May 17, 2017
Paterson Field (Capacity: 7,000)
Montgomery, AL
Faith Academy Rams vs Russellville Golden Tigers
Final Score: 1 – 9
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The next destination during our vacation down South brought us to the state of Alabama and its capital, Montgomery. Located in the south-central part of the state along the Alabama River this city of 200,000 has had a tumultuous history from being a center in the slave trade during the 1800s to playing a vital role in the Civil Rights movement during the 1950s and 60s. Despite the injustices and horrors that occurred, Montgomery has come to rightly honor that history and it has developed into a modern city that is both desirable to live and visit. Downtown revitalization, historical sites and renewed focus on the nearby river made this a great place that I really enjoyed touring. While baseball is typically centered at Riverwalk Stadium in the heart of the city, the former primary ballpark for Montgomery still remains active. Paterson Field, built in 1949, hosts a game (typically Game 1) in the Best-of-3 Championship Series for each classification in the Alabama State High School Baseball Tournament. We were on hand to see the first game of the 5A Championship as Faith Academy (Mobile) tried to stop Russellville from winning their 3rd straight title. Paterson is a simple field that does not have much historic charm for a place built nearly 70 years ago.
Prestige Ranking: 1.5 out of 5
Location
Montgomery features so much for visitors and most of it can be found within the downtown area. The Capitol grounds is one place to start and this includes not only a tour of the historic building, but also the free State Museum (one that I highly recommend) and the First White House of the Confederacy. Not far away, other historical sites important to U.S. history include the Rosa Parks Museum, the Dexter Ave Baptist Church and the Visitor’s Center in the grand Union Station. Closer to the Riverwalk is a park and an entertainment district that has really revitalized the area and become a trendy nightspot for those looking to eat and hangout. Paterson Field is relatively close to all of this activity and only sits a half mile from the Capitol building, but it is on the edge of downtown. The immediate surroundings include a rather blah mix of houses, industry and a cemetery.
Location Ranking: 7.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Montgomery’s location is a main reason why it became capital way back when and that rings true today with access from I-85, I-65 and US-80. Paterson Field is just five minutes from I-65 and Exit 1 provides easy access to Union St and then Madison Ave. The parking lot in front of the stadium provides adequate space for crowds during the high school games.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 8 out of 8
Exterior
The outside look is one that really means a view of the concourse, which is exposed to the outer portions of the structure. There is at least a nice front entrance that was recently built. Two brick columns support an arcing, gray sign has the stadium name and a baseball.
Exterior Ranking: 3.5 out of 10
Concourse
With the concrete steps of the seating bowl above acting as an overhang, the space below the stands is adequate for the crowds that the games attract. Bathrooms, not-so-much, as they were tiny and dingy. The accessible area goes from each end of the seating bowl. A white and gray wall is on the inside of the concourse and a concession stand was included in one of the spaces.
Concourse Ranking: 2 out of 5
Food
The menu was fine for the type of event as Hot Dogs came with a chili option and a grill allowed for Burgers. Fans could also opt for a BBQ Sandwich or Chicken wings. Be aware that the line will move very slowly, so be strategic on when to get food.
Food Ranking: 3.5 out of 8
Interior
For any ballpark built before 1950, I hope that there are nostaligic elements and Paterson Field just doesn’t have that. A big part of that is the absence of the deteriorating awning that covered most of the sections behind home plate. This was removed a few years ago for safety concerns and has not been replaced. The lack of any roof or overhang along with seating predominately made up of metal bleachers with backs makes for a sterile, boring ballpark. Those bleachers at least are new and did replace splintering wooden ones. Seats extend around the infield and 15-19 rows are divided by a lower walkway with a few rows near field-level. Only the first few rows near the dugout have individual chairs. The press box is cut into the upper seats behind home plate. Adding to the ballpark feel (and not in a good way) is the loud hum of the light poles that make up the “scenery”, in conjunction with transmission towers for a nearby public broadcasting station. At least the outfield backdrop is a tree-covered bluff that includes one house with a great view of the game. I’m always happy to see an extinct pro stadium live to see another day, but there are certainly better ones out there.
Interior Ranking: 4.5 out of 14
Scoreboard
A small, black board is in left field and the display features a basic design for the line score and current batter information. Lightbulbs are clearly missing in some of the numbers and a tathered message board sits blank above the main details. The only thing that does not look beat up is the “Paterson Field” sign at the top.
Scoreboard Ranking: 0.5 out of 4
Displays
There is a dedication plaque to William Burns Paterson, whom the field is named after, for his efforts to get the stadium built. This small, bronze marker is on the wall of an opening from the concourse. On the outfield wall is an image of the flag for the city of Montgomery.
Displays Ranking: 1 out of 6
Cost
Walking in, a $10 ticket felt a bit expensive, but compared to what surrounding states charge for their state championship, Alabama actually has the lowest number. Additional bonuses include free parking and very cheap concessions ($2 hot dog, $2 soft drink and meal combos for just $5 – $6). The game program did go for $5, but it was a nice one.
Cost Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Fan Support and Atmosphere
Pretty much everybody in the crowd supported their respective school/town and we were the only neutrals in the building. I was impressed with the support as my guesstimate was around 2,000 people and 75% of them were from Russellville, a town 3.5 hours away. High school sports in general have great local support in the state and baseball did better than I expected, at least in this contest. Unfortunately, I could not find any attendance figures from the tournament. That type of crowd lends to a decent atmosphere given the circumstances of the game and the cheers were almost at a “roar” level.
Fan Support Ranking: 4.5 out of 8
Atmosphere Ranking: 9 out of 14
Other Stuff
The first two segments of a three-part renovation helped to address several of Paterson’s problems (some of them hazardous) a few years ago. The third phase is the most involved as what is planned would add and enhance a lot of ballpark elements. However, the city has yet to approve this plan with funding still unavailable. Time will tell if this ends up happening……Here’s how the State Tournament works: The regular season 1st and 2nd place teams in 16 “areas” earn entry to the 32-team state tournament. These “areas” are made up of 3-5 teams within the same classification and non-area games are used for tiebreakers. Each matchup is Best-of-3 at a designated home school until the final in Montgomery. That is where seven classifications crown a champion and at least one of the games is at Riverwalk Stadium. If Game 3 is necessary, it is part of a doubleheader…..High School Baseball is a 7-inning affair…..Though schools change classifications, Hartselle has the most 5A championships with eight. G.W. Long (Skipperville) has the most overall state titles……There was a huge sign out front saying no outside food or drinks, however, we had no problem bringing ours in via a backpack…..Minor-league baseball was often played at Paterson Field during its history and the Double-A Rebels were the last team to play, before leaving in 1980. When baseball came back at that level, it would return to a new ballpark downtown (Riverwalk) in 2004. Currently, the city’s 7 high school teams use Paterson as a home field….NCAA’s Division II championship had a multi-decade run here.
Game
Russellville looked every bit primed to three-peat as they dominated Faith Academy. The lead was 7-0 by the fourth inning and it finished 9-1 as Cody Greenhill shutdown Faith. He pitched a complete game with 11 strikeouts and 2 hits given up. Skylar Holland went 3 for 3 at the plate. Faith actually won the next day before Russellville took Game 3 for the title.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
