Northeast Delta Dental Stadium Review


Reviewed by Malcolm MacMillan Rating: 5
Highlights
  • Adjacent Hilton has field-facing rooms
  • Renamed Northeast Delta Dental Stadium for 2011
The front gate of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium is uniquely designed. The stadium's concourse is above ground level, accessible through the gate to the right of the ticket office.

One of the most unique elements of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium isn't even inside the ballpark. A Hilton Garden Inn hotel sits adjacent to the field, just beyond the outfield fence in left/centre. Like the Renaissance Hotel at Toronto's Rogers Centre, this hotel features field-view rooms that give guests an unimpeded view of the game. If you're traveling to Manchester for the game, you're likely not going to want to sit in your room all game, but it's a good way to watch batting practice and pre-game stretching, given that the park opens only an hour before game time. Minor League ballparks don't allow fans inside during batting practice; the location of this hotel is one way around that rule. Its other perks include not having to pay for parking and being back to your room before most fans are on the highway.

Known as Merchantsauto.com Stadium up until the end of 2010, the Fisher Cats stadium was renamed Northeast Delta Dental Stadium for the start of the 2011 season.

The ballpark has an official capacity of 7,722, although 8,903 fans flocked into the park in May 2009 to see John Smoltz pitch with the Portland Sea Dogs in a rehab start. The dimensions of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium are 325 feet to left field, 404 feet to center field and 325 feet to right field.