Shaw Park

Shaw Park
The Fishbowl
Former names	Canwest Global Park (1999-2008) Canwest Park (2008-2011)
Location	One Portage Avenue East Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Opened	May 24, 1999 (1999-05-24)
Expanded	2000, 2003
Owner	Sam Katz
Surface	Grass
Architect	Sink Combs Dethlefs
Capacity	7,481 (baseball)
Field dimensions	Left field: 325 ft (99 m) Center field: 400 ft (122 m) Right field: 325 ft (99 m)
Tenants
Winnipeg Goldeyes (NL) (1999-2010) Winnipeg Goldeyes (AA) (2011-present)

Shaw Park, formerly CanWest Park, is a baseball stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is located adjacent to The Forks National Historic Site, near the city's downtown, and is home to the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association.

Features

Shaw Park has a seating capacity of 7,481, as well as 30 luxury skysuites, a picnic area, and an open patio overlooking the field from the right field corner. A restaurant featuring Indian cuisine located on the third floor provides patrons a great view of the field while enjoying their meal. A Goldeyes retail store, Ticketmaster outlet, and the baseball club's offices are also located within the ballpark.

The playing field has a natural grass surface with a traditional dirt infield. The outfield dimensions are symmetrical, with distances of 325 feet from home plate to each foul pole and 400 feet to straightaway centerfield. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Esplanade Riel bridge can be seen in the distance beyond the outfield fence. The Red River is situated approximately 150 feet beyond the fence in left field. Passing trains are frequent, as the ballpark is located inside a curve in the CN main line running through downtown Winnipeg.

History

The ballpark, originally named CanWest Global Park, opened on May 24, 1999, replacing Winnipeg Stadium as the home of the Goldeyes and the city's premier baseball facility. The ballpark was built in three phases. The first phase saw the stands along the third base side completed, but extending only halfway down the first base side, giving the stadium a seating capacity of 6,140. The second phase, completed in 2000, saw the first base stands partially extended, increasing seating capacity to 6,300, and the addition of the skysuites and concession space. The right field stands, patio, and restaurant were completed as part of the final phase in 2003. As part of this expansion, the City of Winnipeg was required to reroute two streets.^[1]

Prior to its completion, locally-based firm Mind Computers had acquired the naming rights to the ballpark; however, the agreement fell through and Winnipeg-based CanWest Global stepped in to purchase the naming rights. The facility was renamed Canwest Park after the media company rebranded in 2008.^[1]

Shaw Communications acquired the ballpark's naming rights through its acquisition of Canwest's broadcasting assets from bankruptcy court in 2010. The facility was renamed Shaw Park prior to the 2011 season.^[2][3]

Major Events

The ballpark served as the baseball venue for the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg. The host Canadian squad captured the bronze medal, their best finish ever. Cuba won the gold medal, defeating the United States in the championship game. A number of future and former Major League players participated, including Mark Mulder, Brad Penny, José Contreras, Craig Paquette, and Adam Kennedy. The baseball tournament was a qualifier for the 2000 Summer Olympics. ^[4]

Outside of baseball, Shaw Park is occasionally used as an outdoor concert venue, having hosted top Canadian artists such as The Guess Who and The Tragically Hip.^[1]

References

External links

• Official Site
• Ballpark Digest

Events and tenants
Preceded by Winnipeg Stadium	Home of the Winnipeg Goldeyes 1999 – current	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by Yogi Berra Stadium	Host of the NoL All-Star Game CanWest Global Park 2001	Succeeded by Stade Municipal
Preceded by Newman Outdoor Field	Host of the NoL All-Star Game Canwest Park 2008	Succeeded by Silver Cross Field

v t e Current ballparks in the American Association
North Division	Central Division	South Division
Midway Stadium	CommunityAmerica Ballpark	Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium
Newman Outdoor Field	Haymarket Park	Cohen Stadium
Shaw Park	Lawrence-Dumont Stadium	QuikTrip Park
Sioux Falls Stadium	Lewis and Clark Park	Uni-Trade Stadium
	U.S. Steel Yard

Coordinates: 49°53′37.79″N 97°7′59.93″W / 49.8938306°N 97.1333139°W / 49.8938306; -97.1333139