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Opened: April 11, 1987
Reopened: April 15, 2010 (I was there)
Capacity: 6,187
Affiliated with the Washington Nationals
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This is a special park for me. Its name has changed multiple times over the years, it’s had a major renovation in 2010 so it looks completely different then what it looked like before. I saw my first baseball game here when I was knee high. The Senators were newly arrived and were the Pirates AA affiliate at the time. According to my dad they were selling a Pirates pennant that I just had to have. My dad bought it for me and stuck it above my bed and I have been a Pirates fan (for better and in most cases worse) ever since. This park is about 25 minutes from my house and I’ve been coming here regularly since about 2009. Oh, and I also got my first foul ball here in 2010 and my first home run ball in 2016.[/vc_column_text][vc_media_grid element_width=”2″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1572532187621-f417f4b1-bca4-10″ include=”4805,4806,4807,4808,4809″][vc_column_text]
How did I get there?
This is easy for me. Up I-83 to Lemoyne and then to Market Street. It is $5 to park, though if you bring a clothing donation on a Thursday you can park for free. The park is on City Island in the middle of the Susquehanna River so it can only be accessed via Market Street or by walking over Walnut St.
Ticket prices
About standard, from $8 to $13 with some seats behind home plate going for more. It can be a cheap way to spend an evening and there is always good talent in the Eastern League.
Finding my seat and amenities
It’s easy to find the seats, though some people don’t seem to be able to figure it out. The sections are marked well both at the top of the aisle and at the bottom but that is just not enough it seems. They have seats up to the 400s, I guess that just sounds more impressive than it actually is. In game entertainment is mostly standard for this level of baseball. Food wise for AA this park offers a wide variety from BBQ to my favorite ballpark hotdogs at The Spot.
In game experience
There are people who dress up in monkey suits and race along with some of the standard entertainment. They have an on-field host that changes constantly. Some are good like Bob Hauer and some aren’t. The only real downside is during the summer month when the mayflies hatch. It seems to have gotten better in recent memory but it can rain mayflies during the late summer months as they live out their short lives.
Getting out
Again relatively easy once I can get off City Island. It’s over into downtown and then down Front Street to 83. Easy.
Wrap
I go to a fair amount of games here, I even got a season ticket package with the for 2017. I don’t particularly care for the Nationals but since I do go to some of their games it is nice to see their prospects on the way up. It is also an easy place to go to see my favorite affiliated minor league team, the Altoona Curve. I’ve seen Strasburg, Harper, Rendon and most of their other prospects on the way up. Didn’t see Trea Turner or Juan Soto during their 2 week stays there but they’re about it. Since the park is on an island it can flood when the river levels rise. A playoff series in 2012 was wiped out thanks to a hurricane and there is mark on the lower level behind the stands where the water got to. That was a lot of water![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Back to AA” style=”3d” color=”danger” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftheworldneedsmorekevin.com%2Fbaseball%2Faa%2F|||”][/vc_column][/vc_row]