Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Shifflett Field 1100 20th Street Grottoes, VA 24441
Small Town Baseball in Grottoes
Nestled in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, the Rockingham County Baseball League is one of the oldest amateur baseball leagues in the country. Virginia's version of town ball was founded in 1924 and is currently celebrating its centennial season. The league's eight teams consist of a mix of current and former college players with ties to the area. Some of the latter have been playing in the league for years.
The Grottoes Cardinals are a longtime member of the RCBL, having won nine league championships. They play their home games at Shifflett Field in the town of Grottoes, in southeast Rockingham County near the border with Augusta County. The stadium is part of John E. Painter Park, which also includes a few little league fields.
Food & Beverage 5
Concessions at Shifflett Field are served out of a food truck called Battarbee's Catering Buggy. There are many options to choose from here, including burgers, hot dogs (chili and cheese optional), barbecue pork (in sandwich or nacho form), regular nachos, chicken sandwiches, and even chicken parm.
Popcorn, peanuts, french fries (chili and cheese optional), onion rings, cheese sticks, and mac and cheese are all available as sides. To drink, fans can buy water, soda, or lemonade, with the lemonade coming in a small size or a very large size. A kids' meal is available for $6 and includes a hamburger or chicken nuggets, fries, and a jug of juice.
For those with a sweet tooth, vanilla cheesecake is available. So is ice cream, with your choice of vanilla or spumoni (a mix of chocolate, cherry, and mint ice cream, although traditional spumoni usually includes pistachio instead of mint.)
Prizes are reasonable - the most expensive option is a bacon double cheeseburger for $9, but most things are much less.
Atmosphere 3
There are several sets of bleachers on either side of home plate at Shifflett Field. There is also an area under a tent behind home plate for fans to set up folding chairs and sit there. Wherever you sit, you will be looking through a chain link fence, although it isn't as thick as in some places. A scoreboard in left-centerfield shows the linescore and other basic information.
This is the typical small-town baseball experience of the Rockingham County Baseball League, no bells and whistles, few gimmicks, just a baseball game that brings out the whole community. Even the PA announcer sits at a table out in the open rather than in the press box.
Like in the rest of the league, fans are not permitted to keep foul balls hit out of play. However, unlike in many other venues, they do not get a prize for returning it. This lack of ransom means kids will not chase after the foul balls, and someone else will eventually have to walk over and grab them.
Neighborhood 1
The one problem with small-town baseball is that the small towns often don't have much going on, and Grottoes is a typical small town. With only about 2,600 people and mostly farmland surrounding the stadium, this may be a lovely community to live in, but there aren't many places to visit. Lil Guss' Restaurant on Dogwood Avenue is a popular eating establishment, but this is a small farming town and you won't find much to do here as a visitor. Residents will say it's lovely, but those visiting from out of town won't find much.
Fans 4
The Grottoes Cardinals may draw a couple hundred fans to a typical game, which doesn't seem like much until you consider the entire population of Grottoes is only 2,600. The entire town may not come out to each game, but a significant portion of it does. This being small-town baseball, most of the spectators know some of the players or coaches or even the umpires. This does tend to make them take it easy after missed calls when the person who missed the call could be their neighbor, and there's a good chance their family is sitting only a few feet away.
While it may seem like everybody knows everybody at a Grottoes game, if coming to your first game, you shouldn't run into any issues.
Access 2
Shifflett Field is located a few miles off US 33, the main east-west road through Rockingham County, via a series of increasingly rural roads. By the end, you will be driving through farmland, crops on both sides of you, as you approach John E. Painter Park and Shifflett Field. You will park in an unpaved gravel lot next to the stadium. Be warned - some of the spaces are in foul ball territory, so don't park too close unless you want to risk a smashed windshield.
Restrooms are located across the footpath from Shifflett Field, in between the Little League fields. They are of a sufficient size for the crowds.
Return on Investment 5
Admission to most Cardinals games is free thanks to local sponsors. Occasionally there may be a small charge, but this is rare. Check social media before the game to be sure. Concessions from the food truck are reasonably affordable as well. Overall, a Grottoes Cardinals game is an excellent value.
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Extras 3
Look for the statue of the cardinal holding a baseball bat behind the third base dugout.
Free roster cards are available in a bin on the side of the concession stand.
There is a 50-50 raffle for the chance to win a cash prize while supporting the team, a non-profit that depends on fan support.
Final Thoughts
Grottoes Cardinals baseball is a fine example of what small-town baseball is like in the Rockingham County Baseball League. It seems like the whole town comes out to enjoy the game, and while that's an exaggeration, it isn't exaggerating by much. Most baseball fans outside Rockingham County don't know the league exists, even if they're from nearby locations in Virginia. But fans in Grottoes love the Cardinals, and the community baseball here is a great fan experience that is worth checking out.
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