B1G Baseball Tournament Thread

[The Polish Rifle]

Nebraska/Iowa 1 hour after the completion of OSU/Maryland. Probably 11:30-Noon 1st pitch if we don't get extras. 

[royalfan]

21 hours ago, Bugeaters1 said:

Duncan field in Hastings is as big as TDA. it's 375 to left, 405 in the power alleys, 408 to dead center, and 367 to right, Hastings college plays there as does a wood bat league for college kids and those guys don't have a problem getting balls out of the park.

 

Not built into the prevailing wind, which is kind of the point.  

[royalfan]

Here is a review of the ballpark I found that summarizes my thoughts perfectly.  Had a chance to be epic and just built it the wrong direction, for the wrong reasons.  

 

Having attended the College World Series every year since TD Ameritrade opened 6 years ago, I have had an ample opportunity to experience pretty much all the park has to offer.

There is a lot to like about the ballpark.  It's modern, well-manicured, and has decent amenities.  The park should be a baseball fan's dream.  But, nearly all of that is negated by some truly awful design choices that make the park hostile to both players and fans alike.

The main issue is that the park is facing the wrong way, thanks to the geniuses at the NCAA and city planners who cared more about promoting Omaha than promoting the game played within the confines.  They wanted fans to look out past the outfield bleachers and see Omaha's sprawling CenturyLink Center in the background, rather than looking out on the city where the fine people of Omaha actually live.

This decision is responsible for TD Ameritrade's fatal flaw: because of the direction the park is facing, the prevailing winds are almost always blowing in, deadening the ball and stifling offense.  This means that teams which have relied upon strong offense to make it to the CWS have to make significant changes to their game to adjust to how big the park plays.  Coaches and players alike comment that being behind by 2 runs in this park might as well be 20, because it's nearly impossible to mount a rally.  Pitchers consistently pitch complete games, because they can get through 9 innings having only thrown 100 pitches.  Doubles are uncommon, triples are rare, and home runs are unicorns.

This is in stark contrast to the old Rosenblatt Stadium, which had the same distances to the fences, but was much more friendly for offense, and home to a more exciting game.  The NCAA obviously recognizes this is a problem.  But, instead of looking at why their stadium fails players, they've decided to change the balls to give them a little more travel.

Of course, the wind that seems to be so strong near the fences seems to stop dead in its tracks somewhere in the middle of the field, because none of that wind that makes the flags jump and flutter makes it to the seats.  And that's the second horrible side effect of this park's unfortunate configuration.

Being a fan at TD Ameritrade requires a true passion for the game of baseball.  Without it, the games would be nearly unbearable to watch.  Because of the way the park faces, about 85% of the seats for the day games are directly in the sun for the entire game, and because sunset in June is so late in Omaha, it's often 8pm before most of the park is out of the blast path of the harsh Nebraska sun.  Couple that with Omaha's punishing heat and humidity, and the complete lack of air circulation in the stands, and you have one of the least fan-friendly ballparks I've ever been to.  Sitting in the seats you've paid for isn't worth it unless you're under the overhang on the first base side, which is why many skip their seats and stand on the concourse the entire afternoon game, or--as seems to be the case these days--skip the game altogether.

And that's the trend I have seen: attendance for the CWS has gone down every year.  I've heard apologists say that "the teams this year just don't draw," but that's complete BS.  Because the area hotels fill up a year in advance, you have to plan a trip to the CWS well ahead of time.  Each team's cheering section makes up about 1/2 of 1 seating section, so they are a small fraction of the ticket sales.  The rest of the sales are either advance sales to people who enjoy the CWS regardless of who's playing (and there used to be a lot of us), and fans from the community who attend with general admission tickets.  Those sales are way, way down.  

In years past, the ticket upgrade line used to stretch around the block, sometimes reaching all the way to the left field GA entrance.  500-600 people came out in 2011 for ticket upgrades.  That number has precipitously decreased and the lines have gotten shorter and shorter.  This year, the longest line was about 70.  Attendance for day games that used to top 23,000, saw attendances near 15,000.  This park is driving fans away from the game!

Other gripes: the lighting is dim for night games, and the jumbotron is so bright that it can actually change the quality of lighting on the field.  It's distracting for fans, and I've seen it affect right fielders when it changes luminance in the middle of a play.

All in all, TD Ameritrade is a beautiful park that faces the wrong way for the wrong reasons, and in doing so, it makes it an incredibly unpleasant place to watch a baseball game.  No amount of fun concessions can make up for the punishment fans are expected to take to sit through a day game.  If the park had been rotated even 90 degrees, it could be a park that rivals the best of the big leagues.  But, apparently the view was more important to the designers than the fan experience.  And that's a shame.

[AuroranHusker]

1 hour ago, royalfan said:

Here is a review of the ballpark I found that summarizes my thoughts perfectly.  Had a chance to be epic and just built it the wrong direction, for the wrong reasons.  

 

Having attended the College World Series every year since TD Ameritrade opened 6 years ago, I have had an ample opportunity to experience pretty much all the park has to offer.

There is a lot to like about the ballpark.  It's modern, well-manicured, and has decent amenities.  The park should be a baseball fan's dream.  But, nearly all of that is negated by some truly awful design choices that make the park hostile to both players and fans alike.

The main issue is that the park is facing the wrong way, thanks to the geniuses at the NCAA and city planners who cared more about promoting Omaha than promoting the game played within the confines.  They wanted fans to look out past the outfield bleachers and see Omaha's sprawling CenturyLink Center in the background, rather than looking out on the city where the fine people of Omaha actually live.

This decision is responsible for TD Ameritrade's fatal flaw: because of the direction the park is facing, the prevailing winds are almost always blowing in, deadening the ball and stifling offense.  This means that teams which have relied upon strong offense to make it to the CWS have to make significant changes to their game to adjust to how big the park plays.  Coaches and players alike comment that being behind by 2 runs in this park might as well be 20, because it's nearly impossible to mount a rally.  Pitchers consistently pitch complete games, because they can get through 9 innings having only thrown 100 pitches.  Doubles are uncommon, triples are rare, and home runs are unicorns.

This is in stark contrast to the old Rosenblatt Stadium, which had the same distances to the fences, but was much more friendly for offense, and home to a more exciting game.  The NCAA obviously recognizes this is a problem.  But, instead of looking at why their stadium fails players, they've decided to change the balls to give them a little more travel.

Of course, the wind that seems to be so strong near the fences seems to stop dead in its tracks somewhere in the middle of the field, because none of that wind that makes the flags jump and flutter makes it to the seats.  And that's the second horrible side effect of this park's unfortunate configuration.

Being a fan at TD Ameritrade requires a true passion for the game of baseball.  Without it, the games would be nearly unbearable to watch.  Because of the way the park faces, about 85% of the seats for the day games are directly in the sun for the entire game, and because sunset in June is so late in Omaha, it's often 8pm before most of the park is out of the blast path of the harsh Nebraska sun.  Couple that with Omaha's punishing heat and humidity, and the complete lack of air circulation in the stands, and you have one of the least fan-friendly ballparks I've ever been to.  Sitting in the seats you've paid for isn't worth it unless you're under the overhang on the first base side, which is why many skip their seats and stand on the concourse the entire afternoon game, or--as seems to be the case these days--skip the game altogether.

And that's the trend I have seen: attendance for the CWS has gone down every year.  I've heard apologists say that "the teams this year just don't draw," but that's complete BS.  Because the area hotels fill up a year in advance, you have to plan a trip to the CWS well ahead of time.  Each team's cheering section makes up about 1/2 of 1 seating section, so they are a small fraction of the ticket sales.  The rest of the sales are either advance sales to people who enjoy the CWS regardless of who's playing (and there used to be a lot of us), and fans from the community who attend with general admission tickets.  Those sales are way, way down.  

In years past, the ticket upgrade line used to stretch around the block, sometimes reaching all the way to the left field GA entrance.  500-600 people came out in 2011 for ticket upgrades.  That number has precipitously decreased and the lines have gotten shorter and shorter.  This year, the longest line was about 70.  Attendance for day games that used to top 23,000, saw attendances near 15,000.  This park is driving fans away from the game!

Other gripes: the lighting is dim for night games, and the jumbotron is so bright that it can actually change the quality of lighting on the field.  It's distracting for fans, and I've seen it affect right fielders when it changes luminance in the middle of a play.

All in all, TD Ameritrade is a beautiful park that faces the wrong way for the wrong reasons, and in doing so, it makes it an incredibly unpleasant place to watch a baseball game.  No amount of fun concessions can make up for the punishment fans are expected to take to sit through a day game.  If the park had been rotated even 90 degrees, it could be a park that rivals the best of the big leagues.  But, apparently the view was more important to the designers than the fan experience.  And that's a shame.

 

The NCAA railroaded that new stadium down Omaha's throats, to mix metaphors... and the results speak for themselves. #Mixed

[The Polish Rifle]

Iowa almost blew this thing wide open. whew. 

[The Polish Rifle]

19 minutes ago, The Polish Rifle said:

Iowa almost blew this thing wide open. whew. 

Our turn! 2-1 skers. Small zone for both teams. 

[khoock]

7-1 Nebraska B5

[HuskerFever]

Can't count the chickens just yet, but this would be a huge win for us in terms of tournament winning chances.

[49r]

Run rule!  Nice.

[AuroranHusker]

Kickin' Iowa's a$$ is never a bad thing.

 

 

 

[Bugeaters1]

Winner winner chicken dinner

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[Bugeaters1]

Can't count the chickens just yet, but this would be a huge win for us in terms of tournament winning chances.

You can now the chickens are dead

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[huskerbaseball13]

1 hour ago, HuskerFever said:

Can't count the chickens just yet, but this would be a huge win for us in terms of tournament winning chances.

 

Have to think our pitching staff is in the best position going forward compared to other teams. We have not had to burn any of our top arms. 

 

I guess i wasnt aware we would play the winner of Maryland/Mich now. I figured it would be Iowa/Minnesota. 

[AuroranHusker]

2 minutes ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

 

Have to think our pitching staff is in the best position going forward compared to other teams. We have not had to burn any of our top arms. 

 

I guess i wasnt aware we would play the winner of Maryland/Mich now. I figured it would be Iowa/Minnesota. 

 

That is an interesting twist to the format. So, now, it's not just two separate four-team double elimination tourneys with a B1G tournament any more...

 

 

[The Polish Rifle]

11 minutes ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

 

Have to think our pitching staff is in the best position going forward compared to other teams. We have not had to burn any of our top arms. 

 

I guess i wasnt aware we would play the winner of Maryland/Mich now. I figured it would be Iowa/Minnesota. 

Who starts after Eddins? Probably don’t wanna overwork Waldron with us being in the tournament. Luensmann? Perry? Mike Waldron? 

[HuskerFever]

10 minutes ago, AuroranHusker said:

 

That is an interesting twist to the format. So, now, it's not just two separate four-team double elimination tourneys with a B1G tournament any more...

 

 

 

If I recall, it's been like this before. That way the only way you'll encounter a team again is for the title.

[AuroranHusker]

3 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

 

If I recall, it's been like this before. That way the only way you'll encounter a team again is for the title.

 

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that this is the first time for this particular method.

[The Polish Rifle]

19 minutes ago, The Polish Rifle said:

Who starts after Eddins? Probably don’t wanna overwork Waldron with us being in the tournament. Luensmann? Perry? Mike Waldron? 

Also wouldn't shock me if we try and stretch out Gomes for a start.

[Bugeaters1]

Who starts after Eddins? Probably don’t wanna overwork Waldron with us being in the tournament. Luensmann? Perry? Mike Waldron? 

My guess is Perry.

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[trickey]

16 hours ago, AuroranHusker said:

 

The NCAA railroaded that new stadium down Omaha's throats, to mix metaphors... and the results speak for themselves. #Mixed

 

I have gone to every CWS since being a young one in the 50's. I have been a season ticket holder since finishing college and returning to Omaha in 1976.

My old seats in Rosenblatt were behind home and under the overhang. Protected from sun and rain. It was great.

My new seats are behind third base dugout...brutal sun in the day games. GREAT seats at night. Luckily, I own a second set of seats a little past 3rd under the overhang.

I sell the dugout seats for day games to the home team fans. Then sit further out in the shade.

The one thing this summary got wrong is "They wanted fans to look out past the outfield bleachers and see Omaha's sprawling CenturyLink Center in the background, rather than looking out on the city where the fine people of Omaha actually live."

In reality the home plate should be where the right field foul pole is and the park would face the river and Iowa. (Just like the Rosenblatt setup when every person who saw it on TV, a game or in person asked: What is that big nipple looking thing? Lied Jungle

More people would have shade if they did it by tradition. And the article is right; the sun is brutal at times.

The park is beautiful. On a day like today you can sit anywhere and have a wonderful experience. I sure did watching us 10 run iowa!

When it gets to 80 degrees (or warmer) and no clouds, you better have seats in the shade.

They committed an error that can't be fixed. Too bad.

 

[Bugeaters1]

 
I have gone to every CWS since being a young one in the 50's. I have been a season ticket holder since finishing college and returning to Omaha in 1976.
My old seats in Rosenblatt were behind home and under the overhang. Protected from sun and rain. It was great.
My new seats are behind third base dugout...brutal sun in the day games. GREAT seats at night. Luckily, I own a second set of seats a little past 3rd under the overhang.
I sell the dugout seats for day games to the home team fans. Then sit further out in the shade.
The one thing this summary got wrong is "They wanted fans to look out past the outfield bleachers and see Omaha's sprawling CenturyLink Center in the background, rather than looking out on the city where the fine people of Omaha actually live."
In reality the home plate should be where the right field foul pole is and the park would face the river and Iowa. (Just like the Rosenblatt setup when every person who saw it on TV, a game or in person asked: What is that big nipple looking thing? Lied Jungle
More people would have shade if they did it by tradition. And the article is right; the sun is brutal at times.
The park is beautiful. On a day like today you can sit anywhere and have a wonderful experience. I sure did watching us 10 run iowa!
When it gets to 80 degrees (or warmer) and no clouds, you better have seats in the shade.
They committed an error that can't be fixed. Too bad.
 

I agree that the ball park should over look the the skyline of Omaha. But we didn't have say and if u don't like the the set up don't go to the games there.

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[Searching 4 Chester Surles]

2 hours ago, huskerbaseball13 said:

I guess i wasnt aware we would play the winner of Maryland/Mich now. I figured it would be Iowa/Minnesota. 

 

1 hour ago, AuroranHusker said:

That is an interesting twist to the format. So, now, it's not just two separate four-team double elimination tourneys with a B1G tournament any more...

 

Clark Grell (LJS) also wrote (in an article about today's game) that we'd be playing the winner of Minn/Iowa.. but the schedule on the B10 website matches Bland's tweet.

 

I think I'd rather stick with the Minn/Iowa winner.

[tcp]

thanks to all the upsets, we're in good shape for this sucker. 

 

nice run by the Big Red. 

[royalfan]

8 minutes ago, Bugeaters1 said:

I agree that the ball park should over look the the skyline of Omaha. But we didn't have say and if u don't like the the set up don't go to the games there.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 

 

So because they mangled what could have been an unbelievable ballpark, we should never go to a game there?  Uh okay.  

[Searching 4 Chester Surles]

16 minutes ago, trickey said:

In reality the home plate should be where the right field foul pole is and the park would face the river and Iowa.

 

... and look directly at Eppley. Can watch planes land between innings (or during innings if the game sucks).