Surf Stadium/The Sandcastle, the former home of the Atlantic City Surf (independent; Can-Am League), has been fixed up to the point where it will be hosting baseball again in the form of the 2012 Babe Ruth Mid-Atlantic Baseball Tournament.
As you’ll recall, the Surf moved out of the ballpark because of its deteriorating condition, leaving city officials to spend money on basic repairs and things like the restoration of water service to the ballpark. And while it sounds like it needs some TLC to reach a condition ready for professional baseball, it certainly is capable of holding a youth tournament, starting today.
The question: will pro baseball return to Atlantic City? Former Surf manager Mario Perrucci put this tournament and was working on a Labor Day series there, but that effort fizzled. It may take more than the basic repairs to attract the attention of the Atlantic League or the Can-Am League. (Indeed, the lighting system still doesn’t work at the ballpark. This doesn’t affect the youth tournament, which starts today, but it’s a reason why the pro series was scrapped.)
RELATED STORIES: Atlantic League returning to Atlantic City?; Bernie Robbins Stadium in state of disrepair; Atlantic City, Surf wrangling continues; Suitors pop up for Bernie Robbins Stadium; After loss of Surf, what will happen to Bernie Robbins Stadium?; Can-Am Association to field only six teams this season; Atlantic City Surf ceases operations
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