My favorite ballpark: Portland’s Hadlock Field
By Josh Jackson / MiLB.com
Followers of MiLB.com already know that our beloved Ben Hill, on the heels of having #BenEverywhere, is working on a terrific new series reflecting on his years-long journey to 172 Minor League ballparks. He kicked off the series by answering — in the most comprehensive and honest fashion he could — the question he gets all the time: What’s your favorite Minor League stadium?
Ben lists a number of factors one might take into consideration when deciding to bestow the title of “favorite” upon a ballpark, from architecture to fan experience. And why not? One has to base such a decision on something. If you can’t articulate your reasoning, what’s the point of the conversation at all?
Although my favorite Minor League ballpark aces all these criteria — it’s an architectural wonder complete with a working lighthouse that pops up for home runs, for crying out loud— my pick ultimately comes down to sentimentality.
Hadlock Field, home of the Double-A Eastern League’s Portland Sea Dogs, opened less than five miles from my home when I was in middle school. We hadn’t had professional baseball in Maine since before I was old enough to really pay attention to the game, which throughout my childhood was my love, my life.
I went to games at every opportunity, from their inaugural season onward. The Sea Dogs initially were a Marlins affiliate, and their early teams featured Charles Johnson, Edgar Renteria and Livan Hernandez. While I have fond memories of watching those eventual Major Leaguers play, the truth is it didn’t really matter who was on the team.
What mattered was that I could go to a real professional ballpark. There was a gorgeous gated entrance of brick and metal. There were thousands of seats spread over a dozen sections. And there was a field of perfect green.
For me, Hadlock’s spell never wore off — not when I worked there in concessions (just about the least glamorous job in baseball) one summer during high school, not the couple of times I’ve been privileged to work in its press box and not when I’ve gotten to visit as a fan with family.
I love a lot of Minor League ballparks, but I’d be surprised if I ever consider any other than Hadlock Field my favorite.
