Portal:Baseball/Selected article/Week 12, 2007

Dr Pepper Ballpark is the home ballpark of the Frisco RoughRiders Class AA minor league baseball club. Located in Frisco, Texas U.S., the stadium has a capacity of up to 10,600. The ballpark is host to numerous functions in addition to minor league baseball games, including corporate and charity events, wedding receptions, city of Frisco events, and church services. Local soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper/Seven Up holds naming rights and exclusive non-alcoholic beverage rights in the park.

Since its opening in 2003, the Dr Pepper Ballpark has won awards and garnered praise for its unique design, feel, and numerous facilities. In his design, park architect David M. Schwarz desired the creation of a village-like "park within a (ball)park". Dr Pepper Ballpark received the 2003 Texas Construction award for Best Architectural Design and was named the best new ballpark in the country by BaseballParks.com.

The design of the Dr Pepper Ballpark was spearheaded by David M. Schwarz. Schwarz had a stated goal of creating a "park within a (ball)park" in the stadium. To achieve this effect, the nine interconnected pavilions, where concessions, restrooms, and luxury suites are located, are built separately from the main seating area. The space between these pavilions allows for improved air flow in the Texas heat; the wind can move through the buildings and is not impeded by their presence. Constructed of fiber cement siding, architectural critics have commented that their layout and material choice enhances the village-like feel of the ballpark, giving it a "coastal Galveston aesthetic". Others have commented that the design is very reminiscent of Churchill Downs in Kentucky. (more...)

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