Riders Field - Frisco, Texas
N 33° 05.857 W 096° 49.243
14S E 703375 N 3664221
Dr. Pepper park is te home of the Roughriders, a minor league baseball team located in Frisco Texas.
Waymark Code: WM98WW
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2010
Views: 12
From Wikipedia.com
Dr Pepper Ballpark (formerly Dr Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark) is the home ballpark of the Frisco RoughRiders Class AA minor league baseball club. Located in Frisco, Texas in the United States, the stadium has a capacity of 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 Snapple Group 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.
1 History
2 Other events at the ballpark
3 Architecture
4 Facilities
5 Non-architectural critical reaction
6 Ground rules
7 References
8 External links
History
Former logo of the Dr Pepper/Seven Up BallparkIn 2001, Mandalay Sports Entertainment, owner of the Shreveport SwampDragons Class AA baseball team, reached an agreement with Southwest Sports Group to move the team to Frisco for the 2003 baseball season. As part of the deal, Southwest Sports Group assumed part-ownership of both the team and the ballpark to be built following the 2002 season. The project, designed by David M. Schwarz Architectural Services and HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, broke ground on February 6, 2002.
The ballpark serves as the anchor for a 74-acre (0.30 km2) US$300 million development project near the intersection of State Highway 121 and the Dallas North Tollway. The project was jointly funded by the city of Frisco and Southwest Sports Group. Frisco put forth US$67 million to build the complex, which was raised through special financing, unconnected to the city tax rate. On January 21, 2003, it was announced that local company Dr Pepper/Seven Up had purchased the naming rights for the new ballpark and retained exclusive non-alcoholic beverage rights for an undisclosed amount.
The ballpark opened for its first game on April 3, 2003, a RoughRiders loss to the Tulsa Drillers. The RoughRiders earned their first victory in the ballpark the next day, with the RoughRiders's Kurt Airoso hitting the park's first home run.
Dr Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark was renamed Dr Pepper Ballpark on March 31, 2006. On that date, the RoughRiders's Major League affiliate, the Texas Rangers, defeated the Florida Marlins in an exhibition match played at Dr Pepper Ballpark. The sold-out game was the ballpark's first major league game of any kind. Overall attendance has ranked in the top 10 in all classes of minor league baseball during the RoughRiders's first three seasons. The stadium ranked first in all of Class AA in attendance in 2005. Average attendance at RoughRiders games is 8,000. On average, there are thirty sell-out games per season.
Other events at the ballpark
As baseball is not a year-round event, Dr Pepper Ballpark is used for other functions throughout the year. The ballpark hosts corporate events, such as company softball games and movie nights, in addition to local charity events, such as 5K runs and bike races. Since 2004, the park has hosted the "Tournament of Champions" high school baseball tournament. The Dr Pepper Ballpark was selected to host the 2005 Texas League All-Star Game. Beginning in January 2006, Dr Pepper Ballpark has begun hosting the opening ceremonies of the annual TXU Energy Winter Games of Texas. The ballpark also hosts wedding receptions, the opening ceremonies for the Frisco Baseball and Softball Association, city of Frisco events, and church services.
Architecture
The interior of the ballpark, toward home plate from right field. The RoughRiders are playing against the Midland RockHounds in this image.
From behind home plate, the Embassy Suites where visiting teams stay is visible. The RoughRiders are playing against the Midland RockHounds in this image.
A demonstration of the "park within a park" dynamic behind the building in center field. Spectators may walk around the entire park using this path.Following its construction in 2003, the Dr Pepper Ballpark received the Texas Construction award for Best Architectural Design for 2003 and the surrounding sports complex received the Best Sports and Entertainment award for 2003. It was named the best new ballpark in the country by BaseballParks.com. MinorLeagueNews.com has also named the park number two on its top ten minor league ballparks for 2004 and number seven for 2005.
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.
The seating area is populated by 8,800 open-air fold-down stadium seats. The concourse area, between the pavilions and the seating area, wraps completely around the ballpark. Critics have commented positively on the 360 degree views afforded by this construction choice.
Facilities
In addition to fixed stadium seats, the ballpark also features twenty-seven luxury suites located on the second level of the ballpark, which feature patio balconies from which to view the game and closed-circuit television feeds of the game. Also unusual, the bullpens for each team are built into the stands behind the first and third base lines. This has received a mixed reaction from critics, with some calling it "contrived" and "pointless". In the outfield, seating is available on the grass area. This area is branded "San Juan Hill", after the Battle of San Juan Hill in which the team's namesake Rough Riders fought.
The park features a pool built just past the wall in right field, level with the top of the outfield fence. Groups can rent out the pool during the game. Three exclusive members-only areas have also been setup around the park. The most prominent of these "Founder's Club" areas, situated below the press box behind home plate, is a private, air-conditioned bar and restaurant.
Non-architectural critical reaction
Critics have taken issue with ticket prices at the ballpark, set at US$7, US$15, and US$18. While less expensive than ticket prices for major league ballparks, prices are among the highest in all minor league classes.[20] However, the ballpark has seen strong attendance despite these ticket prices. It should be noted that the ballpark runs a number of special throughout the year including "McDonalds Friends & Family" where you receive 4 tickets, 4 hats and 4 McDonald's Happy Meal for less than $10 a ticket and it's "High 5 Plan" where you buy a block of 5 games (roughly one game each month) and one of the options is paying $18 for a ticket, but that includes all you can eat food and drink ($9 for the seat, $9 for the all you can eat option). In its inaugural season, Dr Pepper Ballpark had an attendance of 675,620, ranking it fourth overall in all minor league baseball attendance for the year. The ballpark sold out for 53 RoughRiders home games that season, drawing an all-time high attendance of 11,836 on July 4, 2003.
It's the home of which team(s)?: Rough Riders
Which professional sports are played here?: Baseball
Capacity (number of seats): 10,600
Opening Date: 04/03/2003
Venue's Website or Team's Website: [Web Link]
Guided Tours: Not Listed
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