Burlington, Vermont
⚾ Vermont Lake Monsters

Christened in 1904 for the University of Vermont, Centennial Field is a small-town gem, a place that represents the quintessential baseball atmosphere you’d expect from one of the sport’s oldest facilities. Although the original structure went up in flames in 1913, with the current stadium being built in 1922, this modest ballpark remains the largest in the Green Mountain State, boasting space for close to 4,500 spectators.

The venue was originally dedicated around the time that the university’s first graduating class was celebrating its 100th anniversary, earning it the name Centennial Field. The Catamounts would host the first game played on the grounds in 1906 and were the park’s on-and-off primary tenant for almost a hundred years before being tragically terminated in 2009, just a few seasons after the ballpark marked its own centennial.

Professional baseball, however, has had a much more fluid history here. The first minor league club to arrive in the city was a farm team of the Philadelphia Athletics, relocated from Drummondville, Quebec in 1955. They played a sole season in Burlington before the league folded, and it would be nearly thirty years before an affiliated team returned. That team was the Vermont Reds, who came to town in 1984 as part of the Cincinnati pipeline. They would rebrand as – and re-affiliate with – the Mariners in 1987, but eventually moved away the following year, settling in Canton, Ohio. Six years later, the Expos – partnered with the team of the same name not too far away in Montréal – arrived from Jamestown, New York and would become the final minor league franchise to call Vermont home. After playing a final season as the Expos in 2005 despite the big league club having already relocated to DC, the team rebranded as the Vermont Lake Monsters, a nod to the legendary “Champ” that’s said to roam the waters of adjacent Lake Champlain. The Monsters were cut from the Minor League Baseball ranks during the massive realignment in 2020, so the franchise shifted to playing summer ball and joined the Futures Collegiate Baseball League in 2021.

Yet it doesn’t seem to matter much to Vermonters what uniforms their boys don on the diamond, with Centennial Field still seeing impressive turnout and steady flow at the gate. In addition to the great product on the grass, the Lake Monsters draw fans in by offering a wide range of concession items, serving up things like fried pickle spears, taco salads, cheese curds, deep fried Oreos and even poutine, a tried-and-true favorite just across la frontière. Pizza is also dished out from inside a shipping container, and an alcohol booth provides a large array of craft beers to choose from. Lots of unique amenities also help the ballpark to stand out, from the former bullpen turned “fan pen” in the left field corner to the fun zone in right field that’s rich with games and activities.

Still, despite a few modern bells and whistles, the Lake Monsters have done well to preserve the history of the venue throughout. Banners hang high, honoring some of the MLB stars who have passed through Burlington on their way to the top. Legends such as Ken Griffey, Jr., who played for Vermont in 1988, are cherished here, along with others like Omar Vizquel, Barry Larkin and many more. Even as the club continues into their collegiate-level era, where future stars are slightly less likely, the Lake Monsters will continue to stay true to their roots, keeping baseball fun and simple – just the way folks around here like it.