These days, when you think of baseball, it is not the purity of the game that comes to mind. There are no magical fields where dreams come true. There are very few angels in the outfield and A-Rod is still a jerk. The numbers are staggering. Players making $27 million a year (when I become president I’m switching baseball players salaries and teachers salaries). Tickets selling on Stub Hub for hundreds of dollars per seat. Want a hot dog and a beer? That’ll set you back fifteen bucks. And forget buying an “official” jersey at the park. A Brooks Brothers blazer would be a cheaper purchase. But you love the game. The sights, sounds and smells of the ballpark are heaven to you. It’s pure Americana. So what’s a fan to do…?
It’s no secret that the best bang for your baseball buck in New Jersey these days is the minor leagues. Stadiums and teams all over the state, from the Skyline Region to Atlantic County, are thrilling fans every day and summer night with fast balls, stolen bases and walk-off homers. And nowhere is this more true than in Trenton, where the Yankees Double A team makes its home. The Trenton Thunder feature the players that will be running the bases at the big ballpark in the Bronx someday in the near future. Mark Texiera rehabbed with the team last month and there is a pretty good chance Derek Jeter will be getting himself into playing shape right off Route 29 by summer’s end. And to top off what promises to be a banner 4th of July weekend, the team all of South Jersey roots for, the Philadelphia Phillies has its minor league affiliate, The Fightin’ Phils, coming into town. You want fireworks? This rivalry of north verses south will light up the sky as well as the stands. Reasonable prices, all kinds of give-aways and fun for the whole family, and a beautiful stadium, Arm and Hammer Park, located right on the picturesque Delaware River. Plenty of parking, food and drink await you with an ease that you just cannot get in the Bronx or South Philly. But the best part of all is the energy, the dedication and the flat-out hunger of the young players, some destined to be the next All Stars of tomorrow, some enjoying whatever playing time they have left in the game they grew up playing in sandlots and community parks from Vernon to Vineland. It is an honest representation of America’s pastime, and it’s right here within an hour or so from wherever you live in the state. I can’t think of a better way to say “Happy Birthday America.”
