Baseball fans get up close, personal at Recreation Park in Visalia

Welcome to Recreation Park in Visalia, Calif., ? home of the Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate Visalia Rawhide.

Recreation Park in Visalia sits on a corner in the middle of town, so close that many foul balls land in the city streets. (Jamie and Frank Green)

The ballpark sits on a corner in the middle of town, so close that many foul balls land in the city streets. The red brick exterior leads to a steep staircase where you enter the park level with top of the outfield fence.

We could spend this entire article describing the different seating options. Simply put, you can sit in regular grandstand seating from first to third base, on the lawn next to right field, above the right field fence, behind the actual right field wall that is designed to see through.

There is also a private Hall Of Fame club with game seating, a cool zone patio, and an old western-style saloon where refreshments are served.

The fan dugout is a must-see. It is listed in the book ?101 Places to See Before You Strike Out? as being on the bucket list of baseball.

There are only 1,888 grand stand seats but when you include general admission the park can hold well over 2,000 people.

Although this park has the least amount of seats in of the leagues we?ve seen, its clever design makes it seem open and spacious.

On game day there is an excitement in the crowd that is a cross between a sporting event and a county fair.

There are children playing ball, families having picnics, and people deciding between the numerous food vendors.

We had a hard time choosing what to eat. The brats and sausages grilled on the home plate deck were the best we?ve seen so far, but we couldn?t resist the smoked pulled pork and Chipotle slaw sandwich it was to die for.

On the night we were there, there was a tribute to the famous poem ?Casey At The Bat.? The Rawhide wore the uniforms of the Mudville Nine and ?Casey ?was there to help with the festivities.

Tipper the Cow is the team mascot; she appears from a real red barn that is cleverly part of the center field fence. (Jamie and Frank Green)

Tipper the Cow is the team mascot. She appears from a real red barn that is cleverly part of the center field fence.

Promotions are a huge part of minor league ball, but the Rawhide are over the top. One promotion gives free season tickets to the first 30 fans who agree to get a free Rawhide tattoo.

Another is just for the kids ? a helicopter drops a huge load of candy on the outfield like a flying pi?ata. The kids keep all the goodies they can carry out.

Bottom line: Great park, great fans, great experience. Thanks for having us.

Jamie and Frank Green

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