Fern Drake has been coming to Hawks games since 1989. When asked what she likes about the Memorial Stadium experience, she doesn’t hesitate.
“The river, the trees,” she said as she waved her arm toward the scenic vista beyond the stadium’s outfield. “It reminds me of ‘Bull Durham.’ It has a small-town feel.”
The big question surrounding the Hawks these days is whether it’s time to grow beyond that small-town feel: Do the Hawks need a new stadium?
Drake regularly makes the drive to Memorial Stadium from Nampa with her husband, Gary, and likes the easy parking. She believes the Hawks should focus on upgrading the stadium rather than searching for a new home.
“I’m a practical person, and it makes perfect sense to me,” she said.
But she also knows that sometimes there’s no stopping progress.
“I don’t know if we can keep the Cubs (affiliation) if we don’t build new,” she said. “But I feel like this park is worth improving.”
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:
Mark Johnson, Hawks manager
This is Johnson’s first summer working with the Hawks.
“To see them get something done with a facility would be great for the community and for the Cubs,’’ he said. “... The facility, it’s in a good spot. It needs upgrades, and everybody knows it needs upgrades. Now which route they go, whether upgrading this place or doing a whole new place, that’s out of my pay grade.”
Regardless, he hopes Boise and the Cubs organization have a future together. “I hope they work something out,” he said. “I know the Rickettses want to be a first-class organization, and I’m sure they’ll get something resolved.”
Mike Safford, voice of the Hawks, KTIK 1350 AM
Safford has called games from every venue in the Northwest League, and said Memorial Stadium makes the grade in some ways, but falls short in others.
“The clubhouse is in the bottom two in the (eight-team) league,” he said. “There’s not enough toilets, not enough locker space, not enough lounge space, no weight room.”
The press box also ranks in the bottom two, he said. “There’s no space, there’s no room. Everybody’s on top of each other. There’s no bathroom, no air conditioning, no elevators.’’
Julie Scanlin, fan
Scanlin has been coming to Memorial Stadium since the mid-1990s and has been sitting in her seat behind home plate for about 10 years — when she can get to it.
“I just had knee surgery, and for two weeks I couldn’t get up to my seat,” she said. “They accommodated me in other ways, but there are some serious structural considerations that are reasonable to try to fix.”
Scanlin said Memorial Stadium has some positives. “We’re all close in, and they’re all good seats. (Still), I don’t think it’s an option to put too much money into this stadium.”
Kyler Burke, Hawks pitcher
Burke has played minor league baseball for five-plus seasons, so he’s seen his share of ballparks. He likes the charm of Memorial Stadium.
“It’s always neat to play in some of the older parks,” he said. “There’s something about it, the history. This just feels like a minor league park. I’ve played in some that almost feel like a big league stadium. There’s 15,000 people and everything is brand new. And this one has that minor league feel.”
He acknowledges that there are some trade-offs.
“The clubhouse if pretty small, but it is what it is,” he said. “That’s part of minor league baseball. It’s not that bad.”
Carl Krueger, fan
Krueger, who is retired, lives nearby and walks to Memorial Stadium. He hasn’t missed a game in four seasons, but that might change with a new venue.
“I hope it doesn’t, but I’m getting up there in years, so it depends on where it goes,” he said.
Krueger said he doesn’t mind that Memorial Stadium is lacking some amenities. “It’s a traditional minor league ballpark. It hasn’t got the suites, it hasn’t got the fast-food chains in it. It’s just baseball.”
But, looking around his surroundings, Krueger admitted the stadium has its shortcomings. “I understand that this stadium needs a lot of upkeep. It’s showing it’s age, and you’ve got to keep up with the times.”
