SAM LYNN BALLPARK

Sam Lynn Ballpark was built in 1941 and it has survived its time very well. A large number of future famous Dodgers have played here, including Don Drysdale, Ron Cey, Pedro Martinez, and Mike Piazza. This year marks the first that Bakersfield is affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, so it remains to be seen if such heroes will be appearing here in the near future. 

This park has a number of unique features and it is a great place to see a game. The first thing we noticed was the simple seating plan - there are only two ticket options: $6 reserved seats and $4 general admission. We recommend the GA seats as the seats along the 3rd base line are very close to the field and offer a great view of the action. There are also GA seats down the first base line in the corner but these seem rather distant. These GA sections are just benches, so if you prefer a back on your seat, splurge the extra $2 and sit behind home plate in the Diamond section.

View from GA along third

The next thing that we noticed was the sun - it was setting right behind center field. It is not often that the sun sets right in the batters line of sight, and to compensate, the park has a very large batters' eye above center field. Beyond the fences are tall trees which hide the mountains in the distance. You can also see power lines, which is something that you usually don't see at ballparks. Because the sun sets in such a bad location, the games all start at around sunset, once the batters box is in the shade. As well, the Blaze have only one scheduled day game at home all season, simply because the sun can be such a problem. 

The other thing that suprised me was the shallow center field - only 354 feet, certainly the shortest we have seen and according to the official Blaze website, the shortest in pro baseball.

The Blaze pay tribute to the greats who have played at Sam Lynn Ballpark. There are four paintings just inside the entrance, detailing the accomplishments of Don Drysdale, Bill Russell, Ron Cey, and local boy Johnny Callison. As well, there is a ball diamond hanging along the first base line that lists Bakersfield's greatest players by position. Hideo Nomo is included, as he began his American career in Bakersfield.

Three Bakersfield heroes

Greats by position

Concessions were limited but the hot dogs were pretty good and the large drinks were large. I participated in the dice game, which is a unique promotion in which you roll 3 dice and win a prize depending on the total rolled. 

The scoreboard is basic, with just the line score displayed, while the player stats are shown on a one-line scrolling board above left field.

Overall, I really enjoyed this park. The late start time keeps the weather cool, the decent prices bring lots of families to the park, and the history around the park is a nice touch. I believe that old parks like this are slowly disappearing as luxury suites become the rage (see Lexington) and hope that this one will hang around for a while - A-ball is perfect in this simple setting.