There's No Barking in Baseball

Lulu loves Bark in the Park. It was the first AAA game for her and for sister Gale.

It’s Crustaceans & Canines night at 121 Financial Park, home of the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, and that means dogs get in free. Owners have to sign a waiver at the entry gate and read a short list of rules. Rule No. 2 says “NO BARKING” in capital letters, but there didn’t seem to be any enforcement throughout the game. In fact, the public address crew played a doorbell “ding-dong” several times to stir things up amongst the fur-covered fans. 

There’s a lot to like about this stadium. It’s easy to get to despite some tricky one-way streets around the downtown Jacksonville sports park area. There’s plenty of parking nearby and once inside you get a great view of some of the spectacular bridges that cross the St. John’s River. Beyond right field is the impressive TIAA Bank football arena, home to the Jacksonville Jaguars and college football’s Gator Bowl, and the otherworldly roof of Daily’s Place amphitheater.

Daily's Place amphitheater lights up right field. The colorful roof seems to be crowned
by a string of lights from the Hart Bridge over the St. John's River.

The food is very good with a special Jumbo Shrimp twist. In addition to the traditional hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jack, almost every food stand menu includes some type of shrimp dish. There’s boom boom shrimp, torpedo shrimp, shrimp and grits, coconut shrimp, burger and shrimp, shrimp po’ boy, shrimp and pulled pork nachos. That’s about it. On my bucket list (but I’ll need help from a few friends) is the burger pie: four quarter-pound patties served between two pizzas. 

Boom boom shrimp, fried morsels with a mildly spicy sauce served in a waffle bowl.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m excited about the Jumbo Shrimp’s promotion to AAA in the Miami Marlins minor league system. It’s an easy drive for me on I-95 in less than two hours from my home in central Florida. It’s a big opportunity to see some of the baseball stars of the future, as well as some of the current major league players who are working their way off the injured list.

Over the years, the Jacksonville teams have been affiliated with 10 different major league teams, the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers and, since 2009, the Miami Marlins. Baseball fans will recognize many of the players who played in Jacksonville before or during their major league careers.

A tribute to Hank Aaron by section 103, one of many along the concourse. 

Some of the biggest stars are immortalized on the steel support beams that hold up the third level luxury boxes and other areas above the main concourse. My section was between pillars with pictures of Hank Aaron and Tom Seaver. There’s also a small wall of fame on the ground floor as you enter the stadium that includes names like Nolan Ryan and Larry Walker.

Wall of Fame, below the 3rd base stands.

Jacksonville was home to AAA baseball once before. The Havana Sugar Kings of the International League landed here in the 1960s after the team had to flee Cuba, and they became the Jacksonville Suns. The team moved again to Virginia a few years later where they play today as the Norfolk Tides. Another Jacksonville Suns team was formed and it played in the AA Southern League until the overhaul of the minor league system last year. For a while, the team was known as the Jacksonville Expos. They started playing as the Jumbo Shrimp in 2017.

This week’s schedule features a matchup between the two former Jacksonville Suns teams in a season-long series they’re calling the Navy Town Showdown. The Jumbo Shrimp took an early lead in the series, but the Tides have won the last two games to make it 9-5 in favor of Jacksonville. In the unusual post-pandemic schedule, the two teams face each other 36 times total, so they’ve got a long way to go.

You don't want to see this when you arrive for a game. Weather was never a threat,
but the Tides rained on the Jumbo Shrimp's parade in the 5th inning.

The Tides sent 13 men to the plate in the 5th inning and the Jumbo Shrimp were charged with two errors. Norfolk’s leadoff batter hit a home run and the ninth batter of the inning hit a grand slam to put the game out of reach. Jacksonville’s Deven Marrero had two home runs and three rbi, but that was it for the Jumbo Shrimp. Final: Norfolk Tides 9, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3.