You'd butter check in on the Biscuits

Plus, a report from Ben's son's first MiLB game [Ben's Biz Beat]( [By Benjamin Hill]( June 29, 2023 Welcome to the 61st edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter. There’s no need to attach an asterisk to this one, since my plan, as always, is to bring you a full-to-bursting bouillabaisse of Minor League Baseball content. Roger that!   BUTTER UP! AN EVENING WITH THE MONTGOMERY BISCUITS [A field-level view in ] Biscuits rise, and when they rise, they rise to the Rays. That’s the situation in Montgomery, Ala., home of a baked-good baseball team that serves as Tampa Bay’s Double-A affiliate. The Biscuits and their home of Riverwalk Stadium were both established in 2004. The river that puts the river in Riverwalk is the Alabama, whose Gun Island Chute tributary is located just to the west.  Riverwalk Stadium boasts one of the most unusual architectural layouts in all of Minor League Baseball, as it was built on the site of a former train shed. In lieu of being demolished, the train shed was incorporated into the ballpark’s first-base side exterior. [The exterior of Riverwalk Stadium] Approaching Riverwalk Stadium, one is greeted by the surreal sight of a pair of anthropomorphic biscuits flanking ornate and well-preserved Western Railway of Alabama signage. A plaque stands in front of the ballpark, noting that “near this site…a Confederate military prison held, under destitute conditions, 700 Union soldiers, most captured at Shiloh.”  It's a lot to take in, and what I’ve written doesn’t even scratch the surface of the history lurking within -- and emanating from -- downtown Montgomery. This was the second time I’ve visited, and I’ve yet to explore the city in the way I should and want to. Maybe next time. There’s always next time.  To get to their seats, fans pass through the train shed and then onto the concourse. [The interior concourse of Riverwalk Stadium] To get to the front office, meanwhile, Biscuits staffers ascend Minor League Baseball’s most opulent staircase. [Minor League Baseball's most opulent staircase] Within that front office, there are further reminders of the building’s pre-baseball existence. [Montgomery's vault] Trains play a role in the Biscuits’ present-day reality as well, as there are tracks just beyond the outfield and CSX freight trains run by regularly. There’s also a train on the concourse. This locomotive, explained to me as “basically a Cub Cadet lawnmower with a shell over it,” takes (mostly) young riders on laps of the perimeter. [Choo! Choo!] I was in town to see the Biscuits on June 15, for what turned out to be a doubleheader against the Biloxi Shuckers (making up for a rainout earlier in the week). When the first game began at 4:35, two hours before the originally scheduled game time, it was a very tranquil scene. [Riverwalk from left field] Even when the stadium is largely empty due to anomalous gametime circumstances, you can bet that Richard Chamberlain will be there. Chamberlain, sitting in a second-row seat located at the far end of the Biscuits first-base dugout, has attended every Biscuits game since the franchise debuted in 2004 (save for two games he missed due to a health issue). I interviewed Richard as he intently watched the game, keeping score with his right hand while methodically slipping his left hand into and out of a well-worn baseball glove resting on his knee. [Richard Chamberlain] Between games of the doubleheader, I spoke with Chris Adams-Wall. Chris, voice of the Biscuits since 2015, was wrapping up his final homestand in Montgomery before moving on to the next chapter of his career. He is now a member of the Rays broadcast team, hosting the pre- and postgame radio show.  [READ ABOUT ADAMS-WALL’S BROADCASTING CAREER AND RECENT CALLUP HERE]( [Chris Adams-Wall]( Shortly after game two began, I met with my Designated Eater Corey Goodrich. Corey works as the taproom manager for Common Bond Brewers, which collaborated with the Biscuits on their Crafty Lefty beer. Corey, out of professional obligation if nothing else, was drinking a can of this “summer shandy ale that combines a wheat beer with a hefty dose of fresh lemons.” [The Designated Eater shows off his beer] Crafty Lefty is one of many beers that can be obtained at the Club Car Bar, located on the first-base side of Riverwalk Stadium. [Montgomery's gorgeous bar] Corey enjoyed his array of Biscuit concessions from more elevated environs, on the second level behind home plate. [Check out this spread] From left to right, that would be Philly Cheesesteak Nachos, a Frito Pie Dog and -- because when you’re attending a Biscuits game you have to get at least one biscuit-based item -- a Nashville Hot Chicken Biscuit. Nashville%20Hot%20Chicken%20Biscuit After “taking a bite out of this messy bad boy,” Corey said that the “chicken’s tender, got a good breading on it, the sauce is very nice, it’s not too hot, but it’s got a nice spicy flavor to it. Very nice. Very moist.” [Curt Bloom in the Birmingham booth](Designated%20Eater%20and%20biscuit) “Moist” could have described the conditions on the field as the second game progressed, as increasingly heavy rains resulted in the game being called after four and a half innings of play (just enough to make it official, with the Biscuits winning 7-0). [The tarp in Montgomery] I had to get a move on the following day, but not before stopping for an early lunch at Dreamland BBQ. [Dreamland BBQ] Two other places I wish I’d had time to visit: [The Legacy Museum]( visible from Riverwalk Stadium, is “situated on a site where enslaved Black people were forced to labor in bondage” and “presents a unique opportunity for visitors to reckon with challenging aspects of our past.” [The Legacy Museum] [The Hank Williams Museum]( celebrates the country music legend, who was born 50 miles south of Montgomery. This statue of Hank is just a block from Riverwalk Stadium. [Hank Williams, the statue] I, like Hank, am a Ramblin’ Man. Pensacola was the next stop, which I’ll detail in next week’s newsletter.   LISTEN UP: NEGRO SOUTHERN LEAGUE MUSEUM DIRECTOR INTERVIEWED ON PODCAST [Frank Adams Jr., friend of the pod]( In last week’s newsletter, I detailed my visit to Birmingham’s Negro Southern League Museum. While there, I interviewed museum director Frank Adams Jr., and our conversation was featured in last week’s episode of “The Show Before the Show” podcast. [CHECK OUT EPISODE 412 OF MILB.COM’S “SHOW BEFORE THE SHOW” PODCAST HERE](   JOSH JACKSON INTERRUPTS [Josh Jackson Interrupts]( This is Josh Jackson, down front and center with a showstopper for all of you out there in newsletter land. You know me as the host of Ghosts of the Minors, the segment on [The Show Before The Show podcasts]( that demands you identify a genuine historical Minor League franchise hidden among two frauds. In the last episode, we struck it rich with the Goldsboro Goldbugs. This week, I ask you which of these was a real team that just couldn't get enough in the Minors of yesteryear: - The Septet Hills Seven Tops - The Kingsport-Johnson-City Bristol Three-Timers - The Leaksville-Draper-Spray Triplets For the answer, tune in to the next Ghosts of the Minors!   HARRY HILL MAKES HIS MINOR LEAGUE BALLPARK DEBUT [Harry's lookin' at you, kid] This past Sunday, my fiancée Jill and I took our son, Harry, to see the Brooklyn Cyclones host the Hudson Valley Renegades at Maimonides Park in Coney Island. Harry is 2 years old, and this was his first baseball game.  We were late to the game, in part because when we were getting ready Harry, for reasons known only to him, refused to wear shorts. His hatred of shorts was so intense that he then demanded that I not wear them either, and by the time we were both dressed to his satisfaction we had missed the Q train and had to wait 16 minutes for the next one. (That was a bummer, but being able to take the subway to a baseball game is great.)  When we finally got to our seats, Harry said, “No baseball!” and then literally screamed for ice cream. Which he soon received, as well as French fries, as well as a stuffed animal from the team store. When all was said and done he had a good time, though the baseball portion of Harry’s first baseball game was exceedingly minimal. Will he one day become a fan? Who knows? But I’m already looking forward to the next one. Nowhere to go but up! Ben%20and%20Harry   [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. 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