May 16, 2025
SIUH Community Park (Capacity: 7,171)
Staten Island, NY
Staten Island FerryHawks vs Gastonia Ghost Peppers
Final Score: 2 – 9
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While the rest of New York City was fixated on either the Knicks playing in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals or the Yankees-Mets up in the Bronx…I made my way to the “forgotten borough”, Staten Island. Home to 500,000, this large island is much closer to New Jersey as bigger bays separate it further from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Surprisingly hilly, Staten Island is more suburban in nature and that also means there isn’t much to draw visitors (nor would one find enjoyment in taking a bridge crossing to get here). What should be the pride of SI is their professional baseball team. It started in 1999, when the New York Yankees’ Single A affiliate set-up shop in the New York-Penn League and two years later, their ballpark opened on the North Shore of the Island. The Baby Bombers took home 6 league championships and all seemed well until the infamous Minor League Restructuring in 2021. That’s when the League was broken up and the Yanks reassigned affiliates to Hudson Valley. Staten Island was out of Minor League Baseball, but not the professional ranks. The independent Atlantic League came calling and in my eyes, SI got a better deal in having a longer season and their own identity. The affiliated players were so far down the latter, that shouldn’t matter much in drawing fans. With a baby blue and orange color scheme, Staten Island became the FerryHawks, an homage to the mode of transportation across New York Bay. Despite playing a ballpark with a spectacular view, they’ve struggled to draw fans and the team has been bad in their first three season with a combined record of 152-228.
Prestige Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Location
New York City is a destination that people from around the world come to see. Staten Island isn’t exactly on their list and for good reason. While looking for places to spend the afternoon before the game, I considered the Staten Island Zoo and Historic Richmond Town (a much smaller scale Colonial Williamsburg), but neither appealed to me. I went with Snug Harbor for a pleasant stroll in the botanic gardens and a visit to the Staten Island Museum. The museum’s name is misleading; it offers only a couple of exhibits and doesn’t provide a solid overview of the borough. The building is historic and charming though. This section is on the North Shore of SI, just 7 minutes from the ballpark, which is in the St. George neighborhood. Those that gripe about Staten Island can not deny this is the best location for the stadium. The walkway behind the ballpark along New York Bay is a great spot to sit on a bench and take in the views. Watching boats pass by with the skylines of Jersey City, Lower Manhattan, and Brooklyn off in the distance is unexpectedly peaceful. Just keep an eye out for the occasional rogue baseball during batting practice! To the left down this walkway is the 9/11 Memorial and to the right is the connection to the Staten Island Ferry and other mass transit options. This area has been nicely spruced up behind Empire Outlets and there are some side food choices. Once you get past Richmond Terrace, a more typical New York cityscape is found with tightly clustered buildings and storefronts. You can find a few places to eat here (recommended is Mavi Café on Stuyvesant Place).
Location Ranking: 6 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
It probably will take awhile to get here, whether because of traffic or various transit options from elsewhere in the City. My first thought was to explore Manhattan before the game and take the free Staten Island Ferry over since it’s right by the ballpark. But boats leave every 30 minutes for the 15-minute journey, so that isn’t exactly efficient (especially since I’d need the subway in Manhattan). Thus, the automobile is the way to go and it’s not as intimidating as it may initially seem. Richmond Terrace runs along the water and right next to the ballpark is an easy-to-navigate parking garage at Empire Outlets. Prepay for a cheaper rate and follow the instructions closely. You’ll have to go over at least one bridge to reach Staten Island and if using I-278, the city roads needed to reach the ballpark are potholed and tight. Traffic can be expected as well, especially on the drive in. Note that in addition to the Ferry, the Staten Island Railway is another option if you live or are staying on the Island.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 6 out of 8
Exterior
The outer buildings that make up SIUH Community Park are a sandstone-colored brick, reminiscent of something you might see at a grade school. On the positive side, ferry and terminal elements are incorporated into the stadium, something that I appreciate in a design. The front entrance features what look like three sails, while curved white roof pieces are reminiscent of the nearby Terminal. Now the disjointedness of the structure and brick/color choice isn’t all that appealing. Touches of team color are around the main entrance, along with a small plaza.
Exterior Ranking: 5.5 out of 10
Concourse
Behind the top of the seating bowl is a standard concourse, open nicely to a complete field view and covered by the suite level above. Nightly low attendance means that it’s worthless to question if there is enough space. I did notice the bathrooms were quite small, but again, given the previous sentence, it’s not a problem. Maybe it’s the overhead pipes or the random water on the floor, but the concourse felt on the grungier side. Little team-oriented touches help improve the aesthetics slightly. Past third base is an open area, mostly empty except for some standing tables near a pseudo bar. A kids inflatable can be found further down. On the opposite side, the concourse takes a dip down a flight of stairs.
Concourse Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Food
There’s nothing here that would make you want to skip dinner. It’s the standard ballpark dreck (Chicken, Burgers, Hot Dogs) and it looks sub-standard. I got a chuckle out of seeing the menu item: “NY Style Pepperoni Slice”. Why style? We’re in Staten Island, shouldn’t that be expected? The best stand was Sweets n’ Such and I have to applaud their set-up. What kid will walk by and not whine “I want that!”?. For Adult Treats, Kills Boro was the one to try for a local beer. Everything else can be had across the country. Nowadays, most ballparks have plenty of other alcoholic choices besides beer, so it was surprising to not see that be the case here.
Food Ranking: 4 out of 8
Interior
I love this ballpark and it all starts with that aforementioned view. Right beyond the outfield fence is New York Bay and an expansive look at the water. Various boats and cargo ships will pass by and while the tall buildings are a good distance away, it’s still the famous NYC skyline. SIUH Community Park is bigger than it needs to be at ~7,000 seats, but that shouldn’t take away from it having a good design. The seating bowl is steeply pitched and I greatly prefer this as it leads to solid sightlines, opposed to what many newer parks opt for (shallower, smaller sections). Sky blue seats are a good look and so are the interlocking SI logos on the field. The fold-down chairs look cheap and flimsy, but they are surprisingly not when you sit down. Smaller than normal armrests and cupholders accompany them. The one-level bowl wraps around the field into shallow outfield on both sides. There isn’t any angling of the seats towards the infield on the third base side, however beyond first base, the final four sections get a little strange with a Tetris-like set-up. Bookending the stadium are tiered table areas for groups. These are unguarded and usually empty, so if you want a comfy mesh chair along with peace & quiet during the game, head over there. Above the seating bowl and covering the top couple rows is the suite and press level, in a gray design. It’s a great stadium that is more than a view.
Interior Ranking: 12 out of 14
Scoreboard
The scoreboard in left field is the most optimal spot to preserve that beyond outfield view. One issue though is that there is no other score display in the stadium, so if you are sitting on the 3rd base side, you’ll have to turn your head frequently if you care about the count and score. Back to the scoreboard, it is completely a video screen and the clarity is good enough. Video is only used for between-inning stuff with replays unfortunately non-existent. At the top of the board is a replica Verrazano Bridge…very cool!
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
Splashes of sky blue and orange give the FerryHawks some character, especially as they (rightfully) distance themselves from the Yankees moniker. I like seeing the touches of SI Pride: each seating section label has three neighborhoods listed…..a giant sign in the concourse points to areas of interest on the Island. Small touches, but it’s something as more notable displays are absent. On one of the concourse walls is a Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame and I feel like this is not the first, second or third ballpark that I’ve seen this in.
Displays Ranking: 2 out of 6
Cost
The $10 parking charge isn’t bad considering New York City, but if you take it within the context of the Atlantic League, it’s high. Tickets are $17, $20 and $24. Buy them at the ballpark for no fees and go with the cheapest option given the plethora of open seats. That’s a bit above league average. For food, while a Hot Dog is $5, a cheeseburger and fries is pricey at $15. Even crazier is a $16 can of Killsboro Beer. Jeez! If you want to ‘step down’ to a Corona, it’s still $13.75.
Cost Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Fan Support
It was a Friday Night in mid-May with great weather and it was a dismal showing. Turnstile attendance was in the hundreds and by the late innings, we were down to maybe 100 people in the park. The FerryHawks have been last in league attendance each of their three seasons and have one of the worst paid averages in all of Independent Baseball. I get it, the Major Leagues are king in New York, but I know each borough has strong local pride. Given this is the so-called “Forgotten Borough”, this is their own team and one with their own identity. It’s sad to see such little fandom and support…I really hope the team and this great ballpark survives.
Fan Support Ranking: 1.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
There are efforts to put forth a fun energy…from music with good variety to dancers engaging fans to the mascot “Frankie”. Minor league theatrics continue to go on with between inning promotions and frequent sound effects from the PA. There’s not much of a sporting atmosphere as kids from group outings made up a chunk of the crowd and thus, it was higher-pitched cheering. Muted responses occurred after good plays and the biggest pop of the night came when the Cookie Batter struck out.
Atmosphere Ranking: 5 out of 14
Other Stuff
Thank you to the Security Guard who let me walk up to the second deck and take a peak from the overlook. Such a spectacular view!…..I liked how music was blasting from the ballpark throughout the neighborhood, inviting passers-by to come in and check things out. However in the park, that music was so loud that pre-game it was hard to even hear the person at the concession stand….The netting past home plate and above the dugouts is not high at all. As a middle-aged adult with kids, this freaks me out that a line drive will come screaming in and cause some damage…..There’s a little room before the boardwalk that they could’ve extended the outfield wall for bullpens. Instead, they are in a poor spot down the line. Been awhile since I’ve seen that. …..It was very New York to hear the announcement go through the stadium “Please tell your children not to climb on the dugout!”
Game
From the get-go, you could see how this would play out. Pitcher Adalberto Mejia was hit hard frequently and Gastonia kept putting hits and runs on the board as their own Connor Grey cruised on the mound with easy innings. It was 5-1 before the bullpens were used and the Ghost Peppers went on to win 9-2.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
