Taking in a Frederick Keys Game

[sammyt]

 Does anyone have general advice for visiting a Keys game?    How clogged does I-70 get from the Balto Beltway on a summer weekday night?  Less than 1 hr?   Any concession stands or other experiences stand out?     I saw that they have a ton of promos this year, including a visit from the actor that played Stanley Hudson on the Office.   Seems very random, but what the heck?

Reminds me of when I was a college student in the late 80s.  Drove through Pittsfield, MA one night and a middle-of-nowhere roadside bar had a marquis that said "Tonight Only:  Jimmy "JJ" Walker" followed by "$1 Bud specials."  I kind of regret not going to that show. 

 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

I highly recommend going. 70 can get backed up quickly, mainly from 29 to the 70/695 though. Once you get through there, it isn't bad, but go early if you can.

The food there is...Ok. plenty of food places around, including a Sheetz, Waffle House, and Cracket Barrel. I do really like the pulled pork nachos though.

The promos ARE random, but they are almost always very fun. There isn't a bad seat there. 

[Redskins Rick]

11 hours ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

I highly recommend going. 70 can get backed up quickly, mainly from 29 to the 70/695 though. Once you get through there, it isn't bad, but go early if you can.

The food there is...Ok. plenty of food places around, including a Sheetz, Waffle House, and Cracket Barrel. I do really like the pulled pork nachos though.

The promos ARE random, but they are almost always very fun. There isn't a bad seat there. 

Ive been wanting to go, been by it dozens of times, need to make the time to stop.

Not a bad seat there, sounds like Bowie Stadium, which I enjoy going to. Again, not as often as I like. 

I seam to recall a bus trip a couple of years ago, that hit 3 games in one day, Keys, Baysox and then Camden Yards.

[Satyr3206]

I'm going to see the Keys a few times this year. In Myrtle Beach. Ocean breeze and a cold one in my hand, can't beat it. And over 3,000 restaurants to choose from after. I love it here.

[Legend_Of_Joey]

2 hours ago, Redskins Rick said:

Ive been wanting to go, been by it dozens of times, need to make the time to stop.

Not a bad seat there, sounds like Bowie Stadium, which I enjoy going to. Again, not as often as I like. 

I seam to recall a bus trip a couple of years ago, that hit 3 games in one day, Keys, Baysox and then Camden Yards.

It is just like Bowie, only a little smaller and more open (more of the concourse is exposed to the elements.)

[Redskins Rick]

Just now, Legend_Of_Joey said:

It is just like Bowie, only a little smaller and more open (more of the concourse is exposed to the elements.)

if i remember right, Frederick was built to AA standards and Bowie was built to AAA standards. I always thought at some point the Orioles would make changes to their AAA affiliate, but it never happened.

[Legend_Of_Joey]

Just now, Redskins Rick said:

if i remember right, Frederick was built to AA standards and Bowie was built to AAA standards. I always thought at some point the Orioles would make changes to their AAA affiliate, but it never happened.

That part I'm not sure of. There is a big difference between how Bowie and Norfolk are built, with the extra decks and everything. I don't know how that would work in Bowie if they had to expand it.

[Redskins Rick]

16 minutes ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

That part I'm not sure of. There is a big difference between how Bowie and Norfolk are built, with the extra decks and everything. I don't know how that would work in Bowie if they had to expand it.

Why would Bowie have to expand if it was built to MLB AAA Park standards

[Legend_Of_Joey]

14 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Why would Bowie have to expand if it was built to MLB AAA Park standards

Because it does not look like the other Triple A parks, as far as how it was built. Triple A requires an extra deck, which Bowie does not have.

[Hostmom2015]

Bowie certainly doesn’t look like it could handle AAA ...it really seems too small to accommodate crowds of AAA . Unless there’s room to renovate it I don’t see it as being built to AAA standars. Most AAA stadiums have upper levels which Bowie does not . Nor does it look structurally built to expand.

[Satyr3206]

Taking in a game to structural engineering, I love it!

[McLovin]

We make a day of it on the weekend, so no traffic. There is a nice Main Street area, with shops and restaurants. Highly recommend Pretzels and Pizza Creations on Main Street - we would make the trip just for them! It's also easy to time a promo/fireworks night night on the weekend - so lots of bang for the buck.

[DirtyBird]

On 2/25/2019 at 11:22 AM, McLovin said:

We make a day of it on the weekend, so no traffic. There is a nice Main Street area, with shops and restaurants. Highly recommend Pretzels and Pizza Creations on Main Street - we would make the trip just for them! It's also easy to time a promo/fireworks night night on the weekend - so lots of bang for the buck.

Market Street

[Bill Swaggerty]

On 2/23/2019 at 2:43 PM, Hostmom2015 said:

Bowie certainly doesn’t look like it could handle AAA ...it really seems too small to accommodate crowds of AAA . Unless there’s room to renovate it I don’t see it as being built to AAA standars. Most AAA stadiums have upper levels which Bowie does not . Nor does it look structurally built to expand.

From the Baysox website: Was built to Triple-A standards, as that was the original affiliated level goal of Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership, the organization that first owned the Baysox, hence the large capacity for Bowie's stadium, as 10,000 is the recommended minimum capacity set forth by Major League Baseball for teams at the AAA level (it's just 6,000 for Double-A ballparks).

The grandstand has seating for 8,000. Grass berms down each outfield line and standing room space can hold another 2,000 people.

[Legend_Of_Joey]

1 hour ago, Bill Swaggerty said:

From the Baysox website: Was built to Triple-A standards, as that was the original affiliated level goal of Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership, the organization that first owned the Baysox, hence the large capacity for Bowie's stadium, as 10,000 is the recommended minimum capacity set forth by Major League Baseball for teams at the AAA level (it's just 6,000 for Double-A ballparks).

The grandstand has seating for 8,000. Grass berms down each outfield line and standing room space can hold another 2,000 people.

I have never seen the grass berms be open to the public in the last 3 years.