The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports
Encyclopedia
Champion Stadium is a 9,500 seat baseball
stadium located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort
. The stadium was built in 1997. It is the spring training
home of the Atlanta Braves
and is the home for the Rookie-league GCL
Braves. The stadium has a capacity of 9,500 including seating in the berm
area. It features four luxury boxes and two open-air party suites.
purchased the naming rights to the venue for ten years and put its Cracker Jack
brand on the stadium. Frito-Lay chose not to renew its naming rights deal. During most of 2007, it was referred to as The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports. On November 1 of that year, HanesBrands Inc. purchased the naming rights for ten years and put its Champion
brand on the stadium.
, the Orlando Rays moved to the Ballpark. However, the Rays, the Class AA Southern League
affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays
, continued to draw barely 1,000 fans a game in their new stadium. Things improved somewhat over the next three seasons; the Rays drew 150,051 fans in 2003, more than twice what they had seen just a few years earlier at Tinker Field, but still last in the league. Following the 2003 season, the Rays moved (breaking a 10-year lease at Disney after just four years) and became the Montgomery Biscuits
.
Champion Stadium was used during first-round games for the 2006 World Baseball Classic
. It hosted Pool D, and featured teams with professional players from Venezuela
, Australia
, Dominican Republic
and Italy
. All games were sell-outs.
The stadium hosted its first regular season MLB
games from May 15–17, 2007
season when the Texas Rangers
played the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
in a three-game series. The three games drew a total of 26,917 fans, and attendance went up each game. In April 2008
, the Rays moved another series, this time against the Toronto Blue Jays
, to Orlando. The Rays won all three games both years they visited Champion Stadium.
Champion Stadium is used for numerous high-school baseball tournaments every year, and has also hosted the Disney Channel Games
.
As part of the ESPN rebranding of the complex as a whole, an HD video panel was placed on the right side of the scoreboard wall in center field.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
stadium located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
. The stadium was built in 1997. It is 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...
home of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
and is the home for the Rookie-league GCL
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
Braves. The stadium has a capacity of 9,500 including seating in the berm
Berm
A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
area. It features four luxury boxes and two open-air party suites.
Name
Champion Stadium was originally known as Cracker Jack Stadium. When it was first built, Frito-LayFrito-Lay
Frito-Lay North America is the division of PepsiCo that manufactures, markets and sells corn chips, potato chips and other snack foods. The primary snack food brands produced under the Frito-Lay name include Fritos corn chips, Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips,...
purchased the naming rights to the venue for ten years and put its Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack
Cracker Jack is a U.S. brand of snack consisting of strong molasses flavored candy-coated popcorn and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of nominal value inside. Some food historians consider it the first junk food...
brand on the stadium. Frito-Lay chose not to renew its naming rights deal. During most of 2007, it was referred to as The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports. On November 1 of that year, HanesBrands Inc. purchased the naming rights for ten years and put its Champion
Champion (sportswear)
Champion is a manufacturer of clothing, specializing in sportswear. The brand is a subsidiary of HanesBrands Inc. , which was spun off by the Sara Lee Corporation....
brand on the stadium.
Orlando Rays
In 2000, after years of poor attendance at Tinker FieldTinker Field
Tinker Field is a stadium in Orlando, Florida. It is primarily used for baseball, and was the home field of the Orlando Rays minor league baseball team before they moved to Cracker Jack Stadium in 2000...
, the Orlando Rays moved to the Ballpark. However, the Rays, the Class AA Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, continued to draw barely 1,000 fans a game in their new stadium. Things improved somewhat over the next three seasons; the Rays drew 150,051 fans in 2003, more than twice what they had seen just a few years earlier at Tinker Field, but still last in the league. Following the 2003 season, the Rays moved (breaking a 10-year lease at Disney after just four years) and became the Montgomery Biscuits
Montgomery Biscuits
The Montgomery Biscuits are a minor league baseball team based in Montgomery, Alabama. The team is the Class AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and plays in the Southern League. The 2004 season was the team's first in Montgomery...
.
Other uses
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
. It hosted Pool D, and featured teams with professional players from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. All games were sell-outs.
The stadium hosted its first regular season MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games from May 15–17, 2007
2007 Major League Baseball season
The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1...
season when the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
played the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in a three-game series. The three games drew a total of 26,917 fans, and attendance went up each game. In April 2008
2008 Major League Baseball season
The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the...
, the Rays moved another series, this time against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, to Orlando. The Rays won all three games both years they visited Champion Stadium.
Champion Stadium is used for numerous high-school baseball tournaments every year, and has also hosted the Disney Channel Games
Disney Channel Games
The Disney Channel Games were annual Olympic-based televised games that aired on the Disney Channel from 2006–2008. The 2006 Games were filmed in California and produced by 7ATE9 Entertainment. In 2007 and 2008 the Games were filmed at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World...
.
As part of the ESPN rebranding of the complex as a whole, an HD video panel was placed on the right side of the scoreboard wall in center field.