ShoreTown Ballpark
is a
stadium in
Lakewood, New Jersey
Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community as of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 135,158 representing an increase of 41,415 (+45.5% ...
. It is primarily used for
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
and is the home field of the
Jersey Shore BlueClaws South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
baseball team, affiliated with the
Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
team. It is also used for outdoor concerts, featuring touring musical artists such as
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
. It was built in 2001 and has 6,588 fixed seats with extended additional space on grass berms and at picnic tables around the 360-degree concourse.
History
The stadium opened as GPU Energy Park, named for the former
General Public Utilities, Inc. After GPU merged into
FirstEnergy Corporation in 2001, the stadium took the new corporate name in 2002.
The team attendance record is 13,003, set on August 26, 2002. FirstEnergy Park had 13 crowds over 9,000 and 81 crowds over 8,000 in its first eight years of play.
The stadium was featured in ''
Baseball Americas 2009 ''Great Parks'' calendar. It was the second time that the home of the BlueClaws was highlighted in the calendar.
FirstEnergy Park has hosted the South Atlantic League All-Star Game twice, in 2002 and in 2013. The 2002 attendance of 8,571 was a record for the South Atlantic League All-Star Game.
In 2022, the BlueClaws changed the stadium's name from FirstEnergy Park to ShoreTown Ballpark.
Features
The ballpark features two general admission, grass seating areas, one in left field and another in right, 16 luxury suites, two party decks, the Monmouth Medical Center Champions Club, two picnic areas, and a full video board, with a 1,587 square foot high-definition display.
The stadium also features the nine-hole Manasquan Bank Mini Golf Course which opened in 2018. Open during all home games, the course features holes named after former BlueClaws players.
In centerfield, FirstEnergy Park also includes the Toyota World of Lakewood Boardwalk area. This space features many traditional boardwalk games such as a Ring Toss, Goblet Toss, Balloon Darts, and Cat Rack.
In 2022, the BlueClaws announced the addition of a new hospitality space for patrons to enjoy during games at the stadium - The Blue Wave Bar.
References
External links
Jersey Shore BlueClaws: ShoreTown BallparkParks: Township of Lakewood, NJ
{{Authority control
Baseball venues in New Jersey
Sports venues in New Jersey
Minor league baseball venues
Lakewood Township, New Jersey
Sports venues in the New York metropolitan area
Buildings and structures in Ocean County, New Jersey
2001 establishments in New Jersey
Sports venues completed in 2001
FirstEnergy
South Atlantic League ballparks