Biscuits' ballpark ready to host SL All-Stars

When this year's Southern League All-Star Home Run Derby begins, the mayor of Montgomery will have a vested interest in it.

Set in Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium, the SL All-Star Game on Monday, July 10, will be the first hosted by the Montgomery Biscuits, Double-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The park's most notable features are certainly the restored train station along the left side, and the fully operative tracks that run behind the left-field wall. And that's what brought about Mayor Bobby Bright's challenge: He will pledge $1,000 every time a player hits a home run that tags a moving train.

It happened once in 2004, during Riverwalk Stadium's inaugural season, and it's only natural that the team feels it could happen again -- during Riverwalk's first Home Run Derby.

"You can feel the stir every time a power hitter is up," said Biscuits' Media Relations Director, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler. "Guys can hit home runs over the trains, that's how close we are to the tracks."

Along with the Derby comes a full day of All-Star festivities. Sunday night, July 9, the Southern League's best will arrive in Montgomery ready to experience some Alabama culture.

Game day, Monday morning, an All-Star luncheon will allow players to tempt their palates with some of the best Southern cooking around. The ballpark will open its doors at noon for fans to file into the 6,000-plus capacity venue, which fits more like 7,000 when you include the casual seating areas.

Coosa Street, which runs along the third base line, will be taken over by the Biscuits, in conjunction with National Pastime Sports, the company responsible for events such as 2005's Detroit TigerFest and the Triple-A All-Star Game.

Batting cages, interactive games, Speed Pitch and arcade games will all be humming during FanFest. The Home Run Derby will feature Alabama's top high school sluggers, who will face off in their own SlamFest.

The SL Home Run Derby will take place between the bottom of the third and top of the fourth -- and this time it may count for more than just pride. Should the game end up tied after nine innings, the team to which the winning slugger belongs will also take home the All-Star victory.

Though professional baseball has made a home in Montgomery since 1892, Monday's game will mark the city's first ASG in 34 years. There's no doubt Biscuits fans are hoping for a finish as dramatic as 1972's, when a ninth-inning home run by Bucky Dent foreshadowed his famous 1978 blast vs. the Red Sox.

There will be plenty of room for fans as the park features several picnic areas, plus special venues, including the Club Car Bar, Boxcar Buffet, Locomotive Loft and Whistle Stop Grille.

The grass berm and Big Mo's Dugout children's area will also be buzzing with excitement during this year's Classic.

For Montgomery, the Biscuits hold the baseball niche as the city is seasonally devoted to high school sports and the Auburn-Alabama football rivalry.

"Without a doubt the Biscuits are the heart of the city," said Goldberg-Srassler. "[The ballpark is] the place to eat, the place to be seen in corporate settings, young people settings. Sundays we're packed with families. This place is always full."

Riverwalk's name comes from the Alabama River, flowing peacefully beyond the left field wall. HOK -- the architects behind Camden Yards and Comerica Park -- made sure that Riverwalk was built into the community.

Montgomery's historic train depot was preserved when constructing the $26 million beauty. Six of the ballpark's 20 luxury suites are built into the restored train station. Fans are able to enter the stadium through the station, allowing Riverwalk to blend perfectly into its surroundings.

Riverwalk's menu certainly adds to its appeal. Southern specialties and favorites include catfish, corn on the cob, and Mama B's famous biscuits, meant to be dipped in syrup.

"They're the official biscuits of Montgomery," said Goldberg-Strassler. "They're the best biscuits you'll ever have, no question."