The Outfield, and also cakegrams!
There are things happening right now.
Case in point, Lugnuts tickets are on sale now! To celebrate this, I went on down to WILX, WLNS, and Midwest Communications with the news printed on a chocolate buttercream cake. From Channel 6's Francesca Amiker:
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That's the biggest current news, since the phone calls are coming, the internet is humming, and Lugnuts tickets are being sold in bunches in the box office (located just behind me at the ballpark).
The biggest future news, however, concerns a huge press conference yesterday.
Introducing... The Outfield.
In essence, the idea (unprecedented in baseball) is for the area behind the right field wall to be turned into an 80-apartment complex and a restaurant at the same time that the Lugnuts' ballpark undergoes an $11 million renovation (not including a $1 million HD video board). For purposes of reference, the stadium looks like this right now:
Here's how the story was covered by the Lansing State Journal, MLive, City Pulse, Ballpark Digest, WILX, WLNS, and SB Nation.
The entire project is scheduled to be completed by 2016. Personally, I'm feeling the same sort of anticipatory enthusiasm as everyone around me. This is significant news for both the Lugnuts and the whole downtown area, and I cannot wait to see how things progress from here.
Comments
While the living arrangements might be interesting, I wonder how many people want to hear the ballpark EVERY NIGHT THEY PLAY.
But if my assumption is correct, and the ballpark becomes family unfriendly, I'm not a fan.
I would keep in mind that the project involves an entire stadium redesign in the works, with new seating, new field, new clubhouses, etc. So I would answer your question with: There won't be any more grass seating behind the right field wall, but there WILL be a brand new grassy berm (and a brand new children's play area) elsewhere in the ballpark. (In left? Down the foul lines where the bleachers currently are? We'll find out.)
I vow to give up eating pizza forever if the ballpark becomes family unfriendly. There's no way that happens.
As for the apartment-renters... hey, my guess is that they'll know what they're in for when they sign the rental agreement.
A Lugnuts season without a Sunday Kids Day (or a stadium without a playground) would go against the very spirit of minor league baseball, in my mind.