“Where can I get a bratwurst?” I asked the concession guy, thinking I’d probably get a shrug or a vague answer at best.
His response: “I think it’s a few sections over, but let me check.”
After consulting with a peppy colleague, the man returned with an exact bratwurst location, and I got the distinct impression he would have Mapquested it for me had I asked.
And then it hit me like a ton of pretzels (which, by the way, are not as tasty as Knuxy’s Knots at Great American Ball Park, but that’s nitpicking): This must be part of the reason fans keep flocking to Fifth Third Field game after game, year after year.
The on-field entertainment (including the actual baseball game, which sometimes can seem like the sideshow rather than the main attraction) is the overriding reason, of course, but customer service, I’m thinking, can’t be far behind.
It’s too late for defunct outfits such as the Dayton Bombers, but maybe there’s a lesson here for other minor-league enterprises as they inevitably come and go.
Oh, and the bratwurst was worth the detour.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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