Scoreboard Gourmet

Reno Gingersnaps?

Coming in 2009, the new triple-A Diamondbacks, currently called the Reno Gingersnaps, a name that seems fake, even as a joke, even someone old enough to know what gingersnaps are (me).

Or are they some sort of snake?

I guess no more Tucson Sidewinders.

Anyway, there's a Name the Team contest happening now until June 1st. It's open to residents of California and Nevada who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Boo :(

I have a name: The Reno Snake Eyes. Good for keeping it in the serpent/reptile family, and good for keeping in line with Reno, and good for a cool logo. I bet I'm not the only one to think of that one.

here's the link to the contest entry form.

Arizona's Doug Davis is cleared to pitch

This is not usual SG fare, but it's a feel-good story on this rainy Friday morning...

Davis Is Cancer Free, Ready to Pitch Again After thyroid cancer surgery last month, says the Washington Post via Al Behrman of the AP

Diamondbacks LHP Doug Davis said he has been pronounced cancer free after a sophisticated test showed no spread of the disease. Davis said he got the news from surgeon Bob Evani, who removed the pitcher's cancerous thyroid gland on April 10.

"The cancer did not spread and it will not spread from here on out," Davis said yesterday after undergoing a "nuclear CT scan," which would detect any spread of the disease.
"I shook Dr. Evani's hand, told him what a great job he did and what a great doctor he is and just was grateful," Davis said. "I hugged my fiancee and we got out of there, because nobody likes to stay in the doctor's office more than they have to."

The cancer was discovered before the season began but Davis had two starts before undergoing the surgery. He is scheduled to make his first rehab start tomorrow for Class AAA Tucson.

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.

No Food and No Swearing at Tucson Electric Park

General Info from the site of the Tucson Sidewinders (triple-A) Diamondbacks...

Food and beverages cannot be brought in to the ballpark. NO FOOD ALLOWED! We will allow food for babies as long as it is in plastic containers. Only one factory sealed bottle of water per person is allowed. Sidewinders Management must approve special food needs in advance. Please call 434-1021

Instead...Enjoy Signature Food items, such as Hot Legs, Snake Bites and Snake Bread at the Signature Food Concession Stand located behind section 114. What are these wonderful sounding eats?

Also: Zero tolerance for foul language. If you are found to be in violation of this policy you will be asked to leave. Fans are asked to report any abusive language to the nearest usher. [the Scoreboard Gourmet absolutely Loves this rule and thinks it should be instituted all over baseball and other sports. she does realize that it may put her at risk from time to time but believes it's worth it]

btw: Sidewinder (n., def) ~Species (Crotalus cerastes) of small, nocturnal rattlesnake, found in sandy deserts of Mexico and the southwestern U.S. It is 18-30 in. (45-75 cm) long. It has hornlike scales above its eyes and is pale tan, pinkish, or gray, with an inconspicuous spotted pattern on the back and sides. It moves by looping itself obliquely across the sand, leaving a characteristic J-shaped trail. Its venomous bite is usually not fatal to humans

The Sidewinders seasons starts 4/3 at home v the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (triple-A Rockies)

pre or post SuperBowl Phoenix restaurant suggestion

wow do I owe You some info on Phoenix restaurants.

Blue Burrito Grille is a good one because (a) it's good (b) I've actually been there so can attest to that (c) there's a location in the airport (d) the word BLUE is in their name, meaning they're rooting for Big Blue

I'm trying to get my Phoenix connection to send in a picture of tailgating or something. I know she's going to some sort of cool party. Well see.

Tastiest Ballpark Eats, says Wine X, Part 1

Here's why the internet is so great...I was searcing for something completely unrelated to Scoreboard Gourmet and I found something on winexmagazine.com that's perfect for me (and You):
The Wine X Guide to Gourmet Eats at the Country's Tastiest Ballparks (!):

Anaheim Angels
Shredded-beef tamales.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Find the “Fielder’s Choice” farmers’ market or slurp down a smoothie. For a little less sobriety, try the Sonora and Fat Tire microbrews.

Atlanta Braves
Why brave a hot dog when there’s grilled chicken, veggie wraps, fruit and cheese plates, and fresh fruit smoothies? The park also features an upscale wine bar on the Lexus Level, with bison burgers straight from bison raised on Ted Turner’s ranch.

Baltimore Orioles
Pick up BBQ chicken sandwiches, BBQ chicken wraps, smoothies, fresh fruit salads and veggie wraps. Wash it all down with Talus semillon-chardonnay, Talus cabernet or any of 13 microbrew beers like Clipper City IPA and Wild Goose Porter.

Boston Red Sox
Sox fiends crave California rolls, grilled chicken sandwiches, and Hilltop steak and turkey tip sandwiches.

Chicago White Sox
Dine on grilled chicken breast sandwiches, veggie burgers, Italian beef sandwiches, chicken gyros, steak pitas and fresh fruit.

Cincinnati Reds
They’re playing in a new ballpark this season, so they’ve gone a little crazy at the concessions, adding smoked salmon, grilled lamb, veggie dogs and chicken rice rolls.

Cleveland Indians
Chicken fajita salads, veggie burgers, fruit salads, grilled chicken breast and salmon sandwiches and fried shrimp baskets compete for fans’ affections with the classic Cleveland treat — pierogies.

Colorado Rockies
Skip the Rocky Mountain oysters and go for New York strip steak sandwiches, veggie wraps, buffalo burgers, buffalo hot dogs and Chinese chicken salad. The park also boasts the first microbrewery inside a U.S. sporting facility.

Detroit Tigers
Bavarian cream churros — yum!

Florida Marlins
Cuban sandwiches (crusty bread toasted with boiled ham, roast pork, salami, Swiss cheese and pickles) and high-octane Cuban coffee to wash it down.

Houston Astros
Beeline for breast of chicken sandwiches, crab cakes (when the Giants are in town), fish tacos (when San Diego is the visiting team), fresh fruit juices, Vendange wines (chardonnay, zinfandel and cabernet) and local microbrews like Fat Tire and St. Arnold’s.

here's the full story: click here.

The Cactus League

Spring Training! Spring Training!
In the Cactus League (Arizona) there are eight stadiums within a 35 mile radius (Phoenix Area), and two more located in Tucson. That's cool.

Hohokam Park - Mesa, AZ
Cubs

Maryvale Baseball Park - Phoenix, AZ
Brewers

Peoria Sports Complex - Peoria, AZ
Mariners & Padres

Phoenix Municipal Stadium - Phoenix, AZ
A's

Scottsdale Stadium - Scottsdale, AZ
SF Giants

Surprise Stadium - Surprise, AZ
Royals & Texas Rangers

Tempe Diablo Stadium - Tempe, AZ
Angels

Hi Corbett Field - Tucson, AZ
Colorado Rockies

Tucson Electric Park - Tucson, AZ
Diamondbacks & White Sox

Concessions details to follow.
Which Cactus League Stadium has the best food? What's the signature food of each stadium? Is there one?
Any/all info appreciated. Email me or leave a comment. Thanks.

In the meantime, here's the Dining page of a great Cactus League site

Diamondbacks Lunch Boxes!

Wow is this the worst post ever. Did I even think about it before saving it? Did it help anyone to procure a Diamondbacks Lunchbox (designed by Todd McFarlane)? Unlikely. Forgive me. August 26th has come and gone. I will not ignore You anymore (this week).

Kids Eat Free August Wednesdays at Chase Field

Kids 12 and younger eat free at Wednesday Diamondbacks games in August. The next Aug/Wed/Home is the 8th when Diamondbacks play the Pirates at 6:40pm. Kids will receive a coupon when they enter the ballpark for a free hot dog or corn dog, popcorn and a soda or milk at select concession stands.

Non-Levy Concessions at Chase Field:
Blimpie Subs & Salads Sections 125, 137 and 309 - Sub sandwiches, chips and cookies

Cappuccino, Etc. Sections 106, 129 and 312 - Specialty coffees and drinks

Carla's Crazy Corn Sections 117 and 321 - Flavored popcorn

Cold Stone Creamery Sections 112, 137, 314 and 327 - Hand-mixed ice cream

Desert Ice Sections 103, 120, 140, 312 and 320 - Cotton candy, lemonade and SnoCones

Garcia's Sections 117, 127 and 313 - Burros, chimis, quesadillas and tacos

Hungry Hill Sangwich Sections 112, 122, 134, 315 and 326 - Grilled sausages and sandwiches

McDonald's Sections 106, 122, 142 and 315

Panda Express Section 110

Peter Piper Pizza Sections 104, 113, 125,138, 306, 308 and 326

Diamondbacks Ballpark Food, not by SG

MLB.com is calling these things (all 2 of them) “reviews” but they don’t read like someone actually went to the ballpark to try the food. I’m not saying I’m not guilty of the same, at times, but I have neither the money nor the resources of major league baseball. Hell, I don’t even have the money or resources of MiLB.

Anyway, here's the one about Chase Field: A hot dog oasis

Labels: diamondbacks