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Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Batter Up (not for Pancakes)

While we’re not big sports fans, there’s nothing like the excitement of a ball game on summer night and a local crowd cheering the home team — especially when the tickets are low or no cost. In recent weeks we’ve seen baseball games in New Hampshire and Maryland.
IMG_1635

We watched the Silver Knights play the Dirt Dawgs at Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire. What’s NOT to like about team names like that?

Holman Stadium was built by the City of Nashua in 1937 as a multi-purpose stadium; it’s named for Charles Frank Holman, a major benefactor for the project. Holman Stadium was dedicated to the youth and people of Nashua in memory of Holman's parents.
silver knights collage
Holman is the home of the Nashua Silver Knights of the Future Collegiate Baseball league. This wood bat league has a 44-game regular season; its league includes 9-team collegiate summer baseball league from southern Maine to western Connecticut. The Silver Knights are a Single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Their name was selected by a vote of Nashua school kids. In their inaugural 2011 season, the Silver Knights led the league in attendance, with an average of 869 spectators per game, double initial expectations of 300-500 fans. silver knights collage

Several major league teams have had farm teams based in Holman, including the California Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1946, the stadium hosted what is considered the first integrated US baseball team, when Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe played for the then Nashua Dodgers. 
game rain collage
A few weeks after the Nashua baseball game, we went to a baseball game closer to home in Salisbury, Maryland at the Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, home of the Delmarva Shorebirds. Yes, it was a rainy Sunday afternoon but it did stop (eventually).

Dubbed the “chicken bowl” by local folks, the Arthur W. PerdueIMG_4412 Stadium was named for the founder of Perdue Farms, a major business here on the VA eastern shore. The stadium opened in 1996 and seats 5,200 fans. It’s the second largest seating venue in Salisbury and sometimes hosts concerts and other events.
Sherman is the Shorebirds mascots and goes through the stands at every game greeting young (and older) fans and posing for photos. He’s always the most popular non-player!
Sherman collageSherman is 7 feet tall; his favorite foods are hot dogs, chicken tenders, and cracker jacks. Favorite color is orange (couldn’t you tell?). His favorite song is The Chicken Dance, of course.
Shorebirds game collage
The Shorebirds started in April of 1996 as a Montreal Expos affiliate, but that lasted only season. In 1997, the team became an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. As a member of the South Atlantic League, the Shorebirds play 140 games each season, half at home. They were South Atlantic League championships in 1997 and 2000.

Did I mention that another great feature of these summer games is their low cost? The Silver Knights tickets were $5; Shorebirds tickets were free, courtesy of our local library.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great fun and photos! John loves ball and was an umpire when he was young. I've been to a few Braves games and of course, I usually got rained on!!!

Out on the prairie said...

I love to go and see them live. I am hungry upon entering, but try to refrain.The names are fantastic and I love to get shirts.

Elaine said...

Love the collages, especially the one with Sherman. There's always lots of action at a ballgame, both on the field and in the stands, which makes it a perfect spot for a photo session.

Montanagirl said...

Nice job on the collages! I've never been much of a baseball fan, but your photos depict it nicely.

MadSnapper said...

the price sounds great, especailly the free part

Anonymous said...

I love baseball but it is a tiny sport over here so I never get any chance to see it. Especially since I don't have any pay channels and they too rarely show it anyway.

Have a great day!
Christer.

Charlotte Wilson said...

There is nothing more all American than a good baseball game, especially with a hot dog and beer.

charlotte

Connie said...

Looks like you had a lot of fun! Great pictures in your collages. We've been to a few games here too. I like the mascot. They always add a lot of entertainment to the game. :)

Dorothy said...

Like you, I'm not really much of a sports fan, but once you are there, the whole atmosphere is pretty exciting!
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment! Come back and visit anytime!

DeniseinVA said...

Very cool to see a live game. It's been a while. Great photos!

Debbie said...

LOVE baseball....and a hotdog!! you gotta have a hotdog!!

it's a great night out in summer!!

Anvilcloud said...

I used to enjoy baseball. There was something special about a night game a old Tiger Stadium. Not that I saw many, but it was still nice.