Donovan Stadium

The exterior of Donovan Stadium, Jul-2001.

A look at the stands, made entirely of aluminum, as well as the first-base side press box.

The view from the main grandstand.

Chronological Tour: Stop 91

• Location: Sunset Road at Memorial Parkway, Utica, N.Y.
• Opened: 1976
• Home team: Utica Blue Jays (1977-80), Blue Sox (1981-2001), New York-Penn League; New York State League (2007)
• Capacity: 4,000

Rating: 2 baseballs

Since my first-ever minor-league game, at Veterans Park in Little Falls, featured the Blue Sox, I knew I had to get to their home field eventually. However, it took me until the summer of 1996 to do it.

Alas, Donovan Stadium appears to be hastily put together. It’s serviceable, but not on a list of must-see facilities. To be fair, an overcast day that threatened rain might have taken away from my enjoyment of the park. A nicer day in 2001 helped me enjoy the place a little better, although my overall impression is unchanged.

As it happens, I saw an incredible game here on my 1996 visit. The first six innings took just an hour and ten minutes. The Watertown Indians eventually scored four times in the top of the eighth inning and posted a 4-0 victory.

An ownership group led by former Baltimore Orioles star Cal Ripken bought the Blue Sox early in 2002 and moved the franchise to Ripken’s home town of Aberdeen, Md. The club now plays at Ripken Stadium.

In 2007, an independent league called the New York State League started, with games only at Donovan Stadium and doubleheaders involving all four league teams scheduled each night. Not surprisingly, the league folded after just a few weeks. More recently, a college summer league team has played here, appropriately named the Blue Sox.