I’m sitting three rows back, between home plate and the dugout on the first-base side. So close, I can see the intensity on each player’s face as he gets ready to bat. The home team is in a race for first place in the division. In the front row, the parents of a player sit cheering. The manager, once a stellar major-league shortstop, stands a few feet away from me in the dugout. The diamond-encrusted 2005 World Championship ring caught my eye on the finger of a man scribbling notes. The field is glowing, I have a tasty hot dog in hand, and my team is winning. It’s a good night.

For all I know, I could be watching the White Sox at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field. But I’m rooting for the Warthogs, the White Sox’s Single-A affiliate, close to home in Winston-Salem. As the innings pass, I add up all the reasons I love this ball club.

1. Ernie Shore Field Half the experience of a baseball game is the stadium. TV broadcasts make ballparks accessible to millions of people, but the heart of baseball is in the sights, sounds, and smells of actually being there. And our Warthogs’ own Ernie Shore Field, named for the Winston-Salem native who played for the Boston Red Sox, doesn’t disappoint.

Built in 1956, the stadium is a relic in Carolina League baseball. Although the field saw four other Winston-Salem teams before the Hogs and went through a few renovations, its red-brick authenticity has been preserved. The field still sits below street level, so almost every seat has a great view of the entire park. For catching foul balls, the bleacher seats and grassy knolls on either end of the stadium are hot spots.

2. Light on the wallet It’s hard to forget the mid-1990s pro-baseball strike. And recent allegations of steroid use by famous players don’t help the sport’s image. But minor-league ball just might be the steadying force - and redemption - of America’s favorite pastime. We’re watching players who aren’t bringing home millions of dollars, and tickets don’t cost an arm and a leg here.

For example, to get a seat near the dugouts at Ernie Shore, you can splurge and buy the premium $7.50 tickets ($8.50 on game day). I splurged this way once, during a game when a White Sox jersey-clad Labrador retriever delivered a bucket of balls to the umpire between innings. Now that is priceless.

3. Fun eats The traditional ballpark fare of hot dogs, Cracker Jacks, and peanuts is accompanied by a variety of other choices: Angus burgers, chopped pork, sausages, and chicken items. Also, Carvel soft-serve ice cream, Dippin’ Dots, and Chic-Fil-A stands grace the concourse. Twenty bucks buys a couple of drinks, dogs, and mid-game snacks. Don’t miss Winston-Salem’s own Foothills Brewing stand, with the family-minded one-drink-per-I.D. rule.

4. Kids are champs; grown-ups are chumps Between the top and bottom of most innings, park staffers lead goofy contests to entertain the crowd. The contests typically feature parents and kids working together, or kids versus the team mascot, Wally the Warthog, and his pal, Wilbur the Warthog (no relation).

A few kids get to be the heroes in contests such as racing Wilbur around the bases and building a giant sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit. Adults often stumble around in a “dizzy bat” contest and wipe out in bouncy-ball races down the first-base line. Kids love the cheers from the crowd, and parents practice being good sports. A variety of baseball-related games line the right-field concourse, which is crowned by a carousel that runs during every game.

5. Wally and Wilbur Some of the madcap intervals are headlined by the great comic duo, Wally and Wilbur. The hilarious hogs do a few dance numbers (Wally is an expert break dancer) and interact with the crowd in the stands.

Kids love Wally. I once heard a tearful toddler crying - not about leaving the game early but because he wanted to say hi to “Waaa-lly!” The ladies love Wally too, especially when he searches the crowd for a true love to hand a fresh bouquet (courtesy of George K. Walker Florist).

6. Wally’s reading program Wally isn’t all fun and games. He knows that, because kids love him, he can make a difference. Wally visits schools to promote his reading program, which helps students stay excited about reading during summertime. Every two weeks the program features a set of reading goals; when participants meet those goals, they move ahead one “base.” Once they’ve reached home plate, “base runners” get a free ticket and hot dog for a special game where they’ll be recognized on the field. This year, the reading program concludes at the August 1 game versus the Salem (Virginia) Avalanche.

7. It’s a field of dreamers Most players at Ernie Shore Field are trying to make it to the big leagues. They hail from all over the nation and other countries. The Single-A level - which the Warthogs are in - is a long way from the big leagues. Only the Rookie level is classed beneath it. But a great defensive season, a phenomenal pitching record, or a sky-high batting average can rocket a Single-A player into the big-league lineup. That’s what happened to left-handed pitcher Boone Logan, who was set to play for the Hogs this year. Then the White Sox noticed Logan in spring training and pulled him straight to the majors. The change happened so quickly that Logan’s photo was still featured in Warthogs programs early in the season.

8. Access to talent An exciting way for your own little dreamer to find inspiration is to sign up for a clinic. Several times throughout each spring and summer, the Hogs host two-hour baseball clinics for kids ages five to fourteen. The free sessions are taught by Warthogs players and coaches. Twice a summer, accomplished instructors lead three-day camps on in-depth fundamental training. For five dollars, kids ages twelve and under can join the Junior Warthogs Club. Benefits include a free membership card and T-shirt; free admission to Sunday games (where they’ll meet a different Warthog player every time); and an end-of-season club picnic with the entire team.

Unlike in a major-league park, after the kiddies retrieve some of those foul balls, they actually stand a chance of getting them autographed. And more than once, someone in the home-team dugout has slipped the handle of a broken bat out to an excited youngster. On weekends, kids can clamber down to run the bases when the game is over.

9. Promotional nights Thirsty Thursdays and Family 4 Pack nights provide great discounts on good eats, and fireworks light the sky after every Friday game at Ernie Shore.

Among the many home-game promotions, the upcoming August 26 game versus the Avalanche is “Pink in the Park” night. The Hogs will wear pink jerseys that will then be sold in a silent auction to benefit the Triad’s Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Erin Etheridge is assistant editor of Winston-Salem Monthly and loves writing about baseball, food, and our city.