|
Opening in 1994,
Rangers Ballpark
in
Arlington is a ballpark featuring elements of some of baseball's
classic ballparks and provides one of the best game-day experiences
for fans. With an
aging
Arlington Stadium a new ballpark for the Texas Rangers needed
to be built. The team began lobbying for a new stadium in the
late 1980s and on October 24, 1990, an agreement between the Texas
Rangers and the City of Arlington was reached to construct a
new stadium. Constructed just a quarter-mile from Arlington Stadium, construction began April 24, 1992
and only took 23 months for the ballpark to be built. Originally named the Ballpark in Arlington,
the Rangers played their first game at the ballpark on April 11, 1994
against the Milwaukee Brewers. In May 2004, Ameriquest Mortgage
Company bought the naming rights to the ballpark for $75 million
over 30 years, giving the ballpark the name, Ameriquest
Field in Arlington. However in March 2007, the team announced that
they had ended their naming rights deal with Ameriquest and renamed
the ballpark, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. From the exterior to the interior many ideas
from bygone ballparks were used at Rangers Ballpark in
Arlington. As fans
approach the ballpark, it resembles Ebbets Field with its red brick
facade and arches. Once inside the ballpark, a brick Walk of Fame
containing information and rosters of every Texas Rangers team
extends around the entire facility. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is the only
retro ballpark built that is enclosed as over 49,000 seats and a four
story office complex surround the playing field. Great views can be
found from just about anywhere in the ballpark. However, the upper
deck is the furthest from the action in major league baseball
history. The main five tier grandstand extends from behind home
plate down to the right field foul pole, and down to and
around the
left field foul pole to the office complex in centerfield. In right
field is a double decked covered homerun porch, similar to the one
that was found at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington has many modern features including 120
luxury suites divided into two tiers, with each suite named after a MLB All-Star
player.
The main 42 foot by 120 foot HD video/
scoreboard is
located above the homerun porch in right field. A 10ft.
high manual out of town scoreboard is part of the left
field wall. Many amenities can be found at the ballpark
including the Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame that
contains team artifacts and captures the franchise's
history, the Kid's Zone, providing
interactive games for kids and the all you can eat seats
located in the Upper Home Run Porch. Located in the heart of Texas, the summer heat is often a
facts at Rangers games, making Rangers Ballpark in Arlington one of the hottest
places for fans to attend games.
 Over the past three off-seasons the Rangers have
spent $35 million on improvements and renovations to
the ballpark. After the 2010 season, the audio and
video systems were upgraded that included the 5,000
square-foot HD video board. Before the 2012 season a
23,000 square-foot indoor, air-conditioned space,
that includes a two story restaurant and sports bar,
a kid's zone and a 100 seat Batter's Eye Club was
added in centerfield. Aluminum bleachers, originally
from Arlington Stadium, on both sides of Greene's
Hill were replaced with traditional ballpark seats
lowering the total seating capacity by 600. The
visitors bullpen was also reconfigured to run
parallel to the left centerfield wall. The latest
additions, completed before the 2013 season, include
an expanded homeplate club, the Capital One Club,
adding a row of seats directly behind homeplate,
expanding the dugouts and adding a new Rangers
merchandise store.
|
