Hadlock Field

In 1993, Hadlock Field was under construction to be rebuilt around the former field that once held only 1,500 people to a size that now holds 7,368 people. On April 18, 1994, the opening day took place for Hadlock Field. The field is located in downtown Portland, Maine, which is known for being the largest city in Maine. It took about three million dollars to build in total, which was an investment made for the area. Hadlock Field has been compared to Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland, as they share the same old style landscape. The stadium is still used for the local high school teams for games and practices along with the Portland Sea Dogs double-A minor league baseball team.   

It was in 2003 that a Boston Red Sox-affiliated double-a minor league baseball team, the Portland Sea Dogs, started playing games at Hadlock Field. Then in 2006, the Portland Sea Dogs earned their first Eastern League crown. Now, Hadlock Field is currently known for being a "mini" Fenway Park. In April 2018, Hadlock Field was declared as one of the top ten best minor league stadiums. Also, in April 2018, Portland announced the expansion of netting at Hadlock Field as they continued to expand the stadium facilities.  

For the last 25 years, there have been an estimated 1,175 minor league games, and roughly 500 high school games played at Hadlock Field. So far, 197 baseball players who once played at Hadlock Field now play in the major league, and as of 2018, 38 are still currently playing.

Hadlock Field now also features tours of the stadium, which includes tour stops at the "Maine Monster", the Sea Dog's Dugout, the press box, the skybox, a picnic area, the U.S. Cellular Pavilion, the Sea Dog's Bullpen, and much more. The "Maine Monster" is the nickname for the left-field wall. There are seventeen skyboxes named after former Red Sox players that had once played at Hadlock Field before moving up to the major league. Also, for an additional cost, you can invite Slugger the Sea Dog, get official Sea Dog Biscuits, or even both!

Hadlock Field. Portland, ME. . Accessed September 07, 2018. https://www.portlandmaine.gov/572/Hadlock-Field.

Knight, Graham. Hadlock Field. July 20, 2003. Accessed September 07, 2018. https://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/AA/portland.html.

Farnum, Merry. Covering the team: 1994-2001. April 18, 1994. Accessed September 07, 2018. https://www.pressherald.com/2013/04/16/covering-the-team-1994-2001/.

CASE OF THE MONDAYS: OF MOTHER NATURE AND HOME OPENERS. April 16, 2018. Accessed September 07, 2018. https://standingroombaseball.com/2018/04/16/case-of-the-mondays-of-mother-nature-and-home-openers/.