HARBOR PARK

Harbor Park - Norfolk Va

TEAM ::: NORFOLK TIDES
LOCATION ::: NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
MY FIRST VISIT ::: MAY 18, 2006
OPPONENT ::: TOLEDO MUD HENS
LEVEL ::: INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE 'AAA'

RipTide - The mascot at Harbor Park

RATINGS

BALLFIELD ::: A

SCOREBOARD ::: B
FOOD :::: C+
FACILITIES ::: B
MASCOT ::: A

The Tide is coming in Video - Harbor Park, Norfolk

Harbor Park - From behind Home Plate, Norfolk Va

MY TAKE ON THE PARK

Looking in from Right Field - Harbor Park, Norfolk

MY VISIT TO HARBOR PARK WAS ONE I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO. THIS PARK HAS RECEIVED SOME OF THE HIGHEST PRAISE FROM ALL OVER BASEBALL BEING TOUTED AS THE
BEST BALL PARK IN THE MINOR LEAGUES. I'M AFRAID I HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION OF HARBOR PARK.

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED RIGHT OFF THE INTERSTATE, HARBOR PARK SITS BETWEEN THE INTERSTATE AND THE WATER. $4 IS THE CHARGE FOR PARKING BUT WHAT I LIKED WERE ALL OF THE SIMILARITIES TO THE PARENT CLUB, THE NY METS. THE
RAMP OFF THE INTERSTATE FEEDS INTO THE PARKING LOT LIKE THE ONE OFF THE VAN WYCK IN QUEENS. THEN YOU LOOK UNDER THE INTERSTATE AND THERE IS PARKING, JUST LIKE SHEA WHERE THE OVERFLOW PARKING IS.

From the Upper Deck at Harbor Park, Norfolk

PASS THE TICKET TAKER YOU WALK UP TO THE CONCOURSE WHICH IS NOW THE STANDARD, A SPACIOUS CONCOURSE WITH CONCESSIONS ON BOTH SIDES AND A COMPLETE VIEW OF THE FIELD. WHAT I LIKED HERE WAS A SMALL BRASS BAND PLAYING MAKING THIS GAME FEEL A LITTLE MORE LIKE AN EVENT.

UPON ENTERING THE SEATING AREA, FRIENDLY USHERS GREETED ME WITH A HELLO, EVERY USHER DID WHICH I THOUGHT WAS NICE UNTIL I OVERHEARD ONE OF THEM (POSSIBLY A NEWER ONE) MENTION TO HIS PARTNER THAT HE WAS DOING HIS JOB BY SAYING HELLO TO EVERYONE. THE HELLOS DID NOT SEEM FORCED BY MOST OF THEM THOUGH, THIS IS THE SOUTH REMEMBER.

HOWEVER, ANOTHER SIMILARITY
TO SHEA WAS THE AGGRESSIVENESS IN WHICH THE USHER TRIED TO LOOK AT MY TICKET AND SEAT ME.

Looking in from Left Field, Harbor Park, Norfolk

ONCE SEATED, THE SEATS ARE OK, ALL SEATS ON THE LOWER LEVEL, CURRENTLY $10 HAVE CUP HOLDERS. THE SEATS IN THE UPPER DECK, CURRENTLY $8 DO NOT.
THE SEATS IN THE UPPER DECK DO HAVE A COVER FOR SOME NEEDED SHADE AND PROVIDE A GOOD VIEW OF THE WATER. THE VIEW OF THE WATER, HOWEVER, IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. THERE IS NOT MUCH ACTIVITY ON THE WATER, LIKE IN STATEN
ISLAND AND THE ONLY BOAT THAT PASSED A FEW TIMES WAS A TUG.

Game Action - Harbor Park, Norfolk Va

A TRIP TO HARBOR PARK MAY HAVE BEEN BETTER BEFORE MY TRIP TO STATEN ISLAND. AS FOR THE GAME, IT IS TREATED WELL HERE AND OUT OF TOWN SCORES ARE ON A CONTINUOS SCROLL I RIGHT FIELD. AS FAR AS PARKS GO, HARBOR PARK OFFERS A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO SEE A GAME. RIP TIDE, THE MASCOT, IS A BIG
BLUE GORILLA LIKE CREATURE WHO LOOKS REAL GOOD. OUTSIDE OF GREETING FANS ON THE CONCOURSE BEFORE THE GAME, RIP TIDE DOESN'T COME AROUND DURING THE GAME. THE FOOD IS MORE THAN MOST MINOR LEAGUES BUT NOT BAD, THEY ALSO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD SELECTION OF BEVERAGES AROUND THE PARK.

IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN THE NORFOLK AREA AND AREN'T SURE IF THERE WILL BE A GAME, JUST LOOK FOR THE SIGN ON THE STADIUM WHICH WILL LET YOU KNOW IF
THE "TIDE IS IN" FOR A HOME GAME OR IF THE "TIDE IS OUT" IF THEY ARE
NOT.

A view of the Waterway, Harbor Park, Norfolk Va

The Managers - Harbor Park, Norfolk Va

THE LINE UPS

TOLEDO MUD HENS MANAGER :::
15 LARRY PARRISH

NORFOLK TIDES MANAGER :::
5 TONY TIJERINA

TOLEDO MUD HENS

14 Don Kelly ss
7 Ryan Raburn lf
34 Ryan Ludwick dh
29 Josh Phelps 1b
17 Alexis Gomez cf
9 Jack Hannahan 2b
27 Mike Hessman 3b
3 David Espinosa rf
23 Brian Peterson c
50 Jordan Tata p / WP
21 Tony Fiore S

Lastings Milledge at the plate - Harbor Park

NORFOLK TIDES

27 Lastings Milledge cf
1 Anderson Hernandez ss
13 Victor Diaz rf
34 Michael Tucker dh
7 Jeff Keppinger 2b
21 Juan Tejeda 1b
39 Tagg Bozied lf
31 Sandy Martinez c
12 Chase Lambin 3b
43 Brian Bannister p / LP

The LF Scoreboard - Harbor Park, Norfolk, Va.