In case you forgot, here's what the ballpark looks like without the tarps.^It took a season and all but 10 games, but the Salem Red Sox finally listened to their fans and plan to remove the tarps that cover two end sections in right field in the general admission area.
That represents a 600-seat increase for the park, but far more important than that, it gives those of us who don’t like being crowded an option to get away from loud kids and louder adults. Baseball is for peace, not for bellowing.
GM Todd Stephenson says, “When the tarps were installed last season, our goal was to create a more intimate setting at the ballpark and bring fans closer to the action. We received positive feedback, but since the tarps were installed, we have heard from an increasing number of fans that like the flexibility to watch our games from different vantage points and enjoy the comforts of a little extra space at the ballpark."
The tarps were installed prior to the 2009 season in an effort to bring fans closer to the action on the field, as well as to display the club’s new logo and its new affiliation with the Boston Red Sox. The tarps in left field, which are visible as fans enter the Taliaferro Sports Complex, will remain in place for the rest of the 2010 season.
With the removal of tarps on two of the four general admission sections, Lewis-Gale Field’s fixed seating capacity will increase to 5,503. The final 10 games of the season begin Tuesday. The Red Sox are tied for second place with Kinston and hold a half game lead on Myrtle Beach with 13 remaining games.
The team that finishes with the best record will join first-half division winner Winston-Salem in the 2010 Carolina League Playoffs.
I quit atttending when they tarped the seats, lost interest in the team.
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