10	GCS Ballpark
	Sauget, IL

If you're going to catch a game in St. Louis, consider driving across the river as well to another outstanding baseball experience: Independent baseball done right.

The Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League are one of the best drawing teams in independent baseball, not affiliated with the major leagues.

The club always ballyhoos a new food item each season.  In 2004, it was “Baseball’s Best Hotdog,” a Black Angus beef frank covered with bacon and cheese.  Last year it was the “Swiss Brat,” a bratwurst with Swiss cheese inside.  This year’s piece de resistance moves in a new direction: “Baseball’s Best Burger,” a bacon cheeseburger that uses a glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut as its bun.  The jury is still out on this “best.”  We will grant it top honors in the weirdest park food, though.

It was weird enough to be mentioned on media outlets from coast to coast, including an article on ESPN.com and a segment on ESPN 2’s Cold Pizza morning show.  “The publicity has been unreal,” said the team’s General Manager Tony Funderburg.

The Grizzlies use the web to get fan feedback.  “When we were coming up with each season’s new food item, we asked people everywhere to tell us their favorite ballpark food,” Funderburg explained. In fact, fan feedback has had a big impact on the menu.  “We have a ‘Ask the GM’ link on our website, plus we give out comment cards at the park.  I respond to every one of the questions myself.  We’ve changed our menus in response to feedback from fans, adding things like chicken nuggets for kids and caffeine-free drinks.”

The Grizzlies have led the Frontier League in attendance in each of the past three years.

Name Lift

The biggest change greeting Grizzlies fans this season will be the name of the ballpark.  After four seasons as GMC Stadium, the facility is now known as GCS Ballpark.

“We’re really excited about having a local sponsor (for the naming rights),” said Funderburg.  “GCS is a local credit union, and we’re looking forward to them being part of our events.” 

Fans will also encounter an interesting approach to “giving back” to area neighborhoods. 

“We are starting a program we call ‘community night,’” the GM explained.  “If the mayor and at least 200 residents from that community come to one of our games, then our team will donate $1,000 plus the use of our groundskeeper for a day to fix up their local ballfields.”

Experts' Take

“I love this ballpark,” exclaims Eric Pastore of digitalballparks.com.  “It is certainly one of the most unique parks in the independent leagues.  When you attend a game there, you don’t feel confined, because the seating is spacious and the concourse areas are huge.

“The atmosphere is extremely festive,” he continued.  “The team’s front office is always very creative in finding ways to increase the fans’ enjoyment.”