Fluor Field at the West End

Fluor Field at the West End is a 6,700-seat baseball-only stadium in Greenville, South Carolina, that opened on April 6, 2006. Designed by architectural firm DLR Group, it was built as a new home of the Greenville Drive baseball team, the High-A East affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

Fluor Field at the West End
Little Fenway
Former namesWest End Field (2006–2008)
Location945 South Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Coordinates34.8422°N 82.4082°W / 34.8422; -82.4082
OwnerGreenville Drive, LLC
OperatorGreenville Drive, LLC
Capacity6,700 seats
Field sizeLeft Field: 310 feet
Left-Center Field: 379 feet
Center Field: 390 feet
Deep Center Field: 420 feet
Deep Right Field: 380 feet
Right Field: 302 feet
Left-Field Wall: 33 feet
Construction
Broke groundMay 28, 2005[1]
OpenedApril 6, 2006
Construction cost$15 million
($21.8 million in 2022 dollars[2])
ArchitectDLR Group
Structural engineerHaris Engineering[3]
General contractorEMJ Corp.[4]
Tenants
Greenville Drive (SAL/High-A East) (2006–present)
Southern Conference baseball tournament (2009, 2012, 2013, 2016–present)

Features

Fluor Field nearly replicates the dimensions of Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. The ballpark has its own "Green Monster" replica, a 30-foot high wall in left field as opposed to the 37-foot one found at Fenway, and contains a manual scoreboard. Every other dimension is to the same specifications as Fenway Park, including "Pesky’s Pole" in right field. Other than the tribute to Fenway, Fluor Field also pays tribute to the Greenville area as the ballpark's nostalgic look utilizes reclaimed bricks from local mills. As is the tradition in Fenway Park, Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" is sung in the middle of the seventh inning.[5] Fluor Field is adjacent to the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum.

In 2007, the Greenville Drive privately funded the enhancement of Fluor Field at a cost of approximately $1.5 million. One of these enhancements include a display regarding Greenville's baseball heritage with information about players who were either born or played in the upstate region.[6]

On February 26, 2008, the stadium was officially renamed to Fluor Field at the West End.[7] The field was named for Fluor Corporation, a major local employer.

Events

The field hosted the 2009, 2012 and 2013 Southern Conference baseball tournaments as well as the 2016 and 2017 editions. It will continue to do so until at least 2019.[8][9]

Since 2010, the field has hosted a neutral site game of the Reedy River Rivalry between the Clemson Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks. The lone exception was in 2012, when that year's neutral site game was played in Charleston. Fluor Field hosts the second of three games spread out over a weekend on a Saturday, as the Friday and Sunday contests rotate yearly between the respective home fields for the two schools. The Gamecocks, as of 2017, hold a 4–3 advantage over the Tigers in games played at Fluor Field. The field has also hosted several regular season collegiate baseball games for South Carolina-based schools since its opening.

Milestones and notable moments
  • First pitch: Phil Seibel, on April 6 at 7:35 pm
  • First hit: Jesús Soto, on April 6, 2006, in the 4th inning
  • First Drive hit: Jeff Natale, April 6, 2006, in the 4th inning
  • First home run: Jesús Soto, April 6, 2006, in the 4th inning
  • First Drive home run: Jeff Natale, April 6, 2006, in the 4th inning

Attendance records
  • Highest season attendance: Over 350,000 (2012)
  • Highest single game attendance: 7,839 (April 24, 2022, (Greenville Drive vs. Winston-Salem Dash)
  • Marquee Sign
    Greenville Drive Scrolling Marquee Welcome Sign
  • Seating
    Seating at Fluor Field
  • Entrance at Fluor Field
    Entrance at Fluor Field
  • Team Store
    Greenville Drive Team Store
  • Fluor Field covered with snow, February 12, 2010
    Fluor Field covered with snow, February 12, 2010

References
  1. Howle, Julie (May 29, 2005). "Baseball Fans May Get a Taste of Fenway". The Greenville News. p. B15. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  2. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  3. "Sports Projects". Haris Engineering. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  4. Spanberg, Erik (August 21, 2006). "City Loves Its Little Monster". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  5. McGranahan, Ed (April 6, 2006). "Batter Up!! Former Red Sox Lefty to Take the Mound in Drive's Home Opener". The Greenville News. p. C1. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  6. "Fluor Field". Minor League Baseball. March 11, 2009. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  7. "Drive Award Ballpark Naming Rights". Minor League Baseball. February 26, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  8. "Southern Conference 2009 Baseball Championship". Southern Conference. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  9. "2012 Southern Conference Baseball Championship". Southern Conference. Archived from the original on December 7, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
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