Portland Sea Dogs @ Reading Phillies

When it comes to minor league baseball, no park can beat FirstEnergy Park in Reading for pure ambiance. There's talk of replacing the park with a new downtown stadia, which would be a huge mistake in my opinion. The corporate name belies the park really. The park is over 50 years old now. Recent renovations make the park comfortable but it retains an old-time feel unlike modern parks. The concessions have a carnival-like atmosphere. There are seemingly dozens of options from standard fare to Rita's Italian Ice (no gelatis though).

Everything about the game is enthusiastic. The staff know better than to jam every single sound effect into spare space like in other minor league parks. There are plenty of in-game promotions to keep the crowd entertained. The park contains a pool beyond right field and there is the standard party deck beyond left field.

Pricing is right. Parking is free but can be a hassle. Paved spots were gone an hour before gametime, leaving the grass beyond the brick wall in left field. It is easy to get to at least, straight down Route 61 off Route 222.

If you have the chance, this is a park you should take a trip to see at some point.

Roger Clemens is apparently coming to Scranton on Monday. I'm going to Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday's games instead. I don't need to deal with the traffic.