Page 94 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2015

SPORTS & OUTDOORS sweet home biloxi
PLAYBALL
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It’s good when a plan comes together, especially when the plan involves the first Biloxi Shuckers home game in the sparkling new $37 million MGM Park.
Despite the challenges of opening the stadium two months ahead of schedule — and only after
a last-minute deal between the City of Biloxi and Yates Construction — the Shuckers made their hometown debut June 6 with much fanfare and a 14-inning, 5-4 victory over the Mobile Bay Bears.
A sellout crowd in excess of 5,000 filled the stadium, shopped at the concession stands and team store, and loudly exhorted the Shuckers to a come-from-behind win in dramatic fashion.
“It was exciting from the start to the finish,” said Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich, who kicked off festivities earlier in the day at the Game Day Experience tailgate party conceived by Main Street Biloxi and presented by the Beau Rivage.
“And the best part was that it all came off without a hitch. We didn’t have any traffic or parking problems, and the stadium looked magnificent under the lights.”
Main Street Biloxi cranked up the day with its downtown
street party that included several hundred fans escorting the team to its new stadium. From there, the energy level jumped exponentially every hour leading up to the gates opening at 5 p.m. and through the first pitch at 7:10.
Fans actually started arriving at the stadium at noon; some in hopeless search of tickets and others simply eager to soak up as much of the atmosphere as possible.
There were minor glitches such as the faltering public address system early on, but that was hastily corrected as the two teams settled into a classic Double-A minor league game.
The sight lines at MGM Park are excellent from all viewing areas. Fans spilled over the 5,000 seats into the wide concourse and the child-happy berm area in right- center.
Fans skeptical about the availability of close parking found more than adequate space, while others opted to park at outlying locations and catch the free CTA shuttle to the stadium.
“I’m proud of city employees who worked hard to prepare for any contingency,” Gilich added. “The police department deserves most of the credit for crafting a plan that worked so well.”
94 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2015
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story by F. Cliff Kirkland photos by Teddy Lewis