JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's opening day for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp!
Good Morning Jacksonville's annual "GMJ On The Road" live newscast from the field at 121 Financial Ballpark Tuesday gave you an inside look into what's new this season.
For a breakdown of what to bring, what not to bring and what's new on the field, First Coast News talked with General Manager and Executive Vice President Harold Craw.
"I usually say 'crawdad minus the dad,'" Craw said. "I'm just excited to welcome folks and fans back to 121 Financial Ballpark for a fully explosive and awesome season."
The ballpark is now cashless. Craw says if you bring cash you have to use what's basically a "reverse ATM" to put the cash on a card. You'll also see a new system on the field.
"What we call an ABS system or automatic balls and strikes," Craw said. "The umpire will be notified of when there is a ball or there is a strike. Probably more important is on the weekend we actually have a challenge system. So the pitcher, the catcher, or the batter has an opportunity for a maximum of three times throughout the game to actually challenge whether it was a ball or a strike call."
Craw's favorite part is getting the kids involved.
"I have two children as well," he said. "I love family Sundays."
He says it's all about experiences like the time he met three generations of one family at a game.
"Granddad, mom was there, dad was moving around, he was getting some great food throughout the stadium. And then grand baby, who was just about three months old. I had the courtesy and luxury of delivering little guy, little future probably ball player, his first game baseball, his first foul ball."
There are also new food items at the ballpark. An 11-inch polish sausage, fried cheesecake and barbeque pulled pork mac 'n cheese in a waffle bowl are all new, says Premium Experiences Manager Gillian Bay.
You can't go to a shrimp game without eating the boom boom shrimp. Also try the Duval heavy hitter, which includes chicken tenders and fries.