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10MAN Offline
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Post: #1
 
Hey guys, 64 or wyd! Hey, could y'all post some pics of your baseball stadium? I'm embarrassed to say that I have never been to a baseball game in Starkville, but have heard some pretty cool stuff about (can't remember the name but I know it had Polk's name in it) stadium. 03-lol Sorry! Anyway, do y'all have any pics of the outfield, seating, etc etc? A friend of mine at work is dating an MSU student and said that the baseball games are very cool there. I'm inclined to agree, on the simple fact of your attendance numbers, but haven't seen the "scenery". Something about trucks or something in left field.

And please forgive my ignorance on this subject. I have seen pics before, but I don't think I remember seeing trucks in the left field stands.
05-12-2003 10:57 PM
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msudawgs64 Offline
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Post: #2
 
03-lol Dudy Noble Field-Polk, Dement Stadium..Yeah the trucks in the outfield is the Left Field Lounge. Basically folks rent out the space, back their homemade flatbed stands in there that are on the back of a truck or trailer, there is actually some pretty elaborate homemade stands. I love the Left Field Lounge, especially when the State fans out there offer bbq to the visiting leftfielder, fatten him up before he bats.. 03-lol BBQ smoke comes out of their sometimes so thick you can't see homeplate. Here are some pics for ya.

[Image: Ut2_168.jpg]

[Image: dudynoblefield_300w_arialview.jpg]

[Image: dudy-noble.jpg]

[Image: baseball3.jpg]

[Image: terrace.jpg]

This last one is Left Field Lounge and here is the quote from the State website on it. The top photo is taken from the Left Field Lounge.

The aura of Mississippi State baseball at Dudy Noble Field is certainly not confined to the loyal legions in the impressive grandstand, pro-style luxury skyboxes and bleachers. In fact, some of the more highly-prized seats at Bulldog Baseball games are found beyond the outfield fence in the "Left Field Lounge". Waiting lists await those in search of one of nearly 75 renewable season parking passes for an assigned position in one of three rows beyond the outfield fence. There, a colorful assortment of pickup trucks, motor homes, and trailers -- most equipped with barbecue grills -- line the outfield fence, completing a circle of humanity at Dudy Noble Field. What began in the late 1960s as a popular gathering spot for baseball-loving MSU students sandwiched between the outfield fence and cows grazing now forms college baseball's largest tailgate party.

Hope this helps, pictures really don't do it justice though, you really have to experience it.



<!--EDIT|msudawgs64|May 20 2003, 12:39 AM-->
05-12-2003 11:44 PM
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whos_your_dawgy Offline
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Post: #3
 
Here's a little something written by John Grisham about Dudy Noble:

<a href='http://nt.library.msstate.edu/grisham_home/Ballpark.html' target='_blank'>http://nt.library.msstate.edu/grisham_home...e/Ballpark.html</a>

Take Me Out to the Ballpark

It is tempting, in this short space, to talk about people. I could write pages about the young men who've played at Dudy Noble. I could go on and on about those electric moments, such as Burke's grand slam, back-to-back home runs by Clark and Palmeiro, Raffo's monstrous shots, Showalter's .459, BJ.'s 19 strikeouts, Thigpen's throws to the plate, Pete's dirty uniform, the easy grace of Jody Hurst chasing fly balls, and on and on. If they're just a bunch of kids playing a game, why do we talk about them years after they're gone? And it would be easy to write about Ron Polk and the house he built and the throngs that fill it. It is a credit to him that we are disappointed when we don't make it to Omaha. We expect it. He's spoiled us. But I can't write pages here; perhaps another day. So I'll just talk about the place.

I guess every ballpark, in earlier times, was something else. Great things come from humble origins and all that, but it's difficult to believe Dudy Noble was once a cow pasture. I discovered it early in March of 1975 while a sophomore at State. This was before Polk, and the crowds were small. On those cool spring nights, I would take a thermos of coffee and sit by myself in the bleachers by first base. I was 20, older than some of the kids I was watching, and had just recently hung up my spikes because I couldn't hit a junior college curve ball. I was sad because I wasn't playing, yet I loved to watch the game. It was a pleasant place to be in the spring, but the park wasn't magical, yet.

The following year State hired Ron Polk, and Dudy Noble snapped back to life. He won, as he always has and always will, and suddenly the stands were full, the crowds were loud, the trucks and trailers appeared in left field, the Lounge was open for business, and the clouds of barbecue smoke became a symbol of baseball success at Mississippi State. We outgrew the old park, and he convinced us to build a new one.

The older I become, the more I find myself drawn back to Dudy Noble. There are many reasons. It's great baseball played by very talented kids. The game is pure and uncorrupted by money. The place is filled with memories, both of my college days and of the great games and moments since then. It's a wonderful place to unwind. The food is plentiful. The people are happy. The mood is festive. Time is meaningless. The game is played without a clock. There are no telephones in Left Field. Deadlines are more distant. Appointments seem insignificant.

Regardless of wins and losses, I always feel better when I leave Dudy Noble than when I arrive. There are few places of which this can be said.

Several years ago, during a Regional, Brigham Young played one of the early games in the first round. The gang I hang out with in Left Field always adopts a visiting team. It's nothing official...like everyone, we live in fear of the NCAA and its regulations...it's just our effort to make sure these kids are well fed and taken care of while visiting Starkville. We sent word through our sources to the BYU players, and during the late game a bunch of them arrived at our truck in the Lounge. They were hungry and tired of fast food. State was playing, and Dudy Noble was packed.

We fed them for three hours. Late in the game, I sat next to one of the BYU players and watched with amusement as he tried to eat crawfish. He'd already been served spareribs, pork shoulder, catfish, frog legs, steak and smoked sausage, and as we watched the game I helped with the crawfish. A dense charcoal fog hung over left field. The mob pushed toward the fence. Jim Ellis boomed from an amazing assortment of speakers. There was a constant roar.

The kid was awe struck. "Unbelievable," he kept saying as he looked around. "Unbelievable." I've seen this reaction many times from ballplayers, and for some reason I always feel compelled to share my knowledge of Dudy Noble and its legends. I filled his ear. Someone passed up a plate of boiled shrimp, and he quickly forgot about the crawfish. I told stories about Polk, many of them true, and of the stadium and how it was built and the record crowds and the history (my version) of the Left Field Lounge. I unloaded a dazzling array of statistics of past teams and players. I told tales I knew to be false (how could he know?).

It was quite a performance, really. He didn't hear a word. He ate his shrimp and watched the chefs at play in the fog. He studied the zany architecture of the trailers and trucks and vans packed together. He stared at the crowd of nine thousand rowdies who had gathered for a college baseball game. "Unbelievable," he said again. "I wish I played here."

I wish I had played there, too, but I never came close. And so I return year after year to watch the best of college baseball, to see old friends and make new ones, to cook and eat, to see the show. There may be larger parks, but not larger crowds. There may be prettier parks, but I doubt it. Dudy Noble is college baseball at its absolute finest.
05-12-2003 11:50 PM
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msudawgs64 Offline
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Post: #4
 
awesome wyd, he is a great supporter of State baseball. Like I said, pictures and words are great but ya got to experience it at least once, State fan or not.



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05-12-2003 11:53 PM
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10MAN Offline
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Post: #5
 
Man, both you guys jumped on this quick, that is awesome. I love to see people passionate about their teams' sports. Trust me, I know the feeling. By the way, it is great to have a couple State fans to talk sports with in a civilized fashion. I've been to countless boards where both Rebel fans and State fans act like children, thus making it no fun to talk about anything. This is what it is all about right here! You guys are alright!

Those are some great pics, and thank you very much. Looks like a great atmosphere, and I can certainly see why attendance there is no problem at all. Looks like a lot of fun. I will definitely be checking out a game in Starkville next season. Heck, it sounds like I'd rather be a visiting left-fielder with all that cooking going on. LOL


msu64....."Dudy Noble", that's it!!! Duh, I knew that, I just couldn't come up with it as I was posting that.
:stupid: On a not-so-serious note, 64, what is that guy doing in pic no.5? The guy standing up in the truck..... 03-lol

wyd....that is an awesome article by Grisham. I knew he was kind of a sports guy, but I never knew he and I shared the amount of lust for baseball that he expressed. Wow, that guy can write and he almost puts you in the stadium as if you were there. :eek: Great pics and articles, guys, thanks again.

I can guarantee you this.....I won't be nearly as ignorant this time next year about Dudy Noble! :)
05-13-2003 12:17 AM
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msudawgs64 Offline
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Post: #6
 
:D :D 03-lol 03-lol He has himself a Left Field Lounge Wedgie looks like to me. 03-lol Notice the one down by the fence talking with the leftfielder.. Oh and 10Man, Grisham is a huge baseball nut, almost fanatical. He has been fortunate in life to be able to give back so he has built his own baseball parks for like Little League age players. I read an interview with him I believe in the State Alumnus magazine that my dad gets and his fields were immaculate. No problem on digging this stuff up, share the wealth, this is a great place to watch baseball and like I said, everyone should see it at least once.



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05-13-2003 12:21 AM
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10MAN Offline
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Post: #7
 
msudawgs64 Wrote::D :D 03-lol 03-lol He has himself a Left Field Lounge Wedgie looks like to me. 03-lol Notice the one down by the fence talking with the leftfielder..
03-lol 03-lol 03-lol

Yep, looks like the LF is getting served an earful, and not crawfish..... 03-lol
05-13-2003 12:25 AM
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msudawgs64 Offline
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Post: #8
 
asking him if he wants tater salad or slaw with his bbq sandwich, probably one of them Yankee players that like to come down and get beat. 03-lol 03-lol
05-13-2003 12:29 AM
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10MAN Offline
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Post: #9
 
msudawgs64 Wrote:asking him if he wants tater salad or slaw with his bbq sandwich, probably one of them Yankee players that like to come down and get beat. 03-lol 03-lol
03-lol 03-lol 03-lol

And now that you mention that about Grish, seems like I remember hearing about him building those fields now. Good man! And he'd certainly have the money to make them immaculate, wouldn't he? :eek:


By the way, love your new sig! 03-wink
05-13-2003 12:32 AM
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msudawgs64 Offline
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Post: #10
 
oh yeah, he has the bucks for it. But yeah it is good that he gives back, especially to something he loves. Oh I thought you would like the sig, I mean it too. The last game I saw at Dudy Noble was State vs. Auburn. Auburn had this little first baseman named Frank Thomas. 03-lol Just kidding he was not little, man him and an aluminum bat were not made for each other, he hit one to Tennessee I think.. :D I like the sound of the aluminum bats, especially when listening to a game on the radio, but I think they might need to consider banning them, and here is my reasoning. 1. Players are getting bigger and stronger..2. Pitchers are getting bigger and stronger..3. Big strong pitcher throws a 97 mph fastball down the pipe to big strong batter and he makes contact, look out and Katy bar the door..4. I would use wood bats anyway because that is what they will use when they go pro, I mean could you see Sosa or Bonds using an aluminum bat? Yikes. It was enough to see Frank Thomas crush one, but man.
05-13-2003 12:51 AM
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10MAN Offline
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Post: #11
 
Man, I had forgotten that the Big Hurt played for Auburnt....

And I totally know what you mean about those bats. Yes, it is cool to hear that sound on the radio, but it's getting to the point where someone is going to get killed....literally, I'm afraid by a crack of the bat and no chance to get out of the way. Heck, some others in college, and Little League I might add, have already gotten seriously injured from those aluminums. I know Little League made a recent push to have those bats downgraded somewhat, decreasing some of the "pop" that they offer....thank goodness.
And college is no different, except it is worse due to, as you mentioned, the kids are hulks these days. Besides, they should be using wood, since they are only one step away from that anyway.

Flashback moment....sorry. I remember in my playing days, I think I was around 17 or 18 years old in summer league ball, we had a guy get just hammered by a hit. I was playing first base, and I just remember our pitcher flinched for a second, but that was it, that's all I remember. He started wrathing around in agony, and blood filled the mound. It all happened so fast, but I was in such shock that I don't, to this day, remember if we even threw the guy out or if we all just stared in disbelief for a moment. I'm not sure the hitter even ran, I know it had to mess him up, too. They rushed him to the hospital, I remember his mom just going ballistic. Once everything settled down, it didn't help, I think every one of us were done for the day. I don't even remember how I fared the rest of the day, nor did I care. Our thoughts were with Chris, our pitcher.
05-13-2003 01:04 AM
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msudawgs64 Offline
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Post: #12
 
yeah, folks getting hurt by balls, ahem, rockets, coming off those bats is increasing..I have never actually been in a game where someone got hurt but man I used to hate playing the infield, especially 3rd base, give me centerfield any day. I could just see my naturally good looks being destroyed by a damn baseball.. 03-lol :D
05-13-2003 01:11 AM
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10MAN Offline
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Post: #13
 
msudawgs64 Wrote:yeah, folks getting hurt by balls, ahem, rockets, coming off those bats is increasing..I have never actually been in a game where someone got hurt but man I used to hate playing the infield, especially 3rd base, give me centerfield any day. I could just see my naturally good looks being destroyed by a damn baseball.. 03-lol :D
Luckily, I never got beaned by a rocketed blast from a hitter, so I still have my unbelievably stud-like looks. Whew! :rolleyes:

03-lol 03-lol 03-lol 03-lol
05-13-2003 01:15 AM
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msudawgs64 Offline
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Post: #14
 
Oh forgot to add, Sports Illustrated generally names it the best place to watch a college baseball game.

I just came across this webpage, it was done by Joey Collums, a senior pitcher on the State team. Not much really, one page, but he says it all right there.

<a href='http://www2.msstate.edu/~tjc2/' target='_blank'>http://www2.msstate.edu/~tjc2/</a>



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05-13-2003 02:37 AM
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10MAN Offline
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Post: #15
 
Very good article, and some more up-close pics! 04-cheers
05-13-2003 11:29 AM
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