The Midwest League baseball season opens tonight and the defending champion Burlington Bees will be at home against the Clinton LumberKings. Burlington won the Midwest League title this past season and general manager Chuck Brockett says they have high hopes going into 2009.
Brockett says it has been 10 years since the Bees have won, and that was the year before he took over. Brockett says the parent Kansas City Royals are loaded with young talent. He says they are starting to stockpile players and that started in A ball and so next year double A ball will be loaded.
Brockett says in the midst of tough economic times the Bees are holding the line on ticket and concession prices. He says they want more people at the ballpark, not less people at a higher price. Brockett says the Bees want home games to be an "affordable" family outing. He says if you compare the price at their ballpark which to other minor league parks, they are about 15 to 19 dollars cheaper.
Other Midwest League action has the Cedar Rapids Kernels opening the season at home against Beloit and the Quad Cities River Bandits open on the road at Wisconsin.