
One year ago TODAY, I uploaded my first post to this blog: a [Jersey Shore BlueClaws](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) double header I saw in April of 2025[^1]. Since then, I've made over 100 posts on this blog covering a lot of things - from the minor leagues to the professional ranks to college-level competitions and even things like [Quadball](2026-07-12_mlquadball).

So what's next?

Well...here's the thing: I've recently realized that I'm not sure how much I can keep up with all the traveling I've been doing (insert socioeconomic comment here). Case in point: I had thoughts about going somewhere today that would require an overnight hotel stay, but there are MULTIPLE reasons that will not be happening - one of them being that I ended up committing to something that would make said stay implausible.

However, I don't think I'm ready to "stop" just yet - partially as I already have some games lined up for the next few months. I also have one "long" trip left this year (and another which is starting to look like it may not happen sadly) plus some BIG ambitions that are yet to be fulfilled (and it will LIKELY be at least another year or two before they can happen).

Where things are going to get interesting (at least short term) is how do I continue to make "interesting" content. I'm "running out" of local venues I've never been to, and I'm still trying to figure out how to talk about events without simply summarizing what happened (as I'd rather not do that here). I DO have some interesting ideas for next year, though [there is one VERY important factor to consider unfortunately](2026-05-02_1994ws)...

In that regard, however, I do have a plan for some upcoming posts - though I'm not exactly "ready" to start that yet. Soon, though...

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[^1]: Okay, so TECHNICALLY it wasn't the first post, but the ACTUAL first post was me saying I was starting this blog the day before (which I've hidden as I don't feel it's super necessary to keep up for any longer than a month...).

Looking back at the first year of this blog's existence

Measuring A Year of Sportventures


_As a quick aside, I've added the "related posts" thing on the side there (or at the bottom if you're on a narrower screen). It's something I've been meaning to do for a while, as it adds some interconnectivity between posts, but I'm currently undecided on how "deep" I want to go with this connectivity (as it's A LOT OF WORK)._

I'm not going to go into the history of the Premier League (as it's a bit convoluted since it involves television rights), but for those who don't know, it's easily one of the most watched association football (or "soccer") leagues in the world (if not the singular most watched league). I'm also not going to get into the histories of either team here (as BOTH are over 100 years old), but I do want to talk about last season as it provides SOME context.

For those who aren't familiar with European soccer leagues, most of them operate on a promotion/relegation system. In this system, just about every soccer club in the country is part of a MASSIVE organization with many levels, and teams move up or down those levels based on how well/poorly they do. The Premier League, as one might expect, is the top of this system in England, but in recent years has seemingly become "too good": in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, the teams that were promoted to the division were all immediately relegated back to the second division. This sparked fears of the league becoming "stale", with even the league's lower tier members (such as Tottenham Hotspur for whatever reason) being too good for the rest of the country, and promoted teams simply there to fill out the numbers for a season before being replaced.

Both Sunderland and Leeds United were newly promoted to this division in 2025, and going into 2025-26, both were expected to be relegated (Sunderland moreso than Leeds, as they were viewed as WAY BEHIND the other promoted teams in terms of quality). However, both teams exceeded expectations - not only surviving to see another season in the Premier League, but THRIVING: Leeds finished eight points clear of being relegated, while Sunderland earned a spot in international competition with a seventh place finish (again, not super important for this post sadly).

This contest is part of a preseason tour organized by a third party company[^1], which does mean that this isn't exactly a "competitive match", but hey...how often do we get to see the "non-big" European clubs in the States? In addition, Leeds has the United States Men's National (Soccer) Team's Brenden Aaronson (AND he's from New Jersey), so that SHOULD be another incentive any for newly minted soccer fans to come and check it out![^2]

Tickets for this game were on the "maybe this isn't the best of uses of money" side a few weeks before this game; I recall seeing it being $49 for upper deck endzone seats (not the WORST price in the world, but maybe not so great for a friendly involving "lower tier" English clubs). However, a week and a half prior to the game, I saw that they had stopped selling upper deck seats entire and were selling the lower decks only (with endzone seats somehow still being $49), but I ended up getting THESE tickets for me and three friends for a somewhat shocking price (which I can safely say is NOT $49):

![An image of players jockeying for position as a corner kick falls into the box](/images/2026/0730-leesun.jpeg)

<figcaption>Close enough to be on camera when a shot goes sailing wide</figcaption>

As a "friendly", this game is a bit hard to "judge", as both teams are really just trying to see which youngsters might be good pieces for their squads while also trying to avoid getting their main guys injured (as losing key players can hurt BAD when your rank in the standings matters). In the end, Leeds won 1-0 on a SUPER flukey goal - but they didn't have Aaronson on their roster, so...

Also, I realize that this is MODERATELY unimportant overall, but it felt like there were more Leeds fans than Sunderland fans (though neither club had enough fans to create a real "English" feel - but the fans did try though). I have NO CLUE which team was the "designated" home team, but given that MOST stuff I saw for this game had Leeds listed first, I'd assume THEY were technically the home team (plus they attacked the stadium's traditional supporters' section in the second half - which teams typically do at home).

### MERCH

Both teams took the opportunity of being close to New York to host events for their 2026 home shirts in the city - both of which were unveiled in the days before this game. Sunderland gave fans a special opportunity to purchase their new home shirt around the corner from [Classic Football Shirts](2026-05-10_shirts_and_the_city) (where, coincidentally, I bought an old Sunderland shirt last year), but I couldn't make it partially due to the amount of work it takes to go to New York City along with a prior commitment (plus they sold out, so...). Leeds, on the other hand, had their reveal event at a retail store in Times Square, but I cannot figure out if their home shirt was available for sale at their event (as I only found out about it about 20 hours before this game).

At THIS match, both of the newly revealed home shirts (which both teams wore for the first time during the match) were available, along with away shirts for both teams that were revealed a while ago[^3] and a few other items. Leeds had stuff related to their U.S. tour, but Sunderland had more "general" items: training wear, hats, and scarves. I DID have some thoughts about getting a Sunderland scarf, but it was SUPER basic and had SEVERAL design "faux pas(es?)", so I ended up skipping it.

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[^1]: In case you were wondering: some of the other teams in this tour include Liverpool and Wrexham, who had a game at [Yankee Stadium](2025-08-13_nycfc) the day before this game.

[^2]: I wasn't sure how to fit this into the "main" post, but there was a plaza outside the stadium where both clubs had little booths outside the stadium where fans could take photos prior to the game as well as photo opportunities with mascots plus a stand that had both teams' home and away shirts available. Also, there's been ONE notable change to the stadium from my first visit: an "outdoor" bar area on ground level has since been enclosed.

[^3]: One small note about Sunderland's shirts: they're made by [Hummel](2026-03-08_westchestersc), so they have the "EU/US/ASIA" size differences as they're meant for the European market (and made in Turkiye/Turkey - it's a bit confusing). Also, for whatever reason, the size information is now near the bottom of the shirt rather than behind the neck...


My first REAL taste of English football

Leeds United vs. Sunderland @ Sports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, NJ)


I went over the [Hartford Yard Goats](2026-06-29_hfdyardgoats) about a month ago (and was at their stadium literally [the day before this](2026-07-26_bananaball_hfd)), but for those who need a recap: they were originally a Red Sox affiliate in Bristol, CT (in 1973), then moved to New Britain in the 1980s and became the New Britain Rock Cats in the mid-90s when they switched affiliates and got a new stadium. However, in 2016, the team left New Britain (a year after switching affiliates again) to become ~~a traveling team for a year due to construction delays~~ the Yard Goats.

Immediately after the Rock Cats’ departure (and a year BEFORE the stadium in Hartford opened), the Atlantic League moved into the vacancy left in New Britain with a new team: the New Britain Bees. Unfortunately, the team was rather mediocre and fairly unstable - hovering around .500 year after year while going through a bevy of front office staff and seeing sharp falloffs in attendance year after year. I won't get into _why_ things were the way they were, but I will note that independent baseball teams seem to have a tendency to struggle - especially if they have MLB and/or MiLB to contend with (see: the success of the Yard Goats).

Due to the instability, the franchise’s future was in doubt after the 2019 season; however, they announced a move to the Futures League in 2020 (but before you could dream of a "Central Connecticut Rivalry" with the [Bristol Blues](2026-06-30_briblues), THEY made their switch to the NECBL that same year). Since changing leagues, the team has been...a little bit better: they’ve made the playoffs each year since 2022, but have yet to win a championship (coming one game short last year).

As mentioned earlier, the aptly named New Britain Stadium was built in 1996 to replace nearby Beehive Stadium - the original Double-A stadium in New Britain (which is actually still standing today; it's SUPER barebones nowadays as it appears most of the stands were taken out at some point). In addition to these two, there's a football stadium next to the stadium, and the three serve New Britain's high school (though I'm not fully sure which stadium the baseball team uses).

The concourse here is rather big and "cavernous"; however, similar to other stadiums such as [Heritage Financial Park](2025-08-10_hvrenegades), the concourse is underneath the seating bowl, so most of it is blocked off from field view. Thankfully, the team pipes the radio broadcast throughout so that you don't "miss" much - though given the much lower level and relative lack of fans, I have to admit that the concourse feels a bit eerie. Outside of that...it's INCREDIBLY similar to other Minor League stadiums, so I'm not exactly sure what to say here - but...

_Unlike_ MANY of the Minor League stadiums I've talked about on this blog, there's one thing I want to mention about the field itself: the outfield walls. Unlike other stadiums where the walls are varying heights, the outfield walls here are all the same height - which is much, MUCH taller than your typical outfielder. I don't believe that this is the ONLY stadium with walls like this, but it is notable since it prevents "easy" home runs. Also, there appears to be a pitch clock on one of the outfield walls, but the Futures League (and NECBL for that matter) doesn't use a pitch clock (the Cape League does however).

![An image of New Britain Stadium](/images/2026/0726-nbstadium.jpeg)

<figcaption>Note the position/height of the outfielders relative to the walls behind them</figcaption>

I've heard that the "main" videoboard in the outfield stopped working a few years ago, and unfortunately, it appears that they just gave up on the thing entirely, as a static logo sits where it used to be (seen in the picture above), and a smaller display below the scoreboard displays some basic information about players.

I’ve been to this stadium two times in the past: Once in 2021 to check out the team store on the way to Boston, and again in June of 2023 to see a game (though I only saw like two innings because I decided to run over to another stadium an hour away). This particular visit was born out of "convenience": the lateness of [Banana Ball](2026-07-26_bananaball_hfd) the night before meant that I had to find a place to spend the night, but thankfully, I did! Since I was still in CT, I figured it'd be a fun thing to do on the Sunday (as opposed to just going straight home)[^1]. To my (slight) surprise, THIS was a double header like my recent trip to [Danbury](2026-07-24_dbywesterners) - and similar to those games, the home team won both games here as well.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to “chance” a lightly stocked concession stand at the stadium, so I got lunch right before arriving. With the game starting at noon, however, I arrived a bit late and ended up missing the three runs the Bees scored to win Game 1 - none of which were earned.

Depending on how you look at things, game 2 was either more or less "eventful" - I did have to leave before it ended due to traffic concerns, but it ended an inning early due to the Futures League's mercy rule (the Bees won 11-1, with the last run coming in the bottom of the sixth inning).

### MERCH

As a former minor league stadium, there’s a dedicated, fully enclosed team store - something surprisingly rare in the Futures League (the only other team with this feature: the league's other ex-Double-A stadium[^2]). In fact, this is how I was able to visit in 2021, as there likely wouldn’t have been anything for me to do had this not existed (that and there were interns present to help me).

Anyway, the store here is a bit on the small side IMO - though the Bees not having a ton of alternate identities helps keep it from feeling "crowded" (see: [Somerset](2026-04-17_sompatriots)). I’ve gotten several hats here, as the Bees have two logos (an "NB" logo and a cartoon bee) and two styles of hat (all black and black with yellow bill) that they’ve combined Punnett square style (though not all of them have been used on the field as far as I know). I should note, though, that the Bees are one of two Futures League teams I've seen that didn't have jerseys available for sale (or at least I THINK the other team didn't sell jerseys); I BELIEVE they had them online at one point, but none were available either time I went.

Also, this is the only stadium in the Futures League where I’ve actually been able to purchase (unused) game balls, as they’re the only team I’ve seen sell them (though I also bought some All Star Game used baseballs at the Vermont Lake Monsters team office, as they run a store there).

This time, the store felt kinda sparse. Pretty much everything was on the walls, and it was mostly shirts and hats with a few novelties thrown in. One of those novelties was, once again, the Futures League game ball, which brings me to one final thing I want to mention:

Back when I was living in Massachusetts, Futures League baseballs had no manufacturer brand on them. At some point after 2023, it appears they "switched" to Rawlings (who also make the Cape League and NECBL baseballs), but they still retained a Futures League "tradition": the year being stamped onto the ball (in the area of the commissioner's signature).

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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[^3]), and this week marks the final week of the NECBL's regular season (i.e. no more time). I have visited them in the past (sorta...), and do intend on talking about them later this summer (partially as they shared a unique connection when I visited them).

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[^1]: I mentioned back when I saw the Yard Goats that I bought a ticket to a game I ended up not going to; had I made it to THAT game, this trip would have occurred on June 28th. Also, where I spent the night is fairly well west of Hartford, but New Britain is more or less due south of Hartford, so I did have to "backtrack" a bit...

[^2]: Emphasis on the "Double-A", as there's other ex-MiLB stadia in the Futures League that are a bit different.

[^3]: I do have thoughts on visiting the area soon, but that trip will almost certainly be after the summer ball seasons are over.


The Buzz in Hard Hittin’ New Britain

New Britain Bees (Futures League) @ New Britain Stadium (New Britain, CT)


The Indianapolis Clowns were a member of the Negro Leagues from about 1942-1955 - though their history seems to date back to the 1930s. I won't go over EVERY bit of their history, but they won three league championships in the early 1950s and are also famous for signing one Henry Aaron to his first professional contract before he was signed by the Braves (while they were still in Boston - because screw Tom Yawkey apparently[^1]). However, even throughout that time, they were well known as a barnstorming team (as well as one of the first baseball teams to sign female players). In fact, even as the Negro Leagues went into decline thanks to the integration of Major League Baseball, the Clowns were still touring into the 1980s - though the organization went dormant in 1989.

In 2025, it was announced that through a partnership with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (in Kansas City, MO), the Indianapolis Clowns would return to their barnstorming ways as the sixth member of the Banana Ball Championship League, which means...

## SURPRISE! This is another Banana Ball post!

...Though you might have known that already by reading the title and seeing "The Party Animals".

On some level, this seems like something I should NOT be doing: Hartford is two and a half hours away AND known for being...not the best, plus this is a 7 PM game, which means that I'm almost certainly getting home near or after midnight if I tried to go home the same night. However, since I had access to tickets thanks to being a [K Club member](bananaball_bospt2), I figured I'd get a ticket during the K Club period just in case I felt like going (i.e. "don't be sorry you missed out"). Also...JBJ.

Some readers may recall that Jackie Bradley Jr. - a former Major League Baseball player known for his defensive prowess (and about one hot streak offensively a year) - was a special guest when I saw the Bananas at [Fenway Park](bananaball_bospt3), but this year, he's now a full fledged Banana Ball player for the Indianapolis Clowns.

Anyway, the plaza was actually pretty small this time (or at least it FELT small), and there was no special K Club area [again](2026-06-12_bananaball_js), so I don't really have that much to say about it. However, it did feature this absolutely amazing entryway:

![An image of the entryway into the plaza of an Indianapolis Clowns game](/images/2026/0725-entryway.jpeg)

I’ve already been to [Dunkin’ Park](2026-06-29_hfdyardgoats) and talked about it, so I won't go over the stadium again. I do have to admit that I almost didn't go to that game KNOWING that I was coming for this (this was after buying a ticket to another Yard Goats game but then being unable to go), but I still wanted to see the stadium BEFORE Banana Ball, as it would probably be MUCH harder to explore when it was sold out. Me going to that game ended up being semi-prudent, because it made me realize how narrow the concourses can be, but also I didn't really explore the stadium that much since I got THIS view for the game[^2]:

![An image of the Indianapolis Clowns being introduced at Dunkin Park from one of the front rows](/images/2026/0725-bananaball-frontrow.jpeg)

Another reason I wanted to see Indianapolis Clowns "live":

### MERCH

_(Yes, I am once again doing this "early" for narrative flow purposes)_

I’ve found that the merch tents at Banana Ball games frequently have items not available online, so I figured I’d at least check in on that (as the Clowns were the only team I hadn't done that for yet). In addition, there was one thing that I saw online that I wanted to "check in" on: hats.

The Banana Ball online store indicates that Indianapolis Clowns player hats are mostly cotton, and the last time I bought a cotton Zephyr hat, it did NOT go over well (Zephyr being the brand that makes hats for many, MANY teams including several of the Banana Ball teams plus every team in the New England and Futures Leagues). However, the Clowns hat I ended up getting from this game is actually polyester (which is what most hats are made of nowadays).

Also, I mentioned back at the [first Banana Ball game I went to this year](2026-04-25_bananaball_ny) that player jerseys were available at that game. As I understand it, each team has at least one player jersey available at games, and for the Clowns, that player is JBJ (again, former Major Leaguer). Given the likelihood of this game being full of Red Sox fans (Hartford being the closest the Clowns get to Boston proper in 2026[^3]), I wasn't sure if they'd still have his jersey by the time I got to the merch tables (as this was the final day they'd be in Hartford). Thankfully, the org had a special "player jersey ordering period" a few months before this game where you could get specific players, so I ended up taking advantage of that and ordering a JBJ jersey online (which arrived a few weeks before this game[^4]).

### Send in the Clowns

The thing with expansion teams is that they tend to struggle in their first year. On some level, the Clowns are no exception to that as they're last place in the Banana Ball Championship League standings. However, they went into this game with a chance to earn a sweep of the Party Animals...which they didn't as they lost by a rather wide margin (both in terms of points and "raw" runs scored). A big part of that, sadly, was a WHOLE LOTTA unearned runs (runs scored from fielding errors), which feels a bit...not good for a competition where players are encouraged to wow fans with incredibly difficult trick plays defensively. However, I must admit that I think the Clowns have the best presentation of the three Banana Ball teams I've seen host games.

Banana Ball has often been described as "baseball crossed with the circus", and while I don't know how the organization feels about being called that, one thing is for certain: the Clowns REALLY lean into that idea (again, their entryway display says "The Original Baseball Circus"). Unlike the other two teams I've seen, the pregame felt a lot less "gimmicky" - it included where the team acknowledges legends from the history of the Clowns, a slapstick bit, probably the best hosts among the ones I've seen, and during the whole thing, the jumbotron was in grayscale. Also, while the Clowns don't have as many "characters" as some of the other teams, all of them felt USEFUL - including the mascot who pitches from time to time (but not this game). Finally, I don't recall if I mentioned the Bananas having a marching band, but the Clowns do as well (the Coconuts and Party Animals have rock bands), and having that makes the atmosphere so much cooler IMO.

The only thing I think that would have made the experience better (and may also help the other teams as well) is if the six BBCL teams didn't all have the same playlist during games. Sure, hearing "BOOM BOOM BOOM A-LET ME HEAR YOU SAY WAY-O" is great if you want fans to be active participants, but I feel like it'd be fun to hear some 50s and 60s music during the game - y'know, have fans jamming to stuff like Motown (and they play it in the plaza too, so...)[^5].

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P.S.: I checked, and I'm fairly certain my seat was NOT in the "standard" camera view. If I'm in some of the batter closeups and you are demented enough to look for me:

- Navy JBJ Clowns jersey over a [Danbury Westerners](2026-07-24_dbywesterners) "shirsey"
- Party Animals hat

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[^1]: Look up Tom Yawkey if you have some time, and find out why I cringe a bit every time I go to a Cape Cod Baseball League game. While you do that, you can also learn about why Bill Russell and Torii Hunter feel the way they do about Boston...

[^2]: I don't know how ticket buying works for lottery folk as I've never done it, but for the K Club, you buy in sections, and then you're assigned a seat closer to the game.

[^3]: In case you forgot: Hartford basically sits on the "Boston/New York" dividing line in Connecticut, and the Yard Goats game I went to featured a LOT of Sox fans, as the visiting team was their Double-A affiliate.

[^4]: I ALMOST wore it to the [MLB All-Star festivities](20262-07-13_mlballstar2026), but ended up opting for a **MONTRÉAL EXPOS** jersey I got from eBay a few years ago.

[^5]: Also, they never actually played "Send in the Clowns"...


The "original" barnstorming baseball team returns

Indianapolis Clowns vs. The Party Animals @ Dunkin’ Park (Hartford, CT)


The Danbury Westerners have been part of _most_ of the NECBL's history: established in Danbury in 1995, they are the oldest continuously operating NECBL team that have never relocated[^1]. Despite three decades of history as the westernmost team in all of New England summer ball (hence the name “Westerners”), they’ve only won the NECBL title once - back in 2021 (which was the first year I followed the New England summer baseball leagues). As the southwesternmost team in all of New England, they're a bit unique in that they're pretty much the ONLY team fully in (New York) Yankee territory - a fact marked by Yankees themed raffles and the PC Richard and Son whistle for strikeouts (something the Yankees do).

Their home for their entire existence has been at a public park known as Rogers Park. According to Wikipedia, the park was first opened in 1941, and features a war memorial as well as the Charles Ives House (the house where composer Charles Ives was born - though it's been relocated a few times); of course, I'm here to talk about the baseball field. Similar to [Bill Smith Park](2026-06-19_okiloggerheads), there's actually several fields here; the one the Westerners play at is located right next to a middle school which, in a sense, is similar to many [Cape League](ccbl_overview) fields such as [Wareham](2025-08-20_wargatemen). One major difference between the Cape League and Rogers Park: games are NOT free, but tickets are less than ten dollars a game, and unlike the "nearby" [Ice Arena](2026-02-15_dbyjrhattricks), there's free parking (partially because the arena is in downtown Danbury).

![An image of Rogers Park](/images/2026/0723-rogerspark.jpeg)

As a "public" field, there's not a lot to talk about in terms of "fan amenities" - but probably more than you might expect. There are three sets of bleachers: a small one down the first base side, a "medium" sized one behind home plate, and a large grandstand down the third base line "topped" by the press box. Due to how the field is oriented, this main stand has lots of shade thanks to the press box, which is nice if you don't want to be in the sun (especially on a hot day). If you're wondering about things to eat, drink, or wear, I'll get to that later.

I've been thinking about making this trip for quite a while, as it WAS supposed to be the first NECBL venue on this blog (my original plan was to visit the night before going to [Hartford](2026-06-29_hfdyardgoats)). However, a combination of schedule conflicts, bad weather, and Canadian wildfire smoke caused this trip to constantly get pushed back until now (almost to the point where it could be pushed back no further due to how short summer league schedules are).

Part of why I chose this date (besides AMAZING weather for once): the team had a doubleheader against the Marthas Vineyard Sharks (yep, there's a summer league team on Marthas Vineyard - more on them later this year), so the start time got moved up from 6:30 (which is mildly "doable" but kinda difficult) to 4 PM (which is WAY easier for the drive back). However, an evening commitment meant that I had to leave somewhere in the vicinity of 5:30 - midway through a WILD first game that saw Danbury score **10** runs in the first two innings en route to victory; I later found out that game 2 ended with another Danbury win (and I should note that these wins are coming against the best team in the NECBL).

In addition, the [Bristol Blues game I went to that got rained out](2026-06-30_briblues) was resumed/completed the same day this trip took place, and it ended the same way it was left off: Bristol won 3-0.

### MERCH

Summer league baseball in New England is notorious in that a lot of teams do not sell merchandise online. As a baseball hat collector, it's even worse when you add the fact that even the teams that DO sell online merchandise often do not sell game hats (meaning you have to go to games to get them)[^2]. However, the Westerners are somewhat unique in that they occasionally do online merchandise sales - but not via an online store (such as Square or ShopPay); instead, they do the web version of “mail order”: you contact them via email, and then after a series of emails and a card transaction, you (should) receive a shiny new piece of merch in your mailbox. I’m not sure how often they do this, but I did get a hat from them back in 2022 this way.

If you're at the game, there's a bar area (i.e. alcohol) down the first base line, but the main concession stand and a merchandise area are in a building towards third[^3]. For a summer collegiate team, the Westerners had quite a diverse selection of items for sale - including jerseys (one of few teams in the NECBL I've seen do so[^4]) as well as unused NECBL game balls (something MUCH rarer - as in I only saw one other team do this)[^5]. Also, most teams that wear hats that aren't made by New Era usually sell them solely as only flexfit hats (from my experience), but the Westerners were a bit odd in that they had both flexfit AND fitted game hats (though I believe the fitted hats were from a previous season judging by the available sizes they had).

One interesting note about NECBL game balls: I believe each team has their own game ball, as many of the ones I've seen have sponsors' logos on them. For the Westerners specifically, they don't have a sponsor; instead, the area where a sponsor's logo would go is replaced with the team's logo.

I also ended up finding multiple NECBL game baseballs during my 2023 visit...in a canal across the street from left field. If you’re willing to bring a fishing net or some heavy duty boots, you might be able to get free baseballs galore! Whether or not they're clean is another issue entirely however...

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[^1]: The league debuted in 1994 with five teams, but only two of those teams still exist today - neither of them in their original home (and one switched leagues for a few years).

[^2]: I have ordered hats from a grand total of ELEVEN teams across the New England summer leagues (one of them being Danbury as mentioned above). However, several of the teams no longer sell hats online (as of 2026), one hat was shipped so poorly I had to return it at the stadium, and two hats never arrived (one of those being from [Bristol](2026-06-30_briblues)). Also, [Brockton](2025-08-22_brorox)...

[^3]: The merch booth opened after the first game started - I'm guessing the guys who run it had other things to do prior to 4:30...

[^4]: I'll get into some of the other NECBL teams that sold jerseys later this year, but one of them was the [Winnipesaukee Muskrats](2026-04-11_wpsmuskrats).

[^5]: Official Game Baseballs are surprisingly hard to find on sale outside of Major League Baseball and the Cape League...and yes this does include the Minor Leagues: I've only seen them in four MiLB team stores ([Brooklyn](2025-08-09_bkncyclones), [Reading](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils), [Somerset](2026-04-17_sompatriots), and [Myrtle Beach](2026-06-15_mbpelicans)), and the Cyclones didn't have any the last time I was there. However, based on my last visit to Dick's Sporting Goods, MLB game balls are also getting a bit harder to find...


Summer league baseball on New England's "Western Frontier"

Danbury Westerners (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Rogers Park (Danbury, CT)


To be fully honest with you all...I'm not sure how to start this post.

I don't know if I should get into the full "nitty gritty" of the history of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but it is the oldest ASG amongst North American sports leagues (with the first game being held in 1933), and is generally viewed as the highlight of the baseball (and American sporting) summer[^1].

As you may expect, however, getting in isn't cheap. When I looked at tickets while scanning SeatGeek one day, the "get in price" (i.e. the least expensive tickets) for the All-Star Game and/or the Home Run Derby (a batting exhibition held the night before the game) was several hundred dollars. These are the "main" components of the All-Star festivities, but there's also a third day of events during the All-Star festivities - and this is what I'm going to discuss today (as the get in price was WAY lower).

Some of you out there are probably wondering: "Wait, how the hell did you get this ticket?" Well, you're not COMPLETELY wrong: originally, my understanding from MLB's website was that individual tickets for the three days were NOT going to be available. Instead, you would have to buy a "ticket strip" which covers all three events (which I can only assume goes for close to 1,000 dollars at its cheapest based on the SeatGeek data). This is, of course, because there's millions of baseball fans across the country and only 42,901 seats available (according to Wikipedia), so much like the [Savannah Bananas](bananaball_bospt2)/[Cosmic Baseball](2026-05-15_cosmicbaseball), it's lottery/raffle based.

However, a few weeks after I bought my ticket, I saw that individual tickets for Sunday had become available on MLB's website...but I won't say more than that as, again, I got this on SeatGeek.

There are TWO events that happened during this visit - first:

### The All-Star Futures Game

**_The future of Major League Baseball (assuming it survives the [inevitable lockout of 2027](2026-05-02_1994ws))_**

The All-Star Futures Game is, in essence, a showcase of some of baseball's top prospects from all across Minor League Baseball. I don't know if I should go in depth on the idea of a "Top Prospects List" (as it SHOULD be self-explanatory), but the game was first played at the 1999 All-Star Game at [Fenway Park in Boston](bananaball_bospt3)[^2] (a game known for being Ted Williams' final public appearance before he died in 2002). Originally, the teams were based on where the player was born (U.S. vs the World), but since 2019, the teams have been based on which league their MLB club is part of (American League vs. National League).

One BIG difference between the Futures Game and a "standard" baseball game: game length and extra innings. Unlike a regular baseball game, the Futures Game is only seven innings, and if tied after seven, only one extra inning is played; if the game is tied after this extra inning, it ends in a tie (y'know, just like the 2002 All-Star Game).

Players are drawn from all 30 MLB clubs and are selected by a consortium of writers and other people from around MLB. Each organization gets at least one representative (much like the "actual" All-Star Game), and from what I could glean on Wikipedia, none of the players at the Futures Game have MLB experience: if a player is selected to the game and then called up to their MLB club before the game, they're replaced.

This year, the American League won for only the second time in the AL vs. NL format (their other win was in 2022). I must say, however, that the atmosphere for this game was SORELY lacking: it seemed that most people were using it as a way to get into the stadium for cheap (again, the other events are WAY more expensive).

After the game, there was a break while the second event was set up:

### MLBx

**_Baseball to the XTREME_**

In previous years, the All-Star festivities included a softball game played by formmer MLB players and celebrities of varying fame. I remember hearing about it and seeing bits of it growing up, but I don't think I ever watched the full thing because it was usually broadcast on a tape delay after the Home Run Derby (i.e. at like 11 PM on a Monday night). This year, however...the softball game has been replaced by something completely new: MLBx.

Borrowing a page from the Australian Football League (and obviously hoping for WAY better results), MLBx is a "variant" of baseball designed to speed up the game and increase the "action"...or at least that's what my initial thought was (when I bought this ticket). However, as details were unveiled closer to the event, it turned out that it wasn't really "baseball": it was more of a glorified Home Run Derby variant which, to my surprise, has been around since **2022**.

The way it works is that each team has three players, and each player has one "inning" to themselves...sorta: they have a two minute time limit to try and hit as many home runs as they can (and can also "tag in" a teammate to finish their inning if they so choose). The other team plays in the outfield (designated with a cricket-style rope) during this time, and can also earn points by catching the ball. After each player has had an at bat, whichever team has more points wins. There's a few other quirks such as a "target zone" where home runs count double, but I honestly don't know how important. What is important, however, is that the players bat on an elevated stage which was set up right "behind" the pitchers mound (toward the outfield), and the field was narrower than the "standard" field.

![An image of the stage used for MLBx](/images/2026/0712-mlbxstage.jpeg)

This was a four team tournament: three of the teams were led by mid-2000s Phillies legends Shane Victorino (who's been working with the [Loco Beach Coconuts](2026-06-12_bananaball_js)), Ryan Howard (the former MVP and Home Run Derby champion), and Jimmy Rollins (another former MVP). However, it seems that there were no other Phillies legends available (y'know, guys like Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, and Bobby Abreu[^3]), so the fourth team was led by...Andruw Jones (who was booed hard the whole time).

Each team also featured a softball player from Athletes Unlimited Softball League (a professional softball league which has ZERO stops near me), and the third player for each team was...interesting: two of the teams had Philadelphia Eagles players (including Rollins teaming with...Terrell Owens), while the other two teams featured celebrities I can't say I've heard of.

The first round saw Howard's team take on Rollins' team in the first game, and then Victorino's team took on "Team Braves". Howard beat Rollins to get to the final, but if you felt that the first game was a bit boring and were hoping that Things Can Only Get Better for the final[^4], I am saddened to report that THIS was the scoreline for the second game, and - more importantly - Andruw Jones was the first to bat (upper left score):

![An image of a scoreline. The first player - Andruw Jones - scored zero points](/images/2026/0712-mlbxscores.jpeg)

<figcaption>Yes - that is the ONLY Hall of Famer amongst the four team captains putting up "Jason Bay in the '05 HRD" numbers...</figcaption>

I had to leave about a third of the way into the final round (it was almost 5 PM at this point), but Victorino handily beat Howard to claim the tournament crown. I did get to see his softball player absolutely RAKE in the final, however (she didn't get much time in the semi as she immediately hit a "walk-off").

One thing about MLBx I found VERY strange: Rollins and Victorino both used a "fourth" player (the same guy for both teams). I don't know who he is nor do I remember his name, but he was seemingly there as a "plant" to keep things interesting, as he was BAD...especially while playing for Victorino (he single-handedly kept the Braves team in the contest after Andruw Jones' MASSIVE flop).

With all that in mind, there's actually one other thing that goes on during All Star Weekend:

### All-Star VIllage @ Pennsylvania Convention Center

All-Star Village is something I had never heard about it until the build up for this year, but in short: it's basically a convention-esque event featuring a lot of activities, meet and greet/autograph opportunities, and a few vendors. I can't say that most of it really appealed to me (partially due to long lines - especially for certain autographs), but I did manage to catch part of a Q and A with Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins (which was definitely a highlight).

Tickets are available for about 30 dollars, but MLB has a deal with Capital One wherein certain Capital One cardholders get free tickets, and guess what's in my wallet?<br>(see what I did there)

My access also included a thing where I got to enter early, but with the Futures Game at noon, Philly about an hour and a half away, and the All-Star Village quite a ways away from CBP, I wasn't able to make it.

I also want to talk about

### All-Star Merch

In the past, players typically wore their regular "game" jerseys (i.e. home for the league hosting the game and away for the other league) for the All-Star Game, but had special "league" jerseys for other events (such as the Home Run Derby). I've managed to find a few of these special jerseys at various vintage stores/events over the past few years (including finding both leagues' jerseys at a Marshalls once).

This year, however, MLB bucked that a bit by having players wear special versions of their "normal" jerseys for the derby: each player had their regular jersey, but with special flag designs on the numbers (these were also worn for July 4th). On some level, this is rather disappointing, as the league jerseys are typically a highlight of the event, but at least for me, it did mean one less thing to think about when perusing merchandise at the ballpark and All-Star Village (the Futures Game did feature these "league uniforms", but I didn't see them for sale anywhere). One thing that I maybe should have thought about before leaving for the game so late: the team store was CRAZY during the game (I missed quite a bit of the Futures Game waiting to pay for things).

Aside from that, each team has its own special hat for the game (this has been going on for a while). I will admit, however, that I'm not really into these kinds of things, as I feel like they're a bit more "fashion-y" than what I'd prefer to wear (not to mention they're pricey and there's 30 of them)[^5].

Also, at All-Star Village, a few of MLB's partners were selling items - most notably Rawlings (the company behind the league's official baseballs). Not only were they selling baseballs connected to the 2026 All-Star events, but also historical All-Star Games and World Series (including 1994) - I do suspect that these historical baseballs are reproductions however.

Finally, I did try to track how many of MLB's 30 teams were represented in the crowd, and I managed to count all but two: the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians (though I did see custom jerseys for both teams had been bought at the team store, which had all 30 teams at this game)[^6].

---

[^1]: (insert comment about 2026's major soccer tournament here)

[^2]: Fun fact: I have a program from this game that I got at the Red Sox Team Store in 2019 (along with programs for each of the post-1918 World Series the Sox won).

[^3]: Abreu won the Home Run Derby AS A PHILLIE for crying out loud, AND I heard he was in the area during the weekend!

[^4]: I realize that this is a VERY specific reference that most folks reading this probably don't get, but I was honestly expecting a Howard/Jones final, so...

[^5]: There's also the fact that the hats are CRAZY hard to find in the right size, and for certain hats (like, y'know, the Red Sox), the dark navy color made some of the elements basically impossible to see...

[^6]: Colorado Rockies, consider yourselves lucky that I saw someone in a Rockies hat right before I left the All-Star Village, or you'd be on this list too...


Sportventures

Preseason across the Pond

A visit to the Hive

The Amazing Baseball Circus

A happy team at Westy's

Star Struck