The Yankeefication of Scranton

[Squid]

The Yankeefication of Scranton

Photos and text about PNC Field, home of our new AAA team, the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

MODS: Sorry if this belongs in Around the Minors, but it seemed to be of more general NY fan interest.

Here are the photos:

http://sports.webshots.com/album/558462714gPpUcL

Some of them have brief captions.

And here’s my report, which you actually might want to read first:

As we celebrate the opening of the New York Yankees’ 2007 season, the little town of Moosic, PA, a suburb in the Scranton Wilkes-Barre area, is getting ready to welcome in a whole new era. With Thursday’s opener scheduled versus the Norfolk Tides, the SWB Yankees take over from the former occupants, the SWB Red Barons.

I saw our former AAA team, the Columbus Clippers, play the Red Barons here about 13 or 14 years ago. But when my fellow nyyfans.com board member Mopar Larry bought himself a new van in Moosic and needed to pick it up, we figured we should check out the place again and see how it looked. We drove the 2 hours and 15 minutes from Jersey City on Saturday.

We caught the place in a strange moment: There were still a few anachronisms that indicated it was the Red Barons’ home park, though most things had been Yankeefied. You’ll see some of them in my photos.

For example, one electric scoreboard was already set for the Tides-Yankees matchup, while one painted board still reads “VISITORS … RED BARONS.”

And unlike other minor league parks, the dimensions of the field don’t match our big-league park. The outfield distances used to match those of Veterans Stadium in Philly, because the Red Barons were a Phillies farm team. I assume the current dimensions are still those of the Phillies’ new stadium.

We also saw an old white board in a public hallway, announcing the Red Barons starting lineup. You could still see ghostly red lettering that was only partially erased. Presumably it told of the lineup for the last Red Barons home game last year.

The hallways behind the seats are decorated with big posters of past New York Yankees stars. (No photos of them, sorry, my battery ran out!)

It looks like some rows of seats around the top of the upper tier have been removed. Big banners cover the empty spaces, like they do in Oakland’s stadium. I guess they’re trying to make the place look more full, but I bet they have to reverse that and put the seats back in once hordes of New Yorkers start swarming out there.

The stadium stores are already open, so you can get all your Scrankees merchandise! (Yeah, that’s just my own silly nickname.) I bought a Scrankee hat to wear on Opening Day in the Bronx.

Overall, it’s quite a nice-looking stadium. There are dining and party pavilions near the foul poles, and a Stadium Club restaurant along the first-base line, with picture-window views of the game.

The backdrop is somewhat famous: There’s a big rock ledge behind the outfield fence, which supposedly is home to many snakes. When Red Barons fans wanted their players to hit a home run, they’d yell, “Hit it where the snakes are!”

The place looks a little barren now, with the trees all bare, but in summer it’s quite verdant. It beats the parking-lot/highway/strip mall views behind the outfield fence at some parks (like, say, Shea).

The area immediately around the stadium is mountainous and woodsy, though there is a big shopping complex just down Montage Mountain Road from the park. Watch out for traffic jams at the exit.

The broader area of Scranton Wilkes-Barre has a history as a railroad and coal town, with museums celebrating both. The Steamtown USA rail museum is more than that, with all kinds of stuff for railroad fanatics (like me and Mopar Larry).

If the Anthracite Heritage Museum sounds familiar, it might be because it’s mentioned in a rap video parody called “Lazy Scranton,” which played a prominent role in a fairly recent episode of NBC’s hit TV series “The Office.” It was supposed to be an employee orientation video.

Here’s the youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0xBVFl0II

“Scranton …(WHAT?!) The Electric City!”

Finally, a word about the people. We wandered in off the street, asked some stadium personnel if we could snap a quick photo from the seats, and were told we could go anywhere we wanted. Nice. Some friendly guys from a local correctional facility were cleaning the place, and they told us what to look for. One was a huge New York Yankee fan. Nice.

In general, our New York Yankee garb made us the object of some curiosity, perhaps a little nervousness, but also a certain respect, among the people putting the finishing touches on the park. They seemed excited that, as Phil Hughes and other big prospects prepare to start their 2007 seasons there, many, many more of us will be on our way to little Moosic, to look into our future.

P.S.: “Hey Mike, our town is dope and pretty!”

[TheYankee]

Neat analysis... however, your photo link isn't working.

[Squid]

Originally Posted by TheYankee

Neat analysis... however, your photo link isn't working.

Hmmm... that's odd. It's still working for me, and that photo sharing site never gives me a moment's trouble.

It does pop up a new window. Did you try allowing pop-ups from this site?

[FormerlyKnownAsMHHL]

Originally Posted by Squid

Hmmm... that's odd. It's still working for me, and that photo sharing site never gives me a moment's trouble.

It does pop up a new window. Did you try allowing pop-ups from this site?

Working for me.

[Squid]

Great av, Formerly. That's George's hand, right?

[FormerlyKnownAsMHHL]

Originally Posted by Squid

Great av, Formerly. That's George's hand, right?

You know it!

[GoYanks]

The photos work for me, and I thank you for adding the description of the ballpark. I attended a Clippers/Red Barons game there several years ago, and there is a huge Yankee fan base in this area of PA, which will only increase with the infusion of people from around the city once they discover that Scranton's only 2-3 hours away. Of course, there's also the difference in ticket prices ... last year I finally made it to Columbus (where attendance was sad) & had the best seats for $10 with an attendant making sure that the seat was clean ... try that in YS!

[RYMASTER or Ryan_Yankees]

I love the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. My family has vacationed there many times, and my brother went to the University of Scranton (whose billboard can be seen in one of the pictures). Can't wait to see the SWB Yankees in action up there.

[ymike673]

I haven't been to this park in a few years. From the photos it looks like a real grass field. Was the astro turf replaced?

[BillBuckner]

Originally Posted by ymike673

I haven't been to this park in a few years. From the photos it looks like a real grass field. Was the astro turf replaced?

Yes, this winter. According to the locals, it was a "sod day" for the stadium.

[TheBamTino24]

Originally Posted by RYMASTER or Ryan_Yankees

I love the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. My family has vacationed there many times, and my brother went to the University of Scranton (whose billboard can be seen in one of the pictures). Can't wait to see the SWB Yankees in action up there.

Same here. Scranton grew on me the more I went there.

[BRNXBMRS]

Awsome pics, I am going on Memorial Day weekend.

[Mopar Larry]

As drives go, it is a pretty straight shot from the city: I-80 west over the Delaware Water gap to I-380 to I-81 and there is an exit from 81 to Montage Mtn Road where the stadium is. Figure on 2.5 hours driving time, however as a former western Jersey resident that travel time will increase as the weather gets better and more people going to the Pocanos makes I-80 into a parking lot.