It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over

Main entrance to Yogi Berra Stadium, Jul-2002.

Interior of Yogi Berra Stadium, from the right-field berm, Jun-2004.

A gleaming office building punctuates the tree-lined setting on the north end of the Montclair State University campus. This photo is from Jul-1998.

• Location: Montclair State University (off Route 46), Little Falls, N.J.
• Opened: 1998
• Home team: New Jersey Jackals, Northeast League (1998, 2003-04), Northern League (1999-2002), Can-Am League (2005-present); Montclair State University Red Hawks, New Jersey Athletic Conference
• Capacity: 3,784

Rating: 3 baseballs

Floyd Hall, chief executive officer of K mart and a resident of Montclair, had a stadium and an ice arena built on Montclair State University lands in Little Falls, adjacent to the academic campus in Montclair. When an opening arose in the Northeast League, Hall bought in and started the New Jersey Jackals. The stadium was finished just hours before the home opener in May 1998.
Trumpet Guy is a fixture here.

Fans hungry for economical entertainment flocked to the ball park for a fun night out, despite the campus’ limited access and egress. The park is well-constructed with good sight lines, although it appeared unfinished during its inaugural season. By 1999, the seating areas had been extended, and the Yogi Berra Museum (named after the former catcher and manager, another Montclair resident) opened in late 1998 along the first-base line. The Museum contains the only sky box seats at the park.

Attendance at the modest park tailed off slightly after a booming start, as the novelty wore off and local competition arrived in nearby Newark. However, the Jackals have held their own. Competitive teams haven’t hurt, either, as the Jackals won the Northeast League title in their inaugural season and the Northern League championship in 2001 and 2002.

I don’t rate the stadium among my must-sees, but it’s worth a look, especially if you want an inexpensive night out in the New York area.