by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
As wins have piled up for the Jacksonville Suns this season so has the trash behind the outfield fence.
Large crowds have packed the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville this year to watch the Suns play their best early-season ball ever. Suns General Manger Peter Bragan Jr. credits the fans with helping the team to a 7-0 start. But those fans have been producing garbage like the team has been producing runs. Last weekend a mound of trash 100 bags high sat next to the stadium’s new garbage compactor.
The compactor was installed before the season to replace one of a pair of tractor-trailor-sized dumpsters that collected trash last year. Bragan said the compactor hasn’t been able to keep up so far this year.
“We get these monster crowds for the weekend games, and the trash gets emptied before the weekend, but by the end, there’s another 100 bags sitting there.”
The City’s facilities manager, SMG, originally told Bragan the new facilities should be sufficient. However, a second dumpster was provided after Bragan offered a first-hand look at the problem.
“I told the SMG guy to come down here at midnight with me and we’ll go through the pile if he thinks the compactor’s good enough,” said Bragan. “I don’t guess he wasn’t prepared to do that though. We got a second dumpster.”
Better Jacksonville Plan project manager Dave Schneider, who oversaw much of the Sports Complex construction, said the second dumpster will be made available for every weekend series this year.
Bragan credited the City for its quick response. He hopes to get similar quick action on a list of improvements.
Some problems, like leaks in the concession stands will be fixed by Barton Malow, the stadium’s construction manager. Other upgrades will be paid for by the City and Bragan.
Bragan has asked for new signs, directing fans to outfield seats, non-skid surfaces for the metal bleacher seats and an adjustment to the backstop netting.
Schneider said new overhead signs would be installed at the City’s expense. As for the slippery bleacher seats that both sides agree present a hazard to fans walking over them, Schneider said the City was investigating a way to make them safer. Bragan said he hopes they come up with a better solution than last year.
“I asked them for non-skid last year and their idea was to put up signs that said ‘slippery when wet,” he said.
Both Bragan and Schneider agree the Suns general manager can be a demanding tenant. When he doesn’t get what he asks for Bragan said his frustration usually results in colorful e-mails and creative solutions.
For instance, when foul balls kept accumulating on top of the backstop net that Bragan said is too loose, Bragan dug into his golf bag. He fished the balls out of the net with collapsible ball retriever.
Despite the occasional verbal flourish directed toward stadium managers, Bragan said he wanted to be “a wonderful partner” with his City landlord.
“We have some differences, but I’ve got a great building and it’s mostly full every night. I want it to work with the City, because I want to be here in this beautiful building for the next 20 years.”