Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey

Wilson Park
1007 Solano Ave

Opening year: 1975 (an educated guess)
Capacity: 900

The Vallejo Seaweed are a member of the independent Pecos League and play their baseball games at Wilson Park in Vallejo, CA (just over 30 miles northeast of San Francisco).

Wilson Park is owned by the city and maintained by the Greater Vallejo Park, Recreation & Open Space Foundation. The park also features youth ball fields, a children’s playground with jungle gym, and shaded picnic areas. Dog walkers are often seen on the trails. The Babe Ruth League (youth baseball) also plays at Wilson Park.

The Vallejo Seaweed played as the Santa Cruz Seaweed in 2021 and 2022. They moved to Vallejo in 2023 and will play their second season at Wilson Park in 2024. The Vallejo Seaweed have not been to the postseason. They competed for a spot in the conference finals in the 2024 season, but didn’t quite make it.

A sad-looking concession stand sells the usual stadium fare: hot dogs, nachos, chips, ice cream and sunflower seeds ($2 to $5). Canned beer (Coors Light, Bud Light, Modelo, Michelob Ultra and Heineken) is $5. Canned Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and bottled water are $2. It’s enough for a little snack now and then.

The stadium consists of three sections (14 rows each) with old dark blue wooden bleachers and two handrails in the main seating area behind home plate. The venue has a welcome feature – some portable seat backs for fans. The steps are very steep, so if you are not comfortable on your feet, choose the first or second row.

Additional stands place behind each dugout. The stands are covered, although you will get some sun during the first few innings. A thick chain link fence surrounds the entire field.

A simple dot matrix scoreboard in left field shows the score, balls, strikes and outs. Trees decorate the outfield. The batter’s eye is trees.

The announcer calls out the starting line-up nice and slowly. Fans who are taking scores can fill out their scorecards in peace. Annoyingly, the music announcer plays music during the loudspeaker announcements, so the participants taking scores have to strain to hear the names.

The home team is third base.

The Pecos League has two umpires. There is a facility where fans can chip in a few dollars when a player hits a home run. Players in this league are paid a pittance. All proceeds from the “hat round” go to the player to help with expenses. A unique aspect of a Pecos League game is that the pitchers bat.

Remember to bring a sweater or jacket as it can get chilly at sunset.

The baseball park is two miles from downtown Vallejo. You can enjoy a meal at Provisions (breakfast, lunch and California beer – this restaurant closes at 4 p.m. except Fridays when it stays open until 8 p.m.) or Bambinos Vallejo (Italian). A mile north of downtown, on the Napa River, enjoy The Sardine Can (seafood).

To experience local breweries, try Mare Island Brewing Co. – Ferry Taproom or the recently opened Vallejo Brewing Company (open Thurs – Sun).

The biggest tourist attraction in Vallejo is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Visitors can enjoy the educational Vallejo Naval & Historical Museumright in the city center. The Ferry to San Francisco Bay (passengers only) stops in Vallejo. If you like ferry rides, this is an activity you should definitely check out. Vallejo is located on the southern border of Napa Valley and Suisun Valley. Many vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms are within a 10-mile drive. I went to the Wooden Valley Wineryand it was wonderful. The staff even likes to talk about baseball!!

There are no hotels near the ballpark, but you’ll find plenty along I-80, over a mile away.

Other sports to see in the area are San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics (until the end of 2024) and other teams in the Pecos League (San Rafael Pacifics and Martinez Sturgeon).

The number of spectators is small, but impressive. At the game in this report, there were about 35 – 40 fans (including dogs). The fans (people) cheer for their team with all their hearts.

The crowd is fun. There is a good relationship between the stadium announcer and the regular fans. He calls on regulars by name to ring their bell.

There is no need to arrive early to a Seaweed game, as team routines are still being established 30 minutes before first pitch.

The closest commercial airport is San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK), about 35 miles south. Fans in the Bay Area can take the BART (Red Line) to El Cerrito Del Norte and there take the El Cerrito Del Norte BART Express bus to Curtola Park & ​​Ride and then walk a half-mile to the park.

There are no security checks or bag regulations at the entrance. Coolers are not permitted.

There are restrooms in the stadium. Bring extra tissues in case you run out. I learned this the hard way.

The stairs are steep and the facility does not seem particularly inviting for fans with physical disabilities.

Parking is free; admission is $10 (you can sit wherever you like); discount tickets are $2-$5. It’s a great value night out.

The Pecos League is the only league that does not use a designated hitter, but follows the 2019 National League rules that require the pitcher to do the hitting.

It’s mostly about the game of baseball in Vallejo, with minimal frills. It’s an affordable night out where you can hear the crack of the bat and see the dust kick up as an infielder catches a ground ball or a player slides into the base. Seasoned, purist baseball fans should enjoy the experience at Wilson Park.