MINNEAPOLIS—One of the greatest baseball promotions in recent years was “Prince Night” at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. The event was on June 8, a day after the fallen rock star’s 60th birthday. The first 10,000 fans received inflatable purple guitars that replicated the custom made Prince symbol guitar he played at the rainy Bears-Colts Super Bowl in Miami.
A special ticket package included commemorative purple baseball caps with the Prince symbol. A post-game fireworks show was themed with Prince hits like “Raspberry Beret.” The Twins struck up an exclusive merchandising deal with the Prince estate, so yes there were commemorative baseballs with the Prince [...]
Minor league baseball, Clinton , Ia., June 13, 2017 (D. Hoekstra photo)
CLINTON, IA.—America was a different place when I began writing the Glove Compartment 25 years ago. Life is now framed by more jagged edges. People continue to leave big cities for the small and mid-sized cities that define the Midwest League. Where you unlock the doors, you unlock your heart.
When I began traveling in and out of Illinois to explore baseball’s backroads for the Kane County Cougars and the Midwest League, at least the state had a working budget. Just after this Fourth of July, Illinois passed a budget after a two year [...]
Akron Rock n’ Roll Bobble Head giveaways.
EASTLAKE, Ohio—With no surrender and lots of Mountain Dew I drove to Columbus, Ohio in mid-April to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. This marked my 30th Springsteen concert dating back to Sept. 6, 1978 at the Uptown Theater in Chicago ($7.50 ticket.) All those ticket stubs are bookmarks in my life.
The Holiday Inn in downtown Columbus was filled with Springsteen fans who were knocking around the region for his “High Hopes” tour. They had been to Virginia Beach, Va., they were heading to Nashville, Tn. for his next show.
I was surprised [...]
COMSTOCK PARK, Mich.—It is a month before opening day for the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Class A Midwest League. The drive out of Chicago is part of a search for a new beginning. The Greg Brown CD plays “Never So Far.” A large billboard on the right side of U.S. Route 31 reads “Never In Doubt.”
The sign is in reference to the April 8 Whitecaps opening day.
Nearly half of the team’s 20-year-old ballpark was destroyed in a Jan. 3 fire. Investigators said that a trash container placed next to a space heater in a suite caused the fire. Multiple suites were destroyed and part of the Fifth Third Ballpark roof collapsed. The home clubhouse, right field concession [...]
