July 16, 2012
Security Service Field (Capacity: 8,500)
Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Sky Sox vs Salt Lake Bees
Final Score: 15 – 6
.* The stadium was renamed UCHealth Park
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A visit to Colorado Springs was bittersweet as we came to the area just three weeks after a tragic wildfire affected the neighborhoods to the northwest of the city. The region was recovering when we arrived with outpouring support from the nation and much deserved thanks to the firefighters. We were struck by the beauty of Colorado Springs, as this city of 400,000 is in the south-central part of the state, along the Front Range of the Rockies. The mountains are very close by, which includes the most visited one in North America: Pikes Peak. Professional baseball has only been here since 1988, when the team moved to the Pacific Coast League from Hawaii. That coincided with the arrival of Sky Sox Stadium, later renamed for a corporate sponsor. After a few years as an Indians’ affiliate, it was an easy decision to move to a Rockies relationship when Colorado was granted a franchise in 1993. It’s been awhile since their last championship (’92 and ’95). Despite some recent renovations, the ballpark still is a mostly basic stadium and almost feels like a Double A park.
Prestige Ranking: 2.5 out of 5
Location
There are plenty of attractions for visitors throughout the Springs. High on that list to experience gorgeous scenery and outdoor recreation is Garden of the Gods Park. The Olympic Training Center is also worth a visit. It’s a shame where the ballpark is located as designers hastily put the stadium way northeast of the city. Placing it in boring flatland a good 20 minutes from the center of Colorado Springs disappoints. Initially, there was literally nothing nearby. However, a neighborhood has now sprouted up, along with a golf course and several strip malls. Most of the restaurants in the vicinity are of the chain variety.
Location Ranking: 5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Getting to the stadium takes a little time from the main thoroughfare (I-25) as a few local roads bring you to the area. It is easy to find, just be careful you don’t miss a turn because many of the roads out here are divided highways, making it a pain to U-turn. The main entrance is off Tutt Blvd and once there, parking on the west side of the stadium is plentiful and easy. Also traffic was very minimal, but I went on a quiet night at the park.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Exterior
Because the home plate entranceway butts up close to a soccer field, the exterior is odd as fans come in from the sides and don’t really get to see the face of the ballpark. There is also a covered entryway upon entering. From what you can see on the building, it is split between brick and a light yellow top half, which is actually not bad to look at. Roofing is green and there are a couple spots on the stadium that say “Security Service Field”.
Exterior Ranking: 4.5 out of 10
Concourse
A covered entranceway leads to the concourse and I was pleasantly surprised to see a ballpark built in the 80s with a concourse that has an open view of the playing field. The space is on the small side, but movability is generally ok except near home plate where it gets congested. The area includes the Fox Den, which is a very small team store and the Hall of Fame Bar and Grill. This is open to all fans and it has the feel of a townie bar. Concourse appearance is done in brick with not much decorative stuff around.
Concourse Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Food
A nice introduction to the stadium’s food greets fans at the start as they pass a walk-in concession area for Rocky Mountain Chocolate and a stand for funnel cakes. There were a couple of main food stands and variations on the basics made the food items stand out a bit more (Chili and Cheese fries, Red Hot Chicago Dogs and the Mighty Colorado Nacho Plate). Pizza was from Dominos. Nothing stood out though. Huge props for highlighting their locally produced beers as there were several options from the Bristol Brewing Company and the Odell Brewing Company were on tap.
Food Ranking: 5.5 out of 8
Interior
After sightseeing all day, it was disappointing not to watch baseball under a scenic mountain backdrop as the view here is a golf hole and neighborhood houses. Only the top third base seats have a view of the Rockies way in the distance. The ballpark design itself is average. A one-level seating bowl is split by a walkway and goes out only to the infield, making this look more like a Double-A stadium. The lower seats are green chairbacks, however above the walkway are cheapened bleachers with red backs that I can’t stand. There’s not an intimate feel here as seats extend a good distance from the field. A grass berm is located beyond the seats on the third base side, though I didn’t see anyone here during our game, so I’m not sure if it is always open. On the other side, the Sky Sox used to have a berm, but replaced it in a 2005 renovation with a five-tiered picnic terrace that actually looks sharp. Their own concessions are set up behind the seats, while a banquet hall inside a building is above that. Press box and suites are in their standard spots, behind the seating and above the concourse, respectively.
Interior Ranking: 6 out of 14
Scoreboard
The left field scoreboard is attractive thanks to the snow covered Rocky Mountains design on top (which lights up after a run). Below that is a ribbon with the stadium name in a blue background and then the rest of the board is sufficient with a central video screen and box score below (ads surrounding). Video clarity on the scoreboard is decent.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
Only one set of displays exist at Security Service Field and it is located on the outside wall of the suite level. There are eight members of the team’s hall of fame and they are honored with a circular marker complete with name, number and years with team. Unfortunately, it is really hard to read the names from the seats as the font is quite small. Inside the restaurant the walls feature some memorabilia.
Displays Ranking: 2.5 out of 6
Cost
Parking is $5, while ticket prices are either $13 (lower level) or $10 (bleachers). Concessions are surprisingly expensive as $4.75 for a regular-sized fountain drink is a lot. Domestic beers are $7.50, while variations of hot dogs are between $5 – $7. Programs were free and they packed a lot of good stuff in there too.
Cost Ranking: 7 out of 8
Fan Support
It was a rather dismal showing on this Monday Night game, which featured a stadium with plenty of open sections. The next night however featured a $2 promotion (tickets, parking and concessions) and a huge crowd of 8,126 came to the game. When there was no big promotion, weekend crowds were about 50% of the capacity, which is not great given that this is the smallest park in Triple-A. Overall, average attendance rank for Colorado Springs typically has been a double digit number in the 15-team PCL.
Fan Support Ranking: 3 out of 8
Atmosphere
It was an average minor-league atmosphere at the ballgame as the small crowd had a little energy to it. They mostly were watching the game and made a nice round of applause after an inning-ending double play. I was disappointed though that there was no acknowledgment or appreciation after the first inning ended when the home team put up 10 runs.
Atmosphere Ranking: 6 out of 14
Other Stuff
At 6,531 feet, Sky Sox Stadium has the highest elevation out of any professional ballpark in the country, a cool figure to boast about. That elevation was actually noticeable in the game we attended as what looked like normal fly balls were going out of the park for home runs…..The organization deserves a lot of credit for a great staff and one usher even took the time to introduce himself and let us know he was there if we needed anything…..Colorado Springs Sky Sox at Security Service Field. Try saying that three times fast as that proved quite the challenge for me all night…..The Sky Sox nickname was used in honor to a minor-league team that played in the city during the 1950s and was affiliated with the Chicago White Sox….Ballpark renovations were made in 2005…..The hot tub along the right field line has been a mainstay at the stadium for many years.
Game
What a crazy start as Colorado Springs scored 10 runs in the first inning, I believe a first for me seeing a ten spot in one inning. The Sky Sox sent 14 batters to the plate and they were helped out by errors and misplays in the Salt Lake field. After the lead went to 12-0, Salt Lake chipped at it through the middle innings and it was down to 12-6 by the 5th. However, Sky Sox relievers Jason Bergmann and Ricky Brooks stopped that by giving up one hit the rest of the game and Colorado Springs won 15-6. Eight out of nine starters had a multi-hit game.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
