Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71
Harold Alfond Diamond at Dr. John Winkin Sports Complex 1 College Cir Bangor, ME 04401
Year Opened: 2001
Capacity: 6,000
Bangor Time
The Bangor Babes come to the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League (GNCBL) and Bangor, Maine as a new stop in the league. Previously the GNCBL used a nomadic structure where teams would play at various fields around the state. However, following the sale of the league heading into the summer of 2024, each of the league’s five teams was assigned a designated home field.
The Bangor Babes, as in lumberjack legend Paul Bunyan’s “Babe the Blue Ox”, who in one version of the story claims Bunyan is from Bangor. The city has even gone as far as to erect a 30-foot statue of the legendary woodsman. The Babes play at Harold Alfond Diamond on the campus of Husson University – the diamond is part of the multi-use Dr. John Winkin Sports Complex.
Food & Beverage 4
Food trucks rotate on a game-to-game basis, so food options here will differ with each visit. This typically would indicate a well-thought-out menu that serves handmade items to order. Regardless of which food truck might be at the stadium, however, expect there to be the ballpark classics of hot dogs, popcorn, chips, and soft drinks from the Pepsi family of beverages, along with the food truck-specific dishes. And who knows, you might even be lucky enough to catch a truck serving up the Maine red snapper hot dog.
Atmosphere 2
Winkin Sports Complex is a multi-use facility that not only serves as the home of Husson baseball but also hosts football and field hockey teams. The many uses of the facility give the seating area a bit of an awkward feel, as the bleachers along the third base line are much larger than those on the first base side, to accommodate football and field hockey spectators.
Also, the seating bowl has two press boxes, one atop the bleachers behind home plate and another aligned with midfield of the football field layout. Despite them being out of season, the football markings are still visible during baseball games, giving the field a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the 1980s when many baseball stadiums shared their fields with NFL teams.
The section behind the home plate is equipped with molded plastic seats that extend into adjacent sections, while the seating down each baseline consists of aluminum bleachers. With no shade over the seating area, both the plastic seats and aluminum bleachers can get extremely hot and uncomfortable.
Efforts are made to create a typical collegiate baseball experience with player introductions and walk-up music, but the stadium’s sound system lacks sufficient volume to make these elements audible. Otherwise, there are no on-field games or mid-inning fan engagement activities, such as have become common at many levels of baseball.
The Babes, along with the Old Orchard Beach Bugs, probably do the best job in the league of promoting and marketing themselves – Bangor frequently hosts groups throughout the year and runs promotions to try to draw out the community.
Neighborhood 3
Harold Alfond Diamond is part of Dr. John Winkin Baseball Complex, on the campus of Husson University in Bangor, Maine. Husson is roughly 2.5 miles from downtown Bangor with its high concentration of restaurants. Bangor might most notably be known as the hometown of famed horror writer Stephen King – while King spends much of his time in the western Maine mountains, his Bangor home is still a popular stop for many visitors. The Bangor waterfront and the aforementioned Paul Bunyan statue are also popular landmarks around town.
For a local restaurant experience take a trip across Penobscot River into the neighboring town of Brewer, for Mason’s Brewing Company’s unbelievable riverside views.
Fans 2
With much of the Babes roster made up of players from central Maine, the team has a much higher local makeup than many others in the league. Bangor excels in engaging the community, and actively encouraging attendance at games – from offering free admission to Little League players wearing their jerseys and organizing appearances by Special Olympians and Unified teams during doubleheaders, the Babes have done a good job at laying the foundation in drawing interest throughout the community.
Access 2
Bangor benefits from its location just off I-95, which runs up to the Canadian border. However, it is still a two-hour drive from Portland, and the train service does not extend that far north or inland. Therefore, unless traveling from a nearby community, a roundtrip to Bangor will likely require a significant investment of time.
Bangor does have bus service to Husson University, but the limited evening runs will impact those wanting to go to a weekday night game.
Return on Investment 5
Admission to a Bangor Babes game runs $5.57, a bit of a peculiar price, but the online charge is added to walkup ticket sales. Also, in a bit of an oddity, fans are charged for both games of a doubleheader – this does seem to be a moot point though, as the ticket table is packed away before the first game is completed.
While this is common practice for day-night doubleheaders, most levels would simply have a split doubleheader with one ticket for each game. Either way, under $6 does seem to make sense for this level of summer baseball.
Extras 1
The Bangor Babes do sell apparel at the stadium, being just one of two teams in the league to do so.
Final Thoughts
The reorganization of the Greater Northeast Collegiate Baseball League seems to enhance its credibility and establish stronger ties with the towns hosting its teams; this could make it an attractive option for families in the community to consider during the summer months.
The Bangor Babes have given themselves a strong foundation to build upon – this is possibly one of the top baseball experiences in the GNCBL when considering both the work the team has done to market the Babes and its comfortable baseball setting.
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