How to get the most from a day with the Blue Rocks and other minor league day trips

Close your eyes. Take a breath. Picture this.

A pristine, curved green lawn and a diamond with dark brown dust. Your beverage of choice in the cup holder to your right. The wafting scent of the grill. The pop of a mitt. A crack of the bat.

That will be the scene for thousands of baseball fans across the country this summer.

The bedrocks of a relaxed night at the ballpark are timeless, but every team and city attempts to add their own touch to the experience. It's especially true at minor league parks, the domain of doughnut sandwiches, flashy uniforms and between-inning backyard games, where the price of entry remains non-exorbitant.

The Wilmington Blue Rocks began their 31st season in Daniel S. Frawley Stadium on Friday, April 5, against the Brooklyn Cyclones. Club officials said they were ready to welcome fans with a fresh-looking park, new food options and one of the largest promotional schedules in recent history.

"I think the fan experience has really been significantly enhanced," said Dave Heller, majority owner and managing partner of the Blue Rocks, the Quad Cities River Bandits and the Billings Mustangs.

Here are six things to know if you're considering a trip to the Blue Rocks this year. Plus, for the baseball-obsessed, we have day-trip recommendations to other minor league parks in the region.

Wilmington Blue Rocks schedule

The Blue Rocks typically play six-game homestands from Tuesday through Sunday with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. on weekdays, 6:05 p.m. on Saturdays and 1:05 p.m. on Sundays.

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Wilmington Blue Rocks ticket prices

Single-game tickets cost $13 for general admission (bleachers on the third-base line), $15 for upper box seats (the second level around home plate) and $18 for field box seats (the lowest level).

Season ticket packages are available starting at $125 for 10 games. Group ticket information and other deals can be found on the Blue Rocks website.

The box office is open on non-game days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. On game weeks, it is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, from 10 a.m. to the end of the game Tuesday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to the end of the game Sunday. The box office's phone number is (302) 888-2583.

Veterans and active military personnel can buy a $1 ticket in person on Wednesdays.

Parking is free.

What to eat at Frawley Stadium. Scrapple slider anyone?

Last year, the Blue Rocks brought their food and beverage operation in house, which allows the club to keep concession prices relatively low. Many of last year's offerings will stay the same, with Grotto Pizza and Chickie's & Pete's among the most popular vendors.

A new item this year is a scrapple slider with cheese and a pickle. Three sliders sell for $9.

On Wednesdays, the Blue Rocks will sell $2 hot dogs. The promotion was planned before the Phillies announced the end of their Dollar Dog Nights. Heller noted the Blue Rocks' dogs are bigger than what the Phillies served.

Drink specials at Frawley Stadium. When happy hour starts.

With several counters stocked with craft beers, hard seltzers and canned cocktails, there is no shortage of drink options at Frawley Stadium. Plus, most nights start with a 90-minute happy hour special. The clock begins to tick when the gates open.

Sundays: Jack & Coke ($5) and High Noon ($5)

Tuesdays: Twisted Tea (24 oz. can; $5)

Wednesdays: Miller Lite cans (24 oz. can; $5)

Thursdays: Dogfish Head (12 oz. can; $4)

Theme nights at the Blue Rocks

The Blue Rocks are joining Minor League Baseball's "Copa de la Diversion" series, which is designed to embrace Hispanic communities and showcase MiLB's efforts to diversify the game and business of baseball nationwide.

At every Sunday home game, the Blue Rocks will wear uniforms with the team name Rocas Azules de Wilmington. The new digs include a version of the Mr. Celery mascot sporting a sombrero and pancho.

In recent years, other minor league teams have worn uniforms with different team names for special promotions, but the Copa days will be a first for the Blue Rocks, General Manager Liz Welch said.

Other theme nights in the first two months of the season include 80s night (April 19), Rock & Roll night (May 2), Star Wars night (May 4), British Invasion Night (May 14) and Green Stalks on My Guitar Night (Rocky's Version) (May 17).

There are fireworks at every Friday home game.

Who to watch on the Wilmington Blue Rocks

The Blue Rocks have been the High A affiliate of the Washington Nationals since the 2021 season, before which Major League Baseball took over the minor leagues. MLB introduced wholesale changes, including a reduction in the number of minor-league teams from more than 200 to 120 and a reorganization of divisions and affiliations across just four levels.

Heller said MiLB is "a lot more unified than they were before." The Blue Rocks, like all clubs, have had to make changes to meet MLB's standards. Each level used to have its own standards for things like the brightness of lights and bullpens.

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But the shakeup has worked out well for the Blue Rocks, who are now affiliated with an MLB club a lot closer than their longtime parent, the Kansas City Royals, Heller said. The Phillies own a stake of the Jersey Shore Blue Claws, the organization's High A team, and the Orioles are partnered with Cal Ripken's Aberdeen Iron Birds, making the Nationals the best available organization in Heller's view.

Former first-round picks Dylan Crews and Brady House saw time with the Blue Rocks last year, in addition to outfielder James Wood, a centerpiece of the return the Nationals received from the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto. Players expected to start the year in Wilmington include outfielder Daylen Lile (ranked seventh among prospects in the Nationals organization, according to MLB.com) and shortstop Kevin Made, acquired from the Cubs in the Jeimer Candelario trade last year.

Minor league ballparks worth a day trip in the Mid-Atlantic

Here is a look at other parks a short drive from Delaware.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Coca-Cola Park

The IronPigs led Minor League Baseball in attendance in 2023, averaging 7,990 fans. The club boasts one of the minor leagues newest ballparks and most diverse dining lineups. The Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, the IronPigs provide the best chance of catching a Phil in action outside of an MLB stadium.

Ballpark: Opened in 2008, Coca-Cola Park has many features of the early aughts ballpark wave at a smaller scale. The park has a 360-degree open concourse with a second deck around home plate, a slopped berm in left field for lawn seating and several standing room areas. Single-game tickets start at $9. Field-level seats in the lower bowl are $14. Stadium parking is $5.

Food and drink: Pigsfoodfinder.com, the team's official concessions guide, has a section dedicated solely to bacon. Options range from the more mundane bacon cheese fries to a experimental bacon cannoli and bacon brownie sundae. Don't forget the pork parfait: layers of mashed potatoes, pulled pork, bacon bits and scallions. There are plenty of choices for the pork averse, too. Other options include gyros, fried ravioli and pizza, along with the standard ballpark fare.

Players to watch: You can expect Phillies arms to cycle in and out of the Lehigh Valley all summer. The most notable name to follow is Mick Abel, the former 2020 first-round pick and the organization's second-best prospect, according to MLB.com. The 22-year-old 6-foot-5 right hander pitched 22 games at Double-A Reading before making his Triple-A debut in September. As far as hitters go, the Phillies upper-minors depth is lacking. Spring training signees David Dahl and Jordan Luplow are among the most likely to get big-league plate appearances should the Phillies have an outfield need. Infielders Darick Hall, Kody Clemens, Weston Wilson and Rodolfo Castro all saw time with the Phillies last year. Old friend Scott Kingery also will be in the mix.

Reading Fightin Phils, FirstEnergy Stadium

Reading has been a Phillies affiliate since 1967. Their partnership is tied for the longest-standing affiliation in Minor League Baseball with Detroit and the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Long known as the Reading Phillies, the club changed its name to the Reading Fightin Phils prior to the 2013 season.

Ballpark: Opened in 1951 as Reading Municipal-Memorial Stadium, the Fightins offer a classic minor-league ballpark experience. FirstEnergy Stadium is set against a bucolic, green Berks County landscape and features a vintage brick exterior. The concourse is tight and closed, but has displays that showcase the organization's rich history. The Crazy Hot Dog Vendor is at the center of it all, in the neighborhood they call Baseballtown. Single-game tickets start at $9. Lower-level box seats are $15. Reserved parking is $9.

Food and drink: The most popular item are Berks Franks hot dogs. A trip to Reading is also incomplete without a soft pretzel.

Players to watch: Double-A is perhaps the Phillies thinnest minor-league level. Six-foot-8 first basemen Carlos De La Cruz is hard to miss. He is the Phillies No. 13 prospect, according to MLB.com.

Bowie Baysox, Prince George's Stadium

Less than 30 miles from Camden Yards, the Bowie Baysox, the Double A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, have had some of Minor League Baseball's most exciting teams in recent years. The big-league club's success — the Orioles won 101 games in 2023 — is starting to match the farm system's prestige (ranked No. 1 by MLB.com since 2021).

Ballpark: From the outside, Prince George's Stadium is not much to look at, and little distinguishes its concourse from other 1990s stadiums, but the park's backdrop is a clean tree line, unfettered by development. There is a carousel and an orange light house down the first-base line. Located near Fort Meade, Andrews Air Force Base and the U.S. Naval Academy, promotional nights honoring military personnel are a regular occurrence. General admission tickets are $13 when purchased in advance. Lower-level box seats are $18.

Food and drink: The Baysox serve mostly standard ballpark fare. There's also pit beef.

Players to watch: Samuel Basallo, a catcher ranked as the No. 17 prospect in the sport by MLB.com, is expected to open the season in Bowie. Outfielders Dylan Beavers and Jud Fabian are among the other players to watch.

Other ballparks to consider

Phillies 2022 first-round pick Justin Crawford will be the main attraction at ShoreTown Ballpark in Lakewood, New Jersey, the home of the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, the Phillies High A affiliate. Son of longtime big leaguer Carl Crawford Jr., Crawford has premium speed and defends center field well. Other standouts include middle infielders Bryan Rincon and William Bergolla.

Ripken Stadium, the Aberdeen, Maryland, home of the Aberdeen IronBirds, has several specialty vendors, including Black Bird Bar, Ledo's Pizza, South Mountain Creamery ice cream and Encore Sausages. The home of the IronBirds, the Orioles High A affiliate, is part of a larger complex that hosts youth baseball tournaments on fields that are scaled-down replicas of classic Major League ballparks. A mini-warehouse a la Camden Yards is visible from I-95.

The Delmarva Shorebirds' Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland, offers another pure baseball experience. The open-air concourse has been modified so that it wraps around the entire ballpark. The Shorebirds are the Low A affiliate of the Orioles.

Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at bholveck@delawareonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington Blue Rocks guide and Mid-Atlantic minor league day trips