Kernels' park offers options aplenty
When planning to catch a game, it's nearly a necessity for fans to arrive at least one -- maybe even two -- hours before the first pitch just to make sure they have ample time to enjoy all the attractions the stadium has to offer.
Kids are sure to enjoy the Principal Financial Group Fun Fest, which features a parking lot stuffed with baseball-themed entertainment. The giant inflatable games and Xbox 360 trailer should be more than enough to keep any child enthralled for hours.
While the kids are playing at the Fun Fest, adults can take time to honor those who have served and fought for America's freedom at Veterans Memorial Park, which is located just outside the stadium. The park rests between two U.S. Army tanks and includes a touching exhibit of monuments and dedications. If that's not enough, fans can also take a gander at the U.S. Air Force plane that's perched just beyond the center-field wall.
"Baseball and military service are both two things that our country can be very proud of," Kernels broadcaster John Rodgers said. "To have Veterans Memorial Park and the Air Force plane, along with professional baseball being here over 130 years, it makes those two fabrics of Americana something we can take pride in."
Once fans finally venture into the 6-year-old stadium, they have plenty of seating options. There are luxury boxes, grandstand seating, bleachers and even a grassy berm for spectators to park a beach towel and catch some rays while they watch the game. One of the most popular areas is the wooden picnic area that wraps around the left foul pole. If Kernels pitcher Barret Browning weren't pitching, that's where he'd want to be.
"The deck out in left field is probably my favorite part of the whole stadium," he said. "It's cool to see those people come. They don't feel like they've got to sit in the stands or bleachers -- they can go out there and sit around a table and enjoy some drinks, some food and have a good time. It's kind of like a getaway, the way I see it."
No matter where fans are, the action on the field is always in view. The concourse is wide open, so even if fans get up from their seats in section 106-107 (the "1991 Trevor Hoffman" section) to get a hot dog and some nachos, they can still see all the action while they're waiting in line.
Some people in Cedar Rapids worried that the new ballpark would lack the intimacy of the older, outdated Veterans Memorial Stadium. However, the architects were able to appease everybody by keeping the fans close to the field while adding amenities that made the new ballpark stand out from the rest.
"Our grandstand roof is very unique," Rodgers said. "There's no other stadium in the Midwest League that has such a traditional, aesthetically pleasing grandstand roof, because most of the stadiums now are what I call open-air, amphitheater-like structures."
A roof provides shade for those sitting in the grandstand area, but fans who are baking in the summer sun can cool off by wandering into the gift shop or taking a peek into the Cedar Rapids Pro Baseball Hall of Fame, which includes historical plaques and several glass cases filled with baseball artifacts.
When fans finally pack up to go home, they're not just leaving the ballpark, they're leaving an amusement park, a memorial park and a museum all rolled into one.
"We try to touch as many people in this community as possible," Rodgers said. "We want to be thought of as one of the main cultural, entertainment and sporting events in all of eastern Iowa."
It looks like Veterans Memorial Stadium is well on its way.
Jeff Birnbaum is an associate reporter for MLB.com.