{"id":8905,"date":"2015-07-23T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2015-07-23T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoohaa.com\/?p=8905"},"modified":"2015-07-21T10:29:38","modified_gmt":"2015-07-21T14:29:38","slug":"summer-of-baseball-vermont-brings-a-lot-of-nostalgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoohaa.com\/?p=8905","title":{"rendered":"Summer of Baseball: Vermont brings a lot of nostalgia"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are a fan of old stadiums, then a trip to Burlington, Vermont should be on your list.<\/span><\/p>\n

Centennial Field\u2019s first game was held on April 17, 1906. Wrap that around your head a little bit when you think about how old it is. The stadium seats nearly 4,500 people and when you walk in, it\u2019s definitely an old-school feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

The concourse sits outside the main playing area, much like older stadiums. Inside, beams can obstruct your view (as was the case with us, but not too bad). The dugouts are a tad farther down the lines, so it\u2019s almost odd to see where players come out and where they swing as they wait to bat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"An

An old-school way of watching baseball at Vermont.<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s a cool little stadium, though. Concessions are in booths, and the souvenir store is a spot where you can go in and see at the stand, but can\u2019t walk through a store. It makes for some slow service, though, as people will often look for a while and block the way. Such is the way of these older stadiums.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parking is awful. There aren\u2019t many spots at the stadium and surrounding streets have \u201cno parking\u201d signs all over. You park in a parking garage (free) on the University of Vermont campus and take a school bus shuttle to the game. It actually added to the experience, but it was definitely different.<\/span><\/p>\n

The crowd gets into the game, so it\u2019s definitely a \u201cbaseball\u201d stadium. You could tell they understood the game and such, so that was a good thing. Tickets weren\u2019t easy to get (at least what I like), and they had a good crowd when I was there, which is also a good sign. When I visited (August 2014), I felt like it was definitely for baseball.<\/span><\/p>\n

The food selection is average and there was a good selection of beer, which would be expected in Vermont. There are some good craft beers up that way.<\/span><\/p>\n

If one is smart, you\u2019ll spend a night or two in the town as well and venture out and about around Burlington. It\u2019s a nice area and I wish I had spent a little more time there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Park Notes: \u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Centennial Field<\/strong>
\nBurlington, Vermont<\/em>
\nHome of the Vermont Lake Monsters (Short-season A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics)
\nVisited on: Saturday, August 2, 2014
\nOpponent: Mahoning Valey (Short-season A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians)<\/p>\n

Ratings (out of 10)<\/p>\n