Hoover Metropolitan Stadium
Encyclopedia
| Regions Park | |
| "The Met" | |
 |
|
| Facility statistics | |
|---|---|
| Location | 100 Ben Chapman Drive, Hoover Hoover, Alabama Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. The largest suburb of Birmingham, the population of the city was 62,742 as of the 2000 census and 81,619 in the 2010 census. Hoover is part of the Birmingham-Hoover, AL MSA and is also included in the... , Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... 35244 |
| Broke ground | 1987 |
| Opened | April 16, 1988 |
| Owner | City of Hoover |
| Operator | City of Hoover |
| Surface | Natural grass Grass Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ... |
| Construction cost | $14.5 million ($ in dollars) |
| Architect | Gresham, Smith and Partners (Architect of Record), HOK Sport (Design Architect) |
| Project manager | Harbert Commercial Construction Division |
| General contractor | Harbert HPS Division |
| Tenants | |
| Birmingham Barons Birmingham Barons The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club.... (Southern League Southern League (baseball) The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams... ) 1988-present Hoover High School Hoover High School (Alabama) Hoover High School is a public high school in Hoover, Alabama, USA, serving grades 9-12. It was built as a replacement for W. A. Berry High School. It is currently one of the two International Baccalaureate schools in the Greater Birmingham Area... Football (1988-2010) Hoover Invitational Marching Festival (1994-present)Southeastern Conference Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... baseball tournament 1990, 1996, 1998-present |
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| Seating capacity | |
| 10,800 | |
| Dimensions | |
| Left Field: 340 Left-Center: 385 Center Field: 405 Right-Center: 385 Right Field: 340 |
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Regions Park, formerly known as Hoover Metropolitan Stadium or The Hoover Met, is a minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
park located in the Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Hoover
Hoover, Alabama
Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. The largest suburb of Birmingham, the population of the city was 62,742 as of the 2000 census and 81,619 in the 2010 census. Hoover is part of the Birmingham-Hoover, AL MSA and is also included in the...
. It has been the home of the Birmingham Barons
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons are a minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox major-league club....
of the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
since 1988
1988 in sports
1988 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland** Women's overall season champion: Michela Figini, Switzerland-American football:...
, replacing historic Rickwood Field
Rickwood Field
Rickwood FieldFacility StatisticsLocation1137 2nd Avenue WestBirmingham, AlabamaBroke GroundSpring 1910Cost$75,000OpenedAugust 18, 1910SurfaceGrassOwnerCity of BirminghamTenantsBirmingham Barons 1910-1961...
in Birmingham. The stadium also serves as the home for the SEC Baseball Tournament
SEC Baseball Tournament
The SEC Baseball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in baseball for the Southeastern 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...
as well as Hoover High School
Hoover High School (Alabama)
Hoover High School is a public high school in Hoover, Alabama, USA, serving grades 9-12. It was built as a replacement for W. A. Berry High School. It is currently one of the two International Baccalaureate schools in the Greater Birmingham Area...
football. Regions Park is located in the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area near Interstate 459
Interstate 459
Interstate 459 is a bypass highway of Interstate 59 that is an alternate Interstate Highway around the southern sides of Birmingham, Alabama, Bessemer, Alabama, and several other cities and towns in Jefferson County. Interstate 459 lies entirely within Jefferson County, without exception...
at Exit 10 just off Alabama State Route 150. The stadium is located three miles from the Riverchase Galleria
Riverchase Galleria
Riverchase Galleria, locally known as The Galleria, is a large super–regional shopping mall in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover, Alabama. It is the 25th largest shopping mall in the United States...
, one of the south's largest shopping centers.
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...
is 10,800 for baseball and can accommodate up to 16,000 when the patio, banquet, and grassy side areas are used. The stadium also houses 12 suites and state-of-the-art dressing and training rooms. The stadium also features a meeting/banquet room named for Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, who played for the Barons during his brief foray into professional baseball, during which time the stadium experienced its largest crowds.
Regions Park was renamed in March 2007 when Regions Financial Corporation purchased the naming rights. Despite the name change, many locals still refer to the stadium as "The Met".
The City of Hoover operates the stadium and an adjacent recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
park.
Regions Park hosted the AVP
Association of Volleyball Professionals
The Association of Volleyball Professionals, or AVP, is a beach volleyball tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October....
Birmingham Open on July 13-16, 2006, the first beach volleyball tournament to ever be played in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The feature court was above the baseball diamond as well as eight other courts on the field, made of 222 tons of sand per court.
Along with Birmingham city officials, the Barons announced plans in November 2010 to return to Birmingham with a new field to be constructed downtown, near the UAB campus. Pending contract negotiations and construction, play at the new field was originally expected to begin with the 2012 season. Site selection, financing issues, and problems obtaining all of the land sought by the developers has delayed a move until at least the 2013 season.