Recent
Visits |
NYSEG Stadium, Binghamton
Mets
NYSEG Stadium,
the home of the Binghamton Mets (Class AA; Eastern
League), may not
be the flashiest facility in the minors, but may
be the most family-friendly facility we've run
across in a long time. It's a ballpark where kids
can run the bases in the middle of the fifth and
it's a ballpark where dollar hot dogs are
available every night of the week. With a host of
attractions geared toward kids, NYSEG Stadium is a place where families of all
sorts can go out and have a safe, affordable time.
Arvest Ballpark, Northwest
Arkansas Naturals
There's still an unfinished feel to Arvest
Ballpark, the new home of the Northwest Arkansas
Naturals (Class AA; Texas League),
but it's
not that the Naturals were behind in making sure
things worked -- they did, perhaps a little
smoother than the average ballpark opening -- as
there's an unsettled
quality to the area, and
we're guessing the
ultimate feel of the ballpark will be shaped by
what happens in the area. While Arvest Ballpark is
certainly worth a visit today -- it's a sleek,
modern facility currently somewhat at odds with
the surrounding farms -- we're excited to watch
how the facility evolves with the rest of the
Springdale community.
Tempe Diablo Stadium, Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The best ballparks in Arizona for Cactus League
baseball are by and large the old ones -- like
Scottsdale Stadium, Phoenix Municipal Stadium and
Hi Corbett Field. All have been significantly
updated through the years, but they still retain a
historic charm. Chief among these older ballparks
is Tempe Diablo Stadium, currently the spring home
of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It opened in
1968 and was the spring home of the Seattle
Mariners between 1977 and 1993; it was then
renovated and then became the spring home of the
Angels. When it opened, one of the best things
about the ballpark was its scenic location next to
the buttes of Tempe; that's still true today
despite some dramatic renovations to the ballpark.
|
Recent
Visits |
NYSEG Stadium, Binghamton
Mets
NYSEG Stadium,
the home of the Binghamton Mets (Class AA; Eastern
League), may not
be the flashiest facility in the minors, but may
be the most family-friendly facility we've run
across in a long time. It's a ballpark where kids
can run the bases in the middle of the fifth and
it's a ballpark where dollar hot dogs are
available every night of the week. With a host of
attractions geared toward kids, NYSEG Stadium is a place where families of all
sorts can go out and have a safe, affordable time.
Arvest Ballpark, Northwest
Arkansas Naturals
There's still an unfinished feel to Arvest
Ballpark, the new home of the Northwest Arkansas
Naturals (Class AA; Texas League),
but it's
not that the Naturals were behind in making sure
things worked -- they did, perhaps a little
smoother than the average ballpark opening -- as
there's an unsettled
quality to the area, and
we're guessing the
ultimate feel of the ballpark will be shaped by
what happens in the area. While Arvest Ballpark is
certainly worth a visit today -- it's a sleek,
modern facility currently somewhat at odds with
the surrounding farms -- we're excited to watch
how the facility evolves with the rest of the
Springdale community.
Tempe Diablo Stadium, Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The best ballparks in Arizona for Cactus League
baseball are by and large the old ones -- like
Scottsdale Stadium, Phoenix Municipal Stadium and
Hi Corbett Field. All have been significantly
updated through the years, but they still retain a
historic charm. Chief among these older ballparks
is Tempe Diablo Stadium, currently the spring home
of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It opened in
1968 and was the spring home of the Seattle
Mariners between 1977 and 1993; it was then
renovated and then became the spring home of the
Angels. When it opened, one of the best things
about the ballpark was its scenic location next to
the buttes of Tempe; that's still true today
despite some dramatic renovations to the ballpark.
|
|
Features |
2008 Ballparks
Billings
Forest City, N.C.
Grand
Prairie
Lehigh Valley
Springdale, Ark.
Southern Maryland
Washington, D.C.
2009 Ballparks
Avon, Ohio
Charlotte, N.C.
Charlotte County, Fla.
Columbus, Ohio
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Glendale, Az.
Goodyear, Az.
Gwinnett County
Kansas City
(renovations)
LSU
Madison, Wis.
(renovations)
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Pensacola,
Fla.
Reno
University of North
Carolina
University of South
Carolina
Winston-Salem
2010 Ballparks
Minnesota
Twins
2012 Ballparks
Oakland
Athletics
Tampa Bay Rays
Ballparks of the Past
Colt
Stadium
Crosley Field
Durham Athletic
Park
Ebbets Field
Griffith Stadium
Huntington Avenue
Grounds
Jack Russell
Jarry Park
L.A. Coliseum
Metropolitan
Stadium
Muehlebach
Field
Municipal Stadium
(Kansas City)
Sicks' Stadium
Tinker Field
War Memorial
(Greensboro)
Photo Galleries
Piedmont League
Book Excerpts
The Last Good Season
2007 Attendance
By average
By team
Affiliated - average
Affiliated - league
Affiliated - total
Indy - average
Indy - total
MLB - total
MLB - average
2006 Attendance
By average
By team
Affiliated - average
Affiliated - league
Affiliated - total
Indy - average
Indy - total
2005 Attendance
By average
By team
2004 Attendance
By average
By team
Indy by team
Indy by
league
Combined
overall
2003 Attendance
MLB attendance
By league
League overview
By average
By team
Indy by team
Indy by
league
Combined
overall
2002 Attendance
By league
By average
By team
Indy by team
Indy by
league
Combined
overall
|
The
Fine Print |
Obligatory legal information:
This site is copyright 1998-2008 Kevin Reichard/August
Publications. All rights
reserved. My wife is a lawyer, so she will come and chop off
your hand in a legal fashion if you rip off this site
in any form. All logos are the property of their respective
owners. |
|
Cobb Field
Replacement / Billings Mustangs / 2008
(click
on the image for a larger version)
Opening |
June 2008 |
Capacity |
3,500 |
Cost |
$12.5 million |
Owner |
City of Billings |
Architect |
HNTB Architecture (Kansas
City) and CTA Architects Engineers (Billings) |
Dimensions |
335L, 410C, 356R |
Location |
Site of
Cobb Field:
901 N. 27th St., Billings |
(click
on the image for a larger version)
A large
concourse invites fans into the ballpark.
Billings will have a
new ballpark for the first time since 1948 -- the
year Cobb
Field opened -- next season when its
replacement opens. Replacing the venerable
Cobb Field
was not an easy decision for team management or
city residents (indeed, more than one attempt was
made to see if the wooden facility could be saved;
the answer was a unanimous no), and it took one
attempt at public funding before voters approved a
$12.5 million bond issue in 2006.
Cobb Field
is truly a community resource -- besides housing
the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) the
ballpark also hosts two Legion teams and the
Montana State University-Billings baseball team.
As it stands now, the
Cobb Field
replacement will be a utilitarian facility,
lacking luxury boxes (the final budget didn't
allow for them, although construction will include
footings for their future installation) and some
other amenities found in modern ballparks. Still,
architects did manage to preserve one of the best
things about
Cobb Field -- the lovely view of the Rimrocks
past the outfield fence -- but it would have been
nice to see some other decorative echoes of
Cobb Field,
whether it be a stucco exterior, some real box
seats or an old-fashioned grandstand roof. (The
color of the masonry in the buildings will be
chosen to evoke the Rimrocks, however.) At one
time architects discussed the reuse of some
Cobb Field
materials into the new ballpark; you can expect
some other elements of sustainable design to pop
up as we get closer to the beginning of
construction.
(click
on the image for a larger version)
The
street-level view as you approach the ballpark
going north on 27th Street.
However, many of the
things wrong with
Cobb Field
will be addressed in its replacement.
Cobb Field
was built at ground level, and the infield angle
makes fielding first base an adventure: much of
the time the first baseman looks directly into the
sun to catch a throw. The new ballpark's playing
field will be skewed about 10 degrees from the
current orientatation; this will also result in an
asymmetrical outfield fence; this gives the first
basemen and right fielder a little better angle to
avoid staring into the sun. It will also be built
closer to 27th Street, a main thoroughfare in
downtown Billings, with parking facilities moved
to the backside of the ballpark. (Keeping the
ballpark downtown was a major triumph in the whole
process: some wanted to see the ballpark moved
outside of downtown to an area where there is more
parking, but the downtown location does add some
life to a downtown that could use a shot of
adrenaline.) The new ballpark will feature an
infield sunk eight feet below street level; this
lowers construction costs, helps the facility
better meet ADA guidelines (accessible seats can
be left at ground level in the back rows of the
grandstand) and gives some more sun relief to the
fielders.
The playing field will
be ringed with a concrete concourse, featuring a
press box, concession stands and team facilities.
Currently
Cobb Field can't handle groups easily, but the
current plan calls for a picnic area in left
field. Fans will be able to watch the game from
beyond the outfield fence -- something they can't
currently do at
Cobb Field
-- and a children's play area is planned for a
center-field pavilion. Though there's no
traditional grandstand roof, the seating area will
be covered with polypropylene canopies mounted on
steel frames, giving fans relief from sun and
rain. Twelve rows of seating will extend all the
way down the third-base line and partially up the
first-base line, with a berm installed in the
left-field corner. The back row of seating will be
no more than 32 feet from the field.
As mentioned, the
facility doesn't include any luxury boxes. Plans
are to add six boxes and a community room after
the ballpark opens if finances allow for it. It
would be surprising if they weren't built:
Mustangs officials say there's demand for the
boxes.
The ballpark is
budgeted at $12.5 million -- the amount of the
bond issue approved by voters -- but city
officials will not end up selling that amount.
Over $2 million in private contributions have been
pledged for the facility, including a
naming-rights deal that will in all likelihood
ensure the
Cobb Field name will be retired when the old
ballpark shuts down at the end of the summer.
(click
on the image for a larger version)
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