Hadlock Field and Fun in Portland, Maine

History of Hadlock Field and the Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs began their existence in 1994 as the Eastern League affiliate of the expansion Florida Marlins. They call Hadlock Field their home, named for longtime Portland High School baseball coach and teacher Edson Hadlock. Portland was awarded a team in the soon to be expanded Eastern League following the addition of the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies to Major League Baseball. The Rockies’ farm team would become the New Haven Ravens. 

Hadlock Field was built adjacent to historic Fitzpatrick Stadium, which has been used for years for Portland area sporting events, and the Portland Exposition Center, a civic center that houses concerts, trade shows, and provides the home arena of the NBA G-League Maine Red Claws, a minor-league affiliate of the Boston Celtics. The Sea Dogs also have space in the building, which includes batting cages and meeting rooms. The brick expo center’s location next to Hadlock Field is reminiscent of the brick B & O warehouse situated next to Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Hadlock Field was built amid an Eastern League construction frenzy of the 1990s which saw nine of twelve ballparks assembled during the decade. At first glance at the stadium, eyes lock onto the larger than life statue of the mascot, Slugger, greeting visitors to the park.

Hadlock’s Design

Hadlock Field’s façade is punctuated with brick but differs in construction from many stadiums from the similar era. First, entering the concourse from the street, fans have to climb stairs up to the stands from the concourse; there is no view of the field while waiting in line for a hot dog and beer. Aluminum, reminiscent of neighborhood ballfields, is a heavily used material in the stands. The park combines certain elements of ballparks from an earlier era with those of modern ones. During the Florida Marlins years, many successful major leaguers played for the team including Charles Johnson, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Edgar Renteria, and Livan Hernandez. 

Hadlock Field Welcomes the Red Sox

The Sea Dogs switched affiliations from the Florida Marlins to the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2003 season. Along with a change in parent ball clubs and a change in color scheme from teal to red and blue, Hadlock Field was updated with various accouterments that paid homage to their big-league club. The most significant addition was the creation of the “Maine Monster,” a replica of Fenway Park’s infamous Green Monster, a large green wall delineating the left field boundary. A Citgo sign was even placed on top of it, like the one that looms largely over Fenway Park. The Citgo sign is gone, but the big Coca-Cola bottle (just like Fenway) is still located on top of the monster. Other interesting features of Hadlock include a reproduction of the giant L.L. Bean duck boot, which greets visitors at the LL Bean flagship store in nearby Freeport, perched atop the right-field fence. Also on the right-field side is the US Cellular Pavilion, a steep series of seats that are similar to the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park.

Since becoming affiliated with the Red Sox in 2003, Sea Dog alumni who have had successful careers in Red Sox uniforms are many. The Red Sox have had monumental achievements on the ballfield in the 21^st century and much of it has had to do with their young talent, many of whom have worn the Sea Dog uniform. The list includes Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, and Mookie Betts. Big league players who have rehabbed here include John Smoltz, David Ortiz, and Gary Sheffield. Jersey numbers of current Sea Dog players in the big leagues adorn the outside wall of the press box. 

Hadlock Field Ballpark Amenities:

Food:

A crowd pleaser is the Sea Dog biscuit, a frozen treat of two chocolate chip cookies stuffed with vanilla ice cream. It’s Slugger’s favorite food along with Slugger Suds root beer. Along with regular ballpark fare, interesting options include a fish sandwich, popcorn chicken, and chili pie made from Fritos corn chips. Maine has been a microbrew heavy state even before the latest proliferation of new breweries to New England. The park features some of the area’s mainstay brands, including Allagash, Geary’s, and Baxter, all from the greater Portland area. 

Ballpark Extras:

Maine has a history of baseball and the Sea Dogs honor it with their annual “Field of Dreams” night where the players are introduced emerging from a cornfield and donning the jersey of the former New England League minor league baseball team the Portland Eskimos from the 1920s. Other fun activities include the plastic lobster toss and the Trash Monster to whom fans love to feed their trash (in turn helping clean up the stadium). During the eighth inning, just as at Fenway, fans sing along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” For the last few years, the Sea Dogs have hosted a “Baseball and Brews” festival before the start of a game, which features local micro breweries and have included Allagash, Baxter, Sea Dog, Red Hook, and Geary’s in the past. Elvis has even made an appearance at Hadlock in the past few years. 

Insiders’ Tips:

Hadlock Field presents the best of both worlds in terms of park location. It has a city address, giving the park a downtown feel, but there is easy access to the park because it is literally on the side of Route 295, the major highway that cuts through Portland. Parking for night games is in nearby lots for a fee. The stadium itself, unfortunately, does not have a parking lot. During certain day games, nearby residential roads allow parking but make sure to read the signs. The capacity of the stadium is 7368, but even with a large size, purchasing a ticket in advance may be a good idea, for the games are a popular draw. Hadlock Field is located at 271 Park Avenue in Portland.

For the Kids at Hadlock Field: 

Slugger, the sea dog, has to be one of the finest mascots in baseball. He brings energy to the game that touches everyone in the ballpark. Slugger is quite the dancer, whose moves, often ending with a split, get everyone up on their feet. The Sea Dogs have many theme nights, such as Star Wars Night, Christmas in July, and Top Gun Night.  Slugger dresses appropriately for each of these events. Slugger is also quite the internet celebrity. His vignettes on YouTube have created quite a following. In one vignette, television personality John O’Hurley champions Slugger and encourages him to compete on Dancing with the Stars. O’Hurley also provides information for anyone who wishes to hire Slugger for performances at children’s parties and other events. These video clips are fun and worth watching. Bring your dog for “Dog Days” where Fido and Rover get to enjoy the ball game, and at some home games, kids are can run the bases after the game. 

While You’re There:

Restaurants:

Closest to Hadlock are the chain restaurants of McDonald’s and Amato’s, which serves pizza. Salvage BBQ and the Holy Donut are also nearby. Further, in downtown, Portland has a plethora of fine eating and drinking establishments. If venturing to a Sea Dogs game, stay to check out the rest of the city. The Old Port section of town, with its cobblestone streets, features a slew of eating and drinking options. Among them is the Old Port Tavern whose cuisine includes seafood and hearty fare and Duckfat which is synonymous with its Belgian style French fries, also serving sandwiches and salads. Since you’re in Maine, make sure to eat at least one lobster!

Since Portland is a beer city, with numerous breweries and a selection of fantastic beer bars, the craft beer enthusiast will be pleased. Among the more popular breweries in Portland are Gritty’s, Allagash, and Shipyard. Gritty’s serves pub food as well, but the other two provide only beer. Bissell Brothers, Definitive, and Rising Tide are three of New England’s finest breweries. The Great Lost Bear and Novare Res are well-known beer bars in Portland. Sebago Brewing Company and Sea Dog Brewing Company have a chain of area restaurants and are good for kids as they are loud and large. They both have locations in the Scarborough/South Portland area. Also in South Portland is the Fore River Brewing Company, a small craft brewery whose Preble sour beer is a must-try for any sour fan.  

Accommodations:

Both the Inn at St. John and the La Quinta Inn are about a block away from the stadium. The downtown has classic old hotels and modern accommodations such as the Portland Harbor Hotel, Westin Portland Harborview, and the Portland Regency. A few miles south of town in the South Portland/Scarborough area close to the Maine Mall are all of the chain hotels, including the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, and DoubleTree.

Attractions:

The Portland area offers premier shopping in the downtown with many chic boutiques in the Old Port section. The Portland Museum of Art is a world-class art museum with permanent pieces by such notables as Claude Monet, Andy Warhol, and Winslow Homer, as well as interesting temporary exhibits. Portland’s Children’s’ Museum is a two-floor jungle gym for the kids. South of town is Cape Elizabeth with the much-photographed Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park. About 25 minutes north of Portland is the town of Freeport. Freeport’s main drag is Route 1 with outlet shopping that all grew up alongside LL Bean. LL Bean is the focal point of the downtown with an immense flagship store which includes more than simply clothes, with a restaurant, an outdoor concert series in the summer, a hunting and fishing store, and an outdoor discovery center. Freeport also is home to the Maine Beer Company on Route 1, which brews fantastic beer. 

Famous Alumni:  

Charles Johnson, Gary Sheffield, Josh Beckett, John Smoltz, Edgar Renteria, Livan Hernandez, Hanley Ramirez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon, Jackie Bradley Jr, Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, Xander Boegarts, David Ortiz, Clay Buccholz. 

Did you know?

When a Sea Dog hits a home run, a lighthouse springs from the back wall emitting a shower of sparks.