Where Have You Gone Sparky Lyle?

Not that long ago, Bill Frankel and I were talking about things to do with our kids now that school is out. A few days later Bill and his son Alex joined me and my daughter Kara on an outing to Bridgewater. We went to a carnival and a minor league baseball game broke out. A Somerset Patriots baseball game is a local adventure well worth exploring.
We arrived at Somerset Ballpark in the Finderne section of Bridgewater about fifteen minutes before the 7:05 PM starting time. First order of business was to stand in the box office line for tickets. We asked for four Field Box seats and promptly received four tickets in the seventh row behind home plate. The last time I had good seats like that at Yankee Stadium, an usher promptly threw me out and pointed me toward the outfield bleachers. Last February, I drove by the stadium and the field itself was a large dirt hole. I had the opportunity then to speak with Matt O'Brien, the Patriots Assistant General Manager, and his working concept was a family fun place. The end result is just that.
From the time we sat down to the time we left, the entire stadium was a buzz of activities and promotions that involved everyone. There were parties of all sorts: birthdays, luxury suites (sky boxes) filled with corporate revelers, anniversaries, even a retirement party from Rutgers. One small fan got to race around the bases with Sparkee, the team mascot.

Someone else won a recliner and kids of all ages tried their skill at pitching timed fastballs on the first base concourse. (If you've still got your stuff, this is the place to strut it. Best timed pitch I witnessed was slightly more than 70 MPH.)
The stadium seats 6,360 and most of the seats were filled on this Monday night. The crowd was a great cross-section of the area with a lot of families, couples, teens, seniors, and garden variety baseball fans all represented. And the omnipresent stadium staff was determined to set a new standard of excellence. I had the impression that they were trained to look for ways to better accommodate the fans, like the teen who served as a doorman into the souvenir shop at the main gate. Or the young vendor with the engaging smile who took the time to answer a fan's question. And the baseball game that broke out in the midst of this carnival was a contest with the Newark Bears, all part of the fledgling Class A Atlantic League. Things were going well for Sparky Lyle's Patriots until the wheels fell off the wagon in the late innings and Newark plated seven runs. Even if you can't win them all, you can have some great family fun whatever the results on the field.

Upcoming events include the Summit Bank Million Dollar Night on July 24th when some lucky fan could leave the stadium one million dollars richer and, on August 26th, the San Diego Chicken comes to town. Be sure to check the Patriots website at www.somersetpatriots.com for details. The Deal: Minor League baseball in Bridgewater, ticket prices ranging from $5 general admission to $8.50 for Field Box seats. Group rates, picnics, birthday parties, and luxury suite rentals available. Mastercard and Visa accepted. Starting times are 2:05 PM for day games and 7:05 PM at night. Getting There: Exit 13 off I-287 south or Exit 13B off I-287 north. Or hop the NJ Transit Train to the Finderne station, located just behind the outfield walls.

Please visit Somerset Patriots and Atlantic League

- Craig Schulze

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