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Class AAA Photo Album

Pacific Coast League

There are some very striking parks in the PCL -- most of which are fairly new with a lot of modern touches. Here is a photo album of all 16 of the league's ballparks, with the added twist that they are listed in order from my favorite to my least favorite. Note that over the years, we've done a number of in-depth reviews of parks, usually when they first opened. The PCL parks with in-depth reviews and/or photo essays elsewhere in BASEBALLPARKS.COM are listed with a link to those pages.

Also, Reno joined the PCL in 2009 as Tucson was left in the desert -- only to return in 2011 when the Portland Beavers bolted to Tucson. In addition, Tacoma completely rebuilt its park for 2011, and the Omaha Royals became the Omaha Storm Chasers when they moved into brand-new digs out in the suburbs. In other words, we've made lots of changes in these rankings in recent years!

By the way, take a moment to give us your feedback on these rankings at the bottom of the page.

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And just to give you something to compare my rankings to, the Fresno Grizzlies' excellent play-by-play man, Doug Greenwald, provides his top-to-bottom assessment of the PCL's parks (updated for all of the 2011 changes): 1. Memphis; 2. Albuquerque; 3. Oklahoma City; 4. Round Rock; 5. Sacramento; 6. Fresno; 7. Salt Lake; 8. Omaha; 9. Iowa; 10. Reno; 11. Tacoma; 12. Tucson; 13. New Orleans; 14. Colorado Springs; 15. Las Vegas; Dead last Nashville.

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I don't think you'd get much debate if you made the assertion that AutoZone Park in Memphis is the most ambitious baseball stadium below the Major League level. From the incredibly impressive entryway (and entry plaza just behind it) to the large seating capacity and endless things for kids to do, it is a marvel. It also features a great setting (the fabulous nightlife of Memphis is within a couple of blocks) and wonderful food. No wonder the Redbirds' attendance is near the top of all of Minor League Baseball year after year -- whether the team is a winner or a loser.

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On the left is the 2011 view from the right-field foul pole at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, which has arguably the nicest design of any park in the Minor Leagues.  The shot on the right is looking up toward the very impressive entryway behind third base.  The photo was taken from the canal that is part of the incredible urban-renewal project in the city's Bricktown district.  By the way, fans pass by a statue of the pride of Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle, as they enter the park here (statues of fellow Oklahomans Johnny Bench and Warren Spahn adorn the stadium's other two entry plazas). And it's a well-deserved honor that Minor League Baseball selected this venue to host the annual Triple-A Championship Game. The only downside from an aesthetics point of view is that they now drape tarps over the upper-deck seating sections on the first-base side because they no longer sell tickets there, and I think it detracts from the look of the park. Otherwise, this might be #1 in our PCL ranking.

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If it's been awhile since you attended a Minor League ballgame in Albuquerque, then you wouldn't even recognize the city's baseball stadium. The old park was demolished, and a modern -- if somewhat whimsical -- ballpark was constructed in its place. Where else will you find a concave incline at the center-field wall, colorful stained glass in a stairwell and a team nickname adopted from an episode of The Simpsons? This might be the most fun ballpark in Triple-A baseball!

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After conquering Double-A baseball with five record-shattering attendance totals in the Texas League, the Round Rock Express' Dell Diamond moved to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in 2005. The result? Another upsurge in attendance, topping 700,000.

Moving up to Triple-A necessitated some enlargement of the seating capacity, and this was achieved with the addition of a "home run deck" in left field (see the far right of the right-hand photo above). The beautiful aesthetics of the park -- which features a swimming pool, sport court, rock climbing and a gorgeous exterior made of Texas limestone -- didn't suffer in the least. If anything, the so-called "game day experience," already at the top of the Minor League heap, became even better.

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Omaha has fielded a Triple-A team since 1969 and the KC Royals have been their parent team the entire time. When the team was kicked out of Rosenblatt Stadium, there was a lot of concern that the team would leave the market. Happily, Sarpy County came up with a plan to allow the O-Royals to move into a brand-new park in the southern suburbs of Omaha. Werner Park is a winner, and its design (where the luxury boxes are in separate structures than the press box) is different than at other parks.

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Salt Lake City's facility is a nice place, although it has gone through more than its fair share of name changes.  It has an impressive entryway and an attractive design.  But what really sets this park apart from anything else in AAA is its outstanding, breathtaking view of the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains.  Watching the hometown Bees playing their game becomes secondary with a view like this.  That's why this park shows up at the top of the A Seat With A View ranking here at BASEBALLPARKS.COM.

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They do a lot of things right in California's capital city, one of America's premier sports towns. Along with Memphis, Sacramento's River Cats are always at the top of the attendance race in the Minors. Their ballpark, which technically is in West Sacramento across the river from downtown Sacramento, is large and modern, with a nice view of the scenic Tower Bridge (an integral graphic element in the team's logo) and some of the skyline. Attending a game here is a little pricey, though, as parking costs either $7, $9, $10 or $12, depending on the lot you select, and tickets can run you up to $18. It sure hasn't put a dent in the team's attendance, though, as fans here love coming out to the ballpark. And soon, a ballpark village of sorts will provide restaurants and shops across the street.

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Following the 2010 season, the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Rainiers poured $30 million into an extensive rebuilding of Cheney Stadium. The changes were so profound and aesthetically pleasing that this ballpark moved from 14th to 8th in our PCL rankings.

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This fine ballpark joined the ranks of the PCL's impressive list of new facilities in 2002. I can't say that its location is the best (surely there were nicer places in Fresno to build such a stellar stadium), but its design is good and its fan amenities, like the swimming pool and group areas, are excellent.

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Northern Nevada now has a much, much nicer Triple-A ballpark than southern Nevada. That's because Aces Ballpark in Reno far outshines Cashman Field in Las Vegas.

The first aspect of Reno's park that catches your attention is the striking color scheme. Inside, you'll find one of the sport's nicest outfield areas, as well as a 7th-inning-stretch feature (above right) that you won't see anywhere else.

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The New Orleans Zephyrs have been playing their home games here since 1997.  The park, appropriately called Zephyr Field, has all of the features you'd want, including a swimming pool in right field and a House Of Blues area beyond first base.  In this shot, the sun is setting behind the third-base stands while a moderately sparse crowd watches a game.

In a way, the ballpark's setting is somewhat historic, as its vast parking lots were used as a staging area during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. And don't worry . . . you can bring the kids here because it is in a completely different part of town than the bawdy French Quarter!

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The Chicago Cubs' Triple-A affiliate plays in a lovely park in an interesting setting (at the confluence of two rivers) with a pretty exterior and a wonderful view of the state's spectacular capitol building. The Iowa Cubs play their home games at Principal Park. On this same site in Des Moines, the local pro-baseball team played at Pioneer Park from 1947 through 1991 (it was called Sec Taylor Stadium starting in 1959). The old structure was torn down and the current facility constructed between the 1991 and 1992 seasons. In 2004, the stadium adopted its current name, and following the 2005 season, Principal Park received a $6.8 million facelift which included a new scoreboard and the replacement of all the seats. The photos, by the way, are from 2007.

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The City of Tucson had seen some depressing times in recent years. First, the White Sox moved their spring operations north to Glendale. Then the city's longtime PCL franchise pulled up stakes and headed to Reno in 2009. Then the Diamondbacks and Rockies announced they were moving their spring training to the Phoenix area following March of 2010. It appeared there would be no more pro baseball in town ... but then the Portland Beavers were kicked out of their stadium to make way for major-league soccer. There wasn't time before the 2011 season to build a new park anywhere, so ownership of the Beavers decided to park the team in Tucson while still looking for a city to build them a new park. As deals started falling through in other cities, it started to appear that the PCL might be playing here for a while. It's not a bad ballpark at all, with nice views and sufficient amenities. And I've always loved its desert color scheme.

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I've said often that Colorado Springs is the most beautiful city in the continental United States. Its ballpark, though, isn't up to what you'd expect. The home of the Sky Sox sits in a curious portion of town, not near downtown and not oriented so that you can see the spectacular scenic beauty of the Rockies west of the city (although the area surrounding the park has sprouted numerous neighborhoods and shopping options in the last couple of years). In the right-hand photo above, Pike's Peak is visible behind the first-base stands, but it is not visible from any of the seats in the ballpark.

To be fair, the team has expended considerable money on improvements, such as the large structure on the left side of this same photo. It houses a beautiful banquet area on the top level, and scads of outdoor tables in front of it. There is also an exceptional candy store near the main gate. The chocolate creations there are unbelievable. Even with the nice touches and improvements to the facility, I'd still like to see Colorado Springs move toward building a new ballpark somewhere close to downtown. Without a doubt, it would help the Sky Sox move out of the lower reaches of the PCL in attendance.

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Maybe it's because the city has expended so much effort in planning for a new Major League stadium to lure big league baseball to town, but Las Vegas' current Minor League ballpark is certainly not up to snuff. A market that is this large and vibrant certainly warrants a nicer baseball facility than this. Cashman Field, home of the oddly named Las Vegas 51's ("Area 51" of flying saucer fame isn't far away), was probably nice in the 1980s when it was built, but it really has the feel that it has been a very long time since any structural improvements or fan enhancements have been made (it reminds me of Charlotte in that regard). It does have a novel and effective misting system that helps keep fans cool on those blistering desert days, but when it comes to the look of the exterior, the concessions, the souvenir shop or the architectural design, Cashman Field doesn't measure up to the level one would expect in a city as showy as Vegas.

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When your guitar-shaped scoreboard is your stadium's most redeeming feature, you know there's a problem. The Nashville Sounds' aging (and not aging gracefully) Greer Stadium trails the entire rest of the 16-team PCL. The setting, exterior, interior, features -- well, just about everything -- falls short of the rest of the league. This is a shame, because Nashville has emerged as one of America's most attractive and progressive cities. Their hockey arena and football stadium are both beautiful and state-of-the-art. It's a real shame that their baseball team has been shoved to the back of the bus for so long ... and it's even more depressing because a wonderful concept to build a beautiful, new park on the banks of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville fell apart a few years ago -- although there is some hope that it can be resurrected. One has to wonder if the franchise will remain in Nashville in the long run. If a new stadium is ever built here, I do hope that its scoreboard will again be shaped like a guitar ...

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