10 things I Love About SpanoDome

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Had my first experience at the infamous Spanodome this past weekend. Let me take the time to add some thoughts, then maybe u can add yours.

10. The Bubble gum machine--now i know how the Spano construction funds/pays for their electricity bills. you know how it goes, the coke machine that doesn't work draws ur quarters like a magnet. The lure of gum is too great!

9. History--Gotta love the framed photographs, trophies and articles.

8. Talking with the other statpeople--now this goes without saying at any tourney I attend, this is my fun, meeting and talkign about where your team is from, how was the drive..etc.

7. Improvement talk--The best way to argue wether or not the SpanoDome/indoor rules work? Be there and witness a game. I love all the talk about potential fan "improvements" from banners to designate triples/homeruns to changing the amount of "pop ups" that one batter should get per at-bat. Good stuff

6. The alarm--Talk about "drop dead" time limit. I kept thinking a herd of cattle would stumble in and be slaughtered. That alarm that designates "game over" is sinister, good fun.

5. Local color--Gotta love the house with the woodwork of the american bald eagle, or the driveway with horsehead-like-gargoyle statues that greet your entrance...Green siding homes unite!

4. Watching 2 games for the price of one--You can perch urself up on the upper deck and watch 2 games, cant do that at Berliner, can u?

3. interrupting coaches as u walk from field to field--I love patting coaches on the back as they are giving signals to their teams, or asking them where "Pickering" is from as they are trying to wave their girls on home only to get picked off...this is my personal Naked Gun movie! but sriously, where else can u walk?

2. local food--nothing like getting the team to make a decision about where to eat. Nothing like the atmosphere of an applebee's over some no-name place that you'll never go to again. Or the processed flavor of an IHOP morning...we love our name brands.

1. People's stories--Everyone has their own DD story about Spano and this is the real reason to go. From coaching blunder stories to "my DD hit THAT spot/broke THAT light"....no one really has any of these stories at Berliner or other venues.

Thanks, Spano!

 

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1. That smell of DIRT when you open the door to enter!
Been to allot of very nice indoor with turf fields, very clean & neat but nothing says Softball better than the stained up sliders & socks from sliding home on dirt!(sand):yahoo:

 

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Nets.....one minute you love them, the next minute you are cussing them. Gotta love indoor ball.

 

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Great post Statman.

While I've never been there, you paint quite a picture. Nice.

 

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If you've ever been in a cave, then you might as well have played at the Spano Dome. But it is a great place for the girls to be on dirt playing softball during these cold NEO winters. My change would be to raise the tape on the net in right field for a double (because the distance is so close) and have it slope lower as it goes towards center field. Sort of like a net monster...

 

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see? speaking from a true fan! We talked all weekend about "what ifs" short from putting a lightshow scoreboard a la the Houston Astrodome back in the 70's (okay, that was only my idea)

 

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Great post statman!!

 

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One memory of coaching first base during a 12U game about 4 years ago: having to leap backward up onto the fence to avoid getting drilled in the knees with a foul ball. You'd be surprised just how high you can really jump!

 

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in one of the game we saw (Classics vs Indy Dreams?)..first base coach moves out the way, ball just about nails girl in on deck circle behind him who didnt even know ball was on its way

of course, I love (including my own)...the inevitable foul ball into fence that makes onlookers turn their face/drop their walking taco/scream like little girls thinking they are about to be hit, only to realize...duh, there's a FENCE in front of me

 

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it NEVER closes because of the weather, DD got to play in 5 games on one Sat. during winter league due to teams/players not being able to get there, thats when they had 8-10 inches of snow.We were there 10hours that day, with no where else to go it was a lot of fun. FR

 

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1. That smell of DIRT when you open the door to enter!
Been to allot of very nice indoor with turf fields, very clean & neat but nothing says Softball better than the stained up sliders & socks from sliding home on dirt!(sand):yahoo:

that is #1 with me too, its the oddest thing to smell that in the middle of winter and it throws your senses for a loop.

 

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Great post. I absolutely have to agree that there is no place like the Dome. Being able to get in the dirt and play games when it is -14F in January is why we do it. Being part of the staff it never ceases to amaze me at all the things you see and here week to week.
1. When you have been there since 6am and it is now 10pm and you are dead tired and you are walking from the front to back to tell someone they cannot come in and out of any doors but the front, and you here people talking or watch someone jump to dodge that ball coming at them into the fence, you realize just how much you really do love being there for the sport and for the players.
2. You gotta love it when in elimination play when the same coach that praised the buzzer an hour ago because time was up and they win in the game before because of the rules, is now acting like a complete idiot complaining that it is completely unfair and that it is elimination play and they should be able to play the whole game.
3. Eating that concession stand food that we all live for in the summer and its open year round.

 

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i have to tell ya hearing about all the good things the dome has to offer ,and me being almost as exited to get the season going as the dd ,im starting the countdown to the end of the month today!

 

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My greatest memory is watching Umpire Kathy Hustle Players, Coaches, Anyone, and Everyone On & Off Field #2 for those Fabulous 50 minute Drop Dead Double Headers. She is the Only Blue I have ever known to actually hold firm on all calls regardless of how bad they were. You argue.. She will LOUDLY explain reasoning once.. You say one more word... Bye-Bye! Coach once got Sent Packing for asking to clean off 2nd Base after a Bang-Bang on a steal. She is IMHO one of the Best at enfocing the rules of the game. When I Think Spano I Think Nazi...errr I Mean Kathy!