FirstEnergy Park

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FirstEnergy Park
FirstEnergy Park Lakewood.PNG
Firstenergyparklakewood.JPG
FirstEnergy Park
Former namesGPU Energy Park (2001)
Location2 Stadium Way
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Coordinates 40°4′31″N74°11′12″W / 40.07528°N 74.18667°W / 40.07528; -74.18667 Coordinates: 40°4′31″N74°11′12″W / 40.07528°N 74.18667°W / 40.07528; -74.18667
OwnerLakewood Development Corporation
OperatorLakewood Development Corporation [1]
Capacity 6,588 reserve seats plus additional space on berms
Field sizeLeft: 325 ft (99 m)
Center: 400 ft (120 m)
Right: 325 ft (99 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundApril 17, 2000 [2]
OpenedApril 6, 2001 (2001-04-06) [3]
Construction cost $20 million [1]
($28.1 million in 2020 dollars [4] )
Architect HNTB
Project manager Hill International [5]
Services engineerHenderson Engineers, Inc. [6]
General contractorEpic Group, Inc. [7]
Tenants
Jersey Shore BlueClaws (SAL/High-A East) 2002–present

FirstEnergy Park is a stadium in Lakewood, New Jersey. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws High-A East baseball team, affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. It is also used for outdoor concerts, featuring touring musical artists such as Bob Dylan. It was built in 2001 and has 6,588 fixed seats with extended additional space on grass berms and at picnic tables around the 360-degree concourse.

Contents

History

The stadium opened as GPU Energy Park, named for the former General Public Utilities, Inc. After GPU merged into FirstEnergy Corporation in 2001, the stadium took the new corporate name in 2002. [8]

The team attendance record is 13,003, set on August 26, 2002. [9] FirstEnergy Park had 13 crowds over 9,000 and 81 crowds over 8,000 in its first eight years of play.[ citation needed ]

The stadium was featured in Baseball America's 2009 Great Parks calendar. [10] It was the second time that the home of the BlueClaws was highlighted in the calendar.[ citation needed ]

FirstEnergy Park has hosted the South Atlantic League All-Star Game twice, in 2002 and in 2013. The 2002 attendance of 8,571 was a record for the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. [11]

Features

The ballpark features two general admission, grass seating areas, one in left field and another in right, 16 luxury suites, two party decks, the Monmouth Medical Center Champions Club, two picnic areas, and a full video board, with a 1,587 square foot high-definition display. [12]

The stadium also features the nine-hole Manasquan Bank Mini Golf Course which opened in 2018. Open during all home games, the course features holes named after former BlueClaws players.[ citation needed ]

In centerfield, FirstEnergy Park also includes the Toyota World of Lakewood Boardwalk area. This space features many traditional boardwalk games such as a Ring Toss, Goblet Toss, Balloon Darts, and Cat Rack.[ citation needed ]

In 2022, The BlueClaws announced the addition of a new hospitality space for patrons to enjoy during games at the stadium - The Blue Wave Bar. [13]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Coming Attractions". SportsBusiness Journal. May 8, 2000. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  2. ↑ Shamlin, Wilford S. (April 18, 2000). "Lakewood Builds It; Hopes Fans Will Come". Asbury Park Press . Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Claws' Comeback Falls Short". Asbury Park Press . April 7, 2001. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  4. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Sports Facilities". Hill International. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Sports/Recreation". Henderson Engineers, Inc. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ "GPU Energy Park". Epic Group, Inc. Archived from the original on February 5, 2005. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  8. ↑ White, Mike (April 11, 2002). "Local baseball fans enjoy atmosphere at ballpark". Tri-Town News. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  9. ↑ Cichalski, Dan (August 27, 2002). "Claws Close a Banner Year". Asbury Park Press . p. A1. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ Hill, Benjamin (February 12, 2009). "At Home With the BlueClaws". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  11. ↑ Hemlin, Ilya (June 21, 2012). "Lakewood BlueClaws Host 2013 South Atlantic League All Star Game". WOBM-FM . Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  12. ↑ Merzbach, Brian. "FirstEnergy Park Lakewood, New Jersey". Ballpark Reviews. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  13. ↑ "BlueClaws to unveil new Blue Wave Bar hospitality space in 2022". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
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