I have been stuck since the season ended back in September since I still had Mariners baseball to root for. However, there was a void in my weekends with my girls due to not having the Dust Devils playing.
My two girls fell in love with Gesa Stadium and the fantastic staff and crew of the Dust Devils organization. From working with them for the little league, I am a part of, to getting a donation for a work fundraiser for Junior Achievement, to endless hours of fun in the stands with my girls and me.
We also fell in love with Dusty, Eric the Peanut Guy, the beautiful sunsets, the heat, Patrick's voice in the booth, Doug's voice in the booth, and all the smiling faces, the silly dances, the traditions that make Gesa Stadium and Dust Devils baseball some of the best in the Minor Leagues.
2022 was the first season of my life that I ever had a media pass to games, where I could get tickets on a whim, enjoy all the sport, stadium, and team had to offer, and connect with a new community, that of Minor League Baseball. Let's Get Two, from James Christopher, host of Let's Get Two, to all the fantastic people I met traveling through the Tri-Cities and stopping at a game on their journeys this year. I met some professional scouts from the Mariners, D-Backs, and Blue Jays organizations which were some of the best conversations.
However, none of this makes Gesa Stadium a must-visit in the spring and summer if you are in the Tri-Cities. What makes Gesa Stadium and Dust Devil's baseball special is how much this team means to the community. When you work in any retail, banking, or where you see other people's cards regularly here, you see so many Dust Devils Baseball debit/credit cards; you see a dusty face, you see Dust Devils hats, shirts, and logos all over the area all year long. The connection that the local sponsors have to the team: Pizza Hut and Diary queen giving back to the kids with coupons, Gesa, Legends Casino, and so many other businesses sponsoring this team and different nights and giveaways, The connection to schools, youth baseball, different organizations and just a willingness to help fundraise and give back. Just scratch the surface of the Dust Devils' impact on the community.
The Dust Devils are a High-A team which means in baseball, they are on base, on first base. They are technically about two levels away from being in the MLB. The team, in 2022, hosted more than a dozen players who were called up to AA Rocket City- Zach Neto, Kyren Paris, Brandon Olthoff, and many more got to take the next step on their journeys to The Show. The players on this team are fantastic Osmy Gregorio has a great personality, Edwin Yon has the best cleats, Gabe Matthews plays beautiful technical baseball, and a group of players every game gathered in the outfield to kneel and say a prayer every day. These guys are kids, playing a kid's game, making enough money to live on, and living their dreams!
Between the players, Patrick and Eric's banter, the fantastic game day staff, the event nights, Marvel's defenders of the diamonds, other theme nights, and much more. Make Dust Devil's baseball a must for anyone who lives in the Tri-Cities or visits. Vamos Vineros, Go Fast Turn Left Rooster Tails, and GOO Dust Devils, until 2023!
