Editing Hadlock Field

{{Short description|Baseball stadium in Portland, Maine, USA}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Hadlock Field
| fullname = Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field
| nickname = 
| image = Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = The ballpark in 2024
| pushpin_map = Maine#USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within [[Maine]]##Location within the [[United States]]
| pushpin_relief = yes
| pushpin_label = Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field
| pushpin_mapsize = 250
| location = [[Portland, Maine]], United States
| coordinates = {{coord|43|39|25|N|70|16|42|W|type:landmark_region:US-ME|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground = May 21, 1993<ref name="bbp">{{cite web |title=Hadlock Field - Portland Sea Dogs|first=Graham|last=Knight|url=http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/AA/portland.html|work=Baseball Pilgrimages|date=July 6, 2010|access-date=September 24, 2011}}</ref>
| opened = April 18, 1994
| renovated = 
| expanded = 1995, 1998, 2002, 2006<ref name="bbp"/>
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| publictransit = [[File:BSicon BAHN.svg|12px|alt=Railway transportation]] [[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]] at [[Portland Transportation Center|Portland]]<br>{{bus icon}} [[Greater Portland Metro]]: 5
| owner = [[Portland, Maine|City of Portland]]<ref name="bbp"/>
| operator = [[Portland, Maine|City of Portland]]
| surface = [[Grass]]
| construction_cost = [[United States dollar|$]]3 million<ref name="bbp"/><br/>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|3000000|1994}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = William E. Whited Inc.<ref name="bbp"/>
| project_manager = The Public Works Department of the City of Portland<ref name="bbp"/>
| general_contractor = The Sheridan Corporation<ref>{{cite web|title=Hadlock Field|url=http://www.sheridancorp.com/image_upload/HadlockProfile2.pdf|publisher=The Sheridan Corporation|access-date=February 23, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301084958/http://www.sheridancorp.com/image_upload/HadlockProfile2.pdf|archive-date=March 1, 2014}}</ref>
| former_names = 
| address = 271 Park Avenue
| tenants = [[Portland Sea Dogs]] ([[MiLB]]) 1994–present<br>[[Portland High School (Maine)|Portland High School Bulldogs]] ([[Maine Principals' Association|MPA]]) 1994–present
| website = {{URL|https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1173/Hadlock-Field|portlandmaine.gov}}
| seating_capacity = 7,368<ref name="bbp"/>
| dimensions = Left Field: {{convert|315|ft|m}}<br/>Center Field: {{convert|400|ft|m}}<br/>Right Field: {{convert|330|ft|m}}
}}

'''Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field''' is a [[Minor League Baseball|minor league baseball]] [[stadium]] in [[Portland, Maine|Portland]], Maine. The stadium is home to the [[Portland Sea Dogs]] of the [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]] and the [[Portland High School (Maine)|Portland High School Bulldogs]] baseball team. The stadium is owned by the city and leased to the Sea Dogs, a [[Boston Red Sox]] affiliate owned by [[Diamond Baseball Holdings]].

The stadium is named for Edson B. Hadlock Jr., a long-time Portland High School baseball coach and physics teacher and member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. 

==History and development==
Hadlock Field is located between [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|Interstate 295]], the historic [[Fitzpatrick Stadium]], and the [[Portland Exposition Building]], the second-oldest arena in continuous operation in the United States. 

The park opened on April 18, 1994. Its initial seating [[Seating capacity|capacity]] of 6,000 was subsequently expanded to 6,500 in 1995; 6,860 in 1998; and 6,975 in 2002.<ref name="bbp" /> About 400 seats were added in right field before the start of the 2006 season, and the park currently seats 7,368.  

In 2003, when the Sea Dogs affiliated with the [[Boston Red Sox]], various features were added to the stadium to allude to [[Fenway Park]]: a replica [[Green Monster]], called the [[Maine Monster]], in left field;<ref>{{cite news |last=Solloway |first=Steve |date=April 18, 2003 |title=Naming Game Is One That's So Easy to Lose |url=http://sports.mainetoday.com/seadogs/stories/030418colsol.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030502102414/http://sports.mainetoday.com/seadogs/stories/030418colsol.shtml |archive-date=May 2, 2003 |newspaper=[[Portland Press Herald]] |page=1D}}</ref> a replica [[Citgo#The Boston Citgo sign|Citgo sign]]; and a large [[Coca-Cola|Coke]] bottle.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

In 2006, the tenant Sea Dogs were [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]] champions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sea Dogs Sweep Doubleheader Against Binghamton|first=Kevin|last=Thomas|url=http://www.pressherald.com/sports/Sea_Dogs_sweep_doubleheader_against_Binghamton_.html|newspaper=[[Portland Press Herald]]|date=May 22, 2014|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>  

New video boards were added before the 2014 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sea Dogs Win Hadlock Field Opener|first=Kevin|last=Thomas|url=http://www.pressherald.com/sports/Sea_Dogs_win_Hadlock_Field_opener_.html|newspaper=[[Portland Press Herald]]|date=April 11, 2014|access-date=May 26, 2014}}</ref>

Field of Dreams Day at Hadlock Field is held on the first Sunday of September. It features the team wearing 1926 [[Portland Eskimos]] uniforms. [[Field of Dreams|Much like the Hollywood film]], with the cornfield set up in center field, the Sea Dogs players emerge through the stalks and run onto the field for the Fan Appreciation Day Game.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sotos |first=Wendy |date=2008 |title=The Portland Sea Dogs |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7385-5712-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Kevin |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2015/09/06/margot-hits-for-cycle-to-lead-sea-dogs-in-10-5-win/ |title=Sea Dogs take win on 'Field of Dreams' day at Hadlock |newspaper=[[Portland Press Herald]] |access-date=September 7, 2015 |date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>

In April 2018, Hadlock was named one of the ten best [[Minor League Baseball]] (MiLB) stadiums.<ref>{{cite news |first=Josh |last=Norris |url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/top-10-minor-league-ballparks/ |title=Top 10 Best Minor League Stadiums and Ballparks |date=April 25, 2018 |work=[[Baseball America]] |access-date=April 25, 2018}}</ref> During the 2019 offseason, new lighting was installed, replacing the prior [[metal-halide lamp]]s with [[LED lamp]]s and reducing power consumption by nearly 50%.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.milb.com/news/sea-dogs-unveil-series-of-ballpark-improvements |title=Sea Dogs unveil series of ballpark improvements |website=[[MiLB.com]] |publisher=Minor League Baseball |date=April 22, 2021 |access-date=April 23, 2021}}</ref>

When a Sea Dogs player hits a [[home run]], or when the team wins, a [[fog horn]] sounds and a [[light house]] emerges from behind the outfield fence.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hadlock Field named one of America's top minor league ballparks |url=https://www.milb.com/portland/ballpark/hadlockfield |website=Portland Sea Dogs |publisher=Minor League Baseball |access-date=1 August 2023}}</ref>

In 2024, Maine lawmakers granted the Sea Dogs $2 million in tax breaks for a new player clubhouse and to make renovations to the playing field. The stadium failed to meet facility requirements set by [[Major League Baseball]] for stadiums serving MiLB teams. The clubhouse for visiting teams is in the basement of the nearby Portland Exposition Center. After renovations, the Sea Dogs are to move into a new clubhouse, with visiting teams using the vacated clubhouse.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-17 |title=Maine lawmakers grant Portland Sea Dogs $2 million in tax breaks for ballpark renovations |url=https://www.mainepublic.org/sports/2024-04-17/maine-lawmakers-grant-portland-sea-dogs-2-million-in-tax-breaks-for-ballpark-renovations |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=[[Maine Public Broadcasting Network|Maine Public]] |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2024, the team announced that it had accepted an undisclosed amount of money to rename the stadium '''Delta Dental Park at Hadlock Field''' after the [[Delta Dental]] insurance network.<ref>{{cite news |title=Portland Sea Dogs ballpark, Hadlock Field, gets new name with Delta Dental partnership |url=https://www.wabi.tv/2024/10/03/portland-sea-dogs-ballpark-hadlock-field-gets-new-name-with-delta-dental-partnership/ |access-date=October 3, 2024 |work=[[WABI-TV|WABI]] |date=October 3, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==Features==
The left-field fence is {{convert|315|ft|m}} from home plate, the center-field fence is {{convert|400|ft|m}}, and the right-field fence is {{convert|330|ft|m}} away.

The left-field wall, dubbed the Maine Monster, is 160 feet long and made of wood. Like the [[Green Monster]] in [[Fenway Park]], it is {{Convert|37|ft}} high, and green. There is a {{Convert|12|ft|adj=on}} screen above the wall to catch home run balls. Seats cannot be added to the Maine Monster because the [[Union Station (Portland, Maine)|Union Branch]] railroad runs immediately behind it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parkside to the Portland Transportation Center Pathways Projects |url=https://portland.civilspace.io/en/projects/parkside-to-the-portland-transportation-center-pathways-projects |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=portland.civilspace.io |publisher=City of Portland |language=en}}</ref> 

It was built after the Portland Sea Dogs announced their affiliation with the Boston Red Sox in 2002, to help train future Red Sox left fielders for the Green Monster and to add character to the ballpark. Construction started on October 28, 2002. The name, Maine Monster, was chosen through a fan contest.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Hadlock Field 2022.jpg|The diamond, outfield, and the "[[Maine Monster]]", 2022
File:Hadlock Field picnic area.jpg|Hadlock Field's picnic area is located alongside the right-field line
File:HadlockField1Alc.jpg|Hadlock Field. May 12, 2007
</gallery>


==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite web |title=Edson J. Hadlock, Jr. Field - Portland, Maine |url=https://littleballparks.com/edson-j-hadlock-jr-field-portland-maine/ |website=Little Ballparks|date=July 18, 2021}}

{{Eastern League ballparks}}

[[Category:Baseball venues in Maine]]
[[Category:Minor league baseball venues]]
[[Category:High school baseball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Portland, Maine]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1994]]
[[Category:Portland Sea Dogs]]
[[Category:Eastern League (1938–present) ballparks]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in Maine]]