Victory Field

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For the former military airfield in Texas, see Victory Field (Texas).
Victory Field
Location 501 West Maryland Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46225
Coordinates 39°45′54″N 86°10′6″W / 39.76500°N 86.16833°W / 39.76500; -86.16833Coordinates: 39°45′54″N 86°10′6″W / 39.76500°N 86.16833°W / 39.76500; -86.16833
Broke ground December 16, 1994[1]
Opened July 11, 1996
Owner Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board
Operator Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board
Construction cost $20 million
($29.8 million in 2014 dollars[ 1])
Architect Populous (formerly HOK Sport)
Project manager Geupel DeMars Hagerman[2]
Structural engineer Fink Roberts & Petrie, Inc.[2]
Services engineer Bredson & Associates, Inc.[3]
General contractor Huber, Hunt & Nichols, Inc.[2]
Capacity Baseball: 12,202 (fixed seats), 14,202 (Lawn + Standing Room)
Field dimensions Left field - 320 ft
Left Center - 418 ft
Center Field - 402 ft
Right Center - 362 ft
Right field - 320 ft
Tenants
Indianapolis Indians (International League)

Victory Field is the name of the current minor league baseball park that is the home of the Indianapolis Indians of the International League. It is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

History

It opened on July 11, 1996 with the Indians falling to the Oklahoma City 89ers 5 to 3 in front of 14,667 fans and replaced Bush Stadium, which had also been called Victory Field for some 25 years of its existence.[4] The new park seated 15,696 fans when it was originally opened. However, in 2005, a 1,000 seat bleacher section was removed to make room for a picnic area. The name reflects the victory of the United States in World War II. The opening of Victory Field in 1996 was the catalyst for a revitalization of downtown Indianapolis.

A record 16,168 fans were in attendance on July 22, 2000 to witness the Indians lose to the Columbus Clippers 6 to 5.[4]

Features

Victory Field is considered one of the finest facilities in all of Minor league baseball. It has been recognized as the "Best Minor League Ballpark in America" by Baseball America and Sports Illustrated.

There are currently 12,202 permanent seats and room for approximately 2,000 more fans on the outfield lawn, though on popular days such as the 4th of July, it is not uncommon to total over 15,000 with SRO seats. Victory Field also features 28 luxury suites, five suite-level party areas, and two large picnic areas.

The seating is broken down as followed:[4]

  • Field box: 5,436
  • View box: 2,119
  • Lower reserved: 1,647
  • Upper reserved: 2,118
  • Lawn: 1,975
  • Captain Morgan Cove: 100
  • Suite level: 545
  • Wheelchair: 262

Victory Field shares the limelight with the neighboring Lucas Oil Stadium, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Indiana University Natatorium, and the Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium.

Improvements

Several changes were made to the ballpark between the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Most notably, crews installed a new HD video display that spans the left field wall and measures 6-1/2 feet tall by 120 feet wide. The new digital board, which has the highest resolution (16mm) of any display in Minor League Baseball, features interactive messages, advertisements and live scores and statistics. The Indians invested approximately $600,000 in the new digital display which was designed by Brookings, South Dakota-based Daktronics.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Indianapolis Begins Work On Its New Baseball Stadium". The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne). December 14, 1996. Retrieved September 16, 2011. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Victory Field". Emporis.com. Retrieved September 30, 2011. 
  3. ↑ "Pro Baseball Sports Facilities". Bredson & Associates, Inc. Archived from the original on April 10, 2002. Retrieved August 8, 2013. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "2012 Indianapolis Indians Media Guide: Victory Field & Media". Indianapolis Indians. April 27, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2012. 
  5. ↑ "Indians Add New Video Board At Victory Field". Our Sports Central. Indianapolis Indians. April 5, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2013. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victory Field.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Bush Stadium		 Home of the
Indianapolis Indians
1996 – present 		Succeeded by
current
North Division
South Division
West Division
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