
### [26 IN 26 STOP 11](26in26list)

_\*This trip occurred on April 18, 2026._

Indoor football is a sport with a very WILD history. While there were a plethora of random exhibition indoor games held throughout the early part of the 20th century (and even an NFL playoff game), the sport as it is known today first debuted in 1987 when an executive who had previously worked with the NFL founded the Arena Football League - the first indoor football league (who, it should be noted, owned the trademark for "Arena Football" - hence the sport being called "indoor football" instead).

Since then, many leagues have started up, many leagues have folded for various reasons, many teams have started up, many teams have folded for various reasons (some before even playing a game, and others MID-SEASON), there was a league where the fans controlled play calls, the AFL had games broadcast on network television, the AFL folded, Antonio Brown (yes, THAT Antonio Brown) owned an indoor football team[^1], the AFL <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_Football_League_(2024)" target="blank">attempted a comeback</a> (emphasis on "attempted"), and there’s probably one or two other stories in there that I forgot. To give a more personal example of just how volatile indoor football can be, I had intentions of seeing the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League (probably the most stable of the indoor leagues right now) last season, but ended up backing out. Unfortunately, the Pirates relocated to Orlando, FL during this past offseason (having already moved from Worcester to Lowell due to purported arena lease issues). Anyway, with that preamble out of the way, let’s talk about this team and league - though to be honest, it’s going to be kinda difficult.

First, the league: The American Arena League was founded in 2017 as a merger of two other leagues. However, the league went dormant after 2021 (I THINK), though its minor league circuit (AAL2) continued on and became the de facto "top" league. This year (2026), the league is making a comeback with a whopping FOUR teams[^2] - one of them being the Jersey Bearcats.

The Jersey Bearcats were founded in 2018, but didn’t join the AAL until 2021 (though I guess that it was technically AAL2). In their (rather) short time in the AAL2, they won the league’s championship in 2023; in fact, three of the founding members of "AAL 2.0" are the now junior circuit’s three most recent champions!

In order to be able to talk about the team’s history, I ended up scrolling through their Instagram feed to get more information. Through that, I found out that the team originally played in Metuchen, NJ, but at some point (Wikipedia says 2023), they moved to Warinanco Sports Center in Roselle, NJ - a building whose name is somewhat familiar to me as my high school’s hockey team played games there.

I don’t know the full history of the building, but its website indicates that it was built in 1961 as the first public "artificial" skating rink in its county (i.e. not just a frozen lake) and then extensively renovated in 2017; this renovation also saw the building get renamed to "Warinanco Sports Center" (and is also why I remember it being called "Warinanco Rink" when I was in high school).

As a community sports center, I feel like a lot of the things I've said about other places like this apply - though it is smaller than many of the other community arenas I've been to (i.e. [Middletown](2025-09-14_njtitans), [Danbury](2026-02-15_dbyhattricks) or [Mennen](2026-03-22_fphl_mennen)). One thing that separates Warinanco from these places, however...

...The arena isn't fully indoors.

The main arena here is a separate structure from its entrance (which hosts a cafe), and while three sides of the arena do feature walls, the fourth side (which is the one closest to the entry building) is partially exposed to the outdoors. In essence, it's KINDA like a cross between a gazebo and a barn - complete with massive support beams for the roof which create obstructed views.

![An image of indoor football](/images/2026/0419-warinanco.jpeg)

<figcaption>I don't really have any photos to show how "exposed" the far sideline (of this photo) is to the outside, but you can sort of see the natural light exposing the roof of the adjacent building</figcaption>

There's only a few rows of seats here (on the side opposite the entrance), but due to the height of the bleachers being quite low and the fact that players were standing on the benches (as I think there's not enough room for them to sit), it was near impossible to see the game from them if you were trying to sit down.

I’ll be honest: the main reason this trip ended up on my radar was because I randomly looked up indoor football one day to see what leagues/teams were in existence this year. Once I saw that a team was playing in Jersey, I decided to look them up and found out that they were VERY close to home. Despite having a prior commitment that would, in part, conflict with the ending of this game (this game started at 4, and my other event was at 7), I chose to go to it to alleviate a potential "sticky" situation next month (which is when I was originally planning to go).

Unfortunately, said prior commitment meant that I had to leave the game around halftime - which is quite early for my tastes. However, I apparently didn't miss too much, as the score was 40-6 when I left and ended 54-6, so it seems that not much happened during the second half. Also, I mentioned earlier that the AAL has only four teams this year; however, those four teams are "padding" their schedules by playing teams from what is now AAL2, and the Bearcats' opponent for this game was an AAL2 side: the "New Jersey" Eagles (New Jersey in quotes because my research indicates that they play in Pennsylvania).

Finally, for WHOLLY inexplicable reasons, the boards featured ads for the Dallas Vigilantes - a team from the original AFL that only existed for two seasons and folded in 2011 - FIFTEEN years ago.

### MERCH

There was a t shirt toss that I was on the wrong side of the arena for...and that was it. There was also popcorn for sale from a group that also sells their popcorn at [Rutgers basketball games](2025-11-25).

---

[^1]: It went about as well as you'd expect if you know who Antonio Brown is, but if you don't: let's just say it didn't go very well. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5cUUXwqCE8" target="blank">This video</a> goes more in depth on the saga, but I do need to attach a viewer discretion advisory as it contains strong language (as well as a reference to a somewhat explicit thing Brown did). Also, the same YouTuber has a video on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-73O7HM21g" target="blank">the insanity of AFL 2024</a> that was made THREE WEEKS into the season.

[^2]: I realize this is a VERY rough summary, but it goes to show just how insane things get in indoor football. If you want the bigger picture, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Arena_League" target="blank">here’s the league’s Wikipedia page</a>.


Are you ready for some (partially) indoor football?

Jersey Bearcats (American Arena League) @ Warinanco Sports Complex (Roselle, NJ)


_\*This trip occurred on April 16, 2026. I’ve been to this stadium AND seen this team before, but since I’ve never talked about either yet, I’ve indicated this situation with this “New to Blog” badge. I don't think I’ll use it that often, but I can almost guarantee that this is NOT the only time I'll use it._

Oh, the Somerset Patriots.

I truly do not know how to feel about them.

On the one hand, they've been the closest baseball team to me since I moved to New Jersey in 2001. They were established a few years before that (1998) as a founding member of the Atlantic League, and under the leadership of long time manager Sparky Lyle (who managed the team from their founding all the way to 2012), won five Atlantic League titles (then added a sixth in 2015).

As a long time independent baseball "darling", I remember going to a game sometime after the Freddie Bynum era in Baltimore[^1], visiting a "Somerset Day" event which featured an "old timey baseball" exhibition game (or something like that), and then visiting the team store to collect their Atlantic League flexfit hats when they became an affiliated MiLB team and largely did away with flexfits for fitted hats.

On the other hand...remember when I said they became an affiliated MiLB team? Well, they’re affiliated with...the Yankees. This was probably one of the more controversial moves in the 2020 realignment, as they took the place of the [Trenton Thunder](2025-08-15_trethunder)[^2] - a team who were viewed as one of the better markets in MiLB (at least in terms of fan support). There's a TON of factors that go into what happened, but for better or worse, I think one of the main motivations for the move was one of the main motivations for the 2020 realignment: keep prospects (and rehab assignments) closer to the major league team[^3].

Depending on how you view the whole situation, then the team’s time as a Yankee affiliate will either please or upset you: they’ve become one of the Eastern League’s higher drawing teams (being pretty much consistently fifth since joining the league), and only missed the playoffs once (in 2021 - when there were no Minor League playoffs). In addition, the team won the Eastern League in 2022 - though it should be noted that Minor League Baseball playoffs are viewed as more of an obligation than a reward, so make of that what you may.

![An image of action during a Somerset Patriots game at TD Bank Ballpark](/images/2026/0416-somerset.jpeg)

Honestly, I feel like this stadium is kinda...run of the mill. It opened with the team’s debut in 1998 and is in suburban Bridgewater, New Jersey - flanked by a shopping center across the street and New Jersey Transit’s Raritan Valley Line just past the outfield (the stadium shares parking with the RVL’s Bridgewater station). There’s not a ton of interesting things around for pre/post game near the stadium (though in fairness this is true of a lot of the Minor League stadiums I've been to on this blog), but Bridgewater Commons is a short drive away if you want to check it out.

In many ways, this stadium actually rather similar to Trenton Thunder Ballpark: a "split seating bowl" with the main concourse at the top and a walkway separating upper and lower sections midway down towards the field, but here, the concourse is partially at “street level” as opposed to the whole thing being elevated (or it’s just due to the whole stadium being built on an incline). There's a "Wall of Fame" in left, but for whatever reason, it seems that the team is more or less uninterested in their Atlantic League heritage, as the only mentions of it I could find were the championship flags in the outfield.

![An image of a walkway in the seating bowl of TD Bank Ballpark](/images/2026/0416-middle.jpeg)

<figcaption>For those who want/need a visual explanation of the "middle walkway", I've included this photo. The main concourse is above the sections on the left, and the field is below the sections on the right.</figcaption>

There were MULTIPLE times I considered coming here in 2025: trying to see the Portland Sea Dogs, trying to get a “free” jersey (which I couldn't do because of another commitment and Jazz Chisholm Jr.), a thought of a trip with friends - and with the exception of the last one, all of these ideas were BEFORE I started this blog. I felt heading into 2026 that if/when this game were to happen, it should be a friends trip - partially because one of them was actually a bat boy for the team at some point, and mentioned a lot of the things he had to do for the players for that job (including attempting to do their convenience store shopping as a teenager in a state where the minimum age for tobacco is 21).

However, after my recent trip to [the BlueClaws](2026-04-08_jsblueclaws2), I realized that I wanted to (re)visit this place for a game since it's been at least seven years since the last time I've been here for something other than the team store (even though, y'know, Yankees). Since we had a stretch of EXTREMELY warm weather for April, I figured that week would be good for a game, and then throw in an Anthony Volpe rehab assignment (he grew up in the area and went to high school about half an hour away) and I felt I'd try and spend an evening here (though the "friends trip" is VERY much still on the table for later in the year).

The game ended up being a bit of a wild one, but in the end, Somerset prevailed. Again, I'm not sure if I'm "happy" about that or not because Yankee affiliate, but it does help my personal "win-loss record" for this blog (which, after a REAL rough stretch in March, is now back over .500 for the year)[^4].

(P.S.: Shout out to the choir from my old middle school, who sang the anthem before the game. I'm pretty sure all of them were still at least five years away from being born when I graduated...)

### MERCH

This stadium has probably one of the smaller team stores I've seen in the Eastern League. I feel like it worked well when the team was independent, but as they've become an affiliated team and added several alternate identities, their merchandise selections have outgrown the small space; it really feels like half the store is on the concourse now.

I've visited this store SEVERAL times outside of games (partially due to parking being free at these times), and each of the past few times I've been, they've left those merchandise racks on the concourse (it's covered by the suite level/press box, so the items are largely protected from the elements). I should note that this problem is not exclusive to Somerset; fellow Yankee affiliate [Hudson Valley](2025-08-12_hvrenegades) had racks outside their store during the game I went to last year (and inside it when I visited before the game - which made it hard to navigate).

I think I've mentioned on this blog that I'm not super into MiLB alternate identities. However, the Patriots have one of the best alt identities in all of Minor League Baseball: the Jersey Diners. Along with the [Manchester Chicken Tenders](2026-04-06_nhfishercats), this is one of the few alt identities that I actually have a hat for. I don't have the jersey, and I thought about getting it at this game, but the jersey is...kinda weird in a not-so-good way IMO. I should also mention MiLB's "Copa de la Diversión", wherein teams adopt special Spanish alternate identities, because this year, the hats for it feature special designs on the bill, which I think are actually very neat (I almost got the BlueClaws Copa hat when I was there last time).

The Patriots also have a special alternate identity for this season (as it's the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence): the Somerset Semiquincentennials (try saying and/or typing THAT five times fast). This one features a jersey which may be a record setter for "most letters on the front of a baseball jersey" (and may have influence on the future of this blog...)

## \-\-\-

And yes, this means that just like the Phillies (whose [Eastern League affiliate](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils), coincidentally, were the opponent for this game
), I’ve visited three of the Yankees' four MiLB affiliates. Don't expect to see the fourth one on this blog anytime soon however - they're in Florida, and I have no plans of traveling down there...

Also, inasmuch as I (think I) prefer the Mets and Red Sox, most of their affiliates are WAY TOO FAR for visits - I'm not sure if/when I'd ever want to visit Syracuse, Binghamton, Greenville, SC, or Salem, VA (or, once again, Florida...).[^5]

---

[^1]: My memory of this game is SUPER hazy, but I want to say it was against the Sugar Land Skeeters - another former Atlantic League team that is now affiliated (they're the Houston Astros' AAA affiliate).

[^2]: The Thunder just got picked up by Diamond Baseball Holdings (i.e. the company that owns almost half the minor leagues now), and word on the street is that their return to affiliated ball may be coming soon: people around the Eastern League believe they're going to swap places with a team that was supposed to be replaced in the league by the [Brooklyn Cyclones](2025-08-09_bkncyclones) in 2020 before local politicians stepped in...

[^3]: And based on the amount of Mets fans I know from the area, I’m wondering if the Yankees are trying to cut into that base as well...

[^4]: Every team I visited in March lost with the semi-exception of the [FPHL game](2026-03-22_fphl_mennen) - a game I'm not sure how to count in my W-L calculations as the "away team" won despite the fact that they were the ones more or less running the whole thing.

[^5]: Those who know the Minors may realize which cities I've left out of this list. One of those I went to back in 2022, and the other is on my radar for later this year.

A former Indie darling that aligned with...

Somerset Patriots (Eastern League) @ TD Bank Ballpark (Bridgewater, NJ)


_\*This trip occurred on April 11, 2026._

At the end of [my original post on the Philadelphia Wings](2025-08-27_phiwings), I wrote this:

> _"While I did enjoy the box lacrosse experience, there is the sad reality that these two Wings games may be the only NLL games I see live for a while: the Wings are rumored to be moving out soon (again), as there are questions involving ownership (who also own the Philadelphia Flyers and the arena) and their desire to keep the team running. Unfortunately, what would have been the next "closest" team (in Albany, NY) just moved to Canada, so I'm pretty sure there's going to be nothing closer than Rochester, NY soon (without crossing the border)..."_

Thankfully, however, that won’t be completely true because

## THIS is the last Wings game I'll get to go to!

First, let me clarify why I say that.

I alluded to it in the original post, but the city of Philadelphia is building a new arena for the Flyers and 76ers. As I understand it, this is basically a "peace gesture" to the Sixers, who wanted to build a new arena downtown that was highly controversial, as it would be disruptive to Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood (similar to what happened in Washington DC with their current indoor arena).

As part of this new arena construction, the building will be owned by both the Flyers’ and the Sixers’ ownership groups - unlike the current arena, which is wholly owned by Comcast (who also own the Flyers and Wings). I believe it is HERE where one issue with the Wings arises: the city is getting a WNBA team with the arena, and my guess is that one of the owners (and or the arena’s operator, which will be third party) does not see four teams in one building working out very well - even if the WNBA’s schedule is at a different time than the other three. With the NLL far and away the least popular of the four leagues (at least in the United States), it looks like someone sees the Wings as the odd man out.

In addition, the NLL isn't exactly a big money maker, and despite being owned by the same company as the arena, the Wings probably didn't make that much money (assuming they weren't simply a loss leader for Comcast). Of course, it also didn't help that the product ON the field/floor wasn't great either: they've been languishing for a few years now, and in case you forgot: both games I went to last year were part of a LONG losing streak that saw the team's decent start evaporate into a(nother) lost season.

Due to these factors, uncertainty about the team's long term future has hanging in the air for a while, and with that uncertainty, I felt that a return to Wells Fargo Center to see the Wings again was in order. Unfortunately, I was unable to make said return...because the Wells Fargo Center was renamed last fall to Xfinity Mobile Arena. Of course, the building is still there as well as the team (for now), so I figured if I wanted to see the NLL again, I'd have to do it soon (similar to the [Bridgeport Islanders](2026-01-12_bptislanders), who recently announced that their move to Canada IS happening)[^1].

My original plan was to go to the home opener back in December against the Colorado Mammoth (who I saw beat the Wings back in March 2025), as it was the only game this season with a Saturday 1 PM start time (THE key factor in which games I choose to go to). However, I had completely forgotten that I had a Christmas party planned for that evening, and between that and a few other things[^2], I opted to try and choose another game.

The team's other afternoon games were all on Sundays, but most of them were 3 PM starts - something I could live with, but wasn't super happy about. After pivoting away from the December game, my intention was to see the Wings on February 22, but then I learned about [Spice City FC](2026-03-09_spicecityfc) and decided to check them out on that date, so I moved the Wings to March 8. However, the "Blizzard of 2026" ended up ending any plans I had for that day, and with Spice City's only remaining home dates being March 8 and, coincidentally, this weekend, I didn't want to wait for them, so I saw Spice City on March 8th instead. I shifted the Wings to March 29 against the Toronto Rock (partially due to it being a 1 PM game), but various schedule issues (which aren't really exciting enough for me to discuss here) ended up making me decide not to go (this is part of why I ended up [at Rutgers](2026-03-29_rutgers_batandball))[^3].

**BUT THEN**...On the morning of March 30, 2026...

...the Wings announced they were ceasing operations "under the Comcast Spectacor portfolio" after this season. What that means going forward isn't 100% certain, but I'll talk about that later, because after I read their announcement, I decided to go and see a team say farewell to its city and fans (despite it being a 7 PM game an hour and a half away), and I think we should get into that first.

## The End of the Road

![A photo of the opening faceoff of a box lacrosse game](/images/2026/0411-faceoff.jpeg)

As I alluded to earlier, the Wings haven't exactly been great in recent years, and this year is no exception (again, I saw them twice during a long losing streak last year). This year, the team sold HARD at the NLL's trade deadline - shipping off some of their more well-known players for what essentially boil down into futures (which kinda feels like the pre-Sacramento Oakland Athletics). They've also only won two games at home this season (and four games overall), but those two home wins were the two games I was most likely to see (i.e. the two 1 PM games).

Not much has changed here since my last visit just over a year ago, which makes sense with a new building on the way. However, one thing I forgot to mention about the arena during my last visit: from what I can glean, the team store is not open outside of events for ANY of its teams. I know that the store at Citizens Bank Park (home of the Phillies) has non-game hours (as I [visited once](bananaball_bospt5)), and I THINK that Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Eagles) does too (but am not certain), so bear that in mind (especially if you're looking for the last few Wings things - yes that was intentional). I'm not sure if this is an exception or a norm, as I've had weirdly mixed experiences with trying to check out team stores outside of events[^4].

Speaking of merch, I received an email a few days before the game indicating some CRAZY discounts on select items. As it turns out, those discounts ended up causing MERCH MADNESS - I arrived a bit over an hour before the game, and the line to pay was OUT THE DOOR. It also made trying to find items hard due to the sheer amount of people browsing (and the line), but I managed to snag what may have been the last jersey left with a sewn-on front logo (for only a quarter of the original price). Heck, the check out line was still long when I checked out the store midway through the first quarter - and most of the adult items were gone by then!

![A photo of a box lacrosse game from the upper deck of the arena](/images/2026/0411-upperdeck.jpeg)

<figcaption>This image features the video they played as the team entered for the second half - connecting the past team and this one, which was cool</figcaption>

Demand for tickets was so great that the team did something they hadn't done in my time following them: open part of the upper deck. I ended up taking the opportunity to check out part of the upper concourse, and while it wasn't exactly "special" (outside of a reminder that the 76ers are a thing here), it was MUCH wider than [Brooklyn's](2026-02-08_bknets).

The game itself was more or less "run of the mill" for box lacrosse - though it did feature something I had never seen before in person: a Wings WIN[^5]. After the game, however, is when things got interesting.

The team and its fans kinda lingered around for a bit after the game appreciating one another. A "LET'S GO WINGS" chant broke out at one point, and the team threw giveaways into the crowd then took a final team photo. There was also apparently a "postgame party" at a nearby establishment, but I couldn't go since I live an hour and a half away (and had also taken the subway from downtown as the arena lots were too much for me).

![An image](/images/2026/0411-finalphoto.jpeg)

So that's the story of the final Philadelphia Wings home game. However, that leaves a very BIG question left to be answered:

## What happens next?

First, I should note that this game is TECHNICALLY not the end for the Wings, as they have one more game left to play. However, said game is in Vancouver and starts at 10 PM Eastern time, so it's hard to imagine too many fans tuning in (especially ones with young children). What happens after that game, however, is unknown.

Some fans are clamoring for local businesspersons to try and keep the team in Philly, but I feel like there's a big obstacle: Comcast. I mentioned that someone didn't see the Wings fitting in once the new arena was built, and apparently...that someone may have been Comcast themselves. With that in mind, it's difficult to imagine too many local groups are willing to pay rent to someone who thinks your very existence is a burden (and I don't expect the current arena to stay up like the ol' Spectrum did for a while).

The NLL has said that they are seeking new ownership for the team, but the league's statement strongly implies that they're moving. From what I've read, however, it seems that the league would prefer the team stay somewhat close to Philadelphia (i.e. a "short" move). In that regard, two local cities have been suggested as potential new homes: [Allentown, PA](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) (which is getting a MASL team next season) and Trenton, NJ (which is getting an ECHL team next season). I feel there are advantages and disadvantages to both, but either would keep the team close enough to decent parts of its current fanbase (and would make people like me look a bit silly for getting so sentimental about the team). However, neither city has a big enough image to convince some online commentators that either is a good idea, as revenue could still be an issue (not to mention the NLL's prior struggles with the New York area).

If that doesn't happen, then the other possibility - and one that's actually been rumored for a while (as alluded to the first time I wrote about the Wings) - is a move to somewhere in Canada (or Minnesota, but more likely Canada). Box lacrosse as a whole sees MUCH more support up north, and outside of select markets, the NLL has struggled in the United States[^6]. Therefore, moving the team to a market where there's more likely to be stronger support (i.e. tickets and merchandise sold) could be better for the team and league financially; the long standing rumor was Montreal, but Edmonton has apparently been keen on a return to the NLL since the Rush left for Saskatoon. On the other hand, however, the NLL markets itself as "the next Major League" - and it's hard to take that claim seriously with zero presence in the Northeastern United States (i.e. the biggest population center in North America) - especially since it's one of the few parts of the country where lacrosse is decently popular (even if that popularity is largely in field lacrosse).

There does, however, also exist the possibility that the team just folds with no replacement. This one's reported as being far and away the least likely scenario, but going back to the team's statement...they don't seem optimistic. As mentioned earlier, the Wings announced they were ceasing operations "under the Comcast Spectacor portfolio" - but also wished the players well "as they pursue new opportunities throughout the league". This implies that the players will end up getting dispersed, which would mean a dispersal draft - a result of the team folding. Again, this is the LEAST likely scenario because it's not a good look for the NLL (see: Panther City Lacrosse Club), but it can't be ruled out (especially since we don't know what prospective buyers are being told by Comcast).

In any case, this is probably it for the NLL in Philly for now (and possibly ever) - though it's good to know that unlike the [Winnipesaukee Muskrats](2026-04-11_wpsmuskrats), the team and its fans got a proper "final moment" together.

![An image of the jumbotron after the final Philadelphia Wings home game, featuring images of fans](/images/2026/0411-thankyou.jpeg)

---

[^1]: There's a similar situation going on a bit further up the Connecticut Turnpike - one I'm HOPING to get to this summer.

[^2]: Not including me getting sick a few days after said party

[^3]: I am trying to prioritize NEW teams/stadiums this year, so that's another reason I've been "putting off" going to another Wings game - heck, if the team hadn't made their announcement, this game likely wouldn't have happened.

[^4]: For example, in the South Atlantic League, the [Jersey Shore BlueClaws](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) and [Brooklyn Cyclones](2025-08-09_bkncyclones) team stores are only open for games (I learned about the BlueClaws store the hard way), but the [Hudson Valley Renegades](2026-08-10_hvrenegades) have non-game hours for their team store.

[^5]: The game also featured something that I've seen before, however: the Wings getting BADLY outshot...

[^6]: Mind you, Philadelphia WAS one of those better markets for a while...


The Philadelphia Wings come to the End of the Road

Philadelphia Wings (National Lacrosse League) @ Xfinity Mobile Arena (Philadelphia, PA)


_This is the story of one of my old baseball trips. The trip occurred BEFORE I started truly writing stuff about stadiums in earnest, and I don’t remember every single detail about it, but a few stand out to me for reasons you’ll see soon enough._

July 30, 2022.

As July turns into August, summer collegiate baseball begins to wind down. Many of the players have colleges to get back to, but there are still playoffs to be played and champions to be determined (which, unfortunately, has contributed to a decline in summer league participation; more on that later). Finding myself with nothing to do, and wanting to find SOMETHING, I look around at the schedule of the New England Collegiate Baseball League and find one game that piques my interest:

"Keene Swamp Bats vs. Winnipesaukee Muskrats"

After a quick Google Maps search to see just how far they are, I decided to make the trip up to Laconia, NH to watch this game - a drive of about two hours.

Laconia is part of the Lakes Region of New Hampshire which, like many places in Northern New England, is somewhat reliant on tourism as its main money maker - after all, one of its big attractions is its local arcade believed to be the biggest in the world.

The Muskrats themselves were founded in 1999 in Manchester, CT (just east of Hartford). They spent a little over a decade there, and in 2010, the team was "sold" and moved to the Lakes Region. Originally, they used Laconia as their geographic identifier, but changed it to Winnipesaukee in 2015 to better connect to the region as a whole (as Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest of the lakes). While it is fairly difficult to gauge the success of summer collegiate teams by regular season/postseason records for MANY reasons, the Muskrats...weren’t exactly major players in that department. They made the playoffs a total of ten times between their stints in Manchester and the Lakes region, but only won two playoff rounds - both in 2011, where they lost the finals to their in-state rivals in Keene (i.e. the aforementioned Swamp Bats).

Their home base was Robbie Mills Field: a small community field in a rather sprawling part of Laconia. Named after a young child who was tragically killed in an apparent bikejacking, it features "dugouts" which are, in essence, small sheds next to the infield plus a high wall in left field. This wall was "under construction" at the time; I forget what the plan was, but I believe it involved putting seats on top of it (a la the Green Monster at Fenway Park). There’s also a small parking lot on the first base side, but the team did NOT recommend parking there due to the possibility of foul balls damaging cars (something that ALMOST happened to me on Cape Cod once); instead, the team directed fans to park across the street in a large field.

Probably the most important part of the field is the building behind home plate. Like a lot of these smaller summer league fields around New England (for example: most of the Cape Cod Baseball League), it serves as the "everything building". On the upper level is the press box; if you walked near it during the game, you could hear broadcasters for both teams call the action. On the lower level, the building houses the concession stand and team store, but in a somewhat unique way: concessions are sold on the "back" side of the building (i.e. away from the field), and merchandise can be purchased on the other side of the building facing the field.

Most summer collegiate teams in New England don’t sell merchandise online due to how small their operations are, so games are often the only way to get items from these teams. However, due to various difficulties involving costs and shipping, some teams don’t order that much merchandise for fans, and thus selections are still limited at games - especially as the season wears on. Thankfully, despite it being the last home date of the season, the Muskrats still had a decent number of merchandise items available. I end up buying their standard home hat (though, to be honest, it’s not exactly "fashionable" as it features the team’s FULL NAME on the front), a "fashion hat" featuring the team’s muskrat logo, and a game used jersey featuring a "LACONIA" wordmark (reflecting how they were once the "Laconia Muskrats"). In addition, they allowed me to take a lanyard for free.

I don’t remember too much about the game (outside of giving a foul ball to a young child), but as I was about to head out for the day (partially because I decided to check out another game closer to Boston), I ended up running into a British man. We had a fifteen minute conversation about life in Laconia and the NECBL, and it was very clear that he was heavily involved with the team, as he discussed stories about things such as the awkward logistics for the team’s lone representative at the league’s All Star Game that year (which was held on Martha's Vineyard - a HIKE from just about everywhere).

However, the story doesn’t QUITE end here. Despite the Swamp Bats and Muskrats splitting a double header, there’s still a little bit of an unsettled business; I have forgotten the EXACT details of it, but there was a chance for either the Muskrats or some other team to make the NECBL postseason - potentially requiring a "makeup" game to be played. I went to Sanford, ME the next day to see the end of a game between the Swamp Bats and the Sanford Mainers (which was suspended from a few days earlier), and since the Mainers won that game, they clinched the playoff berth - thus rendering the makeup game between Winnipesaukee and the Upper Valley Nighthawks (from White River Junction, VT) irrelevant[^1].

Months later, when the NECBL released its 2023 schedule, I looked at it since I was planning to visit all 14 of its teams that summer (protip: don't - some of these teams are HIKES). However, when I counted up the teams, I realized that one was missing, so I went through the list of names, and I found that the Winnipesaukee Muskrats were no longer listed on the NECBL’s website.

The man I spent a good fifteen minutes talking to on that summer day was the husband of the team’s GM. After the 2022 season, she decided to step down from the role, and the team/league began the process of replacing her. However, in doing so, the league decided to conduct a review of the Muskrats organization (I believe this is standard protocol when a change like this happens); unfortunately, this review turned up something the league did not agree with: housing plans.

Most collegiate summer leagues require that the players live with families local to the team for the summer (the Cape Cod Baseball League and NECBL included). However, with the Lakes region being a popular tourist destination, many homeowners in the area seemingly prefer to use their space as vacation rentals (my guess is that the stipends provided by the NECBL don’t compare to what tourists are willing to pay). Thus, the Muskrats were forced to get creative with housing players - attempting a plan which I don’t remember the full details of. The plan was rejected by the NECBL, and without being able to come to any agreements...the Winnipesaukee Muskrats were no more.

As for a potential return of summer baseball to the Lakes...

There’s a report out that fewer players are joining these summer leagues as their college coaches don’t like sending them to the "uncontrolled environment" that is summer ball (read: more injury and/or transfer potential), so I do ponder what future these leagues have. In addition, most NECBL and Cape League teams are meant to be community assets, so their facilities are, for lack of a better term, not what most college players are used to (most especially the ones from high-end programs). The Cape League - which has long been touted as the best of the summer leagues - is struggling to deal with these issues; for example, it reduced its schedule to 40 games a few years ago, and seemingly has constant need for new host families (as teams put out calls for them EVERY year[^2]).

While the NECBL hasn’t gained or lost any teams since then, the Futures League has seen the [Brockton Rox](2025-08-20_brorox) "leave" and the Pittsfield Suns "go inactive" for SEVERAL years (due to their stadium needing wholescale redevelopment), but is also adding [Lowell](lelacheurpaprk) to its ranks. I doubt it’s likely, but if things continue to go south for summer ball, I can see a future where the NECBL and Futures League are forced to merge due to resources becoming incredibly sparse - likely costing several towns their teams.

As it turns out, my spontaneous decision was a "good" one: I was at the (second to) last Winnipesaukee Muskrats game ever. No one could have imagined that July 30, 2022 would be the last day of baseball in the Lakes region, but it was, and I fear that as the college baseball landscape shifts towards having players "stay safe" in the summer, more and more summer baseball teams will find survival incredibly challenging.

![A photo of a Winnipesaukee Muskrats game](/images/2026/robbiemillsfield.jpg)

<figcaption>I didn't think I had any photos for this post, but found this when I was going through my phone. If it looks kinda strange on the front page (where I have those photo banners), that's because it's cropped from an Instagram story.</figcaption>

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I hope that you enjoyed this piece. It's quite different from most of what I post here, but I felt it was good for me to try and branch out to other forms of writing/content.

I've had this post ready to go for a while, but my original intention was to post this in July to match the date this game took place. However, I moved it up to compare/contrast the story of "a team that never said goodbye" to the story of [a team that did](2026-04-12_phiwings2).

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[^1]: I did write a LITTLE bit about Sanford's stadium (as well as most other New England summer league stadiums); but long story short: it's actually kinda neat, and while it's not my FAVORITE NECBL venue, it's definitely one of the better ones IMO.

[^2]: An article I read said that the "revolving door" of players has scared host families away, as they don't enjoy having so many players come through their homes.


A story of a team lost to a cruel fate

Winnipesaukee Muskrats (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Robbie Mills Field (Laconia, NH)


_\*This trip occurred on April 7, 2026._

If you're a long time reader of this blog, you may remember that ShoreTown Ballpark was [the first stadium I ever posted about on this blog](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) (and if you're not, you've just learned a small piece of "lore"). Thanks to that, I feel like there’s not much to say about the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (or the town they play in) that I haven’t already discussed when I came here last year (and given current events, I don't think a recap is a good idea).

However, that trip featured weather that was absolutely miserable for baseball and almost NO fans, so I figured I’d try to get out to the stadium on a day that wasn’t 40 degrees and damp. Of course, there’s no guarantee that another April game will actually feature better weather, so choosing to go to another game _in April_ is definitely a "choice" - especially since this day turned out to be cold as well (but at least it was dry).

This trip was also somewhat of a "last minute" decision, as in I decided that I would go to this game literally 24 hours before first pitch. A return to ShoreTown Ballpark was always on my radar, but the actual date was very much up in the air - my original thinking was that I would come here on a Saturday in April or May (i.e. before Saturday games move from 4 PM to 7 PM), but it turned out that none of those Saturdays worked with my schedule, so I ended up deciding to come to this game (despite being a weekday and a 6:30 start)[^1].

![An image of two baseball teams lined up prior to the start of a game](/images/2026/0407-openingday.jpeg)

Anyway, while this isn't the first time I've written about the same team/stadium combo more than once, it's the first time I'm doing a revisit in a different season. I'm still trying to figure out how to handle these "revisit posts" (as I'm sure this isn't the only time I'm going to revisit a place I've already discussed on this blog), but the most notable “new” thing for the BlueClaws this season is that they are celebrating 25 years of BlueClaws baseball! The combination of that plus the fact that I've never been to a Minor League Baseball home opener[^2] made me decide to come here on a somewhat surprisingly cold April night.

For those who forgot (and/or want a refresher), ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood, NJ opened with the team's debut in 2001. While it is very much "typical" for a Minor League Baseball stadium (especially as the BlueClaws have been A-level for their entire history), it leans into the "Jersey Shore" identity with a themed area in the outfield with special concession stands and carnival games. The park also features a concourse that wraps fully around the field (which not every minor league stadium has), and a full-service bar/restaurant area on the suite level which is open to all fans (which helps on cold days like today). I also mentioned last year that I couldn't find fried Oreos anywhere on the concourse. Well, that may have been either due to me being unobservant or the terrible weather, as there is in fact a stand that sells funnel cake and the aforementioned fried Oreos.

For the second time in four days, I watched a Minor League Baseball game where the visiting team was an affiliate of the New York Mets (I forgot to mention the opponent for the [Fisher Cats](2026-04-06_nhfishercats) game, but it was the Binghamton Rumble Ponies[^3]). While the result wasn't quite the same, it was very similar: the BlueClaws defeated the Brooklyn Cyclones 5-1, dropping the Cyclones (who, it should be noted, are the defending South Atlantic League champions) to 0-3 on the young season.

### MERCH

The other reason I chose to visit: the BlueClaws have a few new hats this season! Unfortunately, the ones I was interested in were sold out in my size when I checked online the night before this game, and were also not in stock at the game itself. While the aforementioned hats were available in flexfit versions, New Era made a pretty significant change to their flexfits this year, and I'm still trying to figure out if I like it or not, so I decided to pass on them (for now).

There were a few special items available for the team's 25th anniversary. One of them was a version of the team's home hat with a patch on the side, but between the fact that I already have a home hat (which I got last year) and the fact that the patch is simply glued on, I decided to pass on it - instead going for a lapel pin and a "mini 50Fifty" to use as a desk decoration. Sadly, the store didn't have any of the mascot or logo plush toys from last year (as I was interested in MAYBE getting one).

Also, I TECHNICALLY mentioned it in my original post, but last year, the BlueClaws ran a promotion where fans could trade in old logo merch for team store discounts. I don't know what the reason for this promo was, but it seems that not everyone feels the burning desire to throw out their old stuff for the present based on how many of the team's old jerseys I saw...

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### ON DECK

I did say last time that I was planning on going to a game that should be VERY special next weekend, but I should note that this game ISN'T it.

That game is still yet to happen, but I have something a little different I want to post before it.

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[^1]: I will say that ANOTHER return to ShoreTown is "scheduled" - but not to see the BlueClaws...(insert wink emoji here)

[^2]: I have been to a minor league hockey home opener before, as well as several home openers in summer baseball, but the summer ball home openers seem to be not as "pompous" from my experience.

[^3]: If you're a Rumble Ponies fan who enjoys affiliation, you may not like the rumors I learned about a few hours before this game...

Testing the idea of going down the shore in April...again

Jersey Shore BlueClaws 2026 Edition


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 10](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on April 4, 2026 - I chose to "delay" this post a day due to Easter._

_Before I continue, I feel like I should also note that TECHNICALLY, I've been here before - several times, in fact. However, since all of those visits were limited to just the team store, I think this should count towards the 26 new venues I'm hoping to visit this year. In addition, several venues I'm thinking about going to fall under the same criteria as well (including a few where I actually saw the "main arena"), so there's that I guess._

This story begins with the New Haven Ravens, who were founded in 1994 and based in New Haven, CT. The Ravens were actually somewhat successful - winning an Eastern League championship in 2000. However, they didn’t have their own stadium to call home; instead, they played at Yale’s baseball stadium.

A decade after their founding (in 2004), the team was sold and then subsequently moved to Manchester, NH, where they rebranded as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. They spent their first season at an old stadium in a fairly residential part of Manchester before moving downtown in 2005 to what is now (Northeast) Delta Dental Stadium - not to be confused with the recently (2024) renamed Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field in Portland, ME (the home of an Eastern League rival) or the even more recently (2025) renamed Delta Dental Diamond at Centennial Field in Burlington, VT (home of a former Minor League team who are now in a summer league).

The team has been fairly successful on the field - they won a title in that first year in Manchester (i.e. in the temporary stadium), and have added two more since then. Their most recent title - won in 2018 - featured the trio of of Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.; the latter two would go on to play for the Jays in the 2024 World Series. However, when researching their attendance numbers for this post, I found that they were...kinda okay at best. A large part of this can probably be attributed to the fact that ever since they moved to Manchester (which actually makes them the closest Eastern League team to Boston), they’ve been the Double-A affiliate of...the Toronto Blue Jays. Therefore, it is much harder for them to connect with local fans, as any prospects who end up making it to Toronto will be playing AGAINST the Boston Red Sox should they end up playing at Fenway Park (as opposed to what happens with Sea Dogs players)[^1].

Truth be told: I probably should have seen a Fisher Cats game already. It’s a SHADE over an hour from where I was living when I was in Massachusetts, and I’d driven MUCH FARTHER for baseball during that time (including to places like Sanford, ME, Keene, NH, and even a two-and-a-half hour trip to [Danbury](2026-02-15_dbyhattricks) one time). However...I never made the trip during my time in Boston. Can’t really tell you why I never did (outside of not wanting to pay for parking, which is a DUMB excuse), but with me trying to get to 26 stadiums I've never been to this year, it felt like it was FINALLY time for a game (even if I've _technically_ been here before).

![A photo of Delta Dental Stadium taken from the first row behind home plate](/images/2026/0404-deltadentalstadium.jpeg)

Similar to [Coca Cola Park](2025-08-11_lhvironpigs) in Allentown, the main gate is in the outfield (here it's in left)[^2], while most of the seats are around the infield. This may not seem like that big a detail, but I counted the stadiums I've been to on this blog, and this is only the second "not Cape League" stadium with its main entrance in the outfield (as opposed to home plate/infield). Also, much like the Fisher Cats' parent team, there's a hotel in the outfield - I couldn't find any information on any special rules/rates for the field-facing rooms, but I assume they have the same "please don't be horny on main" rules the Jays had to implement after MULTIPLE incidents. Said hotel also features a restaurant that faces the field, but again, I could not find information on how much it would cost to sit there during the game (also I wanted to see the actual stadium up close).

If you're inside the stadium, there's a bar and area shortly after you enter (in left field). Truth be told, however...it's really the only "unique" feature of the stadium: the rest is very much "standard" minor league fare (though one of the concession stands was closed for this game). However, if you're in the bar area (or the hotel) and can't really see the center field scoreboard, there are small scoreboards at either end of the suite level "deck" that display the pertinent information. (kinda similar to how the [Chatham Anglers](2025-08-17_chaanglers) have one on their press box for fans in the outfield).

One thing that made this game actually feasible despite being on the day before Easter: a 1 PM start time. Because we typically visit our Massachusetts relatives for Easter, I was in the area for this game, and thanks to the early start (1 PM - kinda unusual for a Saturday game), I was able to squeeze this game in before my typical "night before Easter" activities. Despite being a bit more expensive (the lowest ticket price is ~$15, but parking for most fans will add ten bucks), I decided to "treat myself" and bought a ticket RIGHT BEHIND home plate in the FIRST ROW (the photo above should give a somewhat decent idea of what the view was like - I made sure to get a clean shot through the foul ball netting).

There's also not that much to say about the game itself - the Fisher Cats won 2-1, and the game winning run was scored on a home run while I was in the bathroom (because of course).

### MERCH

The team store is right as you enter the main gates, with two entrances straddling the physical gates themselves. Therefore, it’s "off" the concourse and has no views to/from the field.

As mentioned in the header, I’ve been to the team store here SEVERAL times to scout the team’s merchandise. Part of that was the fact that the team’s online hat selection, for a long time, was largely just a bunch of 59Fiftys (59Fifties?) and no flexfit hats. However, I’ve also bought several jerseys from the team - including a few old game worn jerseys (something I’ve rarely found in affiliated Minor League Baseball), plus I ended up getting a novelty cowboy hat for an event a friend was running.

If you don't want to make the trek out/down to the team store during the game, there's a second merchandise stand on the concourse itself. While the selection of items here is pretty much the same as the main store, they did have one hat that the main store didn't have (a "hockey night" hat[^3]).

One other thing I should mention here: The Manchester Chicken Tenders! Minor League Baseball teams are known for their alternate identities, and while I tend to not go for those as I feel they're excessive, the Chicken Tenders are one of my more favorite identities - based on Manchester supposedly being the birthplace of the chicken tender back in 1973. I own a Manchester Chicken Tenders jersey, and it is one of FEW alt identity jerseys I have - partially as alt jerseys are usually sublimated (in fact, all but one of the jerseys in the store were sublimated).

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[^1]: The Hartford Yard Goats, meanwhile, have been top three in Eastern League attendance since they opened their current stadium despite (or because) their MLB affiliate is...Colorado. BTW, I'm thinking about a trip to their stadium as I've never seen a game there, but there's a chance the Yard Goats won't be home for it...

[^2]: There is a second gate on the right field side, but given that most of the parking feeds into the main gate, I doubt many fans use it to enter.

[^3]: RIP Manchester Monarchs


Sportventures

Somerset Patriots (4/16/25)

The Final Flight (4/11/26)

The Last Day of Summer (7/30/22)

Opening Day Down the Shore

New Hampshire Fisher Cats (4/4/26)