Listen closely on hot summer nights near Waldorf, and you may just hear the crack of a bat and the roar of the crowd. You might feel the thunder and boom of the fireworks and catch the strains of music from the loudspeakers.
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs are playing a home game, enthralling their fans with real professional baseball.
A member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, the Blue Crabs have been playing for the hometown crowd since the 2008 season. The 2017 season will be the team’s tenth at its Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf. Opening Day is Thursday, April 20, and the regular season runs through September.
The Blue Crabs – who got their name after a fan vote – had a long journey to Waldorf. Charles County began trying to get a team in the county in 1985, but those plans fell through. As the population of Southern Maryland grew, another group of people revived the idea about 20 years later. Opening Day Partners, which owns the team along with former Baltimore Orioles star Brooks Robinson, first planned to bring a team to Hughesville. But after residents there voted against the ballpark plan in favor of retaining the rural nature of Hughesville, the idea moved to Waldorf.
The team is not affiliated with Major League Baseball’s farm system, but you will see players in the Atlantic League who have MLB experience. Other young players from the league have had the opportunity to try out for – and then join — Major League teams during Spring Training. The Blue Crabs have already had some post-season successes, too, reaching the playoffs several years and getting to the championship game in 2009 and 2017. (They were runner up both years.)
You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy a night at the ballpark. Activities fill the concourse and areas around the field. A kids’ play area includes a playground and inflatables. Pinch, the team’s mascot, wanders the stands to meet fans young and old. Games and challenges are played on the field between innings, and, of course, there is plenty of delicious ballpark food!
True baseball lovers can host events at the stadium’s Legend Club – including weddings! The team also participates in many charitable events and causes throughout Southern Maryland.
Want a sneak peek of 2017? The Blue Crabs’ fan festival, Crustacean Celebration presented by Elite Beatz, will take place at the park on Saturday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and includes fun and games at the ballpark, autograph sessions, and inflatables for the kids. For an extra fee, you can gave breakfast with the players and meet some of the Blue Crabs in person.
Learn more about the team – and purchase tickets – at its website, http://www.somdbluecrabs.com/, and follow the team on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/somdbluecrabs.
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Images via Southern Maryland Blue Crabs on Facebook
