After being named to the position last fall, Justin Ferrarella is beginning his first season as the general manager of the Sussex County Miners (independent; Can-Am League).
Ferrarella was appointed to the position last September at the age of 24, and will look to build on some of the success that the Miners have had in the past few seasons. While they made the playoffs last year, the Miners have managed over the last several seasons to once again make Skylands Stadium–which originally opened in 1994 for affiliated New-York Penn League’s New Jersey Cardinals–a viable home for professional baseball.
In their first season with Ferrarella as the GM, the Miners are looking to continue their momentum. That includes some changes to the fan experience at the ballpark, as Ferrarella and the Miners are introducing new offerings on the concessions side. More from the New Jersey Herald:
“For one, I haven’t had a lot of sleep,” Ferrarella said. “But we are going into our fourth year and you can’t take anything for granted, but it’s definitely different being a general manager, but at the same time, nothing’s really changed. I had my hands in everything from the start until now, and it’s great to see how things have changed. The weather is definitely not helping but nobody wants us to play more than I do. And it’s not just for us, it’s for the fans.”
Taking into consideration all of the things that go along with running a successful baseball program, one of Ferrarella’s goals is to see everyone who walks into the stadium with a smile on their face leaves the same way.
“We’ve built off of some things, made some upgrades to the concessions,” Ferrarella said. “One of them is ‘Herbie’s Hut’ with some new food items.”
The team also plans on introducing the Mine Shaft and Grizzly Grill with slightly different offerings at each.
Ferrarella’s time with the Miners stretches back to 2015, their first season of play. He is the nephew of Al Dorso, who is the owner of both the Miners and Skylands Stadium.