Dusting Off Gesa Stadium

Official Review by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey Special Correspondent

Formerly known as Posse Stadium, Tri-City Stadium, and Dust Devils Stadium, Gesa Stadium opened in 1995. In 2007, a 137 foot high sunshade was added down the first base line. There is no cover from rain in the seating area. Seats were mostly aluminum benches but there were four or five rows of real seats with backs available. The strangest thing to me was seeing gulls flying around the stadium.

The Tri-City Dust Devils are the Short Season A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies and play in the Northwest League of Professional Baseball.

Food & Beverage    3

There was your traditional fare here: hotdogs, burgers, nachos, pretzels, peanuts, cotton candy, etc. The exception was Hacienda Del Sol (Mexican) offering: tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, etc. This stand appeared to be the favorite amongst the personnel who worked the stadium and games.

Microbrews were available for $6 but there were none of the 'dark' or 'amber' variety.

Atmosphere    3

A little history: Banners for the 2007 and 2010 Eastern Division Championship. And, proud displays of being affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. The radio broadcast went down during the game.

I was allowed to preview the stadium prior to purchasing my ticket. That's always a nice feature.

There's a patio area down the first base line for group outings.

Starting lineups and standings were posted. I found the sound system fuzzy when the announcer spoke. Music was clear, but played when the announcer was talking so you couldn't hear what he was saying.

Neighborhood    3

There were lots of shopping centers and restaurants in the area. Cousins' Restaurant is about a half mile from the stadium. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and provides food and beverage deals in the Saloon.

There is an IHOP, McDonalds, Pizza, and Panda Express all within a mile or so of the stadium.

There are several breweries within a 5 mile radius of the stadium.

Fans    3

There were very few fans at this game (it was a Tuesday evening). The fans there were friendly and many were keeping score.

It was Social Media Night the evening I went. The Dust Devils were trying to promote their team via Twitter and Facebook.

Access    5

It was walking distance from the Holiday Inn Express I stayed at. You cannot get much better than walking to a stadium. It was also right off highway I-182, easy to get to via car.

Return on Investment    3

Food prices were reasonable. It did cost $2 for parking if you drove. My ticket was $9 (for a real seat).

Extras    2

One extra point for being an affiliate of my favorite team, the Colorado Rockies. Another point awarded for the sunshade on the first base side.