How could this road trip get any better? Well we were about to find out as we pointed the car southwards to Corpus Christi to take in a game of the AA Hooks at Whataburger Field, our fourth and final stop on this journey.

From Austin to Corpus Christi it is about a 210 mile drive, and once you pass San Antonio, you run into a lot of… nothing. Miles and miles of brush and wilderness, we had a hard time even finding a lunch spot until we got off the interstate and wound up in some God forsaken place named Three Rivers, where the only joints in town were a Dairy Queen and a Pizza Hut… so stuffed crust it was!

As you enter the outskirts of Corpus Christi, it is a sea of refineries and oil industry facilities for miles and miles, and the grittiness continues almost right to the doorstep of Whataburger Field, a stadium built on the outskirts of a gleaming downtown amidst abandoned manufacturing sites from a bygone area. But rather than try to wall off or ignore the setting, this venue embraces it, with a blend of modern ballpark architecture combined with a façade reminiscent of the old cotton warehouses which used to stand on the site. The view beyond the outfield wall is absolutely breathtaking, a signature bridge dominating the view and sightings of ships and barges going by beyond the left field.

Matt Rogers is the team’s Communication Director and greeted us upon our arrival, and once we got settled, took us on a walking tour of the building. We checked out the outfield party decks, one named after Corpus Christi native and ballplayer Brooks Kieschnick, and another replete with a pool and hot tub. Old buildings and machine installations from the cotton gin era were painstakingly preserved and made a part of the ballpark, interspersed with game and play area, a little league ball field, a basketball court, and concessions, all out beyond the center field wall.

Hooks broadcaster Matt Hicks, whose wife Estelle is a Buffalo native, invited us to participate on the team’s radio pregame show, which is done from a glassed in studio right near the main entrance. We shared stories of USRT adventures with the listeners and had a great time doing the broadcast.

After that it was out to the stands to catch some baseball, and it was a nice crowd on hand despite an on and off drizzle. The Hooks took an early 4-0 lead and hung on to win 5-2. Of course, being our 100th ballpark, we did our own chant and ceremony, doing the rhythmic clapping in the 5th until the final out was recorded, making this an official game. High fives and a bow, we deserve it!

The one thing that really struck us about Whataburger Field is that it is such a happy place. They really seem to go out of their way to please and entertain the fans. Great music bumps, yeah my favorite down here is always “Deep in the Heart of Texas” and we clap along. I also like the Mexican mariachis serenading the patrons on the way in. Nice little touches like that and the unique and distinct architecture give this stadium its character and soul.

As if all this weren’t enough, we headed back up to the pressbox late in the game to load some photos here on WNYM and check on the Bisons game back home (sadly Buffalo’s playoff dreams ended with a loss to Rochester tonight). Matt Rogers was up there and introduces us to Reid and Reese Ryan, co-owners of this team and Round Rock and sons of legendary Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The two guys already knew all about us as word had spread of our visit to Round Rock two days earlier. They both left for a minute, and then came back with souvenirs and caps, enough to fill a suitcase!

What more can we say? We have commented many times on the wonderful welcome and hospitality we have encountered on our visits to Texas. This trip certainly ranks up there among them and we are so grateful to the Round Rock and Corpus Christi front offices for making our time here so memorable!

So tomorrow we drive back up to DFW to catch the plane ride home. Next scheduled USRT to Texas? Right now not until fall 2009, when the Dallas Cowboys open their new stadium. Do we really have to wait that long? Can we come back sooner… PLEASE!

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