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Midway Stadium /
St. Paul Saints
| Year Opened | 1982 |
| Capacity | 6,329 |
| Dimensions | 320L, 400C, 320R |
| Playing Surface | Grass |
| Last Visit | 2005 |
| Web Site | http://www.spsaints.com |
| Online Broadcasts | Yes |
| Online Ticket Sales | Yes |
| Ticket Prices (2005) | Reserved, $10; Reserved Bleacher, $7; General Admission, $4 |
| Phone | 651-644-6659 |
| League | Northern League |
| Parking | Small adjoining parking lot fills quickly with diehard tailgaters; several $5 lots are close to the park; no-parking areas on Energy Park Drive are strictly enforced by the city. |
| Address/Directions | 1771 Energy Park Dr., St. Paul. It's easy to get to Midway. If you're coming from the north or south, you'll want to get to Snelling Avenue in St. Paul. (There are Snelling Avenue exits from both I-694 to the north and I-94 to the south.) There's an Energy Park Drive exit off of Snelling, and you'll head west on it. The ballpark is within a couple blocks of Snelling Avenue. If you're coming from the west on I-94, take Highway 280 north until you reach the Energy Park Drive exit. Take Energy Park Drive east for approximately two miles. |
| Written by: | Kevin Reichard |
| Rating |  |
(click on the image
for a larger photo)
It's a notable circumstance when one of the pioneers of independent baseball takes a totally different approach to operations, as was the case last year when the St. Paul Saints dumped a lot of their gimmicks and brought in a new GM to change course. Gone were the ushertainers -- which made headlines in the newspapers but failed to resonate with fans (you can see them here in our look at Opening Night 2003); instead, the new attitude was fan satisfaction, with a focus on groups.
There was a pragmatic reason for the move: attendance at Midway Stadium had fallen off, with casual fans not turning out and season-ticket holders not bothering to show up. Since the actual ballpark is something of a dump, fan satisfaction is key to keeping the crowds coming. Sellouts, once commonplace, were rare.
But the crowds are back at Midway Stadium, as the back-to-the-basics move worked. Midway is still a pretty crappy place to watch a ballgame, but the fan experience is much improved.
Not that there's still not fun at the ballpark. Sister Rosalind Gefre (shown at the top of this page) is still a fixture down the third-base line, bless her heart, and you can still get a haircut during the game. And a ball-bearing pig still trots out balls to the home-plate umpire between innings.
But
the mood is less frenetic, the promotions are
fresher, the players are accessible and the fans
seem happier.
Oh, there's one more crucial feature to the team drawing again: the Saints are winners again. There was an attitude at Midway Stadium at one point that winning didn't really matter, that entertainment drew fans in. Turned out that attitude was wrong: the crowds returned when the Saints started fielding a competitive team.
Let's face it: Midway Stadium is the worst ballpark in the Northern League and now the oldest. There is no theater-style seating in the grandstand (only metal-backed seats), no skyboxes, and the bleachers are awkwardly configured for baseball. (Midway Stadium was built by the city of St. Paul as a replacement for the charming original Midway Stadium, which housed the original Saint Paul Saints in the 1950s. The new Midway has a weird configuration because it was designed to host high-school football games as well.) The right-field bleachers are particularly brutal on a sunny evening. If you can score some grandstand seats, by all means do so; if not, head for the left-field bleachers.
Midway Stadium has a pretty simple setup. There's a main grandstand, with concession stands tucked underneath. There are two sections of bleachers (head for the left-field bleachers for an evening game), with another set of alcohol-free bleachers in right field reserved for families.
If you're planning on attending a Saints game, call ahead to set aside some general-admissions seats at the Will Call window. The Saints are selling out again, and you can't just walk up and buy a ticket on some nights. There are some nights when you don't want to be near a Saints game -- the last 10 days of summer, which is when the Minnesota State Fair runs in the adjacent State Fairgrounds. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans turn out for cheese curds and butter sculptures, and you're likely to get caught in the middle of a huge traffic jam when the Fair runs.
Concessions
Three main concessions areas serves the masses
at Midway Stadium. The biggest is right behind
home plate in the concourse area. Avoid it, as
it's usually clogged with long lines. There are
two smaller concession stands down the first- and
third-base lines, and these are less busy. (All
three stands offer basically the same food.) The
offerings are not fancy: hot dogs and brats,
pizza, candy, peanuts, popcorn, pop, beer, and
more.
There are also auxiliary specialty concessions stand. Behind third base there's an outdoor drill serving hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as a Dippin' Dots stand. Behind first base there's a cocktail stand offering margaritas and other sweet drinks; next to it is a Spiro's Gyros stand.
Down the third-base line is the August Schell beer garden. The New Ulm Schell Brewery is a landmark in south-central Minnesota, and in addition to the Schell-brand beers the brewery also brews Grain Belt Premium. A new lounging area and separate beer taps were added down between the grandstand and the right-field bleachers; if all you want is a brew, you can now just head to a beer tap and not wait in line for a cold one.
For the Kids
Truth is, in the past Midway Stadium wasn't a
very kid-friendly environment. It is now: besides
the ball-toting pig and other between-innings
diversions, the Saints put in an extensive play
area down the left-field line.
Parking
Parking in the adjoining parking lot costs $6,
but you need to get to the game early to claim a
spot, as they're filled with tailgaters. Two
businesses adjacent to Midway Stadium offer
parking in their lots for $5 as well. There is
street parking on Energy Park Drive, but watch the
signs closely -- the city of St. Paul will tag you
if you park in a no-parking zone. In addition,
there's a lot at the corner of Snelling Avenue and
Energy Park Drive.
What to Do
Before the Game
The reason why parking at a Saints game sells
out quickly is because many Saints fans are active
and hearty tailgaters, who arrive hours early to
game for the privilege of staking out an area in
the parking lot in order to stoke up the grill and
tap the keg. Minnesotans used to be passionate
about their tailgating when the Twins and the
Vikings played at Metropolitan Stadium, but the
move to the Metrodome pretty much killed
tailgating and professional sports in the Twin
Cities, until the Saints arrived.
Gabe's by the Park (991 Lexington Pkwy. N.) historically has been an official gathering spot for Saints fans.
What to Do
After the Game
St. Paul bars may not be numerous, but the can
be choice. Historically Gabe's has been a
gathering spot for Saints players and their
adoring fans, many of the female persuasion.
O'Gara's (164 Snelling Av. N.) combines the
elements of an old-style St. Paul Irish bar with
live bands designed to lure students from nearby
Macalester College. On weekends, the Half-Time Rec
(1013 Front Av.) features live Irish music and
horrendously overpriced pitchers of Harp.
On
weekend evenings University Avenue -- a main drag
about 10 blocks south of the ballpark -- is
populated by hot rodders showing off their cars.
The center of this activity is Porky's, a vintage
drive-in on University between Fairview and Prior.
Since parking on University Avenue is prohibited
on Friday and Saturday nights (and yes, the cops
will ticket and tow if you're parked on the
street), you'll either have to drive through
Porky's or park a block or two away on a side
street and walk over to pick up an order. I'm
partial to the hamburgers (made from fresh ground
beef) and onion rings at Porky's; other people
speak well of the fried chicken. The scene along
University Avenue is an odd one for the Twin
Cities: because of all the folks just standing
around and the huge police presence (there's at
least one squad car on every block, with several
more patrolling the area), there's an edginess you
don't usually find in a laid-back city like St.
Paul. With all those cops, however, you shouldn't
worry about your personal safety. Just be warned
that aside from Porky's, there's really not a lot
worth visiting along University Avenue at night.
You might want to head over to Sin City -- better
known as Minneapolis -- to partake of a more
active nightlife. A description of downtown
Minneapolis and its environs can be found
here.
Where to Stay
The Holiday Inn Express (1010 Bandana Blvd.
W., 651-647-1637) is within walking distance of
Midway Stadium. For real luxury, head downtown to
The Saint Paul Hotel (350 Market St.,
651-292-9292).
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