Ballpark Changes in the Affiliated Minors

Here's where you can check out the new parks that opened in 2006 in the affiliated Minors.

Ballpark changes for 2006 . . .

Greenville's new park glistened on opening night (photo by Richard Shiro) GREENVILLE   The loss of the Braves' AA franchise following the 2004 season came just after this South Carolina city made an eleventh-hour proposal to spend $18 million toward a new ballpark in the city's "West End."  The Braves weighed the proposal, but turned it down, and moved the team to Mississippi. Undaunted, Greenville immediately went after another pro team, the Class A Capital City Bombers, who played in Columbia, SC. That team played the 2005 season in old Municipal Stadium (which the Braves had abandoned the previous year) in the suburbs of Greenville, before changing their name to the Greenville Drive and moving into brand-new West End Field on April 6, 2006. Read our full review of the DLR-designed ballpark to see why it was named BASEBALLPARKS.COM's 2006 Ballpark of the Year.

Penn State's Beaver Stadium looms behind the striking Lubrano Park. STATE COLLEGE   State College, PA is best known for being the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. In 2006, it is also the home of pro baseball. The university has constructed a new baseball facility across the street from the school's massive football stadium, on the northern edge of the campus. The park features a seating capacity of 5,406 as well as suites and group areas. Consturction was paid for by a combination of state money and revenue generated by other sports at (and donations made through) Penn State. L. Robert Kimball & Associates of State College is the park's designer. They were assisted by DLR. The field will be the home of the school's baseball program beginning in 2007, but in 2006 it is hosting a team in the short-season NY-Penn League. That team, which moved to State College following a 12-year run as the New Jersey Cardinals, is called the Spikes, and is operated by the strong management team of the Altoona Curve of the Class AA Eastern League. They are also responsible for the operations at the new park. The park itself, which continues the college tradition of honoring big donors (in this case, PSU alum Anthony Lubrano), is called Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The university-owned facility opened on June 20, 2006. Read our in-depth review of this impressive park.