baseball
Written by Brian Knavish
The Wild Things baseball team delivers big-time fun in an affordable minor league setting.
In the summer of 2002, a quaint ballpark sprang up in Washington, Pa., just off Interstate 70. This wasn’t an imposing major league structure, nor was it a side-of-the-road Little League field. This field – in many ways, Washington County’s “Field of Dreams” – lay, handsomely, somewhere in between.
Professional ballplayers roamed the diamond, and fans paid to watch them play. But with just over 3,000 seats, this ballpark was intimate. Beer was cheap. Hot dogs were cheaper.
On the field, the baseball was competitive. And between innings – heck, sometimes between each pitch – there was non-baseball entertainment to make a night at the ballpark enjoyable even for those who don’t know the difference between a bullpen and a Bic pen.
It’s Falconi Field, home of the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League, a professional minor league. And in that first season, the Wild Things captured the heart of Western Pennsylvania.
The Wild Things went 56-28, won the Frontier League Eastern Division Title and made it to the playoffs in their inaugural season. But the games were also expositions of nonsporting entertainment. Wacky promotions and comical contests kept the kids grinning all night long, and with tickets starting at $5, sellouts were a nightly occurrence.
But the question begged, was this a fad? Would the novelty of a minor league baseball team, just 30 miles from a major city with Major League Baseball, wear off? Apparently not.
The Wild Things throw out the first pitch of their fifth season later this month, and the enthusiasm and fan support are still abundant. Over the course of the past four seasons – and by all indications the trend will continue this season – the Wild Things have played in front of a packed house at virtually every home game.
The Wild Things have had “over 100 percent capacity” crowds in all four of the team’s seasons, according to general manager Ross Vecchio. That doesn’t mean that every single game has been a sellout, but since the team sells standing room tickets, over the course of the 50 home games each season, the average per-game attendance is actually above the 3,200 seating capacity.
Washington resident Bob Ranko, a season ticket holder since the first season, has been at most of those games. “I like baseball, and it’s a very good quality of baseball,” said the 69-year-old Ranko. “I’m not too enthusiastic about driving (to Pittsburgh), fighting traffic, and paying all that money. I knew this was going to be a lot of young players, so I knew it would be exciting.”
Ranko has not been disappointed and says he gets his money’s worth; individual tickets range from $5 to $11; full-season tickets range from $250 to $490, depending on seating preference, and the team offers several partial-season plans. Parking is $3 and refreshments are in the $2 to $5 range.
For baseball purists, a game at Falconi Field is as enchanting as the scent of pine tar.
A game night has the charm of classic, old-time baseball. The players are so close to every seat that, after the crack of the bat echoes through the park, fans can actually hear the “thud, thud, thud” of the batter’s feet smacking the dirt as he races down the line to first base. The umpire’s “safe” call is clearly audible to all in attendance.
But the American Pastime is not the only reason folks flock to Falconi Field.
“It’s not just baseball, because they do all kinds of things between innings, so even if the game is 12-0, there is something to look forward to each inning,” said Ranko.
The innovative marketing draws fans from throughout Western Pennsylvania, not just Washington County. A couple times each summer, Ken Jugan makes the trip to Washington with his two teenage sons from Glassport in Allegheny County.
“I always enjoy seeing the Washington Wild Things,” said Jungan. “It is a nice, relaxed atmosphere where entertainment is their top priority. Sometimes, watching the game is secondary to all the fun you can have during the evening.”
Therein lays the attraction for many fans, especially those who aren’t interested in following the earned run averages of minor league pitchers.
Like many minor league teams, the Wild Things present a seemingly endless array of wacky promotions, gimmicks and contests, all aimed to entertain even those decidedly uninterested in sports.
The “Sing for Your Supper” contest, for example, plucks two lucky fans from the crowd. They then stand on the dugout, sing “Wild Thing” and, based on the crowd’s ovation, a winner is crowned. That winner then receives a gift certificate to a Washington area restaurant.
Other bizarre contests involve everything from children swinging bats at water balloons to the popular horse races, where fans – donning giant inflatable horses – race around the bases.
For those who think watching a game in stadium seats is boring, there’s even a 15-person hot tub located down the first base line.
There are some special 5th anniversary-themed promotions lined up for this season. Fans can go to the team’s Web site and vote for their favorite Wild Things players from years past. Then, the five players who get the most votes will be honored with figurines on five different nights throughout the season.
And, this being Western Pennsylvania, there are plenty of fireworks nights.
“What I would say about the Wild Things, is a game is always entertaining,” said Ranko. “I would suggest everyone try it once, bring the kids out and you’ll have a good time.”
Vecchio, who has been the team’s general manager since it was founded, said he expected the Wild Things would be successful, but this level of success is a surprise even to him.
“I see things in our ballpark every night that I never imagined I would see,” he said. “The way our fans and community have rallied around the team is amazing.”
Ranko exemplifies that perfectly. In addition to being a fan, he and his wife, Mary, have served as a host family for players in each of the team’s first four seasons.
In the low levels of the minor leagues, the players don’t quite make Alex Rodriguez money. In fact, they don’t even make enough to pay rent, so gracious volunteers, like the Rankos, offer up extra rooms in their homes.
“I’ve probably had over 20 players live with us over the past four years,” he said. “It was quite an experience. I had to talk my wife into it. You read about how bad the younger generation is, but these ballplayers are quite different. There is not one I wouldn’t welcome back.”
Things like host families, bus trips and off-season jobs exemplify how truly minor league the Frontier League is. It’s an independent league, which means the teams are not affiliated with Major League clubs. But while the talent level is near the bottom of the professional baseball totem pole, it still is professional baseball with talented, professional ballplayers.
In the team’s four years of existence, 15 Wild Things players have signed with Major League organizations. David Bradley has made it the farthest; he’s currently with the Midland (Texas) Rockhounds, the Oakland Athletics’ Class AA affiliate.
Wild Things officials openly admit they don’t present Major League baseball. In fact, team officials say, even from an entertainment standpoint, they’re not trying to compete with their Major League neighbors, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“We want nothing but victories for the Pirates,” said Vecchio. “The more success and interest there is in the Pirates, it makes everybody interested in baseball… we just want to put on our little show in Washington.”
And, judging by the fireworks, fastballs and folks singing for ice cream, what a show it is. •
