Mik's Food Scrapbook: Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium

Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium used to be a pretty boring food options stadium when it was Tucson Electric Park. Sure they brought vendors in for the Spring Training Season, but for Triple A baseball they normally just had the regular concession stands. Hi Corbett has always been better with them always having Eegees and even Dominos (not just Pizza, but even lava cakes!) with the Tucson Toros (not even MLB farm baseball!).

Now that Triple A is back with the Tucson Padres, they have stepped it up. They actually have Eegees, which is a necessity for summer baseball if you ask me. For those that have never been to Tucson, Eegees are frozen fruit drinks. All the games are night games, but you get into June and July and it is easily still 100+ at game start. It was not hot for Opening Day, but Mik still got an Eegee.

They have Dominos as the pizza options (much better than the crap at Chase Field I had during Dbacks Opening Day), although sadly no Lava Cakes like the Toros had at Hi Corbett last season.

They also have a good Mexican place. Dad got the nachos, which is a pretty big platter, although the price certainly corresponds to that.

We also got some mini donuts.

Besides normal ballpark fare (hot dogs, pretzels, peanuts, etc.) they also have a veggie stir fry noodle place, which is the same one they had for the Spring Training game I went to last month. The noodles are pretty good and even a reasonable price.

Related Posts:

• Tucson Padres Opening Day 2011 - 1st Home Game Ever
• Spring Training in Tucson 2011 Game 1

Mik's Mini Bat Collection: Light Blue Tucson Padres

Mik debated a while before finally settling on the Light Blue Tucson Padres mini bat. He liked the natural one as well, but finally decided on the light blue because it is not a color he has many if any mini bats in. They also had dark blue, pink, and silver. The silver was not bad, but the dark blue was not good, as the logo kind of blended in. The pink is just a continued trend we do not like, as they only make sense when the MLB does it on purpose to sell the bats after Mother's Day to raise money for Breast Cancer and not a regular no donation gear unless somehow a team actually has pink as a team color.

Kj's Baseball Collection: Tucson Padres

They had a few different ball options, but nothing all that cool. An inaugural season or something that said 2011 would have been cool, but the silver one is not bad, especially since the Tucson Padres logo itself is pretty nice.

Tucson Padres Opening Day 2011 - 1st Tucson Padres Home Game Ever

Last night Dad, Mik, and I went to the Tucson Padres home opening as our 2nd Opening Day game for 2011. It is exciting to have Triple-A back in Tucson even though it is only temporary for two seasons or so. The game was overall pretty exciting, although some majorly sloppy errors and close errors by mostly the Tucson Padres (definitely why they lost in the end).

We sat in the wheelchair section of 119. Mik loved the seats. They are right in line with 3rd base and a great view of the whole field. Of course, no cup holders and no lids on the soda cups are a little annoying, but it has always been that way at TEP (now Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium). The weird thing is that the lemonade does come in cups with lids, as does the Eegees (these are souvenir style, though).

The turn out was kind of disappointing in my opinion. I expected at least 8,000, but the attendance was only about 6,300. It certainly does not bode well if they cannot even fill the place on a Friday season opener, although the fireworks and Thirsty Thursdays are likely to be as popular as ever. The game I really wish we could make, though, is on April 30 they are doing a throwback game at historic Hi Corbett, but instead we will be in LA doing something more awesome (D23 Walt Disney Studio Tour).

Kj's Baseball Collection: All Star Game 2011

I did not plan to get a ball at Opening Day 2011 at the Dbacks because I already have so many Dbacks balls and not to mention other baseballs, so am now much pickier. However, I kind of liked the idea of an All Star Game ball for my collection, although I did not particularly think this one was awesome enough to get, but Dad got it for me anyways when he went to the Team Shop.

Mik's Mini Bat Collection: All Star Game 2011

Mik was happy that they had a mini bat for the All Star Game 2011 when we went to Opening Day 2011. He was afraid he would have to wait until later in the season and we are not exactly planning another Dbacks game this season, especially since we can actually see Triple A baseball in Tucson this year. The mini bat is his favorite color red and he liked the logo, but I am surprised it did not have the Arizona A in the logo like some of the All Star stuff including my ball.

Arizona Diamonbacks Opening Day 2011: Dbacks beat Reds 13 to 2

Yesterday we went to the Dbacks home opener. Mik was happy to get the lanyard giveaway to replace his red one from last year that is getting kind of dirty looking since he has used it for a year for his school ID.

Chase Field has not changed much, but there is some minor changes. For one, there is a All Star Game signage and merchandise, since the game is at Chase Field this season. Secondly, some of the food vendors have changed. Some might think it is good and to some extent it might be for those that need Gluten-Free stuff (there is now a place just for that), but the pizza is a major downgrade. Forever it has been Peter Piper Pizza (Arizona based chain) and now it is some stupid New York style pizza place. Now I do not know what kind of pizza Peter Piper would be classified as and it is not spectacular, but it is better than the new stuff, which I do not even think is actually New York style pizza.

This year we sat in section 138. The first time we went to opening day we say just two sections over in 140 and boy what a difference that makes. 138 just stinks handicap section wise. If you are lower in the section it would be fine, but at the top you cannot see the scoreboard except a bit of the corner due to the overhang. It even seems worse when the section to the left is obstructed at the top and gets TVs to compensate for no scorebord view. I do not get why 138 and probably 137 does not also get that. 138 also has the foul pole, but I did not mind that. At least you can see the Circle K strikeout meter, though.

I do not know if the problem is 138 area or the sound system being louder this year, but Mik was almost in tears covering his ears and ready to scream when we first got there and the sound system was playing stuff constantly. He has never acted like that at any ballpark before due to sound, especially not one we go to pretty much just because he is the Dbacks fan. It was still loud during the game, but it was not constant sound due to it being quiet during play.

We ended up leaving at the 7th inning stretch because Mik fell asleep and we wanted to get out of the parking garage before they closed if for the post-game fireworks. We missed the big scoring, but heard and saw the fireworks for the homers.