Commerce Bank Park
Encyclopedia
Metro Bank Park is a baseball park
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
. It is the home field of the Harrisburg Senators
minor league
baseball team. The original structure was built in 1987 and it was called Riverside Stadium until 2004. Currently, the ballpark has a capacity of 6,187 people. The ballpark received a $30 million renovation beginning in 2008. The stadium is located on City Island
, in the Susquehanna River
.
, is a sixty-two-acre waterfront park and sports complex. The facilities include volleyball courts, softball fields, a football/soccer field, water golf, nature tails, jogging paths, cycling paths, two marinas, the "Pride of the Susquehanna" paddlewheel riverboat
, a food court
called RiverSide Village, and a miniature train that runs around the island for tours. Also the Harrisburg City Islanders
soccer team plays on the island at Skyline Sports Complex
, next to Metro Bank Park.
The original ballpark is a steel and aluminum structure, and over the course of time, additional seating areas were built along 1st base, and box seats in foul territory and in front of the grandstand
s behind home plate to provide additional seating, despite official capacity being listed over 6,000 since the park's inception. The stadium was used as the spring training
facility in the movie Major League II
, starring Charlie Sheen
, Tom Berenger
and Corbin Bernsen
.
funding). Originally the renovation was scheduled to begin in 2005. However, problems with the availability of state funding for the project have pushed it back until 2008, with the transfer of ownership between the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The renovation project was finished in two phases, with the first phase being completed before Opening Day 2009. The second phase of the project began in August 2009 and was completed prior to Opening Day 2010.
Renovations included a new boardwalk, new seats in left field, and a new video board.
The construction for the first phase of the project began immediately and continued into April 2009. The changes and additions to Metro Bank Park for the 2009 season are:
A public plaza and entrance was constructed in the left field corner,a boardwalk surrounding the outfield was constructed between the foul poles, a complete upgrade to the scoreboard,a new left field seating area, an outfield bar complete with drink rails, and new seating underneath the scoreboard,a new outfield wall constructed with static advertisement panels, and a new 8600 square feet (799 m²) Operations Building which houses the Senators front offices, ranger, security, first aid and the new box office along with the new Senators souvenir store, concession stand, and public rest rooms.
The second phase of the construction project began in August, 2009. This project included the comprehensive changes to Metro Bank Park that turned the stadium on City Island into one of the best and most unique ballparks in minor league baseball.The following is a comprehensive list of the renovation project
Complete new seating bowl upgrades with individual chair back seats replacing the present bench seating and roofing covering the majority of the seating bowl, construction of 20 suites with amenities including a glass wall located in the front of the suite to see the field and a in the back of the suite to see the city skyline,A new sound system, the creation of a "Midway" with activities and specialty areas geared towards children, teenagers and families, the completion of new concessions and restrooms on elevated concourses, upgraded picnic areas which effectively double the size of the stadium picnic facilities, the reconfiguration of field lights removal of two lights, addition of fixtures to remaining eight lights, re-lamp and re-aim of all lights, addition of quartz lighting bank for emergency purposes, the upgrade of the field-level concourse with brick pavers, the completion of the Operations Building by August 2009, a new press box including new media and scoreboard control rooms, a complete renovation of existing buildings, including the home and visitors clubhouses and the restroom facilities and the development of a reserved parking lot.
The total construction costs for the project are estimated at $32 million and the total development budget for the entire project, including all costs, is approximately $45 million. Prior to the 2005 a new playing surface was installed which is also a part of the $45 million total project cost.
In the 2008 offseason, the renovation got off the ground for the stadium, with $500,000 in funding going towards a new public plaza, and other small amenities to be built into the stadium. In the 2009 offseason, the rest of the stadium was renovated.
s had in the 80's (though Metro Bank Park itself is not a multi-purpose stadium), with no extra bends or such in the wall, and the height of the wall at 8 feet (2.4 m). Billboards also ran around by the walls, and reached a height of 16 feet (4.9 m). Anything that hit the billboards were home runs. With the renovation of the park, and the addition of the Boardwalk, some of the distances have changed, with Left and Right Field now 325 feet from home plate. Center field's distance has stayed the same at 400 feet, however walls, unlike at Left and Right field, were raised, to 16 feet instead of the original 8 feet, and the walls have extra bends that did not exist in the previous setup, predominantly in Left Center and Right Center field.
Foul territory also currently varies, as behind home plate, there is a small amount of foul ground. However, the further out toward the outfield, the wall on the foul ground stays somewhat parallel to the foul line in both left and right field, with only the box seats sticking out into foul ground helping reduce the area somewhat. This is expected to change when the main grandstands are renovated in the 2009-2010 offseason. The bullpens were also located out in the foul territory by the outfield walls. While the visiting team's bullpen has stayed in the same place for the 2009 season, and is expected to be in the same general area for the 2010 season, the Senators moved their bullpen to a location behind the right field wall halfway through the season.
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
. It is the home field of the Harrisburg Senators
Harrisburg Senators
The Harrisburg Senators are a minor league baseball team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals....
minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
baseball team. The original structure was built in 1987 and it was called Riverside Stadium until 2004. Currently, the ballpark has a capacity of 6,187 people. The ballpark received a $30 million renovation beginning in 2008. The stadium is located on City Island
City Island (Pennsylvania)
City Island is a mile-long island in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is used mainly for leisure and sports activities...
, in the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
.
History
Metro Bank Park sits on the exact spot where baseball had been played earlier in the century, where other Harrisburg teams played from 1907-1952. The location, City IslandCity Island (Pennsylvania)
City Island is a mile-long island in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is used mainly for leisure and sports activities...
, is a sixty-two-acre waterfront park and sports complex. The facilities include volleyball courts, softball fields, a football/soccer field, water golf, nature tails, jogging paths, cycling paths, two marinas, the "Pride of the Susquehanna" paddlewheel riverboat
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
, a food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
called RiverSide Village, and a miniature train that runs around the island for tours. Also the Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
soccer team plays on the island at Skyline Sports Complex
Skyline Sports Complex
Skyline Sports Complex is a sports complex/stadium on City Island, along the Susquehanna River, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.The original structure was built in 1987 and is adjacent to Metro Bank Park....
, next to Metro Bank Park.
The original ballpark is a steel and aluminum structure, and over the course of time, additional seating areas were built along 1st base, and box seats in foul territory and in front of the grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
s behind home plate to provide additional seating, despite official capacity being listed over 6,000 since the park's inception. The stadium was used as the spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
facility in the movie Major League II
Major League II
Major League II is a 1994 sequel to the 1989 film Major League. Major League II stars most of the same cast from the original, including Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Corbin Bernsen. Absent from this film is Wesley Snipes, who played Willie Mays Hayes in the first film and who by 1994 had become...
, starring Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
, Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger is an American actor known mainly for his roles in action films.-Early life:Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago to an Irish Catholic family. Berenger's father was a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Berenger has a sister, Susan...
and Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen is an American actor and director, known for his work on television. He is best known for his roles as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, and as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych...
.
Stadium Renovation
Metro Bank Park received a $32 million renovation ($19.1 million in statePennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
funding). Originally the renovation was scheduled to begin in 2005. However, problems with the availability of state funding for the project have pushed it back until 2008, with the transfer of ownership between the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The renovation project was finished in two phases, with the first phase being completed before Opening Day 2009. The second phase of the project began in August 2009 and was completed prior to Opening Day 2010.
Renovations included a new boardwalk, new seats in left field, and a new video board.
The construction for the first phase of the project began immediately and continued into April 2009. The changes and additions to Metro Bank Park for the 2009 season are:
A public plaza and entrance was constructed in the left field corner,a boardwalk surrounding the outfield was constructed between the foul poles, a complete upgrade to the scoreboard,a new left field seating area, an outfield bar complete with drink rails, and new seating underneath the scoreboard,a new outfield wall constructed with static advertisement panels, and a new 8600 square feet (799 m²) Operations Building which houses the Senators front offices, ranger, security, first aid and the new box office along with the new Senators souvenir store, concession stand, and public rest rooms.
The second phase of the construction project began in August, 2009. This project included the comprehensive changes to Metro Bank Park that turned the stadium on City Island into one of the best and most unique ballparks in minor league baseball.The following is a comprehensive list of the renovation project
Complete new seating bowl upgrades with individual chair back seats replacing the present bench seating and roofing covering the majority of the seating bowl, construction of 20 suites with amenities including a glass wall located in the front of the suite to see the field and a in the back of the suite to see the city skyline,A new sound system, the creation of a "Midway" with activities and specialty areas geared towards children, teenagers and families, the completion of new concessions and restrooms on elevated concourses, upgraded picnic areas which effectively double the size of the stadium picnic facilities, the reconfiguration of field lights removal of two lights, addition of fixtures to remaining eight lights, re-lamp and re-aim of all lights, addition of quartz lighting bank for emergency purposes, the upgrade of the field-level concourse with brick pavers, the completion of the Operations Building by August 2009, a new press box including new media and scoreboard control rooms, a complete renovation of existing buildings, including the home and visitors clubhouses and the restroom facilities and the development of a reserved parking lot.
The total construction costs for the project are estimated at $32 million and the total development budget for the entire project, including all costs, is approximately $45 million. Prior to the 2005 a new playing surface was installed which is also a part of the $45 million total project cost.
In the 2008 offseason, the renovation got off the ground for the stadium, with $500,000 in funding going towards a new public plaza, and other small amenities to be built into the stadium. In the 2009 offseason, the rest of the stadium was renovated.
Stadium Dimensions
The ballpark's original dimensions were fairly basic. The walls at the left and right field lines were 335 feet (102.1 m) from home plate, and the center field wall was 400 feet (121.9 m) from home plate, with the outfield wall pretty much the same setup that multi-purpose stadiumMulti-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
s had in the 80's (though Metro Bank Park itself is not a multi-purpose stadium), with no extra bends or such in the wall, and the height of the wall at 8 feet (2.4 m). Billboards also ran around by the walls, and reached a height of 16 feet (4.9 m). Anything that hit the billboards were home runs. With the renovation of the park, and the addition of the Boardwalk, some of the distances have changed, with Left and Right Field now 325 feet from home plate. Center field's distance has stayed the same at 400 feet, however walls, unlike at Left and Right field, were raised, to 16 feet instead of the original 8 feet, and the walls have extra bends that did not exist in the previous setup, predominantly in Left Center and Right Center field.
Foul territory also currently varies, as behind home plate, there is a small amount of foul ground. However, the further out toward the outfield, the wall on the foul ground stays somewhat parallel to the foul line in both left and right field, with only the box seats sticking out into foul ground helping reduce the area somewhat. This is expected to change when the main grandstands are renovated in the 2009-2010 offseason. The bullpens were also located out in the foul territory by the outfield walls. While the visiting team's bullpen has stayed in the same place for the 2009 season, and is expected to be in the same general area for the 2010 season, the Senators moved their bullpen to a location behind the right field wall halfway through the season.
Tidbits about the stadium
- Because of the location, Metro Bank Park is prone to being flooded, and a previous stadium at the site was washed out by a flood back in 1935. Floods in the winter do not pose as much of a problem, as the ballpark can be fixed up, and ready for the next season, but floods that happen during the baseball season can (and usually will) affect the Senators schedule, forcing them to play their "home games" usually at their opponent's ballpark. The most recent episode of this happening was in the 2006 season when a floodMid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006The Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006 was a significant flood that affected much of the Mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States. The flooding was very widespread, affecting numerous rivers, lakes and communities from upstate New York to North Carolina. It is widely considered to be...
partially submerged the field, and forced the Senators to play 2 "home games" as a doubleheaderDoubleheader (baseball)A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
in BowiePrince George's StadiumPrince 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...
against the Bowie BaysoxBowie BaysoxThe Bowie Baysox are a minor league baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League...
.
- The record attendance to a Senators game at Metro Bank Park is 8,637, on September 1, 2011. The crowd was bolstered by a rehab start for Stephen StrasburgStephen StrasburgStephen James Strasburg is a right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals, who selected him with the first pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft...
and the Senators' clinching of the division title.
- Supposedly has biggest scoreboard/video board in the minor leagues.