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SAHLEN FIELD BUFFALO, NEW YORK BUFFALO BISONS
When this ballpark opened in 1988, the baseball world was dazzled by the trend setting architecture and beauty of this place. Forget Camden Yards, THIS was the prototype of the retro ballpark which would become a design staple over the next decade. Fans came in droves (1 MM+ attendance the first five seasons) and for a while Buffalo was a leading candidate for a MLB expansion team.
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FRONTIER FIELD ROCHESTER, NEW YORK ROCHESTER RED WINGS
Here is yet another city with a long and rich baseball tradition... and a community owned and run baseball team... and a new stadium downtown, built to replace the aging Silver Stadium, which was located in a neighborhood on the north side of town. Frontier Field is a jewel... here you have a good downtown location with easy access off the interstate, a splendid view of the downtown skyline, and train tracks just beyond right field where trains sail through during the game from time to time... really adds to the ambience.
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NBT BANK STADIUM SYRACUSE, NEW YORK SYRACUSE CHIEFS
MacArthur Stadium served as the team's home since the 30s, but was really in need of replacement, so where better to build the new venue than right in the parking lot of the old one! This ballpark opened its doors in 1997, a few miles north of downtown Syracuse and close to the Carousel Center mall. With a cupola style main entrance, two decks of blue seating, a restaurant down the right field line, this place offer a lot in terms of ambience and fan comforts
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MCCOY STADIUM PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND PAWTUCKET RED SOX
Want to see a prototype of how to take an old ballpark and renovate it the right way? Then check out Pawtucket's venue, McCoy Stadium, home of the Pawtucket Red Sox. They built this stadium in the 40s, and a recent remodeling project has given this venue a signature entrance, an attractive seating bowl with high pitch and superb sightlines, nice fan amenities including lawn seating and picnic areas and a jumbotron video board.
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PNC FIELD MOOSIC, PENNSYLVANIA SCRANTON WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS
PNC FIeld is the reconstituted stadium that was rebuilt on the site of the old Lackawanna County Stadium. Originally opened in 1989, the multi purpose, artificial field stadium was such a brutalist design that it had quickly fallen out of favor amongst its peer venues in the International League. The stadium was closed for an entire season, and most of it was demolished, save for the lower level seats. An entirely new stadium was built around it.
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COCA COLA PARK ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA LEHIGH VALLEY IRON PIGS
The newest team in the International League also built themselves a brand new ballpark, and Coca Cola Park is a great place to enjoy the game of baseball. With fixed seating of 8100 seats and berm and standing room areas bringing capacity to 10,000, there are many different ways to watch a game here - a left field corner tiered picnic table area comes with an "all you can eat" buffet; dugout suites are perched just 53 feet away from home plate. A nicely appointed club level has a bar right above home plate with a fantastic view of the field.
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DURHAM BULLS ATHLETIC PARK DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA DURHAM BULLS
Another of the new generation of HOK designed minor league ballparks, Bulls Athletic Park goes a long way in showcasing this community's long and rich baseball history, celebrating their most notable claim to fame in the movie "Bull Durham", and also providing a comfortable venue with great sightlines and fan amenities.
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HARBOR PARK NORFOLK, VIRGINIA NORFOLK TIDES
Here is a great downtown ballpark nestled along the river front in a sparkling and vibrant center city. Harbor Park opened in 1993, and still looks much like a brand new stadium. A single wide concourse with a view of the field throughout, and the upper levels serve the suites and two party decks. One of the coolesthing about the concessions here are grilling stations which face the field. Each stations offers a different fresh grilled item - 1/2 pound burgers, polish sausage, philly cheesesteaks and barbecued pork.
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COOLRAY FIELD GWINNETT, GEORGIA GWINNETT BRAVES
Coolray Field is your average suburban middle of a shopping center ballpark, located off the interstate and sitting amidst residential subdivisions and chain stores. The building itself is built into a hill, with plenty of parking and lush landscaping surrounding the venue. Inside, a massive asymmetrical roof covers about one third of the grand stand,and a large outfield grass berm has space for abut 2500 patrons. The 30' x 40' HD scoreboard is one of the larger ones in all of minor league baseball.
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LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FIELD LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE BATS
Louisville, Kentucky is a town with a long and storied baseball history. So it is fitting that here, in the corporate headquarters of Hillerich and Bradsby, manufacturer of the famed Louisville Slugger bat, a beautiful ballpark would be erected to properly showcase the game of baseball. Slugger Field opened in 2000, and was built on a site in the northeast corner of downtown, which was nothing more than junkyards and vacant lots. The long abandoned train shed abutting the site was gutted and restored, and now serves as the entrance pavilion to the ballpark. Amenities here include a restaurant and brewpub, along with huge expanses of open space, ticket lobbies and areas for future retail expansion.
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FIFTH THIRD FIELD TOLEDO, OHIO TOLEDO MUD HENS
Opened in April of 2002, Fifth Third Field replaces Ned Skeldon Stadium as the new home of the Toledo Mud Hens. And if you have ever been to the "Ned", then you know that a new home for the 'Hens was a long time coming.The park is set in downtown's "Warehouse District", a collection of turn of the century buildings which remain, for the most part, vacant... gutted and awaiting restoration. Hopes are high here that the ballpark will serve as a catalyst for a rebirth of this stately neighborhood. Most of downtown Toledo is clean and bright, and abuts a beautiful waterfront along the Maumee River.
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VICTORY FIELD INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
Victory Field is the new home of the Indianapolis Indians... well not that new, since it opened in 1996, but this venue still shines like a place that opened yesterday. The stadium is located on the western fringe of downtown Indianapolis. In fact, the entire downtown core, the Wholesale District, and all of this marvelous city's attractions are all within walking distance. The center field entrance to the ballpark bears striking murals of the greatest players to wear the Indianapolis uniform... sure, sure, anyone can hang placards of players such as Ken Griffey and Randy Johnson, but only one minor league venue can salute the one and only RAZOR SHINES! This icon of the Indians played here for 9 seasons, and is still remembered as a fan favorite.
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HUNTINGTON PARK COLUMBUS, OHIO COLUMBUS CLIPPERS
Columbus’ new baseball venue offers a lot of delights – a superb location, right amidst the city’s exciting Arena District. Retro architecture, emulating the classic look of ballparks past. And a building which is a living museum to baseball and Columbus’ long history as a flagship minor league city. Opened in 2009, the venue sports a panoramic view of the downtown Columbus skyline. Club sections, the main concourse, viewing areas from the street along the right field fence, and the AEP Pavilion out in left field, which features a sports bar on the second floor and rooftop bleachers at the top, all meld together well to provide a variety of viewing experiences.
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BB&T BALLPARK CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS
That view. Wow. Just wow. The Knights baseball team came to Uptown Charlotte in 2014, and have dazzled locals and vistots alike, earning accolades as the Minor League baseball park of the year, with its fan friendly seating bowl, nice premium viewing areas, canyon wide concourses, all in a spectacular center city setting.
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