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RE/MAX Field

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Coordinates: 53°31′54″N 113°29′48″W / 53.53167°N 113.49667°W / 53.53167; -113.49667
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RE/MAX Field
Logo since 2017
RE/MAX Field is located in Edmonton
RE/MAX Field
RE/MAX Field
Location in Edmonton
Former names
  • Telus Field (1995–2015)
  • Edmonton Ballpark (2016)
Address10233 96 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta
Coordinates53°31′54″N 113°29′48″W / 53.53167°N 113.49667°W / 53.53167; -113.49667
Public transitEdmonton Transit System Bus interchange  9 
OwnerCity of Edmonton
TypeBaseball stadium
Executive suites30[1]
Capacity9,200[2][3]
Field size
  • Left: 340 ft (104 m)
  • Centre: 420 ft (128 m)
  • Right: 320 ft (97.5 m)
Surface
OpenedMay 2, 1995 (1995-May-02)
Tenants
Website

RE/MAX Field (formerly Edmonton Ballpark, and Telus Field) is a baseball stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It has been home to several minor league baseball clubs; its last affiliated tenant was the Edmonton Trappers, a AAA Pacific Coast League club. It was also home to the Edmonton Capitals, an independent team that has been inactive since 2011. The Edmonton Prospects of the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) were the main tenant from 2012 to 2019. The ballpark was mostly unused in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Edmonton Riverhawks of the West Coast League have been the main tenants since 2022. The facility is in the North Saskatchewan River Valley, in the neighbourhood of Rossdale.

History

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Telus Field in 2010

Opened in 1995, Telus Field replaced the 60-year-old John Ducey Park (formerly Renfrew Park) on the same site. The stadium's naming rights were purchased by the Telus telecommunications company in September 1995 for a 14-year deal.[4] It has 12 feet (3.7 m) walls all the way around except in centre field, where the batter's eye is a 34-foot (10 m) green monster which is the third highest wall in professional baseball.[5] Three players, Matthew LeCroy, Michael Cuddyer, and Todd Sears have hit home runs over it.[6] Telus Field held the IBAF World Cup Women's baseball in the summer of 2004 and from July 25 to August 3, 2008, the park held the IBAF AAA World Junior Championships for the 7th time since it started in 1981.

Despite Telus's naming rights expiring in 2009[7] the stadium continued to use the name Telus Field until opening the 2016 season as Edmonton Ballpark,[1][8] or simply Ballpark.[9] Being displaced by the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, the Fort McMurray Giants played their inaugural season at the then Edmonton Ballpark.[10] In May 2017 the stadium was renamed RE/MAX Field by the Edmonton Prospects; gaining naming rights and naming the park after the team's sponsor, RE/MAX, for three years.[11][12]

On May 20, 2020, Baseball Edmonton Inc., a group led by former Edmonton Oilers player Randy Gregg, reached a deal with the city of Edmonton to lease the stadium for ten years.[13] Gregg said that his group would try to secure an agreement for a second WCBL team to play at RE/MAX field, but he hoped the Prospects would continue to play there as well.[13] However, the owner of the Prospects claimed the ongoing negotiations regarding their use of the field "[seemed] fraught with challenges."[13] Gregg also outlined several possible plans to expand use of the field throughout the year, including the inclusion of minor baseball leagues, collaborations with local cultural and music groups, and an indoor attachment under the left field bleachers to allow for greater use of the facility during the winter.[13] Baseball Edmonton Inc. advocated for the stadium to be included in the planned redevelopment of the Rossdale neighbourhood.[13]

The Prospects played the 2021 and 2022 seasons as a road team and plan to move to the Spruce Grove Metro Ballpark in 2024.[14] The Edmonton Riverhawks of the West Coast League will be the main tenant at RE/MAX Field beginning with the 2022 season.[15]

Features

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RE/MAX Field uses natural grass in the outfield and FieldTurf in the infield; originally AstroTurf was used, before replaced in 2005[16] and again in 2021.[17] Artificial turf was chosen for lower maintenance costs, because it allows for a better drainage system so the infield can return to a playable state quicker than a grass infield would, and to minimize damage to the infield when concerts are held at the stadium.

The park has ground-level luxury suites with box and general seating built on top. The Home Plate VIP Lounge on the main concourse is located directly behind the plate, incorporating a bar and a restaurant with a view of the field from seats inside and outside.[1] The lounge includes trophies and pictures of early Edmonton baseball teams.[18] The capacity of the stadium is 9,200.[2]

The dimensions are 340 feet (104 m) to left field, 378 feet (115 m) to left centre, 420 feet (128 m) to centre field, 395 feet (120 m) to right centre and 320 feet (97.5 m) to right field.[citation needed]

The stadium concourse features pictures of historic moments in Trapper history, including Ron Kittle's 50-home-run season. There are also pictures from every Trapper championship and trophies.[citation needed]

Concerts

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Concerts have been held at the stadium on occasion:

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Edmonton Ballpark (formerly known as Telus Field)". Ticketmaster. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Edmonton Prospects Location". Prospects Baseball Club. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  3. ^ "Stadiums in Canada, Alberta". World Stadiums. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. ^ Spector, Mark (September 8, 1995). "Ball park has name until end of 2009". Edmonton Journal. pp. C.3.
  5. ^ Kinmartin, Patrick (August 14, 2008). "Outlaws Notebook: The force could be with Luyben". ChicoER News. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  6. ^ Zerr, Scott (June 12, 2002). "Moon shot by Cuddyer leads home team past Grizzlies". Angelfire. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  7. ^ Tkach, Marek (April 21, 2016). "Edmonton's nameless river valley gem". NAIT News Watch. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  8. ^ Lamb, Adrienne (April 30, 2016). "Telus Field gets a new name and lease on life". CBC News. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. ^ Julie. "Open House Saturday, May 21". Edmonton Prospects. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  10. ^ Heidenreich, Phil (May 16, 2016). "Fort McMurray Giants to play baseball in Edmonton this season". Global Edmonton. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  11. ^ Mertz, Emily (May 1, 2017). "Edmonton's Telus Field is renamed Re/Max Field". Corus Entertainment Inc. Global Edmonton. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  12. ^ Graney, Juris (May 1, 2017). "Edmonton's home of baseball gets a new name". Postmedia. Edmonton Sun. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Baseball to remain at Re/Max Field after Randy Gregg-led group agrees to 10-year deal with city". Edmonton. May 20, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  14. ^ "'2022 is just not possible': Edmonton Prospects' new ball field delayed". Edmonton. November 10, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  15. ^ "Edmonton Riverhawks". riverhawksbaseball.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020.
  16. ^ "nlfan.com: Edmonton Cracker-Cats Telus Field for Baseball". www.nlfan.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  17. ^ "Edmonton's baseball stadium is getting its long-awaited glow up". June 5, 2021.
  18. ^ "Home Plate Club/Lounge". nlfan.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  19. ^ "AKE launches Canadian tour with the Newsboys". Christian Activities. June 7, 2002. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
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