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.
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.
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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