It’s been hectic times since our last visit in March, but in a good way as we welcomed our second daughter, Liliana, into the world. It will be a little while until she gets to her first sporting event, but in the meantime, I’m going to keep it local for the next game. There aren’t many new stadiums left for me within a reasonable driving distance that doesn’t need an overnight stay. In the ballpark world, there are two remaining: Staten Island and Allentown. The latter is not the Lehigh Valley team you may be thinking of. While I’ve seen the IronPigs and Coca-Cola Park, Allentown actually has a second stadium where baseball is played. ECTB Stadium, better known as Bicentennial Park, is a 4,600-seat facility on the South Side and is a duel softball/baseball field. Lots of local teams play here, along with a summer-collegiate team known as the Railers in the ACBL. There are roughly 15 summer-ball teams that make it onto The List and this is one of them. Their season only runs during June-July and the Railers have a funky home schedule with nearly no weekend games. Thus, I’ll be heading there for a Thursday 7 PM match-up against Quakertown.
I don’t have to take the day off solely for the Allentown game, but….I looked around at schedules and saw that the Phillies have a matinee that day against the Mets. With Philadelphia only an hour away from the Lehigh Valley, we’ve got ourselves a perfect set-up for a doubleheader. It’s been five years since I’ve been to an MLB Ballpark and ten years since seeing Citizens Bank Park, so I’m very much looking forward to returning to a stadium that I really enjoyed the first go-round. The question is, what do I get for lunch there with so many great choices? The natural selection is a cheesesteak, but there’s a well-regarded steak place just down the road from ECTB Stadium, which I’ll take out and bring in for my dinner (I’m assuming it’s a very relaxed entry policy there). So what to get in Philly…Bull’s BBQ? Roast Pork? Chickie’s & Pete’s?
Stadium and Arena Visits 