On Tuesday evening I drove an hour north to watch the New York Yankees’ AA affiliate Somerset Patriots clobber the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 12-1 at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, New Jersey.
The Patriots pounced on the Cats, a Toronto Bluejays affiliate, for five runs in the first inning and six in the second. That effectively put the game out of reach before most fans had finished their first hot dog.
I was invited to the game by my friend Matt and delighted to go. I hadn’t been to a Patriots game in many years, well before the team dropped out of the independent Atlantic League when the minor leagues contracted in 2021 and the Yanks moved their AA franchise to Bridgewater (Somerset County) from Trenton.
The star of the game was DJ Gladney, who ripped two homers for the Patriots that accounted for half their runs. For Gladney’s sake, I hope someone up at the big stadium in the Bronx is keeping an eye on him. The fans at TD Bank Ballpark certainly were. Many wore Yankees caps, jerseys or both, and I (in Baltimore Orioles bucket hat) estimated the 6,100-capacity stadium was just shy of half full.
The stadium is well appointed, with a wide concourse and good concessions. The field appeared immaculate from Section 110, Row G, just to the right of the visiting dugout. In classic minor-league fashion, the outfield wall was plastered with ads from area businesses and organizations.
The team offered between innings shenanigans, including a race featuring runners in blueberry, carrot and tomato costumes. The tomato won. Easily entertained, I particularly enjoyed the inflatable horse race toward the end of the game, when participants bounced along the first base line.
Plenty of foul balls landed in the stands, and several fans made nice grabs to applause. Overall, the atmosphere was family friendly and fun, boosted by the home team putting on such a good show. 🧢
The Ball Caps Blog 
man, that sounds like fun….beer and minor league baseball and seeing a yankees prospect hit two homers or become one after hitting them. the east coast, that area is so heavily populated with talent it seems, talent in many ways.
Until last night, I paid no attention to this year’s team. I want to go back for another look soon. 🙂