Knights Stadium
| Knights Stadium | |
|---|---|
| The Castle | |
 | |
| Former names | Knight's Castle |
| Location |
2280 Deerfield Drive Fort Mill, SC 29715 |
| Coordinates | 35°3′9″N 80°57′16″W / 35.05250°N 80.95444°WCoordinates: 35°3′9″N 80°57′16″W / 35.05250°N 80.95444°W |
| Broke ground | February 20, 1989[1] |
| Opened | April 5, 1990 |
| Closed | September 2, 2013 |
| Owner | York County |
| Operator | Charlotte Knights Baseball, LLC |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost |
$12 million[2] ($21.4 million in 2014 dollars[ 1]) |
| Architect | Odell Associates Inc.[2] |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers[3] |
| General contractor | McDevitt & Street Construction Co.[4] |
| Capacity | 10,002 |
| Field dimensions |
Left Field — 326 feet Center Field — 400 feet Right Field — 325 feet |
| Tenants | |
|
Charlotte Knights (SL/IL) (1990–2013) ACC Tournament (2000-2001) Big South Tournament (1997-1998) | |
Knights Stadium was the home of the International League's Charlotte Knights from 1990 to 2013. It sat 10,002 fans. The park was actually across the state line from Charlotte, North Carolina in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The stadium closed at the end of the 2013 season and the Knights moved to BB&T Ballpark in downtown Charlotte for the 2014 season.
Knights Stadium is easily accessible from Interstate 77. Exit 88 (Gold Hill Road) connects the expressway with the stadium. Near the stadium is a water tower painted to resemble a baseball on a tee, which can be seen from Interstate 77.
History
The stadium was built to Major League Baseball specifications to be used should Charlotte land a major league team, and was designed to expand to 40,000 seats.
During construction, the Knights, then a member of the Class AA Southern League, played in an 8,000-seat temporary stadium known as Knights Castle. The present stadium was originally known as Knights Castle, but was renamed to Knights Stadium in the late 1990s. The stadium was still known among Charlotteans as The Castle.[citation needed]
The venue hosted the 1997 and 1998 Big South Conference Baseball Tournaments, won by UNC Greensboro and Liberty, respectively.[5] It also hosted the 2000 and 2001 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournaments, won by Georgia Tech and Wake Forest, respectively.[6]
On July 4, 2007, a franchise record 15,427 fans attended the game between the Knights and the Durham Bulls[7]
The stadium hosted its last Knights game on September 2, 2013, a 4-0 Knights victory over the Gwinnett Braves. [8] After the game, several longtime employees dug up home plate and each of the bases and presented them to team mascot Homer the Dragon. Homer then saluted Knights Stadium one last time, and boarded a helicopter bound for Uptown Charlotte and BB&T Ballpark.[9]
References
- ↑ "Knights' Shinn Ready to Break More Ground". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. February 10, 1989. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cal Harrison (September 2, 1989). "Pinstripes to Adorn Knights Stadium". The Herald (Rock Hill). Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ↑ "Karen Allen Lynch, P.E.". Geiger Engineers, P.C. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
- ↑ "Rain Temporary Setback at Stadium". The Charlotte Observer. October 10, 1989. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- ↑ "2011 Big South Baseball Record Book". Big South Conference. pp. 20–22. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2012.
- ↑ "2012 ACC Baseball Guide". Atlantic Coast Conference. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2012.
- ↑ "IL News and Notes". International League. July 5, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2007.
- ↑ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/09/02/4283167/charlotte-knights-close-out-era.html#.UiaId2TwJZ8
- ↑ http://www.heraldonline.com/2013/09/03/5169344/fans-turn-out-for-last-game-before.html
External links
- Charlotte Knights - Knights Stadium
- Knights Stadium Views - Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues
- Baseball Pilgrimages - Knights Stadium
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Knights Castle |
Home of the Charlotte Knights 1990 – 2013 |
Succeeded by BB&T Ballpark |