Bakersfield Blaze

Sam Lynn Ballpark

I love a bargain, especially when it involves baseball. The Monday night game at Sam Lynn Ballpark in Bakersfield was one of the best baseball bargains I have ever encountered. Mondays are not only $1 general admission, but $1 dog night….double whammy. But wait, there’s more. Typically GA tickets are on some grass berm in the outfield at minor league affairs, but at Sam Lynn it gets you a bleacher seat on the first base side. Great seat for a buck. It gets yet even better. Parking at the Blaze facility is FREE. Toss that in with some during-game promos that offer $2 beers and you can have a great time at the ballpark for less than ten smackers. Love the Blaze….for value.

Now the not so good news. Sam Lynn Ballpark. While it is steeped in history it is not located downtown and is in a sports complex with other fields. I actually had a hard time finding it. And long in tooth means a less than average scoreboard and an overall facility that looks like a good high school field or a so-so college field. It does have a unique feature along the outside of the outfield wall; it is lined with tall Lombard (I think) trees. I supposed it falls under the you get what you pay for, but frankly I would rather sit at a game and down a dog for under $5 than hunker in some swanky ballpark digs and leave poorer. It is, afterall, the same California League teams on the field, regardless of the venue. It’s about baseball. And this Cinco de Mayo match was a beauty.

It Tasted Better Than it Looked

Dog:

Bun-fresh and steamed.

Taste-for $1 I was ready for bland eats. But the dog sporting a Hebrew National frank was actually very good. How good? I had two. They were $1 after all.

Toppings-sparse. Pump mustard and packets of weak, pale relish that made my hot dog look like it had been slimed by that goblin in the original Ghostbusters movie.

Portability-nice sized large foil wrapper. Although with so few toppings it wasn’t really needed.

Price-no one can complain about a one dollar dog. But the non-Monday price (with a larger frank) is $4.50, about average for a minor league game.

It Factor-none for the regular dog, but the Blaze get 3 points for dragging in the fans with a tasty dog for a buck.

Ballpark:

Location-not so great. Difficult to find among the complex of high school fields because it kind of looks like a high school field..

Access-mostly a drive-to park.

Selfie With Mascot Torch

Cleanliness-not too bad, but not spotless. It is a very old park so top score would be difficult to achieve.

GA Ticket Price-big win for the Blaze. $7 gets you a nice first base side bleacher seat. The same price in most minor leagues gets your ass wet from the grass you sit on….in the outfield.

Fans-nice crowd. Probably from the promotion but this report is a snapshot in time. Friendly too. It also made for some “interesting” people watching.

Ambiance-with its history one would think Sam Lynn Ballpark would get high scores. But I kept getting this feeling I was at a high school or college game. I love history, but the Blaze need new digs.

The dollar promotion help boost the Blaze to a decent score of 43. I really can’t express how pleased I was with the taste of the dollar dog. For a buck, it exceeded expectations. If you are in Bakersfield on a Monday put a Blaze game on your agenda.

Dog		Ballpark		Total Dog/Game
Bun	5	Location	2
Taste	5	Access	2
Toppings	2	Cleanliness	4
Price	4	Ambiance	2
Portability	5	GA Ticket Price	5
It Factor	3	Fans	4
	24		19	43