| Holman Stadium was home to the Nashua Pride, a team in the independent Atlantic and Can-Am Leagues. It is a rather old facility (built in the 40's), but one with little character. There is no covered grandstand and before 2002 there was no concourse area whatsoever. Almost $1 million worth of renovations were put into the stadium to get it ready for play in 1998. This included new seats (taken from Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta), new dugouts, a new scoreboard in left field, and improvements to the playing field. Before the 2002 season, more renovations were completed. Included were luxury boxes, new box seats, and a new concourse area. Certainly the improvements have made it a better stadium than it was, but it still lacks much charm. The new concourse area behind the grandstand features a couple concession stands and a souvenir store. It is nice to have a covered area to go in case of rain, though the space is a bit cramped. Concessions are also available down the first base side on the field level. The variety of concessions doesn't exceed the normal ballpark fare, but prices are reasonable. The outside of the stadium does have a nice brick facade, though its appearance was altered some in the 2002 renovations. A few between inning promotions are done, but not as many as some of the new parks do. Also, the team has two mascots, Shag and Primetime, but apparently only one shows up each night. The Pride were part of the Atlantic League from 1998-2005 before shifting to the Can-Am League for the 2006 season. Overall, Holman Stadium is an ordinary ballpark and one that did not seem to fit with the other stadiums in the Atlantic League, but one that should be a good match for the Can-Am League. With an affiliated team in nearby Manchester, it is always going to be a struggle for Nashua to draw fans, but hopefully there will be enough support to keep a team here for many more years. Unfortunately there was not and the Pride moved to Pittsfield for the '10 season.
|
