Fans fill the stands for Mighty Mussels opening night

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Thousands of fans filled Hammond Stadium on Friday night for The Mighty Mussels home opener.

One of the best parts of an evening at the ballpark is the snacks, but if you ask Hammond Stadium vendor Tim Amman, the best part is the fans.

Amman has been a vendor here for 23 years. He used to walk all over the place, up and down the stands, selling beer.

He was so successful as a hawker that the team asked him to put a bar at the front and center. Now, the second the gates open, fans flock to Amman to get their ballpark snacks.

He started doing this as a fun side gig, and more than two decades later, the fans keep him coming back.

“I love it here. I just like the atmosphere. It’s good. The people are nice. It’s nice to see the regular people. Mussels fans, it’s always the same people. It’s a lot of fun,” Amman said.

Before Amann starts making sales and the fans fill the stands, the team is hard at work.

that’s all part of playing in the pros and getting your start with The Mussels is all about being prepared to play in the big leagues.

Several of these guys on the field are fresh out of the draft, whether they spent last year in college or high school, so they don’t mind a full day of work before they make their professional debut.

“Typically, the clubhouse opens between 12:30 and 1,” said Brian Meyer, Mighty Mussels manager. They lift, they do all their pregame work, and by the time you pull into your seats around 7:15, they’ve already put in a full day of work, so then they’re going out and playing a game that they love.”

The Mussels continue with the tarpons in Fort Myers on Saturday and Sunday.

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