| Billings Mustangs / Cobb Field | |
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Phone: 406-252-1241. Web: www.billingsmustangs.com Online ticket sales? No. Online broadcasts? Yes. Capacity: 4,200. Year Built: 1948. Dimensions: 335L, 385C, 325R. Last Visited: July 18, 1999. League/class: Pioneer League, Advanced Rookie. Affiliation: Cincinnati Reds.
And the folks in Billings sure love their baseball. The reserved box seats -- folding chairs expensively priced at $6 per game -- are sold out for season-ticket holders. The rest of us must do with $4 general-admission seats ($3 for seniors and students, free for children 5-years-old or younger). This is a great deal: we sat in the third row of general-admissions seats directly behind home plate and had a great view of the game. Seats under the canopy have backs, while outfield bleacher seats do not. There really isn't a bad seat in the house, and the main advantage to sitting under the canopy is to stay out of the sun, which can be quite severe in the midst of summer. With a steady stream of customers, the Mustangs management hasn't yet been forced to take a bread-and-circuses promotional approach to games. While there are the usual game-day promotions like you'd find at any ballpark -- cup, schedule magnet, and cap giveaways -- there's no between-innings shenanigans, no bat races, no sumo-wrestling matches sponsored by liquor companies. Indeed, the only diversions to the actual game come when the boosters sell 50-50 tickets, a raffle where the winner keeps half of the proceeds and the Mustangs Boosters Club keeps the other half, and a beer batter (if the designated Mustangs beer batter gets a hit, you can buy four beers for $5 during the remainder of the inning). Cobb Field has a rather interesting history. It's named for Robert Cobb, the owner of the Pacific Coast League's Hollywood Stars, in recognition of his efforts to bring organized professional baseball to Billings. Today, Cobb is better known as the founder and owner of the legendary Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood.
There are a few roving vendors, but they're limited to peddling pop and candy. The beer selection is minimal and limited to beer stands in the main concourse and down the third-base line. In the main concourse, your selections are Bud, Bud Light, and Michelob Amber Bock. Down the third-base line, Bud and Bud Light are on tap, as well as a selection from Yellowstone Brewing Company, a local microbrewery. I tried the Grizzly Wheat, which was a light beer that lacked the spicy characteristics of a true hefeweizen beer. Still, it was better than all things Bud. A Bud product costs $2 for an eight-ounce cup, while the Grizzly Wheat was a spendy $3 for an eight ouncer.
Today, there's a lot of vibrancy to Billings. While there's still an emphasis on the agricultural and railroad economies, tourism is a more important part of the city, as folks heading to Yellowstone or the rest of Montana will find reasons to spend more time in Billings. And the population in Billings has stabilized, meaning that there's a captive audience for some of the finer things in life. Downtown Billings is a mix of stores geared for cowboys (you still can buy custom-made cowboy hats in Billings), the businesspeople who work for the many banks with a sizeable presence (Norwest, US Bank) and the rest of us (coffeeshops, cigar shops, even a brewpub).  If you have time, spend it wandering around downtown
Billings. Shop where the cowboys shop at Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters (123 N.
Broadway) or Connolly's Western Wear (2911 Montana Av.), which has been selling
spurs that jingle jangle jingle since 1912. Before the game we ate at the
Montana Brewing Company (113 N.
Broadway), which has a good selection of microbrews and your typical bar fare
(burgers, fries, pizzas, pasta). Also recommended is Todd's Plantation Coffee
(115 N. 29th St.) or the McCormack Cafe (2419 Montana Av.) for your daily shot
of caffeine. In addition, the McCormack features Internet access. Two downtown museums are worth a visit. The Western Heritage Center (2822 Montana Av.) explains the history of the region, from the arrival of settlers to the 1940s, while the Yellowstone Art Museum (401 N. 27th St.) displays a fascinating collection of contemporary Western art. Snobs might snicker at the notion of Western art, but anyone interested in art will get something out of the Yellowstone Art Museum. If you're into American Indian history, a visit to Pictograph Cave State Park (located seven miles southeast of Billings on I-90; take the Lockwood exit) is mandatory, with 4,500-year-old cave paintings showing life on the prairie, which at that time included the hunting of the now-extinct woolly mammoth. Those up for a more ambitious day trip should make the 59-mile trek to Red Lodge (take Highway 212 from the Laurel exit west of Billings) and then over the Beartooth Pass to Cooke City and Yellowstone Park. Red Lodge is now a tourist destination, and its main street is full of trendy little shops, coffeeshops, good restaurants, and a good brewpub. The Beartooth Pass was called the most beautiful stretch of highway by none other than Charles Kuralt, and it's a wonderful drive, encompassing breathtaking mountain views and glacier fields. Cooke City sits four miles outside of Yellowstone Park and is little more than a main street with a few decent restaurants and quaint, turn-of-the-century general store. Be warned that you're entering Yellowstone Park from one of the most remote points, and you'll need to spend some time on the road before hitting the geyser fields in the western part of the park. Finally, for a unique dining experience, check out Pork Chop John's (1223 Grand Av.), where the delicacy of choice is the original pork chop sandwich.
If you yearn for dark taverns and country music, check out the Crystal Lounge (101 N. 28th St., downtown Billings). There's live poker games and video gambling, as well as cheap drinks and live music. For a more refined atmosphere, check out Club Carlin (2501 Montana Av.), housed in a restored 1912 hotel building. A good place to look for Billings information is the Billings Area Chamber of Commerce Web site.
A little further away -- but still within walking distance on a nice day -- are several downtown hotels, including the high-rise Sheraton Billings Hotel (27 N. 27th St., 800-588-7666) and the Radisson Northern Hotel (19 N. 28th St., 800-333-3333). The Northern Hotel is a mainstay in the business history of downtown Billings, first serving as one of the first true hotels in Billings and then being rebuilt as a luxury hotel after a fire burned the original hotel in the 1940s. All the rooms have a western decor and are large. If you're travelling with children, you may want to consider one of the many chain hotels on the western side of town, off of exit 446: C'Mon Inn (2020 Overland Av., 800-655-1170), Quality Inn (2036 Overland Av., 800-228-5151), Holiday Inn Billings Plaza (5500 Midland Rd., 406-248-7701), or Comfort Inn (2030 Overland Av., 800-228-5150). We stayed in the Quality Inn, mostly because it features affordable two-room family suites and made-to-order breakfast. |
| Last changed July 20,
1999. Copyright 1999 Kevin Reichard. All rights reserved. All logos are the right of their respective copyright holder. |
