Charlotte Knights AAA Ballpark in Third Ward

[Niner National]

I think the wall would also have to be extended. I could be wrong, but I thought I had read that the field is very short, even for AAA standards.

[SouthEndCLT811]

I think the wall would also have to be extended. I could be wrong, but I thought I had read that the field is very short, even for AAA standards.

 

I believe it's 315 to the RF foul pole.  While short it's not unheard of for an MLB team to have a short porch in either left or right.  Yankee stadium comes to mind as it's 314 to right and 316 to left.

 

Just means it's a hitter friendly park versus say a Detroit that is 330 to right, 345 to left or Citi Field that is 338 to both fields.  They are arguably two of the more pitcher friendly fields.

Edited April 11, 2014 by SouthEndCLT811

[SouthEndCLT811]

Actually I looked again, 325 to right, 330 to left and 400 to center are BB&T Ballpark's dimensions.  That is plenty big enough for MLB.  One thing that'd need to be addressed in a renovation is likely where the bullpen is currently located down both foul lines.  It is very close to being in play.  I'm surprised they weren't tucked away behind an outfield fence but I imagine that'd change if we were to ever get an MLB team.

Edited April 11, 2014 by SouthEndCLT811

[MilZ]

Or taking it a step further, here's moving Graham Northwest and adding more stands (upper deck) the whole way around.

 

 

While I think all of this could technically be possible, I think an MLB stadium of 30,000+ would need a majority of those seats closer to home plate/ the infield.  That said, although I am an MLB fan, its worth admitting I would personally prefer an Charlotte MLS (growing league, tickets $25+, capacity 20,000 & young/energetic) team and AAA baseball over an MLB (polarized league, tickets $60+, big $$$ needed for constancy) and a USL Pro team. I'd actually love if the Triad or Triangle was able to support MLB and Charlotte became their AAA farm team. An MLB team in Cabarrus (very doubtful) would cannibalize the knights (vice-versa).

Edited April 11, 2014 by MilZ

[Matthew.Brendan]

^^^ So, 10-15 years from now to make the jump?

[Missmylab4]

I'd rather have MLS at this point as well. A market like here would struggle to keep up with the Jones of the MLB. One does have to wonder if there is enough talent for many more expansion MLS teams?

[birky]

I think we should force Jerry Reese to live at the old Days Inn site. One year for every frivolous lawsuit he brought against the city over this ballpark.

[SentioVenia]

I'd rather have MLS at this point as well. A market like here would struggle to keep up with the Jones of the MLB. One does have to wonder if there is enough talent for many more expansion MLS teams?

I'd rather see that, too.  If they can poach some European league players while they're still in their prime - as opposed to later-years Beckham and Henry - expansion might be doable. 

[cltbwimob]

A couple of notes on this topic...

1. To anyone who will be attending the opener, enjoy the game, it looks like it will be a hit. I am very much a supporter of MLB in Charlotte and used to agree with Mr Reese that a minor league stadium will likely stop a major league team from coming to Charlotte. After seeing the excitement surrounding the Knights, and assuming that excitement remains after the honeymoon, I am convinced their success will be instrumental in helping prime our area for an MLB expansion/relocation one day. Initially, the thought was that attendance would double year over year, but I read an article today that said their average attendance this year may be triple their average attendance last year. Furthermore, tickets are selling at MLB prices on the secondary market for some games. All this will make it hard for teams like the Rays to ignore in the coming years if they do not get a new stadium. (Lease on the Trop for those who do not know expires in 2027, well within the 10-15 year time frame everyone seems to believe is needed for MLB).

2. I wonder if Mr. Reese realizes that placing a hypothetical team in Concord to be closer to a growing area of fans (specifically the Triad) puts the team farther away from the Columbia, Hickory, and Upstate metro areas which have a combined population almost 50% higher than the Triad. That is one major benefit to placing a hypothetical team in Downtown Charlotte...it has four other metro areas roughly 50-100 miles away. Furthermore, placing a team in Concord vis-a-vis Uptown would be worse for the fans of the primary metro area whose fans would be the ones filling the seats during the dead of the week, not fans from Guilford and Alamnce Counties.

[ah59396]

Uptown be poppin for Knights baseball! Food trucks, bier garden and great weather!

(Some good looking ladies too)

[kermit]

$9 beers

Baseball sucks....

Edit: its a sour grape situation. I was on the wrong side of the fence tonight. It really did look great (although the interior spaces like the yogurt shop and the interior concession space facing Mint were aggressively mediocre in their design IMO).

There were lots of folks in the park watching the game on the big screen, it was very pleasant.

Edit edit: Helen Schwab suggests that thaere are some 7.50 beers that can be had (hopefully craft). The $9 beers I saw through the fence were the big cans of bud.

http://helendining.blogspot.com/2014/04/let-me-take-you-out-to-charlotte.html

Edited April 12, 2014 by kermit

[MazzoMedia]

Created with images from the MultiVista Public webcam.  Tonights Home Opener Timelapse.

http://youtu.be/JXd695mRKW8

[kermit]

^ great timelapse!

I think the biggest intangible of the stadium is that it will expose thousands of suburbanites to the best parts of downtown. Between Bearden Park and the skyline view from the stands most fans are going to drive back to Mint Hill with a warm fuzzy feeling about the center city, hopfully this will translate into a better understanding of the interdependence of cities and suburbs and firmer political support for inititaves like the GoldLine.

Given the inward focus of BofA and the Cablebox our other venues just don't accomplish that. I might argue that the tailgating culture of football actually discourages urbanism since they desire plenty of 'abandoned' spaces for parking and spreading out.

[CLTProductions]

Went to the baseball game today, and I must say, they did a fantastic job on the stadium. Tons of great vendors (beer & food), great seating and overall fantastic atmosphere. Love being able to walk there in 5 minutes and can't wait to go to more games....

Edited April 13, 2014 by Jayvee

[Eightane]

From a project news outsider, now that the Knights are moved, is their old SC castle straightaway doomed or still home to some us (events, etc)? If the former, would any future displacement be purely speculation?

[ajfunder]

^I am pretty sure the fashion retailer Cato bought the site and plans to demolish the stadium for a new distribution center. That's the last I heard.

[CLTProductions]

Oh, and one thing that confused me, why is there only netting on the Graham side and not the MLK side?

 

Also, OMB, Natty Greenes, and Foothills brewing all sold beers in mason jars...so thats awesome

[Spartan]

Or taking it a step further, here's moving Graham Northwest and adding more stands (upper deck) the whole way around.

 

 

The stadium wasn't designed with expansion in mind. Iven if you could, you would have to close off or relocated Graham Street. While you could fit a MLB stadium on the site if you closed Mint and 3rd the way you've illustrated, you'd still need to build a completely new stadium to make it work. Even though that makes it sound impossible, I'll point out that Charlotte built a new arena for the Hornets, only to tear it down about 20 years later. This city is not above doing something like that.

 

I would love to see MLB is Charlotte, and as a native South Carolinian, I think you would have trouble convincing them to convert from being Braves fans if the team were located anywhere else in North Carolina other than Charlotte (ie: nobody cares about the Hurricanes in SC). So, I think the Knights are fine for now. I agree with whoever said we should pursue MLS next.

[kermit]

While I am ambivalent about MLB in Charlotte, in a parallel universe a major league baseball team would be so excited to expand here that THEY would pay for the 277 cap in order to build their privately financed active-urban-space* ballpark on top of it.

 

*Petco Park in San Diego actually has pedestrian pathways through it's outfield stands when games are not being played

[dubone]

nothing like yet another grid-killing superblock.    No MLB on this site, within a couple years those blocks will be developed.  It is ideal in my view, as it will likely be decades before Charlotte is big enough to warrant a 3rd pro team, and they can put it somewhere else and reopen this land to private development or an expansion of Bearden park.

[kermit]

My million dollar idea of the year, I bequeath it upon UP for free, because honestly this is a social good: 

 

The BB&T field is _great_, however the beer is obscenely expensive ($12 for a 24oz mason jar of local craft beer -- even more expensive (nominally) than the cable box!).

 

A save entrepreneur could create an app-drone fleet where people at the Knights could order a Copper (or Hop Drop and Roll or Over the Edge, or Higher Ground, or LRT Pale Ale, or.....) via the app and have it delivered to their seat by drone. A credit card swipe (a la square) on the drone could be used to release the beer to the consumer.

 

Honestly, its only a matter of time. I cant wait till the free market can reduce beer prices at outdoor sporting events,

Edited April 15, 2014 by kermit

[Boricua]

My million dollar idea of the year, I bequeath it upon UP for free, because honestly this is a social good: 

 

The BB&T field is _great_, however the beer is obscenely expensive ($12 for a 24oz mason jar of local craft beer -- even more expensive (nominally) than the cable box!).

 

A save entrepreneur could create an app-drone fleet where people at the Knights could order a Copper (or Hop Drop and Roll or Over the Edge, or Higher Ground, or LRT Pale Ale, or.....) via the app and have it delivered to their seat by drone. A credit card swipe (a la square) on the drone could be used to release the beer to the consumer.

 

Honestly, its only a matter of time. I cant wait till the free market can reduce beer prices at outdoor sporting events,

We went to Saturdays game and were SHOCKED as well. $7 and change for 24oz cans too. 

[kermit]

NM (I was too enthusiastic)

Edited April 15, 2014 by kermit

[CLTProductions]

 

 

The BB&T field is _great_, however the beer is obscenely expensive ($12 for a 24oz mason jar of local craft beer -- even more expensive (nominally) than the cable box!).

 

A save entrepreneur could create an app-drone fleet where people at the Knights could order a Copper (or Hop Drop and Roll or Over the Edge, or Higher Ground, or LRT Pale Ale, or.....) via the app and have it delivered to their seat by drone. A credit card swipe (a la square) on the drone could be used to release the beer to the consumer.

 

 Honestly, when you break that down....it is $6 a beer, which is not that bad, especially for a stadium.

[MilZ]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/04/16/4845806/charlotte-new-stadium-candidates.html#.U07s6_ldUuc

 

We've got a bid in for the ACC baseball tourney for the next 4 years.  The other contenders are Winston, Durham, and Greensboro.  The decision should come mid-May.  I am barely familiar with the other stadiums since I have only driven by them, and not attended any games, but I still assume that Charlotte will at least win 2/4.