
_\*This trip occurred on May 8, 2026._

Skylands Stadium in Augusta, NJ was built in 1994 for a New York-Penn League team that eventually left in 2005[^1]. An independent team started up the following year in the Can-Am League and then spent a few years there until folding in 2011. In 2015, the Sussex County Miners (i.e. the current team) were founded as a member of the Can-Am League and have been there since; they won a Can-Am League title in 2018 before moving to the Frontier League with the other surviving Can-Am teams when that league folded in 2020. Again, there's not much else in their history (thanks to the dominance of the Québec Capitales), but they were introduced at this game as division champions of their division for 2025.

I’ll be honest: I kinda like the charm of this place. Sure, it’s a bit of a hike and in a SUPER rural area (which lends itself to seeing certain...things), but the external parts of the stadium are largely "red wood" which gives it this “barn” like feel that is cool.

Most of the main concourse does not have views to/from the field due to the fact that, similar to [Heritage Financial Park](2025-08-12_hvrenegades), seats are built over top of it. In fact, a lot of what I've said about that place applies, which makes sense given that the two stadiums were opened in the same year in the same league (both even feature bleacher seats high down the third base side). However, some of the more "luxury" features in the Hudson Valley (such as its premium area down the left field line) are more or less absent here - though that might be due to the park not having an affiliated team since 2005 (i.e. less reason to make renovations to keep an MLB team happy in 2020).

The left field line does feature a kids area, however, which had a carnival game, a "bouncy cow-stle", and one other feature I'll talk about later. Down the right field line, there's a picnic area plus tables from a restaurant (aptly named "The Barnyard") which is attached to the stadium (and open year round); I found out that the restaurant has tables INSIDE the stadium where you can get their full menu/service, but didn't inquire about sitting at one. The scoreboard here (I think) is the same make/model as the one in [Wilmington](2026-05-03_wilbluerocks) but has a larger video board above it - though said video board was a bit glitchy for most of the night.

![An image of the electronic scoreboard and video board at Skylands Stadium. The video board is displaying a player named Lyle Miller-Green, but several panels of the video board are not working properly.](/images/2026/0508-skylands-scoreboard.jpg)

<figcaption>Fun fact: this guy played for the <a href="2025-08-17_chaanglers">Chatham Anglers</a> back in the day!</figcaption>

Much like the other Frontier League stops on this blog, I’d already been here LONG before this site existed - once in 2022, and again in 2024. However, I did NOT make a visit in 2025; there was one date that I almost came here, but something came up that prevented me from leaving[^2]. This year, I was originally thinking of going to a game in June, but due to other games I want to see the same weekend of that game, it became unlikely. However, with the rest of the Miners' schedule looking "unfriendly" based on my calendar for this summer, I ended up deciding to move my visit up and check out a Frontier League home opener for the [second day in a row](2026-05-08_rocboulders). Once again, I decided to get a front row seat - and this one actually ended up being a bit less than the front row seat I got for the Boulders game (and that's BEFORE factoring in parking - which is FREE at Skylands Stadium)!

![An image of game action at Skylands Stadium from the front row](/images/2026/0508-skylands-frontrow.jpeg)

<figcaption>I think the field here is farther from the front row than Clover Stadium's field was...</figcaption>

Alas, I've been learning that Frontier League games are a bit on the slow side - I had to leave early for the second night in a row, as I didn't want to get home super late (and the game ended after 10 PM again). This one stings a LOT more than last night, however, as the Miners were down 3-0 when I left but ended up walk-off winners[^3] (I also missed a post game drone show). While a repeat visit is definitely a possibility (assuming Interstate 80 doesn't break open again and/or they don't have to repair a bridge on Route 15), I doubt it'll be another walk-off...

As a side note, the [New Jersey Jackals](2025-08-12_njjackals) also had their home opener tonight (which they lost FWIW), but I was never planning on going to that because...well...

P.S: I don't anticipate visiting any more new independent baseball teams anytime soon, as most of them are REALLY far (this does not include future Banana Ball games, as the jury is out on whether or not that counts as "independent baseball"). There is _one_ team that I'm thinking of visiting later this year, however, but even they are quite a hike...

### MERCH

Before I continue, I should mention the fact that the Miners are owned by the group that owned the New Jersey Jackals until this year (the two teams shared ownership for a while). If you recall what I said about the Jackals' old online store, the same applies here - it’s a spiritwear store that doesn’t sell a lot of the standard baseball fare and/or “official” team stuff (and I've recently learned that there are A LOT of smaller teams that seemingly go this route nowadays[^4]).

Anyway, the team store here has the amazing name of “The Company Store” as a reference to the mining industry (though I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact details). Each time I've been here, there's been a change to how it's accessed:

- In 2022, the door to the store was OUTSIDE of the gates, and you could (seemingly) get in without a ticket
- In 2024, the outside door was locked, and you could only get in via a small path/door accessible only from the main concourse
- This time, the gates were moved forward so that the outside door was now inside the gates

I mentioned how a few fans at the Boulders game yesterday had stitched jerseys despite the team not selling them in their team store. Well, here's the thing: \*I\* have a stitched Miners jersey that I got from their store in 2022! Most of the other jerseys I've seen here are fully sublimated (including some player worn specialty night jerseys), but this game did feature a few stitched (and signed) "shirseys" (i.e. baseball jerseys that do not fully open) plus one stitched button down jersey that was a bit on the small side for me (despite being a size large).

Outside of the standard hats and jerseys (and other things), the team sells a lot of other things which are rather interesting: I bought a replica championship ring from their 2018 Can-Am League championship[^5] back in 2022, and starting in 2024, they were selling Harry Potter wands (I think they were leftovers from a “Harry Potter Night”). Also, the kids' area in left had an activity where you could bring home a bag of gemstones for five dollars: you'd get a bag of gems and dirt, then had to "panhandle" to clear the dirt and discover the gems inside.

---

### ON DECK

Let there be (ultraviolet black) light.

---

[^1]: The team moved to State College, PA (home of Penn State), joined the MLB Draft League when the 2020 Minor League shuffle occurred, and are currently embroiled in a legal dispute with Penn State (who owns their stadium) which could end with the team getting evicted.

[^2]: There was also an issue with the highway that leads to the stadium, but that was resolved (as I wouldn't have been able to go to [Scranton/Wilkes-Barre](2025-08-18_swbrailriders) if it wasn't).

[^3]: For those who don't understand that term, a walk-off win is when the home team in a baseball game (i.e. the team that bats second every inning) is tied or trailing in the ninth inning (or later) but ends up scoring the winning run during their half of the inning.

[^4]: This mainly applies to summer league baseball teams.

[^5]: I did not see championship ring replicas at my 2022 visit to the New Jersey Jackals despite the two teams sharing owners...though that may be because of different front office staffs and/or the fact that said Jackals championship came in 2019 (i.e. any potential ring giveaway was ruined by COVID).


Independent baseball at the barnyard

Sussex County Miners (Frontier League) @ Skylands Stadium (Augusta, NJ)


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

The Rockland Boulders were founded in 2011 as an expansion to the Can-Am League. In 2014, they won a league championship, and in 2020, they moved with the rest of the surviving Can-Am teams to the Frontier League.

...There's really not much else to their history[^1]. Somewhere along the way, they changed their location from "Rockland" to "New York", but I can't seem to figure out when that happened (one source claims that the rename coincided with the move to the Frontier League, which makes sense, but I can't confirm that).

Before we get to the stadium, there is one thing I feel like I should mention since this marks the first Frontier League game on this blog in 2026, and that is the fact that this is kinda sorta the last year of the Frontier League. Next year, the league plans to rebrand itself as the National Association of Professional Baseball, and while the rationale behind the move is unknown (or what it could mean going forward for other independent leagues/teams), it does come as a bit of an...interesting move to say the least.

With that said, back to the Boulders: in case you couldn’t tell from me using the "NEW TO BLOG" badge for this post, I’ve seen them before - quite a few times in fact. My first game was in 2022, and then I came here for two games in 2024 (plus a third that got rained out). In fact, I had thoughts about visiting last year a few times, but various factors led to me not coming to a game (I only come here during even years I guess).

This year, there was an exhibition game against members of the New York Police Department that I was super interested in (largely due to five dollar tickets), but I was unavailable for it due to the [Wilmington Blue Rocks and their soccer jersey giveaway](2026-05-03_wilbluerocks), so I had to "settle" on "only" going to the home opener against the [Brockton Rox](2025-08-22_brorox). For a shade over 20 dollars, I was able to get THIS view:

![An image of game action at Clover Stadium from the front row](/images/2026/0507-clover-frontrow.jpeg)

<figcaption>There are ways to get this view for less, but I'm not super sure I want to do those sorts of things (as it can get AWKWARD if you choose the wrong seat).</figcaption>

The Boulders play their home games in a stadium now called Clover Stadium, which opened with the team's debut in 2011[^2]. Nestled in a town with a fun name to say (Pomona, NY), it's a short drive from the Palisades Interstate Parkway - but a bit of a ways north of the Thruway and Route 59 (Rockland County's main shopping road). Because of this, it's a bit isolated from any real "action", so to speak, and with only one spotty bus route that doesn't stop on weekends, the five dollar parking fee is essentially a requirement when coming here.

However, inside the stadium, there's a LOT of features that end up making this one of my favorite indie stadiums. First, there's a concourse that encircles the whole field and has views to said field from almost everywhere (except for dead center, where a giant wall to help batters blocks the view). Second, there's actual outfield seating (no other indie stadium I've been to has this); the outfield seats are all metal bleachers, but the right field bleachers feature tables (which was helpful for eating dinner), plus next to these bleachers is an area with a playground and minigolf called "Boulderberg".

The outfield also features two field level bar areas (one in left, one in right) where you can watch the game at field level. The bar in right field (along with another area on the suite/press box level) are apparently supposed to be premium areas, but with this game having less than 1,000 fans and no one really enforcing things, you could have watched the game from them (though nothing was served in these areas)[^3]. I ended up catching bits of the game from both outfield bars plus the upper deck, and while I do think there are unique quirks to each that might make them worthwhile if you want to "just get in", I must admit that I think I liked being behind home plate the best.

In any case, the Boulders had the lead when I had to head out due to lateness and it being kinda cold, but unfortunately were unable to hold it and ended up losing (I found out when I got home that the game ended after 10 PM, so...). Also, a repeat visit this year may depend on when the Palisades Parkway south to Thruway north/west ramp reopens, because I'm not sure three clover ramps is my idea of a "fun" detour[^4]...

### MERCH

The team store here is actually kinda big by indie league standards IMO (heck, it's bigger than several team stores I've seen for **MiLB AFFILIATED** teams). However, I’m pretty sure that it’s only open during games that actually happen at night based on two times I’ve been to the stadium without being able to access the team store:

1. A game that got canceled due to rain
2. A morning (i.e. field trip) game; while they did have a merchandise table, it was set up right in front of the team store doors as if to block people from going in, and the main store appeared to be closed[^5]

Alas, this is also the only Frontier League team I've visited where I've never seen game worn jerseys being sold (and this does, in a certain sense, include Brockton); the only jerseys in the store were sublimated replicas plus one weird "fake button down" jersey. However, I did see a few fans with what looked like game worn jerseys (i.e. jerseys with stitched on front scripts as well as numbers), so I'm wondering how they got those...

---

[^1]: A large part of that is probably due to the Québec Capitales and their ELEVEN league championships between the Can Am and Frontier leagues.

[^2]: I wasn't sure how to mention this, but the stadium just got a new turf field after opening with a natural grass field.

[^3]: There's also a "train" that fans can ride around the outfield, but again, it was not in operation for this game.

[^4]: Route 59 is fine if you're willing to deal with a few traffic lights however.

[^5]: I've been to two other morning games for independent leagues (one of them being a [Staten Island FerryHawks doubleheader last year](2025-08-14_siferryhawks)), and both times, "regular" merchandise was available.

Independent baseball in ROC Nation

New York Boulders (Frontier League) @ Clover Stadium (Pomona, NY)


There are two things I don't like talking about with strangers: politics and religion. However, this story won't make much sense without dipping at least a little bit into the latter of those subjects, so I'll start by mentioning that I am a practicing Catholic. How well that practice is going is neither here nor there, however, so let's just move on...

A couple of months ago, the church I regularly attend announced a special guest speaker would be coming: former Villanova men's basketball coach Jay Wright. Wright coached the team from 2001-2022 - building the team into one of the nation's top programs, winning a pair of national championships (with the first one being one of the most famous endings to a basketball game EVER,) and seeing a decent number of players become NBA stars[^1] (and was, until last year, probably the most famous person associated with Villanova outside of his players).

I was super interested in it when it was first announced, and it did not disappoint. As you'd probably expect from a top level college coach, Wright was incredibly eloquent - tying elements of his career to leading in local communities. It also provided a very unique perspective on the "behind the scenes" of coaching a college basketball team - case in point: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTThyQPoXxY" target="blank">the famous buzzer beater to win the National Championship in 2016</a>.

You can't really see it in this video, but Coach Wright talked a bit about what was going on in the moments after the game-tying shot. I don't remember most of what he said (and I'm not sure if I should discuss some of the details I DO remember), but the big one was the players saying "ATTITUDE" to one another - a way of reminding each other of one of the mantras Wright instilled into them as explained by this slide:

![A photo of a slide from Jay Wright's presentation. It says "Attitude is forgetting the last play, focusing on the next play, learning from yesterday, focusing on today"](/images/2026/attitude.jpeg)

<figcaption>"Attitude is forgetting the last play, focusing on the next play, learning from yesterday, focusing on today"</figcaption>

He also talked about his demeanor at the end of the game (because if you notice, he's VERY calm after the winning shot goes in). He said that he felt that he and the players did all they could, and the rest was up to God at that point.

This is probably not something you may have been expecting me to post, and I was on the fence about whether or not I SHOULD post it (especially with how "short" this ended up being), but I cannot stress how cool it was to get to hear someone like Jay Wright speak. He also told me that he liked my hat despite the fact that it was NOT a Villanova hat - it was the Valley Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (who have a cap logo VERY similar to Villanova's logo). 

---

[^1]: Including 60% of the New York Knicks' current starting five

A few short thoughts about a night with a college basketball legend

An evening with Jay Wright


### _[26 IN 26 STOP 12](/26in26list)_

_\*This trip occurred on May 2, 2026._

Founded in 1993 when the Peninsula Pilots moved from Hampton, Virginia[^1], the Wilmington Blue Rocks were named after a former minor league team in Wilmington and a long-time Carolina League member (which is mildly odd given how far they are from the Carolinas) until the 2020 MiLB realignment, when they "moved up" (as the Carolina League became Low A level) and became a South Atlantic League team. As a member of the Carolina League, the team was decently successful both on the field (five Carolina League championships) and in the stands (usually in the upper half of the Carolina League - at least for the 2010s).

However, their attendance has dipped considerably since joining the SAL and is near the bottom of the league's rankings[^2]. While there are probably a few reasons for the attendance drop, one notable reason may be because the 2020 realignment that "promoted" them to the SAL also saw them become a Washington Nationals affiliate after spending all but two years of their existence as a Kansas City Royals affiliate[^3] - a rather tough affiliation to "sell" given that Wilmington, DE is very firmly in the Philadelphia media market.

Their home - Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium - was opened in 1993 and named after Judy Johnson (a Negro League player from Delaware) and Daniel Frawley (a former mayor of Wilmington who was instrumental in the founding of the current Blue Rocks). Parking here is free (super nice), and unlike Reading, it's one big lot dedicated to the stadium and the adjacent convention center (the lot I parked at in Reading was shared with an office building).

However, before we talk about the stadium, I want to discuss one other thing I found out about while researching the stadium: the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame! It's a museum/Hall of Fame located at Frawley, and it is free and open before games. I decided to head to the stadium early to check it out, and I thought it was actually kinda interesting (though one of its more interesting exhibits - a supposed conversation between a kid and Judy Johnson - did have a weird anachronism)[^4].

![An image of the field at Frawley Stadium](/images/2026/0502-frawley.jpeg)

As for the stadium itself...it's VERY similar to [Trenton Thunder Ballpark](2025-08-15_trethunder) if I must be honest. Street level entrances to an elevated concourse, a seating bowl with upper and lower sections separated by a small walkway, and a team store on the concourse and INSIDE the ticketed area. However, one thing that separates it from Trenton: a general admission bleacher area high on the third base side (similar to the general admission areas at [Hudson Valley Renegades](2025-08-10_hvrenegades) games). These are the only seats OUTSIDE of the main seating bowl (as in they're the only seats above the main concourse), and a bunch of children were running all up and down around here.

One other thing I noticed: the team hasn't updated its scoreboards in some time. There's an "old school" electronic scoreboard (i.e. not a fully digital display), and the video board was VERY small, still in 4:3, and had "fixed ads" (i.e. ad boards that don't change) around it.

![An image of the electronic scoreboard at Frawley Stadium](/images/2026/0502-twos.jpeg)

<figcaption>Look at all those 2s!</figcaption>

Initially, I wasn't really sure if I wanted to come here: it's two hours from where I live (much like [Reading, PA](2025-08-24_rdgfightinphils)), which is a bit of a stretch (especially in 2026 when gas prices are rather volatile). In addition, going east/north across the Delaware Memorial Bridge on a Sunday is notoriously awful (especially in the summer with Maryland and Virginia beach traffic); sure, you could just stick with 95 (in either/both directions) and go through Philly to see civilization, but that's apparently a bit longer and has also has the potential for getting caught in traffic (I thought about going from Washington, DC to New Brunswick, NJ via Philly one time, but the traffic report basically said don’t do it). However, speaking of Philly...this game almost didn't happen (sorta).

Originally, I WANTED to take advantage of the Savannah Bananas [playing against the Texas Tailgaters in Philadelphia](bananaball_bospt5) by going to Wilmington first for a quick merch stop back in 2025 (it’s only about half an hour from Wilmington to Philadelphia); circumstances prevented me from leaving the house on the specific day I was going to do this, so I ended up going to Philly the following day - when the stadium in Wilmington was closed. Still thinking about making a visit, I thought about going to a game, but it didn’t really feel right (due to the things mentioned above), but eventually, thanks to the _26 in 26_ challenge, this game here became reality.

This game was a pitcher's duel for a while, but once the visiting Asheville Tourists went to their bullpen in the seventh inning, everything broke loose, and eventually, the Blue Rocks won. The game also featured a "flop contest" between innings where the contestants were trying to flop "like Sidney Crosby receiving his first embellishment penalty" (a reference to something that happened in the NHL playoffs in case you forgot about which major sports market Wilmington tends to support...[^5])

Finally, I should note that this Saturday night game was NEVER originally my intention. I wanted to do a Sunday afternoon game, but then things got complicated around the date I had in mind (read: threat of rain), and not wanting to wait for Memorial Day Weekend (where I have other things I'd like to do), I picked this date - partially because...

### MERCH

The team has Saturday as its giveaway day (as in they give away things every Saturday) - and this game featured something I was actually fairly interested in: a Blue Rocks soccer style jersey! It's actually quite nice if I do say so myself.

Anyway, like I said earlier, the team store here is only accessible from the concourse, but it seemed a bit bigger than Trenton's (though a large part of that is it having double doors as opposed to a single door). While it doesn't exactly have much outside of "the ordinary", it does have a cool name ("The Quarry"), and the team did unveil a refreshed visual identity for 2026, but the replica jerseys on sale were still from the prior look (I think I've mentioned this before, but I feel like MiLB teams sometimes struggle to sell older items).

The store also had a bunch of game-worn jerseys available, but also had old nameplates taken from old jerseys (which you'd have to attach to the jersey yourself if you were so interested) as well as a patch featuring <a href="https://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/c581j7hyn2ijvzwlhxez0e3ra/Kansas-City-Royals-Logo/2002/Alternate-Logo" target="blank">this obscure old Kansas City Royals logo</a>.

One side note I think is worth mentioning: New Era (the cap provider for MLB and MiLB) made some changes to their flexfit hats this year (the big one being they now feature the "batterman" logo on the back instead of a team script), and I've had to size down as the size I used to get is now firmly too big for me. I haven't done this with their fitted hats, however, as those are still kinda wonky.

---

[^1]: A team in the same city with the same name currently plays in the Coastal Plain League (the summer collegiate league that once had the [Savannah Bananas](2025-08-23_bananaball_bos) amongst its teams).

[^2]: Of note: the team which is LAST in SAL attendance is rumored to be on the chopping block, with their potential replacement surprisingly close to the Blue Rocks...

[^3]: The team was established as a Royals affiliate, but weirdly spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as a Red Sox affiliate right after the big 2004 World Series win (i.e. [the event that started this whole mess](about), so to speak).

[^4]: There are a couple of notable Delaware sports names not in the hall (yet), and I found out that it's because they need to be retired for three years to be eligible. Therefore, the expectation is that Elena Delle Donne (a basketball player) should be inducted soon (she's being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for crying out loud!), but Joe Flacco is a bit of a different story...

[^5]: I also found out the day after the game that the Blue Rocks' in-stadium host is a Flyers cheerleader for what it's worth...


The first time I’ve spent more than 30 minutes in the state of Delaware

Wilmington Blue Rocks (South Atlantic League) @ Judy Johnson Field at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium (Wilmington, DE)


I mentioned yesterday that I found a group of All Star Game and World Series baseballs for sale at [Citi Field](2026-05-01_nymets). One of them caught my attention to the point where I felt I HAD to take it home (don't worry, I did pay for it):

![A photo of a baseball that says "OFFICIAL BALL: 1994 WORLD SERIES" and has a World Series logo](/images/2026/1994wsball.jpeg)

To explain why I felt so compelled to buy this, lets start by talk about unions.

Y'see kids, many workers are part of things called unions. These unions are in place to protect workers for various reasons (injury, healthcare, etc.), and are in many, MANY industries - including the sports world.

Pretty much all major sports leagues in the world have things called player's unions. These unions are in place to help the players in their dealings with team owners - especially for fringe guys as they're more at the mercy of the executives who are trying to build winning organizations. Typically, a league and its player's union have what's known as a Collective Bargaining Agreement (henceforth known as a CBA), which dictates various rules that the two sides have to follow in their dealings with one another[^1].

In 1993, the CBA between Major League Baseball and its players union (the aptly named MLB Players Union) expired. Therefore, the two sides entered 1994 without a CBA, but games continued to be played (which is actually fairly unusual). However, midway through the MLB season, negotiations broke down between MLB and the players union, and on August 12, 1994, the players went on strike. Thus, the 1994 season came to a grinding halt and never resumed, so the 1994 World Series - i.e. the World Series THIS baseball was made for - never happened. However, I assume this ball exists because the baseballs for said series had to be made months in advance so that they'd be ready for the 1994 World Series.

The strike dragged on into 1995, where some games were played using replacement players. I don't know fully how this worked, but the thing I think is important is that these replacement players were barred from joining the MLB Players Association. One of the more notable replacement players was current MLB Network analyst Kevin Millar, who was famously one of the "faces" of the 2004 Red Sox; I remember going to Baltimore in 2008 (he was an Oriole at the time) and trying to find a shirt with his name and number on it only to learn later that the Orioles couldn't sell things with his likeness due to him not being in the MLBPA.

Coincidentally, the Washington Nationals - the team I saw beat the Mets a few days ago - would likely not exist had the strike not happened; they were the Montreal Expos at the time and had the best record in baseball when the season stopped. Had they not stopped playing, it's likely the attention they would have received in a championship chase would have spurred the city to get them a new stadium, as their stadium was widely regarded as HIGHLY subpar[^2]. Instead, the Montreal Expos were never able to repeat that 1994 success, and thus never received that stadium. Then, after a series of mismanagement issues including the team almost being folded, they eventually moved to DC in 2005 (but as a Bostonian...thanks for Pedro!).

As for why THIS post exists, it's not just to reminisce about 1994, because the thing is...we could very easily be headed in the same direction.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and its players union is set to expire after this season, and MAJOR issues between the two could cause a lockout (the technical term for this type of work stoppage) that many believe could be EXTREMELY lengthy. Probably the biggest issue lies with player salaries: MLB is the only major league in North America without a limit on how high salaries can go, which means that teams that have/make a lot of money can dominate the league simply by buying the best players as the smaller teams can't afford them (though it doesn't always work - case in point: the two New York teams being at opposite ends of MLB's current standings). This was also at issue in 1994, but the valuation of players and teams has EXPLODED in the 30+ years since then, and the gaps between big and small markets is at the point where you can basically pencil in annual standings predictions based on payroll (though again...Mets). Owners are hoping to institute a salary cap to (hopefully) even things out, while the players don't want to see their potential paydays getting cut. Therefore, there's a growing fear that a work stoppage is looming next year - and with divisions high even WITHIN the two groups (MLB and the Players Association), no one knows how many games will be lost.

While work stoppages are not exactly "uncommon" in the North American sports world, I've mentioned in the past that there are massive issues currently surrounding baseball in the United States. The fear is that a lockout would kill most people's interest in a sport that already has perception issues - especially as speculation indicates the impending one could take A WHILE to resolve.

The NHL infamously lost a whole season 20 or so years ago (right around the time I started following sports more closely), and it still hasn't recovered from it. Yes, the sport is growing in places once thought to be incompatible with hockey (not including Phoenix[^3]), but media coverage continues to be lukewarm at best, and it is still FAR behind the other sports in terms of popularity.

The last thing MLB wants is to be treated like the NHL: a sport the media views as largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. However, with the NFL being the NFL, the NBA still having LeBron James (for now), and the rise of soccer in the US (though MLS is a different story altogether), who knows what damage could end up being done if MLB loses a season due to labor unrest...

---

_As an aside, you can expect a LOT of content on this blog this month, because I'm going to be BUSY. I started a <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/sportventures.blog" target="blank">BlueSky account</a> for this blog, and while it's largely going to be announcements of new posts, I may do other things there in the future (as well as use other social media)._

---

[^1]: I was actually mention all of this for the [Philadelphia Wings post from a few weeks ago](2026-04-12_phiwings2) as a labor dispute almost disrupted the 2025-26 NLL season, but between the dispute being settled before the season started and the game being the Wings' final home game, I felt it wasn't necessary.

[^2]: The Seattle Mariners were in a very similar situation at the time, but they got their playoff run in 1995 - and their new stadium (where they play today) in 2001.

[^3]: RIP ~~Arizona~~ Phoenix Coyotes - you may have been one of the worst ideas in North American sporting history, but at least you had some cool jerseys.


I find a gem from a time long gone - and ponder how it mirrors the future

The 1994 World Series


_\*This trip occurred on April 30, 2026 - exactly one year after my first visit to their nearest [minor league affiliate](2025-08-09_bkncyclones). It also marks the first **Major** League Baseball game on this blog after so many minor, independent, and summer league games!_

I'm not really sure how deep I should go into the history of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club here...partially because I actually have already! From [an old post on this blog](2025-12-26_merchstops):

_The New York Mets are one of baseball’s most...curious franchises. They’ve had some notably GOOD things happen, such as being the first expansion team to win a World Series (the ‘69 “Miracle Mets”), and then being the first expansion team to win a second World Series in 1986 because of John McNamara (you’re welcome). On the other hand, they set the modern era record for futility in their first year when they went 40-120 in 1962 (since passed by the 2024 Chicago White Sox losing 121 games), famously collapsed at the end of both the 2007 and 2008 seasons (with the Phillies the beneficiaries of both collapses), have had some other memorably WILD losses (like an infamous 2019 implosion against the Washington Nationals), were owned by someone implicated in the Bernie Madoff scheme, and also...Bobby Bonilla Day (which is actually connected to the Madoff saga)[^1]._

As someone who has more or less been "kinda cool" with the Mets despite the 1986 World Series (mainly due to the fact that they ALSO hate the Yankees), it's hard for me to get behind what's gone on in Queens over the past two decades of overspending, collapses, and the tease that was the 2015 World Series. However, there is at least one nugget not in this summary that I think is relevant:

I mentioned this the first time I visited Brooklyn on this blog, but the New York Mets are, in essence, the National League replacement for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants (both of whom moved to California in 1958); in fact, their colors of blue and orange are an homage to the two teams. However, there's actually a bit more to their founding story than that.

A year after the Dodgers and Giants moved, a rival league - the Continental League - was announced. New York was one of eight cities announced to be getting a team in this league, but before the league could start (as it was due to start in 1961), the National League announced that it would add new teams (the first expansion in MLB history), and thus NL baseball came back into New York in 1962 with the establishment of the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club - better known as the New York Mets. With NL baseball back in New York City's boroughs (and the prospects of further expansion), the Continental League abandoned its plans and disbanded[^2].

The main driving force behind the Continental League was an attorney by the name of William Shea. In honor of him, the Mets' original stadium was named after him: Shea Stadium (kinda sorta - they spent two years at the famous Polo Grounds before it was opened). It hosted not only the Mets, but also the New York Jets (until they moved to the Meadowlands in the 80s) as well as...the Yankees (when Yankee Stadium was essentially rebuilt). In 2009, however, Shea Stadium was closed and demolished, and the Mets' current home was opened: Citi Field[^3].

![An image of the original "HOME RUN" apple outside Citi Field](/images/2026/0430-outside.jpeg)

Similar to how the new Yankee Stadium was meant to emulate the original 1923 structure, Citi Field is meant to honor another stadium of New York City’s baseball past: Ebbets Field. This homage is very much seen in the main entrance, which is designed to mimic the facade of Ebbets Field and whose main area is known as the "Jackie Robinson Rotunda". The stadium also features something that has been unique to the Mets for a long time: orange foul poles (every other stadium in MLB has yellow ones).

The main level concourse fully wraps around the field...but the seating bowl does not. There is a part of the seating bowl which is disrupted by the two bullpens in right field, and the concourse goes over the bullpens via a "bridge" called the Shea Bridge (named after, of course, William Shea). This bridge features a very significant feature on it: the logo the Mets used during their final season at Shea Stadium[^4].

There are also two other levels, each with their own concourse. I honestly feel like there's not much to discuss in terms of what's on them (at least for now), but it MUST be mentioned that the uppermost concourse has its own "plaza" area behind home plate (or at least I THINK it's behind home plate).

Behind center field (i.e. the scoreboard and the famous Home Run Apple) is a plaza which features a mini field and the first Shake Shack I can recall seeing outside of the original Madison Square Park location (and do NOT get me started on my opinions of Shake Shack). This plaza also features a "mini field" as well as other activities, but the thing that was the Mets Museum. There isn't really a whole lot here except for a bunch of old memorabilia, but the team's two World Series trophies are displayed here.

![A photo of two World Series trophies on display](/images/2026/0430-trophies.jpeg)

<figcaption>Y'all remember the Grimace saga of 2024?</figcaption>

I've seen the Mets at Citi Field a few times before, but those games were so long ago that I honestly don't remember much about them (outside of one of them being a walk off win). To be honest, _this_ game wasn't on my radar until literally last week; yes, I know the Mets are mired in last place (in all of MLB) and recently lost 12 games in a row, and while that probably dulls excitement around the team...it also lowers ticket prices! Case in point: I saw tickets going for as low as NINE DOLLARS a few days before this game, and I ended up spending just over eleven dollars for a seat which "normally" costs $27! However, what I didn't realize until I got to my seat was that the eleven dollars I spent also got me access to not one, not two, but three lounges in the upper concourses!

![An image of the field at Citi Field from the first base side](/images/2026/0430-infield.jpeg)

<figcaption>I like this view, but I only spent ONE inning here</figcaption>

The lounges are, more or less, very similar to one another: slightly fancier than normal concessions with tables to eat which are largely indoors (which helps on a day like this one, which was fairly cold). One did not have field views, however, and while the other two had large windows to see the game, one of the lounges on the middle concourse in left field also had an "outdoor patio area" where I spent most of my "game watching" time.

![An image of Citi Field from left](/images/2026/0430-outfield.jpeg)

Part of the reason this game was so "cheap": it's a 1 PM weekday game against the Washington Nationals (who haven't exactly been "good" after somehow winning the World Series in 2019[^5]). It ended up being a bit of a back and forth game, but true to form, the Mets...found a way to lose. Throw in the Phillies winning two games of a double header that same day, and the Mets find themselves firmly in 30th place out of 30 teams in Major League Baseball - which means that a repeat trip is VERY MUCH a possibility later this year.

### MERCH

Fun fact: the jersey in my collection that I've had the longest is a Mets jersey I bought at a Marshalls in 2005[^6], and the first "authentic" baseball hat I got was a Mets hat at a Modell's Sporting Goods (RIP Modell's AND the Livingston Mall). In addition, while Citi Field hosts the only "official" Mets stores nowadays, I remember there being a Mets Team Store in a mall near Penn Station in Midtown growing up, but it closed a VERY long time ago (RIP Manhattan Mall), and there was also a Mets pop-up store in Union Square last spring which I visited the first time I went to [NYC's OTHER MLB stadium](2025-08-13_nycfc).

Anyway, back to the ballpark: there are, as you might expect, a plethora of merchandise areas amongst the concourses at Citi Field. The main store is just inside the main entrance (as you'd probably expect), each outfielder has a (fairly small) team store in their part of the outfield, plus there's a store in the plaza on the highest deck[^7]. This last store is the most interesting one IMO, as it holds the stadium's "clearance section" where old hats/jerseys are sold at reduced prices. Unfortunately for me, most of the jerseys were replicas, but they did have a FEW authentics. Also, I usually don't mention food in these posts (even though I tend to go for ice cream helmets at games), but I do have to mention the "Home Run Apple ice cream bowl" sold here, as it's WAY COOLER than your standard "food in a helmet".

There's also a memorabilia store on the main concourse which sells game used items such as uniforms and baseballs. This store also has a "grab bag lottery" where for a set price, you can have a chance at items such as jerseys, field dirt, and baseballs signed by soon-to-be-fired Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

However, the thing I found most interesting about the memorabilia store is that it had baseballs from events not related to the Mets (i.e. old All Star Games and World Series) - [and one of them caught my attention quite a bit](2026-05-02_1994ws)...

---

[^1]: Long story short: Bobby Bonilla played for the Mets and was released, but in order to avoid having to pay out his ~$6 million contract, ownership at the time offered him just over $1 million a year for 25 years from 2011 to 2035. You can do the math, but the reason they did it was because they thought the returns from Madoff's "work" would outweigh paying interest to Bonilla (don't ask me to elaborate further than that).

[^2]: The other seven Continental League cities (and the years they eventually received MLB teams) were the Twin Cities (1961), Houston (1962), Atlanta (1966), the Dallas-Fort Worth area (1972), Toronto (1977), Denver (1993), and Buffalo (which has not received an MLB team - though the Blue Jays were there during COVID and are the MLB affiliate of the city's minor league team).

[^3]: Yep, Citi Field and the current Yankee Stadium were opened in the same year. At one point, they were tied to the same bill, but I don't know if they were still tied together when their constructions were finalized.

[^4]: There's also a monument somewhere in the parking lot where Shea Stadium's home plate stood.

[^5]: That's right kids: every team in tne NL East NOT named the Mets has won a World Series in the 21st Century! Heck, the ~~Miami~~ Florida Marlins have won TWO World Series since the Mets last won, and they didn't exist until **1993**!

[^6]: I did get a Red Sox jersey as a birthday present prior to getting the Mets jersey, but that jersey, sadly, has almost certainly been lost to time. Also, I've since gotten jerseys that are older in age than that Mets jersey (i.e. things from the 90s), but they're all pickups from thrift stores/vintage sellers in recent years.

[^7]: There was also a store on the second concourse, but it appeared to be closed.

Sportventures

ROC/ROX and Roll (5/7/26)

The Wright Stuff

Wilmington Blue Rocks (5/2/26)

The 1994 World Series

Meet the Mets (4/30/26)