Farmer Field Receives Seating Upgrade
January 26, 2011
by Serenity Summers

Despite last season’s disappointing playoff run, the Florida Featherheads undoubtedly had a successful season.  Rabid fans witnessed the Featherheads finish above .500 for the first time.  It was one of many firsts for Florida.  Last season was Florida‘s first Dixie Division title and its first trip to the playoffs.  Florida‘s surprise success led to an unexpected demand for tickets.  Move over Walt Disney and Miley Cyrus; baseball was the hottest ticket in town.  It was practically standing room only for each game.  Farmer Field drew 2.9 million fans for the year, which was almost half a million improvement in attendance from last season.

The insane demand to see a Florida Featherheads game prompted owner Drew Streets to order stadium renovations this offseason.  Working from November to mid-January, construction crews finished upgrading Farmer Field with the addition of 5,000 seats.  The outfield bleachers received a 2,500 seating increase in capacity.  500 seats were added behind home plate.  1,000 seats each were placed along both sides of the first and third baselines.

The 5,000 seating increase had Drew Streets smiling from ear to ear.  Here’s what he had to say on the seating upgrade:

“When I took over the Florida Featherheads, I had a vision.  I wanted to make baseball relevant to the state of Florida.  Just like my cruise lines, I wanted develop something where people from all walks of life can enjoy and escape to.  I am proud to be the owner of the Florida Featherheads and proud to have you as our fans.  You made it possible for all this to happen.  Without you, there would be no reason to have a Farmer Field.  There would be no reason to add 5,000 seats if it were not for you guys.”

In order to add in the 500 seats behind home plate, construction workers had to rip out the preexisting seats for reconfiguration.  Regular season ticket holders behind home plate area were pleasantly surprised to see the old seats delivered to their houses on Christmas Day as a thank you gesture by Drew Streets.  A personally signed thank you note by Drew Streets was included with each seat.  The remaining seats not registered to season ticket holders have been placed on auction to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  As a footnote, Streets first got involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation this past December when the foundation contacted him to help out several children who wished to go on a cruise.

Additional bleacher seating was provided by resurrecting concrete, bench-styled seats.  The decision to provide concrete benches was a controversial one.  Critics declared that concrete benches were the way of the past.  For a team that wants to be a first-class team, it should provide first-class seating to all of its fans.  Being the maverick that he is, Drew Streets disagreed at the notion.  His reasoning was simple: Drew Streets’s goal when taking over the team was to bring baseball back to the community.  He wanted to give Jacksonville a grassroots baseball team, a team that fans – regardless of age, gender, color or profession – would root for.  He wanted a team that fans could connect and relate to.  A part of accomplishing this was to reach out to Florida‘s most diehard fans – the bleacher folks.

Bleacher people are the most zealous and loyal fans.  Bleacher fans are a unique, colorful group.  If you were to spot a shirtless fan sitting in the pouring Jacksonville rain, you’ll be sure to find that person in the bleachers.  Handcrafted signs such as “Tsunami Tsumemasa” and “Run Kichida Run” are found throughout the bleacher area.  Every time Kwang-chih Zhu steps up to the plate, the bleacher fans are the first ones to greet him with a, “Zooooooooo!” chant.  Bleacher fans are that passionate.  They are the ones that catch home run balls and throw opposition homers back onto the field.  They are the ones that sit there crazily during a rain delay.

Drew Streets feels concrete seating symbolizes what the bleacher fans are all about.  Concrete benches are sturdy, reliable, no-nonsense structures just like the bleacher fans.  Concrete benches give Farmer Field a grassroots, high school park element; something that all common fans can appreciate.  Hardcore bleacher fans do not choose bleacher seats for fancy seating.  They choose it for the love of the game and camaraderie offered by like-minded enthused fans.  Streets hopes that these concrete benches will further enhanced that flavorful ambiance.  Best of all, Streets has promised that these benches will be very accessible to the common fan.  Promotions such as “Dollar Thursdays” and “Friday Night Free Student” seating will be conducted during the season.

Both the first and third baselines also received seating upgrades.  The seating area on the first and third base sides were renovated to add 1,000 seats on each side.  Morimoto fans will be delighted that additional seating on the first base side will allow them a better opportunity to see their favorite slugger man the bag.  All in all, the addition of seats marks a very important step for the franchise.  It is a statement to Jacksonville, the state of Florida, and the baseball world that the Featherheads are serious players.  They refuse to be a “short stack” team.  Florida is doing whatever it takes to bring fans to the ballpark, whether it be a clever YouTube promo or acquiring quality name-brand players.  The need to increase seating capacity is a testament to Florida‘s success at bringing fans back to the ballpark.  Streets and the Featherheads are not satisfied with collecting profits and revenue sharing checks.  They are here to let the world know that baseball is indeed alive and kicking in the southeastern realm of the United States.