Mike Lansing Field
Casper, WY
Review by Mike
Mike Lansing was a better-than-average major league baseball player and one of the few to come from the sparsely populated, but quite lovely, state of Wyoming. He also played for the Expos, and the Expos are cool. The ballpark named in his honor sits on the north side of Casper, having replaced the similar, but outdated George Tani Field in 2002.
Mr. Lansing’s namesake ballpark is a neat, clean, tidy place. Simple in design and effective in its execution, it makes for a very pleasant place to pass an evening in Casper. Three basic grandstands face the field, one each on the 1st and 3rd base lines and one behind home plate. A press box, and perhaps a couple of suites, sits atop the home plate stands.
The seating along the lines is all aluminum benches with the individual seats behind the plate and in three rows right along field level. There is little room to move about and still watch the game, so it’s a little old school in that regard. The concourse and concessions are behind the grandstand, out of sight of the field.
On the night I visited, there was an all-you-can-eat special with hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft drinks, all of which were grilled and quite delicious. It also seemed to be Mosquito Night at Mike Lansing Field, as the blood-sucking pests treated me like an all-you-can-eat special.
Overall, The Mike is a nice little ballpark that served as home to the Pioneer League Casper Ghosts for 10 years before its current duty as host to the Casper Spuds of the summer collegiate Independence League. Casper is a nice little city with a cool downtown that is kind of far from everywhere, but they have a baseball team and they seem proud of it.
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2021
163
