Ballpark Changes in the Majors

Here's a recap of the ballpark changes that impacted Major League teams in 2003, courtesy of BASEBALLPARKS.COM™.  Don't forget to check out the page with changes in 2004 and beyond, and our summary of the Minor League parks that were new in 2003.

DETROIT   The Tigers' springtime ballpark has been vastly remodeled.  Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, which was closed during the Florida State League season in 2002 while the park was being renovated (forcing the Tigers' minor league team to play in an older venue down the street), is now a beauty.  The exterior has been wonderfully redone, and the concourse behind the stands is now covered.  Seats have been replaced, a new clubhouse constructed, the pressbox enlarged, and luxury suites added.  HKS did the excellent architectural work.

TEXAS AND KANSAS CITY   No, the Rangers and Royals did not move out of their current stadiums in Arlington and KC.  However, they did make major moves for spring training.  The two teams vacated their long-time homes in Florida to share a brand-new, $45-million complex in Surprise, Arizona, northwest of Phoenix.  The set-up is similar to the complex shared by the Mariners and Padres in Peoria, Arizona, which happens to be just a couple of miles from Surprise.  Each team has its own set of practice fields, clubhouses and offices, and the two teams share a fancy, state-of-the-art ballpark at the center of the complex for their exhibition games.  The 10,714-seat Surprise Stadium has a beautiful entry plaza beyond the centerfield fence.  In case you keep track of these things, this means that 18 MLB teams train in Florida, and the other 12 now are in Arizona. 

HOUSTON   The Astros haven't bolted from Florida like the Rangers and Royals, but they played their spring exhibition games in an improved facility in 2003.  Kissimmee's Osceola County Stadium, historically one of the lesser spring venues, has received a major facelift.  The uncomfortable bench seating has been replaced with seats with backs, and the pressbox and clubhouses have been greatly improved.  In all, $18.4 million was spent on upgrading the Astros' spring-training complex, prompting the team to sign a 16-year lease extension in Kissimmee.

CINCINNATI   The Reds moved into the Great American Ballpark (GABP for short) right on time, on Opening Day of the 2003 season.  The site is right next to the spot occupied by Cinergy Field (known for over 20 years as Riverfront Stadium), which was imploded on December 29, 2002.  HOK was the architect for the new park, which includes a plaza called Crosley Terrace -- named after the Reds' home field through the middle of the 1970 season.  Other interesting features of the 42,000-seat ballpark will be a 21,000-square-foot Reds Hall of Fame and Museum (which won't be complete until 2004) and a gap in the upper deck, which HOK calls The Notch, on the third-base side that allows fans walking to the facility from downtown to see into the park.  And are you ready to be shocked?  The construction came in under budget.  Not by a lot, but still ... By the way, there's a full-page review of GABP -- with photos -- that is yours for the clicking!

BOSTON   Things are changing in Beantown!  No, the Red Sox aren't ready to throw in the towel and build a replacement to Fenway Park (although a year-long study on the viability of renovating Fenway was to be completed sometime in late 2003).  No, Sox faithful are now able to sit on top of the Green Monster.  Three rows of countertops and barstools are now on top of the leftfield wall (see below), and these choice tickets are going for $50 a pop . . . or should I say they went for $50 apiece, as they sold out the same day they went on sale in March.  Team officials are careful in their description of this move, saying that this does not indicate that the decision has been made to keep Fenway and renovate it.  By the way, the architecture critic for the Boston Globe, Robert Campbell, weighed in on the issue awhile back by writing this:  "Should Fenway Park be saved? Of course it should. There's no better work of architecture in Boston, not if you see architecture for what it really is. Architecture is the art of making places, and there's no more memorable place in Boston."  Well put.  Regardless of whether Fenway is remodeled or replaced, by the time all is said and done, the project (including any additional land that would need to be acquired) will probably cost in excess of half a billion dollars.  Visit the site of the Save Fenway! organization to learn more about why renovating the old park is the way to go.  I couldn't agree more strongly with them.

Major League Ballpark Changes in 2004 and beyond