As I’ve mentioned before, there’s a new team in town…the North Shore Navigators. They are a part of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. We’re sort of familiar with the league, having seen the Sanford Mainers play, when we’ve vacationed up that way.

The Navs play at Fraser Field in Lynn, MA. We first went there when it was the home of the North Shore Spirit. And we stopped going there before the Spirit ceased operations, because we were not happy with the way things were going. We saw the writing on the wall, and were actually surprised that the Spirit managed to stay afloat as long as they did.

But that’s not here nor there. We were eager to see what another team could do with this great ballpark, so we came out on Opening Night to check it out. We were NOT disappointed, and if the Navs keep things up as they are, this can be a great team that will be here for many, many years to come.

More after the jump…

Parking was easy. The way we came (Boston Rd to Stetson St), there’s this big lot that charges three bucks to park. The Spirit used to use that lot, too…sometimes. Sometimes not, and that pissed us off a lot. We were glad to see that it was in use, so we gladly paid the three bucks. As for other parking, I don’t know what the Navs have set up for that. We go with what we know.

There are two levels of tickets here…bleachers, which are five bucks and are general admission to bench seats, and reserved seating, which are eight bucks. We went for reserved seating. You buy the tix at the gate, and they assign you seats at the time. You do get somewhat of a choice as to where you want to sit, they will accommodate you as best they can. Cash only, no plastic. But we figured that this would be the case, so we came with cash.

I was surprised to see that they had beer. The Sanford Mainers never had beer, we just thought it was maybe a league rule or something. But they have beer at Navs games…Heineken or Coors Light on tap, and a few other things in cans or plastic bottles.

Food is pretty basic baseball fare…hot dogs, burgers, sausages, chips, ice cream, soda, etc. The old “home plate” structure that the Spirit had is gone, in its place is a new bunch of tents, with grills and all. The food is acceptable…I had a hot dog (they are foot-long weenies), and Mike had a burger. Also, they were giving away Chick-fil-A sammiches at a tent near the regular food tents, so we each took one of those, too. Now those were tasty, and if I may make a suggestion…SELL THESE AT THE BALLPARK! I know that Chick-fil-A is a big sponsor for the Navs, but it would be even better if they sold these at Fraser during each game.

Chick-fil-A is in the North Shore Mall, in Peabody. MA. I have been to said mall exactly TWICE in my life. I may be a girl, but I HATE malls, I hate shoe-shopping, and all of this crap that girls are supposed to like. Not even the yummitude of the Chick-fil-A sammich will make me go to a mall, sorry. But if they sell them at Fraser, I will buy them every time I’m there. I promise.

As for actual baseball…this is a great deal for the money, as these college guys play pretty damned well. We could see their enthusiasm over being there, it’s something you hardly see any more in MLB, where they are all overpaid and jaded. There’s something special about seeing these guys, who work so hard and have so much hope for the future. The excitement is contagious. It was especially exciting that the Navs won their first game in their new home.

These guys live with host families in the area, as is required by the league. So many of the fans who came out are said host families, as well as actual families and friends of the players. I love the idea of host families…if we had a spare room, I would so want to do this. Maybe someday, when we move to a bigger place.

The idea is that it fosters a sense of community with the team, and I definitely saw that. You want to care about the players, and the families who host them. Also, everyone who works at Fraser is a volunteer, so there is more community involvement there. It’s something I may consider doing next year, if I can work out transportation issues. We only have one car, and Mike needs it for work. But maybe there might be a way…

I was very impressed with what they are doing now at Fraser. We will definitely be back for more.

This is exactly why I urge people who love baseball to look to their own local minor/indie/college league teams. As much as I love the Red Sox, let’s be honest…who can REALLY afford to go to their games anymore? Yeah, they sell out, but how many credit cards are being maxed out to do that? But with teams like the Navs around, you can go to a ball game for a small fraction of what it costs to go to Fenway, and you will see some great baseball, and have a lot of fun. I promise!

Go and check it out, if you are in the area. http://nsnavs.com