We continue our look at the best ballparks to catch a game and a train with a few stops on the AAA minor league circuit. High iron baseball — AAA minor league stadiums
More than half of the nation’s 240 professional baseball stadiums have a railroad connection — built next to a railroad, located on former railroad land, or are served by rail transit, for example. There are many ballparks where you can see trains from the concourse, but this listing is focused on places with railroad views from the seats.
Triple-A ball is the top rung of the minor leagues, only one step away from “the Show” — Major League Baseball. Triple-A also gives fans a chance to see big league players rehabbing after an injury before moving back up to the majors.
We featured Major League and Double-A minor league train-watching stadiums in the June 2023 issue of Trains. Independent league stadiums can be found here on Trains.com.
AAA minor league stadiums
Harbor Park, Norfolk, Va.
Norfolk Tides (AAA-affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles)
Trains/day: NS: 10-15 (including light engines), Amtrak: 6
Norfolk’s Harbor Park offers varied rail action to go along with high-level baseball. The stadium faces Norfolk Southern’s former Norfolk & Western double-track main line to the Lambert’s Point coal terminal, offering views of the railroad’s Bridge 5 over the Elizabeth River and the city’s Amtrak station. Train action includes massive coal drags to Tidewater, light engines, and three daily Amtrak round trips to Washington. Norfolk’s Tide light rail serves the stadium as well.
Harbor Park opened in 1993, only a year after Baltimore’s acclaimed Camden Yards. Fans will see some similarities in the stadiums since they were designed by the same firm, but Camden Yards has aged better. Choose seats in the upper deck on the first-base side for the best view of rail and river action, while enjoying your Oriole Dog — a hot dog topped with crab meat and mac and cheese. You can observe river traffic as well — Bridge 5’s lowering can be a clue to upcoming rail movements.
Fun fact:
N&W thought its route to the coal piers was so critical that they built a backup next to Bridge 5 in case it was damaged by water traffic. That backup bridge is still there raised in the air, just in case.
Polar Park, Worcester, Mass.
Worcester Red Sox (AAA-affiliate of the Boston Red Sox)
Trains/day: CSX: 5-10, Providence & Worcester: 2, Amtrak: 2; NS: 2 (future)
The Boston Red Sox moved their highest minor league team from Pawtucket, R.I., to Worcester’s new Polar Park in 2021. Not only did fans get a brand-new ballpark, but close-up views of mainline rail action are a railfan bonus.
CSX’s Boston Subdivision and Providence & Worcester’s Gardner Branch share an elevated embankment immediately behind left field. Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited uses the CSX route. Rail variety will increase with a pair of Norfolk Southern intermodal trains, using trackage rights gained from CSX’s 2022 Pan Am Railways acquisition.
Because the tracks are elevated, many Polar Park seats offer good train views. Sections along the first-base line gives a broad perspective and are near the popular Sweet and Boozy concession stand, offering alcohol-infused ice cream.
For those who want to partake and avoid driving, Worcester is served by 20 MBTA commuter train round trips every weekday (10 on weekends). Schedules make both day and night games accessible to fans that want to make the 90-minute ride from Boston’s South Station. Polar Park is an easy walk from Worcester Union Station.
Fun fact:
Worcester’s grand Union Station dates from 1911 and was restored in 2000. MBTA is adding a second platform at the station to allow multiple trains to serve the station at once.
Innovative Field, Rochester, N.Y.
Rochester Red Wings (AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals)
Trains/day: CSX: 25-35, Amtrak: 8
Rochester fans can enjoy a pleasing combination of outstanding baseball and high-density railroading at Innovative Field. The Red Wings are the oldest continuously operating minor league franchise, and the only professional team to win a championship in every decade of the 20th century. The 20th Century Limited — New York Central’s flagship train — also ran by the site of Innovative Field until its 1967 demise. This portion of NYC’s Water Level Route has become the CSX Rochester Subdivision, a link in the carrier’s primary route between Chicago and the Northeast.
Innovative Field, known as Frontier Field before 2023, is located downtown, near the banks of the Genesee River and less than a mile west of Rochester’s Louise M. Slaughter Amtrak station, which opened in 2017. The three-track CSX main line behind right field carries heavy freight traffic and hosts eight daily Amtrak trains including the Chicago – New York/Boston Lake Shore Limited.
While CSX trains pass frequently on the elevated tracks, fans need to pay attention because the outfield “window” for viewing is between two scoreboards and relatively small. Many trains have distributed power, so listen for the approach of the mid-train unit. Railfans will want to sit along the third-base side in the upper deck for the best view because the home plate seats don’t directly face the tracks.
Fun fact:
To enjoy more Rochester railroad history while sampling local cuisine, try Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in the former Lehigh Valley station or Nick Tahou Hots (famous for its Garbage Plate) in the old B&O (Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway) station.
AAA Honorable Mentions go to the Syracuse Chiefs, who like Rochester are close to the CSX main line; the Scranton, Pa., RailRiders, both for their rail-themed name and the Electric City Trolley Museum’s excursions to weekend games; and the El Paso Chihuahuas, who have UP’s Sunset route next to the stadium, but not visible from the seats.
Like this article? Check out “High iron baseball — exploring Independent leagues”
The Somerset Patriots are a NY Yankees Double A team. Their stadium is in Bridgewater, NJ. NJ Transit’s Bridgewater Station, on the Raritan Valley Line, is right behind the center field wall.