COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. — Glow-in-the-dark Cosmic Baseball is coming to Virginia this summer. The Tri-City Chili Peppers, a team made up of college players home for the summer, will make baseball history when it becomes the first team to play baseball under black light.
"It’s something we came up with, with the Lighting Company Federal Lighting and J.W. Electric," Tri-City Chili Peppers owner Chris Martin said. "Putting black lights onto the field and playing baseball in black light sounds simple but there’s a whole lot more to it."
It took them about six months of research and development and about $100,000 to create a black light strong enough to cover Shepard Stadium.
"We have 18 lights installed in the ballpark," Martin said.
Once they figured out the lighting, they needed glow-in-the-dark uniforms, bats, and baseballs.
"As soon as we said we want a black light reactive baseball, [Wilson's] answer was we can do that for you," Martin said.
You may now be asking yourself WHY play baseball under a black light?
"I think it's going to be an awesome event," baseball fan Bradley Stuller said. "Colors and stuff popping out in the stands. The ball on the field. The cleats running."
“I think it’s something unique and I’m interested to see it," Jackie Stuller added. "It’s something fun and inviting for the city.”
Martin said all their test have shown the players have no problem seeing the ball.
As for fans in the stands, they won't be sitting in the dark. There’s going to be reactive colors throughout the stadium and if you wear neon, it will react. The stadium will also have special tape and paint to help fans walk around safely.
You can get tickets for the game here.
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