Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium – Aberdeen IronBirds

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14

Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium 873 Long Drive Aberdeen, MD 21001

Aberdeen IronBirds website Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium website

Year Opened: 2002 Capacity: 6,300

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Taking a Rip

The Aberdeen IronBirds moved to the Baltimore area in 2002 after local legend Cal Ripken Jr. bought the Utica Blue Sox of the New York-Penn League and moved them to his hometown. This did displace the independent Atlantic League’s Aberdeen Arsenal, who were trying to get state and local funding to build a ballpark so they could move out of their temporary home at Harford Community College in nearby Bel Air, Maryland. That funding instead went to building a home for the Ripken organization, and that was what got Ripken Stadium built. The Arsenal was disbanded.

In 2021 the Ironbirds got moved to High A Baseball as part of High A East, now known in 2022 as the South Atlantic League.

The team has had no problem filling the seats and acting as a proper entrance to young players within the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Food & Beverage 3

The team seems to always make changes to their concession offerings. The current offerings are good, but not necessarily exciting, although the $30 Porkinator sandwich is pretty crazy.

The food prices are very similar to many minor league baseball stadiums. They are very fair. Most entrees are $5 and up and won’t break your wallet.

There are also club level seating and dining options, including the 378 Club and Double Play Buffet.

Atmosphere 3

Upon entering the stadium, the seating bowl slopes down towards the field. It is broken up into two main sections separated by a very large walkway area. Beyond the fences, it is not obvious that a major highway is right there, as trees make it a pleasant, albeit not exciting view.

The Extra Innings Cafe is an all-you-can-eat dining option/ticket that sits between the press box and the 100 level home plate seats. This does take some of the better seating options away from the regular fan. Other group decks are available at the end of the third base concourse.

Game presentation is pretty normal here, with the usual between inning activities. These are supplemented by longtime mascot Ferrous (think about it….Iron….) and his friend, Ripcord.

Neighborhood 2

There is no real neighborhood. Ripken Stadium is located across I-95 from the rest of Aberdeen. The area around the stadium is ripe for development, but only the Ripken Baseball youth fields, two hotels, and some over-50 housing buildings are in the area.

One should wander around the youth baseball complex to see the replica baseball fields designed after Fenway, Yankee, Wrigley, and Baltimore’s own Memorial Stadium. The centerpiece is Cal Sr.’s Yard. It is a near scale replica of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and even has a replica warehouse building that houses two hotels (Residence Inn Aberdeen and Courtyard Aberdeen).

A short drive away back over I-95 is an abundance of restaurants and hotels. Aberdeen, home to the Army’s massive Aberdeen Proving Grounds, is a center of business activity. Olive Tree (1005 Beards Hill Road) is a better version of a well-known Italian chain, while Mamie’s Cafe with Love (939 Beards Hill Road) is an old-school Baltimore-style restaurant that offers free desserts with all meals. The Greene Turtle, Panera Bread, and Super Chicken Rico (690 South Philadelphia Blvd) are some other choices with which you can’t go wrong.

Fans 3

The IronBirds sell out many of their games, but a bit less now that they are in a league that plays a longer season. Many of the ticket sales are from group sales, which means the fan base can be somewhat inconsistent. The group giveaways mean you will most likely see many fans holding gear and other items at each game.

There are some hardcore fans with seats around the home plate area. They will be loud and into all aspects of the game. You will also see Aberdeen apparel from various years of the team, as the look and feel of their uniforms and logo have changed a bit over time.

Access 5

I-95 runs right next to the stadium, which means that access from there and State Route 22 (a major road across the ever-growing Harford County) is strong. Long Drive (which was named before the stadium was there, surprisingly) is a four-lane road that is the only way into the stadium area. It never gets too busy, as it is directed by staff and local police.

Parking is free and plentiful.

Return on Investment 3

Ticket prices are higher for the IronBirds than they are at most minor league stadiums, especially for this level. The team must be overcompensating for the lower prices of the many group tickets that are out there. If you know of a group attending, that is your best value.

Plan ahead for tickets, as they may not be available for walk-up sales.

Extras 2

The view of the warehouse replica is a great extra and gives a bit more to the atmosphere of the stadium.

A fan should also stop in and check to see if any youth tournaments are using the Ripken fields. There will be games played there all summer.

Final Thoughts

Ripken Stadium is a very nicely designed stadium. It was obviously designed while looking at what went right and went wrong in baseball design in the late 1990s. The result has often been that the stadium has felt a bit impersonal. But it is still a strong baseball facility.