|
The DBAP Still Gets Rave Reviews |
The Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP), one of the nation’s premiere minor league baseball parks, has always ranked high with the fans, the players, the managers, and visiting teams. Now, it also ranks high with The Columbus Dispatch, “Ohio’s Greatest Home Newspaper.”
Aaron Portzline, a Dispatch Sports Reporter, visited the park and gave it glowing reviews. Portzline especially seemed to like the way the DBAP, a state-of-the-art minor league park, has still been able to retain its old-time feeling and ambiance.
Portzline writes, “The sound of live organ music and the smell of fresh- roasted peanuts float through the stadium. Plaques honoring former Bulls line the concourse, and daily lineups are handwritten — in chalk, no less — and hung by the main entrance about an hour before the first pitch … The world-famous ad for a local steak house — “Hit Bull, Win Steak!” — sits atop the left-field wall, as it did for a decade in the Bulls’ previous home, Durham Bulls Park, which still stands less than 2 miles away … But the “DBAP” — as locals call it — also provides constant reminders that this is the late 1990s. The on-field, between-inning promotions are sometimes more riveting than the game. The seats are as comfortable as an old sofa. Wanna beer? Pick from eight national brands and two local micro-brews. Food? Try the usual — hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos — or the distinct — sweet Carolina barbeque.”
In another article, Portzline rates the DBAP with other minor league ball parks in the following order: 1. DURHAM BULLS ATHLETIC PARK, home of the Durham Bulls; 2. VICTORY FIELD, home of the Indianapolis Indians; 3. HARBOR PARK, home of the Norfolk Tides; 4. DUNN TIRE PARK, home of the Buffalo Bisons; 5. FRONTIER FIELD, home of the Rochester Red Wings; 6. MCCOY STADIUM, home of the Pawtucket Red Sox; 7. LACKAWANNA COUNTY STADIUM, home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons; 8. COOPER STADIUM, home of the Columbus Clippers; 9. KNIGHTS STADIUM, home of the Charlotte Knights; 10. P&C STADIUM, home of the Syracuse Sky Chiefs; 11. JETFORM PARK, home of the Ottawa Lynx; 12. THE DIAMOND, home of the Richmond Braves; 13. NED SKELDON STADIUM, home of the Toledo Mud Hens; and 14. CARDINAL STADIUM, home of the Louisville RiverBats.
But it seems they just discovered what local fans have known all along: the Durham Bulls Athletic Park and the Durham Bulls are one of the Triangle’s greatest assets.