by Every family summer vacation has its scheduled plans. On this trip, we visited the Pensacola Light House, Fort Pickens, and the very impressive National Naval Aviation Museum. There were numerous days at the beach but as always wherever we travel I’m always looking at what ballpark is nearby for me to visit. After doing my homework and finding out that Pensacola does in fact have a minor league team in town, I started to look deeper into the club. Once I saw the views that this stadium had, it became a must see stop to take in a game.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are the AA affiliate of the Miami Marlins. Their ownership group includes Quint and Rishy Studer but also the more well-known PGA Tour golfer Bubba Watson and Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Derrick Brooks. They opened Blue Wahoo Stadium in 2012 but purchased the heavy polluted but beautiful waterfront view in 2009. They were first an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. In 2019, the double team for the Minnesota Twins until 2021 when they joined the Marlins franchise. The ballpark has been called the “Best View” in double A and man, it did not disappoint! The capacity is 5,038 fans with plenty of options to spread out throughout the ballpark.
I was granted permission to be on the field and in the camera bay for pregame and during the game. The field was in tremendous shape like where a Bubba Watson tee shot in the fairway would be proud land. The fans were geared up tonight because it was July 3rd and there were post-game fireworks. The players also wore salute to the Navy uniforms for the evening along with the awful (sorry) powdered blue hats with the rope across the bill that matched nothing else they wore. In fairness the entire Minor leagues were just following suit to the same style of hats MLB had for the 4th of July. Trust me when I say they’ll be on sale real soon.
Since it was a family night for me, I needed to keep moving and check out the other areas of the ballpark. Out behind the right field fence was the grassy berm where fans were camped out and just above and beside them where fans hanging out on the party deck that had tables and chairs. As I made my way towards home plate I stopped in the gift shop. I picked up a New Era 39Thirty hat of the local team and a team pennant that included the logo but also the star of the location, the ballpark. The concession areas, because of the large crowd, were buried with people all night long. They had big digital displays showing what the wait time was that you could see from your seats. I didn’t see the time under 25 minutes ever! The food selection looked good along with their drink’s menu. Once I made my down to our seats on the 3rd base / left field side I noticed something I really liked. When I needed to go sit in the middle of my row, people stood up and there was plenty of room to get by for a big guy wearing size 13 shoes! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that as I find that less common in some newer venues. The seats were great, the fans were entertained all evening by baseball and between half innings by a great stadium events group.
With all this being said, I still needed to make my way up top to get the best view like the one I saw up in the press box after I entered the stadium. I went up just above where my seats were to last of many party decks. That is where I found the best view of the evening. The attraction to why I had to visit this park. Being able to see the waterfront part of the ocean gives you a slight feel of Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. There’s a much greater distance from beyond the right field fence and the water. It’s not McCovey Cove but it might just be the next best thing. You can also get the vibes of the far-off bridge beyond left center field as a PNC Park type nod to the big-league park in Pittsburgh. I’d say yes, these comparisons are a stretch, but they don’t take away from this location’s charm and character. I’ve been to Tropicana Field in St Pete prior to its demise from the recent hurricane and it has nothing (except when it had a roof with AC) better than this minor league gem of a stadium that I highly recommend you visit!
A huge shout out to Bill Vilona and Erik Bremer of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos staff for their hospitality! Also, for my wife and family for putting up with me while I took in the dimensions and the grace that this ballpark represents for the great community of Pensacola! Family, baseball, fireworks all on the 4th of July weekend. What could be better than that!
Please baseball fans, if you want to visit a beautiful minor league park, Blue Wahoo Stadium should be near the top of your list.
I hope you enjoyed my review and the pictures that I’m able to share. Please leave your feedback in the comments and tell me, what ballpark should I visit next?
