Patriots Choose Winners of National Anthem Contest

Those chosen will sing the anthem at games throughout the season.

Somerset Patriots Holding National Anthem Auditions

They will be held in March.

Sparky Lyle Gets New Role With Somerset Patriots

Team's first employee has been designated manager emeritus, with pitching coach Brett Jodie getting nod as new head man.

It started with the purchase of a Ford F-150 in 1997, and turned into a 15-year career managing a new baseball team—and now Somerset Patriots manager Sparky Lyle has transitioned into an emeritus position, with a new manager appointed to take care of the team. Former pitching coach Brett Jodie was appointed as the new manager of the Somerset Patriots at a press conference Wednesday at Fiddler's Elbow Golf Club in Bedminster that also appointed Lyle as the first-ever manager emeritus in baseball history. "It was emotional, especially the last couple of days leading up to this," Lyle said. "But if it wasn't, there would be something wrong." Lyle was the first employee hired by the team in 1997 after Patriots chairman Steve Kalafer approached…

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Clemens Not Joining Skeeters Against Patriots

Clemens has already made two starts in other Skeeters games.

Despite talk to the contrary, seven-time Cy Young Award recipient Roger Clemens, who began his comeback tour several weeks ago with the Atlantic League's Sugar Land Skeeters, will not be making a trip to Bridgewater. The Sugar Land Skeeters are heading to TD Bank Ballpark to play the Somerset Patriots Wednesday and Thursday, but Clemens will not be among the pitchers. "It would have been exciting if Clemens ended up pitching against us at home," said Patrick McVerry, president and general manager of the Patriots. "We never had a strong feeling that he was going to travel to the other teams' ballparks. We hadn't heard that he would travel out here at any point based on how his arrangement seemed to be set up." Members of the Somerset …

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Roger Clemens Could Face Patriots Soon

Controversial Major League Baseball great is joining the Atlantic League's Texas team.

Former Major League Baseball great Roger Clemens, 50, is heading back to the game for the first time in five years Saturday when he joins the Sugar Land Skeeters of the Atlantic League—the same league to which Bridgewater's Somerset Patriots belong. According to an article in the Connecticut Post, Clemens' comeback to the Atlantic League is a major milestone for the league and Chief Executive Officer Frank Boulton. It is also another file in what Clemens hopes is a National Baseball Hall of Fame career. Whether he makes it or not will be based on how voters vote for the pitching great, who has been plagued for years by allegations of the use of performance enhancing drugs. Clemens, a seven-time CY Young Award winner, has been accused of …

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Business News

Bernards Chamber of Commerce Summer Events

Networking meeting next week in Liberty Corner, Somerset Patriots excursion in August.

Members of the Bernards Township Regional Chamber of Commerce are invited to a monthly meeting and opportunity for socializing and networking from 6:30 to 8 p.m. next Wednesday at Kearns & Duffy Law Firm, 3648 Valley Road in the Liberty Corner section of Bernards Township. Chamber members are invited to introduce themselves and talk about what their business is up to, as well as networking with other business people from the area, according to an announcement from the chamber. The chamber's 2012 business scholarship winner, Julie Bottini, is scheduled to be at the meeting to meet chamber members. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Kearns & Duffy, the announcement said. Those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP at ren1co@aol.com. …

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Area Patriots Fans Enjoy a Day at the Ballpark

Somerset Patriots Fan Fest Event features 1880's style game, autographs and face painting.

About 3,500 fans made their way into the TD Bank Park Saturday afternoon for Somerset Patriot Fan Fest. The first 500 children received a Patriot baseball and met mascots Sparky and Slider, received autographs from manager and baseball great, Sparky Lyle, and some of his players. The event included a number of vendors, free face painting and music from Big Chrysler. The concession stands were open and the Patriots sold special season and game ticket packages. On the field, an 1880's style baseball game played by the Flemington Neshanock and the Elizabeth Resolutes. Played authentically as it was in the period, the teams' wore the flannel uniforms of the period and played by the rules that were established then.

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Terry Boudreau

11:39 am on Monday, April 16, 2012

Sorry, I was going on the information in the press release from the Patriots.   more ›

9/11—10 Years Later

Basking Ridge Cub Scouts Part of Somerset Patriots 9/11 Ceremony

Minor league baseball team holds pre-game ceremony to mark 10-year anniversary of attacks, with participation from area scouts.

TD Bank Park honored the heroes and families of 9/11 victims with a pre-game ceremony Sunday that featured 3,000 flags in the shape of a heart in front of the building and on field activities. The event began with an introduction by Board of Freeholders Director Robert Zaborowski. He was followed by a video and music montage displayed on the large screen in the ballpark prior to the Somerset Patriots' doubeheader against the York Revolution. More than 300 cub, boy and girl scouts from throughout New Jersey were invited to stand on the first and third base lines while area firefighters held a large American flag over the pitcher's mound as Isabelle Stein sang the Star Spangled Banner.

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Great Escape

Escape to A Free Night With Somerset Patriots

The Somerset Patriots are offering complementary tickets on first-come basis as part of its Hurricane Relief Night Saturday.

As Somerset County towns continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, the Somerset Patriots are looking to give residents an escape and a free night at the ball game with its Hurricane Relief Night Saturday and complementary tickets. According to a release from the Patriots, fans will receive complementary tickets to the game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater on a first come, first served basis for that evening. "This is our opportunity to bring some joy back to those affected by the hurricane and flooding in the area," said Steve Kalafer, chairman of the Somerset Patriots Baseball Club, in the release. "We are fortunate to be able to provide this service to those that are still dealing with the aftermath of the storm. Our …

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Patriots Fans Believe, Raise Funds For RU's LeGrand

Annual Rutgers Night brings out support for Scarlet Knight who was paralyzed last season.

Although the Patriots lost 3-0 to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Tuesday evening, the thousands of fans in attendance that night undoubtedly felt anyway that they came out ahead. The Somerset Patriots held their annual Rutgers Night, but this year focused on helping former Scarlet Knight football player Eric LeGrand as he struggles to make a recovery from a spinal cord injury last October.  LeGrand was paralyzed below his shoulders from a hit on a kickoff against Army. The Patriots hold Rutgers Night every year, but this year funds raised went to the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund. Public relations manager Patrick McVerry was very excited for the event, which he believes is a great cause for a great person. “We’ve been doing Rutgers Night for…

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