Waiting for Cal

Entering Thomas Run Field at Harford Community College, Sep-2000.

From the third-base stands.

A view through the right-field bull pen; the field-level press box is visible.

Chronological Tour: Stop 194

• Location: SR 22 and Thomas Run Road, Bel Air, Md.
• Opened: Unknown (2000 for professional baseball)
• Home team: Aberdeen Arsenal, Atlantic League (2000)
• Capacity: 2,500 (approx.)

Rating: 2 baseballs

The Thomas Run Park field complex contains one baseball diamond, two softball diamonds, and a soccer field, with restrooms and concessions in the middle. It’s a good setup for a junior college (its normal use), but as the cop says when he’s waving people along at an accident scene, “There’s nothing to see here.”

The field is in respectable shape, but the lighting is merely adequate. The scoreboard is a Nevco model, circa 1988, with bull’s-eyes for balls, strikes, outs, hit (green), and error (red). The extra $8000 or so for a full display with inning scores was certainly out of the question at a community college; I can’t hold that against them.

The stands are a little bit more than an Erector set, at least the near sections along the first- and third-base lines. These have green plastic seats and are actually somewhat attractive and comfortable. Behind the plate (and a Cyclone fence) and further out along the base lines are bench bleachers. The press box is a permanent trailer just to the third-base side of home plate, at field level.

Ticket prices here in 2000 were the highest in the Atlantic League, $12 for box/reserve and $8 for general admission. This may have been an effort to make back a significant rental fee that did ensure the Arsenal first dibs on the field. In any case, attendance was sparse enough that one could choose one’s seat regardless of the ticket purchased. Concession prices were high, too, but souvenirs were quite reasonable.

Site visitor Cory Slatemuller advises that the extensive grandstands installed for the Arsenal have been removed as of October 2007. In addition, the field will be re-fitted with a modern artificial turf surface for the 2008 season.