Odessa, TX -
Reporters in this sleepy West Texas city gathered at the brand new ballpark at the confluence of the I-20 and west 2nd Street for the ribbon cutting of the new Ecton County Field baseball field today. This new AAA stadium will become the new home of the Austin Shredders AAA affiliate and will the team will be known as the Odessa Hobos. Local dignitaries applauded as the Odessa mayor and the Odessa Hobos owner, Enos 'Big Tex' Burdette cut the ribbon on the new ballpark which will open to fans this spring in the Hobos inaugural season.
The ballpark contains some of the amenities fans of big league ballparks have come to know such as a large multi panel video board in centerfield, indoor plumbing, a pool behind the right field wall and other amenities. The new ballpark can hold just over 26,000 and has all of the requirements that BBA level teams require of their minor league affiliates.
"Tucson was a nice city and all, real good folks down there, but the ballpark was old and did not meet the AAA standards anymore. Well, when the old owner 'figgered he couldn't pay to fix'er up, well I just got on my horse, pulled my bootstraps high, my hat down low and got there with a suitcase full of cash faster than a fat man outside a steak house at Opening Bell!
Shredders General Manager, Chuck Valenches was on hand for the festivities and had this to say, "We appreciate the effort Tucson, blah blah blah, was nice, blah blah blah, we look forward to many productive blah blah blah, Odessa, blah blah blah, great baseball tradition (yawn), many years. Bye. Got a plane to catch that will take me to a real plane and then back to Austin. I'm Outee 5000."
This years club will feature manager David Dunn, back for his third year at the helm of the Hobos. Pitching Coach Ji-Hyun Min also makes his third go-round with the AAA club while hitting coach Jose Ortiz will return after his rookie season as the Hitting Coach.
Souvenir caps and jerseys go on sale in time for Black Friday at the Hobos Souvenir Shop.
