TD Bank Ballpark

Last updated

TD Bank Ballpark
TD Bank Park.PNG
TD Bank Park.jpg
TD Bank Park in 2023
TD Bank Ballpark
Former namesSomerset Ballpark (1999)
Commerce Bank Ballpark (2000–2008)
Location860 East Main Street
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
Coordinates 40°33′38″N74°33′11″W / 40.56056°N 74.55306°W / 40.56056; -74.55306
Public transit NJT logo.svg Bridgewater station:
  Raritan Valley Line
OwnerSomerset County Improvement Authority
Operator Somerset Patriots
Capacity 6,100; expandable to 8,500
Field sizeLeft Field: 317 feet (97 m)
Center Field: 402 feet (123 m)
Right Field: 315 feet (96 m)
Surface Grass
Construction
Broke groundApril 28, 1998
OpenedJune 7, 1999
Construction cost $18 million
ArchitectSSP Architectural Group [1]
Clarke Caton Hintz [2]
General contractorEpic Construction [3]
Tenants
Somerset Patriots (ALPB) 1999–2020, (Double-A NE/EL) 2021–present
New Jersey Pride (MLL) 2002–2003
New Jersey Fire (PC) 2004
Sky Blue FC (WPS) 2009 (two games)

TD Bank Ballpark is a 6,100-seat baseball park in Bridgewater, New Jersey, that is the home of the Somerset Patriots, a Double-A level Minor League Baseball team in the Eastern League. The ballpark hosts 70 Patriots games as well as Patriots playoff games and other high school and corporate events each year.

Contents

TD Bank Ballpark is named for TD Bank, N.A., which purchased Commerce Bancorp in 2009. [4] Formerly called Commerce Bank Ballpark, the original naming rights were sold to the institution in July 2000. The ballpark was originally known as Somerset Ballpark. Its first regular season baseball game was held on June 7, 1999. Since its opening, more than eight million fans have attended games at the stadium. [5]

History

Construction on the ballpark commenced on April 28, 1998, with Epic Construction as the general contractor. [3] [6]

TD Bank Ballpark was opened by then–New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman and other New Jersey officials on June 7, 1999.

TD Bank Ballpark is the home of the Somerset County Baseball Tournament and was the home of the Big East Conference baseball tournament from 2000-2005. In the off-season, the ballpark has been the site of the Big Apple Circus, most recently in 2016, [7] and other big events. In 2002 and 2003, TD Bank Ballpark was home to the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse. In 2004, the New Jersey Fire of Pro Cricket played their only season of existence at TD Bank Ballpark.

In 2000, TD Bank Ballpark hosted the Atlantic League All-Star Game, with a crowd of 7,035. The venue also hosted the 2008 Atlantic League All-Star Game on July 16, breaking both the All-Star Game and ballpark attendance records with 8,290 fans. [8]

In 2007 and 2015, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball granted TD Bank Ballpark the Atlantic League Ballpark of the Year award. [9]

For two consecutive years in 2015 and 2016, TD Bank Ballpark was named Ballpark Digest's Best Independent Minor League Ballpark in the nation. [10]

The 2017 Atlantic League All-Star Game was held at TD Bank Ballpark on July 12. It was the 20th playing of the All-Star Game with the Freedom Division All-Stars topping the Liberty Division All-Stars by a score of 10–3 in front 8,175 fans. [11] This was the third time that the ballpark hosted the Atlantic League All-Star Game.

In September 2021, the ballpark was flooded after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Ida. [12] TD Bank Ballpark also flooded in 1999 during Hurricane Floyd. [13]

Ballpark features

The main entrance to TD Bank Ballpark TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater Township, NJ.jpg
The main entrance to TD Bank Ballpark

TD Bank Ballpark was designed by architectural firms Clarke Caton Hintz and SSP Architectural Group. The ballpark's wine-colored brick and green exposed steel facade and metal roof is designed to evoke the historic character and elements reminiscent of some of the country's older stadiums. The ballpark was honored for its outstanding design with a New Jersey Golden Trowel Grand Design Award. [1] [2] [6] [14]

TD Bank Ballpark includes 6,100 fixed seats and additional lawn seating, by the Patriots' bullpen. Additional options include a series of hospitality suites, the Diamond Club, for company meetings and special catering services, the Party Deck for company outings or other special occasions, and the Ballpark BBQ picnic area that can accommodate a group of 30 to 350 fans. There is also a children's Fun Zone near the lawn seating. [15] Parking is $5.

Concessions at TD Bank Ballpark include traditional ballpark fare, health food and gluten-free options. The official hospitality provider is HomePlate Catering & Hospitality. [16] The Patriots Team Store, located at the main gate, is the Somerset Patriots' official merchandise and souvenir store. [17]

TD Bank Ballpark features 3,465 solar panels. The solar panels are expected to produce 1,140,000 kWh annually and supplement 88% of the consumption used at the ballpark. They are located in the ballpark's Red and White parking lots. [18]

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) physical therapy and sports medicine center at TD Bank Ballpark that also serves as the official health care provider of the Somerset Patriots. [19]

Manager Emeritus Sparky Lyle and Chairman Steve Kalafer - TD Bank Park 2021 Lyle Kalafer Statue.jpg
Manager Emeritus Sparky Lyle and Chairman Steve Kalafer - TD Bank Park 2021

In October 2020, a sculpture of Manager Emeritus Sparky Lyle and Chairman Emeritus Steve Kalafer was unveiled in a newly renovated area in front of TD Bank Ballpark and recreates an early picture of a conversation between Kalafer and Lyle. The sculpture was created by world-renowned sculptor Brian Hanlon of Toms River, New Jersey. [20]

Concerts

TD Bank Ballpark has hosted four major concerts, including traditional pop and jazz musician Tony Bennett, country music artist Willie Nelson, pop music star Jessica Simpson, and a 50's festival including The Teenagers, The Duprees, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Chuck Berry.

Accessibility and transportation

TD Bank Ballpark is accessible by mass transit via the Bridgewater station on the NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line. The station is located just beyond the center field wall and was reconstructed in 1999 in conjunction with the construction of TD Bank Ballpark, and the ballpark's White Lot is used for commuter parking. [21]

The ballpark is accessible by car via I-287 and U.S. Route 22 with connections to I-78, New Jersey Turnpike (I-95), Garden State Parkway and other highways and roads. Parking is available in three on site lots, labeled red, white and blue, where covered parking spaces are provided by the elevated solar panel arrays. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic League of Professional Baseball</span> Independent professional baseball league founded in 1998

The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's corporate headquarters is located at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgeport Bluefish</span> Minor league professional baseball team in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States

The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They played their home games at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard from 1998 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerset Patriots</span> Minor league baseball team

The Somerset Patriots are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, that is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League, known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, and were previously members of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball from 1998 to 2020. The Patriots have played their home games at TD Bank Ballpark since 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgewater Township, New Jersey</span> Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States

Bridgewater Township is a township in Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located within the heart of the Raritan Valley region. Situated within Central New Jersey and crisscrossed by several major highways, the township is known for being both the regional commercial hub for Somerset County and as a suburban bedroom community of New York City within the New York Metropolitan Area. The township is located roughly 32 miles (51 km) away from Manhattan and about 20 miles (32 km) away from Staten Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparky Lyle</span> American baseball player

Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle is an American professional baseball pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1967 through 1982. He was a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trenton Thunder Ballpark</span> Baseball stadium in Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton Thunder Ballpark, formerly known as Mercer County Waterfront Park and Arm & Hammer Park, is a ballpark in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the home park for the Trenton Thunder, a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They were previously a Double-A level Minor League Baseball team of the Eastern League (1994–2020). For 2021, it served as temporary home of Triple-A East's Buffalo Bisons, as their regular stadium, Sahlen Field, was being used by the Toronto Blue Jays due to travel restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The official seating capacity is 6,440.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augusta GreenJackets</span> Minor League Baseball team

The Augusta GreenJackets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at SRP Park in North Augusta, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jersey Shore BlueClaws</span> Minor league baseball team

The Jersey Shore BlueClaws are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Lakewood, New Jersey, and are named for their location on the Jersey Shore and blue crabs native to the area. The BlueClaws play their home games at ShoreTown Ballpark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ballpark at Harbor Yard</span>

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was a 5,500-seat independent-league ballpark in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut that opened on May 21, 1998. The stadium was located next to the Webster Bank Arena, now known as the Total Mortgage Arena. It was named "Harbor Yard" as an allusion to Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SIUH Community Park</span> Baseball stadium in Staten Island, New York

The Staten Island University Hospital Community Park is a baseball stadium located on the northeastern tip of Staten Island in New York City. The ballpark is the home of the Staten Island FerryHawks, a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, and is the largest stadium in the league by capacity, at 7,171. Since 2022, it has also been the home of the Wagner College Seahawks baseball team. In addition, local high schools have the chance to play at least one game a season at the park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ShoreTown Ballpark</span> Baseball stadium in Lakewood, New Jersey

ShoreTown Ballpark is a stadium in Lakewood, New Jersey. It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws South Atlantic League 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.

The Bergen Cliff Hawks were a proposed minor league baseball team to be based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team planned to play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgewater station (NJ Transit)</span> NJ Transit rail station

Bridgewater is a New Jersey Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The station stands on the site of the former Calco station that served American Cyanamid prior to its closure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Maryland Blue Crabs</span> Baseball team in Waldorf, Maryland, US

The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are members of the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball. Since 2008, the Blue Crabs have played their home games at Regency Furniture Stadium. They represent the counties of Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's, which are located on the Southern Maryland peninsula between Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Revolution</span> Atlantic League of Professional Baseball franchise in York, Pennsylvania, U.S.

The York Revolution is an American professional minor-league baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Baseball. The Revolution has played its home games at WellSpan Park, located in the Arch Street neighborhood, since 2007. The team has won the league championship three times, most recently over the Long Island Ducks on September 29, 2017.

Robert Eric Widlansky is a former professional baseball outfielder who played internationally for the Israel national baseball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-A (baseball)</span> Second-highest level of competition in Minor League Baseball

Double-A is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League Baseball, organized into three leagues: the Eastern League, the Southern League, and the Texas League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campbell's Field</span> Baseball park in Camden, New Jersey, US

Campbell's Field was a 6,425-seat baseball park in Camden, New Jersey, United States that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 11, 2001. The ballpark was home to the Rutgers–Camden college baseball team, and until 2015 was home to the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The naming rights were owned by the Camden-based Campbell Soup Company, which paid $3 million over ten years. Stadium demolition started in mid-December 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staten Island FerryHawks</span> American professional baseball team

The Staten Island FerryHawks are an American minor-league professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Staten Island. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league" of Major League Baseball They play their home games at SIUH Community Park, the former home of the Staten Island Yankees, which is in the St. George neighborhood and overlooks the Manhattan skyline across New York Harbor.

References

  1. 1 2 "COUNTY OF SOMERSET-TD BANK BALLPARK". SSP Architectural Group. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "TD Bank Ballpark, Bridgewater, NJ". Clarke Caton Hintz. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "T.D. Bank Ballpark". Epic Construction. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Home Becomes TD Bank Ballpark". Somerset Patriots Baseball. February 4, 2009. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ "2023 Marks TD Bank Ballpark's 25th Season Anniversary". Somerset Patriots. March 15, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "ULI Development Case Studies Somerset Ballpark" (PDF). Urban Land Institute. 2000. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Big Apple Circus Returns to TD Bank Ballpark With the New Jersey Premiere of The Grand Tour". citylimits.org. February 12, 2016. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  8. ↑ "ATLANTIC LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME HISTORY". Atlantic League. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  9. ↑ Ashmore, Mike (October 15, 2015). "TD Bank Ballpark Named Atlantic League Ballpark Of The Year". Asbury Park Press . Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Best of the Ballparks 2016, Independent Baseball: TD Bank Ballpark". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. June 27, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Freedom Division Tops Liberty Division in 2017 All-Star Game". Atlantic League. July 12, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  12. ↑ Reichard, Kevin (September 2, 2021). "Tropical Storm Ida floods TD Bank Ballpark". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  13. ↑ Phillips, Gary (September 3, 2021). "Somerset's Submerged Ballpark Won't Be The Last". Inside the Pinstripes. FanNation. Sports Illustrated . Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  14. ↑ "ABOUT TD BANK BALLPARK". Somerset Patriots. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  15. ↑ "SEATING CHART". Somerset Patriots. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  16. ↑ "FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPTIONS". Somerset Patriots. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  17. ↑ "TD Bank Ballpark Bridgewater, New Jersey" . Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  18. ↑ Reichard, Kevin (May 2, 2013). "TD Bank Ballpark goes green with solar panels". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  19. ↑ "RWJ Sports Physical Therapy at Bridgewater". RWJBarnabas Health. June 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Patriots unveil Kalafer, Lyle sculpture at TD Bank Ballpark". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. October 29, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  21. ↑ "COMMUTER PARKING". Somerset Patriots. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Directions". Somerset Patriots. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.