Bernie Robbins Stadium

:"The Sandcastle" redirects here. For the novel by Iris Murdoch, see The Sandcastle (novel)"

Infobox_Baseball_Stadium
stadium_name = Bernie Robbins Stadium


location = 545 North Albany Avenue
Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401
broke_ground =
opened = 1998
closed =
demolished =
owner =
operator = Atlantic City Surf
construction_cost = $15 million
architect =
former_names = The Sandcastle (1998-2006)
tenants = Atlantic City Surf (Can-Am League) (1998-"present")
seating_capacity = 5,500
dimensions = Left Field: 309 ft (94.1832 m)

Center Field: 400 ft (121.92 m)

Right Field: 309 ft (94.1832 m)

Bernie Robbins Stadium is a 5,500-seat baseball-only stadium in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1998. It was built as the home of the Atlantic City Surf baseball team.

The stadium is located on Albany Avenue, near the eastern terminus of U.S. Routes 40 and 322 and several blocks inland from the famous Boardwalk and casino strip. The casinos are clearly visible from the seating areas and create a particularly attractive view at night.

Seating is in two primary sections, split by a "cross aisle". Luxury boxes are also available above the main seating bowl.

When the park first opened, the seating sections were named for the various properties on the U.S. version of the Monopoly board, which took its names from the streets of Atlantic City and surrounding towns. However, saying "I'm sitting in Pacific Avenue" was not sufficiently descriptive, and so the seating sections have now been assigned numbers, as at most other stadiums.

History

Originally the stadium was known as The Sandcastle. In 2006, the Bernie Robbins jewelry chain purchased the naming rights. [cite web | title=Bernie Robbins Buys Naming Rights | work=Courier Post Online | url=http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060525/COLUMNISTS44/605250329/1124 | accessmonthday=August 6 | accessyear=2006]

Bernie Robbins Stadium has played host to the Atlantic League All-Star Game in 1998 and 2005 as well as to various amateur baseball events and concerts. In October 2006, it was the venue for Atlantic regional qualifying for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.

War At The Shore

In May of 2008, former NFL player Vai Sikahema accepted an open challenge from former MLB player Jose Canseco to fight him in a celebrity boxing match for $5,000. Canseco claims to have earned black belts in Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and Muay Thai, while Sikahema, who grew up wanting to be a professional boxer, had once fought in a National Golden Gloves Championship that was eventually won by Sugar Ray Leonard. The fight (dubbed the War At The Shore) took place on July 12, 2008, and was hosted by Philadelphia-native adult film personality Steven Sheaffer. Sikahema won by knockout in the first round. [ [http://www.nbc10.com/news/16866470/detail.html "Vai Wins War At The Shore"] , NBC10.com, July 13, 2008. Accessed July 13, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.ballparkreviews.com/ac/ac.htm Ballpark Review's visit to Bernie Robbins Stadium]