When you have the AA affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees squaring off, you know it’s going to be a more intense than usual matchup.

Add “Jonathan Papelbon Bobblehead Night” for the first 1000 fans through the gates, a Friday night with great weather, and that translates into a packed house at Hadlock Field in Portland, home of the AA Sea Dogs.

A large crowd waits to get their hands on a prized bobblehead

Prior to making our way to the ballpark, we actually drove over to the Cumberland County Civic Center, a mile away right n the middle of downtown. We were hoping to find some evidence, a massive banner maybe, of the AHL Pirates new affiliation with the Buffalo Sabres. Alas, there was no such thing, nor a billboard or banner anywhere in the city, so we then drove over to Hadlock Field, found a space on the street close by, and made our way over, only to find a huge line of fans snaking around the building. Bobblehead giveaways will do that at a ballpark, and it was still almost 2 hours to first pitch!

Hadlock Field opened back in 1994, and even though it is a “newer” ballpark, it has a more mature feel to it. The designers of this venue took advantage of every square inch of real estate. The Exposition Center next door (home to the local pro roller derby team) almost juts into right field. Pavilion seats with drink rails were added to the right field last year, and the “Maine Monster”, a likeness of the more famous Monster at Fenway, dominates the left field outfield. The outfield walls are a cornucopia of ads, the line score is displayed in the Monster, right next to that is a small dot matrix board, and in right field is a modest sized video board.

Make no mistake, Portland, Maine is a Red Sox town. Almost everyone in the stands is wearing some sort of Sox gear, and loud cheers came from the crowd as they showed new Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay on the video board do his first at bat in a Boston uniform, and again when he made a highlight reel catch later in that game.

With the tight stadium dimensions, this is one very intimate venue. Fans sit right on top of the action, and with the high walls throughout the outfield, the seating bowl almost feel claustrophobic. There is absolutely no covering at all in the seating bowl, so that probably makes for little shade on a hot day or protection from the elements. Not a good thing.

There is a great energy and atmosphere in this building, and you can feel the excitement as fans stomp theri feet on the metal risers in the upper part of the seating bowl to make the building shake. In the middle of the 8th, they play “Sweet Caroline” and of course, everybody sings!

Unfortunately for the home team, all the foot stomping and cheering could not bring them a victory, as Trenton took a 3-0 lead and then withstood a 7th inning Sea Dogs rally to win the game 3-2.

So in addition to seeing Dan (see previous post), props and thanks to Chris Cameron from the Sea Dogs for setting us up with credentials for Sports and Leisure Magazine and for all his hospitality.

After the game we’re off to Manchester NH and our Sheraton hotel… tomorrow we got a doubleheader on tap at two ballparks 30 miles apart from each other - a 5PM start in Lowell, and then we shoot over to Manchester for a 7PM first pitch. Fun huh?!

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