BILLY HEBERT FIELD

Billy Hebert Field is an old-time stadium (built in 1927) with little else to make it memorable. But I enjoyed this park because of its simplicity. Stockton is looking to get a new stadium, so Hebert Field won't be a pro park much longer, and I am glad that I was able to see one Mudville Nine game here.

The stadium is located in Oak Park, and parking is plentiful and free. When you arrive at the stadium you have to walk around to the front, and it appears to be a bigger park than it actually is. There are three ticketing options, the best is the $6 general admission which is inside the bases and not blocked by the somewhat annoying wire fencing. You can also sit in $7.50 VIP seats which consist of the first seven rows below the concourse, or $7 reserved seating above the concourse. These seats are all box seats and are comfortable, the GA sections are benches with backs on them. There was waitress service to the VIP seats, but with plenty of concession stands, including the Mudville Eatery and Casey's BBQ,  and attendance of about 500 fans, this service really wasn't necessary. There is really no shaded seating in the stadium, so bring a hat and sunscreen, even for a night game. By the way, the team really takes it name (Mudville Nine) seriously - all starting times are at nine minutes past the hour.

The food was typical, but reasonably priced. The BBQ chicken burger looks like your best bet. There is plenty of advertising throughout the stadium, but this adds some colour to the facade and the concrete seating. The California League standings are also posted just beside the team store, which has a good collection of merchandise.

Outside the park

The major problem with this park is the staff, particularly the younger ones, who didn't seem to have much interest in their jobs. For example, there was an area near the entrance which was supposed to have the starting lineups in it, but didn't. One of the staff members noticed the problem but didn't fix it, which I thought was a bit lazy. As well, when I was filling out my scorecard, I was asked to show my ticket which caused me to miss a few of the players being announced. The usher should know better than to ask for a ticket after I have been sitting down for 30 minutes, especially during the lineup announcements. 

This should not reflect badly on everyone who works there, as the ticket person was very friendly and actually passed on our card to the P.A. announcer who broadcast our presence to everyone in the park. Overall, I like this stadium - simple and fun - it will be interesting to see the difference when the new park opens shortly.