Originally written July 10th, 2009

I've been going to North Carolina for years. Decades now, amazingly. Some of my closest friends whom I don't even call friends anymore, but more like this bastardized mutation of a dysfunctional extended family are there, and I make it a point to go visit several, several times throughout the course of any year. Unfortunately, the lack of a major league ball park in the Carolinas had a tendency to make me continue onward with my trek instead of taking another trip into the Tarheel state.

Fortunately, the 2009 season has seen the gates of Minor League hell open up, and I'm completely open to the idea of visiting as many minor league parks along the way as well. To some degree, I actually have been preferring minor league baseball, due to the relaxed nature, cheaper prices, and more calm atmosphere about them. That being said, combined with the fact that they'd be hosting my Atlanta Braves' AAA-affiliates, aptly also named the Braves, a debut trip to the Durham Bulls' stomping grounds seemed like a good idea.


The first ever minor league game I went to since starting this little project was back in 2007, as the then, Richmond Braves hosted the Durham Bulls. Top-prospect pitcher for the then Devil Rays, Jeff Niemann dominated the R-Braves, and the Bulls won pretty easily behind his excellent performance. To some capacity, this is a little bit of a circle, as now I went to see the Gwinnett Braves take on the Durham Bulls in their home park now. Sure a little bit has changed, Richmond is no more in favor of Gwinnett, and the Devil has left the Rays, but the Bulls were still the Bulls.

Ironically, I would have to say that Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP, henceforth) is a little too major league to be considered minor league. Strange, to say such, but maybe it's because I've got the flavor of several lower level minors fresh in mind that I can make this comparison. The Bulls in general are one of MiLB's most well-known teams too, having been named in Kevin Costner flicks like Bull Durham, etc. I think it kind of reflects in the way DBAP and the Bulls exist now. I like to chalk it up partially to the fact that the Bulls are a AAA squad, just a hop, skip and a jump away from being Major league.

Located prominently in the city of Durham, it's apparently not that simple to get to and from DBAP. Clearly a good thing, but the attendance, at least the day I was there was quite good, and if that's the norm, then it's great for the Bulls. Parking is almost as big of a pain as it is for a game at Turner Field, but at least it's not as expensive.

But overall, DBAP is a nice park. Despite it being a prominent Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, why it has "The Blue Monster" despite never having been a Red Sox affilate at any point in its lineage is a bit baffling to me. And slightly disappointing, which kind of justifies why we live in a Red Sox Nation, with rubs like this, and the way the manually operated scoreboard is meant to look almost identically to Fenway Park's, but I digress a little bit.

It's about the right amount of flair and pizazz for a AAA-level ball park, and I can't have a lot of objection. The ticket costs are indeed cheap, and the players are relatively easy to access, as it should be at this level. Walking around the park is a relaxing task, and I was able to hang out and watch the game from various points in the park, from the top of the Blue Monster, to the outfield grass in left-center, as well as from the top of the home run deck out in right.

It's a fine looking place. I like the way the park is kind of enshrined by the surrounding buildings, and the smokestacks and water towers are good reminders of that it's still smallish and not big city. I suppose my only regret is not having come up sooner, when the Gwinnett Braves had some highly touted prospects that are now already in the major leagues. I suppose there's always a year or two from now, when some of the future superstars on the Braves organizational depth chart make their way into the AAA level.


Noteable performance(s):   There were quite a few in this game. For the Braves, Mariano Gomez came out of the bullpen, and pitched four scoreless innings to stifle the damage that inept Tony Armas, Jr. caused. Shortstop Antonio Perez had a big 4/5 night and set the table up for the top of the Braves' order repeatedly. For the Bulls, high-ranking Rays prospect, Matt Joyce was an offensive juggernaut, going 3/4 with a walk, scoring three times while driving in two runs of his own. But the biggest hit of the night came from Braves second baseman, Kelly Johnson, who on a rehab assignment (read: put on DL for sucking), momentarily snaps out of his sucking to deliver a huge 3-run home run that put the Braves in the lead for good.

Game Result:   Some history for me was made this evening, because in all of the minor league games I've gone to that one of the teams was a Braves affiliate, I was rocking an 0-5 record. Well, that came to an end, as the G-Braves were able to come from behind to take the lead, and in dramatic fashion, manage to hold on to it, and WIN the first ever Baby (and I use the term lightly, since many players are on rehab assignments or are AAAA-level players) Braves win for me. Gwinnett Braves 7, Durham Bulls 6..

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