The Spuds play at Mike Lansing Field, named for the former Expos second baseman who is a native of nearby Rawlins (nearby in Wyoming terms as it is almost 120 miles away). The ballpark used to host the Pioneer League's Casper Ghosts, but they disappeared after the 2011 season and I never had a chance to see them. There are several hotels right by the stadium and I chose one that was a minute away on foot. In fact, it allowed me to enter the grounds from the back, thus bypassing the box office, which I later discovered was all the way on the other side of the field by the parking lot.
I also learned that tickets here start at $10 and were 2-for-1 on this Monday night, a useless promotion for us solo travelers, not that it mattered since I was already inside.
The field was opened in 2002 and holds 2,500, a large number for a town with a population just under 60,000. There is no stadium structure, just two sets of general admission benches surrounding a small building which holds the 'premium' box seats, with the press box above. There are also three rows of seats at field level that are separated from the other sections by a walkway.
The sun sets behind third base, so the first base benches can be a bit bright early in the game, as you can see above.
A fence protects the fans from hard hit foul balls, but there is a picnic area down the first base line that allows for a clear view, which is quite pleasant at sunset.
The Spuds won the league title last year, which was their second season in Casper. They previously played in Caldwell, Idaho (hence the Spuds nickname) but moved here to replace the Casper Horseheads, who had played in the Expedition League, which folded in 2022. At this level of baseball, keeping track of leagues and franchises is tough work as there are dozens of changes every year.
The Spuds logo is a potato with a cowboy hat and the main colour is purple, which is not that surprising when you learn that purple potatoes are a thing.
The mascot is Spudly, a friendly anthropomorphic potato who wanders the walkway interacting with fans, most of whom he probably knows.
There is a board that highlights Wyoming natives who played in the minors; only 17 have made it to The Show, with Brandon Nimmo from Cheyenne the only one currently plying his trade there.
I found the sign below to be interesting and understand the reasoning as cleaning up sunflower seed shells has got to be extremely annoying. I also appreciated how the lineup was displayed just below, though only for the Spuds. A roster was available in the team store, but it only listed the players' surnames, something I thought rather odd. Still, it is my only souvenir from the game.
The concession stand is in the back of the building that holds the premium seats and had some enticing options, but I had dined beforehand at the Fort Saloon next door, which is a great place to pregame as their happy hour runs from 2-6 and drinks are half-price (a 32-oz. beer is $7), and the food is quite good as well.
Beer is also available and I recommend trying one of the taps at Stahoo's, which is along the walkway at third base. Pints here are $7 and when they run out of one option, they send someone to the brewery to get a replacement keg, which takes only ten minutes apparently. I did make one strategic error however, buying my beer before first pitch, only to find out the visiting team has a beer batter. When the poor sap strikes out (encouraged by the PA announcer), beers are $2 off and of course, the beer batter on this night struck out in the top of the first and then failed to do so the rest of the evening.
I sat on the third base side for the first half of the game (view above) and then moved to the first base side for the second half (view below). I even had time to head back to my hotel room to drop off some magnetic schedules that I had picked up for a friend.
Near the end of the game, I went to the picnic area to get a clear picture of the scoreboard, which also allowed for a good shot of the uniforms. I did appreciate how all the players on both teams wore their pants high with the socks showing; I hope this becomes the style again everywhere.
The visitors were the Hastings Sodbusters from Nebraska and they came in with a 9-0 record, while Casper was 6-4. After Hastings opened the scoring in the second, Casper took the lead on a couple of bases-loaded walks in the bottom half and then added another couple on an RBI single and a wild pitch in the third. They tacked on another pair in the sixth on an RBI triple and another wild pitch, and two more in the seventh on yet another wild pitch and an RBI single. A Sodbuster error in the eighth led to the Spuds ninth and final run, and although Hastings plated a pair in their final turn, it was too little, too late as their undefeated streak ended with a 9-3 loss. For a team named Spuds, it was disappointing that there were no taters in the game.
There were six hit batsmen and four wild pitches to give you an idea of the quality of pitching on display. Few of the players are attending D-I schools and those that are had limited appearances this past season.
Notes
West Virginia is now the only state in which I have yet to use an airport, while Alaska is the only state in which I have not seen a baseball game. I hope to fly to Charleston for a Marshall game later this year and then attend the Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks next year. There is also a wood bat league in the Anchorage area, so that is a good second option.
When I first put together the trip, I had planned to drive down to Windsor on Sunday to see the Northern Colorado Owlz of the Pioneer League, but they are having trouble with the local government in relation to use of their stadium and moved the series to Billings. In the end, this was not a bad thing as it saved me a bundle on a rental car (over $100/day at the Casper airport) and I had a day to just relax rather than drive nearly eight hours roundtrip. I'll try to see the Owlz next year if they get things sorted out with their ballpark.
Next Up
I'll head out west to see the Blue Jays in Sacramento to end the summer portion of the schedule. Check back for a recap then.
Best,
Sean
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