There is something perfect about sitting outside on a warm summer night enjoying an ice cold beer and a hot dog with friends at the old ball yard. From the crack of the bat to the smell of roasted nuts in the air, I love it all.
While we don’t have a big league team here in Centre County, the State College Spikes have been giving us a home team to root, root, root for since 2006 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, and we are lucky for it.
There was a scare that we might lose the team back in 2020, when the New York-Penn League was disbanded and minor league baseball was restructured. Luckily, the community rallied together to Save Our Spikes and we are now home to an MLB Draft League team, keeping this fun summer opportunity here in Happy Valley. (Read more about the Spikes in “On Topic,” starting on page 10.)
After all, our little ballpark serves up a lot of that summer fun at a decent price throughout the summer. There are fun theme nights (Bark in the Park!), great food, daily specials and some pretty tasty craft beverages to boot, all with a wonderful view of Mount Nittany in the background beyond the outfield wall. I’ll tell you, I am grateful for it all, especially for those craft beverages.
You see, I have been left a little disappointed by my last few visits to big league venues for ball games, because like a batter looking for the perfect pitch to hit, I struggled to find craft beers. Everywhere I turned, I could find a giant twenty-four-ounce can of some sort of domestic lager or whatever hard seltzer was in vogue at the time, but I struggled to find beers that I really wanted to drink. Now, I am not someone who turns up their nose to domestic beers like Miller or Budweiser (maybe a little), but it wasn’t just the type of beer I struggled with; it was the way it was served and how much it cost.
Twenty-four ounces is a lot of beer, and by the time I get down to the end, I usually am not so happy to be choking down warm beer out of a can that I paid an arm and a leg for (but I do it anyway, because I paid for it). I want to enjoy my beer, not just drink it for the sake of drinking it.
I usually spend about half the game looking for the one stand in the corner of the stadium that sells local craft beer on draft, and the other half waiting in line.
That is not the case at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, where there is a plethora of good beer to choose from, and the lines are (usually) not nearly as long.
On a late June Friday evening, my partner, Becky, and I headed down to the park for our first game of the young season. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating, and there was a slight sprinkle all night long. But we were in luck: the game was not called, and as the umpire shouted “play ball,” I went to look for a beer, naturally.
I headed straight out along the first base line, to a stand called Good Hops that I know has some pretty decent local and craft beverages. Indeed, there were some good hoppy choices from local breweries (Troegs, Otto’s and Rusty Rail), and other craft beer powerhouses (Goose Island, Sierra Nevada, Leinenkugel and Dogfish Head). I was impressed with the selection, and long-time concession stand worker John Crock, from Howard, served me up a nice pour (a reasonable sixteen ounces, too) of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It had been a long time since I had a draft of this popular beer.
Pale ales have gone out of style in favor of more hoppy and aromatic IPAs, but I always have enjoyed Sierra Nevada and appreciate how they helped push the boundaries of beer in America. The California-based brewery arrived on the scene in 1981, and its popularity helped pave the way for the wide variety of flavors we see today.
Becky had noticed one of her favorite summer beers, Axemann Brewery’s Blue Stripe, was being served from a stand closer toward the entrance gate, so worked our way back over there. As we walked over, it seemed to me that all of the stands had at least a few craft beverages to go along with standard fare like Yuengling and Miller Lite.
It was a funny coincidence that Becky’s Blue Stripe was served up by John’s daughter, Andrea Crock, from Milesburg. Andrea and her dad both poured a great beer (it must run in the family) and it proves that working at the ballpark is a fun family affair.
Blue Stripe is an easy-drinking Kölsch style beer. A German style beer that is straw colored with subtle hop flavoring, Kölsch is a great beer for summer (or any season, in my opinion) and more breweries are producing them here in the states these days. Blue Stripe has been a hit for Axemann since they opened in the old Cerro Metal factory in 2020, and the ballpark is a great place to enjoy one, maybe only second to the brewery itself.
The rain was coming down pretty good, so the crowds stayed mostly in the concourse to watch the game, which still gave us a pretty great view of the game and the clouds surrounding Mount Nittany in the distance.
While we enjoyed our beverages, I ran into a few old friends and well-wishers and had some fun conversations. I also met a new friend while sitting at a table out of the rain watching the game. We talked over a beer about the weather (on top of everyone’s mind) and some of the food choices (he was going for a Penn State Creamery ice cream come, good choice).
Becky also made friends with a couple visiting from New Jersey, Andrea and Rich Hutchison, who opted to have their beers served in giant souvenir “Deer Bats.” Talk about a home run (even though Andrea was wearing a Yankees hat, but she is from New Jersey, so I guess we’ll forgive her).
The Spikes’ home season runs through the end of August, so maybe next time I’ll try a “Deer Bat,” but during this game I was just happy for a cold craft beer served on draft. Rain or shine, that makes for one great trip to the old ball game. Cheers! T&G
—Vincent Corso enjoys drinking local and meeting new people at central Pennsylvania’s many interesting establishments.
This weekend will be a busy one at Medlar Field as the Spikes return home to take on the West Virginia Black Bears.
Friday is “BuccoMania Night” with the Pirate Parrot, the Pirates Pierogies, the Bucco Brigade, an in-game Pirates T-shirt toss and more for the 6:35 p.m.
Saturday features a LaVar Leap Bobblehead giveaway, commemorating the 25th anniversary of LaVar Arrington’s famed leap, to the first 1,000 fans when gates open at 5:30 p.m. It’s also a Fireworks Night, with the postgame show featuring the sounds of 1998.
Sunday’s 4:05 p.m. game will pay tribute to the memory of the club’s friend and former honorary bench coach Josiah Viera. The Spikes will wear special jerseys with a “Never Give Up” logo drawn by Josiah and his retired No. 10. The jerseys will be auctioned during the game to benefit Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville. Before the game fans can partake in a catch on the field, with the first 100 kids receiving a Spikes youth baseball glove.
For full promotion details and tickets, visit mlbdraftleague.com/state-college/tickets/promotions.
