Somerset Patriots

Somerset Patriots
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
League	Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (Liberty Division)
Location	Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
Ballpark	TD Bank Ballpark
Year founded	1997
League championships	6 (2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2015)
Division championships	13 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Colors	Navy blue, maroon, silver, white
Mascot	Sparkee the dog, Slider the cat, and General Admission (human)
Ownership	Steve Kalafer
Manager	Brett Jodie
General Manager	Patrick McVerry
Media	Bridgewater Courier-News Home News Tribune MyCentralJersey.com Double G Sports NJ.com Franklin Reporter Advocate Recorder Newspapers Packet Publications WCTC
Website	www.somersetpatriots.com

The Somerset Patriots are an American professional baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 1999 season to the present, the Patriots have played their home games at TD Bank Ballpark.

The Patriots are the winningest franchise of the Atlantic League, capturing six Championship Series titles in 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, and most recently, 2015. Their most recent playoff appearance was in 2017 when they lost in the Semifinals against the Long Island Ducks.

The "Patriots" name refers to the Middlebrook encampment where the first official flag of the United States was unfurled, after a law to adopt a national flag had been passed by Congress on June 14, 1777. By special order of Congress, a 13-star flag is flown 24 hours a day at the Washington Camp Ground, part of the former Middlebrook encampment, in Bridgewater Township.

History

The Somerset Patriots were one of the founding members of the Atlantic League in 1998. However, the team spent its inaugural season as a road team while TD Bank Park was being constructed. In the 1999 season, the Patriots opened their ballpark, where they quickly became one of the most successful franchises of the league in both of the win and attendance columns.

For spring training in 2009, the Somerset Patriots became the first Atlantic League team to hold its spring training in its own locale, at the Jack Cust Baseball Academy in nearby Flemington, instead of the traditional site in Lakeland, Florida. The Lancaster Barnstormers and the York Revolution followed suit in 2009, primarily because of the 2008 economic recession.^[1]

The Somerset Patriots, and then Manager Sparky Lyle, won their 1,000th game on July 24, 2012. The Patriots defeated the Sugar Land Skeeters with a score of 6–5, in the day game of a day/night doubleheader.

On November 27, 2012 it was announced Somerset pitching coach & former major league pitcher, Brett Jodie, would become the new manager with Lyle becoming Manager Emeritus.^[2]

Former professional football player Donald Jones briefly played for the Patriots during his recovery from a kidney transplant.^[3]

Logos and uniforms

The Somerset Patriots official colors are navy blue, maroon, and silver. The primary logo depicts a Continental soldier in navy blue with white stars on his shoulder and maroon stripes flowing to his left, a reference to the U.S. flag. Centered below the soldier is the wordmark in navy blue underlined by a silver baseball bat outlined in navy blue. The word "Somerset" is centered above the wordmark in maroon.

The Patriots wear caps produced by Under Armour and uniforms by Majestic Athletic. The caps are navy blue throughout with the cap logo centered on the front. The cap logo consists of the Continental soldier's head outlined in white and maroon. The Patriots also have an alternate cap that has a navy blue crown with a maroon brim and button. The cap logo on the alternate cap consists of a scripted "S" in maroon with white outline and the Patriot-head cap logo superimposed. The home jersey includes maroon piping and the "Patriots" wordmark centered across the front in navy blue and maroon. The away jersey also features maroon piping and the "Somerset" wordmark. The belt, socks, and undershirt are navy blue.

The Patriots alternate jersey is navy blue with silver piping. The "Patriots" wordmark is centered on the chest in maroon with white outline, and a white star in the underscore. |-

Radio

All of the Patriots' games are broadcast on WCTC 1450 AM, with voice of the Patriots Marc Schwartz.

TV

The Somerset Patriots created their own media network, SPN.tv., in 2014. SPN.tv covers 20 live-stream home games during the season, along with various original programming that features the players, team, front office, fans, community involvement and more. The network is live all year long on www.spn.tv so everyone can enjoy the Somerset Patriots 365 days/year.

Mascots

One of the Somerset Patriots' official mascots is an anthropomorphic dog named Sparkee. He wears the team's home uniform with white sneakers. The mascot debuted on July 11, 1998 at the Atlantic League's first All-Star Game at Bernie Robbins Stadium in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Sparkee's name refers to the Patriots first manager, Sparky Lyle.^[4] The team also employs another character, a cat (according to Somerset Patriots staff (sometimes mistaken for a bear)) named Slider. After training with Sparkee for several months, he debuted in the 2007 season. Slider wears the Patriots' navy blue alternate jersey with gray pants.^[5] A mascot named "TD" (after the stadium's sponsor) debuted in the June 30, 2010 game against the Camden Riversharks. Also the team has a live mascot known as 'General Admission' who wears the traditional uniform donned by those fighting for the colonies during the American Revolution complete with the three cornered hat and musket.

Season-by-season records

Current roster

Retired numbers

42 (Jackie Robinson)

2B, Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997

28 (Sparky Lyle)

MGR, Retired by the Patriots on June 14, 2014

References

External links

• Somerset Patriots (official website)
• Atlantic League of Professional Baseball