L. P. Frans Stadium
L.P. Frans Stadium is a stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Hickory Crawdads Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League. It was built in 1993 and has a fixed seating capacity of roughly 4,000.
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| Location | 2500 Clement Boulevard Hickory, North Carolina, US |
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| Coordinates | 35°44′57″N 81°22′43″W |
| Owner | Hickory Baseball, Inc. |
| Operator | Hickory Baseball, Inc. |
| Capacity | 5,062 (4,000 fixed seats) |
| Record attendance | 5,283 |
| Field size | Left Field: 330 feet (100 m) Center Field: 401 feet (122 m) Right Field: 330 feet (100 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 21, 1992[1] |
| Opened | April 16, 1993[2] |
| Construction cost | $4.5 million ($9.12 million in 2022 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Lescher and Mahoney CBSA Architects, Inc. |
| Services engineer | Brittain Engineering, Inc.[4] |
| General contractor | Wayne Brothers, Inc.[5] |
| Tenants | |
| Hickory Crawdads (SAL) 1993–present Catawba Valley Stars (GSL/CVCL) 2009–present | |
Location
L.P. Frans Stadium is located three miles (4.8 km) from I-40 in Winkler Park. It was built on land donated by Elmer Winkler in 1993 and named after the local Pepsi-Cola bottler who partially funded the stadium's construction.[6]
Improvements
Improvements made to the stadium after the 2013 season brought a brand new VIP section, a picnic pavilion, and three outdoor party patios. A completely renovated Crawdads Cafe, suites, and concourse were also a part of the improvements.[7] Following the 2017 season, another round of renovations was announced. The renovations included a new HD video board, a new playing surface, renovated dugouts, replacing the outfield walls, and removing the support poles holding up the protective netting to improve sightlines.
References
- "Sox Shift to Hickory". Chicago Sun-Times. September 22, 1992. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- "Want to See Crawdads' Opener? Cross Your Claws and Get in Line". The Charlotte Observer. April 16, 1993. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
- 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.
- "Clients & Projects". Brittain Engineering, Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- "Kudos!" (PDF). Wayne Brothers, Inc. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- Knight, Graham (July 21, 2002). "L.P. Frans Stadium". Baseball Pilgrimages. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
- Tinkelenberg, John (December 2, 2013). "Home-Field Advantage". Hickory Daily Record. Retrieved May 30, 2014.