Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
Yakima County Stadium 1220 Pacific Ave Yakima, WA 98901
Year Opened: 1993
Capacity: 3,000
It’s Apple Time
The Yakima Valley Pippins are a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Yakima, Washington. They are a member of the West Coast League and began play in 2014 at the 3,000-seat Yakima County Stadium. They replaced the Yakima Bears of the Northwest League, who relocated to Hillsboro, Oregon, and were renamed the Hillsboro Hops.
The team is named for the Pippin apple variety.
Yakima County Stadium is a baseball stadium that opened in 1993 and was the home field of the Yakima Bears minor league team for twenty seasons.
The stadium is located at the northwest corner of the Central Washington State Fairgrounds and is north of the Yakima SunDome, a 6,195-seat multi-purpose arena.
Food & Beverage 4
The food options are a pretty consistent slate of offerings, although not always exciting. The food prices are very similar to most minor league baseball stadiums. They are very fair and offer many choices. Most entrees are $4 and up and won’t break your wallet. Look out for the value menu options.
The food stands close before the game is over.
Atmosphere 4
The stadium has seats, benches with backs, and benches without backs. The best value is to get a general admission seat and sit with your back to the stadium wall. The crowd should be small enough that most fans can do this if they desire. The stands sit fairly elevated from the field.
There is a view of the hills beyond the wall and offer a nice view during the game.
The stadium, although only built in the 1990’s, is pretty antiquated compared to most minor league stadiums. For summer collegiate baseball it is a pretty nice facility.
Neighborhood 3
The stadium is located within the Central Washington State Fairgrounds so there may be other events going on at the same time as the game. The rest of the neighborhood right around the stadium is pretty underwhelming and you will want to explore options elsewhere around town.
The Yakima Valley has many beer and wine options for pre and post game options. The list of wineries alone will make your head spin.
Another thing one will want to do in the area is to visit a farm stand and get fresh apples or other fresh fruit.
Fans 4
There are some hardcore fans with seats around the home plate area. They will be loud and into all aspects of the game. The fans are pretty traditional minor league style fans. Some are very knowledgeable about the game, while others are there as part of a family or a group and may be less interested in the actual game.
Crowds are larger for weekend games while weeknight crowds are going to be a struggle for this level of ball.
Access 4
The fairgrounds are pretty easy to find and parking will be plentiful unless other events are extremely large. Parking costs $4.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets are cheap, especially for general admission. Watch out for daily specials that can bring the price down.
Parking is too expensive for the stadium, but the prices are supposedly controlled by the fairgrounds.
Extras 4
There is a free program given to fans when they enter the stadium.
The view of the hills beyond the outfield fences offers a great view to enjoy.
There are games, such as corn hole, that are free for fans in the area behind the first base side stands.
The team does a good job of sticking to the apple theme at all times, whether it is the team mascot or games such as apple bobbing.
Final Thoughts
The Yakima Valley Pippins and Yakima County Stadium is a perfect spot to watch a summer collegiate league team. The stadium is past its prime for minor league baseball. but is perfect for this level of ball.
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