2009 Ballpark of the Year

[JAG72]

Well with billions being spent on some new major league ballparks this year who would win the 2009 ballpark of the year award?

Yankee Stadium?
Citi Field (Home of the Mets)?


Nope neither one of these won the award for 2009 with their 1 billion dollar stadiums. The award this year went to Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Columbus Clippers new stadium Huntington Park was officially named the ballpark of the year by bassballparks.com.

Press Release - Huntington Park is 2009 Ballpark of the Year

 

[Jimbo]

Well with billions being spent on some new major league ballparks this year who would win the 2009 ballpark of the year award?

Yankee Stadium?
Citi Field (Home of the Mets)?


Nope neither one of these won the award for 2009 with their 1 billion dollar stadiums. The award this year went to Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Columbus Clippers new stadium Huntington Park was officially named the ballpark of the year by bassballparks.com.

Press Release - Huntington Park is 2009 Ballpark of the Year

I believe the award went to the Toledo Mud Hens and 5/3rd field here in Toledo the year it opened, it was like 4-5 years ago though ...

 

[SabresRule]

Well with billions being spent on some new major league ballparks this year who would win the 2009 ballpark of the year award?

The award this year went to Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Columbus Clippers new stadium Huntington Park was officially named the ballpark of the year by bassballparks.com.

I'm sure HD will be happy.

 

[JAG72]

I believe the award went to the Toledo Mud Hens and 5/3rd field here in Toledo the year it opened, it was like 4-5 years ago though ...

Very possible as from what I read that only new ballparks are in the running. I just find it very funny that they spent billions in New York and could not win the award.

 

[Jimbo]

Very possible as from what I read that only new ballparks are in the running. I just find it very funny that they spent billions in New York and could not win the award.

I bet now that they have played in it for awhile, they would like a Do Over and make some changes.

I haven't taken a close look at the stadium, is there any room to move the rigth field wall back ?

 

[HD MM]

Huntington Park is a beautiful stadium from what I hear and the pictures I've seen. Next time I'm in C-Bus, I'll surely be stopping by.

I'm happy for the city of Columbus too. They've wanted a baseball team to follow for a long time. Good for them.

 

[Ramy]

That's funny that with the two most expensive ballparks that a minor league ballpark wins.

 

[SandraC]

I bet now that they have played in it for awhile, they would like a Do Over and make some changes.

I haven't taken a close look at the stadium, is there any room to move the rigth field wall back ?

Despite the sting of not winning the prestigious award from the venerable Joe Mock of bassballparks.com, I don't think the Yankees are all that disappointed in how their season is going at the moment.

Hopefully a playoff and world series berth will help them recover from this.


Sandra

 

[TNGTony]

Huntington Park is a beautiful stadium from what I hear and the pictures I've seen. Next time I'm in C-Bus, I'll surely be stopping by.

I'm happy for the city of Columbus too. They've wanted a baseball team to follow for a long time. Good for them.

The Columbus Clippers have been there for quite some time. They used to play in Cooper Field and they used to be a Yankees AAA team. The new park is awesome! It is intimate, keeps an "old-timey feel but is plenty modern without the big league prices!

I go to at least one Clippers game a year (along with a trip to Lexington (Legends), Louisville (Bats), Indianapolis (Indians), Toledo (Mudhens). I've yet to go to a Florence Freedom or Dayton Dragons game yet. I also try to catch a Carolina league game each year. I saw a Kinston Indians vs Durham Bulls game this summer.

There is nothing like Minor League baseball. In single A and AA there is no such thing as a "routine" fly!

See ya
Tony

 

[HD MM]

The Columbus Clippers have been there for quite some time. They used to play in Cooper Field and they used to be a Yankees AAA team. The new park is awesome! It is intimate, keeps an "old-timey feel but is plenty modern without the big league prices!

I go to at least one Clippers game a year (along with a trip to Lexington (Legends), Louisville (Bats), Indianapolis (Indians), Toledo (Mudhens). I've yet to go to a Florence Freedom or Dayton Dragons game yet. I also try to catch a Carolina league game each year. I saw a Kinston Indians vs Durham Bulls game this summer.

There is nothing like Minor League baseball. In single A and AA there is no such thing as a "routine" fly!

See ya
Tony

You're right. My apologies. This year, they've taken over as the minor league club of the Cleveland Indians though. Not sure if that makes it more special or not, (now being affiliated with an in-state club such as the Indians rather than the Yankees).

 

[Skyhi]

I walked passed the outside of Huntington Park in February.....it looked real nice. I need to see it from the inside next year.

 

[KCK_Halo]

Columbus has a long, rich tradition in minor league ball.

 

[JAG72]

Here are the teams that Columbus has been affiliated with.

Cleveland Indians (2009-present)
Washington Nationals (2007-2008)
New York Yankees (1979-2006)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1977-1978)

It was pretty cool when they were with the Yankees as there were many big time players come to town to play for a few games.

Notable alumni:
Brad Ausmus
Steve Balboni
Dale Berra
Jay Buhner
Melky Cabrera
Robinson Canó
Bubba Crosby
Drew Henson
Derek Jeter
Roberto Kelly
Don Mattingly
Hensley Meulens
Otis Nixon
Carlos Peña
Andy Pettitte
Andy Phillips
Jorge Posada
Dave Righetti
Mariano Rivera
Deion Sanders
Alfonso Soriano
Darryl Strawberry
Steve Taylor
Chien-Ming Wang
Bernie Williams

 

[SamCdbs]

This year, they've taken over as the minor league club of the Cleveland Indians though. Not sure if that makes it more special or not, (now being affiliated with an in-state club such as the Indians rather than the Yankees).

The Reds and the Indians always had a gentleman's agreement not to have minor league teams in the state, particularly in Columbus, which is claimed by both teams as "in-market", other than Cleveland's low minor teams in what are more or less Cleveland suburbs.

This left Columbus with a good relationship with the Yankees. Yankee-Clipper get it?

This fell apart with the move of a Reds team into Dayton and then the downgrading of CMH so that connections to NYC were more difficult. The Yankees decided to move into NE Penn, where it makes an overlap "in-market" claim.

Really, IMHO, it makes sense for AAA and AA teams to be reasonabably close to home. It makes moving players easier, and can tip the loyality in an overlap area.

 

[Ramy]

I went to a game down in Myrtle Beach back in 1987 where I got to see the Myrtle Beach Blue Jays play a Pirates farm team. On the MB team was some people that played in the majors. I can't remember, I will look up my program when I get home. On the Pirates team was Mike "Spanky" LaValliere.

 

[HD MM]

The Reds and the Indians always had a gentleman's agreement not to have minor league teams in the state, particularly in Columbus, which is claimed by both teams as "in-market", other than Cleveland's low minor teams in what are more or less Cleveland suburbs.

This left Columbus with a good relationship with the Yankees. Yankee-Clipper get it?

This fell apart with the move of a Reds team into Dayton and then the downgrading of CMH so that connections to NYC were more difficult. The Yankees decided to move into NE Penn, where it makes an overlap "in-market" claim.

Really, IMHO, it makes sense for AAA and AA teams to be reasonabably close to home. It makes moving players easier, and can tip the loyality in an overlap area.

Personally, I love that our AAA affiliate is now in Columbus and that all of our farm teams are so close.

With the Indians AAA club now located in Columbus (formally the Buffalo Bison), this now aligns all of our minor league clubs within the state of Ohio....

A- Lake County Captains
AA- Akron Aeros
AAA- Columbus Clippers

 

[JAG72]

It's to bad that Columbus could not have gotten a better team this year. The Indians are horrible and their farm teams are just as bad.