Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium
College Park, MD
Review by Gary
Since 1954, Maryland Terrapins baseball has been played on the diamond called “Shipley Field”, named after the team’s heralded coach. In 2010, the entire ballpark was renamed Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium after a philanthropic alumnus who endowed a scholarship solely for the exclusive use of the baseball program. While Smith is a Terrapin graduate, his nickname was given to him as a child, his running speed mirroring that of a shelled reptile.
The 2500-seat stadium is located in College Park, Maryland, just up Interstate 95 from the District of Columbia. The ballpark served as the temporary home of the newly-formed AA Bowie Bay Sox in 1994, when Prince George’s Stadium wasn’t quite ready for the start of the season. Renovations followed, first in 2004 and again in 2015. Be careful not to get seats directly behind or next to either dugout as dugout rooves are curved and rise up to a height that completely blocks the view of anyone sitting in the first two rows behind them.
Shipley Field also served as a practice field for the 1968 Washington Senators when their April 8 home opener was canceled due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. More recently, “Turtle” Smith Stadium was home to the short-lived 2009 College Park Bombers of the Cal Ripken Senior Collegiate Baseball League.
Remnants of the original stadium remain as many of the recent renovations were to the field itself, with FieldTurf replacing the grass and a new drainage system installed. The General Admission seating is comprised of individual contoured seats without backs. The concrete steps to the seating bowl are original and somewhat chipped despite being painted over.
Two small concession stands are to the left and right above the narrow entrance to the park. The most notable feature about the grandstand are the numerous Tuscan-style white columns that support the concourse roof. This regal feature frames the buildings behind the ballpark nicely and provides a unique backdrop.
Looming high above and behind the left field fence is the massive edifice that is the University of Maryland football stadium. Seemingly only accessible to the bravest of Terrapin pigskin fans and healthy goats, this steep structure is an eye-catching sight that also frames out the heart of the UMD campus seen beyond the rest of the outfield fence.
2024
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