Raley Field

Last updated
Raley Field
Raley Field logo.png
Rivercats at Raley Field2.JPG
Raley Field in 2007
Location400 Ballpark Drive
West Sacramento, CA 95691
Coordinates 38°34′49.34″N121°30′49.68″W / 38.5803722°N 121.5138000°W / 38.5803722; -121.5138000 Coordinates: 38°34′49.34″N121°30′49.68″W / 38.5803722°N 121.5138000°W / 38.5803722; -121.5138000
Public transit BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Sacramento Regional Transit.svg Sacramento Valley Station
Sacramento Regional Transit.svg 7th & Capitol (southbound)
Sacramento Regional Transit.svg 8th & Capitol (northbound)
Owner River City Stadium Management, LLC [1]
Operator River City Stadium Management, LLC
Capacity 10,624 (Fixed Seats)
14,014 (Lawn + Standing Room)
Field sizeLeft - 330 feet (101 m)
Center - 403 feet (123 m)
Right - 325 feet (99 m).
Backstop - 58 feet (18 m)
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 28, 1999 [2]
OpenedMay 15, 2000
Construction cost $46.5 million
($67.7 million in 2018 dollars [3] )
Architect HNTB [1]
Project managerCordell Corp. [4]
Services engineerFrank M. Booth, Inc. [5]
General contractorJR Roberts Corporation [6]
Tenants
Sacramento River Cats (PCL) (2000–present)
Sacramento Mountain Lions (UFL) (2012)
Sacramento State Hornets (NCAA) (2013–present, Occasional)

Raley Field is the home of the Sacramento River Cats minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League; the Rivercats are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since 2015. Raley Field was built on the site of old warehouses and rail yards in West Sacramento, California, across the Sacramento River from the California State Capitol. It is directly adjacent to downtown Sacramento.

Sacramento River Cats Minor League Baseball team

The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. They are located in West Sacramento, California, and play their home games at Raley Field which opened in 2000.

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern, and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball. It is officially named the Pacific Coast League of Professional Baseball Clubs, Inc. Its headquarters are in Round Rock, Texas.

Triple-A (baseball) Highest level of competition in Minor League Baseball

Triple-A or Class AAA is the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Mexico. Before 2008, Triple-A leagues also fielded teams in Canada. A total of 30 teams play in the Triple-A International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL), with 14 teams in the IL and 16 in the PCL. The MLB-independent Mexican League fields 16 teams. Triple-A teams are typically located in large metropolitan areas that do not have Major League Baseball teams, such as San Antonio; Austin; Columbus; and Indianapolis.

Contents

History

The $46.5 million stadium was built in 8½ months, but extended periods of bad weather forced the River Cats on a season opening one month-long road trip, as completion was delayed 45 days. The completion time however was estimated to be about two years. The home opening day was May 15, 2000.

The stadium is one of the few professional sports facilities in the nation built without a public sector contribution. Although constructed using bonds financed by the River City Stadium Financing Authority, bond payments are paid from ticket, concession, advertising, and other revenues, not taxes. Because the $46.5 million project cost was too large for the host city to finance, Christopher Cabaldon, in his first term as Mayor of West Sacramento, recruited Sacramento County and Yolo County to join his city in a joint-powers agency which became the stadium financing authority. Because of the success of the stadium, its private revenue sources have been more than sufficient to repay the construction bonds and build a bond reserve.

Christopher Cabaldon American politician

Christopher L. Cabaldon is a Filipino-American politician from California who serves as mayor of West Sacramento. He is the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. He also represents the State of California on the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education as an appointee of California Governor Jerry Brown. He is a member of the Democratic Party and Vice President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors. He is openly gay.

West Sacramento, California City in California, United States

West Sacramento is a city in Yolo County, California. The city is separated from Sacramento by the Sacramento River which also separates Sacramento and Yolo counties. It is a fast-growing community; the population was 48,744 at the 2010 census, up from 31,615 at the 2000 census. The traditional industrial center of the region since the Gold Rush era, West Sacramento is home to a diverse economy and is one of the area's top four employment centers.

Sacramento County, California County in California ----, United States

Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California, State of the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,418,788. Its county seat is Sacramento, which has been the state capital of California since 1854.

The stadium has 10,624 permanent seats and grass berms in both right and left field for a total capacity of 14,014. [7] Its original capacity was 14,611 and was decreased to 14,414 in 2005 with the addition of a party deck. It further decreased in 2010 with the opening of the Diamond Club behind home plate. [8] The field dimensions are 330 (LF), 403 (CF), 325 (RF). The stadium has 2,798 club seats and 750 seats in 36 suites. [8]

The naming rights for the facility were sold to Raley's, a regional chain of supermarkets which is also based in West Sacramento, for $15 million over 20 years. The stadium was not designed with expansion in mind; therefore, if a major league ballclub ever moved to Sacramento there would be significant work required. [9]

Naming rights Financial transaction and form of advertising whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility or event, typically for a defined period of time

Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility or event, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three to 20 years. Longer terms are more common for higher profile venues such as a professional sports facility.

The ballpark hosted the 2005 Triple-A All-Star Game in which the Pacific Coast League All-Stars defeated the International League All-Stars, 11–5. [10]

Triple-A All-Star Game

The Triple-A All-Star Game is an annual baseball game sanctioned by Minor League Baseball between professional players from the two affiliated Triple-A leagues—the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Each league fields a team composed of players in their respective leagues as voted on by fans, the media, and each club's field manager, coaches, and general manager. From the inaugural 1988 event through 1997, teams of American League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars faced off against teams of National League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars.

International League Minor League Baseball league of AAA teams operating in the eastern United States

The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the eastern United States and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.

There was discussion of the Sacramento Mountain Lions, an American football team in the United Football League, using the field during the 2012 season. [11] A final agreement to this effect was announced on August 6, 2012. [12] The UFL, including the Mountain Lions, abruptly shut down operations in the middle of the 2012 season.

Sacramento Mountain Lions American football team of the United Football League

The Sacramento Mountain Lions were a professional American football team based in Sacramento, California that played in the United Football League. The franchise originated as the California Redwoods, and played its home games in San Francisco and San Jose before relocating to Hornet Stadium in Sacramento in 2010, then to Raley Field in West Sacramento in 2012. The team was coached by Dennis Green for three of its four years of existence. Amid financial problems, the UFL abruptly folded in the middle of the 2012 season.

American football Team field sport

American football, referred to as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, which is the team with possession of the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with or passing the ball, while the defense, which is the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs, or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive. Points are primarily scored by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins.

On July 18, 2013, Raley Field hosted a soccer match, a friendly featuring Mexican side Dorados de Sinaloa and Premier League side Norwich City F.C. [13] The game finished 3-0 to Norwich, with goals from Luciano Becchio, Anthony Pilkington and Josh Murphy. The match's attendance was 14,014. [14]

As part of the Golden State Hockey Rush, Raley Field hosted a minor league hockey game between the Stockton Heat and the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League on December 18, 2015. [15]

The ballpark will be renamed Sutter Health Park before the 2020 season as part of a naming rights agreement with Sacramento-based Sutter Health. [16]

Related Research Articles

Sahlen Field baseball park in Buffalo, New York, USA

Sahlen Field is a 16,600-seat baseball park in Buffalo, New York, which hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 14, 1988, as the tenants of the facility, the Buffalo Bisons, defeated the Denver Zephyrs, 1-0. HOK Sport designed the park as one of the first retro-classic ballparks. This concept featured classic and distinctive architecture, a grass, baseball-specific design and a location within the downtown core. The same firm would bring this concept to the major leagues four years later with Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The Tri-City ValleyCats are a Minor League Baseball team based in Troy, New York. They play in the New York–Penn League (NYPL) as the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. The Tri-City name refers to the three nearby cities of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy which make up New York State's Capital District. Beginning play in 2002, the ValleyCats are the Capital Region's longest-tenured professional sports organization. They play their games at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium which opened in 2002 on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College. They won the NYPL championship in 2010, 2013, and 2018.

Isotopes Park baseball stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Isotopes Park is a minor league baseball stadium located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is the home field of the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific Coast League, the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. The facility was also previously used by the baseball program of the University of New Mexico. The stadium also hosts New Mexico United, an expansion team in the United Soccer League that began play in 2019.

The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado Rockies for one. They played their home games at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut. The team moved to Dunkin' Donuts Park in nearby Hartford before the 2016 season, becoming the Hartford Yard Goats.

AutoZone Park baseball stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, USA

AutoZone Park is a Minor League Baseball stadium located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, and is home to the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Memphis 901 FC of the United Soccer League (USL). The Redbirds are the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's (MLB) St. Louis Cardinals. In 2009, the stadium was named Minor League Ballpark of the Year by Baseball America.

Victory Field Indianapolis

Victory Field is a minor league ballpark in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is home to the Indianapolis Indians of the International League.

Frontier Field Baseball stadium in Rochester, New York, home of the Red Wings

Frontier Field is a baseball stadium located at One Morrie Silver Way in downtown Rochester, New York. It has been the home of the Rochester Red Wings of the International League since 1997. The park opened in 1996, replacing Silver Stadium in northern Rochester, which had been home to professional baseball in Rochester since 1929. Although the stadium was built for baseball, Frontier Field has had several tenants in numerous sports, including the Rochester Raging Rhinos of the United Soccer Leagues from 1996 to 2005, and the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse from 2001 to 2002. The ballpark seats 10,840 spectators for baseball.

The Diamond (Richmond, Virginia) home venue of the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team

The Diamond is a baseball stadium located in Richmond, Virginia, USA, on Boulevard. It is the home of Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League and the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team. From 1985 to 2008, it was the home of the Richmond Braves, the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The Diamond seats 12,134 people for baseball; however, for Flying Squirrels games, advertising banners cover up the top rows of the upper deck, reducing seating capacity to 9,560.

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark opened in 1998 in downtown Oklahoma City's Bricktown Entertainment District, replacing All Sports Stadium. It is the home of the Oklahoma City Dodgers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers Major League Baseball team. The park has seating for up to 13,066 fans and currently utilizes a seating capacity of 9,000 for Dodgers games.

Cashman Field Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada

Cashman Field is a soccer stadium in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. It is primarily used for soccer as the home field of Las Vegas Lights FC of the USL Championship. It was formerly the home of the Las Vegas 51s Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. The field is adjacent to Cashman Center, an exhibit hall and theater operated by the City of Las Vegas. The complex is named for James "Big Jim" Cashman and his family, who have been Las Vegas entrepreneurs for several generations.

Harbor Park architectural structure

Harbor Park is a stadium, used primarily for baseball, on the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Once rated the best minor league stadium by Baseball America, it is home to the Norfolk Tides Minor League Baseball team. The Tides are the Baltimore Orioles' Triple-A farm team and compete in the South division of the International League. Harbor Park opened on April 14, 1993, and can seat 11,856 people.

BB&T Ballpark (Charlotte)

BB&T Ballpark is a baseball stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Uptown-area stadium hosts the Charlotte Knights, a Triple-A Minor League Baseball team in the International League. It is also the third sports building to be built in Uptown, after Bank of America Stadium and Spectrum Center.

Greater Nevada Field baseball park in Reno, Nevada

Greater Nevada Field is a Minor League Baseball venue in the Western United States, located in Reno, Nevada. Opened in 2009, it is the home of the Triple-A Reno Aces of the Pacific Coast League and Reno 1868 FC of the USL Championship. Greater Nevada Field is on the north bank of the Truckee River and welcomes over 500,000 ticketed fans per year.

Triple-A National Championship Game

The Triple-A National Championship Game, previously known as the Bricktown Showdown, is a single championship game held annually between the league champions of the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL) affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball (MiLB) to determine an overall champion of the classification. The championship consists of a single nine-inning game to determine a champion. As the game is usually played at a neutral site, the host league has its team designated as the home team.

Double-A (baseball) Minor League Baseball competition level between Class A and Class AAA

Double-A is the second highest level of play in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in the United States after Triple-A. There are thirty Double-A teams in three leagues at this classification: Eastern League, Southern League, and the Texas League. The modern Double-A classification was created in 1946 with the renaming of Class A1, which then contained the Texas League and the Southern Association. After the Southern Association disbanded in 1961, the Eastern League and the original South Atlantic "Sally" League were bumped up to Double-A in the 1963 minor league reorganization. The SAL changed its name to the Southern League in 1964.

First Tennessee Park Baseball stadium in Nashville, Tennessee

First Tennessee Park is a baseball park in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The home of the Triple-A Nashville Sounds of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), it opened on April 17, 2015, and can seat up to 10,000 people. It replaced the Sounds' former home, Herschel Greer Stadium, where the team played from its founding in 1978 until 2014.

Las Vegas Ballpark baseball park in Summerlin, Nevada

Las Vegas Ballpark is a baseball stadium in Summerlin, Nevada in the Las Vegas Valley. It is the home field for the Las Vegas Aviators of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. The stadium is owned by the Howard Hughes Corporation. Las Vegas Ballpark is located in Downtown Summerlin near the intersection of South Pavilion Center Drive and Summerlin Center Drive next to City National Arena and across the street from the Downtown Summerlin shopping center. Construction of the $150 million stadium began in 2018 and was completed in time for the Aviators' 2019 season. It replaced the team's previous home at Cashman Field, where the team had resided since 1983.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pacific Coast League". Ballparks.com. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  2. "Ballpark Beginnings". The Sacramento Bee . October 29, 1999. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  3. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  4. Parker, Clifton B. (May 26, 2000). "Raley Field: Sacramento's New Baseball Field". Sacramento Business Journal . Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  5. "Raley Field". Frank M. Booth. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  6. "Parex Steps Up To The Plate At Sacramento's New Raley Field". Design Cost Data. March 1, 2002. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  7. Knight, Graham; Smight, Tim (April 1, 2010). "10 Great Places for a Baseball Pilgrimage". USA Today . Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  8. 1 2 "2015 Sacramento River Cats Media Guide" (PDF). Minor League Baseball. April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  9. Layer, Marine (March 7, 2009). "How to Expand a Minor League Park". New Ballpark. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  10. "Triple-A All-Star Game Results (2003–2007)". Triple-A Baseball. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  11. Tonsall, Sonseeahray (July 17, 2012). "Sign of Things To Come: Another Team Playing At Raley Field". KTXL . Sacramento. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  12. Johnson, Kelly (August 6, 2012). "It's Official: Mountain Lions Will Play Football at Baseball Stadium". Sacramento Business Journal . Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  13. Breton, Marcos (July 16, 2013). "Time Has Come for An MLS Team in Sacramento". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  14. Goyette, Jared (July 19, 2013). "Meeting Republic F.C. and What We Learned From Sacramento Soccer Day". Sacramento Press. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  15. "Oilers', Flames' AHL affiliates to play outdoor game". NHL.com. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  16. "River Cats' Home to Become Sutter Health Park". Ballpark Digest. August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.