| Prince George's Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Location | 4101 Northeast Crain Highway Bowie, MD 20717 |
| Broke ground | October 17, 1993[1] |
| Opened | July 16, 1994 |
| Owner | Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission |
| Operator | Bowie Baysox/Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction cost | $10 million |
| Architect | Greenhorne & O'Mara Inc.[1] |
| General Contractor | Sigal Construction Corp.[2] |
| Capacity | 10,000 |
| Field dimensions | Left Field - 309 ft Center Field - 405 ft Right Field - 309 ft |
| Tenants | |
| Bowie Baysox (Eastern League) (1994-Present) | |
Prince George's Stadium is a multipurpose sports venue located in Bowie, Maryland primarily used for baseball. It is home of the Baltimore Orioles' AA affiliate in the Eastern League, the Bowie Baysox. The stadium is the result of a cooperative venture between Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and is built on park property.[3]
The stadium, originally slated to open at the start of the 1994 season, did not open until July 16, 1994, because of construction delays due to poor weather. Its capacity for baseball is listed at 10,000, but when the Double-A All-Star Game was held there in 2000, the attendance was about 14,000. The 2002 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game was held at the stadium.
While the stadium was being finished, the Baysox played one full season (1993) at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium and a few series in 1994 at fields belonging to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, and the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as the minor league stadiums of the Frederick Keys and Wilmington Blue Rocks.
Prince George's Stadium is located near the intersection of U.S. Route 301 and U.S. Route 50. It has been host to the AA All-Star Game twice, the United States Congressional Baseball Game, the annual Allen Iverson charity softball game, a lacrosse tournament, the USA Softball team, yard sales, movie nights, concerts, and Halloween activities in addition to its primary function as a baseball park. In addition, the Baysox operate a drive-in theater in the stadium's left-field parking lot during the Baysox' road trips.
Due to its close proximity to several local military bases including Fort George G. Meade and Andrews Air Force Base, the stadium is also regularly the site of related promotions involving enlisted persons. For example, on 14 June 2007, 5,000 Baysox tickets were distributed to soldiers to celebrate Flag Day with professional wrestler Sergeant Slaughter.
In 2004, it served as the home of the D.C. Forward, the city's Pro Cricket team.
Prince George's Stadium was featured in the January 30, 2007 episode ("Well Digger") of the Discover Channel show Dirty Jobs where host Mike Rowe performed a variety of jobs.[4]
| Preceded by Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) |
Home of the Bowie Baysox 1994 – current |
Succeeded by Current |
| Preceded by Four Mile Run Park |
Home of the United States Congressional Baseball Game 1995 – 2004 |
Succeeded by RFK Stadium |
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