May 21, 2016
Palisades Credit Union Park (Capacity: 4,500)
Ramapo, NY
Rockland Boulders vs Sussex County Miners
Final Score: 8 – 1
* The ballpark was renamed Clover Stadium
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The combination of a scheduled doubleheader and a 6:30 PM start worked perfectly for this game to get in before rain arrived. Born in 2011, the Rockland Boulders got off to a rocky start (no pun intended). Local taxpayers voted down a plan for a new ballpark, however corrupt town officials found loopholes to go ahead with the project, which ballooned to $60 million. Debt and financial problems resulted and the town supervisor is part of a federal indictment. The ballpark and price tag is even more controversial when considering that it was built for an Independent League team, certainly a shakier set of franchises than those in the minors. Despite off-field troubles, the Boulders took home the Can-Am title in 2014 and the team has done well drawing fans. Those crowds are often full of families as Rockland County is a middle to upper class area that is heavily suburban and residential. It’s location near the enlarging Hudson River in Southeast New York is about 45 minutes from New York City. Palisades Credit Union Park is five years old and fresh off a bank name change (shocking). Though the circumstances around the construction are unfortunate, it is aesthetically a really nice stadium.
Prestige Ranking: 3 out of 5
Location
The county draws from a population of 325,000 and while the expansive Town of Ramapo is the Governmental home of the ballpark, Pomona is the mailing address and closest location reference. This tiny village of 3,100 is located in the center of the county and there isn’t anything nearby for visiting fans to check out. The drive in features heavy tree coverage and some glimpses of the hills and rocky terrain that led to the team’s nickname. Otherwise, a mix of parkland, housing developments and local businesses can be found nearby. The closest restaurants are a couple miles north in the Mount Ivy area, along a strip on Route 202.
Location Ranking: 2.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Thanks to the New York State Thruway (I-87 / I-287) and the Palisades Parkway, there is good highway access to the area and the stadium is very close to Exit 12 on the latter highway. Paved parking surrounds the facility, but there are only 1300 spaces and it looks like there may be issues for capacity crowds. These aren’t the easiest lots to navigate and though I left during a fireworks display when no one else did, I would assume there would be a wait to exit. Main roads further out can occasionally have congestion. Bear in mind that there is no public transportation to the ballpark, despite the proximity to train service needs for those in NYC.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Exterior
The traditional home plate grand entrance does not exist here as this space is somewhat empty and to the left is the back of a blah, beige building. It gets better on the right side as stone support beams set the stage for an architectural design representative of the rocky area. A separate building contains the ticket office, luxury entrance and team store, while an awning protects those passing thru the gates of the main and only entrance. The visible guts of the ballpark are an ugly faded green color in a siding appearance.
Exterior Ranking: 3.5 out of 10
Concourse
Space upon entering is huge and open with the added bonus of a music stage to the left, used for post-game concerts. The luxury suites raised above act as typical protection from the elements as fans walk the space behind the seats with a view of the field. There are plenty of concession stands and tables, but not so many to impede movement (though there are a lot people that use the concourse the entire game). Various stone pieces throughout the area continue to counter the otherwise bland architectural vibe. Walkways open up and extend around the entire outfield, which is always a positive.
Concourse Ranking: 4 out of 5
Food
A well-assembled assortment of food options greets fans and I particularly enjoyed that baskets included fries. I had a Boulder Burger, which was one of the burger, chicken, hot dog options that featured a theme of toppings. A Kosher stand caters to the heavy Jewish population, Austin’s BBQ features bar-style appetizers and an Asian stand features Teriyaki and Sushi Rolls. Perhaps more impressive is the Craft Beer Room, a well decorated little space that offers 7 local beers. Included, are three that are made just for the Boulders: Krankee Yankee, Bottom 9 Brew and 2nd Base Blonde.
Food Ranking: 7 out of 8
Interior
There are so many great spaces inside the ballpark that it really caters to the client (err…”fan”) and it looks good and natural here too. Let’s start with the seating bowl, which can be considered small as each section contains about 15 rows of green seats. A downside is that it extends quite-a-ways down the foul line, but the seats at least start to turn inward towards the dirt for those far away sections. Luxury suites are perched over the concourse, as is a party space named the “Sunset Deck” for the amazing view of both field and sunset over the western hills. Unique to me is the creation of loge suites on the concourse level behind the seating bowl. This space is reserved for groups and is like a mini, outdoor suite. I’m not sure the price, but if it is lower, this is a great spot. I also love how each one is framed by a stone wall. Another stone feature is my highlight of the park as the Bridge Bar offers a hangout for 20-somethings and a cool spot at field-level to see the game from the corner. The Short Porch on the other side provides a similar experience, this time from the outfield. Additional picnic tables and private party areas can be found in the concourse corners as well. Perhaps the most unique spot to see the game is the “Dugout of Dreams”, which adjoins the Boulders dugout. I’m not sure if this annoys the players, but it certainly gives fans a chance to be as close to the game and players as possible. The outfield contains a couple additional bleacher sections that are also a little bit different. When looking out that way, the view is limited, except if looking in the aforementioned left corner, which has the lone spot to take in the pleasant hills. The unique seating sections supersede the elongated bowl and make for a good interior.
Interior Ranking: 9.5 out of 14
Scoreboard
In left-field is an adequate scoreboard that overall is on the smaller side. Making up for that is the top half video screen that is clear from anywhere in the stadium and I appreciated the abundance of replays that were shown. A box score makes up the bottom half and the red numbers help with visibility. Ads flank three sides while a blank spot on top is likely reserved for ballpark name signage, which I would assume is forthcoming after the recent corporate name change.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
Indy ballparks often have a lack of displays and it is hard to fault Rockland for that given their short five-year life at the time of my visit. However, the Boulders did win the 2014 league title and championship logos are placed throughout the grounds, including on the green Batter’s Eye in centerfield that is a perfect slate for franchise achievements. Another insignia can be spotted around the concourse and that is the seal for the town of Ramapo. This may not be a popular one given the corruption that was involved with the ballpark. Regardless, near the front entrance stage is a beautiful four-sided Ramapo clock.
Displays Ranking: 2 out of 6
Cost
Rockland is slightly more expensive than their nearby league compatriots and the $5 parking charge is perhaps the most notable as free parking can be found with other teams. Tickets are $12 and $16 ($1 less for Sunday-Thursday games), with the latter price for infield seats. Taxes are stupidly not included. I did not see any ushers checking, so buying the $12 ticket and moving is a good option if there is room. Given the amount of people attending that hardly spend time in their seat, they miss out on a cheaper lawn seating option. Concession prices were average with a Cheeseburger/Fries combo going for $9. A Hot Dog was $3.75, a large beer cost $7 and a bottled water went for $3.50.
Cost Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Fan Support
Upon arrival, I was surprised at the number of cars and thought that a pretty good crowd was heading in to the game. Even more surprising was something I have not seen at this level: tailgating! Many cars were partaking as friends and families enjoyed eating, drinking and playing. It was a nice start to the event, but after the game got going, I realized the deceptively full parking lot wasn’t that indicative of the attendance. A couple thousand were on hand for this rain-threatened fireworks night. Rockland has led the small league the last few seasons in attendance and a pair of weekend playoff home games in 2015 featured an average attendance of 1,419. Three games in their championship-winning series in 2014 resulted in nearly double that number, not bad at all.
Fan Support Ranking: 4.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
Inside the park, the plethora of families and twenty-somethings make for a distracted audience. Even fewer than normal were interested in the game and at all times, the concourses were crowded as people milled around. Those that were in their seats applauded the action and cheered adequately when the Boulders scored.
Atmosphere Ranking: 6 out of 14
Other Stuff
In addition to the playground tucked away in the far right corner, the Boulders offer kids a ride on the B-Train. This is a great thing as the kids ride around the concourse on this train and they were really enjoying themselves chanting “Let’s Go Boulders”……A building in the outfield is home to WRCR AM-1700, a radio station with music and a morning show that serves Rockland County……The Boulders do a great job with promotions and drawing people into the park. The game I attended featured a 5K run concluding in the outfield and an earlier doubleheader to draw fans in for fireworks……An indoor batting cage just before the playground is open to kids during a portion of the game……The “Dugout of Dreams” also leads to a remarkably long dugout, thus allowing for a more spacious runway to support between-innings dancing and contests.
Game
Sussex County struck first as a pair of two-out hits in the second inning gave the Miners a 1-0 lead. Rockland had a big bottom half as they did better with two outs, putting together five straight hits, including a three-run double by Junior Arrojo. Another barrage a couple innings later gave Rockland an 8-1 lead, which was the final score. Arrojo finished with 6 RBI.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
