A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

atlantic league baseball

Summer of Baseball: Southern Maryland has the independent feeling in a good way

Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the chance to hit independent baseball teams and stadiums and I’ve found that, for the most part, it’s pretty solid.

Atlantic League teams have stadiums that have a similar feel, but also have uniqueness to them. The ambiances at most of the ones I’ve visited have been pretty solid as well.

That brings us to Southern Maryland.

A great night for baseball in Southern Maryland.

A great night for baseball in Southern Maryland.

During the planning of a trip to see Nationals Park for an afternoon game, the Blue Crabs had a night game at home. From where we parked to take the metro into DC for the Nationals game, it was only about 30 minutes to Regency Furniture Stadium.

The parking was free (awesome), though the lines to get to the will call tickets was a little long and slow, which confused me. Turns out a person at the front of the line was attempting to buy tickets to add on to ones he already bought. Once he got out of the way, it went fast.

The team store wasn’t bad. There were a bunch of items available and prices were actually pretty strong. It didn’t have a lot of items in the store, but if you wanted a shirt or a hat, you could find one. Again, prices were pretty good overall, too.

Food prices were relative to most baseball parks. There were the normal items and such. Hot dogs were decent, so that’s always a bonus. There were also souvenir cups. On another note, it seems like the milk shakes were top of the line, too.

As for the park itself, I found people to be friendly and the park as a whole was cool. The sight lines weren’t bad, though if you were all the way down a corner (where the stands are pointed toward home plate), it’s not a perfect view. You can walk around the whole park and in left field, there’s a small water park and a basketball court, which I could do without seeing at a baseball field.

One of Southern Maryland's coaches watches fireworks following the game.

One of Southern Maryland’s coaches watches fireworks following the game.

People seemed into the game, so the ambiance was solid. They had an on-field guy who was decked out in a colorful outfit who worked to get the crowd pumped up. There were some good spots for photos, so that’s good as well.

The night brought fireworks, which were really good. After the game, we talked with a couple of season-ticket holders who helped us land an Atlantic League ball (with the red and blue seams) via the manager.

In the end, I had a really good experience at the park and would definitely go again. There had been reports that the Batavia Muckdogs (NY-Penn League) would be moving there, but that apparently got squashed. So for now, it seems the Blue Crabs will continue. One thing I’ve realized with the Atlantic League is it’s always a good experience and decent baseball. They had a pretty solid crowd that night, too, which helped.

For fans of professional baseball, it’s a good spot to catch a game. Check it out if you are in the area.

Park Notes:  

Regency Furniture Stadium
Waldorf, Maryland
Home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Independent)
Visited on: June 11, 2016
Opponent: Long Island Ducks (Independent)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 7/10
  • Parking: 10/10
  • Ambiance: 8/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

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Summer of Baseball: York is a unique stop

Note: I am finishing my 2015 Summer of Baseball stadium reviews. The final review is below. To see all reviews I have done the past two years, please visit my Summer of Baseball page.

As the season dwindled down in 2015, a couple of us had wanted to hit a couple of more stadiums. But the minor leagues were winding down and making a trip to a new major league stadium wasn’t going to work within the time frame we had, as well as financially — at least for me.

All stamped in at York!

All stamped in at York!

A late-season double-header in two stadiums offered us the chance to do a “two-fer,” which was perfect on a hot September day. The first trip was to Harrisburg and the Double A Senators. The nightcap was the fifth Atlantic League stadium visited in 2015 — the York Revolution and Santander Stadium (which has been renamed for 2016).

One thing I’ve figured out this past year is Atlantic League stadiums are pretty fun to visit. The stadiums are usually pretty solid when it comes to watching games, and there’s usually some interesting things happening.

York was no different.

The stadium features a full walk-around concourse, so you can see the game from most parts. There’s a nice berm in the outfield to be able to sit and such.

The food offerings were pretty solid. I enjoyed the hot dogs at the park. Concession prices were on par with other places. Seating was comfortable enough.

There are some fantastic things about this park.

For one, the scoreboard is manual operation. We wandered out at one point and chatted with the operator. He’s a teacher during the school year and his summer gig is operating the scoreboard for the Revolution. How cool is that?

The park as a whole is a tad unique with the way things wrap around the park. The scoreboard, walking behind a few other things etc. You can watch the game from most parts, but not all. There were a few negatives, but more of that in a moment.

The Revolution also have a cannon — seriously. It goes off for homers and when the team wins. That is uber cool. A video of the end of the game we were at is below.

Not everything was perfect, though.

Some of the seating seemed a bit off to me. If you went down the right- and left-field lines, the end parts of the seats curved back toward home plate, thus giving people a more direct look at the batter and such. The issue with that? If a ball goes into one of the outfield corners you won’t see it. Heck, anywhere in the outfield and depending where you are sitting in those sections, and you could be straining your neck to watch some of the action.

Looking out from the scoreboard in York.

Looking out from the scoreboard in York.

I understand the thought process behind something like that, but at the same time, I’m a believer that I should be able to watch the whole game without having many issues. If you on the third-base line, it would be a pain to watch the scoreboard even. That’s not an issue down the first-base line.

Parking was a little iffy, too. Though close, you are parking mainly at a high school stadium lot, then walk to the ballpark. There are other lots, but you need to weave in and out of certain spots to get to them. If you aren’t local to the area, it can get a little confusing.

Overall, it was a good experience. I’ve gotten to enjoy Atlantic League games and hope to hit a few more this year. This was a good time and I could see going again, especially with a name change as the passport stamp will (I’d imagine) be changing because of that.

That wraps up reviews for 2015. Here’s looking ahead to 2016!

Park Notes:  

Santander Stadium
York, Pennsylvania
Home of the York Revolution (Independent)
Visited on: September 6, 2015
Opponent: Bridgeport Bluefish (Independent)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 8/10
  • Parking: 7/10
  • Ambiance: 8/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Summer of baseball: Lancaster well worth the trip

For the past couple of years, Lancaster has been on the hit list when it comes to baseball stadiums. A member of the Atlantic League (independent), it’s one of those stadiums that gets a great amount of feedback.

It worked out well that the Barnstormers were home on a trip back from watching the Orioles in Baltimore.

Score!

A view from behind the plate.

A view from behind the plate.

On a warm and semi sticky summer night, we took in a game at Lancaster. Clipper Magazine Stadium looks somewhat like other Atlantic League stadiums, but it has a tremendous atmosphere. The crowd is way into the game and it gives a great all-around feel.

There’s a nice team store to check out and the prices there seemed reasonable. I’d have considered a hat (I like the logo), but I’m not a massive fan on the brand of hats the Atlantic League uses. I probably would have 2-3 more teams added to my rotation if the hats had a better feel.

The food selection is pretty solid. I thought the prices are a little steeper than I’d expect, but I noticed Atlantic League teams are a little on the higher side. Still, the selection was good and the food was quite tasty.

The wrap-around concourse at Clipper Magazine Stadium is nice. I took my normal stroll midway through the game and I liked the outfield berm and the ability to watch the game as you took a walk. There’s not really a bad seat in this stadium, which is an added bonus.

It was a fireworks night, though, and it was odd when it was done as we had to wait 10-15 minutes to be able to go to our car. Apparently where they set the fireworks off from has to be cleared before we can walk to the parking lot.

Two-color stamp!

Two-color stamp!

Sight lines are solid. The seats are wider and there’s ample foot and leg room, which is nice.

A note of the night — I dropped two items thrown/shot up at me. One was a shirt, one was a squishy ball. Talk about bad luck. That was me that night.

On a cool note, the stamp for the Atlantic League Passport is two-colored, which I thought was fantastic.

I’m glad this stadium was on the hit list this past summer and there’s no doubt I’d visit again. When we were there it was a strong crowd, which makes the game that much better.

Side notes: All the people we dealt with were super friendly. There was also a lineup board, which is an added bonus.

It was pretty easy to find and we had no issues getting in or out. Well worth a stop if you are in the area.

Park Notes:  

Clipper Magazine Stadium
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Home of the Lancaster Barnstormers (Independent – Atlantic League)
Visited on: August 1, 2015
Opponent: Somerset Patriots

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8.5/10
  • Concessions: 8/10
  • Parking: 8/10
  • Ambiance: 8.5/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit in 2015. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version.

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Summer of Baseball: Bridgeport gives a unique experience

I have a small list of baseball stadiums on my bucket list.

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard is one of them – and now it can be checked off. This is a place that I wanted to see a game since my time in Connecticut for grad school. I never made the trip back then, so it’s been a place I wanted to visit ever since.

Check.

Very cool views at Bridgeport.

Very cool views at Bridgeport.

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard is an interesting stadium and one that is well worth checking out. It’s team is in the Atlantic League (independent) and has a cool view with industry and a railroad in right field.

There is a ton of parking (a little pricey, but it is in downtown Bridgeport) just outside the stadium. You walk up into the stadium from the outside and you get a good view of the playing field when you come in.

The team store is pretty large and there are some great selections. Prices are decent. The logos for the team are top of the line. The rest of the stadium is really solid. It’s pretty open, which is nice. The seats are close to the field (we were right behind the visitor dugout) and the seats are comfortable.

The food selection is excellent. That is one thing that I noticed. I only had a few things to try, of course, but there were a lot of interesting selections. I had an order of these garlic French fries that were awesome.

Stamped in ... with my book and ready to go.

Stamped in … with my book and ready to go.

Anyway…

I enjoyed watching the game there. The Atlantic League, as I’ve seen this year, has a pretty good fan base and seemed into the game. What I like about Atlantic League baseball is players seem so accessiable to the fans, which is always a bonus.

The people in Bridgeport were friendly, too. I always like that as there are some stadiums where people just aren’t friendly. That always makes me scratch my head, too. If you aren’t into being friendly and meeting many people, then why work at a stadium? The people here were fun and outgoing and that deserves some major kudos.

Overall, it was well worth the trip. I hope to make it again down the line as it was a solid all-around experience.

Park Notes:  

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
Bridgeport, Conn.
Home of the Bridgeport Bluefish (Independent – Atlantic League)
Visited on: July 3, 2015
Opponent: York Revolution

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 8/10
  • Parking: 8/10
  • Ambiance: 7.5/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit in 2015. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Summer of Baseball: Camden has the feel and the view

Camden has one of the coolest views.

Camden has one of the coolest views.

There are stadium views — and then there are really cool stadium views.

Camden is the latter.

Campbell’s Field (yes, the soup) has the feel of other Atlantic League stadiums. It’s a nice place to watch a game and you are close to the action. The seats are nice (and decently wide) and there doesn’t seem to be a bad seat in the house.

Outside the park.

Outside the park.

But it’s when you are sitting on the first-base line when you really notice something awesome — the Ben Franklin Bridge to take you into Philadelphia. It’s a unique setting, that’s for sure. And it made me happy we got the seats we did (front row, to the left of the visitor’s dugout).

This view is one of those things that separate stadiums from one another. And it’s something I’ve noticed at each Atlantic League stadium I’ve been to — each has the same sort of feel as the others, but at the same time there are unique features or offering that split them apart.

But, this is about Camden.

The game we chose was an 11 a.m. game on a Friday. This was one of those education days, so the stadium was filled with school kids. That made it an interesting dynamic as they sang along to modern music and seemed to have a lot of fun.

Play ball!

Play ball!

For me, I enjoyed the experience. The stadium is welcoming. The staff I dealt with were friendly and helpful. Nobody really got in our way and such while we were there. It was initially a dreary day, but it turned out to be pretty nice by the end of the game.

The food offerings were decent. Chickie and Pete’s fries are always a welcomed sight. I definitely indulged there. By the end of the game, I was digging into some Italian ice. And, as always, I had to test the hot dogs and I enjoyed them. Not bad in regard to food.

The team store was decent (prices were OK) and had enough offerings to keep fans happy.

I’d love to come back to see another game or two here, especially maybe catching a game with a sunset or something beyond the bridge. I am sure that would turn that view into something truly amazing — and it’s pretty cool already.

Park Notes:  

Campbell‘s Field
Camden, NJ
Home of the Camden Riversharks (Independent – Atlantic League)
Visited on: June 5, 2015
Opponent: Long Island Ducks

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 7.5/10
  • Parking: 8/10
  • Ambiance: 8/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

I am continuing the Summer of Baseball from 2014 and hope to blog about each new stadium I visit in 2015. Ones visited in the past can be viewed linked up in the 2014 version.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!