Atlantic City Surf

Lore & Background

The Surf began play in 1998 as a member of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. They opened their new ballpark, The Sandcastle, on May 20, 1998, losing to the Somerset Patriots 8-5. On July 15, 1998, they hosted the first Atlantic League All-Star game, defeating the League All-Stars 6-4, and later won the league's first Championship Series over the Bridgeport Bluefish, three games to one. The Surf made the postseason five times in six years (2002–2006) but were eliminated in the first round each time.

In 2007, the Surf moved to the Can-Am League. Under manager Chris Carminucci, they finished with the second-best overall record (51–41) and made the playoffs, but lost to the North Shore Spirit three games to one. In 2008, Cecil Fielder took over as manager, and the team again reached the postseason with a 51–43 record, but fell to the Quebec Capitales, three games to zero, in the opening round.

Reader's Guide

The Atlantic City Surf represent a notable chapter in independent minor league baseball, particularly as the first champion of the Atlantic League, a league that has since grown in prominence. Their 1998 championship and hosting of the inaugural All-Star game established the team as a foundational member of that league. The Surf's move to the Can-Am League in 2007 and subsequent playoff appearances demonstrated continued competitiveness, but financial instability led to the team's dissolution in 2009. The Surf's legacy is tied to Surf Stadium, which remains a potential venue for future baseball, though efforts to revive the team have not succeeded. The team also connects to Atlantic City's broader baseball history, including the earlier Bacharach Giants of the Negro leagues, who won league championships in 1926 and 1927. The Surf's brief existence highlights the challenges of sustaining professional sports in smaller markets.

Did You Know?

• The Surf won the first-ever Atlantic League championship in 1998.
• The team's home stadium was originally called 'The Sandcastle' and later 'Bernie Robbins Stadium'.
• In 2007, Surf pitcher Brian Rodaway led the Can-Am League with a 15-3 record and won Pitcher of the Year.
• The Surf's mascot was named 'Splash'.

The 1998 Inaugural Season and a Championship Written in Sand

When the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball decided to plant a franchise in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the result was a team that immediately made its mark. The Surf opened their brand-new ballpark, The Sandcastle, on May 20, 1998, and though they fell 8-5 to the Somerset Patriots in their first outing, the season that followed would be etched into minor league history. On July 15, the Surf hosted the league's very first All-Star Game and beat the assembled All-Stars 6-4, a bold statement of intent. Then came the postseason: the Surf dispatched the Bridgeport Bluefish three games to one to capture the inaugural Atlantic League championship. That single title would remain their only league crown, though the team returned to the playoffs four more times over the next five seasons (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006), only to be eliminated in the opening round on each occasion. The 1998 run, however, cemented the Surf as a founding force in the league's identity.

Awards and Competitiveness in the Can-Am League

After leaving the Atlantic League, the Surf joined the Can-Am League in 2007 and immediately proved they could compete at a high level. Under manager Chris Carminucci, the squad posted a 51-41 record — the second-best in the entire league — and earned a playoff berth in their first year in the new circuit. The team's 2007 campaign was studded with individual recognition: Carminucci was named Manager of the Year, starting pitcher Brian Rodaway captured Pitcher of the Year with a league-leading 15-3 mark, and closer Matt Pike took Reliever of the Year after recording 24 saves, also a league best. In 2008, the Surf brought in Cecil Fielder to manage and finished 51-43, good for fourth overall, before falling to the Quebec Capitales three games to one in the opening playoff round. Despite the repeated first-round exits, the Can-Am years showcased a club that consistently fielded competitive rosters and produced players worthy of league-wide honors.

The 2009 Collapse and Dispersal Draft

The Atlantic City Surf's story ended abruptly on March 30, 2009, when the Can-Am League announced the franchise would not field a team that season. The collapse of a proposed sale of the club left the organization without viable ownership, and the Surf were forced to shut down operations entirely. They were not alone in this fate; fellow Can-Am member the Ottawa Voyageurs also ceased operations for 2009, reducing the league to six active clubs. On April 3, 2009, the league held a dispersal draft in which the Surf's remaining players were made available to other Can-Am teams, scattering a roster that had just two seasons prior been winning individual awards and contending for a title. For fans who had followed the Surf through their Atlantic League championship and their Can-Am playoff runs, the sudden disappearance of the franchise from the professional landscape felt like a final, unceremonious curtain. The Surf Stadium that had hosted them — previously called The Sandcastle and later Bernie Robbins Stadium — would sit empty, a reminder of a team that vanished almost overnight.

Atlantic City's Long Baseball History and the Failed Revival

Atlantic City's relationship with professional baseball stretches back far beyond the Surf, and the pattern has rarely been one of lasting success. The city hosted a handful of short-lived, unnamed teams in various 19th-century leagues, then briefly sheltered the Lancaster Red Roses of the Tri-State League in 1912 and 1913 before that franchise disbanded. The most notable predecessor was the Bacharach Giants, who arrived in 1916 from Jacksonville, Florida, where they had been the Duval Giants. Renamed in honor of Mayor Harry Bacharach, the club played independently until 1922, then joined the Eastern Colored League, winning titles in 1926 and 1927 under manager Dick Lundy. Stars like Oliver Marcelle, Smokey Joe Williams, "Pop" Lloyd, and Arthur "Rats" Henderson wore the Giants' colors before the team folded in 1932. Decades later, on May 17, 2018, Atlantic City's City Council gave former Surf owner Frank Boulton the green light to seek a new ownership group to bring professional baseball back to Surf Stadium for a 2019 season. That effort quickly became unlikely, and as of now there are no concrete signs that professional baseball will return to the shore.

Gallery