Bright House Networks Field
Encyclopedia
Bright House Field is a baseball
stadium located in Clearwater, Florida
, in the United States
. The stadium was built in 2004 and has a maximum seating capacity of 8,500 people (7,000 fixed seats with additional grass berm seating for 1,500).
The ballpark is the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies
, and their Class A affiliate, Clearwater Threshers
of the Florida State League
. A sculpture titled The Ace by artist Kevin Brady stands at the ballpark's west entrance plaza.
The stadium is named after the local cable company, Bright House Networks
, whose local head end
center is located just to the south of the stadium.
It was announced on January 20, 2004, that Bright House Networks
had secured the naming-rights for the new ballpark. Under the terms of the agreement, Bright House Networks would pay the Phillies $1.7 million over ten-years with an option for two five-year renewals. The City of Clearwater receives one-third of the payment.
. They trained and played home games at Clearwater Athletic Field
from 1947
to 1954
. The City of Clearwater opened a new ballpark for spring training in 1955
and named it Jack Russell Stadium
. (The ballpark was renamed Jack Russell Memorial Stadium in 1990.) With the stadium aging, the Phillies and the city erected their new spring home adjacent to the Phillies' year-round training facility, the Carpenter Complex
, four-miles east of Jack Russell Memorial Stadium.
Ground-breaking of the new stadium took place on October 16, 2002. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the ballpark took place on February 27, 2004 prior to the annual spring-training Phan Fest.
. 8,205 fans watched the Phils beat the New York Yankees
5 to 1. Vincente Padilla started for the Phillies, Marlon Byrd
had the park's first hit, and Jimmy Rollins
hit the first home run.
Bright House Field hosted the 44th Florida State League All-Star Game on June 18, 2005. A crowd of 5,547 saw the West defeat the East 6-4. The Sarasota Reds' Chris Dickerson
hit a two-run home run, scored two runs, and earned the game's Star of Stars Award. Future major league players who appeared in the game included Dickeron, Reggie Abercrombie
, Carlos Villanueva, and Sean Marshall
.
Threshers pitcher Julio De La Cruz pitched the first no-hitter at the ballpark on August 18, 2006. De La Cruz beat the Sarasota Reds 5-0 in front of 5,906 fans on "Pitch for Pink Night" in Clearwater. The Threshers wore special pink uniforms to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. It was the first no-hitter for Clearwater since 1992.
The Big East Conference
held its championship tournament
at Bright House Field in 2006 and 2008. Notre Dame
defeated Louisville 7-0 on May 27, 2006 to win the 2006 Championship. Louisville defeated Cincinnati
6-3 to win the 2008 championship on May 24, 2008. The 2009 Tournament will also be held at Bright House Field.
The all-time attendance record for the field is 10,724, set on March 22, 2010, for a spring-training game in which the Phillies hosted the New York Yankees
. The spring-training attendance mark for Bright House Field is 143,500, set in 2009.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium located in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The stadium was built in 2004 and has a maximum seating capacity of 8,500 people (7,000 fixed seats with additional grass berm seating for 1,500).
The ballpark is the spring training home of the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and their Class A affiliate, Clearwater Threshers
Clearwater Threshers
The Clearwater Threshers are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the Florida State League. Since 2004, the team competes in the West Division....
of the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
. A sculpture titled The Ace by artist Kevin Brady stands at the ballpark's west entrance plaza.
Name
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
, whose local head end
Cable television headend
A cable television headend is a master facility for receiving television signals for processing and distribution over a cable television system. The headend facility is normally unstaffed and surrounded by some type of security fencing and is typically a building or large shed housing electronic...
center is located just to the south of the stadium.
It was announced on January 20, 2004, that Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is a cable television company, the seventh largest cable operator and the sixth largest traditional multiple system operator in the United States owned by Advance/Newhouse, headquartered in Syracuse, New York...
had secured the naming-rights for the new ballpark. Under the terms of the agreement, Bright House Networks would pay the Phillies $1.7 million over ten-years with an option for two five-year renewals. The City of Clearwater receives one-third of the payment.
History
Bright House Field is the Phillies' third Clearwater spring-training home. The team moved to Clearwater in 19471947 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1947 Philadelphia Phillies season saw the Phillies finish in seventh place in the National League with a record of 62 wins and 92 losses.-Offseason:* Prior to 1947 season: Carl Sawatski was acquired from the Phillies by the Boston Braves....
. They trained and played home games at Clearwater Athletic Field
Clearwater Athletic Field
Clearwater Athletic Field was a stadium in Clearwater, Florida. It was first used by professional baseball teams for spring training in 1923. The grandstand sat approximately 2,000 and bleachers increased capacity to close to 3,000. Home plate was located on Pennsylvania Avenue, which ran south to...
from 1947
1947 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1947 Philadelphia Phillies season saw the Phillies finish in seventh place in the National League with a record of 62 wins and 92 losses.-Offseason:* Prior to 1947 season: Carl Sawatski was acquired from the Phillies by the Boston Braves....
to 1954
1954 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Phillies finished fourth in the National League with a record of 75 wins and 79 losses.- Offseason :* December 1, 1953: 1953 minor league draft...
. The City of Clearwater opened a new ballpark for spring training in 1955
1955 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. It was the first season for Phillies' manager Mayo Smith. Prior to the season, the Phillies were seen to have strong pitching with ace Robin Roberts but did not have power hitters to match pennant favorites Brooklyn, New York, or...
and named it Jack Russell Stadium
Jack Russell Memorial Stadium
Jack Russell Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Clearwater, Florida. It opened as Jack Russell Stadium in 1955. It had a capacity of 4,744 when it opened; in 2003 seating capacity was 6,942 people...
. (The ballpark was renamed Jack Russell Memorial Stadium in 1990.) With the stadium aging, the Phillies and the city erected their new spring home adjacent to the Phillies' year-round training facility, the Carpenter Complex
Carpenter Complex
The Carpenter Complex is a complex of four baseball fields in Clearwater, Florida. It opened as 'Carpenter Field' in 1967. It is the Florida home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball operations, spring training site for the Phillies’ minor league players, home to the Gulf Coast League Phillies,...
, four-miles east of Jack Russell Memorial Stadium.
Ground-breaking of the new stadium took place on October 16, 2002. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the ballpark took place on February 27, 2004 prior to the annual spring-training Phan Fest.
Significant Games
The Phillies played their first spring-training game at the park on March 4, 20042004 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was the 122nd season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies finished in second-place in the National League East with a record of 86-76, ten games behind the Atlanta Braves, and six games behind the NL wild-card champion Houston Astros...
. 8,205 fans watched the Phils beat the New York Yankees
2004 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2004 season was the 102nd season for the Yankees. The Yankees opened the season by playing two games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Japan on March 30, 2004. The team finished with a record of 101-61, finishing 3 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East. New...
5 to 1. Vincente Padilla started for the Phillies, Marlon Byrd
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd , popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs...
had the park's first hit, and Jimmy Rollins
Jimmy Rollins
James Calvin "Jimmy" Rollins , nicknamed "J-Roll", is an All-Star and former MVP shortstop, who most recently played for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League....
hit the first home run.
Chris Dickerson (baseball)
Christopher Charles Dickerson is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the New York Yankees.-Early career:...
hit a two-run home run, scored two runs, and earned the game's Star of Stars Award. Future major league players who appeared in the game included Dickeron, Reggie Abercrombie
Reggie Abercrombie
Reginald Damascus Abercrombie is a former Major League Baseball outfielder now playing for the Sioux Falls Fighting Pheasants of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.-Professional career:...
, Carlos Villanueva, and Sean Marshall
Sean Marshall
Sean Christopher Marshall is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. After three minor league seasons, Marshall was added to the Cubs' 40-man roster in November . He was married to Alexis DelChiaro at the time a morning anchor at KSAZ in Phoenix, AZ...
.
Threshers pitcher Julio De La Cruz pitched the first no-hitter at the ballpark on August 18, 2006. De La Cruz beat the Sarasota Reds 5-0 in front of 5,906 fans on "Pitch for Pink Night" in Clearwater. The Threshers wore special pink uniforms to raise money for breast cancer research and awareness. It was the first no-hitter for Clearwater since 1992.
The Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
held its championship tournament
Big East Baseball Tournament
The Big East Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Big East Conference. It is a double-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season records. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. ...
at Bright House Field in 2006 and 2008. Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
defeated Louisville 7-0 on May 27, 2006 to win the 2006 Championship. Louisville defeated Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....
6-3 to win the 2008 championship on May 24, 2008. The 2009 Tournament will also be held at Bright House Field.
Attendances
The single-game attendance record for the Threshers was set on July 3, 2008, when 9,090 saw Clearwater defeat the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 4 to 3.The all-time attendance record for the field is 10,724, set on March 22, 2010, for a spring-training game in which the Phillies hosted the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. The spring-training attendance mark for Bright House Field is 143,500, set in 2009.
See also
External links
- Clearwater Threshers: Bright House Field
- Philadelphia Phillies: Bright House Field
- Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues: Bright House Field
- Baseball Parks: Bright House Field
- Digital Ballparks: Bright House Field
- Spring Training Online: Bright House Field
- MiLB: Coverage of 2005 FSL All-Star Game at Bright House Networks Field