|
Fieldcrest Cannon
Stadium / Kannapolis Intimidators
Really, there's nothing wrong with Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium. As far as Class A ballparks go, it's OK. It's located outside central Kannapolis, which means easy access for those driving in on the freeway but ensures there's virtually no foot traffic to the park. It's an intimate ballpark, as fans are fairly close to the action, but there's little in the way of amenities (few shaded areas, few concession stands) and little in the way of architectural note past the ballpark's front facade, designed to be evocative of the textile-mill buildings in downtown Kannapolis.
Put this all together and you've got a ballpark that's not worth a special trip. If you happen to be in the area, though, drop by. Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium is built in a bowl, so you enter on a concourse level through the mill facade and make your way down to your seating. The press box is located behind home plate, and the luxury boxes are located down the first-base line in the building that also contains the main entrance, the administrative offices and the team store. A separate concession facility is located far behind home plate, with the press box blocking a view of the playing field if you happen to be stuck in a long line.
One other thing that was mildly disappointing about the ballpark and the game: there was very little emphasis on the racing tie-in. The team is named for local hero Dale Earnhardt -- the Intimidator, who owned a part of the team before he was killed in a car crash and thus never saw his team play -- and NASCAR racing is obviously very big in North Carolina. So where are the tie-ins to racing? There are virtually none, past the Pit Stop Playground area and a listing of the NASCAR points leaders. No racing decorations in the park, no racing metaphors used by the announcer, no nothing. If you're going to piggy-back onto a popular movement, you need to do it whole hog.
The majority of seating is fairly close to the field, with seatback chairs in the sections behind home plate and bleachers down each line. On a sunny day, the metal bleachers can get pretty toasty. In general, there's little respite from the sun at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium; even a shaded area in the concourse behind home plate would bring some welcome relief on a hot Carolina day. Realistically, the only respite from the sun is the souvenir shop (which carries an extensive collection of Intimidators merchandise; traditionally the team cap has been one of the best sellers in the minors), the small area inside the main gate and a covered picnic area down the left-field line. These are also the only places to seek shelter from a rainstorm as well. Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium is an OK ballpark: nothing great, nothing bad, with some decent concessions. It's not worth a special trip, and if you happen to be in the area, it's worth a visit.
History Before the Sally League came to town, Kannapolis and nearby Concord were home to teams in the independent Carolina Baseball League, which ran from 1936 through 1938. The league was unaffiliated with minor-league baseball and supported by local manufacturing firms. The photos below show the Kannapolis Towelers and the Concord Weavers, respectively.
Concessions
For
the Kids
Parking
Before/After the Game But these days the textile mills are all offshore (chances are good that Cannon towels will be made in mainland China) and some really bad financial planning killed Fieldcrest Cannon and Pillowtex. Downtown Kannapolis, which was once home to the large Fieldcrest Cannon plant, is virtually a ghost town: part of it has been done up to be a shopping/historic area a la colonial Williamsburg, but the place was practically deserters during my visit. Cannon Village does feature a free textile history museum where you can peruse the entire history of textile manufacturing as well as the world's largest towel. If you're a NASCAR fan, you can also visit the Dale Earnhardt Tribune on Main Street in downtown Kannapolis. The Cannon Village Visitors Center also features information about Earnhardt.
|
|