They Build ’em Nice in Jersey

Exterior of Somerset Ballpark, Jul-1999.

A look at the attractive interior, Aug-2010.

The unspectacular view is blocked by advertising signs.

Chronological Tour: Stop 155

• Location: East Main Street (SR 533) west of I-287, Bridgewater, N.J. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1999 as Somerset Ballpark
• Additional names: Commerce Bank Park (2000), TD Bank Ballpark (2009)
• Home team: Somerset Patriots, Atlantic League (1999-2019), Eastern League (2021-present)
• Capacity: 6,800 (est.)

Rating: 4 baseballs

Just prior to the Atlantic League All-Star Game in July 2000, an area bank signed on to be the park’s naming sponsor. The park became known as Commerce Bank Park; it became TD Bank Ballpark in 2009 after Toronto Dominion purchased the financial institution.

After more than two decades in independent ball, the New York Yankees selected Somerset as their Double-A affiliate in the 2021 overhaul of the Minor Leagues. That consigned Trenton to the newly formed MLB Draft League.

Getting to the Game

On top of that, the park is next to a train station on NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley line. Trains regularly stop at Bridgewater, and the ballpark shares the adjacent parking lot with park-and-ride customers.

Watching the Game

Parking in the adjacent park-and-ride lot costs $2, which is quite reasonable, but if you’re pinching pennies, you can park in the shopping center across the street. Just don’t park in the immediate vicinity of the stores and take up the good spaces their customers deserve.

The seating bowl is roomy, not nearly as cramped as in some other stadiums, except that the very last row of the upper bowl has very narrow tread room. Foul territory does taper off, with the farthest sections getting smaller to accommodate 315 feet of foul line and the bullpens (which are in the field of play). And instead of being located directly behind the plate, the press box is offset by two sections, maximizing the number of behind-the-plate seats.

While there is no free handout program, the team does post the lineups on a board behind the press box. The message board below the scoreboard does a good job displaying information about the batters, and the public address announcement is competent.

Enjoying the Game

Also in honor of Lyle, the team’s primary mascot is an animal known as Sparkee. (He wears No. 98, in honor of the team’s founding in 1998.) Sparkee has since gained a sidekick known as Slider. The club, called the Patriots in honor of New Jersey’s Revolutionary War heritage, also employ a fellow in a costume of the day known as General Admission. The General appeared to have faded into history but was revived for 2014.

While tickets are relatively inexpensive, prepare to pay premium prices for concessions. The Patriots have mastered the art of luring the fans in with a low base price and then getting you to spend a few extra bucks once you’re in the door. This was enhanced further in 2017 as the club contracted with a new concessionaire.

I do have a problem with the total lack of view. The outfield wall is one of those triple-decked advertising monstrosities that blocks spectators from seeing anything beyond. However, the high wall is necessary to avoid distraction from the flashing lights of NJ Transit trains stopping at the station. And, in all fairness, there isn’t that much to see beyond the wall anyhow.