Time to play ball! The Vermont Lake Monsters returned to Centennial Field for the 2013 Home Opener on Thursday night. There were plenty of changes for the Monsters fans to notice. Everything from major renovations to the ballpark, right down to these new Champ dolls.
The first and most obvious change to most will be the new grandstand seating which has replaced the concrete General Admission section. This also includes numbered seating so be sure to take note of where your seats are when purchasing your tickets. I did hear one group talking about how they missed that change so when they purchased tickets at separate times, they ended up with seats in various locations.
Another exciting seating addition is the new Field Level Seating. A new section of General Admission bleachers have been added in front of the third base grandstand seating. These are planned to be replaced in the future with the franchise's first Box Seats. Along side of these seats, at the end of the visitors' dugout is the pair of recliners reserved for the winners of the "Best Seats In The House" promotion.
As you would expect, adding seats on the same level as the field has made some considerable changes to the playing field. Many of these are a welcome sight to the players. A long standing issue for catchers playing at Centennial Field has been the foul territory behind home plate. As it stood before, the distance from the plate to the wall directly behind it was equal to the distance from the plate to the pitcher. This presented a challenge for the catchers when chasing after a wild pitch for example. Now, the fence behind the plate has decreased the distance so that it is now on par with other ballparks.
The dugouts have also undergone upgrades in the off-season. In years prior, the teams could not all sit in the dugout at the same time. Thanks to the upgrades, not only is there enough room for the team, except for the pitchers who are out in the new bullpen behind the right field wall, but even the bat boys & bat girls can sit with the team instead of chairs at the end. Champ is sure enjoying the added dance space this provides for him as well. We'll have to see if new roof provides any sound protection for the visiting teams against the stumping of those big blue shoes.
The left fielders will also be noticing some changes. The left field wall has been moved in closer to the plate. There is a chance that this change is partly responsible for Special Olympics Vermont earning their first $100 of the season from the Home Runs for Charity promotion. The first Lake Monsters hit of the 2013 home season was a 1-run homer by third-baseman Chad Pinder.
The final change to the playing field was the wall along the third base foul line. The fence has been moved closer all along there. This has resulted in a great increase in space along the barbecue area, although the guy with the jackhammer has a little less room to work in (don't worry, the sponsor did not lose out, the billboard was just reoriented).Seems as though all of the renovations may be working for the team. After an unfortunate 0-3 start on the road, they came home to Centennial Field and defeated the Connecticut Tigers (Detroit Tigers affiliate) with a score of 5-1.
What do you all think of the renovations? Please leave a comment below and let us know. Thank you everyone.
See you at the ballpark!
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