Experiencing the West Michigan Whitecaps
Since 1994 I have been fortunate to live in the Grand Rapids area and been able to watch some of the best starts in Major League Baseball before they made they big show. The West Michigan Whitecaps were founded in 1994 and have produced some great talent. I have been to many Whitecaps games but I really enjoyed myself on August 18th 2012 and really took more time to observe the ballpark and it’s features. 5/3rd Ballpark has some wonderful feature like a great view from anywhere in the park. I love the box seats and the Miller Lite deck and hope to watch a game from one of those two spots someday. For those who like the picnic type atmosphere they have lawn seating which allows you to bring a blanket and relax on the grass.
On this particular night I realized their is something fun for everyone like guessing your pitch speed, getting a personalized t-shirt, watching the fireworks and getting involved with the activities. The group I was with did everything from the chicken dance, dinosaur dance and singing Sweet Caroline. I still think after all these years that baseball is the most interactive and fan friendly sport there is. The home fields always love to get the crowd involved and West Michigan is very good doing that. A lot of people don’t realize that Grand Rapids is a great sports town. They have the Griffins, and use to have the Rampage football team as well as the Hoops basketball team. The sports bars are always packed for Tigers, Lions and Red Wings games as well as UFC fights. It’s no surprise that the Whitecaps are successful with such a devoted fan base.
Fans have got to see many players start in West Michigan and make it to the Detroit Tigers or another MLB team. Some of those names include Brennan Boesch, Francisco Cordero, Andy Dirks, Omar Infante, Brandon Inge, Matt Joyce, Jair Jurrjens,Fernando Rodney, Cody Ross and Joel Zumaya. The excitement doesn’t end there as many stars have made rehab starts in West Michigan. Some of those include Kenny Rogers, Curtis Granderson, Magglio Ordonez, and Jeremy Bonderman. Anytime they showed up it was not hard to sellout.
As a Tigers fan it is great to see the future stars in action and be apart of a lot of fun. I suggest anyone in traveling distance of 5/3rd Ballpark or if your visiting the area, go check out a Whitecaps game. It’s inexpensive and something the whole family can enjoy. For more info towww.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t582
