![Hoover Met - A Spaceship?](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/birmingham004.jpg.w560h176.jpg)
![Hoover Met from the outfield lot - Birmingham](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/birmingham005.jpg.w560h138.jpg)
TEAM ::: BIRMINGHAM BARONS LOCATION ::: BIRMINGHAM,
ALABAMA MY FIRST VISIT ::: JULY 4, 2006 OPPONENT ::: HUNTSVILLE STARS LEVEL ::: SOUTHERN LEAGUE 'AA'
FORMERLY KNOWN AS :::
HOOVER METROPOLITAN STADIUM
![A sign around Hoover Met - Birmingham](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/birmingham001.jpg.w560h149.jpg)
RATINGS
BALLFIELD :::
A SCOREBOARD ::: B FOOD ::: C+ FACILITIES ::: A
![A view of Hoover Met from behind Home Plate](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040069.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
MY TAKE ON THE PARK
![A view from Right Field](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040036.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
I'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES .. WHEN THEY REPLACED MacARTHUR STADIUM
IN SYRACUSE THEY PUT UP A DULL CONCRETE PARK. WHEN THEY REPLACED COMISKY,THEY PUT UP U.S. CELLULAR, NOT A BAD PARK BUT CERTAINLY
NOT COMISKEY. I'D REFERENCE MONTREAL BUT THAT JUST LOOKS LIKE A SPACESHIP, SORT OF LIKE THE EXTERIOR HERE IN BIRMINGHAM.
![The view from Left Field - Hoover Met](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040047.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
WHEN RICKWOOD FIELD WAS REPLACED WITH HOOVER MET, THEY DID THE
SAME THING. ONE CANNOT ARGUE THAT THE PARKING AT HOOVER MET IS 10X BETTER THAN RICKWOOD, $3 PUTS YOU IN A LOT THE SIZE
OF WHICH I HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE KANSAS CITY.
ONCE LEAVING THE CAR, ENTER THE STADIUM ON THE CONCOURSE
LEVEL, WHICH IS AT THE BACK OF THE STADIUM. IF DURING THE GAME YOU WANT SOMETHING TO EAT, YOU CANNOT SEE THE GAME WHILE AT
THE CONCESSIONS. ONCE ENTERING THE SEATING AREA, YOU ENTER FROM THE BLEACHER SEATS AND WALK DOWN TO THE BOX SEATS, LIKE
TRENTON, DELMARVA, AND BOWIE.
![The pitch - Hoover Metrpolitan Stadium](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040072.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
FROM THE SEATING BOWL, HOOVER MET APPEARS SOMETHING LIKE A ONE
LEVEL LACKAWANNA COUNTY STADIUM IN SCRANTON. THE SPACESHIP EXTERIOR OF THE PARK OFFERS THE INTERIOR PLENTYOF SHADE DURING
HOT SUMMER DAYS.
A WORD OF WARNING REGADING HOOVER MET. THIS PARK HAS ONE ENTRANCE AND ONE EXIT, I ATTENDED ON FIREWORKS
NIGHT, JULY 4. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE THAT THE EXITS WOULD BE CLOSED DURING THE SHOW SO T THE END OF THE GAME EVERYONE
LEFT TOGETHER. WITH ATTENDANCE OF 10,000+ IT WAS A 2 HOUR WAIT TO LEAVE. I CAN'T BELIEVE FANS CONTINUED TO SHOW UP FOR MICHAEL
JORDAN, OF COURSE THOSE FANS COULD LEAVE AFTER THE 8TH INNING.
![The sun has just about set - Hoover Met Stadium](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040075.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
HOOVER MET IS A GOOD PLACE FOR A GAME. SINCE YOU WILL GO TO BIRMINGHAM TO
SEE RICKWOOD FIELD, STOP ON OVER TO SEE THE BARONS. NOTICE THE USHERS AT THE MET, ALL WITH THE VESTS, WHITE SHIRTS, AND
GREASED BLACK HAIR. THE MEN EVEN HAVE THE MUSTACHE WHICH GIVE THEM ALL THE LOOK OF THE BARONS LOGO.
ONE OTHER
REMINDER, THERE IS SO MUCH BASEBALL HISTORY IN BIRMINGHAM, AND EVEN MORE US HISTORY HERE AND 90 MILES SOUTH IN MONTGOMERY.
FOR
SOME BARBECUE, LOCATED IN BESSEMER IS BOB SYKES BARB-Q WHICH SERVES UP SOME REAL TASTY BARBECUE .. ENJOY.
![The Umpires are treated well here - Hoover Met](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040063.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
THE LINE UPS
HUNTSVILLE
STARS MANAGER ::: 7 Don Money
BIRMINGHAM BARONS MANAGER ::: 53 Chris Cron
![The Managers meet at Home Plate - Hoover Met](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040059.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
HUNTSVILLE STARS
3 Steve
Moss cf 2 Callix Crabbe 2b 20 Jeff Eure dh 44 Brad Nelson 1b 30 Lou Palmisano c 9 Drew Anderson lf 28 Ryan
Braun 3b 24 Ron Acuna rf 8 Guilder Raodriguez ss 40 Travis Phelps p
![Pre-game workout at Hoover Met](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/birmingham006.jpg.w560h336.jpg)
BIRMINGHAM BARONS
12
Chris Getz 2b 7 Pedro Lopez ss 23 Ricardo Nanita lf 6 Corey Smith 1b 43 Cory Aldridge rf 44 Thomas Collard
dh 4 Micah Schnurstein 3b 15 Chris Amador cf 9 Wally Rosa c 49 Ryan Rodriguez p
![The Scoreboard at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium](../sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/p7040067.jpg.w560h420.jpg)
STARS 020
421 130 13 17 0
BARONS 000 000 100
1 5 1
TIME ::: 2:38 ATTENDANCE ::: 10,166 WEATHER ::: 92 HUMID,
DRIZZLE
SEND ME AN E-MAIL
![Mailbox 3](/imagelib/sitebuilder/pictures/objects/email/mailb9.gif)
UNCLEBOBSBALLPARKS@GMAIL.COM
LINKS
*** HOME ***
My Site Listed by State
My site Listed by Team
My site Listed by Stadium
The Official site of the Birmingham Barons
Where the Barons used to play, my Rickwood Field site
Located in Bessemer, Alabama - Bob Sykes BarB-Q
Birmingham weather from WEATHER.com
|