
### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 12](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

_\*For more on the Cape Cod Baseball League, I wrote about it [here](ccbl_overview), and I personally recommend you check it out._

The Harwich Mariners were founded in 1946, and that 1946 establishment is a large reason of why they're still the Mariners, as when MLB tried to enforce its trademarks in 2010, the league was unable to force the Mariners to change their name, as they had it long before MLB’s Seattle Mariners were established (1977). However, the Harwich Mariners opted to change their colors (which were a carbon copy of Seattle’s navy, teal, and silver) at some point (though their uniforms do still bear some resemblance to Seattle, it's much less of a "match", plus the team wears red and blue now).

While the Bourne Braves are the Cape League's "most dynastic" team right now, Harwich is VERY much right behind them - while they've been to the Cape League championship series twice post-COVID, they've won both of those series over Bourne (the only other team to beat Bourne in that span: [Brewster](2026-08-23_brewhitecaps) - who lost in 2022).

Whitehouse Field is basically surrounded by woodlands: you enter through a densely wooded area and trees are abundant around the outfield. The field is a bit of a distance from the fence separating it from the parking lot, so it ends up creating a “plaza” like environment with picnic tables and ample room for kids to chase foul balls that land in the woods.

This may also be the easiest stadium to park at (though for peak crowds that may not be too consoling): besides the main lot near the field, there’s a secondary lot connected to the main lot (as there's a school decently adjacent to the field) as well as another lot across the street (for a community center).

I must say: foul ball competition was probably fiercest here. Maybe it’s the fact that there’s a lot of running room compared to some of the other parks in New England, but every single foul ball had at least 15-20 kids doing head-on sprints for it at one game I went to.

This is also one of two stadiums on Cape Cod where I saw the league’s All-Star Game[^1] - a showcase of the league's best talent (i.e. some of the best college baseball players in the country). Unlike the [MLB All-Star Festivities](2026-07-13_mlballstar2026), it's a bit of a "full day" event: gates are usually in the early afternoon, and then the All-Star players have a designated time where they sign autographs before a Home Run Derby and the game itself take place back to back (NOTE: I probably should have done this when I talked about the [North Shore Navigators](2026-08-22_nsnavigators), as I went to the All-Star Game they hosted the day after this one and it's pretty similar minus the autographs). This is one of those situations where parking is probably hard to get (as it draws WELL over what the team normally draws), so if you ever think about going to the Cape League All-Star Game, be aware of this (as well as the fact that it's the ONE game on Cape Cod that requires a ticket to attend).

### MERCH

Concessions are at the base of the press box, and a merchandise stand (renovated in 2022) sits behind the first base bleachers. In addition to the games I've been to here, I also made a visit here in 2021 in the MORNING (as the stand had morning hours back then), but the only thing I got was an adjustable hat that I don't even know if I still have.

Also, at the All Star Game in 2023, I ended up buying a warm up shirt with the best possible number on the back. I will not say which number that is (because I assume families with impressionable kids read this), but let's just say it's the OG meme number (and not the one that became a meme AFTER I bought the shirt).

---

### ON DECK

A team I TOTALLY forgot to write about in 2023!

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[^1]: The other one is [Spillane Field in Wareham](2025-08-20_wargatemen), which I COMPLETELY forgot to mention when I visited last year (though that was probably because of the whole “lights” thing).


A team so old MLB couldn’t do anything about it

Harwich Mariners (Cape Cod Baseball League) @ Whitehouse Field (Harwich, MA)


I've mentioned it a few times, but I am hoping to have other content other than trip reports on this blog. While the primary content of this blog was (and will probably remain) visiting stadiums and writing my thoughts on them, going from venue to venue can be tiresome at times, and between tickets and transportation, costs can rack up a bit...

...which is why it's rather interesting that <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/20/americans-debt-sports-fans.html" target="blank">this article</a> came out a few days ago. It talks about how many sports fans are finding themselves in debt supporting their teams, but (are attempting to) justify it by insisting that their sports teams are important enough to justify the spending. The article isn't saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but at a time where prices for EVERYTHING are trending towards "more expensive by the day", fans need to be more mindful of how they spend on sports. In other words: sports fans are treating their team as a need alongside bills and groceries to the point that they're willing to go into debt for it, which may or may not be a good thing.

Of course, cutting spending on your team isn't easy. For example, let's use (for better or worse) the 2026 NBA Champion New York Knicks (especially since the Knicks are mentioned in the article). Games 3 and 4 of the Finals were held in New York; I won't get into what happened at Game 3 (both on and off the court), but Game 4 saw the New York Knicks come back from down 29 points to win at the last second en route to them winning their first title in over 50 years.

I remember looking at the ticket prices for the two games of the NBA Finals the Knicks hosted on SeatGeek out of sheer curiosity, and even if I was actually a Knicks fan, there is no way I could even begin to think about going when the get-in price was near five figures (i.e. >$10,000). However, there's likely someone out there who says "money be damned, I NEED to be there to experience this"; yes, that fan gets to say "I saw the greatest comeback/choke job in NBA Finals history in person"[^1], which may be beyond worth it to them - but maybe not a bank or lender...

So what does this mean exactly as it pertains to this blog? I mean, this particular idea seemingly applies to fans who invest fully into one single professional team, which if you haven't been reading the over 100 posts on this blog over the past year, isn't how I've been operating.

I've been to almost 100 events in the last two years, and the OVERWHELMING majority of them were minor league (or lower). I won't get into the "specifics" of minor league costs, but it is VERY rare that you'd need to spend anywhere close to $100 to get into a minor league event. In fact, you can often get quite close to the action (see: the three [Frontier](2026-05-08_rocboulders) [League](2026-05-09_scminers) [games](2026-05-20_njjackals2) I've been to this year) for a fraction of the cost it would be to sit that close at a "Professional League" game.

Some fans, however, would STILL argue that the costs of a pro league game are still worth it. Lower level leagues feature lower level players, and not only are they still waiting to become stars, a lot of them haven't developed the skills required to succeed at the top level - so the quality of play tends to be inferior to the "professional" product (for some, painfully so). For them, the ability to see a human that vaguely resembles Jalen Brunson from 200+ feet away is far more valuable than POTENTIALLY seeing guys who MIGHT become the next big thing (though since we are in "basketball land", it should be mentioned once again that FEW players who play in [the NBA's developmental league](2026-01-25_wcknicks) go on to become NBA stars).

I haven't even touched on merchandise yet, but to be honest, I feel like lower and higher league merch is comparable in price with two exceptions: buying AT Big Four arenas and jerseys. Sadly, I feel like most Big Four buildings upcharge HEAVILY on things that are also available at places such as Dick's Sporting Goods, and while I've talked about jerseys quite a bit on this blog, I do need to reemphasize that they can get WILDLY expensive at the Big Four level for various features such as stitched lettering[^2] (though some would argue that the quality is still not that great).

At the end of the day, whether or not anyone sees themselves as "overspending" on their team is like other hobbies - it comes down to preference. However, with things where they are now, it's also important to ensure that you don't let your hobby take over your financial decision making (which, I should note, is why upcoming games I bought tickets for MONTHS ago are now suddenly iffy).

Anyway, this obviously has nothing to do with the catch-up series I've been doing for the past few weeks. That will continue tomorrow with - somewhat ironically - another Cape Cod Baseball League team (where teams don't sell tickets to games - though this does come with a small "catch" if you want a souvenir).

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[^1]: NOTE: This assumes said fan got to see AT LEAST Game 4; if they only went to the circus that was Game 3 and the Knicks' only loss of the series, then, well...

[^2]: Ironically, soccer is the reverse of this, where the high-end player jerseys feature glued-on logos. Also, , being a soccer fan and having a new jersey to buy every year is 

Counting up the costs of being a fan

How much should one spend on their team?


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 11](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

_\*For more on the Cape Cod Baseball League, I wrote about it [here](ccbl_overview), and I personally recommend you check it out._

Brewster is one of the newer teams on the Cape, having been established in 1988 (alongside the Bourne Braves). The team has won three championships in their relatively short history, and their most notable alumnus, like it or not (I certainly don’t, and I’m willing to bet Seattle Mariner fans don’t either), has to be Aaron Judge.

Initially, they played their games at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School - which technically isn’t in Brewster, but in neighboring Harwich (which has its own team). In 2006, the team moved into Brewster proper when Stony Brook Field was opened  (coincidentally, Bourne got a new stadium in 2006 as well - these teams share a LOT in common!).

As far as features, the school this field is attached to is an elementary school, so there’s a playground nearby. Be forewarned if you’re looking for food: concessions here are rather limited - or at least they seemed a bit limited when I was making frequent visits. It’s run by a small local company, and they don’t have a full on “stand” - they simply sell them next to the school building. 

The main parking lot, which is next to the school for which the field is named, is not exactly big enough to handle all the spectators that come to these games (though honestly it doesn't seem like ANY Cape League stadium has enough parking), but I found out that there’s another school nearby where fans can park and then walk through some woods to get to the field. This is honestly one of the more interesting features I’ve seen on the Cape - just be careful of any woodland insects...

### MERCH

For the first two years I visited, merch was sold out of a literal trailer; in 2023, they upgraded to a full-on shack. There isn't exactly much that was (as ), but of note: I don't recall seeing jerseys ever sold, the team sold baseballs with their logos only (i.e. NOT the CCBL game ball other teams sell), and it took me until 2025 to find a shirt that I liked and was in stock (I actually talked about this [a while ago](2025-12-26_merchstops)).

I should also mention that the team USED to have a SMALL online store, but I only ordered one thing from it: a commemorative cap meant for the COVID cancelled 2020 season which featured the name of John Altobelli - a former baseball coach (and one time manager of the Whitecaps) who was killed in the same helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant.

Oddly, I recall seeing a shirt here with a logo the team doesn't use - as it was actually an [Ocean State Waves](2026-08-21_oswaves) logo...

The former summer home of...that man.

Brewster Whitecaps (Cape Cod Baseball League) @ Whitehouse FIeld (Brewster, MA)


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 9](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

Lynn, MA: A city with...quite a reputation (which I did not know about for a LONG time). A famous poem has been “written” about Lynn, naming it “the city of (moral blunder)” and that "you never come out the way you went in" (or something like that). It's been QUITE a bit since I've been back, but in case it hasn't been made clear yet, Lynn is one of Boston's most notorious northern suburbs (I WANT to say similar to how [Brockton](2025-08-22_brorox) is viewed among the city's southern suburbs, but I don't quite know how accurate that is).

As for the team that calls Lynn home, they’re tied for the oldest team in the NECBL with the [Mystic Schooners](2026-08-19_doddstadium#mystic) - and have also moved around quite a bit. Originally, the team played in Middletown, CT (south of Hartford), then moved to Holyoke, MA (north of Springfield) for a bit before settling in Lynn in 2008. However, given that they switched to the Futures League in 2012 before moving back to the NECBL in 2021, they're not the longest _continuous_ member of the NECBL (that would be Mystic assuming my understanding of chronologies is correct). They've won four titles overall, but all of them came before their time in the Futures League (three in the late 1990s plus one in 2010); they did make the finals in 2021, but lost to [Danbury](2026-07-24_dbywesterners).

Fraser Field has quite a history to it: It’s hosted a number of minor league and independent teams since opening in 1940 (many of whom were minor league clubs of the nearby Boston Red Sox). The "main" feature here is a large grandstand behind home plate featuring covering over some of the seats, but it's clearly seen MUCH better days: when I visited (several times in both 2022 and 2023), netting protected spectators from potentially getting clocked by the crumbling concrete structure that covers some of the stands, which are kinda dilapidated themselves. Besides the grandstand, there's not much to say about the stadium: there's a football stadium nearby (which is closer to the parking lot than the baseball stadium is), and the entrance from this parking lot was in left field (which necessitated quite a walk to get to the seats).

Not only did I come here for several Navigators games, but the team hosted the NECBL's All-Star Game in 2023. However, I was only able to see a few innings of the ACTUAL game, as I had to be somewhere in the evening - but I did end up snagging several foul balls from the Home Run Derby.

### MERCH

Merch here was somewhat surprisingly limited, though that may be due to the fact that it was sold from a rather small booth at the top of the grandstand. Mind you, however, that they still had player hats available, which was more or less all I was looking for (heck, I remember hearing one time that the ONLY had the size I typically get somehow). I also have to mention the concession stand - it's in a seperate building behind the main stadium structure itself, but it had one of the better pizzas I've had at a New England summer ball stadium IMO (I forget where they got it however).

I was also able to get NECBL All-Star game jerseys at the All-Star game Frasier Field held in 2023 - though I'm not sure how I feel about them being shirseys with the "headspoon piping" that teams such as the Boston Red Sox have (without the buttons).

Baseball mixed with one of the most infamous rhymes in Greater Boston

North Shore Navigators (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Fraser Field (Lynn, MA)


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 8](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

Truth be told, the Waves are one of the reasons I was super hesitant to post my "old" baseball posts from 2023 for several reasons:

1. There's not much to say about their history: they were founded in 2013 and haven't won a championship. They've been to the finals twice (in back to back years), but were swept both times by the same team.

2. They play in a public park that's fairly similar to [Danbury](2026-07-24_dbywesterners) but without a nearby school building (though it apparently opened in 1938 according to the town it's in[^1]). When I visited, there wasn't a ton to speak about: a small and old concession stand, plus a parking lot that was often rather full when I arrived (close to game time) and SUPER limited bleacher seating (in short: SUPER lowkey).

3. The field is getting a MASSIVE facelift right now with a new bleacher set up and concessions building, so it's likely that if I ever find myself back here, it'll be a VERY different experience. Again, part of why these are going up now is because revisits in the future are INCREDIBLY up in the air (especially as many of the places - this included - are quite remote), so I'll just have to see what happens from afar (though the renderings I saw look impressive).

4. A neat segue into what might just be the most common word in these posts:

### MERCH

Back in the day, tickets and merchandise were sold at the same table just outside the field in the parking lot. From my visits, I got the impression that the team apparently doesn’t order a lot of hats, as the times I’ve gone have featured very few hats available for sale, and the biggest one I’ve seen (outside of a special All-Star hat) is two sizes smaller than what I typically get but somehow fits fine (Ocean State is one of a few teams in New England that _exclusively_ orders fitted hats instead of flexfits along with nearby [Newport](2026-08-20_nptgulls) - or at least they only had fitteds when I visited). It's actually due to this relative lack of hats that I ended up at more Waves games than Gulls games during my time exploring the summer leagues(plus the whole "buying merch without a ticket" thing I did in Newport).

Given the scope of the upcoming renovation, it'll be interesting to see how they handle merchandise in the future (as - in case you somehow missed it earlier - the renovation is adding a whole new building).

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[^1]: From what I could glean, the TOWN is South Kingstown, RI (which is why I have it i the title), but it's in a neighborhood known as Wakefield or Wakefield-Peacedale (which is what I originally had because RIP Tim Wakefield).

A VERY quick look at a smaller team

Ocean State Waves (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Old Mountain Field (South Kingstown, RI)


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 7](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

Newport is probably one of Rhode Island’s biggest tourist attractions. Celebrities such as Jay Leno and freakin’ TAYLOR SWIFT (Kelce) have been known to vacation here, and even without the celeb buzz, tourists flock to its famous mansions and the Newport Casino - which isn’t a casino in the modern sense, but rather the current home of the International Tennis Hall of Fame[^1]. Of course, I'm here to talk about a different sport: baseball.

The Gulls were founded in 1998 as the Rhode Island Gulls, but their story doesn't start in Newport: rather, they originally plaed in Cranston, RI (near Providence). Three years later, they moved to Newport, and have been one of the most successful operations in all of New England: not only do they have the most titles in the NECBL (eight, including four in their first decade in Newport plus a recent back-to-back), they also draw some of the biggest crowds in the league - though those crowds have a bit of an odd stadium to deal with.

Cardines Field is commonly referred to as “historic”, which is to say that it’s probably one of the weirdest stadiums in all of New England. Officially, the stadium opened in 1908, making it the oldest stadium in the NECBL (and four years older than [Fenway Park](bananaball_bospt3)).

There are multiple stands surrounding the field, and they were all built at different times and in different styles. For example, the stands on the first base side and behind home plate all have roofing over the seats, but the two down the third base line don’t. Adding to the “weirdness” is the fact that the field is shoved into a city block with residences and other buildings surrounding it (within the same block). This leads to unusual things such as the first base line being cut off by a warehouse, the dugouts BOTH being on the first base side of the field, and part of the outfield fence cutting INTO center field itself thanks to a side street/house jutting into the outfield. Also, getting from stand to stand is difficult as the walkways are super narrow inside the stadium, so going out to the street and walking outside the stadium is recommended. This is especially important if you’re trying to get to the concession stand from third base/left field, as it’s basically next to the right field foul pole/warehouse.

Making all of this more difficult: your fellow fans. As mentioned earlier, Newport is traditionally one of the highest drawing teams in all of New England, so there’s going to be a lot of feet you have to avoid to get to your “seat” - a term I use kinda loosely as the stands are just wooden risers with no designated areas for either end of your legs. Also, I do have to mention that getting up and down some of the stands is kinda difficult as they're a bit steep/high.

One super nice thing about games: there's a big parking lot/garage across the street from the field (next to a transit center), and tickets for games come with a "coupon" for parking. On this note, it should also be mentioned that the park (and the garage) are along one of the main streets in Newport, and the team STERNLY warns (young) fans NOT to chase foul balls into the street (which is where MANY will end up).

### MERCH

One of the other quirks of this stadium: merch is sold OUTSIDE the stadium due to how cramped it is inside. The merch booth is built into one of the stands, but it faces the street (which adds to the idea of walking outside the stadium to get from stand to stand).

I have actually taken advantage of the booth being outside to shop for things once or twice without having to buy a ticket - specifically hats (speaking of which, Newport is somewhat unusual amongst NECBL teams as they use exclusively fitted hats). I've also had thoughts about getting other things from here, but haven’t (though one thing the team apparently sells now that they didn't when I visited: jerseys).

[^1]: I’ve been to the Tennis Hall of Fame before. Not only is it a museum, but it has a grass court for an ATP (men's) event, plus it does feature a special court for a historic form of tennis known as "real tennis" - one of only 45 courts in the entire world. 

Sportventures

Mony Money

Put a Cap in it

The City of...

What’s the Wave?

Gull Gull Island