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| Empty seats–hundreds and hundreds of empty seats for every single game–is the primary reason the Bridgeport Bluefish are leaving. |
BRIDGEWATER, NJ – The Bridgeport Bluefish are seeing their
hopes at a postseason berth in this, their last season in the Park City, slip
slide away. The city announced earlier this month that the Ballpark at Harbor
Yard, where the Bluefish had called home for the past 20 years, would be
transformed into an outdoor amphitheater that will play host to 19 concerts per
year beginning in 2019. The picture here shows why: Nobody comes to Bluefish
games anymore. While it’s true that the team has not marketed the team well for
several years, the simple fact is that the Bluefish—an independent team with no
financial support from a parent MLB organization—depend on gate revenue for
virtually all of its operating expenses, and they have ranked dead last in the
Atlantic League in attendance for the last seven years. Actually, the streak
may be longer than that, but the league doesn’t post its attendance figures
before 2011.
Regardless, the
team will be in much better shape in terms of attendance revenue wherever they
may land. High Point, NC, has been mentioned as a place that has expressed
interest, as have cities in New York, New Jersey and Texas. The Lone Star State
may make the most sense so the Atlantic League can start making a “Southwest
Division.” Currently, the only team in the league that isn’t on the East Coast
is the Sugar Land (Tex.) Skeeters. I can’t imagine the travel budget that team
pays out every year.
And if things don’t
change soon for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the city’s American Hockey League
team, don’t be surprised to see a similar move taking place. A new downsized
version of the Nassau Coliseum is up and ready to go (with about 13,000 seats
for hockey—substantially more than Bridgeport) with a solid base of hockey
fans. However, it’s not clear if Long Island fans would embrace minor league
hockey, and it’s not clear how long the Islanders will continue to play in
their current home, Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. The team’s contract has an
opt-out clause after the 2018-19 season, and Barclay’s officials are not
counting on the team staying beyond that. The new Nassau Coliseum isn’t big
enough for an NHL team. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see the Islanders move to
Hartford and keep their AHL team in nearby Bridgeport?
As for the
Webster Bank Arena, if the scenario just described doesn’t play out, the venue
might be more suited for an ECHL team than another AHL team. The ECHL is
roughly equivalent to AA baseball (the Eastern League, in other words), while
the AHL is the equivalent of AAA.
But all this is
merely speculation. And besides, this story is about baseball, isn’t it?
OK, you win.
On Sunday, the Somerset
Patriots (23-26, 65-54) defeated the Bridgeport Bluefish (23-27, 64-56) 5-2 at
TD Bank Ballpark to complete a three-game weekend series sweep.
Bridgeport took a
1-0 lead against Nieves in the top half of the third inning when Welington
Dotel drove in 2017 Liberty Division All-Star D’Arby Myers with an RBI single. Myers
had reached base with a one-out infield single. The Bluefish had a golden
opportunity for a big inning when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Luis
Hernandez, another 2017 All Star, was denied a hit up the middle when Nieves
snagged the line drive to end the rally.
Somerset took the
lead in the home half of the third when they batted around against Lara, scoring
four times on three hits thanks to Kyle Roller, who crushed a grand slam over
the right field fence, staking the Patriots to a 4-1 advantage. It was a lead
they would not relinquish. It was Roller’s 19th dinger of the season, and his
first grand salami.
In the bottom of
the fifth, it was once again Roller time as the 29-year-old first baseman drove
home his fifth run of the on a fielder’s choice, putting the Pats ahead 5-1.
Bridgeport cut
the deficit to 5-2 in the top of the ninth when Dotel drove in Angel Rosa with
an RBI double, but that was as close as the ’Fish would get. Indeed, Bridgeport
was held to just three runs scored in total for the entire series. Myers and
Dotel each had two of the ten Bridgeport hits as the Bluefish recorded ten or
more hits in a single contest for the 67th in 120 games played this season. For
Somerset starting
pitcher Efrain Nieves (3-4) picked up the win. He allowed just one run on six
hits in with three walks (plus one hit batsman), three strikeouts in five
innings. Bridgeport starter Rainy Lara (9-8) was tagged with the loss, giving
up five runs (one earned run) on eight hits (one home run) in five inning. Lara
walked three (plus one hit batsman) and struck out two batters.
The Bluefish now
head to Waldorf, Md., where they will continue their seven-game road trip with
the first of four games vs. the 2017 First Half Freedom Division Champion
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at Regency Furniture Stadium. The ’Fish will return
to the Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Friday when they host in the York Revolution
for a four-game Labor Day Weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:12
p.m. on Friday night. It will be another “Freebie Friday” at the ballpark, with
the first 500 fans throught the turnstiles receiving a special Bluefish logo
pin. Tickets are available at the Bluefish box office or online by clicking HERE.
—with staff reports
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