| Campbell's Field does not
break any new ground in terms of its physical structure, but its fantastic
setting will not let you forget where you are. Set at the base of
the Ben Franklin Bridge, just across the river from Philadelphia, the park
offers one of the best settings anywhere - either in the minors or majors.
The view is especially scenic from the first base side where the bridge
and city skyline are both visible. The park itself is very similar
to the other new Atlantic League parks, probably most resembling Somerset.
It features all green fold down chairs, split into two distinct seating
areas by a center concourse. The upper deck is a bit funky due to its
non-symmetrical look. It contains the normal 20 or so luxury boxes
but also has a large seating area and what appears to be either a restaurant
or expanded luxury suite down the first base line. The press box,
which I prefer to see on the second level, is on the concourse level here.
The concourse contains several large concession stands offering a nice
array of food - hamburgs, bratwursts, chicken sandwiches, etc. Prices
were reasonable on everything from tickets ($6 - $9) to programs
($3) to parking ($2). Speaking of parking, it is plentiful and very
close to the park. The game experience was a pleasant one for the
most part. Between inning games featured the normal nonsense - dizzy
bat race, sumo wrestling, and race the mascot. Sound effects were
not overly used, though advertising was. Between innings, one or
two commercials were run on the scoreboard. This is something I'd
rather not see at the ballpark. Overall, Campbell's Field is a typical
Atlantic League park, but fortunately it has a great setting to make it
unique among the others. It's certainly a cheaper alternative to Citizens Bank Park for those living in the Philadelphia area. Unfortunately, the RiverSharks folded after the 2015 season and it appears that no professional baseball will ever be played here again. In fact, in December of 2017 a plan was finalized to tear down the ballpark and replace it with athletic fields for Rutgers-Camden. Such a sad ending for a beautiful ballpark.
|
