SAMUEL J. PLUMERI, SR. FIELD

Mercer County Waterfront Park is the home of this ballpark built in 1994 for the expansion Trenton Thunder. It was built in the prevailing style at the time and before the new style that was used in Lexington and Louisville, so this is a more traditional stadium. The most interesting feature is the Delaware River behind right field. If you take the riverwalk during batting practice, you can be assured of catching at least one ball, as there is no one else out there at that time. You may not be able to tell in the picture above, but the left field fence is much higher than the right field fence, so a lot of balls are hit over the right field fence while most balls hit to left bounce off the top of the wall.

The park is located off Route 29 and parking is available although it costs $1. The front of the stadium is attractive, with several ticket windows and a nice brick facing. There are some benches to sit on if you show up before the gates open 1 hour before the game, and a statue of Plumeri with two children. 

There are three entrances to the park, including an entrance reserved for season ticket holders who can enter before the gates officially open.

There are three seating areas: the club seats which are the 9 rows below the walkway, the pavillion seats which are above the walkway and cost the same as the club seats ($8), and two sections of reserved benches on each end of the seating area which are $2 cheaper. This park is still small and cozy, the way a minor league park ought to be, so no bad seats here. 

Above the press box are three retired numbers, Tony Clark, Nomar Garciapara, and Jackie Robinson. On the concourse behind home plate you can find all the major league players that have come through Trenton, as well as league standings and league leaders. The starting line-ups are also posted. 

There is a good choice for food, including some healthy pickings, but prices are major-league. Food cannot be brought into the park, so if you are budget conscious, eat before you come.

Overall, this is a nice park - they didn't build something too big, retaining the essence of minor league ball with a small park in a picturesque location. Given its proximity to Philadelphia, Trenton should be included on any tour of the parks in the northeast.

Another view of the park