Where to See Baseball in Delaware

Official Review by Geoff Crawley, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Daniel S. Frawley Stadium is the current home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a Single A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Built in 1993, it originally opened as Legends Stadium but was soon renamed for the late mayor of Wilmington, Delaware. Located spitting distance from the Christina River in Wilmington, it is a big part of the area.

It certainly holds up its end.

Food & Beverage    5

There is a very impressive variety of food at this stadium. Even the normal ballpark favorites are better here. Yes every park has nachos, but not every park has Rocky's Extreme Nachos in various incarnations, including Buffalo Chicken and Philly Cheesesteak. Yeah, every park has burgers and hot dogs, but not every park has a dozen different types of them, including a veggie burger and a veggie dog.

A must try is the Scrapple Sandwich from Rocky's. If you have never had (or heard of) scrapple, it's like, well, it's kind of hard to describe. It's brown and meaty and mushy, but when you fry it and eat it with mustard, it is seriously like heaven on a bun. Don't ask what's in it, you don't want to know. You don't ask what's in hot dogs, do you? Just eat it.

They also have hand carved turkey and ham sandwiches and wraps for $7.50. And not like "hand carved" then put in a plastic tub, they have a guy actually standing there carving meat for your personal sandwich. Draft beer is well priced at $5.75 for 20 oz. domestic and 16 oz. premium. Twenty-two oz cans (the double deuces) are available for $7.50 domestic and $8.50 premium.

Atmosphere    5

So the atmosphere was a solid four. Good food, good, clean stadium, great mascot (Rocky Bluewinkle, the blue moose, the kids LOVE him), and the PA announcer was just terrific. Then the Blue Rocks scored and, I swear I am not making this up, and regret not having my camera ready, a giant piece of celery runs out onto the field. The fans went absolutely nuts. I mean, CRAZY, like they had just announced that everyone was leaving with a million dollars. As I sat there, mouth agape, the celery ran around behind home plate, waving the crowd into, if possible, more of a frenzy. He/she/it danced to the music on the PA ("Song 2" by Blur, you know, the "WHOO-HOO!" song), for a little while and runs back into a door near the dugout.

The whole thing took about 15 seconds.

I turned to an usher next to me and asked, "Was that a piece of celery?"

He said, "Yup."

I said, "Why?"

He said, "I don't know. But the people love it."

Clearly. After asking a few more ushers, the story is that there is no story. Several years ago, the owner wanted a random second mascot to celebrate runs scored. He found the celery costume, which was an instant hit. There is no significance to the celery. Except that it is AWESOME. Sadly, the Rocks only scored one run, thus, I was not able to see Mr. Celery (for that is his name) again. But he is worth a return trip by himself.

Neighborhood    5

The Wilmington Riverfront is packed - PACKED - with stuff to do walking distance from the stadium. Great restaurants, museums and shopping all can be done before and after the game. Here are a few suggestions:

Iron Hill Brewery - If you like beer and good food, this is a must stop. They make the beer here, but don't let the name deter you; this is a quality restaurant as well.

Timothy's on the Riverfront - A great atmosphere, Timothy's was voted best wings and happy hour in the state of Delaware. They boast an impressive American menu, and an even more impressive riverfront view. The ribs and crab cakes are highly recommended, but if you really want crab cakes you should go to...

Delaware's Big Fish Grill - This place was voted Best New Restaurant in Wilmington, and it is easy to see why. I am not a fan of seafood, but those in the know tell me that an oyster bar is a good thing. I do know that a big bar and lots of TV's are good, along with an extensive wine list and daily fresh specials. One caveat, this place is expensive; you will spend around $30-$50 a person here for dinner and drinks. I'm told it's well worth it, if you like that sort of thing.

Joe's Crab Shack - I normally don't like to mention a) chain restaurants and b) a second seafood place, but Joe's forces me to make an exception. If you don't have fun here, check your pulse. It is loud and rowdy and full of crabs. Again, I don't like seafood, but I know people who do, and they all swear by Joe's. I like to go there because it is so much fun. Plus, they have a playground attached to the restaurant for the kids to play on. That, my friend, is a winner.

There's more places, just go and explore.

Fans    4

I'm not sure whether or not the Mr. Celery Experience is clouding my judgment, but the fans seemed really, really into the game. I mean, this is Single A ball, you shouldn't be this excited. I was actually leaning toward a five, when I noticed two whole sections empty. Then I went and sat there and realized that it was empty because you can't see left field or the scoreboard from there. Is it fair to ding the fans for an inherent stadium flaw? Perhaps. But that's how I roll.

Access    4

The stadium is right off Interstate 95, and is well signed. There is more free parking than you will know what to do with (park near the restaurants for easy access to everything). The bathrooms are big and clean. The stadium is dinged a point here for the left field seats.

Return on Investment    5

Mr. Celery alone is worth the price of admission, not so much for him as for the crowd's reaction to him. Everything, from tickets to food and drink, is fairly priced, and, other than the left field seats, there isn't a bad seat in the house.

Extras    3

Big points here for this: If you buy a shirt or jersey from the gift shop, they will personalize it for you, on the spot, for seven bucks extra (eleven bucks for a jersey). Get your own name and a number, or your favorite player's name and number, or a random collection of letters and numbers (if that suits you) on a shirt before you leave the stadium. How cool is that?

Final Thoughts

This is simply a terrific venue. Great fun and amazing riverfront area close by make this a slam dunk visit. Plan a weekend to come by. Tell Mr. Celery I sent you.


Geoff Crawley is the Mid Atlantic Regional Correspondent and Voice of the Fan and is the host of a weekly podcast.