Banner Island Ballpark

Infobox_Baseball_Stadium
stadium_name = Banner Island Ballpark
nickname = "Stockton Ballpark", "Mini AT&T"


location = 404 W. Fremont Street
Stockton, California 95203
broke_ground =
opened = 2005
owner = City of Stockton
operator = City of Stockton
surface = Grass
construction_cost = $22 Million USD;
architect = HKS, Inc.
tenants = Stockton Ports (California League) (2005-present)
seating_capacity = 5,300 (baseball)
dimensions = Left Field - 300 ft
Center Field - 399 ft
Right Field - 326 ft

Banner Island Ballpark is a baseball stadium located in Stockton, California, which seats over 5,300 people. It is the home field of the Stockton Ports, a minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics in the Class A California League.

History

The $22 million Banner Island Ballpark opened with a game on April 28, 2005, during which the Stockton Ports defeated the San Jose Giants 7-4 in front of a sellout crowd. The ballpark is a part of a revitalization project for the Downtown Stockton waterfront, it was built concurrently with the Stockton Arena and will be integrated with a waterfront park.

The Banner Island area is also the purported home of a previous Stockton baseball team that played in the late 1800s. Local residents claim that the team was the inspiration for the Mudville Nine in Casey at the Bat, a poem by Ernest Thayer. Before moving to the ballpark, the Stockton Ports were known as the Mudville Nine during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

The Name

The name "Banner Island Ballpark" is actually an unofficial name that is used among fans and the administration of the Stockton Ports. The City of Stockton owns the naming rights of the ballpark and until the rights are sold the stadium is officially known as the Stockton Ballpark.

The ballpark gets its unofficial name from the area of which it is located, Banner Island. Banner Island was once an island in the San Joaquin River delta, through time the island was connected to the mainland through infill and only southern shore remains. Despite the fact the area is no longer an island, the Banner Island name has stuck.

External links

* [http://www.ballparkwatch.com/visits/stockton.htm Ballpark Digest] Banner Island Ballpark
* [http://www.ballparkreviews.com/stockton/banner.htm ballparkreviews.com] Banner Island Ballpark
* [http://www.stocktonports.com/ballpark/history/ Stockton Ports] Ballpark History