AT&T Field /
Chattanooga Lookouts
Year Opened |
2000 |
Capacity |
6,160 |
Dimensions |
330L, 400C, 325R |
Playing Surface |
Grass |
Website |
lookouts.com |
Phone |
423/267-2208 |
Ticket Prices |
Lower box seats, $8; upper box seats, $5; general
admission, adult $4, senior (55+) $2, Kids (7-12) $2,
Kids (6 and under) free |
Last Visit |
2007 |
Level |
Class
AA |
League |
Southern League |
Parking |
$4
parking beside the ballpark. There is also quite a bit
off-street parking throughout the downtown area. |
Directions |
From
I-24, take exit 178 onto 27N. Take exit 1C (4th
Street/Downtown.) First left on Chestnut Street, first
left again on 3rd Street. AT&T Field is at the top of
the hill. From I-75, take 24 West and follow above
directions. |
Written by: |
Dustin
Mattison |
Rating |
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The grandstand has an uncompleted look, as it
doesn't extend all the way down the third-base
line.
Chattanooga has a long
history of minor-league baseball, as it was one of
the charter members of the Southern League in
1885. Historic Engel Stadium opened in 1930 and
had seen the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig,
Jackie Robinson, and Willie Mays play on its
field. Though full of memories and baseball
legend, time had not been good to Engel Stadium
and upkeep was becoming quite expensive. Enter
Frank Burke.
Frank Burke bought the
Lookouts in the mid nineties but felt the team had
to have a new stadium to stay in Chattanooga. In
the fall of 1998, Burke announced that he and his
ownership group would build a privately funded
ballpark if the team could sell 1,800 season
tickets. The 1800th ticket was sold on January 28,
and construction of the park started in late March
1999. The Lookouts ended up selling over 2,200
season tickets. What a great way to fund a park.
The land was donated for the ballpark, and the
architects had to operate within boundary and
budget constraints. To me, this enabled them to
come up with a unique design and not the
cookie-cutter-type design seen so often today.
Some things were done with savings in mind, such
as the stands being made of metal instead of
concrete. These cost savers are worth it in the
end, as the result was no need for any public
funding the ballpark.
Most of the seating is on the first-base side.
Seats on the third-base side extend only to the
end of the dugout and enable one to view I-24,
which runs right beside the ballpark. On the
first-base side, seating extends three-quarters of
the way down the right-field line. The architects
had to manipulate the seating due to having the
interstate as a boundary, but were able to make it
work and make the ballpark all the more unique.
Two views from the grandstand.
The ballpark features lower box seats that are
really affordable and close to the action. These
premium seats are at most 12 rows from the field.
There is a small walkway dividing these seats from
the even more affordable upper box seats. These
only go eight rows deep and sit in front of the
general-admission bleachers. Along the left-field
line, there is a special section of upper box
seats and bleachers that are designated as the
family section, with no alcohol allowed. What‘s
even more impressive is that a kids’ general
admission ticket costs only $2, while kids 6 and
under are free. Above the General Admission
seating are 15 air-conditioned luxury boxes,
complete with catered food and a TV monitor.
The concourse is under the seating, so you miss
the game action when going out for concessions.
There are plenty of stands to choose from but none
offer a variety of food choices. Hot dogs, popcorn
and pretzels are the standard fare throughout the
park. The positive about the limited food choices
is that it has enabled the Lookouts to keep the
prices down and keep all the concessions very
affordable. On the night I attended the lines went
quickly so no one had to miss much of the action.
Also on the lower concourse is a nice gift shop
selling Lookout gear. The open concourse is very
popular in most of the new ballparks, but the
closed concourse at AT&T Field adds to the
uniqueness of this stadium. It is also a reminder
of Engel Stadium, as its concourse was set up in a
similar way.
The outfield walls are very tall -- 20 feet high
-- and full of advertisements. Mr. Burke is known
as quite a promoter, and it is obvious from the
outfield fences. I am not sure if another
commercial sign could be fit on the wall.
For those keeping score at home (and you know who
you are): A scoreboard with a clock.
In the right-field
corner there is a large picnic pavilion used
mostly for private parties. What is unique about
AT&T Field is that a section of seats adjoin the
pavilion so those in the picnic area also have a
seat to enjoy the game. The picnic area is the
only place in the stadium where there is a view of
the river and bridge.
The Stadium Club is a
small restaurant behind the seats on the
right-field line. It offers choices like chicken
wings and pizza. It provides indoor and outdoor
seating and can be popular on hot summer nights as
it is air-conditioned.
The
one piece that stood out was the barber chair down
the left field line (shown at left). This was the
only holdover from the Lookouts time at Engel
Stadium that I could find. Though not busy on this
night, what better time to get a haircut than
while watching a ballgame?
Right beside the
barber chair is the beer garden with more GA
seating and picnic tables with a good view of the
interstate. When one thinks of Chattanooga, the
Chattanooga Choo Choo usually comes to mind. The
Lookouts play to this, as a train blowing steam
from its engine appears from behind the
right-center field wall whenever a hometown player
hits a homerun. Also, unique to AT & T field is
that the bullpens are not visible. There are 2
cutouts in the wall between left and center that
allow the bullpen members to watch the game.
The obligatory Chattanooga choo choo.
As they say in real estate, location is
everything. This is very true of AT&T Field, as it
is among a revitalized downtown/riverfront
district. The Tennessee Aquarium opened in 2005
and is a block or two from the ballpark. Within
walking distance are the Creative Discovery
Museum, an IMAX theatre, and the Hunter Museum of
American Art. There are also lots of restaurants,
microbreweries, and pubs. A short drive takes you
to Lookout Mountain and such attractions as Ruby
Falls and Rock City.
The spires are part of the aquarium, not the
ballpark -- but it's a cool look, nevertheless.
My friend Tim
suggested that the outfield trees be trimmed back
to offer those in the stands a view of the
Tennessee River. I would also like to see fewer
signs on the outfield walls -- but an owner has
the right to help pay the bills when he paid for
the park. As I have two small children, the most
glaring omission is there is no children’s play
area. But to be honest, I don’t know that there
would be a place to put it.
It can be really difficult to replace a legend --
just ask Doug DeCinces, who unsuccessfully tried
to replace Brooks Robinson. Sometimes it can
really work out, Mickey Mantle did replace Joe
DiMaggio. I would say AT&T Field would fall
somewhere in between. Though not likely to be a
legend like Engel Stadium, the people of
Chattanooga should enjoy AT&T Field along with
Lookout baseball for years to come.
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