
### [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).

---

[^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. 

Historic Hijinks in a New England summer hotspot

Newport Gulls (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Cardines Field (Newport, RI)


If you've been following this blog for at least the last month or so, you may recall this nugget from a post about the [New Britain Bees](2026-07-27_nbbees):

> _"Also, for those wondering: I'm not likely to visit the last two summer league teams in CT, as they're both in the southeastern corner of the state (i.e. a three hour drive from home)...I have visited them in the past, and do intend on talking about them later this summer (partially as they shared a unique connection when I visited them)."_

Well, that "later" is now, as post will get into both teams and the connection they had: when I was doing these rounds, they both played at the same stadium.

Dodd Stadium was opened in 1994, and was originally built for a Double-A team that debuted that same year (the Norwich Navigators, who became the Connecticut Defenders in the 2000s). However, after years of struggling with attendances, the team eventually moved to Richmond, VA (which had a AAA team until 2008), where they are now one of the highest draws in Double-A (and just got a new stadium - one of the reasons why the AAA team left). Another affiliated team moved in a few years after the original team left, but we’ll get to them in a little bit. As a former Minor League stadium, it’s probably a bit "average” for the Futures League (though personally I kinda prefer New Britain), but was easily the highest quality stadium in the NECBL during its time (which really isn’t saying a lot). 

The stadium concourse here is at the top of the seating bowl, so there are views of the field from most of it save for right behind home plate where the press box is. Outside of that, it’s been too long since my last visit, so I can’t really recall much about the place - though in some ways, it felt kinda generic (as in VERY similar to stadiums like those of the [Somerset Patriots](2026-04-17_sompatriots), [Wilmington Blue Rocks](2026-05-03_wilbluerocks), and [New York Boulders](2026-05-08_rocboulders)). The games I came to here didn’t really feature large crowds either, so the atmosphere was pretty muted (moreso for the NECBL team, who often drew under 100 fans at Dodd).

Outside of the baseball I saw, I heard that a sale of the stadium was considered by the city of Norwich a few years ago. It doesn’t help that it’s in a corporate park, so there’s little reason to go there outside of games (plus the fact that it’s not a premier concert venue due to the presence of Mohegan Sun a mere 15 minutes away). I have no clue what happened to those plans, but I found out after initially publishing this that a local soccer team is moving in for 2027 after being somewhat nomadic in 2026 (they were looking to build a stadium in Bridgeport, but it hasn't materialized).

One small note before continuing: in something that can only be described as "intensely frustrating for me and me only", BOTH teams have gotten new hats since I last saw them. However, neither team has an online store as of the day this is being published, so I have NO IDEA how to get either of them without visiting (and as a reminder, the summer seasons are over, so I can't do anything about this until next June at the earliest). With that out of the way, let’s talk about the two teams - in order of how I saw them in 2023 (as well as 2022):

<div id="norwich" />

## Norwich Sea Unicorns (Futures League)

### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 6](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

The Norwich Sea Unicorns were founded in 2010 as an affiliated Minor League Baseball team in the New York-Penn League until it was eliminated in 2020, when they joined the Futures League (they were originally the Connecticut Tigers, but rebranded just in time for the pandemic to cancel what was supposed to be their last season as an affiliate). Since joining the Futures League, they’ve become a dynasty - having won the league title three times in a row from 2023-2025 (which represent three of the six years they’ve been in the league), but their in-state rival (aka the Bees) ended that run this year by beating them in the league semifinals.

I mentioned the potential sale of Dodd Stadium in the intro, and the reason I know about said sale was because the Futures League was worried that a sale of Dodd  would almost certainly endanger the future of the Sea Unicorns (and potentially the league itself if I'm being honest), but I don’t remember if this situation got resolved (or how). I've also heard rumors of one of the independent baseball leagues taking interest in moving in, however, so there's also that to think about (though this may have just been a WILD rumor).

While I don't remember that much about the 2022 game outside of it being the night before a weeklong vacation in the Carolinas (the same one where I saw the [Wilmington Sharks](2026-06-22_ilmsharks)[^1] for the first time), the 2023 game was actually one of the fastest baseball games I’ve ever been to, as it hit the halfway point (mid-fifth) in exactly one hour, and then finished in just over two hours (no pitch clock BTW). 

### MERCH

The Sea Unicorns team store has one of those sliding doors you usually see at grocery stores and hotels as well as one of the best team store names I’ve ever seen: the Point of Sail (and I say this NOT because I used to work for a PoS company). In my visits there, I found a lot of old Connecticut Tigers/NYPL items, including game used jerseys (one of which I bought), a few hats (which I did NOT buy), and even NYPL and Minor League game balls - this despite EVERYTHING that happened between 2019 (the final NYPL season after which the team rebranded) and 2021 (the team's Futures League debut).

Sadly, it seems the team has decided to shut down online merchandise sales, as their old shop page (which was an MiLB shop page) now just redirects to the team website[^2].

<div id="mystic" />

## Mystic Schooners (New England Collegiate Baseball League)

### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 10](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

The Mystic Schooners are the longest continuous operation in the NECBL. They trace their history all the way back to the league’s first season in 1994 - though they’ve moved around quite a bit: originally from Willimantic, CT (east of Hartford and just south of UConn), the team moved to Pittsfield in the 2000s and then spent a year in [Bristol](2026-06-30_briblues) before landing in Mystic in 2011. They did win a championship in the NECBL’s first season, but have only won one other title since then (2016).

When they first moved to Mystic, the team was based out of a local high school, but in 2022, the team moved into Dodd Stadium. The reason for this move is unclear to me, but they never really felt “at home” here (bad game times, tiny crowds), so they ended up moving BACK to their old field in 2024 (which I have yet to visit BTW). From what I could glean, they don't charge admission for games here (this could be VERY wrong however).

### MERCH

For the Schooners games I went to, merch was sold at a table on the concourse, and the Sea Unicorns team store was closed. While there wasn’t a TON of special things here, the Schooners actually have a “side hustle” where they brew root bear and other sodas, and I got a growler at the second game I came to (along with a t-shirt I liked - one of few t-shirts I got from the NECBL).

Also worth noting: the Sea Unicorns charged for parking both times I went (one of few teams in the New England summer leagues to do so), but I can't remember if the Schooners did.

---

[^1]: Speaking of the Sharks, I've had to update their post, as they won the Coastal Plain League this year. 

[^2]: Several MiLB teams that were cut completely (i.e. not in the Appalachian or Draft leagues) in the 2020 realignment kept their MiLB store pages after the cut, but as of August 2026, the MiLB store page only links to affiliated teams. Keep this in mind, however, as there is one other team in this series which is affected by this...

A summer league stadium with a (relatively) long history - and TWO TEAMS

Senator Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium (Norwich, CT)


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 4](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

The Worcester Bravehearts are an interesting story. They came into the city of Worcester in 2014 and were the talk of the town baseball wise for a while - winning five league championships and attracting rather large crowds. However, in 2021...the WooSox moved in. There was concern that the arrival of affiliated Minor League Baseball would, in effect, kill the Bravehearts (a longer season, more seats, and a downtown location being major factors).

A few years later...I’m honestly not sure where things stand. A combination of the WooSox and other factors seemingly led to Bravehearts attendance suddenly dropping in 2022 (not helping: the team finished 7th out of eight teams). The team was able to rebound both on and off the field, and eventually, the two teams entered a “strategic partnership” (which included the WooSox stadium hosting the league’s All Star Game); however, this coincided with the sale of the Bravehearts - a move which is still up for debate as to whether it will help or hurt. One thing that did raise some eyebrows after the sale, however, was the departure of the team’s long-time General Manager (who ended up taking a job with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies of Minor League Baseball's Eastern League). One thing that kinda sorta helps the Bravehearts (for better or worse): WooSox tickets are apparently some of the priciest in all of Minor League Baseball[^1].

Fitton Field itself (or Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field as that’s the official name of the baseball stadium) is actually pretty interesting: it’s on the campus of the [College of the Holy Cross](2025-10-21_holycrosshockey_mens) and hosted an independent team for a bit before the Bravehearts were founded (as well as a “100 inning game” for ALS research hosted by Rhode Island's LEAST favorite former Red Sox player). It has also supposedly hosted Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams, as its history dates back to 1905 - seven years before the opening of Fenway Park. 

In all honestly, there’s not much to say about the stadium: the entrance is towards the first base side of the grandstand, the stadium is more or less in the side of a hill, the concourse forms the top of the seating bowl (similar to Brockton), and there’s a picnic area near field level on the third base side. There is, however, one fun bit of “trivia”: the night before I visited for a game in 2023 (on Memorial Day Weekend), the scoreboard caught fire and was out of commission for the game (and was eventually replaced of course). The PA announcer for the game made several jokes about the scoreboard between innings (partially as he had to announce the score as well).

Worcester was, along with all ten Cape League stadiums, one of the places I visited BEFORE even living in Massachusetts: we did a week on Cape Cod in 2021, but I went up early and caught a game here[^2]. In addition to many Bravehearts games over the three years I made visits (2021, 2022, and 2023), I also saw a special "police vs. fire department" game which featured wavy foul lines and a walk-off (to date, it's actually the most recent time I've been to Fitton Field).

### MERCH

Each time I visited, merchandise was sold immediately to the right of the gate. From what I remember, the stand has various layouts - some of them allowing fans to walk into them, and others not as much. 

One of the reasons I ended up making many, MANY visits in 2022 specifically: jerseys. The team sold out of jerseys in my size when I had arrived on opening night, and it took almost a month for them to get restocked. In addition, I once ordered a jersey from the team only to have to give it back, as it was requested by the player's family (I did get a replacement however).

---

[^1]: Part of why I say "apparently": I've been to ONE WooSox game, but it was a company outing, so I didn't have to buy my ticket (also worth noting: my last Red Sox game at [Fenway](bananaball_bospt3) was a free ticket as well).

[^2]: Had this trip included a visit to [Brockton](2025-08-22_brorox), I MIGHT have a Brockton Rox hat with a closed back (which, in case you forgot, I don't).

Worcester's oldest current baseball team

Worcester Bravehearts (Futures League) @ Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field (Worcester, MA)


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 2](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

I realize I've never spoken about _why_ the Futures League exists when the NECBL is a thing, but a big part of its existence is two groups trying to set up NECBL clubs but being denied (the Futures League started up in 2011). While the Futures League is, more or less, a "standard" summer baseball league, many of its teams play in stadiums much more "built" than NECBL teams as many Futures League stadiums are former minor and independent league stadiums, but there are some exceptions to that - including today's team.

The Westfield Starfires were added to the Futures League in 2019 after another team (who will be talked about later) moved to the NECBL (similar to [Bristol](2026-06-30_briblues)). As the newest member of the league with no Minor and/or Independent League ties, there's not that much to say about their history, but that's also because they've only been to the league's championship series one time - which they lost.

As alluded to earlier, Billy Bullens Field is a bit of an anomaly in the Futures League (though it’s similar to the aforementioned team to be named later). Instead of being a former minor league/indie stadium, it’s basically a more built-up community ballpark (similar to, once again, [Bristol](2026-06-30_briblues)). In that sense, the atmosphere is quite different from your average Futures League game: it’s more similar to a higher level NECBL field (or the [Wilmington Sharks](2026-06-22_ilmsharks)) than a regular Futures League game.

There is a rather large grandstand with plastic seat backs, but you could just as easily sit on the concrete of it (partially as some parts do not have the plastic seats). In my visits here, I’ve never really explored what’s on the first base line: the gate is on the third base side, and concessions and merch are right next to it heading towards the left field foul pole, so there's really no reason to go past the grandstand.

I will note, however, that this is the stadium where I learned the magic of putting barbecue sauce on plain mac and cheese, so there’s that...

### MERCH

It’s hard to miss the merchandise tent, as it’s basically right after you walk in. While most of it isn't super "out of the ordinary", Bullens Field has apparently seen a lot of crazy and interesting things happen during games, as the Starfires use the term "Bullens Magic" quite a bit (to the point that it's all over their merch).

I’ll be honest: I think Westfield has my favorite hat in the Futures League; there’s something about the colors and logo that appeal a lot to me. Having said that, however...they didn’t have any hats I was interested in the first time I came here. I was able to get a hat the second time, however, and I actually got jerseys both times.

Sportventures

What’s the Wave?

Gull Gull Island

The Dodd Couple

The Heart

Star Power