Scoreboard Gourmet

Columbus Catfish Kids Lunch Bag Night, and more

Columbus Catfish Kids Lunch Bag Night TOMORROW (5/17) - the first 300 kids, 12 and under, will receive an insulated lunch bag. Game v Augusta starts 7p.

And here's a bit of Catfish news from milb.com: Art Solomon, majority owner of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, has purchased the Columbus Catfish, the Single-A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays

Also, it's possible they're still looking to fill positions for ushers, concessions workers and batboys. Those interested should stop by Golden Park and fill out an application. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

FOOD/DRINK PROMOS:

Thirsty Thursdays - $1 beverages

Kids Eat Free Sundays -every child 12 and under with a paid admission receives a coupon good for a free hot dog, bag of chips and small soda.

Eating away the innings in baseball's cheap seats, by USAToday

USAToday, a newspaper I generally only read when I stay in a hotel, did a piece on all-you-can-eat seats in MLB parks. You know what I think - people need to exercise self-control; need to be responsible for themselves. If AYCE disgusts you, sit somewhere else.

here's the intro. story by Michael McCarthy...

Baseball and gluttony, two of America's favorite pastimes, are merging in a controversial trend taking hold at Major League Baseball stadiums across the nation: all-you-can-eat seats.

Fans in these diet-busting sections, for a fixed price usually ranging from $30 to $55, are able to gorge on as many hot dogs, nachos, peanuts and soft drinks as they can stomach. Some teams charge extra for beer, desserts and candy.

here's a little more...

"What's the old saying? A hot dog at the ballpark is better than a steak at the Ritz," says Dodgers chief marketing officer Charles Steinberg, who won't discuss the precise impact the all-you-can-eat seats have had on team revenue.

Among the clubs with all-you-can-eat seats for the first time this year: the Oakland Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks. Besides the Dodgers, Rangers and Royals, those offering them for at least part of last season were the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles.

And here's the link to the full story.

Tastiest Ballpark Eats, says Wine X, Part 2

(here's Part 1, if You missed it)

Kansas City Royals
Even if the Royals are cellar-dwellers, you can chow down on some authentic KC barbecue.

Los Angeles Dodgers
Chow down on chicken sausages, grilled chicken sandwiches and veggie sandwiches.

Milwaukee Brewers
Snack on shrimp quesadillas, grilled chicken sandwiches, hand-carved turkey breast hoagies, grilled chicken Caesar salads, BBQ chicken/pork sandwiches, grilled portobello mushroom sandwiches, grilled chicken wraps and bison burgers.

New York Mets
Savor succulent sushi, grilled chicken sandwiches and chicken Caesar salads, then wash it all down with Glen Ellen wines and Red Hook beer.

New York Yankees
The pin-stripers are pretty traditional, but potato knishes are a nice nosh.

Oakland A’s
Get ready for roasted chicken, international sausages, fresh fruit smoothies, herbal teas and 15 different premium beers, including brands like Pyramid, Red Hook and Sierra Nevada.

Philadelphia Phillies
Forgo the cheese steaks and go for grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled zucchini, Cajun fried turkey breast, Rita’s Italian Water Ices and fruit juices.

San Diego Padres
Legend says this was the first Major League ballpark to serve sushi. If you prefer your seafood cooked, go for the tasty fish tacos.

Seattle Mariners
Go fishing for gourmet grub like sushi, salmon burgers, panini sandwiches and Caesar salads.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Florida fans favor sushi, fresh shrimp and lobster rolls. Wash that good grub down with Monterey Vineyard and Sutter Home wines, or microbrews like Sierra Nevada and Anchor Steam.

Texas Rangers
Whoop it up with Southwestern chicken Caesar salads, turkey wraps, chicken and beef fajitas, and frozen daiquiris.

Toronto Blue Jays
The sky’s the limit with grilled chicken sandwiches, chicken Caesar salads and pasta salads.

and here's the full article on winexmagazine.com. Thank you, Tina Caputo.

Dancing Banana in Tampa Bay

Why?

Cowbells ringing trigger my memories of the unfriendly TB vibe. But I'm not a hater so I'm not going to say something like...what the heck is a giant inflatable banana person doing walking around and harassing our pitchers? Is that what losers do or do Devil Rays just like Bananas?

Indians Club Seats/Lounge Kick Butt of DevilRays

What else can I say? Don't you love this pic of the baseball fans watching the basketball game? That's what's happening there; it's the Jacobs Field Club Lounge on a night of a Cavaliers playoff game. Actually, I can say something else: the Indians have the most fantastic staff, maybe in all of MLB. Everyone - from the telephone ticket people to the window ticket people to the vendors to the hosts in the club lounge - remembers and cares that they're in the service industry. It's great.

As you can see by the pic, I was given a tour of the Club Lounge and the seating area in front. Great vibe in there, much much much better than in Tampa. It was all light-colored and airy. Tampa? A dark dump, and you already know that we had to take an elevator to get there from our seats. Anyhoo, people were happy with their food, and their seats. And why wouldn't they be? Flat screen TV's, a little souvenir shop, a full bar, all-inclusive unlimited food (pasta, sandwiches, Mexican, salads, soup, pizza, ice cream, hot dogs, etc.) More info: 216-420-4497 or email: premium@indians.com.

Shea Field Level Food Court Not for Everyone

If you don't have a ticket for a Field Level seat at Shea, you're can't go to the Field Level concessions! What the?! The guard who stopped me (me! a girl, alone, seeking food) did get a Club Seats waiter who told me he'd bring me something if I stood and waited, which was a kind gesture, but no one would let me in to check out the goods. Were they worried the 8,000 guards by the seats would not be able to stop me if I tried to sneak in to the field level? Does this happen at other ballparks? Yes I'm thinking of Tropicana Field, those meanies not giving me a cowbell. Is Yankee Stadium the most egalitarian ballpark in baseball?

where to dine before/after a game in greater Tampa Bay

Keegan's Seafood Grille
1519 Gulf Blvd (Mile Marker 17.5)
Indian Rocks Beach, Fl 33785
727-596-2477
I'm positive you can't have a bad meal at Keegan's; and the service is fantastic. I know I keep promising details. Bear with me. I just underwent two days of jury duty (was released) and have numerous other excuses, all valid, like I had to watch the almost-no-hitter of our baby pitcher Phil Hughes. Almost, because he got hurt.

Tropicana Field, part two

Boiled peanuts! BBQ, turkey legs, seafood, hot dogs, sweets, margaritas, Checkers: foods inside - and don't forget that inside really means inside at Tropicana Field. It's really strange to watch baseball under a roof. All concessions were recently renamed so they're still updating the complete list. One thing I can tell you now: there were few lines. Not sure if that's because the game wasn't sold out or because there are so damn many concessions, or what.

Tropicana Field, part one

I thought the Tropicana Field ticket-taker was kidding when he avoided my eyes. But it was no joke; he wasn�t going to give me a cowbell, the promotional item of the night. True, I wasn�t dressed in Devil Rays gear. True, I was wearing a Yankees cap and shirt. But I�ve never been discriminated against in at an opposing team�s ballpark�at least not when it comes to freebies. It made me reconsider the parking lot attendant�s motive for sending us to Gate 1 when he should have sent us to Gate 4. Later it made me wonder why my scoreboard birthday message was not displayed, and why our section�s waitress was MIA. Most importantly, it made me question the guidance of the phone ticket salesman who�d assured me the Home Plate Club (aka Kane�s Club) seats were absolutely worth the astronomical price. Honestly I�d expected to recoup about 50% of cost in food and seat value, writing off the other half as �everything�s more expensive on vacation and it�s my birthday.� The sad news is: I took a much bigger loss than anticipated. Sadder: I dragged two people down with me. My advice: if you want to sit in Club seats, try to get into Rays Club (sold out when we went)�you have access to the same buffet as the folks at home plate and it�s closer. From where we were sitting we had a great view of the butts of the On-Deck Yankees, but we also had to take an elevator (!) to our all-you-can-eat. Hated that. You could carry food/drink down with you; not ideal. There was a smaller, much more limited buffet closer to our seats, but it was more of a service bar for the few times the waitress made an appearance. And the big buffet? Pretty bad. Roasted tomato and goat cheese ravioli in saffron cream sauce tasted like a flipper (the snorkeling kind) microwaved in sea water and chicken stock. Polish sausage was decent while hot dogs were flavorless. I could go on, knocking down each food item, but you get my point. Guinness, the only non-Bud/Miller offering, could be had for $8. Yikes. Seats in the row directly behind ours, by the way, cost $150 (no food and no leather cushion). We paid $270. I know I did not eat $120 of peanuts, especially since our waitress, um, did not remember to bring more to me when I asked. In case you think I'm just a paranoid Yankees fan (everyone hates us, etc) maybe this bit will convince you: at least three times during the game, one of the scoreboards encourgaged "Rays Fans Show the Yankees Fans This is Your House." Hmm..I'm pretty sure in our house we're a little more open to guests. **the dark leather seats behind home plate are the Home Plate Club. This view is from the buffet. It's not possible to walk from one to the other (we tried). Rays club is just below the buffet.

what happened at the 1 open Tampa Yankees concession (a transcript)

SG: can I get a hot dog, please?

vendor: small, or foot-long?
SG: small. actually...can I just get whatever is the most burnt?
vendor brings SG what appears to be a raw, small hot dog
SG: um, sorry, but can I get one of those burnt foot-longs?
vendor rolls her eyes, but gets SG what she wants
vendor: anything else?
SG: do you have any beer in bottles?
vendor: no
SG: ok.
vendor: anything else?
SG: a small popcorn, please.
vendor: four dollars.
SG gives a $20.
vendor goes to get popcorn.
another vendor tells SG there's no bottled beer for sale anywhere in the stadium after 8pm.
vendor gives popcorn to SG.
SG: sorry to do this, but can I get a bud light?
vendor reaches for flimsy plastic cup.
SG: is there any way I can get the collector's cup? you can fill it halfway.
vendor: no.
SG: I can give you an extra dollar or something.
vendor: all the cups are counted.
SG: okay. don't worry about it.
vendor gives beer to SG
vendor: five dollars.
SG: you can take it out of my change.
blank stare from vendor.
SG: I gave you a $20.
vendor's jaw drops
SG: you didn't give me the change yet
SG puts hands into sweatshirt pockets, feigning search, dramatically.
SG: nothing in my pockets (this is true, hence the feigning)
vendor walks to consult with another vendor. they whisper while staring at SG.
SG sips beer.
vendor returns and without saying a word gives change to SG. SG did not realize she looks like a grifter.
SG: thank you
vendor wants to kill SG
hot dog is cold and tastes like bologna. popcorn is chewy. bud light tastes great. watching Matsui score the only run also great.