The Ballpark at Harbor Yard is a 5,500-seat baseball park in Bridgeport, Connecticut that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 21, 1998, as the tenants of the facility, the Bridgeport Bluefish, lost to the Aberdeen Arsenal. The stadium is located next to the Webster Bank Arena. It was named "Harbor Yard" as an allusion to Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland.
Located on Bridgeport's Long Island Sound waterfront, Harbor Yard is encircled by Interstate 95 and the Northeast Corridor rail line. The site has navigable ingress and egress routes to northern Fairfield County and the Naugatuck River Valley via the 8/25 connector.
Video The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
History
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard opened on May 21, 1998 on the site of the former Jenkins Valve factory. The demolition of the Pequonnock apartment buildings in 2002 improved the parking situation for fans attending games at the Ballpark. The Ballpark and Webster Bank Arena are accredited for revitalizing the city into a prosperous waterfront attraction and destination.
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was constructed in between 1997 and 1998, and its $19 million price tag was funded through public and team contributions. It has a seating capacity of 5,500. Believing that Harbor Yard would be one of the important pieces of Bridgeport's renewal, team co-founder, Jack McGregor, chose its name as an allusion to Baltimore's renewal of the Camden Yards neighborhood.
Harbor Yard was the home field of the Bridgeport Barrage of Major League Lacrosse from 2001 to 2003. The Barrage relocated to Philadelphia after the 2003 season.
On October 1, 2009 the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball granted the ballpark the 2009 Atlantic League Park of the Year award.
On August 8, 2017, Mayor Joe Ganim announced that the Bluefish would be ending their 20 year stint at the ballpark at the end of the 2017 season. The ballpark is expected to be converted to a concert venue. The Bluefish played their final home game at the park on September 17, 2017, losing by a score of 9-2 to the Somerset Patriots.
Maps The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
All-Star games
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard hosted four All-Star games in its history: the first MLL All-Star Game in 2001, and the 1999, 2006 and 2015 Atlantic League All Star games.
Attractions
The park has concessions with traditional ballpark fare served at two restaurants: the People's Bank Marina, an all-you-can-eat buffet; and the Harbor Club, a restaurant that serves an upscale ballpark menu.
Children at the ballpark can play on the playground equipment at the United Way Kids' Cove. The party suite is for birthday parties and other special occasions.
The Bluefish added the Two Roads Beer Garden for the 2015 season, sponsored by the Two Roads Brewery from Stratford.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I baseball venues
References
External links
- The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
- Ballpark Digest - The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
- Ballpark Reviews - The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
- Minor League Ballparks - The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments