6/25/2023 | Published on 9/7/2026

Vermont Mountaineers (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Montpelier Recreation Field (Montpelier, VT)

A New England summer team with A SONG

SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 26

I could dive into the history of the Vermont Mountaineers, but someone did it better. Not much has changed since this song came out (though the team made the NECBL finals in 2022), which I personally think is kinda damning¹...

Anyway, I’ll just cut to the chase: located north of downtown Montpelier, Recreation Field was opened in 1940. Wikipedia indicates that some minor and/or independent league played, but there is little to no information about outside of the fact that Robin Roberts played for the local team.

While, like many fields in New England, I honestly don't feel like there's a ton to discuss about the stadium, the field is probably most notable for its large grandstand. I’m pretty sure that of the grandstands that sit behind home plate, this or Bristol's is the largest in the NECBL, but it's a bit hard to describe how it is inside, though, as it doesn't really feature any real seats - instead, it's like the stands in Newport where you sit on what would simply be the "floors" of the row behind you.

Unfortunately, since my lone visit back in 2023...Montpelier has been the victim of multiple floods. My visit was prior to the FIRST flood, so I have no idea how this place is now, though the fact that the team is still around is a good sign (downtown Montpelier seemed "okay" during my last visit - though a lot different from how I remembered it in prior visits).

Of note: the team was rowdy the night I was there.

Not the fans; the players themselves.

Or at least, I felt that the team was being quite rowdy during the game (and noted it when I wrote my original notes). The umpires seemingly noticed it too, because I think the dugout got a warning from the home plate umpire (though part of it was the manager being super pissed off about balls and strikes).

MERCH

I’m not fully sure of which year it happened, but the NECBL has a deal with a company named Zephyr for all of its teams’ caps. From what I can recall, I believe 2022 or 2023 was the first year all teams wore Zephyr caps, but prior to that, some teams had other cap manufacturers, and Vermont was one of those teams. The reason I know this because in 2021, I ordered a hat from the team online, and it was a New Era flexfit hat.

This is (mildly) important, because when I went to the game in 2023...they didn’t have Zephyr player hats (at least not in the size I wanted). In addition, it seemed like most fans who were wearing the same style of hat as the player hat were also wearing the older New Era hat, so I wonder if the team actually sells a lot of player hats nowadays (though they did have a "fan" hat with a different logo).

Anyway, merchandise is in a little by the left field entrance, and this is one of three NECBL stadiums I went to where official game balls were on sale. In addition, I bought a jersey here (and had thoughts about a second before ultimately deciding against it) - one of only four NECBL teams I bought a jersey from (the others being Winnipesaukee, Danbury, and a team that'll be talked about shortly).

Also, I know I mentioned ordering a hat from the team, but I'm not sure how their online merch site is nowadays, as it hasn't been updated in YEARS. I also don't recall ever receiving any emails about the hat - it just showed up in my mailbox one day.

ON DECK

Today-bor day is Labor Day-bor, and I've got a trip planned. It's also part of something I'm hoping to do in the coming years, but we'll see what happens with that because SPOILER ALERT: it involves MLB and the impending lockout.