Doran Park - Bourne Braves
- Paul Baker
- Jun 25
- 6 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43
Doran Park 220 Sandwich Rd Bourne, MA 02532
Year Opened: 2006 Capacity: 3,000
Where Stars are Bourne
The town of Bourne has a lengthy baseball history dating all the way back to the 1860’s. Several teams representing Bourne competed in the Cape League throughout the 20th century. In the modern era of the Cape League, generally considered to have begun in 1963, Bourne was initially represented by the Clouters and Canalmen. From 1972-1988 the town of Bourne was without a team after the folding of the Canalmen. In 1988, the Cape League expanded to ten teams, welcoming Bourne and Brewster into the circuit. The name “Braves” was selected to honor the second major league baseball team to call nearby Boston home.
Doran Park is the newest ballpark, opening in 2006 behind the Upper Cape Regional Technical High School. Before moving to Doran Park, the Braves played at various sites in Bourne, including The Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Coady Field. The field is dedicated to longtime Sagamore Beach resident and avid baseball fan George Doran Sr.
Since joining the Cape League in 1988, the Braves have won three championships, in 2009, 2022 and 2023. Some notable alumni to play in Bourne include Pete Alonso, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Mulder, Bill Mueller and Mitch Moreland.
Food & Beverage 4
The Braves operate a snack bar out of a building on the third base side of Doran Park. The menu hits all the expected notes, with hot dogs, burgers and sausage sandwiches the main attractions. For the younger fans in attendance, Lunchables are sold. Items are cooked to order on a small gas grill next to the concession stand. Assorted snacks and ice cream treats are sold at the concession stand. Coca-Cola products are featured. Alcohol is not allowed at Doran Park.
There are a couple of unique items worth mentioning here. Since we’re on Cape Cod, no baseball experience would be complete without sampling some clam chowder. Quahog Republic provides the local treat here at Doran Park. If you’re feeling adventurous, order the “Brave Burger.” It’s a cheeseburger with Uncrustables as buns. Snack bar staff report that not a whole lot of Braves fans are brave enough to order the Brave Burger, but they do sell a few each night.
Atmosphere 3
For baseball fans used to the noise and commotion of your typical major or minor league baseball game, going to a came on Cape Cod will be a shock to the system. Gone are the between inning shenanigans, the annoying mascots and the non-stop distractions present at most ballparks. In the Cape League, the game is the focus. The only extraneous noise you’ll hear at a Braves game are the occasional lineup and sponsor announcements. Any noise at Doran Park is generated entirely by the fans in attendance.
Neighborhood 3
Doran Park is located behind the Upper Cape Regional Technical High School in Bourne on the eastern shore of the Cape Cod Canal. The campus has a very large footprint in a very highly traveled area. There are no places of interest directly adjacent to Doran Park. However, this is Cape Cod, and you won’t have to travel too far to find some excellent dining options, lodging choices and attractions.
If you cross back over the Cape Cod Canal via the Bourne Bridge, you’ll find yourself in the village of Buzzards Bay. Located here are campgrounds, trails, and a bustling downtown scene. You can find some incredible seafood in the many restaurants and clam shacks in the area. A little further down the road is Onset Point, which offers the quintessential Cape Cod experience on the Massachusetts mainland.
Just north of the ballpark, the village of Sandwich offers more fantastic seafood, ice cream and sandy beaches. Just be warned that the traffic in this area can be intense, especially on weekends and during peak tourist season. Give yourself plenty of extra time to get around town, especially if you need to travel over either of the bridges that span the canal.
Fans 3
The combination of success on the field and the completion of the seating areas around Doran Park has helped increase attendance in recent seasons. Over the past three seasons the Braves have averaged over 1,300 fans per game. This has placed Bourne seventh in the Cape League each season, an improvement over previous years when they would typically bring up the rear of the league.
Fans here are typical of those you would find elsewhere on the Cape, with a mix of locals and tourists taking in the action. As with other ballparks in this league, crowds grow as the season wears on into the meat of the tourist season. If you wish to avoid the larger crowds, get to a game in June, before school lets out and the heavy tourist season begins. Part of the fun of watching games on the Cape is the people watching, including the many young fans in attendance chasing foul balls around the facility.
One thing to know about Cape League fans: while they are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, they are hardly cutthroat. The typical Cape League fan is laid back and interested in watching some of the highest quality summer ball in the nation. Great plays by both teams are met with appreciation and applause. Sportsmanship rules the day on the Cape.
Access 4
The most difficult aspect of reaching Doran Park is dealing with Cape Cod traffic during the height of the summer tourist season. Since Doran Park is located close to the only access points onto the Cape (Bourne Bridge and Sagamore Bridge), fans will need to fight the ever-present traffic just to get to the ball field. Once you arrive at Upper Cape Regional High School, access becomes much easier. Doran Park is located behind the school, with parking available in a large lot a short walk from the field.
The landscape around Doran Park has undergone some changes in recent years. It has taken some time, but the berm on the first base (visiting) side of the field has been finished. In front of the model homes that are used to learn HVAC and electric wiring skills is a magnificent, terraced berm. Most fans continue to sit on the third base (home) side of the park, where that berm provides plenty of room for fans to spread out their blankets or lawn chairs. The landscaping and floral designs that adorn the ballpark set Doran Field apart from its peers on the Cape.
The snack bar and rest rooms are located in the building located beyond the dugout. Fans who do not bring their own chairs are able to use the terraces as seating, so there are no metal bleachers to break up the aesthetic here. The team store has been moved from its longtime location underneath the press box to a trailer closer to the parking lot.
One issue fans will have with Doran Park is the fact that there are few unobstructed seats here. Netting runs down both baselines, and thick support poles obstruct views. The dugouts, with their sloping roofs, block more views, and the snack bar takes up some prime real estate on the third base line. For unobstructed views, fans will need to sit far down the baselines, beyond the dugouts and snack bar.
Return on Investment 5
As is the case with all Cape Cod League games, there is no charge for admission at Doran Park. The team will happily accept a donation for admission in exchange for roster sheets, a media guide and a Cape League Magazine. Free parking is also available in the large lot at the high school. Seasoned fans will bring their own refreshments, making it possible to take in the action featuring some of the best collegiate players in the country without spending any money. Even if you purchase refreshments, the prices are reasonable.
Extras 2
In 2024 a total of 415 Cape Cod League alumni played in the Major Leagues. This means that one out of every four players to play in the Majors spent a summer on the Cape. If you are going to a game here, you’re not seeing a few guys who might make it someday, you’re seeing an All-Star game every night of the summer.
Another interesting fact about this field is that much of the work done in building the ballpark, from construction to electrical work to wiring, was done by students. It seems fitting since Doran Park is located at a technical high school.
Final Thoughts
The Cape Cod League is considered to be the premier summer collegiate baseball league in the nation. With one out of every four major leaguers today able to trace his roots to the Cape, the numbers bear out this claim. While the talent is certainly Major League, the feel at the ballparks is small town. This is certainly true in Bourne, where the entire facility has been designed, built and maintained by the students at the technical high school on site.
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