The Ballpark facts for kids
 |
|
| Location | Off Saco Avenue (ME 5) at Cummings Boulevard Old Orchard Beach, Maine |
|---|---|
| Owner | Town of Old Orchard Beach |
| Capacity | Baseball – 6,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 312 ft Center Field: 405 ft Right Field: 327 ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1983 |
| Opened | April 18, 1984 |
| Renovated | 2009 |
| Tenants | |
| Old Orchard Beach Surge (EPBL) 2015–2018 Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide (NECBL) 2011–2014 Maine Phillies (IL) 1988 Maine Guides (IL) 1984–1987 |
|
The Ballpark is a cool baseball stadium in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. It can hold up to 6,000 fans! This stadium used to be home to Triple-A baseball teams, which are just one step below the major leagues. For a while, the stadium was forgotten and started to fall apart. But guess what? People from the community worked together to bring it back to life!
From 2015 to 2018, The Ballpark was home to the Old Orchard Beach Surge. This was a professional baseball team in the Empire Professional Baseball League. It was the first pro team in Old Orchard Beach since the Maine Phillies left in 1988. Before the Surge, the stadium hosted the Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide. They played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (2011) and the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (2012–2014).
Contents
The Ballpark's Early Days
The Ballpark first opened its doors in 1984. It was built mainly for baseball games. It became the home field for the Maine Guides, a Triple-A team in the International League, from 1984 to 1987. Then, in 1988, it hosted the Maine Phillies.
The Maine Guides were a top minor league team for the Cleveland Indians (1984–1986). Later, they became part of the Philadelphia Phillies team (1987–1988). The team owners thought that many tourists visiting Old Orchard Beach in the summer would come to the games. However, after only five years, the Maine team moved to Moosic, Pennsylvania, after the 1988 season.
Challenges for the Stadium
Even though many people came to the games, the stadium faced some big problems.
- First, in the summer, there were lots of Maine Black Flies. These bugs bothered the fans!
- Second, there was only one road to get to and from the stadium. This caused huge traffic jams.
- Finally, soon after The Ballpark was built, other Triple-A stadiums got bigger. Many new ones were also built. Most Triple-A stadiums could hold over 10,000 people. The Ballpark, with its 6,000 seats, quickly became too small.
The stadium owner, Jordan Kobritz, had borrowed money to build the ballpark. In 1987, he gave the stadium to the Old Orchard Beach Town Council. This meant he no longer had to pay back the money.
After the baseball teams left, a group called Seashore Performing Arts Center (SEAPAC) used the stadium. They held many concerts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But the concerts stopped because people living nearby complained about the loud noise late at night.
By the 2000s, The Ballpark was closed. It had been neglected for many years. The grass turned into thick bushes, and parts of the stadium walls started to fall apart. In 2007, a big fire, caused by lightning, damaged the stadium even more.
In 2008, the town thought about selling the stadium land. They wanted to build new homes there. But the people of Old Orchard Beach voted against this idea. They wanted to save their ballpark!
Bringing The Ballpark Back to Life
Around 2008, a group of local volunteers stepped up. They called themselves The Ball Park Group. Their goal was to clean up the stadium and fix it up. They wanted it to be ready for games and special events again.
These amazing volunteers worked hard. They removed all the trash from the fire. They cleared away the overgrown plants. They rebuilt the dugouts and the outfield wall. They even made the playing field flat again and planted new grass. Many skilled people like plumbers, contractors, and electricians helped for free. Most of the money for the repairs came from private donations.
In October 2009, a website called ballparkdigest.com announced good news. They officially removed The Ballpark from their "Endangered Ballparks List." This meant the stadium was no longer in danger of being lost forever!
On October 31, 2009, the stadium hosted its first baseball game in almost 20 years. Two teams of local high school players from Southern Maine played there. This was a big step towards bringing baseball back to The Ballpark.
In May 2010, The Ballpark hosted the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Baseball National Tournament. They even decided to hold the 2011 tournament there too. Professional teams also played exhibition games. The Brockton Rox played against the Quebec Capitales in May 2010.
On July 2, 2010, The Ballpark hosted its first New England Collegiate Baseball League game. The Sanford Mainers played against the Lowell All-Americans. Many people thought that a college league team would be a better fit for the ballpark. This is because nearby Portland is home to the Portland Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs are a Double-A team for the Boston Red Sox. In 2011, the Lowell All-Americans moved to Old Orchard Beach. They became the Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide.
The biggest crowd at The Ballpark was over 1,800 people. This was for a Red Sox alumni game on September 2, 2011.
On June 3, 2015, the Old Orchard Beach Surge played their first home game. They beat the Watertown Bucks 13-3. About 500 fans were there to watch. The team later moved to Saranac Lake, New York in 2019.
Photo gallery
-
-
-
-
-
The park's scoreboard, located past the right field fence.
