Yesterday Corey and I drove to Bridgewater, NJ the home of the Somerset Patriots. For those of you who are unaware. The Patriots play in the Atlantic League, the same league as the Long Island Ducks play in. This goes down as my 26th different baseball park that I've seen a game at, between majors and minors. This is the 3rd different Atlantic League Park I've been to and by far the nicest of the 3. I have heard that Southern Maryland and York are also very nice
The Patriots play in TD Bank Park. The park was built in 1999, the same year the Patriots were formed. The stadium holds 6,100 fans. The stadium is very easy to get to and if you are driving from the NYC area, you see the stadium off of I-287. You exit 13B and its a short distance off of the exit.
Parking is $5. But, most people park in the shopping center parking lot across the street for free.
The only negative thing I have to say about the stadium is part of the design. The 200 section is lower then I think it should be and because of the elevation issue of the 200's. The steps from the 200's lead out into the concourse. Which also interfers with the flow of the crowd on the lower concourse.
At Bethpage Park you can walk on the lower concourse without interferring with the view of the fans in the 200 sections. There were very little people in the stadium for the games. So, walking around and taking pictures was not really an issue. According to the box score, the attendance was shown at 3656. If you ask me there was not more than 750 people in the stadium for the 1st game. Maybe another 200 showed up for the 2nd. Then again the 20 min rain delay in before game 1 may have stopped people from coming.
Just before the T-Storm hit. The team had anticipated the storm and had the tarp on.
The Riversharks hanging out in the dugout, waiting for the rain to stop.
I did also get to a little graphing. The rain slowed me down and a little. I had plently of cards for both teams and started on the Camden side and then came over to the Patriots side. I had done the Patriots a couple of time in the past month. But, there were a couple of new players and I picked up cards for players I did not have in the past.
On the Camden side I got:
Salomon Manriquez, 2 cards. Salomon is a 13 year minor league veteren who has played in the Expos, Nationals, Rangers and Mets system getting as hight as AAA. He most recently played in Mexico.
Chris Widger, 2 cards. Chris is 10 year major league veteren who has played for the Mariners, Expos, Yankees, Cards, White Sox and O's. He finished up his playing career with the Riversharks in 2004. He was also recently activated by the Riversharks, But, never played. I believe he was activated because the team was short a catcher. Shortly after he was deactivated.
D'Angelo Jimenez, 2 cards. D'Angelo played parts of 8 season in the majors with the Yankees, Padres, White Sox, Reds, Rangers, A's and most recently in 2007 with the Nationals. If you are a Yankee fan you may remember D'Angelo. He was one of the Yankee prospects in the late 90's. But, 2000 he got into car accident and injured his back and ended up missing the whole 2000 season. He is one player I always remember because he has a cool tattoo on his neck of a zipper. I'm guessing there is a scar there from his back injury.
On the Patriots side,
Brandon Braboy, 2 cards. Brandon spent 3 season the Yankees system getting as high as Advanced A. When ever the Patriots come to Long Island most of the Patriots bullpen goes the back way. I asked him about that he he laughed and said he never goes thru the dugout. He was pretty cool about signing. I called him down the line when he was in the bullpen area and came and signed for me.
Then in between the 1st and 2nd game I got the following Patriots:
Jeff Baisley, 3 cards. Jeff has a 14 game stint with the A's in 2008. Has since been in the White Sox, Tigers and Dodgers system. Jeff was signed by the Patriots earlier in the season. But, went to Mexico to play and only in the last week or so has played with the Patriots.
Cory Smith, 2 cards. Cory was a 1st round pick in 2000 by the Indians out of Piscataway Highschool in Jersey. He has played in the Indians, Padres, White Sox, Angels, Dogders and Royals system getting as high as AAA.
We did not stay after the game to graph. It was 9:30 in the 4th inning of the 2nd game when we left. In good traffic its a 2.5 hr ride and I had to be up at 5am this morning.
The Bluefish are in town tonight and tomorrow. But, I think I will skip the rest of this series. I do not have much for either team right now.
I may do my first Cyclone game of the season this weekend.
Thanks for Reading and Check Back soon.
The Patriots play in TD Bank Park. The park was built in 1999, the same year the Patriots were formed. The stadium holds 6,100 fans. The stadium is very easy to get to and if you are driving from the NYC area, you see the stadium off of I-287. You exit 13B and its a short distance off of the exit.
Parking is $5. But, most people park in the shopping center parking lot across the street for free.
The only negative thing I have to say about the stadium is part of the design. The 200 section is lower then I think it should be and because of the elevation issue of the 200's. The steps from the 200's lead out into the concourse. Which also interfers with the flow of the crowd on the lower concourse.
At Bethpage Park you can walk on the lower concourse without interferring with the view of the fans in the 200 sections. There were very little people in the stadium for the games. So, walking around and taking pictures was not really an issue. According to the box score, the attendance was shown at 3656. If you ask me there was not more than 750 people in the stadium for the 1st game. Maybe another 200 showed up for the 2nd. Then again the 20 min rain delay in before game 1 may have stopped people from coming.
I did also get to a little graphing. The rain slowed me down and a little. I had plently of cards for both teams and started on the Camden side and then came over to the Patriots side. I had done the Patriots a couple of time in the past month. But, there were a couple of new players and I picked up cards for players I did not have in the past.
On the Camden side I got:
Salomon Manriquez, 2 cards. Salomon is a 13 year minor league veteren who has played in the Expos, Nationals, Rangers and Mets system getting as hight as AAA. He most recently played in Mexico.
Chris Widger, 2 cards. Chris is 10 year major league veteren who has played for the Mariners, Expos, Yankees, Cards, White Sox and O's. He finished up his playing career with the Riversharks in 2004. He was also recently activated by the Riversharks, But, never played. I believe he was activated because the team was short a catcher. Shortly after he was deactivated.
D'Angelo Jimenez, 2 cards. D'Angelo played parts of 8 season in the majors with the Yankees, Padres, White Sox, Reds, Rangers, A's and most recently in 2007 with the Nationals. If you are a Yankee fan you may remember D'Angelo. He was one of the Yankee prospects in the late 90's. But, 2000 he got into car accident and injured his back and ended up missing the whole 2000 season. He is one player I always remember because he has a cool tattoo on his neck of a zipper. I'm guessing there is a scar there from his back injury.
On the Patriots side,
Brandon Braboy, 2 cards. Brandon spent 3 season the Yankees system getting as high as Advanced A. When ever the Patriots come to Long Island most of the Patriots bullpen goes the back way. I asked him about that he he laughed and said he never goes thru the dugout. He was pretty cool about signing. I called him down the line when he was in the bullpen area and came and signed for me.
Then in between the 1st and 2nd game I got the following Patriots:
Jeff Baisley, 3 cards. Jeff has a 14 game stint with the A's in 2008. Has since been in the White Sox, Tigers and Dodgers system. Jeff was signed by the Patriots earlier in the season. But, went to Mexico to play and only in the last week or so has played with the Patriots.
Cory Smith, 2 cards. Cory was a 1st round pick in 2000 by the Indians out of Piscataway Highschool in Jersey. He has played in the Indians, Padres, White Sox, Angels, Dogders and Royals system getting as high as AAA.
We did not stay after the game to graph. It was 9:30 in the 4th inning of the 2nd game when we left. In good traffic its a 2.5 hr ride and I had to be up at 5am this morning.
The Bluefish are in town tonight and tomorrow. But, I think I will skip the rest of this series. I do not have much for either team right now.
I may do my first Cyclone game of the season this weekend.
Thanks for Reading and Check Back soon.
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