Poor field conditions in Mississippi force Trash Pandas series to move here

MADISON – It’s not exactly Bizarro World of Superman comics fame, or even The Bizarro Jerry episode of “Seinfeld.”

Up won’t be down, nobody is going to say hello when they leave the dugout and goodbye when they return.

But a little strange, yes.

Because of an unplayable field at the Mississippi Braves home of Trustmark Park in Pearl, a planned road series for the Rocket City Trash Pandas will unfold at home.

The series will be played at Toyota Field, but because the games were originally scheduled to be played in the Magnolia State, the Braves will be the home team and wear white uniforms. The Trash Pandas will don road unis at their home stadium for the first time in their four-year history.

The Braves released a statement saying once their grounds crew was made aware of “field conditions that affected playability,” immediate attempts were made to remedy the situation.

“It’s unfortunate for this to happen in Mississippi, but things happen and we all pull together as an industry and help each other out when we can,” Trash Pandas Vice President and General Manager Garrett Fahrmann said.

The club, in conjunction with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball, eventually decided to move the series that was scheduled to begin Tuesday. No reason was given for why the field was determined unplayable.  

However, Blake Levine of WJTV sports posted a photo on X showing barren spots covering the infield, conditions which led to the cancellation of Tuesday’s series start and the subsequent move to Madison.

The Mississippi Braves had to cancel their game today because of field conditions.

Field is not in great shape and I’m not sure they will play any home games this week. pic.twitter.com/FS2YJuoPsR

— Blake Levine (@blake_levine) June 11, 2024

The two teams will play five games in four days beginning Thursday. Ticket proceeds will benefit the Trash Pandas Foundation and all reserved seats will be $10 (plus tax). Parking at Toyota Field will be complimentary throughout the five-game Father’s Day weekend series.

“We had to move some other planned events around, but we are happy to host a few more Trash Panda games and at the same time raise some awareness about our Trash Pandas Foundation,” Fahrmann said. “We are still in the hunt for securing a playoff spot and the team is ready to take the field at Toyota Field starting (tonight).”

Thursday and Friday’s games are scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Saturday will feature a single-admission doubleheader (two 7-inning games) with the first pitch of Game 1 scheduled for 4:05 p.m.

The Father’s Day series finale will have a 12:05 p.m. start time. Following the game, fans will be invited onto the field for a post-game Father’s Day catch. 

All gates will open each day 65 minutes prior to the first scheduled pitch. Tickets are available at TPTix.com.

The On-Field Movie Night featuring “A League of Their Own” will be moved to Aug. 15. Those who planned to attend are encouraged to RSVP for the next free On-Field Movie Night, Aug. 15.

The Trash Pandas Foundation is the club’s 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Foundation is dedicated to educating and promoting healthy lifestyles through sport and to positively impact communities in the North Alabama region. More details on Foundation events are available at TrashPandasFoundation.com.