Last night, Saturday September 19th (2026) to be exact, Rachel and I attended our final home baseball game of the 2026 Norfolk Tides season. It was our 6th game (a new Roby record in Norfolk) at Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides, and by far, the largest crowd to date. In fact, when I ordered the tickets Saturday morning for the game on Saturday night, I thought it was some sort of computer glitch because there were little or no seats available to purchase. Plus, with nearby Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University both having home football games, the NAS Oceana Air Show going on, I figured the Tides game would be somewhat of an afterthought, not even close to the nearly 100% attended. So, what drew baseball fans to Harbor Park for one last Saturday night home game? Let’s see if we can figure it out together…
Was it a special promotion? The Norfolk Tides, like many minor league baseball clubs, hold unique and local and often times amazing promotional events to draw in fans. Theme nights for the United States military men and women in the area often draw big numbers and they come ready to cheer. I mean, those military men and women are loud. Harbor Park also hosts family fun events like Bark in the Park and Triple Play Tuesdays and salutes to local teachers nights. They have bobblehead giveaways, mystery hat giveaways (like last night), and youth jersey giveaways. They host fireworks after the games on select nights, like last night. And this week is fan appreciation week so the team at Harbor Park and the Norfolk Tides are ratchetting up the fan stuff to show how much they care about us, the baseball fan. Do I think it was a special promotion that drove fans in record numbers to Harbor Park last night? Nope, do you?
Let’s consider a special player who may have been in attendance playing for either the Tides or the Knights. Hampton Roads is home to some of the best athletes not only in Virginia, but nationwide. Countless athletes in countless sports call Hampton Roads home. So, was there a player or two in the game last night that had the drawing power to bring hundreds, maybe thousands of fans to a game? Maybe. You have a late season call up to the Norfolk Tides in Cox High School’s (Virginia Beach) Ethan Anderson. And Jake Cave from nearby Hampton, VA played for the Charlotte Knights, batting 4th and playing CF. The Charlotte Knights manager is Chad Pinder, who grew up and played at nearby Poquoson High School and Virginia Tech before playing 7 seasons with the Oakland A’s. So, three big time local Hampton Roads area baseball players were at Harbor Park last night for family and friends to support and cheer on. Was this the reason for the sellout crowd? I don’t think so. Do you?
How about the weather? Beautiful 80 degree night, no rain in sight, light winds at best, clear skies, 10 out of 10 to see a night baseball game. Not likely. Folks trying for the doubleheader sports day of the year, first attending NSU or ODU football, then riding the Tide rail to Harbor Park for a night baseball game? Not a bad idea, but also not likely. How about the Tides themselves, were they vying for a playoff spot and this game meant the season was on the line? Nope, the Tides are nowhere near making the postseason, so the result of this game was inconsequential in terms of their standings. How about the opposing team, did the Charlotte Knights have a phenom on the mound or at the plate? Not that I could tell or see. How about the hat giveaway contest, did the hats carry any significant value other than a hat? Nope. And the fireworks and music, were they conducted by a member of the Boston Pops? Nope. Were the tickets free or reduced price? Nope, not that I could tell. Were the concessions reduced or free? Nope. Was there a special meet and greet after the game with players? Not that I saw or attended. Folk paid normal ticket prices, waiting in line for concessions at normal prices, purchased hats and T-shirts in the store for regular prices, ate ice cream, drank beer and wine, and ate pretzels at, you guessed it, normal regular prices. So, after all this deliberation, what is the answer to the question? Why was Saturday night a sellout at Harbor Park for Norfolk Tides vs. Charlotte Knights.
The best reason of all – just because. Thank you to the Norfolk Tides, their on and off field staff, the staff at Harbor Park including valets, ticket agents, concession workers, pro shop customer service folks and everyone at the ballpark for another incredible fan experience in 2026. I cannot wait for the gates to open in 2027 for another exciting season of Norfolk Tides baseball at historic Harbor Park, Norfolk, VA, USA. Care to chime in on the conversation? Let me know your thoughts.
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