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. |
Broadcasts |
Virtually every MiLB team now streams broadcasts over the
Internet, which makes it easy to follow your favorite team when
you're on the road. In addition, you can catch MLB game broadcasts at
MLB.com or via XM Radio.
More
on Internet radio and TV broadcasts here! |
|
Nationals Park /
Washington Nationals / 2008
(click on the photo to see a larger
version)
Opening |
March 2008 |
Capacity |
41,222 (22,000 seats in the
lower bowl, 12,100 in the upper seating bowl, 2,500 club
seats, 1,112 suite seats, a 500-seat founder's club with
indoor dining, and a 1,300- seat diamond club with
indoor dining) |
Number of Suites |
78 (8 Founders Suites with
16 seats, 2 Owners Suites with 24 seats, 58 Standard
Suites with 12 seats, and 10 Party Suites with 10 seats) |
Owner |
District of Columbia |
Architect |
HOK Sport/Devrouax-Purnell
Architects |
Construction |
Clark Construction Group of
Bethesda, Hunt Construction Group of Indianapolis and
Smoot Construction of Washington, D.C. |
Ballpark Cost |
$611 million |
Dimensions |
336L, 377LC, 403C, 370RC,
335R |
Location |
Southeast Washington, south
of the Capitol, along the waterfront district adjacent
to the Navy Yard |
The grandstand.
(click on the photo
to see a larger version) (all renderings courtesy
of HOK Sport/Devrouax-Purnell Architects)
In an area where
traditional architecture dominates, Nationals Park
goes against the grain with a more cutting-edge
design, featuring steel, glass and pre-cast
concrete. It is designed to be experienced as
distinct "neighborhoods" of sorts within the ballpark,
each with a unite identity. It is also designed to
provide stunning views of the iconic District of
Columbia landscape.
The view from
the expensive seats. (click on the photo to see a larger
version)
Note the large
scoreboard in the renderings. Nationals Park will
be equipped with state-of-the-art video and audio
technology, including a 4,500 square foot
high-definition scoreboard, as well as over 600
linear feet of LED ribbon board along the inner
bowl fascia.
The view from a
lounge. (click on the photo to see a larger
version)
District of Columbia
officials will be working toward a Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
certification. This means the ballpark was
designed to meet certain environmental standards.
If the ballpark is indeed certified, it would be
the first major-league facility to achieve that
status.
The view from
the club level.
(click on the photo to see a larger version)
Some fast facts:
-
Every seat will
feature a cupholder.
-
The ballpark features
the amenities you'd expect in a modern facility,
including a 10,000-square-foot restaurant/bar,
conference center, 5,000-square-foot team store,
kids' retail store and picnic area.
-
The press box will be
named after longtime Washington Post scribe
Shirley Povich. Located high above the suite
level, it will be 12,000 square feet and feature
four radio booths, four television booths and 100
media seats.
-
There will be 181
point-of-sale concession stands in the ballpark.
-
Nationals fans will
probably be a little stunned by the new
concourses. On the main level the concourse will
be 40 feet wide on average.
-
Eight escalators and
seven elevators will move fans between levels.
be working toward a
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
certification. This means the ballpark was
designed to meet certain environmental standards.
If the ballpark is indeed certified, it would be
the first major-league facility to achieve that
status.
A typical suite. (click on the photo to see a larger
version)
(click on the photo to see a larger
version)
(click on the photo to see a larger
version)
|
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