McCormick Field
Lewis McCormick Field is a baseball stadium in Asheville, North Carolina. It is the home field of the Asheville Tourists team of Minor League Baseball. As befits the hilly city of Asheville, the ballpark sits on a section of level ground partway up one of the city's hills, providing a picturesque atmosphere.[3] It is the third-oldest ballpark in Minor League Baseball.[4]
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| Location | 30 Buchanan Place Asheville, North Carolina, 28801 |
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| Coordinates | 35°35′14″N 82°32′57″W |
| Owner | City of Asheville |
| Operator | DeWine Seeds Silver Dollar Baseball, LLC. |
| Capacity | 4,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 326 ft (99 m) Left-Center: 370 ft (110 m) Center Field: 373 ft (114 m) Right-Center: 320 ft (98 m) Right Field: 297 ft (91 m) |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1923 |
| Opened | April 3, 1924 |
| Renovated | 1959, 1992 |
| Construction cost | $200,000 ($3.42 million in 2022 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Bowers, Ellis, and Watson[2] |
| General contractor | Leader Construction[2] |
| Tenants | |
| Asheville Tourists (SAL/High-A East) (1924–present) UNC Asheville Bulldogs (BSC) Big South Tournament (2009) Asheville Blues (NSL) (1940s) | |
History
The ballpark was built in 1924 and was named after Asheville resident Lewis McCormick. Lights were installed for nighttime play prior to the 1930 season.[5] Since then, it has been home to the various incarnations of the Asheville Tourists team, and also served as home field for the Asheville Blues of the Negro Southern League during the 1940s.[5] In 1956, a quarter-mile racetrack was built around it, which held three NASCAR races[6] until the facility was renovated in 1959, and then rebuilt in concrete between the 1991 and 1992 seasons, replacing the largely wood structure which had developed a leaky roof. The 1992 ballpark kept a similar layout to the original McCormick Field. The facility included new expanded restrooms and larger concession stands. New clubhouses were built and lights erected as player and field enhancements. The height of the fence behind the cozy right field area, which was in the vicinity of just 300 feet (91 m) away from home plate, was more than tripled, as it now stands 36 feet (11 m) tall (nearly the same height as Fenway Park's "Green Monster").[7]
It is one of the oldest Minor League Baseball stadiums still in regular use; as of the 2021 season, only Jackie Robinson Ballpark and LECOM Park, both in Florida, are older, dating to 1914 and 1923, respectively.[4]
Other uses
The ballpark served as one of the settings for the 1988 film Bull Durham.[8]
The venue hosted the 2009 Big South Conference baseball tournament, won by Coastal Carolina.[9]
Farther up the hill, behind the left field area, is Asheville Memorial Stadium, a football and soccer facility. Its bleacher seating structure is visible from McCormick Field. It was used as the Asheville High School football field until the current, on-campus field was constructed in 1980, as a practice field, in 82, as the main football field, with the addition of sufficient bleachers.
References
- 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.
- "McCormick Field". University of North Carolina at Asheville. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
- Jarrett, Keith (May 14, 2007). "On Base with the Asheville Tourists". Asheville Citizen Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
- Hill, Benjamin (February 18, 2021). "Been a while: Oldest Minor League ballparks". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- "Ballparks of the Negro Leagues and Barnstorming Black Baseball Teams". Negro League Baseball Players Association. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
- "McCORMICK FIELD RACEWAY (NC)". speedwayandroadracehistory. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
- Ballew, Bill (November 19, 2013). "History of McCormick Field". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
- Jarrett, Keith (June 16, 2013). "Local Men Recall 'Bull Durham' Roles". Asheville Citizen Times. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
- "Coastal Carolina Wins Big South Baseball Championship". Big South Conference. May 23, 2009. Archived from the original on May 31, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2012.