Patriots Prepare for Season of Milestones

They are beginning their 15th season, planning to honor the 5 millionth fan and preparing for the 1,000th win—and for the Somerset Patriots, it’s just an exciting time to play some baseball.

“We are excited about upgrades, and the goal is to make the park better than when it opened,” said Patrick McVerry, Patriots general manager and president.

With opening day Thursday, the Patriots, with their stadium on East Main Street in Bridgewater, are preparing for a season that will hopefully include their sixth Atlantic League Championship.

“The hitters are ahead of where we thought they would be,” said Patriots manager Sparky Lyle. “But it is not easy to bring on 20 new players. We look pretty good considering we only brought five back.”

According to McVerry, the Patriots are preparing for several internal changes this year, which, although they won’t be noticeable to the general public, will make a difference for the stadium.

First, McVerry said, they have updated all the speakers and painted much of the ballpark. In addition, he said, they have created the Diamond Club, which is a business meeting place at the stadium that can hold about 50 people.

“One comment that has come through is that we want a place off season to hold meetings at the stadium,” he said. “And in the summer, during the day you come for the meeting, then you stay for the game at night.”

And although fans may not get to see this, McVerry said, the Patriots have also brought a little bit of Yankee Stadium to Bridgewater.

“We went to Yankee Stadium and went on a tour of the locker room,” he said. “Then the locker rooms were redone. We brought a slice of Yankee to Somerset.”

McVerry said fans might notice the change in the sound coming from the speakers and will see the stadium looking a little crisper now.

But most importantly, McVerry said, will be the big milestones expected this season, including the stadium’s 15th season.

“We are patterning a promotion surrounding that,” he said. “We are looking at the top 15 all time Patriots. And we will have five card strips to announce the players that we will post at the end of the season.”

McVerry said the Patriots are also expecting to welcome their 5 millionth fan around the end of July.

“We are looking to our sponsors for trips and lifetime season tickets for that person,” he said.

July will hopefully also bring the team’s 1,000th win, McVerry said, in addition to 18 nights of fireworks after the games and more.

Lyle said, in terms of the players, it’s tough to start with an almost new team, but it happens often because they release all players at the end of the season each year.

But, Lyle said, he is pleased with the team.

“This league will be tougher than any triple A league,” he said.

This year, the team has also brought on pitcher Carlton Smith, the only member of the team actually from New Jersey, and who was born and raised in Piscataway.

“I played at the Patriots Stadium for the 2003 county championship game [when I was in high school],” he said. “This is where it all started for me, and that’s a good sign.”

Smith was actually with the Indians for seven years, then was traded to the Cubs, before being signed to the Patriots on July 28, 2011. He was originally signed to play professional baseball in 2005.

And Smith comes from a line of baseball players, with his father having played for the Orioles, and his brother currently playing for the White Sox.

“My brother played for the Patriots in 2007, and ever since then, he has been back in affiliated ball,” he said. “I want to use this as another chance to stay in the game.”

Smith said he is preparing for the season as he would in any other year.

“I am running, throwing, conditioning and staying healthy,” he said. “I do what I know how to do.”

But aside from the actual baseball games, the Somerset Patriots pride themselves on being there for the community and having events for the fans during games.

Smith said that fan involvement is one thing he loves about the league.

“It keeps them in the game,” he said. “If they didn’t do these things between innings, fans would get bored. This keeps them in their seats.”

And for Steve Kalafer, chairman of the Somerset Patriots and chairman of the Flemington Car and Truck Country Family of Dealerships, it is amazing to be part of Bridgewater and the county in general.

“The support from Bridgewater and the county has been exceptional,” he said. “An overwhelming majority of our fans are from the county, and we provide affordable family entertainment.”

With all the renovations and changes this year, Kalafer said, they are treating the season like it’s opening day of .

“We are more excited than ever,” he said.

Aside from the family entertainment, Kalafer said, the stadium offers an opportunity for more jobs through the different vendors that are attached to the league.

“On game day, we provide hundreds of positions,” he said. “Local senior citizens or the youth of the community get a paycheck to fill in the earnings or help if they are not working.”

And non profit organizations, Kalafer said, receive percentages of the profits when they man stands during a game.

Kalafer said it is just as important to support the local non profits and other members of the community, as it is to be there for the businesses.

“The Patriots are the community, and they are interchangeable,” he said. “Without the support of the community, we would not be successful.”

Plus, Kalafer said, so many businesses advertise at the stadium, which gives them a great deal of exposure among the thousands of fans attending games.

“The people become a captive audience,” he said. “And we have the party deck and picnic area where people can meet neighbors and customers.”

Kalafer said he is proud to be part of the community, and everything at the stadium is done without using any taxpayer money.

“The freeholders say the stadium is the jewel of the county,” he said. “And this is done without taxpayer expense. We contribute, we do not take.”

For more information about the Somerset Patriots, visit the website.