRY’S NIGHT AT A DOUBLE-A BALLPARK HERE](   YOU NEVER SAUSAGE A THING: DOG INTERRUPTS MEAT RACE [Sausage-race-interrupting dog]( Sure, you could simply watch an online video of a Minor League bat dog interrupting an on-field sausage race and then go about your day, never thinking about it again. But the sort of person who reads this newsletter, that’s the sort of person who wants to know the full story behind the sausage race canine interruption. Fortunately, Josh Jackson is here for us all. Following Greensboro Grasshoppers bat dog Willie Mae Mays' pursuit of a triumvirate of anthropomorphic encased meat products, he spoke to Greensboro team president Donald Moore to learn the specifics.  [READ ABOUT WILLIE MAE MAYS’ SAUSAGE RACE ANTICS HERE](   JOSH JACKSON INTERRUPTS [Josh Jackson interrupts ]( This is Josh Jackson, creeping into Ben's missive midstream to say hello to all of you out there in newsletter land. I host [The Show Before the Show]( podcast's Ghosts of the Minors segment, in which I demand you identify an authentic historical Minor League team hiding among a pair of phonies.  The audio version has gone quiet this week, but listen very carefully and you might just hear about the Mount Airy Graniteers. A more solid bet? Rock out with the Graniteers in the [silent edition of Ghosts of the Minors]( And keep listening to [The Show Before the Show]( to be sure to hear from the past in the future.   CHEW ON THIS: LEHIGH VALLEY, SPRINGFIELD UNVEIL NEW FOOD IDENTITIES [Hoagies, baby]( The Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ annual “Salute to Philly” Night has always involved a Philly-food themed alternate identity. This time around, on June 2, the Phillies Triple-A affiliate [will play as the Hoagies](. This was chosen after a fan vote in which Hoagies triumphed over Subs, a foregone conclusion if there ever was one. Meanwhile… [Springfield Cashew Chickens]( Did you know that there’s such a thing as “Springfield Style Cashew Chicken,” and that the Springfield in question is located in Missouri? I sure didn’t, but once again a Minor League promo has sent us all upon a journey of learning and discovery. From May 25-27 (and periodically over the rest of the season), the Springfield Cardinals will [play as the Cashew Chickens](. This dish, created 60 years ago by Springfield chef David Leong, is, per the team, “a favorite among locals and must-have for anyone visiting the Ozarks.”   DON'T LEAVE HUNGRY [omaha dog]( The Indianapolis Indians are selling a “Hot Dog of the Homestand” this season, customizing the frankfurter in question to whomever their opponent happens to be. For example: The Omaha Steakhouse Dog, seen above, consists of blue cheese, grilled mushrooms, fried onions and bacon bits. That’s one of nine custom franks within the “Hot Dog of the Homestand” season line-up, and you can see, and salivate over, all of them [here](   [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. Subscription required. Blackout and other restrictions may apply. Please review our [Privacy Policy](. You ({EMAIL}) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from [MiLB.com](. Please add info@mail.milblists.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from [MiLB.com]( please [unsubscribe]( or log in and [manage your email subscriptions](. Postal Address: [MiLB.com]( c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.