CONSOL Energy Park

CONSOL Energy Park
"The House of Thrills"
Former names	Falconi Field
Location	1 Washington Federal Way, Washington, PA 15301
Coordinates	40°9′15″N 80°17′1″W / 40.15417°N 80.28361°W / 40.15417; -80.28361
Opened	May 29, 2002
Owner	Ballpark Scholarships Inc.
Surface	Artificial Turf
Capacity	3,200 (Baseball) 5,000 (Concert)
Field dimensions	Left Field — 320 ft Center Field — 410 ft Right Field — 320 ft
Tenants
Washington Wild Things (2002 - Present) California University of Pennsylvania (2002 - Present) Trinity High School (2001 - Present) WPIAL Baseball Championships (2002 - Present) Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2005 - 2006)

CONSOL Energy Park is a 3,200-seat baseball-only stadium in North Franklin Township near Washington, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 29, 2002, as the primary tenants of the facility, the Washington Wild Things, lost to the Canton Coyotes, 3-0. The ballpark also hosts the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans baseball team. It also hosts Trinity High School's baseball team and the WPIAL Baseball Championships. It was briefly the home of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club (who now play at Chartiers Valley High School) during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. CONSOL Energy Park is located near Interstate 70 and is one of the only ballparks that includes a hot tub in the viewing stands. Ballpark Scholarships, Inc., a non-profit organization leases the stadium. ProGrass Synthetic Turf was installed in the Fall of 2010.

The stadium was formerly known as Falconi Field until April 12, 2007, when CONSOL Energy, Inc. and Washington County Family Entertainment entered a naming rights partnership to rename the complex CONSOL Energy Park.^[1] The field, located within 30 miles of the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, is frequently confused with its sister-namesake.

History

In 2001, a 16-member "baseball exploratory committee" led by Leo Trich, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, helped form a nonprofit group named Ballpark Scholarships Inc. to build a $5.8 million stadium in Washington County. $2 million of the cost of the stadium came in form of taxpayer assistance, while the rest was funded privately. A large amount of the private financing needed to build the stadium came from a generous donation that local businessman, Angelo F. Falconi. The Wild Things made their debut on May 25, 2002 at Falconi Field for an exhibition game against the Johnstown Johnnies.

Trich originally hoped to bring an affiliated Class A minor league team to Washington, however he was unsuccessful. Meanwhile a local group purchased the Canton Crocodiles of the independent Frontier League and moved them to the stadium to begin play as the Washington Wild Things in 2002. The team lost its inaugural game 3-0 to the Canton Coyotes.

The Wild Things rebounded from losing their first game to finish 56-28 and reached the Frontier League championship, which they lost to the Richmond Roosters three games to one. Playoffs included, the Wild Things drew 132,901 to Falconi Field in 2002. The year before the franchise had their games attended by just 29,703 fans in Canton, which is five times the population of Washington.

On April 12, 2007, the stadium's name was changed to CONSOL Energy Park after the Washington County-based coal mining company paid an undisclosed sum as part of a 10-year naming rights agreement. However a plant garden just inside of the main entrance in right field contains a sign thanking Falconi for his contribution in the stadium's construction.

Concerts

Bob Dylan played at Falconi Field in 2006. He returned to the park in 2009, this time with John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson.

References

1. ^ http://www.consolenergy.com/Powering/Partnership.aspx

• Washington County Family Entertainment and CONSOL Energy Form Complex Naming Rights Partnership
• Baseball Pilgrimages: CONSOL Energy Park

External links

• Photographs of CONSOL Energy Park, home of the Washington Wild Things - Rochester Area Ballparks

See also

• Ross Memorial Park and Alexandre Stadium

Events and tenants
Preceded by T.R. Hughes Ballpark	Host of the FL All-Star Game Falconi Field 2005	Succeeded by Bosse Field