Remember that Miller Park game?

Ben Hill did. And here is a story about minor league teams playing the stadiums of their parent clubs....(Are there enough plurals in that sentence?).

It starts out with the Chiefs and their Wrigley Field game last year.

The first-ever "Road to Wrigley" contest pitted the Cubs-affiliated Peoria Chiefs against the Kane County Cougars (A's), and a Midwest League-record crowd of 32,103 witnessed the event. While much has been written about what the game meant to the players, it was also a transformative experience for the Chiefs' front-office staff. The club's employees were given the chance to bring their Class A antics to a Major League environment -- in effect, showing Chicago how they play in Peoria.

Is it a Midwest League record? I'll have to check the Midwest League Record book at the office. Or, I can ask Nathan Baliva, radio broadcaster for the Chiefs. So, Nate, is it a Midwest League record?

The Cubs' dedication to the concept was exemplified by the fact that they gave the Chiefs' front office and game day staff free reign at the ballpark. As a result, Wrigley Field -- that most hallowed of baseball cathedrals - temporarily took on a circus-like atmosphere.

"We sent down our promo crew, our interns, our video camera operators, our mascot, pretty much everybody," said Baliva. "I did my pregame show right there on the field, and during the game we had dizzy bat races, Frisbees and water balloons. Birdzerk and the Zooperstars were there too. We just pretended like we were in Peoria on a Tuesday night."

Not what I asked. Wait. Not my interview. Back to the story.

Ben also talked with the boss about that game on April 24.

"The decision [to play in Miller Park] was a no-brainer," remarked Timber Rattlers president Rob Zerjav. "It's a great way to get exposure for our new relationship. We're located just 100 miles away [from Milwaukee], and we really want people to say 'Hey, that's our Class A affiliate now, let's go up there and check out a game.'"

"The Brewers will be handling all of [the in-game entertainment]," said Zerjav. "They're ahead of the curve, with the racing sausages and all that kind of stuff. They're handling every facet of the game operations."

Nor do the Timber Rattlers stand to gain much financially.

"Basically, the Brewers are buying the game from us," said Zerjav. "They're taking the risk, and reaping the reward. We're being compensated for the revenue we lose; we looked at the numbers from the last five years and calculated our average on a Friday in April."

Also in the article, Lowell Spinners General Manager Tim Bawmann. Tim was the GM for the Quad City River Bandits and is a UW-Platteville Alum. He is interviewed because of the Boston Red Sox and their Futures at Fenway program.

"Futures at Fenway" is a non-traditional doubleheader in that it features two Red Sox affiliates. This year it will feature the Eastern League's Portland Sea Dogs in one game and the Pawtucket Red Sox in the other. Thus far, Red Sox affiliates have gone 6-0 at Fenway -- including three victories by the New York-Penn League's Lowell Spinners.

"In our case, it actually ends up costing a bit to play at Fenway," wrote Spinners general manager Tim Bawmann in an email. "We don't receive the same amount of ticket revenue and concession revenue that we would if we actually played in Lowell, but the exposure we receive is tenfold ahead of a normal home game. The game is also televised live on NESN prior to a Red Sox night game. The television exposure alone is magnificent."

And, of course, there are aspects of the experience that can't be reduced to dollars and cents.

"Over the past three years, I've traveled with the team on the bus to Fenway," wrote Bawmann. "Can you imagine? A short-season [Class] A ballclub pulling into the famed Fenway gates, the same gates such notable players as Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron have passed through. Can you say 'priceless?'"

I'm a UWP grad. Of course I can say 'priceless'. I got three credits for saying it in a sophomore level communications class my senior year.

Miller Park tickets are available here.