By Jean Lundquist
Special to The Free Press
MANKATO —
Before even entering Franklin Rogers Park on a MoonDogs night, there is a party atmosphere. The Country 103.5 van is parked outside the gate, and the music fills the parking area.
The first thing to decide is whether to get a wristband that will allow the purchase of beer at the first table, just a matter of feet inside the park. Though this may lead to an idea that MoonDogs games are mostly an excuse to drink beer, that’s not the case. The Mankato MoonDogs are a hometown favorite. Though they play hard, they win seldom (at least in 2010). And still, the fans flock into the stadium every home game. Including this game.
As people flood through the gate, the next decision is what to eat. With the smells and aromas, not eating is not an option.
The choices range from State Fair cheese curds and mini doughnuts, Papa John’s Pizza, Angie’s Kettle Corn, Vinnie’s Shaved Ice, or a little something from the MoonDogs Meals tent or Culvers Snack Shack.
Decision No. 3: Score card or no? Jeff Lang, also known as “Stunt Monkey” on KDOG FM Radio is hawking these for $2.
Lang is actually a staple of a MoonDogs game, which becomes apparent after the game starts. Lang turns in his score cards for a shoulder harness tied to a tray of ice and cans of beer. As he walks through the stands, his voice fills the air, competing with that of stadium announcer Mike McKenna.
Margo Briese and her daughter, Elizabeth, of North Mankato are in the crowd. They have season tickets for the MoonDogs games and miss a game only because of vacation. With granddaughter Elizabeth Wilson, the three have even stayed at the park watching a game when a tornado was in the area.
“She has a disability. She loves to come here for the music and the independence,” Margo says of her daughter. “She can walk to the stands and be comfortable and safe. Everyone here knows her.”
Marilyn Simonett and Audrey Gatchell of Mankato buy season tickets together every year. Simonett says she came to a game years ago to enjoy the outdoors. “I enjoyed it so much, I asked her to come with me. Then, she won season tickets and gave one to me.”
“We’ve been buying season tickets every year since,” says Gatchell. “It feels like family here.”
The Brieses and Simonett and Gatchell have seats in the premium seating area. The general admission seating area has bench seating, where Art and Mary Jo Hiller sit on their own portable “Mankato West” seats they bring to the games.
“We go to a lot of games,” says Mary Jo, including Mankato East games.
“We just hide the ‘West’ part when we go to Mankato East, and we sit in the other section.”
On the field, 11-year-old bat boys Jackson Baker and Christian Vetter get to work a couple of games each season, they say.
“But I come to a lot of games when I don’t work,” says Baker.
Vetter also attends games when he doesn’t work. The two say they get to chase up to 20 balls and every bat during the MoonDogs games.
As happens sometimes during outdoor baseball, a rain delay — which would eventually cancel the game — paused the action. McKenna announced to all attendees that beer would be half price during the delay, and soda pop would be reduced to a dollar.
Despite the poor weather, no one left the park.
MoonDog tips
Schedule
www.mankatomoondogs.com
Weather
Dress for it. There might be shelter over the stands, but some nights get chilly and some are sweltering hot.
Cash
You’ll need it for concessions, so don’t forget!
Parking
There is parking directly in front of the stadium and in lots and on-street surrounding the park.
Extras
Bug spray is always a good idea. And sunscreen couldn’t hurt either if you plan on mulling around the concessions area or mingling in the parking lot.
