Regency Furniture Stadium

Infobox_Baseball_Stadium
stadium_name = Regency Furniture Stadium
nickname = "Home of Crustacean Nation"


location = 11765 St. Linus Drive
Waldorf, Maryland 20602
broke_ground = July 27, 2007
opened = May 2, 2008
closed =
demolished =
owner = Charles County, Maryland
operator = Opening Day Partners; Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
surface = grass | construction_cost = $25.6 million
architect = Tetra Tech, Inc.
tenants = Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (ALPB) (2008-present)
seating_capacity = 4,200
dimensions = Left Field: 310 ft.

Center Field: 400 ft. (121.92)

Right Field: 325 ft. (99.06 m)

Regency Furniture Stadium is a 4,200-seat baseball-only stadium in Waldorf, Maryland that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 2, 2008, as the tenants of the facility, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, 3-2. With the groundbreaking for Southern Maryland's new stadium, a local company, Regency Furniture, purchased the naming rights for $2.88 million over 10 years. [cite web | title=Regency Furniture Purchases Naming Rights | work=Southern Maryland Professional Baseball | url=http://www.somdprobaseball.com/news.cfm?newsID=5 | accessdate=May 16 | accessyear=2006]

Regency Furniture Stadium is capped by sloping red roofs, similar to the architecture of Churchill Downs, designed to pay homage to the Southern Maryland region's tobacco barns. [cite web | title=Blue Crabs will play in 2008 | work=Washington Post | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201376.html | accessdate=December 14 | accessyear=2006]

The ballpark features several seafood concessions such as the sea dog (fish on a hot dog bun), fried rockfish, crab cakes, crab balls, and the crab-filled soft pretzel. [ [http://www.ballparkdigest.com/visits/southern_maryland.htm Ballpark Digest visits Regency Furniture Stadium] ]

History

In 1985, Charles County initiated plans to build a ballpark for the relocated Kinston Indians of the Carolina League. Construction workers even cleared trees to prepare the site, however, the ballpark planning eventually fell through. After county commissioners balked on the construction, $500,000 in public funds were paid to cancel signed contracts and undo the progress made during site preparation. The A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians remained in Kinston, and the Southern Maryland region was without a professional baseball team for another 23 years. [cite web | title=Charles scores one for the home team | work=Washington Post | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/01/AR2008050103690_pf.html | accessdate=May 2 | accessyear=2008]

In 2004, a company called Maryland Baseball LLC renewed interest for a Charles County ballpark. The stadium was originally slated to be built in the town of Hughesville, but the residents voted against it in order to maintain the "rural charm" of the area. [cite web | title=Baseball is Coming to Charles County | work=Washington Post | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021602031.html | accessdate=February 4 | accessyear=2008] After Hughesville residents denied the ballpark, all interest shifted to Waldorf, a bedroom community of Washington, D.C. [cite web | title=Minor league baseball coming to Charles County | work=Washington Post | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021602031.html | accessdate=June 5 | accessyear=2006] The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball formally announced an expansion team for Waldorf on February 15, 2006, to begin play in the 2008 season. [cite web | title=Atlantic League awards team to Southern Maryland | work=Southern Maryland Baseball | url=http://www.somdprobaseball.com/news.cfm?newsID=4 | accessdate=June 5 | accessyear=2006] The Blue Crabs were originally supposed to be an expansion team for the 2007 season, but the construction bids for Regency Furniture Stadium came in over budget. The ballpark instead opened in 2008. [cite web | title=Bids for Regency Furniture Stadium over budget | work=York Daily Record | url=2008.http://www.ydr.com/yorkbaseball/ci_4050605 | accessdate=July 14 | accessyear=2006]

In May 2007, commissioners from Charles County approved a $19 million bid for the construction of Regency Furniture Stadium. [cite web | title=RFS funding approved | work=Delmarva Now | url=http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/NEWS01/70524007/1002 | accessdate=May 25 | accessyear=2007] The groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 27, 2007 with Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley in attendance. [cite web | title=RFS groundbreaking| work=The Baynet| url=http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/6450 | accessdate=July 29| accessyear=2008]

Ballpark attractions

* Backfin Pale Ale- beer vendor.
* Crab Shack- Blue Crabs souvenir store.
* Legends Club- business conference or party center.
* Red Hot & Blue Picnic Pavilion- Memphis-style pit barbecue buffet.

Crabby Cove

Crabby Cove is a 54,000 gallon, artificial pond with ten bumper boats equipped with water cannons and a small waterfall. Safety netting prevents incoming baseballs from injuring patrons of Crabby Cove. The only other ballpark in North America that features a bumper boat pond is Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Outfield wall

The outfield wall of Regency Furniture Stadium bears a door for players to take the field, modeled after Fenway Park's Green Monster in Boston, Massachusetts. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/03/AR2008050300124_2.html RFS's outfield wall] ]

References

External links

* [http://somdbluecrabs.com/preview.cfm Regency Furniture Stadium]