It was the last opportunity for peanuts and Cracker Jack's this season.
Friday was the final home game at the renovated Cove!
If you've been to a game this season, you've probably noticed all the changes, $2 million invested into transforming Coveleski Stadium.
The team has a brand new reason to be proud, Ballpark Digest named the Cove best renovated stadium of 2012.
Families visiting are impressed with the home of the Silver Hawks, "I like the lawn seating and all the improvements for the children like the waterpark and playground they have for the kids. With two little ones, it's always kind of hard to bring them to baseball games so it's nice that they have something for the little ones to do while we wait," says Melissa Brodie of Benton Harbor.
That's exactly what Silver Hawks President, Joe Hart aimed to do during his first season at the helm.
"The exciting thing is we're starting to see families come out again. It's becoming a destination point where, whether you bring your swimming suit and your towel and you're just playing in the splash pad or you go down the inflatables, or you just want to grab a couple innings of baseball," says Hart.
Attendance was just one success this season, the team saw 180,000 baseball fans come through the gates this year, compared to 112,000 just last year.
The Cove welcomed a playground, splashpad, inflatables, and a new team store, with sales up 45% over last year.
It's activity not just benefiting the team, but the city.
"A lot of businesses that have started to express interest in moving closer to the park. The attendance numbers increased and we see some of that spilling off after the game into he downtown restaurants and businesses," says Bill Schalliol with South Bend Business Development.
Schalliol says the area outside of the center field gate will likely be seeing some new tenants related to the ballpark.
In addition, restaurants and housing developers have expressed interest in the south side of town.
"I think as those crowds generate bigger and bigger over the next couple years, we'll see more development down here," says Schalliol.
That's what President Joe Hart will be working towards.
With this season nearly behind them, it's already time to start thinking about next year!
"We're happy where we are this year. We're certainly not satisfied. We know we have a long way to go to improve," says Hart.
The Silver Hawks will be holding a town hall meeting at the Kroc Center at 6pm on September 11th to get input from the community.
Hart says flatscreen Fridays and fireworks at the Cove, will be back next season.
