MGM Park

May 15, 2017
MGM Park (Capacity: 5,000)
Biloxi, MS
Biloxi Shuckers vs Mississippi Braves
Final Score: 4 – 10

Invariability, when the history of Biloxi is brought up, it seems to be divided into BK and AK, as in Before Katrina and After Katrina. But this city of 45,000 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast has a much deeper history, starting with their origination as a French settlement turned resort town in the 1800s. It wasn’t until the late 1900s when gambling became big, all the while still heavily relying on the seafood industry. Katrina then brought catastrophic devastation in 2005 and though scars and individual struggles remain along the Coast, Biloxi and their economy have rebounded. Evidence of that comes from the arrival of their first professional team in 2015 when the Huntsville Stars became the Biloxi Shuckers as a new ballpark was constructed downtown. Despite delays that kept the Shuckers on the road their first two months of existence, the team won the division in their first year. MGM Park, despite its poor exterior and exposed concourse, is a nice ballpark with great food options.
Prestige Ranking: 3 out of 5

Location

We spent two days in Biloxi and could have spent more as it was a great vacation spot with plenty to do. With white sand and calm (but murky) Mississippi Sound water, the beach made for an enjoyable place on multiple occasions. The nearby lighthouse and visitors center are worth a look, as is a trip on the Biloxi Tour Train, which we really liked and the driver/owner is terrific. We didn’t get to do the Shrimping Boat Tour, but that came recommended as well, plus there are a couple of museums worth touring. All that without even stepping into a casino or resort, of which there are many of. MGM Park sits downtown across from the city’s largest casino, the Beau Rivage and the ballpark location puts it very close to all the other attractions offered. The only slight knock is the lack of good establishments nearby as only the Beau offers legitament restaurant options within walking distance. There is hope the ballpark spurs more development, but it was a shame to go down nearby Howard Ave (old downtown) and see empty storefronts and a lack of activity. Seafood restaurants are still available though as McElroy’s and Half Shell Oyster House are two of the most known ones.
Location Ranking: 9 out of 10

Accessibility / Parking

Getting to Biloxi is not a problem with I-10 riding along the Gulf Coast and North-South Interstates not that far away either. I-110 comes into the city and parking is easiest at the Beau’s large parking garage. Crossing busy US-90 is treacherous even with stoplights, but a pedestrian bridge is in the plans to be built.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 7.5 out of 8

Exterior

MGM Park has an unusual entrance due to the front of the ballpark backing up to I-110. This means that there is no exterior look to the stadium and fans arrive at two corner locations in the outfield. Each one has a small awning over the entrance with the ballpark name on the top and an MGM lion statue on the sidewalk. Cool looking, but boo because it’s marketing/advertising. The city-side entrance is the one with the ticket office and this was very inconvenient since fans parking at the Beau must walk all the way down to this end to either purchase or pick-up tickets (there was a window at the closer entrance, but it was closed).
Exterior Ranking: 2 out of 10

Concourse

Most first impressions come from the walkway in left-field and it is a somewhat bare introduction with just a few picnic tables and a small kids play area. This leads to the completely outdoor concourse, which does not have overhanging suites like in most newer ballparks. Instead, they are set further back and this leads to little cover in case it rains as less than half of the concourse would be protected (plus shade is limited). The back wall has a polished look to it and I like the color scheme as the sand color with blue accents is very nice and appropriate. Walkways are wide and the large bathrooms are clean.
Concourse Ranking: 3 out of 5

Food

Concession stands feature cute titles and with a name like “Shuckers”, you should expect seafood available. It was, though not as obvious or easy to find as you would think. Once found, the Po Boy Shrimp Roll or the Garlic Oysters each made for a great choice. Regional favorites were aplenty with other varieties of Po Boys, Jambalaya and Southern Fried Chicken (on a stick). Overall, it’s an excellent menu with variety, local flare and taste. I opted for some Murky Waters BBQ and struggled to decide on a dessert between a Fresh Fruit Mason Jar or Apple Pie a la mode. Bonus point for having Cheese Curds, in a nod to their parent team, Milwaukee. Beer options were excellent too as a Beer Garden stand offered multiple choices from the Biloxi Brewing Company, Lazy Magnolia and Abita. Don’t forget Barq’s Root Beer, originated in Biloxi.
Food Ranking: 8 out of 8

Interior

The seating bowl is simple in that there are 9-13 rows of seats in sections that extend nearly to each foul pole. Nothing special about the set-up, but I do like how there is a slight curvature inward to each section that gets further away. It’s a good design, but it should be noted that this is a copy of Pensacola’s park that opened three years earlier. Additional features include a picnic area in the far left corner and a section of club seats near field level behind home plate. There is also a grassy area in left-field for those with families or if one wants to stretch out. Perhaps the primary thing that sets the ballpark apart from others is the huge Beau Rivage Casino that dominates the outfield view. It is a cool background, however, it is hard to not envision the potential of a better view with the beach and water just steps away as neither are visible.
Interior Ranking: 8.5 out of 14

Scoreboard

The scoreboard in right is a beauty as it is comprised of 100% video, which gives it flexibility. The resolution is excellent and during play, the screen would show player info (like birthday, height, weight). Stats were reserved for a smaller board in left field and I was surprised that the clarity was of far lesser quality on this board. Minor quibbles as these scoreboards were very solid.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3.5 out of 4

Displays

I hate judging teams/stadiums in their first five years of existence on Displays at it doesn’t give enough time for things to actually display. With that being said, the Shuckers did a great job by putting up four blue banners on their press-box wall. Their South Division Championship in ’15 is alongside other awards from Baseball America and Minor League Baseball. Now if only they would replace that MGM Lion outside with something more Biloxi or Shucker related.
Displays Ranking: 3.5 out of 6

Cost

All of the Southern League ticket prices are close and here in Biloxi, most seats are $11 or $13 and those prices go up $2 on the day of the game. There is also a $7 seat for anyone looking to stay on the lawn or concourse. On average, that is probably $1 or $2 higher than the league average. Parking lots right near the stadium can be expensive, but free parking at the casino garage is the way to go. Concessions are on the higher end for minor-leagues as a bottled water goes for $4.50, same for a hot dog and French fries cost $5. A “jumbo” draft beer is $7.50.
Cost Ranking: 7 out of 8

Fan Support and Atmosphere

For a Monday Night game, I was pleasantly satisfied with the turnout, which was maybe around 1,000. While Biloxi does not rate well in the paid attendance standings for the league (typically 8th out of 10 teams), they did draw decently during their playoff run in ’15. Playoffs are a much better indicator of fan support and the Shuckers averaged 2,874 over four games. Going back and looking at each team’s last postseason appearance, only four other teams drew more. I know the city would like to see more fans at the ballpark and there likely is concern about what happens when the novelty of a “new” team wears off, but my very small sample size leads me to believe there is better fan support than for others in the league. As for the crowd that I monitored during the game, it was typical minor-league baseball reactions and atmosphere.
Fan Support Ranking: 4.5 out of 8
Atmosphere Ranking: 6.5 out of 14

Other Stuff

Minor-League baseball has gone super whacky with nicknames, to a point that I don’t like most of them, but Shuckers is one that works well. It is reflective of the area as it relates to the seafood industry and it isn’t ridiculously outrageous (like Jumbo Shrimp or Rumble Ponies). Plus, they have a decent logo……The Shuckers Shop is located behind home plate in the concourse……Not only did this area suffer one disaster in Katrina, but a second one in the BP Oil Spill five years later had a devastating impact as well. Economy, tourism and the environment were dealt quite an awful blow because of this manmade disaster……The Beau Rivage leased the ballpark land for $1 in exchange for an employee parking garage and naming rights. However, with MiLB having an issue with a Casino-named ballpark, the parent company of MGM got the name. The deal may not last long as city disputes with ballpark revenue might lead to a restructured deal.

Game

Mississippi jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a 1st inning home run by Joey Meneses and they had little cause for concern the rest of the way. It got mildly interesting in the 7th inning when Biloxi cut the lead to 7-4 with two men on, but the Braves got out of the jam and tacked on more runs late for a 10-4 victory. Mauricio Dubon had 3 RBI for the Shuckers.