Dunn Tire Park
Encyclopedia
Coca-Cola Field is a 18,025-seat baseball park
in Buffalo, New York
that hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 14, 1988, as the tenants of the facility, the Buffalo Bisons
, defeated the Denver Zephyrs
, 1-0.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
is often considered the trendsetter among American cities towards retro-styled, baseball-only stadiums located in downtown cores. However, the architectural firm that designed Camden Yards, HOK Sport (now known as Populous), originally implemented its design with Coca-Cola Field, which opened four years prior.
team or a relocated team. The Montreal Expos
and Pittsburgh Pirates
were often mentioned as a leading contender in the latter category and Buffalo was one of the five finalists in the 1993 National League expansion derby, which brought the Colorado Rockies
and Florida Marlins
to Major League Baseball. When completed, however, the stadium seated fewer than 20,000 people. While this was a large number of seats for a minor-league facility, it was dwarfed by many major-league parks. Thus, the design made provisions for future expansion that would have allowed the seating capacity
to grow to nearly 40,000 by adding an upper deck above the existing mezzanine should a major-league team decide to relocate to Buffalo.
In the first season the Bisons played at the stadium, the team shattered the previous minor-league attendance record, as many Buffalonians and visitors traveled downtown to enjoy the amenities offered by the new facility, which replaced the old War Memorial Stadium
as the Bisons' home. In this first season, the Bisons outdrew a number of Major League teams.
After several years as Pilot Field, there was a dispute involving the naming rights to the stadium following Pilot Air Freight's defaulting on naming rights payments. For part of a season, the stadium was known locally simply as the "Downtown Ballpark." In July 1995, however, another company stepped in and acquired the naming rights, and the stadium became known as North AmeriCare Park. The stadium maintained this moniker for only a few years, however. Prior to the start of the 1999 season, Dunn Tire, a local chain of retail tire outlets, became the naming rights holder for the stadium, thus the name Dunn Tire Park. On December 17, 2008, the Buffalo News reported that a new naming deal has been reached, with the stadium renamed as Coca-Cola Field for the 2009 season.
Coca-Cola Field was also home to the Buffalo Nighthawks of the short-lived Ladies Professional Baseball League in 1998, when known as North Americare Park. Other events hosted at the stadium include the "Ballpark Brawl" annual wrestling events, and the annual National Buffalo Wing Festival
on Labor Day Weekend. Also, it is the host of WYRK
's TASTE of Country, and Kiss 98.5's "Kiss the Summer Hello".
Before the baseball field was built, the corner of Swan and Washington was the site of Ellsworth Statler's first hotel, Statler Hotel
. It was later called the Hotel Buffalo after Statler built a new Statler Hotel on Niagara Square in 1923 and sold this one. Before the Statler Hotel here was St. John's Episcopal
Church.
Coca-Cola Field is served by the Seneca
station on the Buffalo Metro Rail
.
As of 2011, after the closure of Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, the field will become the highest-capacity minor league baseball stadium in the United States.
The Goo Goo Dolls used the stadium back when it was named Pilot Field to film their music video for "There You Are."
On Wednesday, January 12th, the Buffalo Bisons announced that they have begun construction on a new state of the art video screen. The screen will be the largest high-definition LED video display in all of Minor League Baseball. The dimensions of the screen will be 80' x 33' which is over three times larger than the previous video board built in 1999. The screen will be built by Daktronics, Inc. of Brookings, South Dakota and is expected to be completed by opening day of the 2011 season. The project is projected to cost $2.5 million.
Along with the announcement of the new video board on January 12th, 2011 the city of Buffalo announced that they will be financing a new energy efficient lighting system for Coca Cola Field. The new lighting system at Coca-Cola Field will cost over $970,000, contain fewer bulbs and emit more light
On July 11, 2012, Coca-Cola Field will be the site of the 25th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game.
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
that hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 14, 1988, as the tenants of the facility, the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, defeated the Denver Zephyrs
New Orleans Zephyrs
The New Orleans Zephyrs are a minor league baseball team based in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The Zephyrs play in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. The Zephyrs play their home games at Zephyr Field....
, 1-0.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
is often considered the trendsetter among American cities towards retro-styled, baseball-only stadiums located in downtown cores. However, the architectural firm that designed Camden Yards, HOK Sport (now known as Populous), originally implemented its design with Coca-Cola Field, which opened four years prior.
History
At the time of the stadium's construction, Buffalo was hoping to secure either an expansion Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team or a relocated team. The Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
were often mentioned as a leading contender in the latter category and Buffalo was one of the five finalists in the 1993 National League expansion derby, which brought the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
and Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
to Major League Baseball. When completed, however, the stadium seated fewer than 20,000 people. While this was a large number of seats for a minor-league facility, it was dwarfed by many major-league parks. Thus, the design made provisions for future expansion that would have allowed the seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
to grow to nearly 40,000 by adding an upper deck above the existing mezzanine should a major-league team decide to relocate to Buffalo.
In the first season the Bisons played at the stadium, the team shattered the previous minor-league attendance record, as many Buffalonians and visitors traveled downtown to enjoy the amenities offered by the new facility, which replaced the old War Memorial Stadium
War Memorial Stadium (Buffalo)
War Memorial Stadium is the name of a stadium that formerly stood in Buffalo, New York. The stadium was on a rectangular block near the downtown area. Its main entrance was at Jefferson Avenue to the east and Best Street to the south...
as the Bisons' home. In this first season, the Bisons outdrew a number of Major League teams.
After several years as Pilot Field, there was a dispute involving the naming rights to the stadium following Pilot Air Freight's defaulting on naming rights payments. For part of a season, the stadium was known locally simply as the "Downtown Ballpark." In July 1995, however, another company stepped in and acquired the naming rights, and the stadium became known as North AmeriCare Park. The stadium maintained this moniker for only a few years, however. Prior to the start of the 1999 season, Dunn Tire, a local chain of retail tire outlets, became the naming rights holder for the stadium, thus the name Dunn Tire Park. On December 17, 2008, the Buffalo News reported that a new naming deal has been reached, with the stadium renamed as Coca-Cola Field for the 2009 season.
Coca-Cola Field was also home to the Buffalo Nighthawks of the short-lived Ladies Professional Baseball League in 1998, when known as North Americare Park. Other events hosted at the stadium include the "Ballpark Brawl" annual wrestling events, and the annual National Buffalo Wing Festival
National Buffalo Wing Festival
National Buffalo Wing Festival is a weekend festival held at Coca-Cola Field in downtown Buffalo, New York celebrating the Buffalo style chicken wing. The festival is held on Labor Day weekend and culminates with the IFOCE sanctioned Buffalo Wing eating contest....
on Labor Day Weekend. Also, it is the host of WYRK
WYRK
WYRK is a country music formatted radio station located in Buffalo, New York. It broadcasts from the top of the Rand Building in Buffalo, where its studios are located on the 12th floor....
's TASTE of Country, and Kiss 98.5's "Kiss the Summer Hello".
Before the baseball field was built, the corner of Swan and Washington was the site of Ellsworth Statler's first hotel, Statler Hotel
Statler Hotel
The Statler Hotel company was one of the United States' early chains of hotels catering to traveling businessmen and tourists. It was founded by Ellsworth Milton Statler in Buffalo, New York.- Early ventures :...
. It was later called the Hotel Buffalo after Statler built a new Statler Hotel on Niagara Square in 1923 and sold this one. Before the Statler Hotel here was St. John's Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Church.
Coca-Cola Field is served by the Seneca
Seneca (Metro Rail)
Seneca is a Buffalo Metro Rail station located on the Buffalo Place right-of-way corridor in downtown Buffalo, New York. The station is located on Main Street between Seneca and Swan Streets....
station on the Buffalo Metro Rail
Buffalo Metro Rail
The NFTA has a fleet of 26 rigid-bodied LRVs for the Metro Rail system, numbered sequentially from 101 to 127. They were built by Tokyu Car Corporation of Japan. One car was damaged in transit and later purchased by a restaurateur, Bertrand H. Hoak, of Hamburg, as an addition to Hoak's Armor Inn...
.
As of 2011, after the closure of Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, the field will become the highest-capacity minor league baseball stadium in the United States.
The Goo Goo Dolls used the stadium back when it was named Pilot Field to film their music video for "There You Are."
On Wednesday, January 12th, the Buffalo Bisons announced that they have begun construction on a new state of the art video screen. The screen will be the largest high-definition LED video display in all of Minor League Baseball. The dimensions of the screen will be 80' x 33' which is over three times larger than the previous video board built in 1999. The screen will be built by Daktronics, Inc. of Brookings, South Dakota and is expected to be completed by opening day of the 2011 season. The project is projected to cost $2.5 million.
Along with the announcement of the new video board on January 12th, 2011 the city of Buffalo announced that they will be financing a new energy efficient lighting system for Coca Cola Field. The new lighting system at Coca-Cola Field will cost over $970,000, contain fewer bulbs and emit more light
On July 11, 2012, Coca-Cola Field will be the site of the 25th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game.