Though the threat of storms loomed across central and southeast PA during the weekend of July 10-11, 2021, my brother and I planned to visit Clipper Magazine Stadium to see the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball’s (ALPB) Lancaster Barnstormers take on the Gastonia Honey Hunters for the final two games of their weekend series. Clipper Magazine Stadium is about 50 minutes from my home in central PA, so we were able to enjoy the comforts of home while adding a new ballpark to our list.
Arriving about 50 minutes before the first pitch for the Saturday July 10th evening game (with the first pitch scheduled for 635 pm), we were surprised to find a line to get into the parking lots of Clipper Magazine Stadium. In fact, the first parking lot we encountered on our left (open to the general public) was filled, and we needed to proceed to a lot further up the road. Unlike most ballparks, parking here was free. From the lot further from the park, the walk to the ballpark was less than 10 minutes. As we typically do, we toured the outside of the stadium. Upon reaching the main gate, we discovered that the ticket office was very busy, as it appeared as though a large walk-up crowd was taking advantage of the warm and not too humid summer weather to take in a ball game on a Saturday night.
At first glance, the main gate of Clipper Magazine Stadium bore a resemblance to PeoplesBank Park in York, PA (the home of the York Revolution, another member of the ALPB). Eventually, we worked our way back toward an entrance in centerfield. Having seen what we could from the outside, we decided to enter the park at this entrance. While waiting to enter the ballpark, I thought I heard a cow mooing coming from the other side of the wall. Upon entering the park, we were deposited onto the concrete concourse, where we were greeted by farm animals. It was Farm Show Night at the ballpark, and it turns out I DID here some mooing. Among the many types of farm animals on display along the concourse in center and left field, we saw some baby cows as we made our way toward home plate.
Following the concourse down the left field line toward the home plate area, we encountered a kids zone near the pink left field foul pole, complete with a carousel, a climbing wall, and assorted games. Being Farm Show Night, we also saw farm equipment for kids to explore scattered along the concourse in the outfield. Passing through the covered portion of the concourse near home plate, we noticed two concession areas, serving the normal baseball fare. Lines were long, which was not surprising considering how many people we saw entering the ballpark. We made a mental note of the line, since we would not obtain our baseball dinner until after we concluded out tour of the inside of the stadium.
Walking down the right field concourse, we found various places to get food and drink. Not being much of a drinker, I did not imbibe, but the selection of local craft beers seemed impressive. Further along the concourse behind the right field foul pole (a mere 300 feet from home plate) we found the Pavilion. It was closed for a private event this night, but there were many places to sit while eating and drinking, in addition to watching the game. Our tour complete, we headed back toward our seats, located on the third base side.
From our seats, we had a great view of the entire park. Perhaps the most noticeable feature was the scoreboard/videoboard in left field, behind the grass berm. A decent size for the venue, not many videos were played (other than some brief clips of the broadcast of the game). However, the board did have a nearly continuous display of the score, the count, and the pitch speed. In addition, there were auxiliary scoreboards on the second deck behind first and third base, showing this information, as well as the name of the pitcher. Most fans probably did not notice, but being the true baseball fan that I am, I was grateful for the information. In many minor league and ALPB games, there is a dearth of information about the game, which dulls the experience for me to some extent.
Being an ALPB game, there were some important rules differences from the MLB and minor leagues. First, balls and strikes were called by the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS), with the output from the system relayed to the home plate umpire, who then makes the call to the players and fans. The second rule change was the continued use of larger bases (18 inches), in hopes of reducing injuries on the base paths. Finally, when a starting pitcher is removed from the game, that team loses its DH from the lineup. Dubbed the Double Hook, the rule is intended to inject some strategy back into the game, perhaps encouraging managers to stick with starting pitchers longer. Each of these “experiments” were at the behest of MLB, with which the ALPB has a developmental agreement. It is possible some or all of these rules could someday become part of the MLB game.
As for the game itself, we saw what appears to be a trend in the ALPB; a poorly pitched game by both sides. At one time, the ALPB pitchers were ahead of hitters when it came to talent and experience, but that is no longer the case. Through the first three innings, both teams traded runs amid a plethora of walks and errors, and by the end of the third inning, the score was 8-6 in favor of Gastonia. Typically, the first three innings of a baseball game are completed in an hour or less. On this evening, it took more than an hour and 45 minutes to reach that mark. Luckily for us, there was a treat at the end of the third inning. Rather than holding a contest for fans, there was an alpaca race on the warning track in center and right field, to the delight of all.
While the Barnstormers pitching held the Honey Hunters’ offense in check in the middle innings, Lancaster scored eight unanswered runs to take a lead they would not relinquish. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the home plate umpire took a fastball to the face mask, sending him reeling backward before hitting the ground. Lying motionless, it appeared as though he was seriously injured, as the entire crowd held its collective breath. To my amazement, the umpire climbed to his feet, and continued to umpire the game. Eventually he was replaced, as it was evident he was still feeling the effects of the beaning. Before he left, a Gastonia pitcher was ejected for ridiculing the umpire. Ostensibly the ridicule was about ball/strike calls (which the umpire was NOT making; see above), but it likely was an attempt to intimidate the umpire due to his diminutive physical size.
Once evening blended into night, it was clear that some of the lights at Clipper Magazine Stadium were out. Darkness descended on the outfield, and at times it was tough to track the flight of the ball. Both teams continues to pitch poorly, and scoring occurred until the very end of the game. It took four hours and four minutes to complete the contest, during which there were 25 hits and 17 walks, as Lancaster outlasted Gastonia 15-12. While most of the crowd stayed for the fireworks display, we chose that time to exit.
We were back a mere 13 hours later for the finale of the three game series between the Lancaster Barnstormers and the visiting Gastonia Honey Hunters. Rain showers in the morning left the field soggy, especially on the warning track, where it seemed that the rainwater that collected on the tarp was emptied. In the wake of the showers were clouds and very humid conditions. We arrived even before the gates opened for the 1 pm contest so that we could have a game of catch on the field. Despite the wet and humid conditions, there were a number of people playing catch in centerfield as the players prepared for the game. This marked the third occasion during which were played catch on a minor league field, and after about 20 minutes, we left the field and prepared for the start of the game.
Sunday was Princess Day at Clipper Magazine Stadium, with several of the staff of the ballpark, a well as many fans, dressing for the occasion. There were contests with princess themes throughout the game, with some impressive knowledge demonstrated by a young lady not far from us. Though not my cup of tea, the fairly sparse crowd (which is not unusual for a Sunday afternoon game, particularly during the heat of summer) seemed to thoroughly enjoy the theme of the day.
Not long after the start of the game, the sun broke free of the clouds, and conditions become hot fairly quickly. Hot and humid conditions sent fans scurrying for cover soon after the first pitch. It seemed as though we would once again have a slugfest, as Gastonia scored early and often. This time, though, the Honey Hunters pitching was more than up for the task, yielding runs toward the end of the contest, when the outcome had already been decided. The time of the game was a more merciful three hours, as the heat and humidity drained me much more quickly than expected.
Overall, I was impressed with Clipper Magazine Stadium. Despite being a modular ballpark, it possesses its own charm, which came through particularly well during Farm Show Night. It reminded me of PeoplesBank Park in York, though this park did not seem to be as well kept as the stadium in York. In any event, this ballpark is within striking distance of home for me, so I intend to visit when my schedule allows.
Baseball Travels 