
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 (who's also with Banana Ball - more on that later), and Jimmy Rollins. However, it seems that there were no other Phillies legends available (y'know, guys like Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, and Bobby Abreu), so the fourth team was led by...Andruw Jones[^3]. 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 (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 felt 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](/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). Also, if the Futures Game suffered from a lack of atmosphere, then a ton of fans leaving before this started did not help things any further...

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.

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).

---

### ON DECK

It's been a while since I've done this, but also...I legitimately have NO IDEA what I'm doing next. It might be a baseball game, it may involve soccer somehow, or it may be the first "post [_26 in 26_](26in26list)" trip I make.

---

[^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!

[^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...

Quite possibly the easiest way to get into the All-Star festivities

2026 MLB All-Star Sunday (Philadelphia, PA)


### _[2026: New Venue #26](/26in26list)_

You may not have heard of the sport of "Quadball" before, but most readers will probably recognize it by its former, more common name. I won't say it here for...reasons, but the sport originated from one of the most popular young adult novel series of all time (whose author...is one of the reasons the sport is called "Quadball" nowadays[^1]); if you somehow haven't figured out what it is yet, the main character's name rhymes with "Larry Cotter", and if THAT hasn't given it away yet, then...I don't know what to say.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that given just how popular the franchise was, people adapted the sport from the books into something for the "real world" sometime around 2005. Since we as a society have neither flying broom technology nor semi-sentient sporting equipment (as in "not horses for polo nor animals for those who consider hunting a sport"), adjustments have been made to make the sport "playable". Based on this experience, I would say that in its CURRENT form, quadball feels like an amalgamation of (at least) four different sports:

1. Handball. If you’ve never heard of handball, it’s essentially “association football/soccer but using hands instead of feet”, and that concept kinda exists here: the "main game" of quadball is players throw the "main" ball around and try to throw it through a set of three hoops to score (10 points per goal). However, to avoid ball hogging, there is a limit to how long a player can hold the ball (or at least I assume there’s one); in addition, while handball has its goals at the ends of the area of play, quadball has its goals set up more like the next sport:

2. Lacrosse. The hoops are placed on the field so that there is ample room behind them for players to play the ball and still be in bounds, and much like lacrosse (and to certain extents hockey), players are able to pass the ball to a player behind the hoops. However, something super unique to quadball is that goals count no matter which way the ball travels through the hoop (i.e. "forwards" towards the ends of the field or "backwards" towards the center) - I cannot think of any other sport that has a quirk like this (as hockey and lacrosse nets are "one way only"). There is one HIGHLY unfortunate effect of this: the hoops are CONSTANTLY getting disrupted (i.e. knocked down) during play, which I feel has major drawbacks...

3. Dodgeball. In a nod to a mechanic from the books, two or three dodgeballs are present during play (I do not know what the actual number is supposed to be), and if a player is hit with one "on the fly" (i.e. the ball has not bounced off the field), they have to run back and tag their center hoop before returning to play. As you might expect, this also forces them to drop any ball they may be holding, but unless I'm mistaken, only certain players are allowed to "use" the dodgeballs.

4. Wrestling. After 20 minutes of play, a “flag runner” enters the field with a flag attached to their back. Both teams then send a specific player after this flag runner to get the flag, as it's worth 35 points. However, this flag runner does not give up their flag so easily; I can't speak for other matches, but at this one, the guy pulled wrestling moves on the players to get them off of him.

In addition, once 20 minutes have been played (and the flag runner is released), a score target is set to the leading team's score plus 60; the first team to reach this target wins (irregardless of who gets the flag and when they get it). Also, they kept the brooms (to an extent - as the "brooms" here are just handles without bristles); I'm personally not sure how I feel about that (because it seems GOOFY), but there is a rule where if a player loses contact with their broom, then they have to reset (just like if they get hit with a dodgeball).

I realize that all of this information may be quite a bit to take in, but I hope that gives at least a basic overview of how quadball works. In any case, Major League Quadball (which is the only quadball league I could find in the world) was founded in 2015, and my understanding is that it is a purely "amateur" league (as the sport as a whole is still very much in its infancy)[^2], with its teams featuring both male and female players (one thing that makes quadball unique is that it is usually coed - which rarely happens at the top levels of sports that don't involve a paddle/racquet)

![An image of quadball being played](/images/2026/0711-mlq.jpeg)

The New York Titans were one of the founding members of MLQ, and believe it or not, the team represents the THIRD different "New York Titans" franchise overall in a THIRD different sport; there was a short lived [NLL](2025-08-27_phiwings) team back in the mid-to-late 2000s that moved to Florida before folding, and before that, a "The Titans of New York" were a founding member of the American Football League (and still exist as, yep, THAT team)[^3]. They've historically been one of their division's better teams (as I could find only one season in which they finished lower than second), and Wikipedia indicates that they won a league title in 2024. Their opponents for this game were the Boston Forge, who have won three MLQ titles including the first two back-to-back (I guess due to the Salem connection).

An MLQ "match" is similar to [MLW Wiffle Ball](2025-08-16_mlwwiffleball) in that three games are played one after the other (again, the endgame for a quadball game starts 20 minutes in and there's a score limit rather than a time limit). As a small side note: in terms of merchandise (since I usually talk about that stuff), there was no merchandise available at the game: this IS a fully amateur event after all (i.e. it's all volunteers running things). However, I did see that MLQ jerseys were available online on the manufacturer's website, and some of the ones I saw (namely the two teams who I saw) were actually quite interesting.

I won't go over each of the three games in detail here (unlike the MLW post), but the Titans won all three games - the second one with the flag capture ending the game (like the books), and the third one despite Boston getting the flag (i.e. they weren't able from preventing the Titans from reaching the score limit). Also, I had to leave right after the third game started (for reasons I'll get into soon), but I tried listening to the broadcast of the game on my drive home (as it was streamed on YouTube), and I do have to admit that the commentators were...clearly untrained.

I feel like watching quadball was a very interesting experience. However, the sport DEFINITELY needs some refinements if it's to take off into something more than what it is now, as it feels WAY TOO CHAOTIC for a casual audience to follow. While the changes that I think would make it more appealing would also turn it into MUCH DIFFERENT thing than the sport its trying to emulate[^4], that may not be such a bad thing to help distance it (even further) from the author-who-must-not-be-named-much-like-the-villain-of-their-books...<br>(Again, if you have no idea what this is by now, I don't know how to help you understand.)

---

You may have noticed that I've yet to mention the stadium this game took place at. That's because...it's VERY MUCH a generic high school stadium (similar to [St. Joes](2026-05-24_njunited))[^5]; the most notable things are that it's right next to the high school it serves and it features a large field house at one end. It's partially due to this that I thought about NOT counting this as a _26 in 26_ venue; however, given that several other high schools and lower level colleges are on my list (plus this is a WHOLE NEW SPORT to this blog which actually had a much better crowd than some of the USL2 games I've been to), I figured I'd be consistent and count it, which means...

## I’ve done it.

## 26 new venues for 2026.

Sure, I did inflate it a LOT with stuff like, well...this, but I wasn’t exactly expecting to be done with this challenge THIS early. Heck, there’s even venues I had planned to visit as part of this challenge that I haven’t been to yet!

So what’s next?

We keep going!

I’m not going to assign a new “number” for this year (or attempt anything like this in the future), but I do have SEVERAL new places I plan on going to this year (one of which involves me doing something I have NEVER done before). Outside of that, I have some thoughts for things to do next year...though [brewing trouble in the baseball world](2026-05-02_1994ws) may affect some of those plans.

---

[^1]: The other big reason: the trademark for the "old" name is owned by Warner Brothers - NOT the aforementioned author (or their publisher seemingly).
 
[^2]: This honestly makes me wonder: what were the big sports we know and love today like when they were developing 100+ years ago? Could the sport get its name back if/when the trademark on it expires? What will people think of quadball once its creator gets the P.T. Barnum treatment of "forget about the bad stuff, we should focus on their lasting legacy"? Why do I have such strong opinions on P.T. Barnum? Is it because of _The Greatest Showman_? Did this bit run out of steam several questions ago and is just me going on for no good reason?<br>(That last one is probably a "yes"...)

[^3]: Call me crazy, but I kinda wanna see them later this year despite EVERYTHING - and this includes the fact that their stadium is ranked as one of the WORST fan experiences in the NFL (as well the poor reviews from its other recent use)...

[^4]: I won't go over what changes I think could be made, but a big one, sadly, is that the flag runner HAS to go - it distracts the audience from the "main game" and also messes with the timing elements a sport like this typically features.

[^5]: The reason I used quotes in the title is because while that's what the field is called on Google and when I looked up tickets for this game, the field is actually named "Joseph P. Cipolla Memorial Field" - but that name is hard to find online...

When fiction meets the real world

New York Titans (Major League Quadball) @ "Lyndhurst Golden Bears Sports Field" (Lyndhurst, NJ)


### _[2026: New Venue #25](/26in26list)_

_\*For more on USL2, [here's an overview](usl2_overview)._

FC Copa is one of New Jersey’s bigger youth soccer academies, and also one of its oldest. From what I could find, the academy was started in 2004, and in 2016, a NPSL side was established. This team spent four seasons in the NPSL, then moved to USL2 in 2020 (but had to wait until 2021 to make their USL2 debut). They haven’t qualified for any league’s playoffs since their second season (in the NPSL), which also saw them play a U.S. Open Cup opening round match.

Originally, this was NOT going to be a "First Visit": when the USL2 schedule came out, this game was listed as being at Saint Joseph High School (where I saw [NJ United](2026-05-24_njunited)). However, when I went to check their schedule for 2026, I found out that this game had been moved to where the team played USL2 games last season (i.e. their more traditional "home"): a club sports field on Rutgers University's Busch Campus (the same campus as [SHI Stadium](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens)). I can't exactly pin down an exact name for this place: Google (and Rutgers navigation signs) list it as "Sports Club Field", signs outside the parking lot reads "Scarlet Knight Club Field" and "Sport Club Field", and the USL2 website lists it as "Rutgers Sportsclub", so I have no idea what to call this place. In fact, I was hesitant to count it as a venue for my "\_26 in 26 count", but given that I got [Cape League](ccbl_overview) vibes from the fact that people brought lawn chairs to watch the game (as there's ample "spectating areas" around the field), I felt that it was fine (that and I had already counted the other USL2 games).

![Soccer being played at Rutgers Sports Club Field](/images/2026/0711-njcopa.jpeg)

As a club sports field, there REALLY isn't much to say about the field: it's INTENTSELY basic, and only features one very small set of stands (though there's also a field house and a gazebo in one corner). What is interesting, however, is that not only is this the rare example of a multipurpose stadium WITHOUT American Football lines (though [Virtue Field](2025-08-21_vgfc) and [Ranger Stadium](2026-05-17_fcmotown_npsl) also fit this bill), it's one of the few fields I know of with markings for rugby (or at least I THINK those plus signs on the field are rugby lines).

NJ Copa is unique amongst the USL2's Metropolitan Division clubs in that they're the only team that has games in the early afternoon hours (or morning games, as this one started at 11 AM). I'm guessing this is due to various arrangements with the fields they play at (plus the fact that St. Joe's lacks lights), but it should be noted that the Sports Club Field does have lights. This game saw them end their relatively disappointing season on a high note, as they came back from a halftime defecit with two goals after the 80th minute to beat the Westchester Flames 2-1 - Westchester being the only team with fewer points than Copa heading into the game[^1].

Some other notes:

1. I feel like seen a lot of FC Copa items at various thrift stores (as I like going to thrift stores to look for old jerseys). I get the sense most of it was for their youth academy (as a lot of it was smaller sizes), but I've never really had any interest (as I’m pretty sure everything was ironed on). At this match, however, there was no merch for sale
2. I wrote the "Copacabana" title for this post before going to the game, and interestingly, the team played it at halftime. It's definitely something I wouldn't expect to hear at a sporting event - mainly as Copacabana (and, by extension, most of Barry Manilow's catalog) does not really fit the mood of a sporting event IMO...
3. I accidentally wore a shirt which prominently featured BOTH teams' colors (red for Copa, blue for Westchester).
4. It started raining pretty much one minute after the final whistle blew - so it's rather fortuitous that the game ended when it did.

---

Alas, this is the final USL game I'm going to this year. There are other teams which I didn't get the chance to visit but had SOME thoughts about trying to see them (both near and far), so I decided to talk a little bit about those teams [here](2026-07-12_therest).

---

[^1]: Copa came into the game tied on points with [Staten Island ASC](2026-05-25_simonarchs) and [Morris Elite](2026-06-05_morriselite) - two teams I just so happened to see lose at home to [FC Motown](2026-05-22_fcmotownsta).


Going "sport clubbing" to end the USL2 season

New Jersey Copa FC (USL League Two) @ Rutgers Sports Club Field (Piscataway, NJ)


You may remember from back in May that I visited my local soccer team for the first time - twice!

However, I haven't been able to make it back to see more games. However, since I had a few nights where I was doing nothing (and, again, they're LOCAL), I decided to make a few more visits to FC Motown - one per "squad".

## [NPSL (7/1/2026)](2026-05-17_fcmotown_npsl)

The NPSL's Keystone Division can be divided into three groups: the top four, the next three, and Hershey (don't ask how their season has been going)[^1]. As I understand it, the top four enter the playoffs for the divisional title - and FC Motown is part of the top four (though they are in fourth place).

This game represents Motown's final game of the NPSL regular season against division leading Jackson Lions (from the same town as Six Flags Great Adventure), and in a show of "apparently there's quite a bit of parity in this top four", Motown won 4-1 on the back of three early goals.

Also, the team gave out free drinks to fans but had no food (as they mostly sell candy that wouldn't have lasted in the heat).

## [USL2 (7/2/26)](2026-05-22_fcmotownsta)

FC Motown STA was cruising atop the Metropolitan Division and widely regarded as one of the best teams in ALL of USL2 - having won all but one of their games (a 0-0 draw against the Long Island Rough Riders). However, the team saw an undefeated streak that stretched back all the way to 2024 come to an end when [Ironbound SC](2026-05-31_ironboundsc) beat them 1-0 last week (in a game which was played IN the Ironbound), and so Motown find themselves looking UP at another team for the first time in a while.

This game was the "reverse fixture" of the [Morris Elite game](2026-06-05_morriselite) I saw a month ago, and FC Motown somehow managed to DOUBLE the number of goals from that night (winning this game 8-0) - though it helps that one guy got FOUR of those goals.

The team has two games left - one home and one away. Alas, I have a commitment that will prevent me from being able to go, and the away game is a touch too far (and late) for my liking...

(Also, I forgot to mention this last time, but Motown STA is the only USL2 side that sells jerseys specifically to FANS - a few other ones appear to have "online uniform sales", but they're intended for players only)

## \-\-\-

With this being the final time I see FC Motown this year, it's interesting to note that not only did they win EVERY one of their games I went to (both home AND away)[^2], they did so rather convincingly (to the tune of a 30-2 goal differential).

Having a "local soccer team" to watch is definitely something I like, as it lets me watch a team without having to pay for too much (i.e. free parking and inexpensive tickets) and not have to worry about getting home after 10 PM (though I did get home after 10 PM after the STA games, as they started at 8).

I realize that this post is WAY shorter than what I normally post on here, and it represents something I'm struggling to figure out how to "deal with": repeat visits in the same season. It's likely that I'm going to see WAY more FC Motown next year (when I'm not so busy with vacation and trying to get out to a bunch of new venues), but having gone over what little there is to say about the stadium and the team, I don't know how I can stretch posts on them - but this is a problem for next year.

![An image of a banner featuring the FC Motown logo](/images/2026/fcmotownbanner.jpeg)

---

[^1]: Motown's 5-0 win represents one of Hershey's _closer_ games...

[^2]: These two games, the two games I went to in May, the aforementioned game at Morris Elite, and a game in [Staten Island](2026-05-25_simonarchs).

An update on the goings on down the road

FC Motown DOUBLE FEATURE


I've already gone over [the Hartford Yard Goats and their history in Connecticut](2026-06-29_hfdyardgoats), but today, we're going to talk about the team's original Connecticut home: Bristol (yes, THAT Bristol)! However, I do want to note one thing before I start talking about the Blues:

It's a little crazy to think that this post marks the (live) debut of the New England Collegiate Baseball League on this blog (given that I've already discussed New England's other two summer collegiate leagues[^1]). Yes, it has been featured on this blog before, but I was too busy waxing poetic about the league's [last team to fold](2026-04-11_wpsmuskrats) that time. That aside, the league was founded in 1994, and at one point, it was one of the top summer leagues in the country (just behind the [Cape League](ccbl_overview)). However, I'm not sure where it stands nowadays with NIL and the transfer portal kinda sorta wrecking summer ball altogether - though the fact that no teams have been added or subtracted since 2023 feels like a good thing. Anyhoo...

In 1994 (about a decade after the Red Sox moved to New Britain and while ESPN had become the behemoth it...used to be), the NECBL put a team in Bristol for its inaugural season, but the team folded almost immediately. In 2010, the same league gave Bristol a "second chance" when a team moved in from historic but apparently unlucky Pittsfield, MA, but that team only lasted a year before moving to Mystic (where they are now). Then, in 2015, the Futures Collegiate Baseball League expanded into Bristol when the Bristol Blues started playing at Muzzy Field. They made the Futures League’s championship finals in their first year, but eventually fell in three games. In 2020, the Blues changed leagues and Bristol (the city) rejoined the NECBL. While they still haven’t won a league title since changing leagues, they did make the NECBL’s championship series in 2023 (where they lost). Despite this churn of teams and leagues, one thing has remained constant in Bristol: Muzzy Field.

![An image of Muzzy Field](/images/2026/0628-muzzy.jpeg)

Muzzy Field was opened in 1914 - it’s technically not the oldest stadium in the NECBL (that would be Newport's Cardines Field), but it is up there. Built and named in honor of the city commissioner’s sons, a fire in 1939 necessitated massive renovations, which is when (I believe) the brick grandstand was built.

This grandstand has several interesting features: the "main" seating area runs down the third base line and features two press boxes: one which is rather large and modern behind home plate, and one high above the third base end (with no seats underneath) which looks FRIGHTENING to get to (though I'm not actually sure it's still in use).

![An image of Muzzy Field from the first base stand](/images/2026/0628-highview.jpeg)

There is also the first base stand which features a concession stand and the visitor's dugout. These two are at "concourse level", so seats here are WAY above field level (in essence, they're on the "roof" of the building), though it should ALSO be noted that if you're handicapped, this stand appears to be wholly inaccessible. There's also a set of metal bleachers on the third base side (past the press box), which represent the only seats in the park not covered with netting (the entire grandstand has nets, which does affect the view).

Outside of all of this, a large "sidewalk area" serves as a concourse. It's SUPER big and features plenty of room to walk around (especially on the third base side), and personally, the makes this one of my more favorite NECBL stadiums (though admittedly the bar isn't very high). However, as a bit of an aside, I must note that downtown Bristol was oddly...quiet: there were certainly signs that the city is trying to build something, but there were SEAS of empty parking spaces.

![An image of the Muzzy Field grandstand from the concourse. The words "MUZZY FIELD" can be seen](/images/2026/0628-concourse.jpeg)

<figcaption>In case you forgot what field this post is about</figcaption>

I'd been thinking about coming back here for a while (I visited once in 2023), but at two-plus hours from home, it's a bit too far for a "day trip" (and they typically don't have any games that start before 5 PM). However, other teams in their area (i.e. the Hartford Yard Goats and one other team I might check out later this year) have earlier start times, and since I was already in Hartford earlier in the day, I figured "why not?".

This game marks another "first" for this blog, but it is a rather unfortunate one: the first incomplete game. Bristol led 3-0 after three innings, but during the fourth, a torrential downpour came down, and as the "grounds crew" (aka the players and interns) were unable to fully cover the infield (as it's supposed to be covered with a tarp during rain delays), a puddle emerged behind third base that rendered the field unplayable (games need to go at least five innings to be "official"). I do not know when the "rest" of this game will be played, and I'm also not sure if I'm going to update this paragraph with the "final" result. Wildly enough, this game was against another team I once saw play a partial game once: the (defending NECBL champion) Keene Swamp Bats (more on THAT later this year).

![A photo of a large puddle on the dirt of a baseball diamond](/images/2026/0628-puddle.jpeg)

<figcaption>That giant pool by the railing probably didn't help either...</figcaption>

Since the game was not finished, the team gave out tickets which can be redeemed for any game this season, but SPOILER ALERT: a return to Bristol is almost certainly not possible for me this year due to the distance and just how busy my schedule is this summer (there is ONE DAY that works for me but NOT for the team), so I gave my ticket to some other folks.

### MERCH

The merchandise tent is basically underneath the press box that connects left field to the main grandstand. While it largely carries nothing out of the ordinary for a baseball game, I did get a hoodie here with contrasting sleeves, which looks cool. While the Blues do not sell jerseys, they did have shirts the players typically wear for training/warmups, and I actually managed to snag one RIGHT as the store was shutting down (post-rain but before the announcement that the game was cancelled - there was a delay between the two).

I should mention, however, that I distinctly remember seeing information about the team running a physical retail store in "downtown" Bristol. I don't know if they still do this, however, as it's been SEVERAL years since the last time I saw anything about it. I DID see that they had a pop-up at some point in 2025, but I visited the place where said pop-up was and they had nothing (which honestly isn't too surprising given how small summer collegiate operations tend to be).

---

[^1]: There is (at least) one other summer league up in Maine (a member of [The Players League](2026-06-16_shashallywags)), but I've yet to see or hear much about it - though it's currently operating out of one singular stadium this year.

ESPN's HYPERlocal sports team - and a sad first

Bristol Blues (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Muzzy Field (Bristol, CT)


### _[2026: New Venue #24](/26in26list)_

Our story for today begins a few miles west of Hartford in Bristol, CT in 1973 (although it technically starts before this, but that part’s mostly irrelevant and kinda confusing). Six years before ESPN was created to broadcast Hartford Whalers games (look it up), the Boston Red Sox established a Double-A franchise - the Bristol Red Sox - at Muzzy Field. In 1983, the team moved east to New Britain, CT and became the New Britain Red Sox.

In 1995, faced with a substandard stadium and the opportunity for newer facilities for their prospects, the Red Sox moved their Double-A operations to Trenton, NJ ([the modern-day Thunder of the MLB Draft League](2025-08-15_trethunder)). Meanwhile, back in New Britain, the team was renamed to the "Hardware City Rock Cats" and became an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. In 1996, a new stadium was built for the Rock Cats adjacent to the old one (and "Hardware City" turned back into "New Britain"), and it became their home until 2015 - the same year the team switched affiliation to the Colorado Rockies.

In 2016, the team moved again - this time heading up Interstate 84 from New Britain to Connecticut’s capital: Hartford[^1]. I’m not fully sure why the team decided to make this move (though my guess is that it's either due to outdated facilities again or to try and attract fans from east of Hartford), but it came with a brand new stadium: Dunkin’ (Donuts) Park.

...or at least it was supposed to. However, the park wasn’t ready for 2016, so the Hartford Yard Goats spent that whole season as a traveling team with no home (as well as causing legal battles between the city of Hartford and the stadium builders). However, on April 13, 2017, the Yard Goats finally played their first game in Hartford, and things have been largely the same ever since. Despite the Rockies being...the Rockies, the move to Hartford seems to have worked, as the team has been in the top three of attendance every year since their stadium opened (including a few years as the league leaders), and in addition to the Yard Goats, the stadium has hosted a few [Cape Cod Baseball League](ccbl_overview) games (among other things).

![An image of Dunkin' Park](/images/2026/0628-dunkinpark.jpeg)

This is far and away the newest of the MiLB stadiums I've been to (it's the second newest in the Eastern League behind Richmond's shiny new stadium that just opened this year), and it's rather impressive IMO. The main concourse wraps fully around the field, but I must admit: it feels narrow in a few spots. I won't go over every single one of the party areas and beer in the stadium, but there are quite a few of them, and the seat I got for this game ended up being in a row ON the concourse. Several of the infield sections have a row on the concourse, and behind some of these rows are long "high top" seats which also have a table (I am NOT sure if these are typically "sold" however)

One thing here that I've not really noticed in MiLB: EXTENSIVE outfield seats. There's seats down both the left and right field lines, and while a decent, there's also upper deck seats that stretch essentially from center field towards the right field foul pole (which I don't think I've seen a Minor League stadium do). I thought about getting a seat here, but the lack of cover made me opt for a shaded seat (though I just so happened to scoop a t-shirt from the t-shirt toss in this area)[^3].

Similar to [Delta Dental Stadium](2026-04-06_nhfishercats) up in Manchester, this was a stadium where I’d been to the team store several times, but never been able to catch a game. It’s kinda sorta inconveniently far from BOTH Boston AND North Jersey, and Hartford...isn’t known as the best place in the world (fun fact: before settling on Trenton, the Red Sox almost moved to Springfield, MA - another city with a very much less-than-stellar reputation). However, since I’ve decided to try this whole _26 in 26_ thing this year, I felt it was FINALLY time to check out more than the team store.

Originally, this trip and the Fisher Cats game I went to back in April were going to be part of a full weekend trip to New England, but something came up that made the trip unfeasible (and I should note that this was NOT the weekend I ended up seeing the Fisher Cats). I thought about just going on the day I intended anyway (it's about two and a half hours, which is far but not the worst), but rain ended that idea, and after I was unable to go to a different game WHICH I BOUGHT A TICKET FOR[^4], this ended up being the game.

The good news for the Yard Goats: they only left two men on base!

The bad news: those two men left on base represented the ONLY two Yard Goats to reach, as the team's offense was shut down (no walks and 13 strikeouts) by the pitching of the visiting Portland Sea Dogs - proud Eastern League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox (2026 notwithstanding). As Hartford more or less sits on Connecticut's "Boston/New York dividing line", I should also note that there were seemingly a LOT of Red Sox fans in attendance, with Red Sox hats/shirts/jerseys VASTLY outnumbering Yankees and Mets ones (though I may have to eventually see the [Patriots](2026-04-17_sompatriots) visit to see how that flips when THEY'RE in town - but maybe not this year)[^5].

Also, since a lot of fans left early (again, 6-0 with only two baserunners on a fairly hot day) and there was more shade in the stands towards the end of the game, I saw the final inning from HERE:

![A photo of Dunkin' Park from behind home plate](/images/2026/0628-dunkinpark-frontrow.jpeg)

<figcaption>This goes FIRMLY against my "don't end up on a broadcast" rule, but I can't deny this is COOL</figcaption>

### MERCH

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been to the team store here several times - scooping several jerseys, a few hats, and a logo baseball. Notably, however, I have never bought a flex fit hat here in the Yard Goats’ main color scheme (blue and green); the flex fit Yard Goats hats I have came from local malls, and any flex fit hats I've gotten here are alt identities. Speaking of alt identities, I ended up getting a hat for a "new" one the team introduced this year: the Hartford Rock Cats (which feels like a slap in the face to New Britain in several ways).

The main store here is right next to the main gates of the stadium (which, again, are in right field). Unlike the Fisher Cats, it's on the concourse itself, so it's a bit easier to get to (one thing I have yet to mention: the main concourse is at STREET level, and the field is sunk into the ground). The team also has two other kiosks on the main concourse (one in the outfield, and another behind home plate) - though I feel like it's worth noting that I don't recall seeing jerseys or fitted hats at the kiosks (or any alt identity stuff).

---

One FINAL final note: on some level, this game was "unnecessary", as I have plans to come back in about a month's time. However, I still wanted to talk about the stadium PRIOR to that visit, as I REALLY want to focus on the game next time - partially as it involves a certain former Portland Sea Dog[^6]...

---

[^1]: New Britain's stadium was not left empty, however - more on that later.

[^2]: These two plus Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester represent the only Eastern League ballparks opened in the 21st century - and I don't believe any Eastern League teams are planning new stadiums right now.

[^3]: I also saw a t-shirt go OUT OF THE STADIUM and onto the nearby street.

[^4]: The ticket I originally got was part of the same deal I got my [2001 NYPL Ring Night](2026-06-26_bkncyclones3) ticket from.

[^5]: The Yard Goats' next home opponent after this game is the Mets' Eastern League affiliate FWIW - though I don't know how many Met fans exist in central Connecticut (I've largely been under the impression that it's mainly Red Sox/Yankees, with Met fans more likely to be near the coast/in [Bridgeport](2026-01-12_bptislanders)). However, I did see like three or four Yankees jerseys and exactly ONE Mets jersey at the game.

[^6]: It's also good that I found out how narrow the concourses are, as this game was apparently an overflow sellout, and my next visit is likely to be another...

Sportventures

Major League Quadball

NJ Copa Cabana

Mo' Motown

Feeling Blue

The Kids in the Yard