It’s possible to begin your quest to snag a baseball before you walk through the First National Bank Field gates. To do so, you’ll want to stand on the sidewalk along North Eugene Street, which runs behind the right field fence during batting practice. Although there’s a large net that is designed to keep baseballs from leaving the park, some balls will bounce off the concourse and roll beneath the net toward you. Your best bet in this situation is to stand on the opposite sidewalk so that you have a wide field of vision so that you can quickly react to any baseballs that come your way. Of course, there’s vehicular traffic on North Eugene Street, so it’s important to be aware of moving vehicles before you cross the street.
Once the gates open, you’ll want to devote some time to walking through First National Bank Field to look for any baseballs that were left behind after BP. While it’s possible that you might get lucky by finding a ball in the seating bowl, this ballpark presents you with some other quality places to check out. Browse the grass berm and group picnic area in left field, the concourse/walkway behind right field, and the grass berm and picnic area down the first base line. It’s not a stretch to suggest that you may be able to find at least one baseball in these areas to add to your collection.
There are a handful of places throughout First National Bank Field that you can hang out to increase your probability to snagging a baseball during the game. For home runs, spending time in and around the berm and picnic area in left field can work well. Alternatively, you might hang out in the right field corner. If a home run hits the netting behind the fence, the baseball may fall onto the concourse and be easy to grab. For foul balls, spend time on the wide part of the concourse down either base line.
Autographs are easy to obtain at First National Bank Field. As is the norm in the minor leagues, players commonly sign autographs around the dugouts and bullpens shortly before first pitch. The Grasshoppers are on the third base side, while you’ll find the visiting team on the first base side. Occasionally, it’s possible to get an autograph or two after the game, but your best bet is always before the contest gets underway.